News

Luna's right. She went old school with her choice of spells.

Luna used "Mirror Image" against the Infernomancer in Erossus.

It was Dominic who first used "Smog Illusion," but it was Luna who identified it.

I'm headed back to the comic shop today. It's been months, but the new Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures hits the shelves today. I've been loyal to Atomic Robo for years and the spinoff is equally entertaining. If you're looking for a quality comic book to read nowadays, I can still recommend this one.

Very early work continues on my own superhero side project. I don't like to talk about it often here for fear of jinxing it, but since I'm returning to the comic book shop for the first time in months I felt it was worth a mention. If all goes well, it's gonna be cosmic.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on and geek out.

Bumper's sleight-of-hand and pickpocketing skills are no secret around here. They've been showcased throughout the comic's history, from "cat burglary" to lifting a magic amulet to a clerical error. He probably just saved Stunt's life. Again.

I'm a wee bit behind on answering my emails (again) but I should be caught up before next week. I'm going to want a relatively clear inbox for the comic's tenth anniversary, after all.

Other than that, there's not much news to report. I'm still the occasional (amateur) photographer and (very amateur) stargazer, still playing Mass Effect 3 and Star Wars, and always looking for new comic books to read.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Next Monday is kind of a big deal around here. One week from today is the tenth anniversary of Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire. It's hard to believe it's been a decade. It's weird to think about. For all the realizations about the time scale and how things have changed over the past ten years, it's still great to think about and it's an accomplishment I'm quite proud of.

Keep an eye on things down here for a big announcement next week, too.

Otherwise there's not much news to speak of... besides the fact that Behemoth was incredible and my ears are still ringing from the ferocity of their performance. Holy babylony. What a concert.


That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Cliffhanger be damned.
I'm going to talk about heavy metal today.
Namely, about Behemoth.

I first saw Behemoth years ago at the New England Metal Fest. I didn't know who they were at the time, but by the end of their mind-blowing performance my friends and I were all saying to one another, "Holy shit."

Not only did their music pound us into the pavement with its raw power and ferocity, but their stage presence was incredible. None of us could take our eyes off the face-painted, armored warriors of metal before our eyes. There was stage blood, unholy masks, and that undeniable power that they channeled. I was floored.

They came around to the Boston area a few years later, but they were co-headlining and I wasn't terribly interested in any of the other acts. "I'll see them the next time they come around," I said to myself. A short time later their lead singer was diagnosed with leukemia. Not only was I worried about his health, but I was (selfishly) worried that I'd missed my last chance to see this incredible band perform live. Thankfully his leukemia has gone into remission since then (about a year ago, I think), and now they're back in the Boston area. Tonight.

Not only do I plan to lose my freaking mind at the Behemoth concert tonight, but I also plan to be deaf for Mother's Day. Sorry, Mom.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on, and have a metal weekend!

There's a small nod to Fred Perry's GOLD DIGGER in today's comic.

I owe a lot of my love of comic books to Gold Digger. It was the first comic I started collecting after I'd fallen out of the habit in the mid-nineties. I was pulled in by its outlandish stories, large cast of loveable characters, and the strength of its black-and-white art. The series eventually went full color, but my favorite issues were the black-and-white ones. I fell in love with that medium and, as you can see, still prefer it.

It was one of those black-and-white comics that featured a scene with Brianna Diggers in a lost temple. She was confronting an otherworldly, ancient monster that roared of apocalyptic doom and its immense power. Her only weapon was a gun, so she opened fire. Normally such a beast would be unaffected by something so mundane, striding forward as the bullets bounced off its impenetrable body. Instead it stumbled away, flailing its arms and yelling, "Ow! OW! That really hurts! Cut it out! OUCH! Oh, one got in my eye. One's in my eye!" Brianna's reaction was, "Oh wow! I can't believe that actually worked!"

Stunt's knife-to-the-face is my thank you to that memorable scene from Gold Digger. Whether it put down Brintu Hathe for good remains to be seen...

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Dominic's used his walking stick as a means of communication before. He just doesn't use it very often. But now, thanks to Brintu Hathe, it doesn't look like he's going to use it at all any more.

SuperGreg vs. Snowsong should be available by the end of the month! Depending on when copies arrive here, I may or may not have them on sale before A-KON. If not, I'll just continue the tradition of debuting new books at that convention and put it up in the SEER'S CATALOG that following week.

I need to go back to my local comic book shop. I keep putting it off. I've fallen out of the habit, and as a result I completely forgot about Free Comic Book Day. Bummer. I was looking forward to the further hijinks of Atomic Robo and Dr. Dinosaur.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on and geek out.

This does not bode well. The last time the crystal ball looked back at him it was a near disaster, and now that the Circle Archmagi are on a mysterious offensive... yeah, this does not bode well.

I should have news regarding the availability of SuperGreg vs. Snowsong within the next week or so. I'm just waiting for the printer to get back to me regarding a few things.

Otherwise, it's another slow news day. I like these. April was a busy month around here, so I'm going to sit back and enjoy the relative quiet of May. At least so far.


That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

These out-of-panel visions are a blast. I hope you folks enjoy them as much as I do. Although I don't think Dominic enjoys the ominous tone of this larger-than-life vision.

There was a pleasing astronomical treat over the weekend. The supermoon turned many people into skywatchers for a night. It was a fantastic sight for most, but clouds ruled the sky here in the Boston area. Still, I managed to capture one semi-decent photo of the "supermoon" lighting up the clouds around it. I think it's neat.



That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

After a couple of Friday cliffhangers, I felt it was time for a break. Though no one is any immediate danger (yet) I'd like to think things are intriguing enough to make you want to come back on Monday to see what happens next. It's not every day Dominic gets a vision of one of Callan's most renowned prophets.

I received the proof from the printer for SUPERGREG vs. SNOWSONG and I'm happy with the way it looks. If all goes well after a minor tweak or two it should go on sale before I leave for A-KON next month. If there is a delay, I'll likely keep the tradition of debuting new volumes at that convention if I can, even if I wouldn't really consider this short story a "volume." It's more of a comic book, both in size and in theme.

I'm looking forward to the next round of conventions, but I'm also going to enjoy this month off from traveling. As much as I love coming out and meeting you fine folks, I'm a homebody at heart.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on and have a nice weekend!

Sometimes the message of a vision is plain to see, even if its meaning is vague and mysterious. And while this isn't the first time we've seen a wordy vision, it certainly is the biggest and (probably) among the more important ones to date.

For the first time in months I've posted some photographs to my deviantArt gallery! I got together with my ever-ready model, occasional contributor to the site, and dear friend Tarah. We're very happy with the results. She is a joy to work with for an amateur photographer like me. I hardly ever pose her. She's just so natural in front of the camera that all I have to do is try to capture these magic moments she gives me, occasionally offer an idea or two, and hope I don't screw it all up.
There is nudity in these photographs, so you have to have a deviantArt account to view them.


That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Oh man. It's been awhile since Dominic's had any out-of-body/out-of-panel visions and we're jumping right into it now that he's back in the comic. I told you things were moving faster now that the spotlight is out of the desert.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook probably heard me talk about this yesterday, but I feel it needs repeating here today.

Yesterday I learned that an old friend from high school passed away after a battle with lymphoma. John was my first "heavy metal buddy," who enjoyed its ear-shattering rebellion as much as I did. We were two long haired, awkward, social misfits who found solace in each others company. We bonded over loud music, comic books, horror movies, and more loud music. Time and circumstance had us drift apart, and now that's something I will forever regret. Thanks to various forms of social media we reconnected, albeit briefly, where I learned he married a lovely young woman and together they had a son. My thoughts and condolences go out to his family, and in their memories and their love I know he has achieved immortality.

I raise my glass to you, John, my heavy metal buddy.
I'll see you in the halls of Valhalla.

We've only ever seen Milov's parents briefly, but they're still around.

And, in case you forgot, Stunt was informed of Dominic and Luna's marriage via a spell.

At the last few conventions I've attended a few people pointed out that it's been months since we've seen Dominic and Luna. About five months now that it's May! I think Stunt, Jayden, Milov, Nimmel and Katya have carried the spotlight well in Dominic and Luna's "absence," and I'm glad many of you didn't seem to mind. It tells me you fine folks are invested not only in the fates of the main characters, but in much of the supporting cast as well, and for that I am very grateful.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

A couple of notes about today's comic:

- Keep in mind that Nimmel can't see what's happening to Katya. His scream is fueled by his isolation and not knowing her fate.

- Would it have been more dramatic if Katya had died? There's no denying it would have been sad, but I think Katya being put in a similar situation to Nimmel... not knowing the fate of her best friend... is equally dramatic and sad. Besides, I think dramatic tension can be built without a body count.

- Katya joins the ranks of other characters who have come back from the brink of death. Luna, Szark, and Stunt have all skirted the edge of eternity. They've all returned with a bit of help from their friends.

- My wife recently said to me, "Things are moving pretty quickly here." I'm glad she noticed. The speed of Alduraithel's attack and the lack of a full explanation were deliberate choices. We spent the first few months of 2012 watching Stunt and Jayden walk around and talk to one another with many dramatic pauses. Now we're out of the wasteland and things are picking up speed. Two archmagi have made their moves and they're not going to bother explaining themselves too much. Here's hoping our heroes can keep up.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

This is probably one of the meaner weekend cliffhangers I've done lately. The difference is that we'll likely know Katya's fate come Monday, while Nimmel is left hanging for what seems to be an indefinite amount of time.

Maybe it's because I'm in a bad mood. Yesterday CISPA was amended (horribly) and passed on a rushed vote through the House of Representatives. The broad language and vague definitions that seem to plague these "cybersecurity" bills worries me to no end, and I hope this one is not signed into law. It's worth keeping an eye on this issue.

I wish I had some more fun stuff to talk about today, like anything concerning comic books, video games, my (very amateur) photography or (very very very amateur) astronomy, but sadly there just isn't any news worthy items.

Oh. There is one thing. It's overly sappy and romantic, so if you want to avoid a toothache stop reading now and I'll see you on Monday.

This Sunday it'll have been six months since I married the love of my life, Alyssa. I love you, hon. I don't know what I'd do without you.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on, and have a nice weekend.

In my mind, Alduraithel's eruption sounds very much like the explosion of a biotic combo in Mass Effect. There's just something about that sound that sends a chill up my spine. Maybe it sounds more like a violent, fleshy, splattery sound to you. Maybe it's some combination of both. Whatever it may be, it's ultimately up to you and your imagination.

I haven't been as politically outspoken down here in the news box as I have in the past. I'm still vocal about my political views, but mostly on my Twitter feed and Facebook page. I took exception to this a few months ago when I took part in the now-famous SOPA/PIPA Blackout. I'll talk internet freedom and privacy here since, for me, it's as much of a workplace issue as a political issue.

CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act) is going up for vote in the House of Representatives tomorrow, and it's been called "worse than SOPA." There's already been some mounting opposition against it, even from the White House itself. This looks like it's going to get interesting, so it's worth keeping an eye on further developments. Or, if you're feeling more active about it, contact your Congressional representative and let them know what you think of this proposed bill before it goes to vote.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.