News

Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire is ten years old today. For the last decade I've been putting the adventures of a (formerly) grumpy seer online, but more importantly I've had all of you here to read those adventures. My life has been changed so much by this whole experience, and I cannot express my gratitude enough to all of you who have shown me so much love and support over the years.

But I must announce that this, the comic's tenth year, will be its final year. This is something I've been mentioning at conventions for awhile now, but I feel today is an appropriate time to make it official.

Sometime between now and May 21, 2013, Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire will come to an end.

However, I make this announcement with a relatively light heart. Why? Because I'm not being forced to end the comic. Because this is something I want to do, not have to do. Because I'm going to end the comic's run on my terms and I realize how lucky I am to be able to make this decision. Ten years is a long time to tell a lot of stories about a lot of characters, and I'm ready to give this cast a proper (and hopefully satisfying) ending.

Am I getting out of webcomics altogether?
No way. Webcomics have changed my life. I've met so many wonderful people over the years because of webcomics (including my amazing wife) and I have no intention of disappearing. I have other ideas for other comics I've been working on, and I hope people will like them.

Will the website remain online once the comic ends?
For as long as people are willing to come and read it.

Will I still release book editions of the comics?
For as long as people are still interested in buying them.

But the comic isn't ending tomorrow. There are many days, weeks, and months in a given year, so there's still a long way to go and a lot more comics to make. Besides, knowing me and my penchant for lengthy stories, I'll probably go over my own deadline.

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

Things aren't looking good for Bumper right now.

...

There's no cliffhanger-y statement to go along with that. Bumper is in a lot of trouble right now.

"Fireball" is just a classic fantasy spell. Whether it's an archetypal wizard casting it in a movie, you're rolling dice to do so in a tabletop RPG, spending mana to light your enemies ablaze in a video game, or if it's reminiscient of Luna's early spellcasting, "fireball" is just one of those old standbys that you can just rely on for old-school fantasy magic goodness.

Be sure to come back on Monday. It's the comic's tenth anniversary and there will be a big announcement down here in the news box. You won't want to miss it.

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

It was really nice to get back into the comic book shop. I didn't buy many comics, since I realized that I didn't miss too many of the current superhero stories, but those that I did pick up again were good reads.

Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures is like an Atomic Robo appetizer. Short stories about him and his associates that are easily accessible and fun adventures. It helps to know some of Robo's history and the antics of Tesladyne from the regular series, but it isn't necessary to fully enjoy this title.

I caught up on Aquaman as well. His "reboot" stays true to his classic nature and has fun playing with the fact that he's, well, Aquaman. And thanks to Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, I actually take Black Manta seriously as a supervillain. I never thought that costume could look even somewhat menacing.

And last but certainly not least, I caught up with Wonder Woman. I can't say enough good things about this series. I love the renewed emphasis on classic Greek mythology and her connection to the gods. It helps that I was a big mythology nerd in school and ate this stuff right up.

Oh, dangit. I forgot to catch up to the most recent Animal Man. Guess it's back to the comic shop for me today.

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

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.