Hey, I've Been Forgetting Titles Lately

"We Live in a World of Beautiful Horror, Little Buddy."

Ah, truer words were never spoken. Anyway, we've got new MONSTER KING up and running over at www.torcpress.com. This week we've got Pages 14 and 15 where a lot of stuff happens. A brand new character, the enigmatic Dr. Z, premiers. Also, do you remember a bunch of pages ago, when the Fleshless Horror popped up for one panel, and then we didn't see him again? Yeah, that thing is back, and it's ANGRY.

Other than that, I've finished all of the Pages of MONSTER KING (I love writing that in All Caps) Issue 3. So, that should give me enough material to get through until June at least. Also, we'll be getting Issue 12 of "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" into the online store on Monday. It's a good issue.

Guacamole.

I'm really starting to think I need to put Audrey up in the Garage at night, cause she's been waking me up too early lately. Of course, it's not that big of a deal today, because the Power was out from at least 2pm until 9:30 last night. I'm not sure what the problem was, but Bro and I saw some people working on something or other, so they probably had the power shut off for that. Regardless, that made last night very, very boring. And dark. Instead of working, I spent most of the afternoon/evening napping, and I went to bed at 9. Woof. Anyway, we've done done all our usual online garbage, so let's do some production updates, shall we?

"The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club"-- Issue 12 came in from the Printers last week. I can't believe I'm up to Issue 12. Anyway, I'll be putting Issue 12 in the online store...probably on May 2nd or sometime that week. Issue 13 is over halfway done. I'm gonna try to have it completed by Free Comic Book Day so that I can get reductions done while I'm in Evansville. Issue 14 is Scripted, and I know what's going down in Issue 15. So there's that.

"Monster King"-- Issues 1 & 2 are currently available in the Online Store. Pages 1-13 of Issue 3 are currently available for Free Viewing at www.torcpress.com/monsterking.html. I've only got about... three or four pages to go and Issue 3 is finished (work-wise). I plan on finishing the book this week. Issue 4 is scripted, and I've got ideas for Issues 5-8 at least. Issue 3 will go to the Printers the same week that Page 24 is made available online, which should be...June 4th.

"Cosmic Love"-- Issue 1 is currently available in the online store, and if you don't have a copy yet, for the love of all that is holy, pick up a copy. It's too damn pretty for you not to have one. Issue 2 is currently at the Printers. I'll probably make it available in the online store in mid-May. Issue 3 is Scripted, and I've got a start on Pencils. I've only Inked Page One, so, long way to go on that issue. I've got concrete ideas that should take me up to Issue 13 and beyond. I'm very confident about the potential of this series for some reason.

"The Clown & Tea Cup Show"-- Issue 1 is currently available in the online store (that's www.torcpress.com/store.html if you're curious). If you dig experimental comix, then it's an absolute must have. Issue 2 (which may or may not be the final issue) is completed. I'll send it to the Printers in... early June I think.

"Sideshow"-- My "Business Card Comic" is completed and has been sent to the Printers. It's an 8 Page Comic that serves as an intro to "The Ballad of Clown & Tea Cup", and also contains all of my contact info. It will only be made available at Conventions, not in the Online Store. I should have copies in time for Wizar-- er-- the Chicago Comicon.

I've also got an All Ages Comic Scripted, but it will probably be awhile before I get a chance to start on that one. Not counting stuff that's currently at the Printers, I am currently 8 Comics Deep into the 24 Comix in One Year Challenge. Considering it's the 4th Month, I'm still pretty much on Schedule. And it's pronounced Shed-you-uhlllllllll.......

MONSTER KING Rules and "The Annihilators" Sucks

"I Looked So Lonely."

Ah, Saturday. MONSTER KING time. Nice. Anyway, we've got Pages 12 and 13 this week, which you can find at the Main Site at www.torcpress.com. This week, we get some... Windows? And what's behind these little windows? Hell, I don't know. I just write this stuff. Still, pay attention to these pages. I think there's some meaning to all of this. Maybe.

In other news, lost my mind and went, appropriately enough, to St. Lunatic. Bought a ton of comics, most of which were sight unseen. Unfortunately, one of those books were the first two issues of Marvel's new "Annihilators". Oh my God this book is so bad. So woefully bad. So unbelievably bad. So, why am I crapping on this book? Welp, here we go...

First, the premise. The Annihilators are a team of Cosmic Heroes set up to protect the Galaxy itself from Big, Big Evil Stuff. It's the Silver Surfer (the reason I wasted my time and money on this CRAP (eventually I'm just going to have to accept that there's never going to be another good comic with the Surfer in it ever)), Gladiator (eh), Ronan the Accuser (meh), Beta Ray Bill (cool), and Quasar (BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!). In the first two issues, everyone bickers alot and there's something about Dire Wraiths.

So, why does it suck? Well, did I mention that in the first two issues that everyone bickers constantly? Or that some alien chick in armor makes the entire group look like pussies in the first few pages? How about the terrible art? I mean, seriously, Marvel. You're the top comic book company in America and this is the best you can do? The colors are pale and weak. The art is completely non-dynamic. The art guy can't draw Beta Ray Bill's face to save his ass. Oh, and the Silver Surfer has EARS. EARS!!!!!!!! Rauugh!!!! For the love of all that is holy, the Surfer doesn't have frickin' ears. He's never, ever, ever had ears. MORONS! (And, yes, I'm aware how stupid it is that I'm upset over ears, I'm honestly kinda overplaying it for drama's sake) Other than that, the book is narrated by Quasar. Now, for those of you who don't know who Quasar is, he's a Lame ass rip off of Green Lantern who has died like twenty times. He sucks. Big Time. So, what does he do throughout Issues 1 and 2? Welp, he whines and complains incessantly about HOW MUCH HE SUCKS! I'm not even joking! Also, I don't think Gladiator does anything in either issue. It's just so boring and sad and lame and boring and poorly drawn and the Surfer has ears. Anyway, I regret this purchase, but whatcha gonna do?

Oh, and if you want a comic where things happen, and people don't constantly whine, and the art is...well, it's up to you whether you like my art or not, and half of the book isn't taken up by a crappy back up story about some Raccoon (I forgot about that part, there's like, not much actual content, either), then head over to www.torcpress.com/store.html and pick up my two new books, "The Clown & Tea Cup Show #1" and "Monster King #2". Between the two books there's Robots and Undead Samurai and Violence and Mayhem and Beer and Vans and Bizarre Dreams, and more bang for your buck than anything Marvel's gonna give ya. Yeah, I said it.

"The Clown & Tea Cup Show" is...

...um...

It's a story about me and my brother. It's about us on the road. It's about the silly stuff we talk about. It's about the odd adventures we've had.

Kinda.

It's a part of the Ballad of Clown and Penguin. It's about the continuing adventures of Cactus Joe and Pengy Penguin, but then we throw Broken Tea Cup into the mix, and aliceislost pops up, and there's a cameo by King Smooth, and there's an Iggy Iguana strip that plays a part. It's another piece of the massive puzzle I'm putting together.

Sorta.

It's an experimental comic. I'm toying with story telling. Seeing what I can try, what I can get away with, what works, what doesn't, and then doing stuff that doesn't work anyway, just because. I'm also experimenting with my artwork. I'm really experimenting with everything. So, it's an experimental book.

A wee bit.

It's me spitting on Corporate America. It's my absurdist Rant about everything that I think is wrong with our Factory Culture.

Ish.

It's "The Clown & Tea Cup Show". It's beautiful, staggering chaos in a world of boring stupidity and order. You should read it. Why not? Info at www.torcpress.com.

New Comix, New Website Stuff

So, I finally bit the bullet and sat down and did some work on www.torcpress.com yesterday. The main thing I did was tweak the online store. I removed the graphics from the page so everything loads faster now. To make up for that, I added links to the Preview Pages on every entry that's got a Preview Page, and, additionally, I added an "Add to Cart" Button to every Preview Page, so you can purchase a Comic directly from that page. I also split the Online Store into three separate stores. The Main Store has the Current, Core Books, while the other two stores have the older All Ages and Mature Readers Books. In additional addition, I've added two new Comix to the Site. Speaking of which...

Monster King #2 is now available from TORC Press! Yep, the Print Edition of the World's Greatest Psychedelic Action Comic that No One is Reading, is now available to the masses. It collects all the material from issue 2, which features Cactus Joe's battle with an Ortex Captain, as well as the dreaded Hassaan i Phantom, and it features the introduction of one of my favorite new characters, Mike the Butcher (and his perpetually sleeping Koala, Kolby). It's 24 Pages in Brilliant Full Color for $5.00 plus $1.50 S&H. If you are one of the people that's been following Monster King online, please support the cause by buying a copy. Pretty please, with Sugar on Top?

Also...

"The Clown & Tea Cup Show" #1 is now available from TORC Press. It's a 24 Page Mature Readers Comic in Black/White/Grey for $2.5o plus $1.50 S&H. The story starts out simple enough, Cactus Joe, Pengy Penguin, and Broken Tea Cup are rolling across the open highway when they stop for Burgers. Then things just get damn weird. One of the strangest comics I've ever made, this experimental oddity of a book is a must have for any fan of truly underground comix or experimental storytelling. Also, for longer term fans of TORC Press, this issue features the long awaited return of aliceislost and a cameo by the mysterious King Smooth.

Anyway, all of this is available at www.torcpress.com. Rock on.

MONSTER KING in the Morning

Ah, Saturday. We've got your weekly dose of MONSTER KING all ready to go at http://www.torcpress.com/mk10.html. This week we've got the unfortunate fate of that bizarre, brightly colored, quacking monster, a cameo by Iggy Iguana, and the official introduction of a new character. His name is Armageddon Clock, and he's the dashing, daring, dandy of doom! Another "Mystery Man" in the titanic TORC Press tradition to say the least.

Other than that, I've got the day off, so I'm gonna try to get some work done on my various projects, and I need to get some groceries, and I really, really need to start cleaning my house up. We'll see how much of that I actually get done.

Lost Wrestlers and Random Notes

Larry Sweeney died the other day. His real name was Alex Whybrow, but we knew him as "Sweet and Sour" Larry Sweeney. He was a Pro Wrestler, and one of the best to appear on the Wrestling scene in the last decade. Sweeney was never the best in-ring performer, but what he lacked in mat skills and speed he more than made up for with his exuberant, over-the-top personality. Sweeney had more Charisma in his pinky finger than most Hollywood actors have in their entire bodies. Sweeney reminded us why we liked the old school of wrestling so much. As a manager he was a genius, running around the ring, distracting the ref, jawjacking with the crowd. During his all too brief stint in ROH, Sweeney even had bogus business cards made up, which he would casually toss at the fans in the front row. Sweeney was also one of the best promo men the business will be probably ever see. His interviews were always gold. Unfortunately, for all his talent, Whybrow suffered with Bipolar Disorder for most of his life. It got the better of him, and he disappeared from Wrestling for awhile. Later last year it looked like maybe Sweeney was gonna make a comeback, but sadly that was not to be, as his mental problems ultimately got the better of him. If there is a bright sad to this sadness, it's that Sweeney had an impressive Indy career, and he achieves an immortality of sorts in all of the various DVDs that feature him as a Wrestler. If you want to see Sweeney at his best, I thoroughly recommend CHIKARA's "Cibernetico Forever" DVD from 2006 (available at www.smartmarkvideo.com). Via con dios, Larry Sweeney.

Other than that bit of sadness, not much to report on this end. Watched most of Season 1 of "Justified" at Bro's place the other day. Mowed the lawn yesterday. Slowly working on my various projects. Not been sleeping well lately. I've got a Wrestling show in Olney to go to tonight. Thankfully, nothing's happening this weekend, so maybe I can play a little catch up. I owe some people some stuff.

Huh. The Government Didn't Shut Down. New Monster King.

"A Gun? But I HATE Guns."

Welp, looks like Tea Party Morons can compromise after all. Who knew? Anyway, the Government didn't shut down last night, so there's that. Anyway, we've got new Monster King online. Pages 8 & 9 of Issue 3 are now available for viewing online at www.torcpress.com/monsterking.html. This week, we've got a brightly colored talking frog, a cameo by Iggy Iguna, and a Psychedelic Monster. It's fun.

Anyway, I need to get off my dead butt and add some stuff to the website. Perhaps tomorrow. Today I've got wrestlin'.

Nothing To Lose

So, like I said yesterday, we're screwed. The Planet, the Country, the Middle Class, the Whole Kit-n-Kaboodle. Screwed. And the Comic Book Industry (in case you were wondering when this would be about comics again)? Well, we've been screwed since the mid-90s, and that particular Ship ain't never gonna stop sinking. Look at the evidence. Comic Book Shops continue to disappear. My "local" shop is a two hour drive away in a different State. "Comic Relief" in Berkely, CA, a Prime Time Comic Book store, and the model for which all other shops probably shoulda followed is Closed now (I think. Unless something changed). Look at the Diamond Distribution Sales figures. Comic Sales are Abysmal nowadays, especially when compared to the 90s. I guess this year, so far, Sales are at an All Time Low. And a rotten Economy ain't gonna do nobody no favors. Our Great Hope for the Future was the Bookstore Market. Sheah, right. "Borders" just declared Bankruptcy and is shutting down half of its stores. Don't be surprised if you hear about some comic book publishers folding in the next few months due to fallout from this. Borders owed alotta people money, and I'm pretty sure there were more than a few publishers who were counting on that bookstore exposure. As for Online Comics, well, for the most part, no one's really sure how to make money off of those yet. So, yeah, not much of a Future for us in the Comic Industry.

Pretty cheerful Rant so far, right? Bear with me.

The Good News for Me, anyway, is that the Game hasn't really changed much. I've never really had a Future. I work in a run-down, family owned Sawmill. As time progresses, I'm pretty much gonna be left with two options: take over when Dad retires a few years down the road, or get a job in a factory. Neither of which I'm that thrilled with. Otherwise, any real change to the Status Quo is either gonna require catching a Lucky Break (insert laughter here) or going back to School (again, insert laughter here). I've known pretty much from the onset that the odds that I'll "Make It" in the Comic Book Industry are Slim to Nonexistent. And given the State of the Industry, as stated above, those Odds get a little slimmer every year. I've got no Wife. I've got no Girlfriend. I've got no Kids (legitimate or otherwise). And given my Social Awkwardness and inability to meet new people, I have my doubts that that Status Quo is gonna change much.

Like I said, Pretty Cheerful. Stay with me here, this is going somewhere, I think.

But here's the Good News. I've got Nothing to Lose. Well, I don't have much to lose. Y'know, I've got some stuff, and a house, and a car, and a dog, and family and friends, and all of that is awesome, but what I mean is, again, I've got no real Future. And when you've got Nothing to Lose then, suddenly, you can play the Game any damn way you want, cause when you've got Nothing to Lose, there are No Rules. And I've known this for a long time, but I forget it from time to time. That's why my comix are so odd, so off-beat, so not quite mainstream but not quite alternative. It's because I'm not playing the same game as everyone else. I'm playing my own game by my own rules.

Take, for example, my "Publish 24 Comix in a Single Year Challenge". That's a Stupid thing to do. No one should do that. Not even people who make money should try something like that. But me? I've got Nothing to Lose, so why not? This Challenge is my Flag that I'm planting in the Ground. It's me saying, "Y'know what? I don't give a crap about the money. I don't give a crap about fame or recognition or critical acclaim or even having a large readership. My name is Joseph Morris, I've got No Future, and all I care about are Making Comics and Eating Tacos and Meeting a Girl who Smells Nice. In a World that's Spiraling Slowly down the damn Crapper, I, on a nonexistent budget, am going to produce 24 Comix, at least 8 or more pages in length (most will be 24 or more) in a single year. Because I can. Because I've got this Big, Huge Story to Tell. Because Someone Needs to Believe in Something, even if there's Nothing Worth Believing in Anymore."

So there's that. Dig?

Instead of Talking Comics I Go on an Angry, Liberal Rant

There's a lot of things that bother me about our modern culture. For starters, we're involved in three wars, which, by my calculations, is three wars too many. It's a wee bit creepy that we're three days away from a possible Government Shut Down. We've got self proclaimed Religious guys burning other people's Holy Books. We've got Newt Gingrich running for President (again...groan) and claiming he's a Fundamentalist Christian when in truth he's a thrice divorced, cuckolding, greedy, heartless, soulless Tool of the Devil. We've got the most Disgusting Thing in the World (aka the Tea Party). We've got Fox News telling people that Teachers are "Greedy" and live "Lives of Luxury" (has anyone from Fox News ever actually met a Teacher ever? Seriously?). We've got people screaming about how this Country is supposed to be a Christian Country, and that we've gotta get right with God, but have you seen this people? I was a devout Christian for most of my life. I know the teachings of Jesus Christ, and try pretty darn hard to live up to them (I largely fail). These people that are on TV claiming to be Christians and claiming we all gotta get back to God are about as Christian as Judas Iscariot. Yeah, I said it.

We're at a point where racism shouldn't even be a damn issue in this country, and yet the second we somehow manage to elect a Black President, we get towering waves of racism sweeping across this land. It's like electing Barack Obama has given every angry, rich white guy and gal in America a license to dig out their Grandpappy's old KKK Uniform. And I'm not saying that anyone that dislikes the Obama Presidency is racist. Hell no. There's a lotta criticism you can hurl at Obama. I wish he would stick to his guns more. I wish we had Universal Health Care (Why in the F___K Don't We Have Universal Health Care?), but instead we've got the screwed up, confusing, half assed Obamacare (which, apparently, the Republicans only goal in life is to get rid of, so fat lotta good that's gonna do us).

And, ya wanna know why the Economy is in the dumper and everyone's broke and the Government's Broke. Two things: One- The Rich aren't paying their fair share of the taxes. The only people paying taxes are us Middle Class slobs. The Corporations aren't paying Jack in taxes, and neither are that mystical 1% that controls 90% of the wealth. And the Poor ain't got no damn money in the first place. So, let's do the math, shall we? If, say 70% of the people who only control 9% of the Wealth are the only people contributing to the Government, then the Government ain't gonna make just a ton of money, is it? I'm an IDIOT, and I can figure this S__T out. AND YET, all I hear from the blankety blankin' Republicans is that the only way to fix everything is to make sure that the Rich get Massive Tax Cuts. What the crap? Problem Number Two: Gas is too damn expensive. This is stupid. The Middle Class can't afford gas that's nearly $4 a gallon. If the Big Corporations (and TORC Press, who am I kidding) want us to have disposable income to buy their stuff, then we can't go spending all of our disposable income just to drive to work. We Just Can't. Fix it. Fix it. FIX IT! Oh, but we can't fix it, there's all these factors and OPEC and blahblahblah. What a wad. A handful of people are making a killing, and they don't want it to stop. That's it.

So, we're screwed, which is the other thing that bothers we about the world today. We're just screwed. You wanna be a vegetarian to try to keep all the little animals from being slaughtered? Swell. Go ahead. That's not gonna stop McDonalds from having massive factory farms full of steroid injected beef that's run through an unsanitary slaughterhouse and injected with more crap to give it flavor so they can be sold at millions of McDonalds locations through the World. You wanna Go Green. Cool. Go Green. But every time I go out on the Highway I see Hundreds of SUVs, and I'm still seeing people driving around in HUMMERS. And you don't wanna know what they're up to in China right now. You wanna be a Bleeding Heart Liberal like me? Swell. Go ahead. Talk about Universal Health Care and giving people freedom of choice and equal liberties. Go on ahead. If they can't legalize Gay Marriage in Cali-everyone's Gay over there anyway, right?-fornia, then I don't hold out hope for the rest of the Nation. And Universal Health Care? When Health Insurance Companies are boasting record profits and own most of the Government? When the Republicans are talking about Privatizing Medicare? You wanna talk about Religious Tolerance? Not when people are burning Quorans on National TV. You wanna try to tell people the Truth about Jesus? Not gonna do much good when you walk into Church, and the guy preaching is getting paid fat wads of cash for doing nothing, and he's fat as a hog, and he's wearing a fancy suit, and everything that comes out of his mouth is a crapstream of intolerance and anger and bile and lies and greed and filth.

No, we're good and screwed.

So, why bother? Why swim against the tide? If you can't beat em, join em, right?

Nah. I'm not a fan of that either. If the Greed Heads have a right to their opinion, then so do the rest of us. If the Greed Heads have a right to drag Religion through the mud and send people to war for Profit and have a right to deny people Health Care and to deny people the right to equal Marriage Rights, then the rest of us have a right to stand how we wanna stand as well. I have a right to yammer out this Liberal crap on this blog. You've got a right to be Green if you wanna be, or not so Green if you don't (by the by, I'm not even remotely Green. I work in a Sawmill.). If you're Gay (and I'm not, by the by, but more power to em), and you wanna get Married (and I can't say I blame em. I hate being alone), then stand up for it. The Greed Heads aren't the only people who have Freedom of Speech and Expression. Even if the Nation/Planet's going down the Crapper, we've all still got the same First Amendment Rights. So there's that at least.

Back from Gem City

Woofenstien.

I'm back from Gem City, safe and sound. The show went okay. Didn't set the world on fire, but didn't bomb out. I've worked three shows so far this year, and I'm starting to notice something rather alarming. People just aren't interested in Small Press Comics right now. I mean, it would be one thing if just my sales were poor lately. I could attribute that to the fact that I completely suck and move on with my life. But, it seems like everyone at every show I go to is struggling. People who have comics that should be an absolute Slam Dunk are practically begging for sales. I figure there's only two possible answers. It's either the dreaded Economy or People just aren't interested in non-Marvel/DC Comics. Regardless, it was never exactly fun or easy to be a Small Press Guy, and now it's getting to be downright inhospitable.

BUT, the good news is I could care less. I've got stories to tell, and I could really care less as to how many tag along for the ride. Don't get me wrong, the more readers the merrier. The more readers I've got, the easier this thing is. But I'm not gonna stake my future on whether or not I can get X amount of people to follow along with the bizarre adventures of Cactus Joe the Clown and Pengy Penguin, y'know?

Speaking of which, I used my downtime at Gem City to Script Issue 4 of Monster King, and I also scripted a little 8 Page Comic that I plan on using as a "Business Card". I'm so excited about the direction my books are going. HFSAC and Cosmic Love are really shaping up to be cool books. This is going to be fun.

Gem City and New MONSTER KING!

"So, uh, you ready to jump into some TV Guy's Head?"

Right-o. It's Saturday, so it's MONSTER KING time! Pages 6 and 7 are now available for viewing at http://www.torcpress.com/mk6.html.

Also, I'll be at the Gem City Comicon tomorrow, Sunday, April 3 in Dayton, OH. Details are available at http://www.gemcitycomiccon.com/. I really should be leaving for that some time, instead of sitting around in my PJs watching Ben 10.

Other than that, I've got a lot on my mind right now. What else is new?