Blow Up rolls on...

Here is Wednesday's page for Blow Up the Outside World.

This is page 9 of 54-ish pages.
 
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So, I wrote this several years ago. I got the idea driving home from work one night, listening to the Soundgarden song of the same name. As the story slid around in my mind, twisting and contorting itself - I tried to make it a lesson in society’s need for male responsibility, but I think it works much better as an example of the dangers of too much fantasizing and detaching oneself from reality.

I don’t think I’m spoiling too much of the story with that.

Virlyn Davis (a cousin via marriage) helped me out with the backgrounds. I supplied him the script and layouts, then let him have at it. He gave me back some good stuff. It helps to have something to start with instead of a blank page every Monday morning.

I’ve been inking these pages without a ruler. I’m wanting that to help give the city and backgrounds a more run down feel to them. But rulers and I get along so well, it feels like a form of abandonment to not work with my buddies like this. Regardless, I am satisfied with these so far, and I’m almost 20% done! The zip-a-tone (dot patterns) is being applied digitally, because who has the time to try and find that stuff now-a-days? Somebody still makes it though, right? -sigh-

I have been posting the inks and a few pencil samples on my Facebook page each Monday, trying to keep people aware of the webcomic and build a little anticipation for the actual roll-out on Wednesday. I feel like I’m giving them the whole thing though sometimes, because my writing is so sparse on these that there is very little change when I letter them. Admittedly, I do like how quickly that makes the lettering stage go…

Speaking of which, my next graphic novel (once Race War is finished being colored and put together) is Jonah - and instead of writing out a version of his story, I’m just using the actual words from scripture (ESV, fyi) for all of the dialog and exposition. Broken down, it’s going to be 36 pages, and mostly silent - ‘cause Jonah is a short book.

This MIGHT be what my Jonah looks like...

 I thought that would challenge my storytelling skills more. I always loved the silent issues of G.I. Joe, Nick Fury, and Sin City: Silent Night. At some point, say a month or two from now, I’ll have to actually challenge my writing “skills”. I don’t have anything to swipe “Carson Cole: Fish-Men Folly” or “Light of the World” from.

So, for those of you keeping score, I’m putting out a new page of “Blow Up” every Wednesday, “Race War” will be available in June, then after that, “Jonah” and another children’s book, before finishing the year off with the first of the “Carson Cole” series, and beginning “Light of the World” in late 2014, early 2015.

Thanks for reading.

-Joe 

Race War

Here's the latest bit of art from Race War. Done last Friday.

It's the bottom 3rd of page 39. By the end of this week I'll have all the interior art drawn & inked - then will come the laborious coloring. Had I the money, I would totally farm that part out to friends and colleagues of mine. But alas, I am capable on my own, and producing on a shoestring budget...

Maybe next time. Click on some ads, people.

So, now that I'm very near the end, I thought I'd give you a brief overview of what Race War is all about. As you've seen, there are soldiers fighting each other in a harsh, not-of-this-Earth desert environment.

On it's surface, Race War is a story of two armies, long at war in said desert. The Commander's side always well equipped and prepared, The General's army - not so much. One night the General, tired of the mutinous threats, sends his men into the opposing camp, infecting the Commander's army with two rival parasites. As the parasites take over their hosts, the Commander's men first split into two camps, then fall into crazed disarray that culminates in a pseudo-civil war.

That's the glancing, first-blush look at the story - and what I think most people will take away from it.

More deeply though, it's an allegory about spiritual warfare in the Christian life. The Commander's army represents God's army, and the General's represents the Devil. God has won the fight through Christ's death on the cross. The Devil has already lost, which is just one more reason he doesn't like us. He can't do anything to us as victors, so he has to inject our lives with made-up stuff to confuse what's real and important - like ethnicity, gender, class divisions, regional rivalries, or denominationalism (my current thorny hot button).

None of the things I just mentioned matter. Not really. Neither do any other artificial difference between us. Not compared with Christian vs. non-Christian. These are all injected into our lives to rob us of peace, contentment, and love for our fellow believers.

One of the best visuals of this I've heard was from Bob Vincent, and it was that of a boxing match. Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was the KO punch that took out the Devil. He's out-on-his-feet, the fight is over, but the bell can't ring till he hits the mat. The past 2000 years has been us living in the time between when the Devil took it in the face (Jesus' death and resurrection) and when his unconscious body hits the canvas (Jesus's return). And on his way down for the count, he throws all kinds of distractions at us to confuse the fact that we're on the winning side.

But, God ALWAYS has the last laugh.

As Christians, we're all members of God's army. Struggling day to day against the Devil and his minions. Because that's spooky and overly dramatic sounding, I think most people dismiss it or take it for granted. But it's something quite real, and that's why we're trying to paint that picture for you with this book.

Soon you'll be able to enjoy it.

Thanks for reading,

-Joe

Everything Amazon

All of our eBooks are now up on the Amazon Kindle store.

Click on the cover and zap it to your Kindle. Happy reading.

An update on Race War soon to follow...