I was in Cobble Hill Brooklyn today and I ran into Terry Crews and his daughter at an open house. I was totally starstruck -- it was that big of a deal. He was incredibly nice, perhaps a little embarrassed, and assured me that he was doing everything possible to make The Chronicles of Camacho a reality. I walked away and quickly tweeted/texted/emailed/called everyone I knew. And here is the proof:
ArchivePage 2 of 106
Initialize Project Basement. Systems go. Activate--
Iron Man by Shawn Atkins
Shawn asked me if I'd graciously give him the soapbox for a few minutes to talk about the artistic process behind this sketch:
ummmm... liquor's awesome.
Uh, thanks, Shawn... ANYWAY, I love how this sketch synthesizes two of Shawn's biggest influences -- Jack Kirby and Bruce Timm. From the krackles in Tony's glowing palm repulsor to the clunky-yet-energetic armor, from the hand in the foreground to the animated four fingers on his hand, this Iron Man screams awesome in my face.
Though, as an Iron Man fan who's read somewhere in the ballpark of 200 issues of his solo series, I DO NOT condone Shawn's reckless insistence that Tony should get sauced. However, considering the era of the armor he's wearing, this is before Stark admitted he was an alcoholic, so at least the sentiment is in continuity.
Be back next week for a very special installment, as the mighty Marcel Walker draws Shawn's original superhero creation, Thundergirl!

I'm probably beating a damn dead horse at this point, and for that I apologize. But I realized that I don't have anything written about this year's show... and I SHOULD considering that I'm helping organize the festivities!
Here's the official schpeel:
The SPF Expo will be held on September 25th and 26th, from 12pm to 5pm, at AIR: Artists Image Resource! Registration costs only $25, and in return your press, book, magazine, or organization receives a table, two passes, and signage for both days! We have lots of big things coming in September, and we hope you'll be there to experience it!
Basically, SPF is all about Pittsburgh's small press scene -- whether it's comics, mini comics, zines, small press lit, or whatever. And registration is open now. So go sign up if you want to exhibit.
DEJA VU!!! Well, not really. But sorta. (Can you even have a partial deja vu? Seems like an oxymoron...)
Anyway, this installment features the highly dramatic debut of FuturePete. Confused? Here's what that means -- in the Time Log one-shot, Pete and Nick return to 1846 to stop Pete from killing Stephen Foster. But having two Petes in the same section of time and space creates a... (dun dun dun!) TIME ANOMALY!
Granted, we'll explain all this down the line within the story. So don't worry your pretty little head about it. Unless your head's not that pretty, in which case you're free to worry as much as you want. I know I'LL be worrying...
I told Neal that as soon as he put that "2 New Podcasts Every Week!" thing in the header I was gonna miss an episode.
And lo and behold, missed I have. Ross has some friend thing going on and we didn't plan far enough ahead to record earlier than usual, so we didn't record at all.
But I've still got stuff to talk about! First off, if you don't already know, Ross is going to be a guest at FanExpo Canada on August 27-29. You can buy Shadoweyes in person or have Ross sign his name on your nether regions (or both).
And the AudioShocker's gonna have a table there too! It'll probably be stuffed somewhere in the back of a supply closet between a cabinet of toilet paper and a rack of that powder you throw on vomit to make it easier to clean up... ya know, just the way we like it.
At our table, we'll have all the comics featured in the AudioShocker Store, as well as two new items -- a digital Super Haters: Special Edition (complete with audio commentary!) and ashcans of the first volume of Project Basement (featuring cover art by Kaylie McDougal, who'll also be at the show!):
Not too shabby, eh? (BTW, click on it for some awesome Project Basement wallpaper!)
Anyway, if you can't make it to Toronto, never fear, because mere weeks later, you can pick up some AudioShocker Comics goodies at Pittsburgh's Small Press Festival wekend expo. Held on the city's North Side at AIR from September 25-26, it's gonna have zines, comics, self-pubished literature, and tons more.
If you're near the Pittsburgh area and you'd like to set up at the show, register now! Tables are only $25, and I'll be there, so at least you know it's gonna be sexy.
Neal thinks Magic: The Gathering is having a resurgence, Cosmo says untamed va-jay-jays are in, a watch-along of Dennis Edwards' Don't Look Any Further music video (that means click this link and let it load!), Nick saw The Slammin' Salmon, Neal saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, self-awareness, and the neverending history of hipsterism.
Project Basement... GO!
Dazzler by Kaylie McDougal
TAKE IT AWAY, Kaylie:
here's my first thing for project basement. it's my redesign of Dazzler, though it's heavily based on her New Excalibur design. oh yeah, um....i can't remember how long it took me to sketch this out. probably in the neighborhood of fifteen minutes? :)
Look, this sketch just plain @#$%ing rocks. That's right, I @#$%ing said it @#$%ing rocks. It's got a very Bill & Ted comics feel (by Evan Dorkin, circa Bogus Journey), which I really dig. I like Kaylie's two-tone blue color scheme. AND I just happen to be a big fan of the New Ex era costume. Oh... and the line work is incredible. All around great sketch!!! (Anyone else out there wanna notarize that?)
EDIT: How could I forget!?! Check out more of Kaylie's work and visit her blog, Kaylie vs. Art.
Be back next week for Iron Man by Shawn Atkins.
(Catch up on SUPER FOOT TO HEAD (Part I) here.)
...the first block i walked i only had to fight one street tough, who didnt even get in my way. the next block i fought two street toughs, the next block i fought four. the next block i had to fight eight, and i did some math and knew at this rate i would have serious problems. cause they were all low level street toughs they were easy to fight, but with too many of them i was getting bruised and bloodied from getting whaled on from all sides. plus i thought i might be hallucinating from the pain, i was seeing weird bright shapes and this nightmare version of jesus, in a purple robe like a kimono with lightning shooting out of his nail holes, he was hanging back at the outside of the fight, watching, and i didnt know yet whether he was for or against me. so i knew i would have to face the street tough leader.
I CHALLENGE YOUR BOSS, i exclaimed. as he emerged from the shadows of an alley i could recognize The Chief because he was so many feet taller than the rest of the toughs. he had war tattoos all over his face and he was carrying a weapon that only a dungeons and dragons freak would know what it was, it was like an axe head at the end of a long pole. he took off a ceremonial ninja star from a chain around his neck and threw it fast at my arm, where it shattered my japanese watch. YOU MOTHERFUDGER, i shouted at him, not like i was losing it but just real cold, YOU DONT EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH ITS ON.
i went into a defensive crouch, i could feel my stamina was at an all time max. The Chief charged at me and threw a body punch, i just clenched my gut and felt his hand break against my rock hard abs. but he just laughed and fucking bent my left knee inside out with a low leg sweep. christ that hurt, but i kept my concentration and when he thrust at me with his weapon ihead butted the pole in half. grabbing the axe head i RAMMED IT into his collar bone, i felt it stick in the bone and i could see he was bleeding pretty bad from his aorta but he stepped back and prepared for one more onslaught. i tried to stand up onto my left leg but the inside of my knee felt like a handful of bottle caps. the weird shapes were whirling all around my headcackling at me. oh man, i thought, this is looking bad but i got to stay PSYCHED TO FIGHT.
i saw the purple robe next to me and without even thinking about it, HELP ME, NIGHTMARE JESUS, i said. without saying anything he jumped up into my arm, folding his body into the shape of a flying kick. right when The Chief charged me i threw Nightmare Jesus full on into his face, and when the lightning from his foot stigma touched The Chief's head he torched instantly, like holding a lighter up to a dirty mattress. when the smoke and screaming were gone all the other street toughs had run away, i knew i had beaten them for good.
i was in front of the unitarian church now, but Nightmare Jesus blocked my way to the door, and i understood that the price of his help before was that it had to be me versus him. this was the most spiritual fighter i had ever faced and during our combat space and time lost all meaning. i blacked out for the whole fight and dont remember a thing, all i know is when i woke up he was on the ground in front of me looking like a can of sardines someone had dumped out on the pavement. i picked up his barbed wire crown and put it on my head, IM THE KING NOW, i said inside my mind.
i looked behind me and no opponents were left standing, just unconscious or dead bodies, and one pair of blood footprints leading from my burned out car to in front of the church. plus the second pair of blood footprints right out front from where i had to fight the j man. i went down into the basement.
when i limped into the octagon i knew i was too late. the referee was about to put the division championship belt around Mad Leroy, the thousands of people up in the stands were cheering and a whole symphony was playing crowning music. but then everyone saw me and it got completely quiet. Mad Leroy looked at me really intense for a whole minute and, oh shit, i thought, hes going to fight me. cause now i knew i could face anything but he was on top of his game right now, and id lost too much blood plus the one knee and most of my hand. but then Mad Leroy just kneeled down in front of me. everybody in the crowd and the symphony all just stood up, they didnt even cheer, it was a silent salute.
thats when i learned about myself what they were all trying to tell me. that i was the baddest ass one just for making it there that night. the referee put the belt around me and i felt like my heart was cracking open like an egg, and like a great mighty bird of violence and championshipness hatched out of it and filled me with its wings. i am the one. i can put myfoot through the whole worlds head, not anyone could stop me. i will beat them all down.
THE END
EPILOG
a lots changed since that night of fighting last week, i know ill never have an awesomer fight so im staying out of the octagon for good. im a sensei now, and my foot to head move that made that guys head explode in the alley is studied by all the mixed martial arts academies. i only fight people with my mind. and ill train any younger fighter whos strong enough, not just a strong body ... but SMART ENOUGH to know how to say ILL NEVER QUIT, ILL NEVER GIVE UP NO MATTER HOW TOUGH.
EDIT: I made a little change. It's not a big thing... but a fun thing. See that bit of space above the AudioShocker URL on the comic? Well, I had it reserved for this "get more at" line but then I thought "WTF, Nick? People are already AT AudioShocker.com in the first place... so why not put something better up there?" So I did. I think.
Anyway, watch that space for something new every week. And watch it closely, cause if I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll drop some interesting teasers/foreshadowing in there!!!! And if I'm in a bad mood, ummmm, yeah I dunno. And leave your suggestions for future ones too.
In the comments to Time Log #0, Kaylie McDougal asked:
does Pittsburgh really have a Stephen Foster monument?
Which made me realize that I should do a bit of explaining when it comes to the context in which Pete and I came up with Time Log.
First off, here was my response to Kaylie:
@Kaylie: specifically, Time Log involves the Stephen Foster statue, which is prominently placed on a popular road AND right in front of the city's largest public library (right across the street from the Memorial building Neal posted about).
for more, check out this opinion piece by Tony Norman, who's a huge comic book fan (and Wednesday comic shop regular at my local shop, Phantom). oddly enough, he put out his opinion column about the Foster statue the same week that the Time Log one-shot was released.
Still with me? Now let me add just a bit more to that. First off, you can learn more about the songwriting career of Stephen Foster AND minstrel shows, which is where Foster's songs gained popularity.
There's a lot more to it, including the idea of ownership as it applies to popular music, as well as the songwriting business and its own interesting history. But I'll let you find those links on your own.
What is vital to Time Log is that the real Stephen Foster statue stands on the corner of Forbes Ave and Schenley Drive Extension in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, right between the campuses of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University (and a couple blocks away from Phantom of the Attic Comics, my local shop and a place where you can buy a copy of the Time Log one-shot comic).
Also, if you haven't read the Time Log one-shot, it's worth taking a quick peak at this PDF preview, which includes Pete's opening rant about the Foster statue. That'll give you even more context, as it applies directly to the inciting incident of the entire Time Log adventure.
So with that said, I'd like to finish in Pete's own words about the Foster statue:
And, for the record, I've been ranting about that statue since no later than 1999, though I'm sure many people come upon it and similarly can't believe that it exists in such a prominent spot (it used to be tucked away in a graveyard somewhere, I think, in Homestead). Hopefully Time Log gives proper outlet to all those folks like me that have shaken their fists in fury at it.
















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