The only people who can vote for the SPACE Prize are those who attended the previous year's show. So, for example, only exhibitors from 2011 can vote for this current crop of nominees... a crop which was culled from in-person submissions made at the 2011 Small Press And Comics Expo in Columbus.

So if you were a SPACE exhibitor last year, please consider voting for Time Log! I've made it really easy for you to read the webcomic:

• Visit the complete Time Log master list here on the AudioShocker.
• Read all three acts of the completed Time Log webcomic on Facebook.
• Read all three acts of the completed Time Log webcomic on Flickr.

And here are some quick facts about the webcomic to get you up to speed:

• The Time Log webcomic is a finite, 60-page story.
• It's a sequel to the Time Log one-shot, a 2010 comic book.
• The story is about a time traveling group of friends out to save reality.
• Stephen Foster, Neil Diamond, and Richard Nixon play important roles.
• The characters are named after the creators, but they're not based on us.

That's it! I hope you enjoy reading Time Log and I appreciate your consideration.

Time Log one-shot

Buy the Time Log one-shot:

• Time Log one-shot ebook for the Amazon Kindle
• Time Log one-shot PDF at DriveThruComics
• AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic card

Time Log webcomic ACT I - read the whole thing on Facebook or Flickr

Time Log #0 Time Log #1 Time Log #2 Time Log #3 Time Log #4 Time Log #5

Time Log #6 Time Log #7 Time Log #8 Time Log #9 Time Log #10 Time Log #11

Time Log #12 Time Log #13 Time Log #14 Time Log #15 Time Log #16 Time Log #17

Buy Time Log ACT I:

• AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic card
• The New Time Log (1 of 3) [email nick (at) audioshocker (dot) com]

Time Log webcomic ACT II - read the whole thing on Facebook or Flickr

Time Log #18 Time Log #19 Time Log #20 Time Log #21 Time Log #22 Time Log #23 Time Log #24

Time Log #25 Time Log #26 Time Log #27 Time Log #28 Time Log #29 Time Log #30 Time Log #31

Time Log #32 Time Log #33 Time Log #34 Time Log #35 Time Log #36 Time Log #37

Buy Time Log ACT II:

• AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic card
• The New Time Log (2 of 3) [email nick (at) audioshocker (dot) com]

Time Log webcomic ACT III - read the whole thing on Facebook or Flickr

Time Log #38 Time Log #39 Time Log #40 Time Log #41 Time Log #42 Time Log #43 Time Log #44 Time Log #45

Time Log #46 Time Log #47 Time Log #48 Time Log #49 Time Log #50 Time Log #51 Time Log #52 Time Log #53

Time Log #54 Time Log #55 Time Log #56 Time Log #57 Time Log #58 Time Log #59 Time Log #60

Buy Time Log ACT III: COMING SOON!

That's a wrap!!! I hope you've enjoyed the ride. I know I have.

Pete and I always knew Time Log would end back at the statue, right where it began in the Time Log one-shot (available for all Kindle-compatible devices on Amazon or as a PDF from DriveThruComics). But we didn't always know who would be on the statue and in what positions.

A few months ago, when we were plotting the end of Time Log, the revised statue configuration came to us and we knew it was right -- Ned, the songwriter and musician, sitting up top with Stephen Foster, the transcriber of his music, sitting at his feet. It's an inversion of the real-life Foster statue, which is seen at the very beginning of Time Log in the one-shot comic book:

Ned on this statue is "Old Ned" from one of Foster's hit songs (which, if you know anything about Foster's history, means that it's a largely traditional composition which Foster just transcribed). Take a look at the lyrics from "Old Ned" (version 1 and version 2). Makes you appreciate this new configuration even more, doesn't it?

There are a lot of things in life that outrage and frustrate me, especially social injustice. Unlike Pete from our story, I can't go back and meddle with the past. But I can create a new vision of the future, even if it's fictional. And that's just what I've done with this ending, together with my fantastic collaborators -- Pete Borrebach, Shawn Atkins, Paige Shoemaker, and Justique Woolridge.

We've put more hard work and sweat into Time Log than I can express in words. The one-shot was my first self-published full-length issue, not to mention the first comic book script Pete and I completed. The Time Log webcomic was Paige and Justique's first comics work! And I'm sure something was a first for Shawn, too.

We've learned a lot along the way experimenting with different artistic processes, printing procedures, sales tactics, and promotional methods. There are print copies of Time Log in California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and (thanks to Pete's travels) possibly even Germany and Thailand.

Point is, Time Log may be just another webcomic to you, but it's a milestone to me.

I have to thank Ed Marino, Seth Fronzoli, and Stephanie Atkins for all of their support and help. They've been crucial to the creative, printing, and promotional aspects of this comic.

Lastly, get ready for the Time Log graphic novel, a tuned-up 100+ page collection of the one-shot combined with this webcomic. You'll be hearing more from me as it progresses.

Next week, I'll be back with links to the collected Time Log ACT III. See you then!

Penultimate Log!!!

Next week will be our final installment, a very special Time Log comic that'll (appropriately) run on Thanksgiving. Thx for sticking with us through these last few pages.

I hope next week's conclusion will be as satisfying for you as it is for me!

We're still here! Sorry we've been MIA for a few weeks, but sometimes things are tough in the home stretch.

The good news is that I now have all of the remaining artwork for Time Log, and all that's left is coloring and lettering the strip. So the next two weeks will see the final strips of this story!

What's next once the webcomic concludes? THE GRAPHIC NOVEL! I'm currently transforming the Time Log one-shot (one of the original comics available for the Kindle... way back in the spring of 2010!) into the same half-page format of the webcomic. Then we'll be hunting for a publisher for the monumental collected edition.

But that's all in the future. For now, I'm excited to bring you the conclusion of this story over the next couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy the dash to the finish line!

Time Log lives!!! We're in the homestretch now, and it's safe to say that we're all a bit burned out. Don't get it twisted -- we all love this comic. But we've been coordinating a 5-person team of creators for a year-and-a-half now and that's a lot of work. We're looking forward to reaching the finish line.

Anyway, I'm just saying that to let you know that we're still working hard on the Log despite our slightly staggered release schedule. We may or may not have one for you next week -- it all depends on our timing. But I can guarantee you that we're nearing the end and it's gonna be an awesome finale!!!

The band's back together!!! Welcome back Paige and Justique -- you both did a fantastic job on today's comic :)

You can meet and greet (almost) all of the Time Log creative crew this weekend at PIX: The Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo. Sadly, Pete won't be there... but you can kick it with me (Nick), Shawn, Paige, and Justique! Meet us in person and see if we look like our characters (hint: only one of us does). PIX is this Saturday and Sunday from 10-5.

AND... if you say the special phrase, you'll get a fantastic Time Log discount at my table! The special phrase is: SUPER-INTELLIGENT ULTRA-VIOLENT UNICORNS (and don't forget to mention this blog post to jog my memory!)

We're probably going to have to skip next week (not definitely but most likely) because I'll be in in the Big Apple for the New York Comic Con. Neal and I will be representing the AudioShocker in the Podcast Arena (near Artists Alley). I'll have copies of Time Log (the one-shot, plus the first two webcomics collections). So stop by and say hi!

I'd like to take a moment to highlight the wonderful composition of today's comic. Why? Because I think Shawn did a deceptively fantastic job of crafting a compelling image that fits both the tone of the moment and the progression of the plot.

Check out this stripped-down version of today's strip that showcases the positions of the characters on the page:

Awesome, right? The characters fall towards you through the Time Vortex! But, see, there's a lot more to it than that. Take notice of who's in the foreground and who's in the background.

Pete is the most prominent character in the mix, and he looks like he's about to land on your face. He also happens to be the cause of all the Time Log shenanigans.

Paige is floating behind him, back in her normal non-brainwashed attire. She was the surprise catalyst for a lot of the horrible future happenings in the story. She's also responsible for defeating the evil monster... a monster she helped create.

Shawn trails in the back, representing how she was swept up by the events of the story. Rarely was she a direct cause of the story's conflicts, nor was she much of a force for change. Rather, she often exemplified reason and knowledge when there was a great lack of those crucial qualities.

Of course, Nick is missing. But he's already had his Time Ripple appearance... not to mention the fact that we'll be catching up with him at the start of #56.

Anyway, I say all of that to say this: the composition of this image isn't just visually appealing -- it's also very symbolic. Characters receive placement and positioning in a way that lends itself to both their personalities and their development. Specifically, they're lined up based upon their associations with action and change.

And -- though you'll have to wait until next week to find out why -- this page is also a fantastic thematic transition from the chaos of the Time Ripple into the impending resolution of our story. So kudos to Shawn for drawing this incredibly rich image.

NEXT: Paige and Justique return!!!

Hey there, good lookin'. It's been a while!!!

Sorry we missed a couple weeks of Time Log. It's all my fault. First, I was thrown for a loop by the Pittsburgh Zine Fair. Then an unexpected funeral pushed my schedule back ever further. Sorry about that!!! If I'd been on the ball, it never would have been an issue in the first place. But hey, I learn as I go.

Anyway, enough excuses. I'm excited to share a couple of images with you!

Above is an animated GIF of the color layers that were used to create panel two from today's comic. You may have noticed that we never say the band by name. If you want to know who it is, visit our Facebook or Tumblr pages (and while you're there, Like us and Follow us!).

And there's the same thing for panel four. Fun, right?

Be back here next week for the completion of the Time Ripple! (Which means there're only six more Time Log pages to go!!!)

However, I do have a gift for you -- the finished version of the unicorn image I've been teasing for the past few weeks:

Gorgeous, right? It was dreamed up by Pete, penciled and inked by Shawn, and colored by yours truly!

Today, Shawn and I will be at the Pittsburgh Zine Fair. COME HANG!!!

Uhhhh... waitaminute...

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT???

Nothing interesting or funny to say today! SORRY!!!

Uhhhh... wait. What in the hell is this?!?

Hmmm. That's weird. I have no clue what it is.

Oh well. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!

You may have noticed that the credits are rather different for this strip (not to mention the art looking different as well!). Last week, I detailed Paige's short break from inking for the next month or so, and I also joked that Justique gets no vacation because she lives with the editor. Well, I spoke too soon...

See, coloring pencils is a bit different than coloring inked art. And when Justique saw what she was supposed to color this week (the two panels on the right) she gasped. She decided this was the perfect time to take a short break, just for the duration of the Time Ripple. So that's why the "Colorist" credit is under my name.

But you'll also notice Pete listed as the sole writer. That's because, for all intents and purposes, he's the singular vision on this series of timestream restorations caused by the Time Ripple. While most of Time Log has been taken directly from our collaborative plot, the Time Ripple scripts have been all his... including directions for the color design.

Anyway, before I finish up for this week, I want to tell you about something very special happening this Saturday -- Time Log's very own Shawn Atkins is doing a bookstore signing with Sequential Underground's Seth Fronzoli at Eljay's Used Books in Pittsburgh!!! From 3-4 PM, you can meet a greet these awesome dudes and snag some kickass Explorers of the Unknown comics. Here's a link to the Facebook event for more information about the signing and the store.

Can you believe it? WE MADE IT TO #50!!! If you knew everything that's gone into this comic, you'd be surprised we even made it to #10 :)

I want to thank everyone that's stuck with us so far. I know there have been some great strips, and some... well, some not so great ones (or, rather, some confusing ones). But starting next week, all of your Time Log reading will begin to pay off!!!

Also, Paige is getting a well-deserved break for the next month or so. This is her first project as an inker -- not to mention her first comics project period! So she's taking a short hiatus in anticipation of our final four strips (when she'll make her triumphant return).

And, yes, this is Justique's first webcomics project too!!! I know she's probably thinking "Where's my goddamn break?" NO BREAK FOR YOU! That's what you get when you live with the editor.

Anyway, join us next week for the beginning of the end... a special thing that we like to call THE TIME RIPPLE!!!

I think it's pretty safe to say that MegaHitlerNixon is dead.

Sorry the Log is late today! Lots of reasons, no excuses, ya know what I mean?

Anyway, not too much to say today except that the action from today's comic was a serendipitous moment that fell into our laps! See, Tina suggested rainbow unicorn beams... which led to Pete and I coming up with the idea for MegaHitlerNixon to wear Pete's unicorn horn on its head. Around that same time, we knew Paige was going to go bad and then go back to good again, but we didn't know how.

And that's where the anthracite comes in. When Pete came up with the anthracite joke in ACT I, that's all it was -- a joke. Nothing more, nothing less. But suddenly, the anthracite became an important plot device. And that gave the seemingly worthless detour to Scranton invaluable purpose!

So out of a complicated chain of events, today's comic was born!

Wow. I'm at a loss for words this week. Uhhhhhhh... HAPPPY THURSDAY???

As you read this, I'm on my way to jury duty. And while I don't really feel like going, I think it's important to remember that jury duty is a luxury unavailable to the few brave souls who still survive in the year 2069. FutureNixon has abolished the modern American legal system and replaced it with an obscene dictatorship that amounts to widespread savage injustice.

Speaking of widespread savage injustice, Pete and I are collaborating on something else this week -- Super Haters. It's currently day four of Pete Borrebach Guest Week, and Pete is in the middle of a twisted story about the enigmatic circle of light known as Degenerate Dwarf.

TIME LOG WAS A MONSTER THIS WEEK!

And that's why I'm posting it late, because sometimes things just don't line up. See...

Pete had his script done early, and Shawn had his pencils in on time. But Paige was a bit late on the inks, and then I was a day late on getting the inks scanned and formatted for Justique. That means Justique didn't start coloring until yesterday (and I should know this next part by now but I always forget) and she has a tough time getting it done on deadline when she starts working on it the day before it gets posted. That's just natural. I understand why. And by the time the two of us finally finished the colors, I was already late with the lettering. And this one was a wee bit tricky in terms of balloon placement (not to mention the fact that Shawn forgot to draw the ropes on Stephen Foster (and I didn't even notice that until today, which is totally my fault as editor because it's easy to forget who is and is not tied up at any given time in ACT III)). SOoooooo...

That's why Time Log is a little late today. :)

Well, that's it for Nick. It's kinda suspicious that Pete's not only the main character of Time Log... he's the main characters. Hmph. There was only ever one Nick and now he's dead. WHERE'S THE JUSTICE IN THAT?

For some reason, as I was getting ready to post this comic, I was mourning Nick's death and this song popped into my head. It' doesn't make any damn sense, really. Maybe I just listened to too much James Brown as a kid.

Before I sign off, I gotta send a huge THANK YOU to Tina, Shawn's friend. Months ago, I asked you, our highly-valued readers what you'd like to see in future installments of Time Log. And Tina suggested rainbows shooting out of the unicorn horns!

At the time, Pete and I already knew that MegaHitlerNixon would be wearing a unicorn horn on its head like a cherry on top on of a molten metal sundae... and adding Tina's rainbow blast idea to the recipe was like spraying a layer of delicious webcomics whipped cream all around the sides.

MUUWAAAAHAHAHAHAH!!! The ultimate villain is revealed!!

The monstrosity you see above has an incredible name... in fact, the name was supposed to appear in the dialogue of today's comic. But it just didn't feel natural to me. So I called Pete at the last minute and he agreed to switch things up a bit.

I suggested "RARR!!!" but Pete cleverly suggested that we tie things into the panther motif we had going in Time Log #41... and thus "RAWRR!!!" was born! Interesting stuff, right? (Not really...)

FINALLY, THINGS SHIFT IN THE FAVOR OF OUR HEROES! Took long enough, right? Well, enjoy it while it lasts because they're not out of the shit yet...

Speaking of shit, Shawn and I are collaborating on Super Haters this week. In fact, it's a little story I like to call "Shawn Atkins Guest Week"! And today's comic is especially disgusting. Go read it!!!

EDIT: Oh wait! I almost forgot. My friends at the Yamagato webcomic (sorta) punk'd me the other day!

See, Beeslo and I have long since established our opposing views of the great John Romita, Jr. -- I think he's a modern master, while Beeslo hates the "monkey hands" (his phrase, not mine) the JRjr gives to his characters.

Both of our views have been summed up rather nicely in the most recent Yamagato comic strip by Beeslo and Colonel Panic. It's funny and definitely worth reading!

Sorry to make you wait for this one!!! But ya know, sometimes it gets tough to push a piece of art like this through five different collaborators when no one's getting paid and the audience is your friends. Everyone has other obligations, and sometimes Time Log takes a hit.

But enough of my blabbering! You already know that. Point is, we're in the home stretch now with less than 20 Time Log strips to go. And all I've gotta say is DAAAAMN we have some surprises in store for you!!! No one is safe and nothing is sacred!

Be back next time for more intense metal arm action in 1945!!!

I'm not gonna get too into detail except to say that we had a broken link in the chain and that sort of thing sets everything back when you have this many people working on a comic. If you've collaborated on something like this before, then I know you already know what I'm talking about.

But, in the meantime, it's not like there's a lack of comics out there by the Time Log team!!! You can check out:

• Shawn's latest action-packed Explorers of the Unknown page
• Today's absurd Super Haters comic strip by Nick and Justique
• And this week's Stick Cats comic by Nick (art by Katie Henderson!)

Anyway, we'll see you fresh and early tomorrow morning with a brand new log!!!

What shocking future awaits Hitler and FutureNixon? Why is that unicorn horn levitating? What horrible atrocity is shocking the pants off of Shawn, Nick, FutureSlavePaige, and FutureShawn? And will Nick's macho gambit turn the tide of the fight? So many questions, so few answers...

NEXT: Back in 1945, will FuturePete's plan pay off???

Mmmmmm.... sandwiches. This comic is making me hungry. TIME TO GO GET SOME LUNCH!

BUT WAIT! Lemme catch you up on the characters in today's comic:

• FutureShawn and FutureSlavePaige were last seen in Time Log #26 doing pretty much the same thing you see them doing here.
• Shawn and Nick were last seen floating through the Time Vortex in Time Log #37, following their departure from Miami in Time Log #33.

Okay, good. You're up to speed. Now it's sandwich time!

"Sandwich Time." That's a kinda catchy. I SMELL A SEQUEL!

Nothing special to hype today! Time Log's sold a few copies at Fleeting Pages (which is awesome), and I'm getting creamed in an indie book contest (which is not awesome). That's about it!

NEXT: Shawn and Nick get their future on!!!

And that means Time Log ACT III begins... NOW!!

It's the horrible moment you've all been waiting for!!! Actually, no one's been waiting for this moment... no one except for FutureNixon and the FutureNazis, that is.

This is the beginning of the Time Log webcomic's ACT III, our momentous final chapter in which everything epic that has ever come before will soon pale in comparison!

In case you missed it or you need to get caught up, check out the Time Log master list for links to all of ACT II on Facebook, Flickr, and (of course) the AudioShocker.

BTW, I need your help. I'm in the running to win a table at this summer's Indie Book Event in NYC. But I can't win if I don't have enough votes!!! So pls VOTE FOR ME HERE!

And last but least (VERY least), here are some disturbing photos of Eva Braun previous to her extremely timely death, including her in blackface, along with another one of her wearing an old school bath suit and doing the crab walk.

EDIT (05.13.11): I just wanna add one quick thing -- if you're in Pittsburgh, you can buy The New Time Log (1 of 3) at both Phantom of the Attic Comics in Oakland and Fleeting Pages in East Liberty. Our first round of The New Time Log (1 of 3) already sold out at Fleeting Pages, but we restocked yesterday and we're back in action!

In fact, all the feedback we've received so far has told us that Time Log is more satisfying when you consume it in collected gulps rather than tiny week-to-week bites. And that's why we're making sure you can gorge yourself on the misadventures of Pete, Nick, Shawn, Paige, and Justique in two delicious ways:

• Time Log webcomic ACT II on Facebook
• Time Log webcomic ACT II on Flickr

Let us know how it tastes!!!

Need to get caught up on Time Log? NO PROB! Nick and Shawn were last seen leaving Miami, with coke, guns, money, and sandwiches in tow. FutureNixon was last seen blowing up the Land of the Unicorns. Annddd... the FutureNazis, along with both Petes, were last seen in 1846 as they made a quick stop to kidnap Stephen Foster. (And here's a link to "Eye of the Tiger" in case you want to test out the soundtrack.)

Soon, I'll be collecting all of Time Log's ACT II and posting it on Facebook for you to read in one big chunk. It's so much easier that way. Trust me!

Also, don't forget that the real Shawn and Nick (not nearly as sexy as the cartoon Shawn and Nick) will be at Phantom of the Attic Comics in Oakland (in Pittsburgh) this upcoming Saturday, May 7th for the store's Free Comic Book Day 2011 party!

Seriously, it gets wild in there. Free comics, candy, entertainment, incredibly brilliant indie comics creators *ahem*, and more. You can scoop your own copies of the Time Log one-shot, The New Time Log (1 of 3), and the newest digital sensation, the AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 comic card. So come see us this weekend!

Oh, and of course, you MUST be back here next week for the shocking start of ACT III. We promise that this one won't disappoint!!! It's bright, flashy, potentially controversial, and in unquestionably poor taste... everything you've come to expect from the AudioShocker.

*SNIFFLE* I'm gonna miss those unicorns!

But the story must go on!!! In fact, this story is getting ready to reach the end of its second act next week!

And after that? Ooohhhhhh it's the moment Pete and I have been waiting for ever since we converted the epic tale of Time Log into a webcomic. We're talking mega-shocking-didn't-see-it-coming-awesome. And that's only two weeks away!

Sandwiched in between the end of ACT II and the start of ACT III is a very special event... a little something called Free Comic Book Day 2011!

If you're in Pittsburgh on Saturday, May 7th, come hang with Shawn Atkins and myself at Phantom of the Attic Comics in Oakland. We'll be there doing goofy sketches, giving out our own original free comics, and selling copies of the Time Log one-shot, The New Time Log (1 of 3), and the AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic card.

Plus there's candy, lots of other free comics, and great sales. Phantom really pulls out all the stops for its customers on FCBD, so it's an event VERY worth your time if you love comics and you live in PGH.

No big revealing behind-the-scenes write up for this week, sorry. Though at some point it would definitely be interesting to recap the script squabbles Pete and I have been having about characterization, character placement, and other such vital minutiae.

Instead of digging deep into Time Log's sordid history, I'd rather keep it simple this week and feature a photo of the winner of our half-assed contest that we first announced back in Time Log #26. The winner is none other than the stupendous Scott Hedlund, a mix of man, mountain, and machine that illustrates like a tornado and loves like a grizzly bear. See for yourself:

Scott's currently working on a revamp of Weirdlings with his bud, Brian. Go check it out!!! It's only two pages in right now, but it's two fantastic pages in :)

And be back here next week for more FutureNixon hijinks!!!

If you're confused, that's okay. We want you to be a little disoriented! The banjo player and raggedy transcriber are none other than Ned and Stephen Foster, two important characters from the very first Time Log story.

[Didn't read it? Catch up with #0 or pick up your own copy of the Time Log one-shot from Amazon or DriveThruComics... or you can email me about purchasing a copy of the AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 comic card!]

Granted, I've received feedback from many confused friends that they prefer to read Time Log as one big chunk rather than week-by-week. If you feel the same way, then you'll be happy to know that ACT II is almost complete! Time Log #37 will be the last installment in the second act. When I post that strip in a few weeks, I'll also make sure to post links to the collected ACT II on Facebook and Flickr.

In the meantime, it would be AWESOME if you could take a few moments out of your busy day to vote for Time Log on TopWebComics.com. We're languishing in lower rankings right now, and we could use your help to give us a boost. THX!!!

Before I close out the Time Log festivities for the week, I'd like to share a little something with you:

That's the art of today's comic mashed up with a snippet of dialogue from Time Log #32. Time Log is composed in Photoshop, but I letter it in Illustrator. And to keep my lettering consistent, I normally copy an older TL lettering file and then plug in the new text and reshape the old balloons.

Often, when I'm using an older letters file to make a new one, the past dialogue lines up nicely with the new art, and it creates a totally different comic. I'll keep an eye out for any really hilarious combinations of old text/new art in the future and share them with you as I find them.

This week I'd like to talk about... LETTERING! <everyone stands up and leaves>

No, seriously, I want to talk a little bit about lettering. See, back when I first started making my own comics, not only was lettering the last step in the process -- it was also the last thing on my mind.

But over the years, I've come to not only enjoy lettering but to also give my lettering decisions a lot of consideration. Maybe too much consideration!!!

That brings me to today's comic. In the first panel, we see a stylized silhouette of Justique's hand hitting the button on her stove. In Pete's script, it calls for the sound effect "Boo-Zeeep!" (an inversion of the "Bee-Zooop!" noise made by pushing the button on the time log).

I couldn't decide how I wanted to letter the panel, and I went through several different iterations, as you can see here:

I didn't want the letters to overpower the image, so I tried setting them on the bottom at first. But I had two problems with that -- the narrow panel looked empty AND the "Boo-Zeeep!" was buried too low.

So I tried adding an exclamation point to the arm/hand to generate some motion and excitement. But neither black nor white gave the image the punch I wanted it to have.

So I tried breaking away from the low "Boo-Zeeep!" and I moved the SFX up top where it could be seen clearly. I added a bouquet of exclamation points beneath the button, and I added just a smidgen more black space to the button area. It was close, but still not what I wanted.

I remembered back to Time Log #27, another installment that left me with a lettering conundrum. My solution that time was a freestanding "Bee-Zooop!" between the panels. Inspired by that solution, I tried overlaying the SFX directly on Justique's arm. And it worked!!!

While I'm not 100% satisfied (I think the SFX draws your eyes down when I'd rather have it draw them across), I dig the look of the first panel. And there you have it -- another Time Log lettering adventure!!!

Oh, BTW, if you live in Pittsburgh, have a few bucks to spare for an arts-related cause, and need something to do on Friday night, come check out the Sugar Factory art show. Both Shawn and I have donated original art to benefit Pittsburgh's Future Tenant art gallery.

Sandwiches!!! Buttons!!! ROMANCE???

Just wait until next week when Chef Justique actually pushes the button... you're not gonna believe what happens!

But in the meantime, here's some backstory -- Pete and I have been working up to this particular scene for a while! This was one of the original plot points from our years-old Time Log outline that survived the revision process. But back then, things were a little bit different...

See, part of the plot (which has since been abandoned) was that the FutureNazis would capture Pete AND Shawn and uhhh, how do I say this... umm, force them to copulate. They would produce a child -- Norman or Eugene or something like that. And said child would grow to be an old man living in Miami in the late 70s.

When Nick landed in late 70s Miami, he'd go into a diner. At the diner would be an elderly man... and elderly man who knew exactly when and what he was waiting for!!! (HINT: Nick) This moment would foreshadow our secret ending -- Eugene would be the real villain of the piece, driving around some big ass mecha suit in the future and trying to restore the Nazis to power, yadda yadda.

Meanwhile, Nick would eat to his heart's delight at the diner, only to discover that he was totally broke! He'd be forced to wash dishes in the kitchen and meet his quantum entanglement -- a brawny chef with a special button!

As you can see, some things have changed since then... BUT there is one thing that hasn't -- the CENSORED, CENSORED, and CENSORED that we'll reveal next week after Justique's pushes her big red button!!!

Okay, so we skipped last week... but with good reason!!! Anyway, we're back in action this week as we showcase our latest and greatest new setting for our heroes. WHAT SHENANIGANS WILL BEFALL THEM NOW!?!

It's here!!! ACT I of the Time Log webcomic has been collected into the odd-shaped little full-color book you see above.

The New Time Log (1 of 3) is 8" x 6.75" of time traveling insanity, from the unsettling present to the shocking past to the post-apocalyptic future.

Picking up immediately after the events of the Time Log one-shot, the story introduces our hapless heroes, Pete and Nick, to their bold new compatriots -- FuturePete, Shawn, and Paige. And that all goes without mentioning the reveal of our historical villains and their plan to control the world!!!

The New Time Log (1 of 3) is written by Pete Borrebach w/ Nick Marino, penciled by Shawn Atkins, inked by Paige Shoemaker, colored by Justique Woolridge, and lettered and edited by Nick Marino.

The Time Log one-shot and the New Time Log (1 of 3) are also available digitally through the AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 comic card.

Ever wonder what it looks like to exit the Time Vortex? Wonder no more!!!

Can anyone guess the what and when of this next destination???

Okay, so last week we said the winner of the caption contest would be announced... but we were just stalling. We never picked a winner.

See, problem is, it was an impromptu contest and we only got one non-staff entry... and while was a fun one, it wasn't what we were looking for to tie the panel into the story. Still, Scott, you win yourself a copy of The New Time Log (1 of 3) just for playing!!! (But we're not using your caption. SORRY!)

Anyway, onto other things. Have you ever wondered what it looks like when Pete, Nick, and Shawn exit the Time Vortex and arrive at their destination? Well wonder no more!!! Be back here next week to find out exactly what happens.

I'm sure you -- our astute Time Log readers -- already know this: when Nick says "We'll be back in 50 about 50 years." he's referring to the events of Time Log #14.

Hopefully, the winner of the caption contest will be announced later today so check back for updates!!!

Previously in 2010: FutureShawn finished her campfire story and then hurried back to 2069, leaving Pete, Nick, and Shawn befuddled as to what they should do next.

Some of you may have seen my editor credit on Time Log and wondered, "Why does Time Log need an editor?" I figure now's as good a time as any to explain what I do!

We've split the creative responsibilities into five steps: writing, penciling, inking, coloring, and lettering. To get metaphorical on yo' asses, I'm like the comma between each of those steps.

Pete and I plot the story together (often verbally, to our own detriment), and then Pete scripts it. My metaphorical comma activity comes in when I proofread the scripts, make sure continuity is in tact, and email them to Shawn.

Shawn and I meet up at a coffee shop in Pittsburgh nearly every weekend, and every other weekend he pencils Time Log (he pencils it two at a time on a single piece of bristol board). I scan his pencils, handle any clean up, convert them to pure cyan, and email them to Paige.

Paige prints out the blue line pencils and inks them. Then she drops them off at my apartment, where I scan them, clean them up, make them fit into our border-less panel system, and prepare the coloring files for Justique.

Justique typically colors the comic strip on the Wednesday night before it gets posted. I'm happy to say we're moving her deadline to Tuesday. :)

Then I letter. I do my best to stick to everything Pete's put in his scripts, but sometimes circumstances leave me with little choice but to make some changes. If we're still working with the comma metaphor, then this is where the "and" comes in.

Take today's #27, for example. Here's what it looked like when Justique finished:

Great, right? But when I compared the art to the script, it left me with a few issues. First off, the final panel needed a background. Easy. And in the third panel, there's an issue with the FutureNazi's arms. After testing a few options, I decided to fill both of the sleeves in black. Still pretty easy.

But fixing the issue between panels one and two was more difficult. See, the FutureNazis show up without smoke to indicate their arrival. I found that the best solution was to condense the art and add a vertical BEEZOOOP in the middle. I'm not convinced it looks better than the original, but I do feel it was necessary.

Then I paste the lettered version into our title/credits template, come up with a goofy line for the upper right corner, and post it here on the blog. And that's pretty much what I do as an editor.

Anyway, don't forget about last week's caption contest!!! I'll give you one more week to enter, and we'll announce the winner next Thursday. See you then!

But wait... how did Nixon even know about the unicorn horn in first place??? He got secret inside intel from FutureSlavePaige a.k.a. the time traitor!!! And now, with FutureShawn and FuturePete in shock, the FutureNazis are ready to set their devious plan in motion...

It's finally here!!! The contest you've all been waiting for!

As we mentioned last week* this contest is gonna send you straight to your think tank to come up with clever and witty entries as you fight for the top spot!

The rules are easy:

1. Read Time Log #26

2. When you get to the last panel, come up with some snappy dialogue for the metal legs FutureNazi and FuturePete.

3. Submit said snappy dialogue in the comments section of this blog post.

4. Rinse and repeat.

The winner of the Caption Contest will receive a FREE copy of The New Time Log (1 of 3) mailed directly to your door! It's a deluxe collection of strips #0-17 in lavish color and printed on silky, deluxxxe quality paper!!! Also, I'll toss a special surprise into the winner's envelope.

* WHAT? You don't remember the contest announcement? Well, that's your fault, not ours. Whatever the deal is, we DID NOT just come up with this contest on the fly because we can't figure out what we want the characters to say in the last panel. And we didn't just invent the contest this morning while staring blankly at the near-finished comic. If you don't remember the contest announcement from last week, that's all on you, man. ALL ON YOU.

Shawn by Aimee Cummings and Nick Marino

Last summer, extraordinary artist Aimee Cummings and I discussed a collaboration, with her penciling and me inking. We decided to try out a couple of test images -- a pic of Jean Grey in her sexy Hellfire Club attire, and this sketch of Time Log's resident non-moron, Shawn.

Now if you're looking at this and thinking "why did Aimee put Shawn in an 80s/90s school photo pose with her giant head floating in the background?" then you should really be blaming me and not the penciler! See, the sketch she gave me looked like this:

Much more... artistic, right? Well who knows why I decided to move the head before I inked it. I sure as hell don't remember. (And on an unrelated note, I was also planning on coloring this Shawn sketch for today's spotlight, but I couldn't get my flat colors to do Aimee's awesome pencils justice.)

Next up, I want to share a vintage Time Log pinup done in early 2007, back when I was still planning on drawing the Time Log comic:

Good thing we got Shawn Atkins to pencil it instead, right? This is a bit over-colored and wonky, but I think it's still fun. And to add to that, this was drawn back when Pete and I were still considering on actually using ourselves (and not just our names) for the characters in Time Log.

I was hoping to dig up another Time Log oldie, the original version of the Time Vortex (where i just Photoshop'd my previous sketch of Pete on top of a swirly background). But, alas, that version is virtually lost to the world. I may have it saved on a disc somewhere, but it could take me hours just to find it (and it wasn't that exciting, trust me).

NEXT WEEK: Project Basement Spotlight on Super Haters featuring Andrew Kilian and Shawn Atkins!!!

P.S. Oh, and before I forget, while we're showcasing some Time Log rarities, don't forget to check out this Time Log Xmas card drawn by Pete's brother Jack.

Hmmm... what's going on in the world of Time Log this week?

Well, my proofs of The New Time Log (1 of 3) haven't arrived from the printer yet, so I can't talk about that.

And our new form of ground-breaking digital distribution is still in the early stages of development, so that would be a bit premature to discuss.

Justique and I launched our new run on Super Haters, and Shawn wrapped up the first part of his awesome Frazetta-inspired arc on EotU (24 kickass pages, people!). Pete's busy organizing a Miami poetry festival that I don't know the name of, and Paige is, well, ummm... Paige is doing Paige-stuff, I guess.

So that's your weekly update in the world of Time Log!!!

AND... get ready for next week as we deliver a VERY special secret contest that'll have you chomping at the bit to enter and win!!!

This installment of Time Log is going up a few hours later than usual, but with good reason! Let me tell you a story...

Yesterday morning, Justique decided to get started on today's colors. We own two laptops, one of which is an older Gateway Ma7, and it's got all of my art on it. It's not outdated by any means, but it's not that new either.

The laptop has a few a issues. The most notable of these issues is that it's essentially a desktop PC because the battery doesn't hold charge.

Justique was working on the bed, with the laptop pretty close to the edge. When she moved back to stretch a little, the computer slipped and whacked the floor. Everything seemed okay, but it turned out that the power cord bent just enough to snap a piece of conducting metal from the tip of the charger! NOOOO!!!

In crisis, we ran around Pittsburgh trying to find a universal charger that would work for the computer. I tested out a bunch of brands at Best Buy, and even one over at Office Max. Rocketfish, iGo, Kensington, Targus... none of them worked.

Defeated, I returned home and decided that Time Log #24 would just have to wait until I got a new charger in the mail. So I searched around Amazon until I found a genuine 65W Gateway charger that seemed legit.

My next step was to figure out if I wanted expedited shipping on the order. I took a peak at the location it was shipping from and oddly enough... it was Pennsylvania! I Googled the name of the seller to see just how far they were from me, and it turns out they're only a few miles outside of Pittsburgh in the town of Carnegie.

By this point, it was 4 PM -- just early enough to battle through rush hour traffic to make it to the seller before they closed shop for the day. I got there just in time and they had the EXACT charger I needed.

So I wanna send out a HUGE thx to CDS Micro Systems for coming through in a pinch. CDS, this installment of Time Log is dedicated to you!!!

I miss the unicorns already.

As you read this, The New Time Log (1 of 3) is off to the printers! (Or something like that...) So I figure now's as good a time as any to give you a sneak peak at the FINAL lettered version of the cover. Click on the image to see it in greater detail!!!

Anyway, how did you enjoy FutureShawn's massive flashback? Let us know!!! (And if you say you hated it, just so you know, I'll probably cry... so disparage it at your own risk.)

EDIT: Pete graciously reminded me through email that I forgot to post the inside back cover drawing that he did of me. SORRY, PETE! Anyway, here's that drawing:

NEXT WEEK: Not flashback.

After last week's strip, I talked a bit about the past. Today I'd like to talk a bit about the future.

Right now, we're putting the final touches on a print collection of ACT I of the Time Log webcomic (soon to be known as "The New Time Log, 1 of 3" or something like that). Here's a sneak peek at the in-progress cover to said print collection:

It's by a friend of Shawn's named Ashkraft (did I spell that right?), who's been trying to break into comics since the early 90s (if I'm not mistaken). While his style has that era written all over it, I'm very fond of the look and feel of the cover. Does anyone know what classic Marvel comic book we're homaging with this cover design?

As for the webcomic's future, Pete and I are finally hammering out the rest of the plot. It looks like Time Log will run about a year all in total (give or take a few weeks, that is). My guess is it'll end up on the short side of a year... but I could be wrong!

So what plot developments am I excited for next? Well, there's a quick detour to Europe that should cause some interesting reactions from commenters... and there's also a lot of reconstruction in order considering how bad Pete's actions messed up the timestream. Plus, we've got a throwback homage to Krang and JUST MAYBE another visit to the land of the unicorns!

Man, I just can't get enough of this unicorn fight scene!!! It's so exhilarating.

Anyway, here's some behind-the-scenes dirt on Time Log: Pete and I originally scripted Time Log as a three-issue mini series. We condensed that story into one issue and made it the Time Log one-shot. Then we plotted out the webcomic you're reading now as two more comic book issues.

And it's been a pretty big struggle to adapt that plot (albeit a VERY different plot from the one you're reading now) to this hyper-condensed webcomic format. What would have been about 50 vertical pages has turned into the same amount of two-thirds size horizontal comic strips. Not a simple feat.

While we know our ending and a few story beats along the way, advancing the characters from our thrilling unicorn flashback to our unbelievable *CONFIDENTIAL CENSORED PLOT INFORMATION* is gonna be tricky!!!

So this is probably your last chance as our valued readers to have your voice heard... is there anything YOU want to see happen in the Time Log webcomic?

Kickass, right? Jack really nailed Time Log's visual style!

YEESSS!!!! The day has finally arrived -- the day of the unicorns! It's been nearly four months since we launched this webcomic, and I've been dying to get to the unicorns since day one.

Suffice to say, there are tons more surprises coming your way here in Time Log. Truthfully, we've barely even scratched the surface (wait till you see the doozy we have planned for the end of ACT II).

But the unicorns will always hold a special place in my heart, no matter how many twisted plot twists we throw your way.

NEXT WEEK: MORE UNICORNS!

OOO WEE! This log is late!!! Sorry for posting this about 12 hours after the usual time... I've had the good fortune to be nominated for a webcomics award, but bad judgement in time management while promoting myself.

I mean, don't get me wrong -- everyone working on Time Log is time challenged when it comes to deadlines. It's just that as the editor, I'm supposed to make it look like I never miss a deadline!!!

In all seriousness, though, I was also busy working on a print version of Time Log ACT I -- a version which we intend to print in color with Time Log's unique dimensions! Basically, what I'm saying is that you should scoop up your own copy of this unique gem once it rolls off the presses.

Speaking of which... have you picked up your copy of the Time Log one-shot (ya know, the story that happened BEFORE this story)? No?! Well why not?!?!?! We make it so easy for you! Grab it digitally from Amazon or DriveThruComics. OR let me know in the comments that you'd like a print copy and I'll email you with the ordering info.

NEXT WEEK: Unicorns! Really, I swear!!!

Or, if you hate Facebook for being a mega social media monolith, you can read all of ACT I on Flickr, owned by Yahoo (a corporation currently dying a slow, painful death).

OR... you can stay here on the AudioShocker and read Time Log easier than ever! See, I designed this little thingamaboo below to help you navagite between the strips:

Plus, since it's tough following a story in bite-sized week-to-week installments, I'll be writing a little intro before each strip to make sure that you're up-to-speed before you read! (Holy shit, that's catchy. "Get up-to-speed before you read!" Note to self: trademark that.)

Anyway, the point IS that now Time Log is easier and better to read than ever before. Every time we finish an act of the story, it'll go up on Facebook and Flickr. And moving back and forth between weekly installments is now a breeze with the new navigator.

Now if only I could get those damn unicorns to show up...

EDIT: Oh! I almost forgot about this! Please vote for Time Log daily on Top Web Comics. A higher ranking on that site means higher visibility and more readers and more entertaining/ridiculous comments on Time Log posts. You DO want more ridiculous comments, right???

I had all this awesome stuff to promote along with last week's strip... but this one is a little slower. It's been a behind-the-scenes type of week for me -- I switched my personal websites over to the AudioShocker's web host, and yesterday I wrangled with some serious technical podcasting problems.

But everything seems to be back on track (I hope!). I guess the only new things are my upcoming A Deadpool A Day feature starting next Monday at NickMarino.net, and Shawn's completion of his long-running Gello Apocalypse comic (it's not done for good, but done for now). Oh, and SuperHaters.com is still going strong after its launch last week.

So I guess that's it! Oh, wait, I almost forgot -- remember those unicorns I teased about back when Time Log started? They're almost heeerrree...

If only "FuturePete" was a playable game... I'D PLAY THE $H!T OUT OF IT!!!

Now I'd like to take a moment out of our regularly scheduled rambling to ask something of all AudioShocker readers out there -- Time Log's penciler, Shawn Atkins, is a contestant in a Talenthouse comics contest. The winner of the contest gets published by Graphicly and mentored by artist Jim Mahfood. That's a pretty sweet deal!!!

GO VOTE FOR SHAWN NOW! You can vote through your Facebook account or via text message. I recommend you do both!!! Today's the last day for for the first round of voting, so don't wait.

P.S. Also, don't forget to hit up the new SuperHaters.com and relive the classic AudioShocker webcomics memories!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

This year, I'm thankful that I don't live in this dystopic future created by fictional Pete's mistakes. However, I do live in a dystopic present created by real Pete's butt-ton of dialogue that I have to letter week after week.

Whatever happened to dramatic silence, Pete?!? WHAT HAPPENED???

I've never spent a week in Scranton... but I have spent a few hours there. And it was nothing like this comic strip. NOTHING.

I've also skied on Montage Mountain (which is in the Scranton region, though not right next to the city, thus making it slightly more tolerable).

And I've hit on ballerinas.

So let's just say that I can really relate to this particular installment of Time Log. Pete, you've truly reached me.

Congratulations to Conrad Knapp -- occasional AudioShocker contributor, my childhood best friend, and now an official imaginary Scrantonian!!!

In other news... PETE, PLS DON'T KILL ME!!! I changed a few tiny bits of this strip's text to make everything fit!

And in other news... yeah, okay, I posted this one a little later than usual. BLAME IT ON PETE'S TEXT AND THE STUPID MILKSHAKE FACTORY THAT MADE ME SICK LAST NIGHT! Or just blame it on me.

AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Heeeeyyy! Happy belated Back to the Future Day everybody! This past Monday, October 25th, 2010, was the day that Marty and Doc and Jennifer and Einstein entered into the future.

And without Back to the Future, I don't think Pete and I ever would have conceived Time Log!!!

So, basically, what I'm saying is that if you hate Time Log, all you have to do is travel back to the early 80s and convince Robert Zemeckis that he NEEDS to do this movie called "Howard the Duck," and that this time travel script by Bob Gale about skateboarders and sock hops is no good.

Uggghhh... this was the hardest one to letter yet (thanks, Pete!), so I'm a little bit drained. Nothing funny to say here...

BUT it's time to announce our contest winner, which is...

CONRAD KNAPP!

Yeah, that's right, my childhood best friend is the contest winner. NO, IT'S NOT RIGGED! He won with his response on Facebook. (You gotta log in to see it. Sorry!)

Nixon... a Nazi? Neil Diamond... a Jewish Nazi? And what's to become of our heroes? SO MANY QUESTIONS! SO MUCH SUSPENSE! I co-wrote the damn thing and I can barely handle the expertly-crafted dramatic tension. I can only imagine how hard this is on you, our loyal reader errr... um, i mean, readers.

I'd like to add that I'm a big fan of Shawn's Nixon depiction. While I enjoy the fluidness of his take on Neil Diamond (cause, ya know, Diamond -- being the "time pawn" that he is -- is constantly being physically reshaped by the events of our story), I really really enjoy his instantly-recognizable-and-instantly-goofy Nixon likeness. Plus, Shawn put Nixon in a sharp My Sharona-esque suit. Bonus points.

Anyway, be back next Thursday for the announcement of our contest winner!!!

DUN DUN DUN! Happy now, Ross? The "private eye and spider-person silhouettes" from #8 are none other than Richard Nixon AND the FutureNazis!!! DUN DUN DUN!

You've got one more week to enter the contest we announced in the post for #7... so tell us who you want to punch in the face from any point in time, and YOUR NAME could be in Time Log!

AND WE'RE BACK. YEEEAAAH! So, whatchu been doing? Yeah, me too. Uh huh. Right. What? Oh-- HAHAHA!

ANYWAY, I would just like to point out my favorite part of this week's strip -- Neil Diamond's Superman hair. It's glorious.

And don't forget about our little contest... you tell us who you wanna punch in the face, we name a character after you!!! So get punchin'!

YEEAASS! That's some classic Time Log hijinks right there. But enough of the present. Let's talk about the future...

Soon, in another six or so installments of Time Log, we'll be introducing new character. And this special individual needs a name!

That's where YOU come in. In fact, this new character's name could be YOUR NAME. How? Here's how: the Time Log Get-This-Character-Named-After-You Contest!!!

How to participate: Either comment on this post or email (nick @ audioshocker.com) with your response to this question -- "If you could go back in time and punch one person in the face, who would it be?"

How to win: Give us the best damn answer out there!!! (P.S. If you don't quite get the question, then you should probably read the Time Log one-shot! Purchase it here or here.)

S'MORES TIME!!!!!!!!!! Mmmm... marshmallow and Time Log taste delicious.

DUN DUN DUN!!!!! Shocking villain reveal! Who saw it coming? Go ahead, raise your hands. Yup, that's what I thought. Everyo-- errr, I mean, NO ONE!

First, we brought you future cyborgs. Then we brought you girls. Now we bring you the 37th President of the United States of America! So what's next? I'll give you a hint... S'MORES.

Another Thursday, another thrilling Time Log. I'm pretty psyched about this one because it introduces our two newest characters, ***** and *****. No, I'm not gonna tell you their names!!! Muwaahahahahaha! You gotta keep reading to figure them out. But, honestly, it shouldn't be that difficult.

Also, did you know you could be the talk of the town in our sexy Time Log t-shirt? I bet you didn't! In fact, I bet you hate t-shirts, don't you? Why do you hate America so much, you t-shirt hater?? WHY???

I'm having a hard time deciding which one (exhibit A or exhibit B) is the best to link to... so I'll just link to them both.

Anyway, I'm off to Toronto! Come see me and Ross and Kaylie and Justique at FanExpo Canada!!!

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...

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.

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.

To buy a copy of the Time Log one-shot comic book, visit the the Amazon Kindle store, DriveThruComics.com, or the AudioShocker store.

We're gonna start off this Thursday with Time Log #0, a recap of the one-shot (for those who forgot the plot and for those who've never read it (never read it!?! why not??? go buy it!)). Then, next week on August 12th, we're gonna kick it into gear with Time Log #1, the first installment of our all-new full-color (none of that half-color bullshit) weekly series.

It's got unicorns. It's also got old characters, new characters, and old characters that have turned into new characters! And unicorns. Not to mention action, thrills, laughs, and some scintillating sci-fi satire. Oh yeah, and unicorns (did I already mention the unicorns?).

A little behind-the-scenes taste! From artist Shawn Atkins, for the upcoming Time Log webcomic (launching here on August 5th, 2010).

Ed Marino, Justique Woolridge, Steph Wilkerson, Seth Fronzoli, Jon Bush, Wayne Wise, Dan Greenwald, and Scott Hedlund. No matter what you contributed to the process of realizing the final product, it's greatly appreciated.

Now here are some thoughts about the one-shot comic book AND the future Time Log webcomic:

• In some ways, the one-shot came out far better than I imagined it would, and in other ways it didn't live up to everything I wanted it to be. The physical product is slick and pretty. Shawn's pencils are awesome. And the visual jokes work really well. However, some of the dialog-based jokes don't always hit with the punch I intended them to hit with. And I wish I could have colored the comic!
• In particular, I'm disappointed about the comic book's lack of female characters. Pete and I wrote this book at a time when I wasn't as thoughtful or well-balanced as I am now in my storytelling. While I'm not distraught about this, it's definitely something I'd like to change given the opportunity to do everything all over again.
• The Time Log webcomic stands to remedy the distinct lack of women in the story. Actually, even before I was conscious of the one-shot's dearth of female characters, Pete and I had scripted a second issue that introduced our awesome female lead right off the bat.
• For anyone who's unclear on what the webcomic is, it's going to be an all-new continuation of the Time Log epic, picking up directly after the events of the final page of the one-shot. It's actually a webcomic adaptation of issues #2-3 of the Time Log saga.
• The one-shot reads a lot faster than I anticipated. Even despite a few pages of heavy text, the book moves really quickly. That's funny because the events of the one-shot were originally scripted as a three-part mini series.
• After Pete and I ditched the three-part mini idea, we hyper condensed the events of the mini into the one-shot, and then wrote totally a new story for what we intended to be #2-3... which you now know is (somewhat) the same story as the upcoming weekly webcomic.
• I hope everyone who reads Time Log enjoys it. If you have any questions, complaints, or comments, you can email me at nickmarino @ gmail.com. Same goes for anyone interested in reviewing the comic book. And make sure to be back here on August 5th, 2010 for the first webcomic installment!

Of course, I would never ask you to buy my product without taking a taste first... that's why you can try before you buy.

If you prefer killing trees, you can always pick yourself up a print copy of Time Log over at the AudioShocker Store (we accept PayPal).

(If you have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, here's the deal: Time Log is my new one-shot comic book about two best buds who go on a time travel adventure into music's shady past. Futurenazis, hijinks, and tons of action ensue)

The time is now!!! The Time Log one-shot, Zombie Palin edition two ashcan, and the Super Haters ashcans are here!

You can pick up these bad boys at the Pittsburgh Comicon or SPACE in Columbus next weekend (yes, the same weekend). And more show announcements are coming soon.

But, even before the shows hit, you'll be able to order your copies of these beauties right here on the AudioShocker site, along with kick ass shirts as well. Just check back by Monday to see the brand new AudioShocker Store!!!

EDIT: The AudioShocker Store has arrived!!! Feed its insatiable hunger with your hard earned dollars!

The year was 2001. For Pete and I, tale of Time Log had been percolating in our minds for about a year and it seemed like the right time to turn the time travel epic into a motion picture! Well, more like a bootleg 8mm class project... but a motion picture nonetheless!

There was actually more filmed footage, including a trippy (and severely out-of-focus) color scene of Pete at the base of the Stephen Foster statute before waking up in the past (and afterwards, again at the statue's base following his victory), but that footage was left on the editing room floor.

This video has been up on my YouTube account for some time now, but with a different title and sans original music. That's all been fixed, as this is now proudly re-uploaded in higher quality, branded with the Time Log name, and accompanied by the song "Uncanny" by Nik Furious, which some of you will notice as the original AudioShocker Podcast theme song.

Time Log #1 will be ready in time for the Pittsburgh Comicon and SPACE, where I'll be setting up tables (yes, I know they're on the same weekend). If you like what you see here, then keep it locked on my site where I'll continue to post more sneak peaks as the pages progress.

Given that, as I was suspecting last week, Brubaker/Philip's Criminal is definitely worth bothering with. A full notch better than Sleeper, mostly because they both seem more at home writing a straighter noir piece, rather than having to bother with sci-fi elements. The first arc, Coward, just hits on all cylinders (and the second issue's cover is one of my favorite covers ever (and I don't normally even notice covers all that much; so maybe my immediate enjoyment of this cover demonstrates some aspect of my taste in general (I think it probably does), and thereby further clarifies why I think Criminal is better than Sleeper.

Criminal also further brings up the issue of back-matter in comics, an area of content which, to me, reached it s height with Casanova, where I can't really imagine reading the book without the back-matter; it'd still be good, but not nearly as good as I feel like it was. Criminal has some of the usual letter-responses and shout-out type material, but then also features (and I guess, again, that most of you know this, since the book isn't, like, new at all) short essays by guest writers about aspects of noir that they like, or specific movies or books that seem worth talking about. So not as personal/interwoven as the Casanova material, but definitely substantial and an aspect of reading the book in general (since the quasi-scholarly material certainly heightens the sense of genre exercise from the book).

It's a conversation that Nick and I have begun to have, as we approach the printing date of our 10-years-in-the-making masterpiece, Time Log. The story itself is enough pages that we can just print it and use the inside covers for any publishing info & thank-yous that we may need, but there's also this sense that maybe we should add another 4 pages of content, in order to have some supplementary materials. But how necessary is this? If we did so, would we just be copping an aspect of smarty-pants comics that I like and some of which appeal to Nick? Or is this what readers want in the first place? To know about all the trials and tribulations that we've been through in the last ten years in order to finally get this book in print?

I don't think that either Nick or I are particularly confessional about our craft (if you can call it craft), and I'm not sure if Shawn is or not. Plus, it would cost just that much more to print an additional four pages. But is that what we need to do to get this comic read? Or should we just run some advertisements instead...