We need to address how eager we are to publicly comment on situations, and to condemn people and reports of their behaviors when we don’t have direct firsthand knowledge.
There’s no need to cater to the “why haven’t people commented on this” crowd when real people are involved, and when we don’t know exactly what people are dealing with.
No one needs to apologize for anyone else’s behavior, and no one *needs* to prove their own piety by condemning someone based on allegations. No one needs to be judged for not sharing an opinion on the behaviors of other people, anyway.
And if you find yourself celebrating the downfall or “comeuppance” of someone in the arts that you don’t know, and have had no interactions with, based solely on your perceptions of them from a distance, the best idea is to keep it to yourself.
A friend of mine put it well when he said, “Turning strangers into monsters so we can slay them online is a societal cancer that hurts everyone … How many people do you actually know well enough to condemn?”
And while it’s true that you can’t really assign blame when someone does something as drastic as take their own life when the world collapses on top of them and social media is fueling that collapse, we seem to have generated and perpetuated a system that easily contributes to pushing someone off that cliff when they’re already teetering on the edge.
Wherever you go, people ask you where you’re from. For me that was always a difficult question to answer, because I never felt “from” anywhere. We moved around so much when I was growing up that I never really felt like I had a hometown (or a home state). But the answer I usually gave (and give) is that I went to high school in Wichita. Specifically in Andover, just East of Wichita.
So, Wichita is easily the closest thing I have to a hometown. We landed there when I was in eighth grade, and I ended up spending all four years of high school there. Once I got acclimated, and realized we were staying, I became deeply involved, and developed a strong group of friends, many of whom I’m still close to, or in touch with, today. For whatever reason, there seemed to be an unusual number of interesting and dynamic people in a high school of just under 500 students, and that’s been borne out as those kids moved into adulthood. It’s not unusual to reestablish contact with someone and be impressed with where they’ve been in life, and who they’ve become.
The point is, Wichita became my home.
I think most creators are fascinated by the places that spawned them, whether they look back in horror or with fondness. For me, Wichita makes for an interesting backdrop to a particular kind of story. Especially when looking back. It’s in the very middle of the country, surrounded by miles of flatland, creating a near constant wind that blows stronger than that of Chicago. It’s been the manufacturing hub for commercial and private aircraft since the twenties (hence its nickname, “The Air Capital of the World”). It’s blue collar, with a strong population of well-to-do white collar workers and entrepreneurs.
My buddy Scott Phillips wrote a fantastic crime novel set in late 70s Wichita (THE ICE HARVEST), when the city was still operating under a number of blue laws that made drinking in bars difficult, and created a strange battle between the city’s strip clubs and lawmakers. The book does an extraordinary job of capturing a particular time and place, and the subsequent film (while still enjoyable) suffered by making the story contemporary.
I’ve always wanted to tell a story set in Wichita, hopefully reflecting the strange tug and pull people feel when growing up in the Midwest. Weighing the comfort of home with the desire to find something *more* in the world, and how often people find themselves pulled back into that orbit after they’ve left.
By the same token, having spent most of my adult life just up the road from Wichita, in Kansas City, there are a lot of elements specific to KC that I’ve wanted to work into a story. Notably some often overlooked crime-related history from the seventies and early eighties. (and someday I want to dig into the outlaw Pendergast era, but I digress)
Not long ago, all of these elements tumbled together in a weird rush, and the entire foundation for a story that tied everything together was built in my then muddled brain. Of course, the key to making any story set in a particular place work is to make it accessible to people who couldn’t give a shit about Wichita or Kansas City, or flyover country in general. With the help of genius(ish) artist/collaborator Mack Chater, I think we’ve done that.
Mack and I are currently working our way through a political horror series that should be officially announced soon (spoiler alert: It’s called BLOODLAND), and our goal is to follow that with a series of crime-themed original graphic novels, set loosely in the same “universe,” but each with its own strong hook, story, and cast of characters. The first two books are plotted, and our only real problem might be filing away the rush of ideas we keep swatting back and forth across the Atlantic. (see, Mack’s in the UK, and I’m in … well, I guess you know by now)
We’re currently mulling over publishing options and solidifying the elements of our brand, so to speak. But I think we both believe we’re on the cusp of doing the best work of our careers.
If you’ve stuck with me this long (and why would you have), I’d say keep your eyes peeled for more concrete information as we figure out exactly how we’re going to pull new rabbits out of old hats.
And if you’re from Wichita, I hope you’ll look forward to supporting a (kind of) hometown dude and his British collaborator as they mine some good old-fashioned mayhem, intrigue and violence from the howling Kansas wind.
Zoop has recently completed their campaign for the special edition hardcover of THE WHISTLING SKULL, originally published 2012-2013 by DC Comics. Very grateful to those guys for doing every bit of heavy lifting while Tony Harris and I basically just cleaned up and tweaked some files.
Below is a little introduction to the Skull Universe (the Skullverse!) from its original run with DC Comics, with some insight into our world:
The Whistling Skull is a generational hero. The mantle of the Skull is passed down from one adventurer to the next. The current Whistling Skull, William Massey, possesses the ability to draw mentally upon the experiences of his predecessors, allowing him to learn from their history as he navigates his legacy.
One of the memories William accesses is of his predecessor battling alongside an early twentieth century group of combat rogues called the Broken Hearts Club.
The Skull and his partner, Nigel Singleton (Knuckles), have been friends since childhood. They travel Europe in a medical waste van that houses an extraordinary mobile laboratory.
The previous Whistling Skull, John Singleton, seems to have vanished somewhere in Japan. His fate remains unknown…
Agent Nash, an associate of the Whistling Skull’s support network, the Skeleton, was dispatched to Japan to find the missing Skull’s body.
Back in London, the lineage of the Whistling Skull is tended to by the law firm of Teagle & Sons. Michael Keene is a mysterious associate of both Teagle & Sons and of the loose international crime fighting collective, the Wheel of Justice.
At the “hub” of the Wheel of Justice is a group of mystery men called “The Company” (which is short for the name established at their founding during World War I, the Costumed Seekers of Adventure in Good Company). Two prominent members of the Company are Simon Daye and Dexter Fields, otherwise known as Dayknight and the Night Surgeon.
The man tasked with assuring the Whistling Skull is operating at the peak of his physical and mental abilities is the very weird and very strange Doctor Archibald Moon.
Another associate of the Skull’s, and longstanding member of the Skeleton Network, is Johannes. Like so many other members of the Skeleton Network, Johannes possesses a freakish affliction. In his case, an encounter with an unnatural gas-based weapon during the first World War has left him partially invisible.
(these unusual members of the Skeleton are researched and recruited by a department of Teagle & Sons called the Skeleton Key)
One weapon of the Whistling Skull’s is the Wormwatch. Before using it, he must have it rewound by its creator, the dimensional hermit, Fagan. Fagan only appears in this plane of reality at particular times, and his workshop is found inside London’s Big Ben clock tower.
The Orphans are a particularly savage group of adolescent boys who’ve been left homeless due to the war. They operate in the European war zone, rejecting much adult supervision. They are still considered a part of the larger Wheel of Justice.
The first adventure of the new Skull and his partner, Knuckles, involves dealing with unhinged renegade Nazi scientist Dr. Hellman and a disturbing group of seemingly augmented freaks (Der Karneval).
Tony Harris’s newly painted cover for the hardcover.
After years of working to get it out the door, the graphic novel ENDLESS SUMMER: DEAD MAN’S CURVE has been solicited to appear in shops in June. It’s actually available for preorder just about anywhere you can order books. So have at it!
Written by me, all art, color and letters by Shane White:
On the 1960’s California coast, rogue FBI agent Scott Ivory is determined to root out any threats of potential espionage and recruits a group of young misfits to further his covert government agenda.
Former FBI agent Scott Ivory gathers a group of young kids to counter communist and criminal activities on the streets of the California coast. With a modest budget and a loose agenda, his simple counterintelligence program quickly becomes an outlet for Ivory to use for his own designs, and the kids become pawns in a game of tug-of-war between government agents.
A dark spin on early sixties pop culture, Endless Summer, Vol. 1: Dead Man’s Curve is based on 1960’s Huntington Beach, California–a thrilling sunshine-noir graphic novel rampant with drugs, murder, and government espionage.
On the 1960’s California coast, rogue FBI agent Scott Ivory is determined to root out any threats of potential espionage and recruits a group of young misfits to further his covert government agenda.
Former FBI agent Scott Ivory gathers a group of young kids to counter communist and criminal activities on the streets of the California coast. With a modest budget and a loose agenda, his simple counterintelligence program quickly becomes an outlet for Ivory to use for his own designs, and the kids become pawns in a game of tug-of-war between government agents.
A dark spin on early sixties pop culture, Endless Summer, Vol. 1: Dead Man’s Curve is based on 1960’s Huntington Beach, California—a thrilling sunshine-noir graphic novel rampant with drugs, murder, and government espionage.
Due to an unexpected death in the family, MILES TO GO #4 was delayed a bit, but will be on stands April 7th.
These things are hard to avoid, as the physical work that goes into creating the book is handled by a small number of people. I write the book, Stephen Molnar does the very heavy lifting and pencils, inks, and, with assistance from Nova Lee-Fortier, colors the book. Following the departure of Thomas Mauer, the book is lettered by Dave Sharpe. Gracious editorial support is provided by Mike Marts, along with Christina Harrington.
Here are the cover and a few preview pages from the issue:
…and receiving fantastic reviews! Very gratifying to see so much positive response. Issue one dropped on 9/24. Issue two out in late October.
“This is one of those books where you get to the end of it and realize what a great read it was, that you want more, and that a re-read is necessary right now. ” – The Fandom Post
“‘Miles to Go’ rises above the usual tropes and delivers a suspenseful, smart, and sincere crime story full of pitch perfect characters.” – Multiversity
“Masterful, clean, and attention grabbing. Miles To Go #1 seems like the perfect thriller to usher in the Fall, and I encourage any fan of Crime (with that big ol C) stories to pick this series up before it takes off.” – Comics Bookcase
“Where it all goes after this debut, I seriously have no idea. But, it has me excited and intrigued to find out. That’s the measure of a successful comic, do I want to come back for more? Miles to Go #1 nails that down and then some.” – Graphic Policy
“Once again we see why Aftershock is a go-to publishing house. The writing here is spectacular and the interiors are gorgeous. Did you get yours?” – Reading with a Flight Ring
“Based on just this one issue, it seems like it’s going to be an incredible ride. It did what great comics are supposed to do; it left me wanting more.” – Scoop at Previewsworld.com
“A synopsis of Miles to Go may make someone mistake it for a more generic story of sordid pasts and redemption, but the characters we’ve met so far do wonders to break the series apart from others.” – Comicbook.com8
Here’s a look at the covers for MILES TO GO #2 (out at the end of October!). Standard cover by co-creator Stephen Molnar, and a variant by Jeremy Haun:
The solicitation for Image’s April books went up this week, including ALOHA, HAWAIIAN DICK #1 (finally!). Just a note: it’s a five issue series, not a four issue series:
ALOHA, HAWAIIAN DICK #1
STORY: B. CLAY MOORE
ART: JACOB WYATT
COVER: SEAN DOVE
APRIL 20 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99
The critically-acclaimed tropical noir returns for a brand new series! While Byrd remains in 1954 Hawaii, we meet another Byrd back in the States, and his impending arrival on the scene is destined to change the landscape of HAWAIIAN DICK forever.
Rich Johnston also dropped six quick questions in my mailbox for Bleeding Cool. Answered here:
B. Clay Moore 