Warhammer 40K Webcomic

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Author's Notes:

I got the idea for this silly, gender-bender story while rummaging through my miniature collection in preparation for the Chaos Cultists Pass in Review post.

I thought:  What would be the "worst" that could happen to a bunch of evil, vengeful fighters?

While their fate may not be as horrible as their previous lot in the "...grim darkness of the far future..." the story was fun to write.

As to the "behind the scenes" of this webcomic's imagery:

About half of the female figures were from an older line of D&D Miniatures from Wizards of the Coast.  The other half, including the male bartender were another set of pre-painted figures that I can't remember who manufactured them.  Googling the images hasn't helped.

I was also frustrated at attempting to find the source of the "Inquisitor Faustina" images.  I downloaded it from Tumblr years ago, but am unable to relocate it, even when I typed-in the HTML, my search came up with zilch.

Here's what I can tell you about the other products used during the creation of Suitable Servants--

--The badlands scenery is a terrarium backdrop I purchased from PetSmart.
--The ground is represented by Cigar Box Battle Store's Arid Lands Terrain Mat.
--The mysterious Chaos Temple is the Altar of Evil by Pegasus Hobbies, I purchased years ago.

The planet Kalf does exist in the WH40K 'verse.  It's listed as a frontier world in the Calixis Sector that can be found on the inside cover of  Fantasy Flight Games "Only War" WH40K RPG (2012).

A more readable map can be found on the WH40K Fandom Wiki:

I picked this location for a few reasons.  First, the idea of a frontier world brings to mind a planet that's not the usual toxic waste dump, war-torn hell that WH40K games and stories take place on.  Second it's one of the border worlds, so it's close enough to main fighting that was portrayed in Fantasy Flight Games' (FFG) Only War series, without being on the front lines.  But at the same time, close enough for raids and incursions by xenos and heretics.  Finally, it's location fits in with both FFG's WH40K RPG and WH40k/Wrath & Glory's Imperium Nihilus or the Age of the Dark Imperium.

I hope you enjoyed Suitable Servants along with the background material that went into creating it.

Thanks!

Book Review: Templar

It's been almost a year since I wrote a book review.  The reasons are twofold:  First, I don't have the time anymore to produce content about what inspires my gaming and writing.  And second:  What I've read since last summer has been mediocre at best.  Nothing has really wowed me.

Until now.

Last week, on a rare day my wife and I both had off, we ventured to the local library to renew our library cards and to check out what's inside.

While walking past the fringe of the Young Adult section, Jordan Mechner's "Templar" caught my eye.

This hardcover is actually a graphic novel illustrated by husband & wife team of Alex Puvilland and Leuyen Pham.

The story is about several members of the Knights Templar who managed to survive the Friday the 13th Purge, who band together and attempt to restore the honor of their order.

Well, in an "Ocean's Eleven" sort of way, because despite the show trial and all the forced confessions, the fabled Templar Treasure is still up for grabs.

I'd love to say more about this book I consider the best story I've read in ages.  There were a couple things I wish were different about the finale, but upon reflection, I think the ending was appropriate, and more importantly, satisfying.

I'd love to carry-on but I don't want to spoil any more of the plot than I may already have.

As to the artwork: It reminds me of what one would see in an animated film, which isn't surprising since the artists have actually worked in animation.  The images are neither too detailed or too sparse, and the portrayals of the heroes and villains are delightful to gaze at.

Templar has a nearly a 4-star rating on Goodreads, while it has an average 4.6-star rating on Amazon.com.

I loved this book so much, I intend to buy my own copy of what I feel is a 5-star story.

(Image found on:  Mediocrity is the New Genius)

Jet City Comic Show 2016 Initial Walkabout and Purchase Report

(The JCCS Ground Floor Banner)

The Punisher and Deadpool walk into the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center (GTCTC)...

Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about my first time at the Jet City Comic Show (JCCS) this past Saturday.

My apologies for the opening hook, but Deadpool and The Punisher, along with a host of other cosplayers did indeed walk into the convention center.

As I got out of my Jeep in my lazy man's minimalist version of a Punisher costume, I ended up walking-in with a fellow cosplayer dressed as Deadpool.  As we chatted about comics, I thought these characters would make quite a pair.

Apparently, my geek-cred is out of date, because several fans, writers and artist have already thought of it, envisioning likely outcomes such as this...

(Image found on:  Talking Wade)

...or this:

(Image posted by Trevor Brown on Pintrest)

Anyway, JCCS was easy to get to with a parking garage conveniently located next to the GTCTC.  A couple banners, featuring JCCS's icon, Bomber Girl, guided attendees to the 4th and 5th floors.

(The JCCS 4th Floor Banner)

Five panel discussions were scheduled for Saturday, and six on Sunday.  I was interested in attending the first one, Craft of the Short Story, set for 11 AM.  However, I arrived late, because I wanted to sleep-in and squeeze in a quick workout.

(A JCCS banner displayed over the swag table)

It was a perfect Pacific Northwest day to stay indoors.

(A view of the Tacoma Dome on a dreary November day)

The GTCTC is a nice facility, and easily accommodated the crowd.

The lines to turn in your pre-purchased ticket for an admittance bracelet were short, and so were the on-site purchase lines.

The show was busy, but the crowds were not overwhelming like they typically are during the Emerald City Comicon (ECCC).  Since the show was set on a single floor it took me only an hour to do my initial recon/walkabout.

(A view from the far corner, with the food court in the foreground)

Despite my initial walk-through, I ended up staying all day, talking with cosplayers, artists and exhibitors.  During this time, I blew past my $160 budget on books, graphic novels and prints; along with staying for day's finale--the Costume Contest.  I didn't enter because one of the rules stated the costumes had to be at least 60% handmade. 

My lazy man minimalist Punisher get-up consisted of a black t-shirt with the Punisher skull logo, black cargo pants, black boots, a black hip holster carrying a soft-pellet replica of a Desert Eagle 44 magnum.  Despite the little effort I put into this, I received several compliments, and had two artists and an attendee take my picture.

(Another view from the far corner with the gaming area in the distance)

Overall, I was impressed with JCCS. As I mentioned earlier, the show was busy, but I wasn't jostled by the crowd, nor did I stand in long lines.

However, because of the smaller nature of JCCS, the introverted, awkward teenager part of me often manifested itself.  That is, while I felt comfortable chatting with fellow cosplayers and non-cosplayer attendees, I'd grow uneasy talking with exhibitors and artists.

Every artist, writer and exhibitor I talked to were friendly and pleasant.  Some called out to me, referring to me by The Punisher's actual name: "Frank," or "Castle."  Then they'd show me their Punisher-based artwork.

What made me uneasy was knowing these talented folks were here to do business, and make their attendance worth their while.  While I admired many books, graphic novels and art work, many of it wasn't my cup of tea.  Also, shelf and wall space in my home is limited.  So I didn't know an easy way to disengage without possibly disappointing them.

It wasn't just the artist or exhibitors I felt awkward around.  I didn't talk to any of the actor and actress guests, even though there were no lines whatsoever to meet them.  Roger Cross even nodded and said "hi," to which I responded in kind--and then scurried away from his booth.

I know.  My behavior wasn't very Punisher-like, but I didn't know any of the actors or actresses, nor have I watched the shows, or movies they're known for.  So I felt embarrassed at the idea of starting a conversation with any of them.

Anyway, despite my hesitancy of hobnobbing with the stars, I had a great time.  Everyone I did manage to talk to were regulars and enjoyed attending each year.

Now that I've got my initial exposure to JCCS under my belt, I think I'll be more comfortable attending future shows.

JCCS is a nice "starter venue."  That is, it's a good way to introduce someone to the convention scene without overwhelming them by bringing them to an Uber-Mega Con.  My wife was overwhelmed by her one-day visit with me to the ECCC.  I wish I brought her to JCCS first, in order to ease her into my zany world.

Another good thing about JCCS is that it's affordable for a whole family of geeks.  Tickets ran only $10, ($11.50 with tax), while parking ranged from $5 (for 4 hours or less)--$10 (all day). 
 

(A view of the Costume Contest stage)

Despite my self-induce awkwardness, I ended up buying more than I originally intended to buy.

Here's a glimpse of my newfound treasures:

1. Prints

A Bomber Girl Print by Kevin McCoy.

(I bought an official JCCS Bomber Girl print, but I'll mention that in my next post)

2. Books

The Thousand Names, by Django Wexler.

Queen of the World, part of the Meridian Wanderings series, by Kira Cul'tofay.

The Spiral War series by S.F. Edwards.

3.  Comics and Graphic Novels

B Sqaud Volumes 1 & 2 by Eben Burgoon, along with chipping-in on a Patreon fund-raiser for the webcomic Cybersymbiosis by Woody Arnold.

4. Miscellaneous

While I didn't buy any Punisher sketches, or prints, I did get a set of boring but practical drink coasters from Holli Ann Wellner's Fabulous You (Yakima).

5.  Gifts

While 90% half of what I buy at conventions is for myself, I also go gift shopping for others.  Since my wife LOVES the Minions I also grabbed a bag, ID lanyard and key chain for her.

My cunning plan was to give them to her on Thanksgiving, but she spotted the Minion bag in my backpack.  Despite being "busted" I was happy to give them to her early, because she was excited about bringing them to work.

Sometimes even when plans fail, you succeed.

Book Review: Pleasure Model

Pleasure Model by Christopher Rowley is the first illustrated novella in the Netherworld Series published by Tor Books and Heavy Metal Magazine back in 2010.  This short-lived collaboration was branded as Heavy Metal Pulp.

In Pleasure Model, we meet Detective Rook Verner of the the Hudson Valley Police Department.  He's assigned a strange murder case involving a high-profile victim.  Upon investigating the scene, Rook and his partner discover a pleasure model, or "Pammy," was overlooked by the killer(s).  Pammys are illegal, genetically-grown humans, created as living sex toys for whoever purchases them--or rents them out.

The story contains elements of Blade Runner (artificial beings), Solyent Green (government conspiracy) and 50 Shades of Grey (sex, kinky and otherwise).

I loved the author's minimalist writing style.  The story is fast-paced with just enough descriptive details and exposition to ignite the reader's imagination.  There's no data dumping in Pleasure Model.  It wasn't until page 77 that I was able to figure out what year this dystopian story occurs in, which required some arithmetic.

The reader is never bored with the story.  Shocked sometimes, yes, but not bored.

And speaking of shocking, two women reviewers on Amazon.com hated the book, giving it a 1-star rating, because they thought it objectified demeaned women.  However, 88% of the other readers, including some women, liked the book, giving it anywhere from 3 to 5-stars, for a 3.9 star average.

I don't think the book itself was demeaning towards women, but showed a future society that looked upon genetically-grown people as tools and toys that can be callously treated and easily discarded once they outlived their novelty and usefulness.  More importantly, the protagonist, Rook Verner, doesn't mistreat women, naturally-born or artificially-created, in any way.

Nor is Rook alone.  He receives assistance from allies, mostly intelligent and capable women, that serve more than eye/mind-candy for the reader.

There are mixed feelings about the small black-and-white illustrations found on most of the pages in Pleasure Model.  I liked them because it saved the author from having to add additional descriptions that would bog down the flow of the story.  Besides, I like graphic novels and comics, which is one of the reasons why I bought this book; although I can't remember from where.

The biggest disappointment was the story's ending.  Or, more correctly, lack of a satisfying conclusion.  Pleasure Model ends rather abruptly, which I would be fine with if I had books #2--The Bloodstained Man, and #3--Money Shot handy to read right away.

Otherwise, I enjoyed Pleasure Model, and it is my pleasure to give this story a 4-star rating.

Book Review: Shadow Knights

Nearly six years ago, Simon & Schuster started a line of books called Pulp History.  The intent was to introduce readers to some of the past's most thrilling stories.

And what could be more thrilling than British agents infiltrating Nazi-occupied Europe?

Shadow Knights: The Secret War Against Hitler is an illustrated book about some of the men and women of Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE). 

While the book touches on various aspects of SOE's existence, the focus rests on the exploits of Harry Ree, Noor Inayat Khan, and the team of Norwegians responsible for the destruction of Germany's heavy water production.

In addition to stirring accounts of survival, betrayal, capture and the occasional triumph; Shadow Knights is lavishly illustrated with maps, sidebar notes, while artist Jeffrey Smith's splash pages bring the characters to life.

I give this book a solid four-star rating, leaning more towards work of entertainment than an in-depth historical analysis of irregular warfare waged against Nazi Germany.  For the sake of telling stories of derring do, Shadow Knights "pulps over" many aspects of World War II, outside the scope of SOE's operations. 
The book has a 4.5-star rating out of 5 on Amazon.com.

Unfortunately, Simon & Schuster's Pulp History fizzled out after releasing only two books, the second being, Devil Dog: The Amazing True Story of the Man Who Saved America.

Both books can be found in used book stores or through Amazon.com.

Webcomic Chapter 11 Posted

I finally managed to get getting Chapter 11 of Breakout from Bongolaan (pages 330--363) posted. 

For this chapter's theme song, I stumbled across a piece of Epic Chase Music by Ross Bugden. 

I now have nearly a year's-worth of daily material, which I mentioned as my trigger point in my previous webcomic post. 

My life has been busy this year, involving work and family matters, so I haven't devoted any time exploring for new format for this webcomic. 

Now that 2015 is about 2/3rds near it's end, I want to set Monday, 4 January 2016 as the launch date for Breakout from Bongolaan's new format. 

In the meantime, I'll be working on Chapter 12.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Book Review: Bunker Hill

 

 My brother has a keen interest in the American Revolution (aka The American War of Independence, often abbreviated by wargamers as the AWI).

 

After visiting him in New England, the "epicenter" of the Revolution, I remembered I had a couple books about the AWI taking up space in my "TBR File" (To Be Read).

 

One of these was Bunker Hill by Howard Fast. 

 

I must admit this is the first book I've read by the author of Spartacus, which I didn't know he wrote, along with a slew of other well-known works.

 

Which means I've got a lot of catching up to do--or at least more books to shove into my TBR File.

 

Anyway, getting back to the AWI...

 

(Image from:  Raremaps.com)

...Bunker Hill is an engrossing semi-fictionalized account of the actual battle, which was mostly fought on nearby Breed's Hill.   

 

By semi-fictionalized, I mean that the story follows the actual course of historical events leading up to, during, and after the battle.  However, Fast places historical figures in social situations that may, or may not have happened, along with providing dialogue that may or may not have been spoken.

 

And speaking of speech, the language used by our forefathers, both British and Colonial, was quite different from the eloquent and carefully preserved letters in museums and archives on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Translation:  Their manner of speaking, especially when talking about war--or sex--was heavily laced with F-Bombs.  (One reviewer on Amazon.com gave the book a 2-star rating because of this).

 

Apparently, sex was foremost on the minds of William Howe, "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne and Henry Clinton, who spent as much time trying to hook up with Boston's Loyalist babes than dealing with "those damned rebels."

 

It was the "rebel scum" however, who snuck onto the Charleston Peninsula during the night of 16 June, 1775 and erected a redoubt.  

 

(Image from The Bunker Hill Museum via The Miniatures Page)

 

According to Fast, they managed to pull this off because His Majesty's Trysting Trio were dealing with erections of a different sort.

 

While scandalously delightful to think about, in actuality; the British were planning to re-occupy the Charlestown Heights, but a spy tipped-off the rebels, who stole a march on the redcoats.

 

The American cast of characters is much larger, featuring Israel Putnam, William Prescott, Joseph Warren, John Stark and Thomas Knowlton, just to name a few.  In fact, it was rather difficult for me to keep such a large cast straight and I had to refer to the Major Characters page quite often.  The American point of view often rested with a Dr. Feversham, a fallen Catholic and cashiered British Army surgeon, who finds acceptance among the rebels.

  

 Bunker Hill weighs-in at 223 pages, divided into a dozen chapters organized according to the date, or time.  The first six chapters take place from 12 June to the early morning hours of 17 June 1775. 

 

The first shots of the battle, which occurs on page 104, were fired by HMS Lively, when it's crew discovered the rebels toiling away at their redoubt on Breed's Hill.

 

Chapters 7-11 focus on crucial points of the battle, from 9 AM until 5 PM, when the rebels are finally driven off.

 

(Image:  Howard Pyle's famous painting, The Battle of Bunker Hill, 1897)

 While it seems like a lot of pages are devoted to everything but the actual fighting, Fast's prose easily conveyed how decisions were made and events unfolded, which lead to the Charlestown showdown.  The only thing that I found annoying was the author's repetitious use of the date in most chapters. 

 

The final chapter takes place the following day, when Dr. Feversham and another physician attempt to exchange, or at least provide medical care for the wounded rebels captured by the British.  They receive a cold response from the British, which convinces Dr. Feversham to continue his support of the AWI.

 

A lot of this had to do with the high number of casualties the British suffered during their three assaults...

 

(Image from Lora Innes' The Dreamer, Act I, Issue 14, Page 43)

 

I give Bunker Hill a solid 4-star rating.  While it was an entertaining tale, the narrative didn't strike any low notes, but neither did it strike epic high ones either, especially for a battle that had such lasting repercussions for both the British and Colonials.

 

Webcomic Chapter 10 Posted

Breakout from Bongolaan's Chapter 10 has been posted (pages 274-329).

Later this month, I plan to start working on Chapter 11.  

I'm still exploring options on a new, webcomic-based format for this story.  But I think I'll wait until I reach, or surpass 365 pages.  Once I accomplish this, I'll have a year's worth of daily material to introduce Breakout from Bongolaan to a new audience.

In the meantime, I'd like to thank the "old audience" for your patience and support.

Chapter 10 is the initial fight scene in the Star Wars RPG (Role Playing Game) adventure this story was based on.  Since it took place in the Presidential Palace's Ballroom, I thought a fitting theme song for this chapter would be--what else?--The Ballroom Blitz by Sweet.

Webcomic Chapter 9 Posted

Breakout from Bongolaan's Chapter 9 is available for viewing (pages 243-273).

While looking for a suitable Soundtrack Interlude for this chapter, I stumbled across the impressive music from Two Steps from Hell.

I felt their song Juggernaut best expresses the relentless advance of the battle droids.

As I start my work on Chapter 10, I'll be exploring new format options for this webcomic.  I've been getting the feeling that using a blog format for this webcomic is becoming unwieldy, if it isn't already.

Normally, webcomics are formatted like Christopher Mills and Gene Gonzales' Perils on Planet X, with the most recent page displayed and an archive section, along with a cast of characters and other interesting side-sections.

I'd like to reformat Breakout from Bongolaan in this way, but I want to do it right--and only once.  So for now, I'll be researching webcomic set-ups and templates.

Webcomic writers usually post 1-3 new pages per week.  Due to the nature of my job, with its rotating shift, I won't  be able to duplicate this kind of schedule.  I'd rather continue my updates in chapter-sized chunks.

Your patience is appreciated and I hope you enjoy the story.

Breakout from Bongolaan Book Trailer II

For the past several weeks I've been working on Chapter 9 of my webcomic Breakout from Bongolaan, which I hope to post within the next couple of weeks.

During this time I also took a look at Breakout from Bongolaan's "book trailer," and decided some renovation was in order.

After spending more time tweaking it than I originally planned to, I posted it on my YouTube Channel.

Thank you for watching.

New Title Page for Webcomic

After attending the How to Be A Nerd for a Living panel discussion at last month's GeekGirlCon, and my chat with Rebecca Hicks about webcomics, I'm exploring the idea of changing Breakout from Bongolaan's format.  

While I like Blogspot/Blogger, I think this template is becoming too unwieldy for a "space opera-sized" story of 242 pages--and counting.  

At this point I'm in the Research Phase, because I want any changes I make to be long lasting.

In the meantime, I'm making some minor improvements, like replacing the old title page with a better picture and font.  Since I have a stock of better pictures, another improvement I'm working on is revamping Breakout from Bongolaan's webcomic trailer.

These adjustments are being made while I continue working on the story itself.  Right now I'm in the process of arranging photos for Chapter 9.

More improvements and content to follow, so stay tuned! 

GeekGirlCon 2014 Panel Discussion #4: Ethics in Comics

(Image:  GGC Logo)

 

We now come to the last panel discussion I attended at this year's GeekGirlCon (GGC).  

 

Ethics in Comics was hosted by:

 

Steven Reece Friesen

 

Rebeca Jimenez

 

Tanya Keenan, and

 

Walter Garre

 

While the term ethics is often described as "moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior," Reece referred to ethics as "the space between people."

 

That the differences between individuals will get in the way of respect.

 

(Image:  Reece, Rebeca, Tanya and Walter)

Comics are escapist entertainment, but there are few stories of heroines for little girls.

Which leads to what the panelists refer to as the Twelve Questions of Ethics, the first one being the concept of "skin."

The skinny on skin was led by Rebeca--

--Women's clothing looks like it's painted on.
--A female superhero's powers are related to her femininity.  Power Girl and Wonder Woman are prime examples of this...

(Image by James Denton)

(Image by Dan Oliveira)

--Women are drawn in poses that highlight the contours of their body, even when in combat.

--The orientation of a woman's image is based on the "male gaze." 

 

In case you're wondering, here's a reminder of a proper gaze when encountering women cosplayers at conventions, like GGC:

 

(Image by Alexas Rosa)

 

Now let's turn our gaze back to the Twelve Questions of Ethics, moving on to #2, the market. 

Walter, led the discussion on this--

--Most authentic are is like lightning, that is, it's fleeting and people try to tap into it.
--People will consume products, even art for the namesake, or brand loyalty.
--The market panders to an audience.
--However, artists can't make a living as artists without the market.
--Therefore, one must find a balance between creating art that's authentic, and art that's marketable.

Then the discussion veered off a bit into some tangential, but relevant subjects.  While we didn't get to the other 10 Questions of Ethics, here are snippets, which I'm sure relate to them--

--We tell stories to tell us who we are.
--Readers become invested in stories because they see a little of themselves in it.
--Pandering makes an audience feel betrayed.
--Try to find more than a single story for a character, otherwise you could be stereotyping.
--Art gets through people's psychological and emotional defenses.
--Art becomes a legacy that pushes the boundary of established perimeters.
--Art can assign values to life.
--You can't talk about an issue unless you acknowledge, or display the issue.
--When people become a symbol for a cause, then they stop being a person, even when they're a fictional character.  (Apparently, Batwoman caused a stir for being a lesbian who proposed marriage to her partner, only to have DC Comics put the kibosh on the wedding).

There was only time for a couple of questions at the end.

The first woman asked how the panelists could talk about race relations, when they're all Caucasian.  She was also irked that one of the panelists made a joke which she thought was sexist.  (I couldn't remember the joke/comment).

The panelist apologized and said the topic of ethics is something that is in a constant state of trying to improve itself.

Reece had a good response, in that as artists there will be people who will love your work, while there will be others who will hate it.  The question is:  What ethical choices will you make on what you create and can you live with those choices?

The second woman was also irked and asked:  But what if a woman artist wants to portray heroines in a sexy, alluring manner?  Not to mention the women cosplayers who dress this way.  She felt women "couldn't win" the Ethics Wars.

Before the panel could come up with an answer we ran out of time.

As you can see, we didn't solve any issues, such as racism or sexism in comics, within 50 minutes.  We probably couldn't if we were given 50 years.  But most the panelist have hosted ethical discussions in the past and plan on continuing their work.

This ends my GGC coverage.  I hope to make next year's con.  See you then!