HOT OFF THE PRESSES

I present to you the latest in the masterful line of pages that have been birthed by the brilliant womb of Marc Borstel. The plot thickens...

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY...

Aside from my tireless efforts to promote DIONYSUS WEPT, I managed to pursue other interests at NYCC. Mostly these involved the two volume set of my bound SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY issues. SEVEN SOLDIERS is a comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues. The series features a new version of the Seven Soldiers of Victory fighting to save Earth from the Sheeda. Besides the masterful storytelling of Grant Morrison, the story showcased nine insanely talented artists. The book's pages are saturated with Morrison's coarse words filling up word balloons that sit atop beautifully rendered images of brief sexual content and horrific violence. WHAT MORE COULD ONE ASK FOR?

At NYCC I had the privlege of meeting SEVEN SOLDIERS artists Cameron Stewart(Manhattan Guardian), Yanick Paquette(Bulleteer), and Freddie Williams II(Mister Miracle). All three provided sketches of their characters from the book to go along with the Vigilante sketch previously provided by JH Williams III. They were gracious and engaging. It was a great thrill to hear these gifted men talk about their experience on the project that I hold so dear to my heart. Thanks again gentlemen!

Sadly my ultimate tribute to sequential art will have to remain incomplete...for now. With any luck, I'll have the chance to meet up with Ryan Sook, Doug Mahnke, Pascal Ferry, Frazer Irving and Simone Bianchi.



Never has Grant Morriosn's talent been spotlighted more than in this story. He is able to take obscure characters from various corners of the DC Comics universe and craft a compelling tale that has developed an ardent following. Morrison Rules!

DIONYSUS WEPT VISITS NYCC!

The creative minds behind DIONYSUS WEPT will be attending the final day of New York Comic Con. Get up to the minute details from the con floor by following me on Twitter. Or just check back here for all the groovy news.

A LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO...DEATH!

The murder-tastic graphic novel, DIONYSUS WEPT keeps chugging along. I've been getting images back from, master-illustrator Marc Borstel and I just can't keep them to myself! As you can see Marc is KILLING! Here we see some of the main players in this "urban tragedy of immense social significance." Look for this mind-assaulting comic from ARCANA STUDIOS early next year.

...HERE'S THE PITCH!

For anyone that might be interested, I'm posting my original story pitch for DIONYSUS WEPT. Ultimately, Sean O'Reilly at ARCANA STUDIOS saw something he liked. Judge for yourself.



Nietzsche’s Overman exists, but are we ready for him?

DIONYSUS WEPT
Submission Proposal

DIONYSUS WEPT is the hard-boiled bastard child of MARATHON MAN meets THE FRENCH CONNECTION meets FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS. Presented in a crime/noir comic style and steeped in mythologically inspired violence, DIONYSUS WEPT focuses on a family of apparent immortals. These seemingly ageless doctors, soldiers, artists and philosophers whose unorthodox lifestyle (consisting of a life-extending diet and drug regimen) and unconventional philosophy (marked by a Nietzschean code of ethics and universe expanding hallucinogens) have forced them to embrace anonymity...until now.

A chance meeting between Dr Robert Staver, and world-renowned Nazi Hunter, Simon Friedman ends in brutal murder. The subsequent NYPD investigation reveals: 1) An unseen ancient order, sworn to protect The Twelve Tribes of Israel by any means necessary. 2) An insidious group of neo-Nazi Hitler worshipers with a deadly policy against those they perceive to be race traitors. 3) An extended family of apparent immortals whose mysterious past has come back to haunt them. 4) A pharmaceutical representative obsessed with profiting from a miracle cure. 5) And the African-American NYPD Detective struggling to uncover secrets that noone wants revealed.

The story’s main character, Dr Robert Staver, runs a small clinic in the economically desperate neighborhood of Manhattan’s Spanish Harlem. Dr Staver is beloved in the community for his tireless effort to provide affordable medical care to its residents. Although a celebrity in the neighborhood, the doctor rejects publicity that might draw unwanted attention to the clinic or himself. And with good reason, for Dr Robert Staver was born Hubertus Strunghold in 1915 near Leipzig, Germany. Dr Strunghold and his unusual family were uprooted as part of a collaborative covert US military operation to smuggle members of Hitler’s elite doctors and scientists into America prior to World War II. Strunghuld’s life-changing decision to betray the Third Reich was made easy upon the Doctor’s horrific discovery of Hitler’s Final Solution. But a decision with consequences, as leaving Hitler’s Master Race Research Team, cost the doctor his identity (not to mention a finger from his right hand.) Dr Staver’s safety and secret identity are permanently jeopardized when Simon Friedman recognizes the four-fingered man outside his clinic.

While maintaining his persona as an internationally known Nazi hunter, Friedman was also a high-ranking member of a clandestine group of assassins dubbed THE CHILDREN OF ESAU. His vicious murder triggers an unrelenting quest for retribution by the members of this unforgiving militant group. The NYPD homicide investigation alerts the hierarchy of Stormwatch, a corporate structured organization of psychotic Hitler acolytes with influence among the city’s police and government. Stormwatch views both Hubertus Strunghold and his family as the ultimate traitors to the white race and therefore subject to the ultimate penalty...death. It’s up to newly promoted Detective Jean-Luc Pedanou to stay alive long enough to uncover the nefarious actions that have set this mystery in motion.

This story was originally conceived as an 8-issue story arc and will appeal to both crime/noir and sci-fi readers. And it has Nazis!

DIONYSUS WEPT SIGNED BY ARCANA STUDIOS!

It is with great excitement that I can officially announce the signing of my latest comic, DIONYSUS WEPT, to ARCANA STUDIOS. Slated as a two volume graphic novel series, with the first to be completed later this year, DIONYSUS WEPT seeks to expand the reader's internal universe with Nazi-era eugenics experimentation, murder and psychedelic mind travel. Upon reviewing my original story pitch it was clear that Arcana Studios was the only publisher capable of such a groundbreaking endeavor.
From Arcana Studios website:

Arcana began in 2004 as a studio. Since then Arcana has established itself as an innovative leader in developing content in various mediums. Working in websites, comics and graphic novels, video games, short-form animation and live action shorts, toys and merchandise, as well as feature length films, Arcana focusses on a transmedia approach to the the scaffolding process of developing brands and intellectual properties.
Arcana's primary method for establishing new brands has been through comic book publishing and in just over four years, Arcana Comics has published over 150 original comics and books, reaching sales of over 1,000,000 units. Arcana is found on 15 different countries and translated into seven languages across the globe. Winning the Shuster Award for Top Publisher, the Moonbeam Award for Top Children's Graphic Novel and BIV's Top 40 Under 40 Award are just a few of the accolades that Arcana has achieved.

And of course, DIONYSUS WEPT will feature the amazing draftsmanship of 2010 RUSS MANNING AWARD Nominated artist, Marc Borstel.

I'm overcome with joy to see that Marc's talents are being recognized by the industry that he loves so dearly. And it is with great anticipation that I await Marc's pages on this book, as he work has matured significantly since our time together on THE OUTER SPACE MEN Graphic Novel.

RED SKY AT NIGHT...BATMAN'S DELIGHT!

DETECTIVE COMICS #555
COVER PRICE - $.75
COVER DATE - OCT 85
WRITER - JASON TODD
PENCILER - GENE COLAN AND BOB SMITH

My comprehensive trip through DC COMICS uber-event, CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS has taken me to Gotham. In a stroke of editorial genius, DC decided to credit the character of Jason Todd as the writer of the issue. Most likely because he has a running commentary throughout in the form of a journal entry. Or simply because Doug Moench, the actual writer, was embarrassed about his effort here. Doubtful, because this bad-ass issue rocked the house! It seems that two of Central City's biggest rogues, Mirror Master and Captain Boomerang, have set their sites on Batman's home turf as well as a priceless jade necklace being exhibited at the Gotham Museum. The Dynamic Duo skillfully employ the help of the surly GCPD Detective Harvey Bullock to thwart the baddies and save the necklace. This book features the legendary artwork of Master Illustrator Gene Colan as well as an enjoyable Green Arrow back-up story.

WHAT'S THIS GOT TO DO WITH CRISIS?

Apparently, the epic cosmic battle of matter vs anti-matter has the atmospheric affect of turning Earth's skies red. Even the night sky is red. Bullock is moved to compare the sky'e unusual color to the rubies from the film GUNGA DIN. Interesting, as Bullock himself admits, "even though it was filmed in black an' white."

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

As I spend my days awaiting the fate of my comic project, DIONYSUS WEPT. I have decided to delve into the epic DC COMICS universe-shattering tale CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. Internet source for all things factual, WIKIPEDIA, describes CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS as:

"a 12-issue American comic book limited series (identified as a "12-part maxi-series") and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then-50-year-old continuity. The series was written by Marv Wolfman, and illustrated by George Pérez (pencils/layouts), with Mike DeCarlo, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway (who shared inking/embellishing chores). The series removed the concept of the Multiverse in the fictional DC Universe, and depicted the deaths of such long-standing superheroes as Supergirl and the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash."

But if you know anything about me, and you probably don't, a 12-issue maxi-series just isn't gonna cut it. This uber-comic-event at DC COMICS was truly innovative and comprehensive, including almost all of DC's titles and characters. My research led me to what appears to be a definitive CRISIS reading order posted on comic news site COMIC BOOK RESOURCES. Here is the list:

001 DC Comics Presents 78
002 All-Star Squadron 050
003 Crisis on Infinite Earths 01
004 Detective Comics #555
005 Detective Comics #556
006 Detective Comics 557
007 All-Star Squadron 051
008 All-Star Squadron 052
009 All-Star Squadron 053
010 Swamp Thing v2 #039
011 Firestorm - Fury of Firestorm #041
012 Infinity, Inc 18
013 Atari Force 018 [1984]
014 New Teen Titans 013
015 Green Lantern v2 194
016 Detective Comics 558
017 Crisis on Infinite Earths 02
018 Batman 389
019 Batman 390
020 Swamp Thing v2 #040
021 Crisis on Infinite Earths 03
022 Batman 391
023 Swamp Thing v2 #041
024 Green Lantern V2 195
025 Saga of the Swamp Thing #42
026 Crisis on Infinite Earths 04
027 Swamp Thing v2 #043
028 Warlord 097
029 Vigilante 22
030 DC Comics Presents 086 [ Superman & Supergirl ]
031 Omega Men 26
032 DC Comics Presents 087 [ Superman & Superboy of Earth Prime ]
033 DC Comics Presents 088 Creeper
034 Saga of the Swamp Thing #44
035 Wonder Woman v1 327
036 Wonder Woman v1 328
037 DC Comics Presents 094 [ Superman & Harbinger & Lady Quark & Pariah ]
038 Infinity, Inc 19
039 Justice League of America v1 #244
040 Infinity, Inc 20
041 Infinity, Inc Annual 1
042 Legends of DC Universe 80-Page Giant #1
043 Crisis on Infinite Earths 05
044 Saga of the Swamp Thing #45
045 Infinity, Inc 21
046 Swamp Thing v2 - 046
047 Infinity, Inc 22
048 All-Star Squadron 054
049 All-Star Squadron 055
050 All-Star Squadron 056
051 Superman v1 413
052 Crisis on Infinite Earths 06
053 Infinity, Inc 23
054 Infinity, Inc 24
055 Legion of Super-Heroes v3 013
056 Legion of Super-Heroes v3 014
057 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 015
058 Legion of Super-Heroes v3 Annual 01
059 Crisis on Infinite Earths 07
060 DC Comics Presents 095 Hawkman
061 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 016
062 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 017
063 Legion of Super-Hereos v3 018
064 Wonder Woman v1 329(Troia - HQ Scans)
065 Crisis on Infinite Earths 08
066 JLA - Incarnations #05
067 Deadman - Dead Again 01
068 Flash v2 #149
069 Flash v2 #150
070 Superman v1 414
071 Blue Devil 017
072 Omega Men #31 - Crisis Issue
073 Omega Men 32
074 Omega Men #33
075 New Teen Titans 014
076 Crisis on Infinite Earths 09
077 Green Lantern v2 196
078 Justice League of America v1 Annual 3
079 Blue Devil 018
080 Blue Devil 019
081 Firestorm - Fury of Firestorm #042
082 Superman v1 415
083 Crisis on Infinite Earths 10
084 Justice League of America v1 #245
085 Crisis on Infinite Earths 11
086 Green Lantern #197
087 Amethyst - Princess of Gemworld v2 #13
088 Crisis on Infinite Earths 12
089 All-Star Squadron 57 - Kaleidoscope
090 All-Star Squadron 058
091 All-Star Squadron 059
092 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #01 (of 4)
093 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #02 (of 4)
094 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #03 (of 4)
095 Legend of Wonder Woman (1986) #04 (of 4)
096 Oz Wonderland War #3
097 Green Lantern v2 198
098 Infinity, Inc 25
099 The Losers Special #1
100 All-Star Squadron 060
101 DC Comics Presents 096 [ Superman & Blue Devil ]
102 Animal Man #10
103 Animal Man #18
104 Animal Man #22
105 Animal Man #23
106 Animal Man #24

Thankfully, the illusion of collectibility of these comics is gone. They were produced in such large quantities and preserved so lovingly by their owners, that they haven't gone up considerably in value. I purchased the entire 12-issue series in an ebay auction for less than $20 with...shipping included! While they've gone up from their original $.75 cover price, they are still considerably cheaper than their contemporary counterparts. More often than not, I will be using MyComicShop.com as my primary marketplace for the issues from the above list. They offer reasonable prices with a reputation for accurate quality-grading of their product. Check out the SECRET IDENTITY PODCAST, as they have been my inspiration and will be covering CRISIS as their annual Summer Reading Project.

As always, this blog will serve as my tether to reality as I immerse myself in this infinite realm of vibrating universes.

DIONYSUS WEPT COVER IS HERE!

Fresh of the easel of master illustrator John Van Fleet comes the cover to DIONYSUS WEPT. In this single image, John has expertly captured the book's dark mood and rich history. Like any super-talented artist, Van Fleet has exceeded what has been asked of him on this project. The portrait is positively haunting! This fella doesn't appear too happy...does he? All that's left is to design the title logo. And then I'll be presenting it to discerning publishers eager to make their mark on storytelling through the magic of sequential art. I'm hoping that John will be doing covers for the entire series that I've envisioned. Let me know what y'all think!

JOHN VAN FLEET BRINGS AN URBAN GRIT TO DIONYSUS WEPT

It is with great excitement that I announce veteran comic book artist John Van Fleet has signed on to provide the cover image for DIONYSUS WEPT! While the interior illustrations of this ground-breaking comic are in the gifted hands of Marc Borstel, Van Fleet will bring his "urban grit" to the cover. Avid comic readers will recognize Van Fleet's mysterious style instantly. That's because he's worked on some of DC COMICS most popular titles, including BATMAN! I met John at WIZARD WORLD/BIG APPLE CON in October '09. He and his partners were there promoting their studio and their innovative techniques for 3D modeling and video game design. But it's his unique painting style that caught my eye.

From a Q&A with Comic Book Resources:
Some describe Van Fleet's artwork as moody and mysterious, but the artist doesn't see it quite that way.

"I don't see my stuff as being that dark," said Van Fleet. "I mean I use a lot of black but I use it as a color and as a design tool, so I see it differently I guess. I have been told a lot of things about my art, some I see, some I don't. The most common is it's dark and moody, I like a good urban grit is all."

Fleet trained as an artist alongside an impressive list of others. "I went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. We had a great class. George Pratt, Kent Williams, Mark Chiarello, Scott Hanna, just to name a few. [We] were all in the same group and we are all working in Comics."

For the rest of this interview head over to CBR

As a long-time BATMAN collector, it's an honor for me to be working with the man who illustrated one of my favorite all-time issues. BATMAN #663 is remembered by most as a comic/novella written by, master-author, Grant Morrison. Titled THE CLOWN AT MIDNIGHT, this spooky tale chronicles the Joker's bloody escape from Arkham Asylum. The 3D modeled illustrations from Van Fleet that accompanied the prose created a creepy tone worthy of BATMAN'S most dangerous adversary. Here's one of John's haunting images from the book.



Born and raised in the small town of Stanhope, New Jersey, John credits his childhood freedom in the 1960's as the source of his creativity. Now living in North Carolina, John feels blessed to have the company of his wife, kids, dog, friends and family. I hope to have Van Fleet's completed cover available for viewing, along with Marc's completed interiors, at the MoCCA Art Festival the weekend of April 10-11. See y'all there.

ARTIST MARC BORSTEL TALKS DIONYSUS WEPT!

Argentina born artist Marc Borstel has spent the last 20 years working in the comic book industry. But he's always looking for new ways to tell killer stories through his art. I had the pleasure of meeting Marc last year at NEW YORK COMIC CON '09 for the launch of our collaborative effort on THE OUTER SPACE MEN Graphic Novel. Marc was kind enough to shed some more light on the creative process involved in DIONYSUS WEPT.

Eric C Hayes: So Marc, give me an idea about the steps in the creative process.
Marc Borstel: I start sketching the page (On the computer, using Photoshop, with a Wacom Intuos 3 Tablet) on a virtual blueline white artboard, after the storyboard is done, I do all the panel borders, and I make a cheap copy I use as reference, then, I skip programs, enter the 3D modeling. I use Poser 7 for the characters and Lightwave 3D for the objects. when I do all the renderings, I come back to photoshop where I build every panel using 3D renderings, my own thumbnails and photo references (if needed), when I mesh all the objects in the panel, I add some photoshop filters to melt the artwork.

Eric C Hayes: The story starts out with some character development before business starts to pick up. Tell me how you can change the story's mood through your artwork.
Marc Borstel: Here's when the things get interesting: At this point, I start toying with the images, retouching, getting dirty, erasing, doing whacky things with all the tools I have at hand. this is the reason for getting something new (and fresh, I hope) in every page, because every panel has a different finishing process. If you like the artistic evolution in every page, but to me, this fact is great, because the story starts in a very specific way, moody, dark, and elegant, and after the page 5, it comes darker, chaotic, sick, very dramatic and moodier. I'm very proud of it.

Eric C Hayes: You're also doing the lettering on this project. Can you give me some information on your lettering decisions?
Marc Borstel: I'm trying to always keep the same color scheme for the lettering, I tried to make it controlled, because in such chaotic artwork, you need to be grounded with all the captions, to make the message clear for the reader, the only part where I made the lettering different was in the last panel, trying to increase the transformation on the main character.

Thanks Marc. If you're interested in Marc's art and the comic, make sure to follow this blog for the latest news on the progress of DIONYSUS WEPT.

BACKSTAGE PASS TO INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Here's your opportunity to take a "behind the scenes peak" at the creative process behind DIONYSUS WEPT (the revolutionary exploration into the internal universe told through sequential art.) This collaborative effort between the muddled mind of Eric C Hayes and the supreme pen of Marc Borstel is in the final stages of preparation for submission to the world of comic book publishing.

But it all starts with the script. The completed script is merely a collection of my disjointed thoughts jotted down in notebooks, book margins and on burrito receipts. Hopefully this witch's brew of musings ends with a cogent story. This blog post will focus on the artistic maturation of PAGE 6 from DIONYSUS WEPT.

This information is transported through a system of tubes, called the interweb, to Mar Del Plata, Argentina. By way of "electronic" mail, it is read by master draftsman, Marc Borstel. And even though English is Marc's second language, he nails the script every time. Often sending me back art that is head and shoulders better than I could have imagined myself. Using a Wacom tablet, Marc starts with a blue-line "pencil" sketch.

After viewing Marc's sketches, I typically have to, first put my socks back on. Then I green-light the coloring phase. For some time, I've been taking notice of the coloring styles specific to non-superhero comics. I've really been digging the look of today's noir comics. This has been quite a departure from Marc's preferred style, But after some experimenting, it's clear he's created an atmosphere that is both evocative of a crime/noir story while presenting a completely original work of art.

Lastly, comes the lettering. The only problems in this area arise from my misspellings in the script.

Hopefully, the end result is an entertaining story that doesn't bum too many people out. Everyone should now take a moment and thank Al Gore for creating the World Wide Web. Without him, and it, this process could last decades of frustrating delays. Make sure to follow this blog for further insight into the craft of making comics. And get yourself prepared for DIONYSUS WEPT, the nexus of Greek Mythology meets Nietzchean Philosophy meets Psychotropic Spelunking. See more of Marc's work at his DeviantArt page.

WHY WAS DIONYSUS WEEPING SO MUCH?

Is it any wonder that of all the Gods from ancient mythology, Dionysus is one that I've found to be most intriguing. The Greek God of wine was also the inspirer of ritual madness and ecstasy. That's pretty boss! He was so super-mint that the Romans adopted him but they went and called him Bacchus so as not to infringe on the Greeks. He was also known as the Liberator, freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy or wine.

The great thing about mythology, is that is teaches us how random things came to be in existence. For example, Amethyst. As the tale goes, a pissed off Dionysus swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. The terrified girl asked to be spared the pain of the brutal claws so Diana turned her into a statue of pure crystalline quartz. At the sight, Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse. The god's tears stained the Quartz purple, creating the gemstone we know today. AWESOME!

While you absorb that, check out Page 2 of my comic book project DIONYSUS WEPT. Keep reading to see how this has inspired my literary creation of mythological proportions!