Great news in our inbox this morning! David Barnett of the Guardian UK gives Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom a glowing review! And we’ve been alerted that there may be a Howard Lovecraft sighting in The Independent this weekend, so we’ll certainly keep our eyes peeled.
In the meantime, please be sure to pre-order your copies and thanks again for your support!
Rebecca
Special thanks to actor and MC extraordinaire Bruce Hopkins for the wonderful radio interview on his RadioLive show!
You would probably know Bruce best for his role as Gamling in The Lord of the Rings films. As a complete Tolkien nerd, I must confess that the most difficult part of the interview was restraining myself from geeking out because I was speaking with a valiant Man of Rohan! (Don’t judge me.)
Bruce, I’m pleased for the opportunity to speak with one of Rebecca’s dear friends, and it was a pleasure chatting with you. I truly appreciate it. Cheers!
Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom
The advance reviews have been flying in, and they have been fabulous. In case you missed them, I have posted a few select links below:
Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom will be released in March, but if you simply cannot wait to get your tentacles on it–or you prefer digital comics–it is also available for download at ComiXology.
It’s not too late to pre-order your copies from your local comic, book, and online dealers. Bruce Brown and I would love to make a third book, but, as with all indie comics, we are completely dependent upon you: the dear reader. So please pre-order your copies today and recommend the book to friends, family, and enemies (hey, why not?) so we can continue to chronicle the weird adventures of Howard and Spot. Oh, and Beastie, too.
-D
Will Write For Food!
What? Do you think we write for money? Haha! You silly things.
Yes, we are furiously writing, writing, and more writing–hence the crickets on this blog the past week. But we are closing in on our Lovecraft/Pirate story contest, so a winner will be announced soon. A HUGE thanks to everyone who sent in a story. We had a wonderful time reading them. You guys are extremely talented!
Rebecca
I have the biggest smile on my face because I just learned that Dwight’s friend, Brian Harnois, has a new show! The teaser image looks fabulous, and for those who miss watching Brian on television, I for one can’t wait to see him doing what he does best!
The new “docuseries” is slated to premiere Thursday, September 8th, on Rhode Island PBS. PBS?! Of course! What better network to showcase all of Rhode Island’s historic haunts?
Dwight has always had wonderful things to say about Brian, and even though I have not met him personally, I feel I know him through the many stories I’ve heard. He really made an impression on our eldest son, too! Almost three years later, Clayton still talks about hanging out with his dad and Brian at Adventure Con.
Brian and Clayton
So congratulations, Brian, and we hope Haunted RI is a ridiculously successful show! Go get ‘em!
Rebecca
Me and Brian Harnois
I first contacted Brian through Myspace–yes, seriously–back in 2007 when he appeared on GH, and, surprisingly, my simple note resulted in a torrent of correspondence and countless hours of conversation on the telephone (many times during shooting breaks) over the last 4 years. Yes, Brian and I hit it off from the jump, and we quickly became close friends and confidantes.
The thing I liked most about Brian was that he was real. And he still is. The same passionate, caring Brian you see on television is the same “dude” you would meet at the local supermarket, street crossing, movie theater, convention–wherever. Brian is a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy… like me.
Me and Brian at Adventure Con
I could go on and on about my “brother,” filling this blog post with humorous anecdotes or “dishing the dirt”… but I won’t. What has been spoken in confidence will always remain between us.
No, the purpose of this note is to wish my good friend Brian “Wheezy” Harnois the best of luck in his newest endeavor: Haunted RI.
Brian: You are a good man and friend, and I wish you much success in everything you do. I love ya, brother. -D
My good friend and writing mentor (yes, Amy, you are!) Dr. Amy H. Sturgis is featuring a never before seen short story written by Dwight on her blog today!
I know I tend to brag on my talented husband somewhat, and I will continue to do this, but he truly is prolific. He is always writing something or thinking about writing something. And new ideas even come to him when he’s in the middle of writing something entirely different!
Clue: This story has nothing whatsoever to do with Sweeney Todd. I just like the illustration.
When Dwight showed me this twisted little tale, I immediately thought of Amy and her amazing group of Lovecraft fans. The thing about Howard Lovecraft: you either like him or you don’t. Despite the massive amount of stories he produced in his career, he is still not respected as much as he should be for his contributions to literature, and I think that is a shame.
But that is my two cents worth. Enjoy the story!
WARNING: MAY CAUSE A SUDDEN LOSS OF SANITY. CLICK HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Rebecca
Happy Friday, my dear friends! I hope you have a productive, safe, and sane work day.
This concludes one of the most insane writing weeks I’ve had in quite some time, so this will be a short note. The good news: the week flew by.
Totally unrelated, but has ANYONE actually been able to complete the e-mail submission process on J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore site?! My… uh… my sons were wondering.
Moving right along, I wanted to share another fabulous Howard Lovecraft teaser with you, so here goes…
Art by Thomas Boatwright
TOMORROW: Rebecca will post a short entry that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS, so please be sure to check back after 9AM EST. And, as always, thank you for reading, and feel free to comment and share this exciting teaser!
Cheers,
D
I am extremely busy today, but I thought I’d take a few moments to share something really cool with you, my faithful readers.
So, here goes. This is an entire page from… something I’m working on.
Click for full-size page
My lovely wife Rebecca and I will be enjoying a much-needed date night tonight: cocktails, dinner, and Super 8. I hope you will have an equally awesome evening and weekend, my friends.
See you Monday!
-D
My husband is fascinated with beards. Not your everyday, run-of-the-mill-type beard, but those wildy overgrown Victorian beards. Whenever we watch something historical on the History Channel (which is rare because the History Channel is now full of reality shows like Axe Men) Dwight is always commenting on the beards. Throughout the show, he will exclaim, "I want one like that!" Then he will slowly stroke his beard with a look of longing. I begin to get antsy because I know where he is heading with this:
“I shall attempt to grow my beard that long!”
At one time, I was not a beard fan. Unless it was of the Santa Clause, or Charles Dickens variety.
Okay… beards have been around longer than the Bible, and it is interesting to see how they have changed throughout time. It is true that in the late 1860s to the 1890s, the majority of men had beards–and most of them hung low with enormous mutton chops. In fact, the title of this blog comes from two different types of beards, the latter being modeled after the character Lord Dundreary in Tom Taylor’s play Our American Cousin.
Whenever someone mentions Steampunk, I immediately think of a dashing fellow with a stovetop hat and long beard. There is something about a beard that makes a man look well-read. Unless, of course, you have the crazy curlycue ones that go to the knees, and then they look just plain mental!
Whether or not Dwight will ever obtain the beard he wishes, one can only hope.
And yes, I know this post has nothing whatsoever to do with comics or novels, but I thought I would take a break from blogging about work–because we are actually busy doing it.
From the Beard Coach:
BEARD
I decided it was time
For me to be a man.
So I went and threw my razor
In the garbage can.
If I didn’t cultivate it.
It would be a crime.
So I’m gonna grow my beard
Until the end of time.
All this hair upon my face
It grows there naturally.
Having me a long beard
Is the way I’m meant to be.
I don’t care if people say
I look like Z-Z Top.
Gonna keep on growin’
And I’m never gonna stop.
Don’t you know, I like the way
It billows in the breeze.
Just for fun I’m gonna let it
Grow down past me knees.
Gonna let it grow and grow
Until it hits the floor.
When that isn’t long enough
I’ll let it grow some more.
Have a great weekend,
Rebecca
P.S. New contest on Monday!
[I'm off to grow my Dundreary precipitately! Pip, pip! -Dwight]
Contrary to what you might think from the image above, no, Dwight is not doing an adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” That woman would be me on any given day–and the birds are all the many thoughts thrown at me from Dwight when he is in the writing zone.
Being the wife of a writer is not easy, but it has many rewards. Any artistic lifestyle is hard as paying work is usually feast or famine, but I think being the other half of a writing team is wonderful. We are both voracious readers, and I feel a writer should read to be inspired–so our conversations are wonderful dialogs of mutually-admired books. He opens new worlds to me by recommending books and vice versa.
One of the most stressful times I can remember since we have been married was the month that we were a contestant in the Zuda Comics webcomic contest. Our offering, Sidewise, was number one from the get go–but we had to keep it number one throughout an entire month. Having to get everyone we know onboard took a lot of time, effort, telephone calls, and late night email reminders. Hearing that we won the contest took a huge weight off our shoulders. I think I finally exhaled that day; I was so wound up by the whole ordeal.
I especially love it when Dwight first gets a new project. After the seemingly interminable amount of time having to wait to talk about it (contracts must be signed first!) he is all bright-eyed and feverish. Then comes the deluge of thoughts and ideas–usually when I am talking about something completely unrelated to the current project! I could literally be in the middle of sentence such as, “I think we might need more milk,” when Dwight comes back at me with, “What do you think if I get rid of the tower in that last scene?” My perplexed look goes unnoticed as he is already on to another idea for the next chapter.
It takes a lot of focus to keep up with him!
Me furiously attempting to write notes as Dwight spouts it out!
We just got wind of a new project which, of course, I wish I could talk about… but can’t. The feverish look is in his eye and the printer is burning the midnight oil. It is all a part of the process and I would not have my life any other way. Besides, being able to work at home, he gets to drag the boys around to their various appointments. And I know that I am being biased, but I truly believe that he is one of the best writers around today. His work will be remembered long after he is gone. Not that he is going away anytime soon, God willing!
I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend. Summer is almost here, so it is time to get your Summer reading lists together.
So… what will you be reading?
Cheers,
Rebecca
It was a tough decision. We liked every suggested name. Seriously! BUT, after consulting with my new grotesque master friend (yes, I know the difference, but “Name My Grotesque” just doesn’t sound right), we have chosen a name…
Say hello to Rozzmawzzer!
Congratulations to Jennifer Schmidt! You have named my grotesque, and by doing so, ensured that the world will not end on December 12th of 2012 (yes, I finally deciphered the cuneiform warning on Rozz’s backside)!
Jennifer’s a talented writer and artist–and she’s also been extremely supportive of my work and comic folk in general, so please stop by her Etsy shop and buy something, and be sure to follow her on Twitter, too!
Jennifer: Please DM your address through Twitter and we’ll get the book in the mail ASAP.
BACK To Writing
Pun intended. I pulled a back muscle last Thursday, so I’ve been in an incredible amount of pain (thank God for pain medication). Having suffered permanent spinal damage while on Active Duty–Army!–I am more prone to back injuries.
Anyway…
The back injury has really slowed me down, but I have been faithful to write something every day. And Rebecca and I have stayed quite busy. We are currently preparing a packet for a literary agent, and I’m completing another book proposal and writing a YA horror novel.
At the same time.
Crazy.
Hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend. We’ll see you Monday, and, as always, thank you for reading! I appreciate you.
