And The Writing Continues…

What you see before you is an image of Dwight’s working conditions: Okay, it is not really that bad, but it seems so at times. He is furiously writing up synopsis after synopsis for various book projects. Trying to  convey what your novel will tell in 4-6 pages can be daunting to say the least. But I think by the end of this week, he will an expert at it. Somewhat.

I have been busy printing out sales sheets to present to producers and production companies. Another ongoing project for me has been compiling all of the various book signings, conventions, and press clippings into a central archive for our company. This Fall is going to be very busy with a lot of catch up on several fronts. A bunch of projects that have been on the back burner will now be put to boil.

Igor has completed a spectacular new video for SIDEWISE which we hope to launch very soon. Keep an eye out for it on Twitter and Facebook.

Back to archiving and making sure that Dwight gets his bathroom breaks…

Rebecca

“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.” E.L. Doctorow

Happy 120th Birthday to H.P. Lovecraft!

H.P. Lovecraft is a huge inspiration to Dwight and me, so it is only fitting that we salute the original king of scream on his 120th birthday!

And talk about serendipity, Dwight just happens to be editing a script this morning for the second installment of Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom.

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, season one of SIDEWISE has officially wrapped! What a ride it was and so much more action to come. I leave you with a quote from the birthday man himself:

“I have dwelt ever in realms apart from the visible world; spending my youth and adolescence in ancient and little-known books, and in roaming the fields and groves of the region near my ancestral home. I do not think that what I read in these books or saw in these fields and groves was exactly what other boys read and saw there; but of this I must say little, since detailed speech would but confirm those cruel slanders upon my intellect which I sometimes overhear from the whispers of the stealthy attendants around me.”

H.P. Lovecraft

“The Tomb”

Have a great weekend everyone!

Rebecca

Speaking Engagements, SIDEWISE And a Bit of Poo

Rebecca Here…

A few things to catch up on, the first being Dwight’s speaking engagement with the Teen Advisory Board at the Washington County Library in Jonesborough, Tennessee, on Monday, August 9th at 6:30 PM. He will speaking to teens about his work in comics, a little about the writing craft, and answering questions from the audience. There will be light refreshments, so if you are in town, please stop by and say hello. And be sure to bring your comics if you want them signed. [Or, as I call it: "vandalized." - DLM]

Goodbye Edgar Allan Poo (For Now)

Edgar Allan Poo fans, you have a limited time left to enjoy The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allan Poo online. Yes, it will be coming down shortly, so go get your last E.A. Poo fix before it goes away. [We'll explain just why in the next few weeks. -DLM]

We are working hard on the last installment of the series (between finishing up our Summer reading, interviews, editing and writing work and taking care of three lovely boys), so look for some new artwork teasers soon. I think this is going to be my favorite one of the lot. [Mine, too! -DLM]

Summer Reading Recommendations

And speaking of reading, Dwight recommends Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams. I am reading Imagica by Clive Barker. I just started, but I already know that I am going to love it the same way I loved Weaveworld.

And What Of SIDEWISE?

We will wrap the first season in the next few days. And then… we will have good some news to share.

I know we keep saying that, but that’s just the way it is in the wonderful world of comic books. [I'll say! -DLM]

-R

Rebecca’s Revenge

Salutations!

Rebecca here, and seeing that Dwight has stepped away from the laptop,  I have taken over the blog for a wee bit (insert crazy scientist laughter here).

Dwight has been super busy editing a couple scripts, so I decided to post a short entry to let you know that SIDEWISE is not lost. We will have major news to report very soon, and we thank you for your patience.

MacPherson Media has quite a few projects in the works – one of which I know Dwight hinted about a while back.  The video game story is progressing well and we are already plotting out our second novel.

In case you missed it, check out this nifty interview with Dwight where he uses the word “bumblepuppy.” Yes, seriously. It’s definitely worth checking out.

By now, everyone we know, including Godzilla (don’t ask) is in San Diego prepping for SDCC. A big hello to all of our fellow Zuda creators who will be signing (what? phantom digital comics?!) and the DC team who will no doubt be in network heaven central for many a creator. I hope you guys and gals are having a blast.

As much as we would love to be there, I am a bit glad that I won’t be braving the ginormous crowds this year. Plus, we have our manager shopping our properties for us, so I am more at ease and not feeling left out.

We’ll have much more news to share in the near future, so please stay tuned.

-R

The Future of SIDEWISE?

What’s Going on?

On July 1st, Zuda announced that they were being “folded into DC Comics’ exciting, new Digital Publishing initiative.” Since the announcement was made, I have received numerous phone calls, e-mails, DMs and private messages asking if SIDEWISE will be included in DC Comics’ digital catalog.

It is a question that I am not at liberty to answer.

Yet.

But I will tell you this: You will most certainly see new SIDEWISE in the near future.

More News to Come

Please stay tuned for future developments, and thank you for your overwhelming support and encouragement. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

SIDEWISE Commentary Page 46 (Thursday, June 24th)

Welcome Back

As promised, here is the weekly commentary page.

It’s been a crazy week–again. Lots of cool projects on the horizon. One of them involves video game designer American McGee. Yes, as in American McGee’s Alice.

More information to come very soon. It’s exciting news, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

SIDEWISE Videos

Check out these amazing stage-by-stage videos created by SIDEWISE artist Igor Noronha.

SIDEWISE Page 46

Looks like Conrad and part of Tesla’s team are in a heap of trouble. Will Tesla arrive too late?

Stay tuned, Lords and Ladies. You do not want to miss the sensational final act of SIDEWISE Season 1.

Back to Work in 3, 2…

I need to get back to work, but I appreciate you stopping by. Please continue to spread the word about SIDEWISE as we prepare to pitch Season 2. We need your help to ensure that we get to continue the story.

Until next week…

SIDEWISE Commentary Page 45 (Thursday, June 17th)

Salutations, Lords and Ladies!

This has been an extremely busy week. So much good stuff going on, it’s a pity I can’t share any of it yet.

But I will spill the beans very, very soon.

SIDEWISE Page 45

Gascoine would make a great host for the Inquisition–don’t you think? “My name is Gascoine. I’ll be your torturer today.”

Sadly, the storm will bring much more than a Tesla-powered dirigible.

Until Next Week…

Sorry for the short entry, but I have a lot of exciting projects to get to work on (including a second novel).

Oh, and thank you for supporting SIDEWISE! I appreciate each and every one of you.

SIDEWISE Commentary Page 44 (Thursday, June 10th)

TA-DA!

As promised, here is your weekly SIDEWISE commentary page. I will continue to post commentary each Thursday as we conclude the third act of Season 1.

Unless I’m trapped in a parallel universe (again)… in which case, my lovely wife Rebecca will publish an updated blog post.

SIDEWISE illustration by the super-talented writer/artist Andrew Drilon

SIDEWISE Page 44

Wait a tick. Did Adam just say “that none of us would survive?!”

Indeed. No one is safe in SIDEWISE.

No one.

Which is not to say that Adam will die, but it does make you think–doesn’t it?

Parting Shot

As you have no doubt surmised by now, SIDEWISE is a long-form story.

In order to continue into Season 2, I need your help.

The simplest way to assist us is to read SIDEWISE each week and leave a comment. Believe it or not, this will help us quite a bit. Zuda wants to see that people are reading. Why would they possibly continue a story no one cares about?

If you wish to do more to help, you can also post about SIDEWISE on your blog, link to SIDEWISE on your Facebook page, tweet about it–help spread the word. If you would like to post SIDEWISE banners on your blog, please contact me at lordnikolatesla@gmail.com and I’ll send them post haste.

We can’t do it without you, so please help us spread the word.

Special thanks to those who have supported us from the beginning, and thanks to those who will join the cause after reading this post.

I truly appreciate your assistance!

All right, I need to get back to work, so I’ll see you next week, Lords and Ladies.

A Big Ol’ Update of Awesomeness

Yes, I Am Alive

First off, I’d like to apologize for the long lapse in blog posts. It’s been an extremely busy past few months for me and my lovely wife Rebecca.

During the course of the past several months, we’ve traveled to France (Ah, Paris…), completed a young adult novel, and prepared a book of short stories, poetry and comic scripts for publication.

I’ll share more as I am able to.

And it won’t take me six months to do it.

Promise.

SIDEWISE COMMENTARY, PAGES 29-43

As you are well aware, I’m sure, I’ve fallen hopelessly behind on my SIDEWISE commentary posts, so I’d like to start off by making that right.

Beginning this Thursday, June 10th, I’ll update the commentary pages every Thursday when the new page is posted on Zuda’s site.

SIDEWISE Commentary Page 29

At last, we see Moriarty in his element. But is he man, demon… or something else entirely?

Listen up! We are about to learn of his insidious plan…

SIDEWISE Page 30

Minister Moriarty doesn’t mess around. With the Queen’s unwitting blessing, he and his disciples will attempt to infiltrate Tesla’s tower.

This scene effectively sets the stage for the final act of Season 1.

SIDEWISE Page 31

I love panel 3 on this page.

Lord Tesla has realized his mistake in sending his young warriors to appeal to the British exiles in Scotland. Unaware that Minister Moriarty has set his vile plan in motion, he is leaving the safety of his tower to make it right.

SIDEWISE Page 32

LORD TESLA TO THE RESCUE! [insert dramatic music]

SIDEWISE Page 33

Gascoine is such a fun character–don’t you think?

Joseph Conrad, author of The Heart of Darkness. It’s one of my favorite books, so I simply had to include him.

SIDEWISE Page 34

What could possibly be better than barrels of Tesla-powered laser rays?

I can’t think of a single thing, though barrels of Scotch may come close.

SIDEWISE Page 35

“Tiddlers” is a ridiculously-underused word, don’t you think?

And you thought Gascoine couldn’t look any crazier. BAM!

SIDEWISE Page 36

PSYCHE!

Also, did you catch the Milton reference?

Be honest, you.

SIDEWISE Page 37

Oops.

‘Nuff said.

SIDEWISE Page 38

Ah, young brains in love.

This page is particularly amusing. If you look closely, you can imagine a young girl doing the same thing; falling onto a bed to dream of a past love.

It’s just humorous that this isn’t a young girl. IT’S A BRAIN, BABY!

SIDEWISE Page 39

Flashback!

Aren’t flashbacks the grooviest?

One interesting fact to note: both Victoria and Nikola are young.

Is this an important fact?

Come on… I’m not gonna tell you. (Yes.)

SIDEWISE Page 40

This is a fantastic page. It’s also the first real glimpse of Queen Victoria’s Orwellian police state.

And just who was that messenger?

SIDEWISE Page 41

Aw, yeah! Go time for Adam Graham.

But what is Hopping so irate about? It’s just a note–right?

SIDEWISE Page 42

Another “Oops page.” Lord Tesla’s warning falls on deaf ears.

Oh, this can’t be good at all…

SIDEWISE Page 43

Ah, the famous Athenaeum Club in London. Igor really nailed it–wouldn’t you agree?

An interesting development that could have far-reaching implications.

You’ll just have to wait and see.

Peace Out

I will see you this coming Thursday with the newest commentary page.

And thank you, once again, for your continued support and patience.

I should have some very exciting news to share very soon!

You (yes, YOU) rock.

SIDEWISE Commentary Page 28 (Thursday, February 18th)

Welcome, Fellow Time Travelers

I intended to post a follow-up to my entry on writing comedy before the new page of SIDEWISE posted–especially in light of the interest that submission generated.

To those who would create controversy, please see this eloquent and undeniably true quote from superstar author Orson Scott Card:

“The most important training, though, is to experience life as a writer, questioning everything, inventing multiple explanations for everything. If you do that, all the other things will come; if you don’t, there’s no hope for you.”

Page 28 Commentary

If you have not already read Page 28, please do so before reading this commentary piece.

We’ll wait for you.

*******

As you can see, there is more to Lord Tesla than meets the eye!

But… while it is true that Tesla possesses advanced technological cognition–knowledge not consistent with the time period–has he truly traveled to another universe? And, if he has, then why bring Adam into a conflict in an alternate world instead of returning him to his own time?

It seems highly unlikely (but not impossible) that Tesla would lie to Adam. Especially after sharing the sordid secrets of his life.

When dealing with such enigmatic personalities, however, true intentions are not always immediately apparent, and lies become nothing more than means of manipulation.

Ah, but this may be much ado about nothing! It is best to see the story unfold without jumping to conclusions–don’t you think?

I’ll Be Back

Thank you for reading this week’s SIDEWISE commentary page! We have seen our views and favorites numbers explode at the Zuda site, so thanks for spreading the word! We truly appreciate your support and willingness to spread the word about our little steampunk extravaganza.

Until next week… adieu.