Tales from the Dark Side
I'm not a political person-not much of one, at least. I have my opinions, don't get me wrong, but I'm generally non-confrontational, so I tend to keep those opinions to myself. (I also hate repeating myself, being ignored, and talking in circles, which is typically what happens when I find myself in political discussions.) More to the point, I'm only just beginning my writing career, so my platform for voicing those opinions is rather shaky at best. That is why I've kept my opinions off of my professional Facebook and Twitter accounts. I'll save my time roasting in the flames of outraged responses for after the release of future volumes. There will be plenty of "canon" fodder for people to get bent out of shape over then, I'm sure. (Ha, ha! Fun with words! Puns are terrific!) I wish it were as simple as stating this position and moving on, but, unfortunately, as a creative person, staying out of the thick of things is only part of the struggle. I don't exist in a vacuum, as much as I'd sometimes like to. I hear things. I see things. I witness people's reactions and empathize with their outrage, their fear, their sorrow, their despair. I see the darkness growing within the hearts of men (and women), and I am saddened by the diminishing humanity I see in so many people. I am exhausted by the fight to resist apathy. I am worn out trying to remind myself that there is still good in this world, and people still doing good for others. The seeds of creativity do not grow in poisoned soil, and recent events have certainly tainted my land. Writing exciting and humor-filled adventures is currently the last thing on my mind. And then there's the eclipse...
My rational brain knows what an eclipse is and how it works (the moon blocks the sun, creates a shadow on the earth, the moon keeps moving, the earth keeps spinning, the sun comes back, the end). I understand that, while being in the path of a total eclipse is a fascinating and once in a lifetime event, it's still just a natural phenomenon and has happened numerous times around the globe and throughout history with little consequence. "No big deal." But then there's the other part of my brain...
People will be flooding into my home territory from all over the globe to catch this natural wonder. Given that it's currently Friday night (8/18/17), chances are a lot of those folks are already on their way. This offers the opportunity for cultural exchanges, shared excitement, and plenty of positive expression between spectators. Unfortunately, it also offers the potential for a major negative event to harm a lot of innocent people gathered together in one general area - an area that isn't typically known for its emergency preparedness on a massive scale. (Intermittent tornados and flash floods, folks - those aren't events that scream, "Keep your national guard on high alert!")
I don't have any real basis for my paranoia and anxiety (beyond general speculation). But there's a feeling - this twisting in my gut. It's the same feeling I had the morning of 9/11/2001 before I made it to my college campus center and heard the first reports of what had happened in New York and D.C.. The sense that something isn't right. The calm before the storm. The surreal sensation of moving in slow motion towards something big, like the clattering climb to the first peak of a rollercoaster. Maybe it's the eclipse. Maybe it's something else. But that feeling is present and it has me hard-wired and anxious (which is also a major creativity killer).
I had a discussion with someone yesterday regarding this feeling. In honesty, there's a selfish part of me that kind of hopes something big does happen. Something enlightening, something that changes (or ends) the world as we know it, something that puts all of the mundane and petty bullshit we deal with on a daily basis into perspective once and for all. More to the point, I feel like we've been moving towards such an event for a while, and more than anything I'm just tired of waiting to get it over with. (Also, I kind of want super powers, so there's that.) Thirty-some years is a long time to feel the weight of a major event on the horizon, folks, and, frankly, it's gotten old.
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Anyway, assuming I'm way off base about Monday, (wouldn't be the first time) I should be getting back to work on Book 2 soon. I have postcard prints of the concept art by Kent Willmeth ready to sell at TopCon and Little Apple Comic Expo in September. I also have a huge shipment of books currently on their way in preparation for those events. Jack Voraces and I are still plugging away on production for the audiobook. For as much as it feels like I'm not getting anything done, there still seems to be plenty going on. Best wishes and brightest blessings! See you on the other side.
