Hello!
Welcome back those of you who've visited before, and thank you to those visiting for the first time. I hope you enjoy it. In this week's newsletter, I'll begin with Rogue Comix's plan for the future. Especially between 2021-2022!
So, if you know me, you know I'm the "hype" man behind my comic publishing company, Rogue Comix. Of late, you've probably noticed the flurry of Adam & Eternity tweets/posts, and you're also, probably, wondering why he's been so excited?
Well, here it is.
Adam & Eternity's final issue will conclude on January 6th, 2021.
Now, you may be asking, why are you so excited about your basically brand new series ending? Well, you'd be correct to think I'd go broke if I kept going, but the real reason reaches deep into my heart. I wanted to give you comic readers something special. I wanted the final issue of Adam & Eternity not only to be the ending I imagined, but I also wanted to give a little something back to you guys for sticking with us small-timers. So, we went ahead and oversized Issue Four to 64-pages of Adam & Eternity, plus a short story acting as a prelude to a new anthology, Rogue Comix Presents. Most importantly, we didn't change the price. It's $4.99.
Okay, I'm tired of selling it. Here's the real reason why I'm so excited.
Mushroom Induced Megahex Psychedelia Begin!
The final issue of Adam & Eternity will be titled "The Last Pantheon & Its Dream."
Issue Synopsis:
"The world is on the brink once more, as Adam's questions are finally answered. For it was said, 'everything begins again... but when the grain rises, and the earth warms, and life threatens to push over the edge, who's there to pick it up?'"
Oh, and did I mention it's also going to be a virgin wraparound cover? Hell yes. We'll be offering two covers for the finale, both wraparound virgins. You can choose which one you want to represent proudly! Both Covers will be $4.99.
Okay, enough about Adam & Eternity! Alright. Alright. Let's get on with the show. I've got more to announce, and as much as I'd like to let details on our finale slip, you'll have to wait and see for yourself.
So, you may have seen me teasing images of other projects with some great upcoming artists, wondering what exactly we're working on...
So, Johnnie Evans and I are working on a short story titled, "8.26." It's one of those stories that came from a prose piece I wrote, but my imagination proved so vivid I knew it needed to be translated into a comic short. After browsing around a bit and dancing back and forth, I contacted Johnnie. His style is not only delicate but also precisely emotional. It's riveting to be working with such a powerful artist worthy of a breakthrough. I'm lucky to be working with him. And if all goes according to plan, you'll be seeing more of us soon. This short is only just the beginning.
I'm super excited to be working with Brody Cole. He's got an amazing attitude and a desire for dark depths. I think he and I will get along just fine in the coming creative days. Our first collaboration is on a 5-page short titled "Last Moments." For those fans of gritty, in media res stories, with Lovecraftian horror vibes, this story will be right up your alley. But this is only the beginning. Brody and I just got off the phone yesterday, and I convinced him to stay and work on a second project after this one. And trust me, guys, I can't say much now, but it's in line with Mr. Morrison's Invisibles, Mr. Hickman's Black Monday Murders with a hint of Mr. Moore's incredibly strong female leads.
David Strahan (@dr8illustration) and I have something to announce soon, and we're wrapping up some teaser images as we speak. But it's more than just a project for us. Not only has our friendship grown, but the work we're making is something of inspiration and pure creativity. It's rooted in mythos but brings distinctive takes you wouldn't expect. There's not much else I can talk about, but the Project's title, "Project 4." With that, we're gearing up to pitch to the big boy companies as we speak. More next newsletter!
Jeff Hutchison came to me and asked about an opportunity I'd put out on social media. He jumped, and I'm glad he did. We soon talked about another idea, then the one originally inquired, and I came up with something else. Something Twistedly Odd. What you just saw will be a digital-first series, "Tales of Your Destruction!" It's a semi-comical celebration of apocalyptic scenarios mixed with pretentious dialogue. I tried to act serious when writing it, but then it just turned a corner and...
I went with it. More on this next time around!
I'm working on some other projects a bit too early to tease, but I can let you amazing people know who I'm working with and what the project will be. First up, I have a 10-page short with Max Deimas, an aspiring Mexican artist with a knack for the dark and deadly. The story's titled "The Cave Beneath Seaside Manor." Expect to see some art in the next newsletter. Max has some storytelling chops, and we'll definitely be working on more projects in the future.
Secondly, I'm working with JJ Dzialowski on a 68-Page Magazine-Sized OGN I'll be announcing soon. It's my love letter to lost siblings and monsters at the end of the lane, and pages will be popping up next time around!
Third, another spectacular artist I've had the opportunity to work with is Vanessa Fantinati! She and I just started another short, "Breathe," and she began working this week, with art coming soon!
Okay, I think that wraps up Rogue Comix news!
The Streets Ran Red, my third prose novella, has just passed its final checklist. I should be receiving my author copies within the coming weeks, and once I approve those, we're off to print. Just in time for Christmas!
Set in 1969, Clark Brass returns to the English Isles after a 20-year absence. The death of his former employer, Donald Kilkenny, had brought Clark back. Whether it was duty or brotherhood, the stoic detective pledged to solve the case.
Little does he know, sinister forces gather around the edges. His mind will be consumed, and the streets will run red.
Alright, and that wraps the news for the week. It's been a helluva journey thus far, and I'm beyond excited to share all the forthcoming madness. To those of you who've purchased or read any of my works from Adam & Eternity, Blackjack - 22: Modern Poetry, & Anthology, it would be a great honor if you could visit any of these sites to put up a review or rating. Reviews help us young artists a ton, and words of affirmation are always greatly appreciated.
Here are the links for easy access! Thank you for taking the time to write something as well. Keep being awesome, and you're inconceivably appreciated.
Anthology (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/Anthology-Robert-Deshaies-II/dp/1646547411/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Robert+Deshaies+II+Anthology&qid=1597933462&s=books&sr=1-1
Anthology (Goodreads) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55299486-anthology?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Wu6e1fpL1H&rank=1
Blackjack - 22: Modern Poetry (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/BlackJack-Modern-Robert-Deshaies-II/dp/1646545613/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=robert+deshaies&qid=1595426753&sr=8-2
Blackjack - 22: Modern Poetry (Goodreads) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54961603-blackjack---22
Adam & Eternity (Goodreads) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54469314-adam-eternity?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ynvthBorbe&rank=2
Adam & Eternity (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Eternity-Issue-One-Who-ebook/dp/B08CQ6NK38/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=robert+deshaies&qid=1605993913&sr=8-8
Okay, Short Story, time!
This one's titled "Could it be Heaven.."
It was unlike any I ever saw. It felt like a shore, but everything was… upside down. The sky ignited like a flare shot out from a boat at night. I watched as it fell then rose into the deep sky. It burst into brilliant phosphorus powder, as burnt oranges and Arizona-sand colored the bright sky.
Then, I looked down.
A small ripple from the flare dropping into the celestial pool cascaded all the way to my feet. Its cold nature brushed over them, but no shiver was felt. The thick reflective ink simulated a mirror, and I caught a glimpse of myself. I paused for a moment and realized I wasn’t myself. A glob of ephemeral energy floating along a star dusted shore appeared to me. I knew what it was the instant I saw, but still… I had to take another glance. I was the gift Prometheus gave humanity. I was a sphere of eternal flame glowing against the midnight vast.
Looking up, I noticed the ocean had settled. The sky still burned bright, but I saw every star along the stretches of this reality in the sea. The upside-down but truthful nature of this place tuned my mind to new synchronicity. I tried to think of it as a dream, but I couldn’t really care if it was or not.
So, I sat down, and my glowing reflectional orb of amber flame moved lower into the black mirror. I didn’t want to go now. This felt like where I needed to be. It felt like her when I wrapped my arms around at night—a second of shamanic bliss.
And I’d like to think I understood, but I couldn’t pin it on a map. No, I was in the world inside our minds. It felt infinitesimal to all the others along the distant shores when the sky began to turn once more. The fire turned to glass, and I could feel the ceiling moving inward. No breeze alerted me, but the rush of motion within signaled the end.
Midbreath, my eyes opened from the ripple across my body, and I noticed the silken warmth beneath me. Pale porcelain stained the canvas around me, as a single bulb hung overhead. I heard the ripple of the waves from the jolt of waking up, to notice my hands were wet. I reached for the towel beside me.
Rolling forward, I dried my hair and face. The water quietly collided against the seemingly titanic walls, but little and unnoticeable cacophonies danced across the tiny room. I stood up, felt the water pull back down from whence it came, and I blinked one more time to make sure I was back.
Everything appeared the same as my pupils dilated to the same light as before. I relaxed and whispered, “where did I just go?”
I’m still trying to figure it out.
Fin.
This came to me after a hot shower. And I don't mean that in a filthy way.
What am I reading at the moment?
Wow! that was a lot, but it feels so good to let you know what I've been up to. Now, let's get to the relaxing stuff. As I mentioned in the last posting, I've binged Mr. Terry Moore's bibliography, and now I've rounded it out with the final installment, Echo. I'm super excited to dive into his sci-fi world of symbiotic alien fluid, and metascience, and more badass women.
I gracefully picked up Phonogram Volume One by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie with yesterday morning's tea. For those of us who love magick and music, this is the book for you. It's about finding yourself when the music is gone. The dialogue is insanely good, and McKelvie's early work is just as good as his Wicked + Divine. I'm super happy to have finally reopened this one and once again realize, Britpop must remain in the 90s.
Next up, I scooped the new TKO titles (Lonesome Days Savage Nights, The Pull, and Redfork), but I've refrained from inspecting them because I want to go in bone-dry and have my mind obliterated by such fantastic talent.
Also on the pile is a fancy little shakeup of titles:
1. Madman by Michael Allred - Pure delight, from what I've been told. From a page turn glance, the art rode through like a spirited horse. I galloped at the excitement.
2. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore & Dave Lloyd - An all-time classic worth endless reads.
3. Punisher: Welcome, Back Frank by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon. Accompanying the statement below, ending this week's reads, I'm still chugging through the Punisher: MAX omnibus, and damn, is it heavy. Garth Ennis knows how to write Frank Castle, and I keep finding myself grinning, even at the darkest moments. It's a pure, unrelenting punisher, and for fans of crime/war/pain, this is the read.
I could keep going on and on about the endless pile of books that needs to be read, but I'll wait till next time for a full divulge.
Anyway, thank you all for checking out the second installment of "Welcome to Eternity." It's been a surprising blast to turn away from the creative work for a moment and imagine talking to you behind the screen. I love to talk to you guys, and let's continue the conversation on socials. Stay safe, Happy Thanksgiving, and continue to read, write, and drink as much tea as you can.
- RDII