Update from the Fortress 6/28
June 28th, 2007“Coffman has come up with the most original take on the “average guy becomes a superhero” concept since Stan Lee invented it. It’s fun, exciting, old-school superhero action at its finest, and it is well deserving of ongoing status.” - Blake Petit , Comixtreme.com
I won’t lie to you, I love hearing quotes like that. They don’t go to my head or feed my ego or anything, but they seem like an affirmation that somebody GETS what I was trying to do all along with Hero By Night. At least once or twice a week I hear similar stories of people who have never read comics before or haven’t in a long time, they somehow get ahold of HBN online or through friends, and BAM– suddenly they’re into comics again, or for the very first time going into comic shops. I actually get e-mails from people suggesting what other comics to buy. I always say “Invincible” because I love Robert Kirkman and artist Ryan Ottley. I was lucky enough to be around Digital Webbing when ol’ “Wya” was trying to break into comics, so watching him be so successful is awesome, and well, inspiring. Also, I learned a lot from Kirkman back in the day about honesty and the truth about self publishing. So, I not only recommend their book because it’s good and solid NEW super hero genre stuff, but mostly because they are stand up dudes.
I wake up in the morning now and I sort of can’t believe I have an opportunity now to REALLY build a “HBNiverse”. We kind of already have with the background online journals and all, but i never really stopped or had time to stop and go back and see what I actually accomplished, and that feels nice. It would be my suggestion to everyone now, that if you feel down or bummed– STOP– and really take a look at things you accomplished that you might have taken for granted. A house? A family? Even small things… it might inspire you to do more.
My goal is far from over though… that being to create a full on NEW ICON for comic books. It might take some time, but we’ll get there. I have a good team.
behind me.
The future of Yirmumah the comic still weighs on me a bit. I’ve thought about diving back in, but really I’m just not feeling it right now. My mind is in some other type of mode… Jack Kirby mode? I don’t know. But I have about a hundred storylines or characters bouncing around trying to find their places and it feels like a giant puzzle in there that sometimes I just sit and contemplate how things fit together, and well, how to make it FUN and not boring or too adult or mature, or grimacing and dark. I’ve toyed with the idea of bringing back Yirm again as my sort of “journal comic” just about things I deal with in working or living my life. –
Also… if i do get time, I’d like to continue ORIGIN. One day it might just start up again on a whim, and pop out a new chapter. I think normal “bio” comics are lame, so I’d rather take bits of truth and inject them with some awesomness and tell stories about others in my life around me that may have shaped who I was, how I thought– and then into who I later became now. I’m not that same disgruntled flannel wearing, moshpit behaving, 19 year old.
End notes:
-Lately I’ve also been having hearing trouble I think. Sometimes people will talk to me and I just can’t make out what the heck they’re saying. I also blame that on the young me– too much rock and roll!!! I’d put on headphones in highschool and just blast the volume, I probably fucked up hearing back then and never noticed. This is especially annoying in public places where there is a lot of noise drowning things out. I’m guilty of a few times of actually not hearing what someone said but guessing it was supposed to be funny so I just laugh and you “Heh, yeah…crazy!” —- Friggin rock n roll!
It comes and goes though it seems. I’m not near deaf or anything yet.
Dude, a bionic super ear would be wicked cool though! Hmm.
– I somehow lost 10lbs and kept it off. Even though it doesnt show to me in the mirror, plus I haven’t actually been dieting, but I did start eating Honeynut Oatmeal in the mornings when I can. So, possibly, eating once a day like i had been doing for years was probably BAD for me. I was warned by several people of that, but I would only eat when i felt hungry, which was later in the day. Maybe breakfast really is the most important meal of the day!? Go figure.
June 28th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Yeah I want more origin a little bit more than I want the pop culture stuff. I have no problems waiting it out for another Origin chapter down the road. Also its gunna Rawk in a year when a big hard cover ultimate ed. of hero by night comes out to put on my coffie table.
June 29th, 2007 at 1:32 am
Personally i don’t mind, long as you keep up the posts on here. You have no idea how often i will read you posts and your excitement for your projects rubs off onto me through your words and really gets me going as well. So, keep that close to home that even just giving us a peek into your world does a lot. I get quite jaded about the art world in general sometimes (i’m more of a traditional artist rather than comic/cartoon art, though i’ve been debating pushing myself into that realm, i did study illustration/2D animation so i have the skills), and just hearing your infectious enthusiasm is good for me and i’m sure others will say the same. Good luck with hbn, and i hope you give Iron talon a quirky sidekick…yeah, a mini hitler clone maybe? no no, wait, better yet, a mini mussolini…no one would know what to make of that……
July 1st, 2007 at 3:55 am
Next time you miss part of the conversation. Just ask the person “What would Jennifer Lopez do?” You totally change the subject, and by asking a question it will be thier turn to talk. Hopefully, they’ll totally forget about your response.
July 12th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
It’s funny how the body can react like it does. When you don’t eat often enough, your body goes into ’starvation mode’ and stores as much as possible to protect itself. When you eat more often, your metabolism adjusts to constant food and you burn the energy immediately. If you stop eating 3 hours before bed your body will burn off the excess fat at night. Eat more often, lose weight? Weird but true. I eat something every 3-4 hours and I’ve been losing weight consistently. And I’m eating stuff like pizza and Carls Jr! Love a bowl of cereal in the morning though.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:18 pm
This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title Update from the Fortress 6/28. Thanks for informative article