Get Black and Blue

Black and Blue, a graphic novel by Diami Virgilio and Mark Cage, is a coming of age story set cross roads of the streets of the Bronx and the Las Vegas Octagon of Mixed Martial Arts.

The story begins in Las Vegas with the two fighters engaged bloody hand to hand combat.  I have read all four chapters.  It is all combat.  There is Violence, Mystery and Sex in just about every page of this book.  Mark Cage has chosen to illustrate this book in manner the way a prison artist, a detention junkie, an addict slacker or street derelict would giving the story authenticity and legitimacy.

I am not going to spoil this book.  I do recommend that you read it and buy it.  And here's why.  Diami Virgilio's writing is very good.  He understands the Aristotelian dramatic structure handed down to us from the ancients and practiced to this day by the likes of JJ Abrams and the boys.

Diami Virgilio does not write to be politically correct.  He writes to be real describing what it's like to grow up in the Section 8 world of the Bronx and yes, it does suck.  But he writes from the heart too.  Our hero gets punched in the heart - not from a physical body blow, but one of those punches from the meanest MMA fighters called LIFE.  But Diami Virgilio also does something at the end of each chapter that make you want to know the rest of this story.  He throws in twist that is like reacting to a baby with a live hand grenade.  You want to know what happens next.

As I mentioned, Mark Cage's illustrations are authentic to the street and the first four frames of Chapter Three were in my opinion the best.  He does some things in Chapter One that are clever.  His style is solid though I do think the characters sometimes look similar at least in the beginning they do.  I do wish the framing particularly in the fight scenes were more creative.  I understand that Mr. Cage was a London MMA fighter.  So I am looking forward to more installments.

This is a really good book.  It's cheap.  The first chapter is free.  The next three chapters are a buck a piece.  Check it out it is an insight into the mind of Diami Vigrilio and into the soul of Mark Cage.

For more information
http://www.mmacomic.com/index.html
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/MarkBlackBlue
https://twitter.com/BLACK_and_BLUE

Timeline of events

1990 Work Started

1992 Laid Down

1994 Commissioned










1999 Kursk carried out a successful reconnaissance mission in the Mediterranean, tracking the United States Sixth Fleet during the Kosovo War










12-Aug-00 Sunk

1128 hours 12-Aug-00 there was an explosion while preparing to fire

1130 hours 12-Aug-00 The second explosion ripped a 2-square-metre (22 sq ft) hole in the hull of the craft, which was designed to withstand depths of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and also ripped open the third and fourth compartments.The second was 45 to 50 times bigger than the first, suggesting that one or more of the Kursk's own torpedoes had exploded.

That appears to be confirmed by the extent of the damage to the forward part of the submarine, but the cause of the first explosion is still unknown. Water poured into these compartments at 90,000 litres (3,200 cu ft) per second killing all those in the compartments, including five officers from 7th SSGN Division Headquarters.

The fifth compartment contained the ship's two nuclear reactors, encased in 13 centimetres (5.1 in) of steel and resiliently mounted to absorb shocks in excess of 50g. The bulkheads of the fifth compartment withstood the explosion, allowing the two reactors to shut down automatically and preventing nuclear meltdown or contamination

Dmitry Koleznikov

12-Aug-00 Twenty-three men working in the sixth through ninth compartments survived the two blasts. They gathered in the ninth compartment, which contained the secondary escape hatch (the primary hatch having been in the destroyed second compartment).

Captain-lieutenant Dmitri Kolesnikov (one of three surviving officers of that rank) appears to have taken charge, writing down the names of those who were in the ninth compartment.

0840 hours 13-Aug-00 the rescue ship Rudnitsky carrying two submersible rescue vessels, AS-32 and the Priz (AS-34) reached the disaster area at around 8:40 AM the following morning.

14-Aug-00 CBS News reports that the Russian Navy is communicating with the sailors via Morse Code and that 2 Los Angeles class submarines

16-Aug-00 the Russian government accepted the British and Norwegian governments' assistance

17-Aug-00 a rescue ship was dispatched from Norway

18-Aug-00 Nadezhda Tylik, mother of Kursk submariner Lt. Sergei Tylik, produced an intense emotional outburst in the middle of an in-progress news briefing about Kursk's fate. After attempts to quiet her failed, a nurse injected her with a sedative by force from the back, and she was removed from the room, incapacitated. The event, caught on film, caused further criticism of the government's response to both the disaster, and how the government handled public criticism of said response.

19-Aug-00 Norwegian Rescue ship reaches the site

20-Aug-00 British and Norwegian deep-sea divers reached the ninth compartment escape hatch.  They were able to determine that the compartment was flooded, and all hope of finding survivors was lost.

Reviewed - Gonzo: A Graphic Biography of Hunter S. Thompson

The great American writer, the great American iconoclast, the great American hedonist—however you choose to view him, Thompson remains the high-water mark for all social commentators worldwide, and a truly fearless champion of individual liberties. 

“This diamond-sharp graphic biography is a witty, thoughtful book . . . Bingley and Hope-Smith’s portrait is brave and badass, taking the kind of chances Thompson would have appreciated.” 

—Publishers Weekly

Invariably a biography is a judgment about the man.  The foreword written by his former editor Alan Rinzler was more interesting and more honest than this pap about a confirmed degenerate who wasted his life on vanities and trivialities.  Someone wrote that Hunter S. Thompson is "a bum, a vandal, a thief, a liar, an addict, a freak, and a psychopath."  That is nothing to white wash or admire which is what this book does.  I cannot recommend this book.

My introduction to HST was Johnny Depp's awful movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."  But I wanted to give this man a chance.  I had heard he was a good writer - a great artist.  This book is more of an overview of his life than a biography.  There is nothing glamourous about being a junkie which is what Hunter S. Thompson will be known for.   After reading this book and feeling very nonplussed about it, I went over his wikipedia entry and read the article he wrote about the gang rape of the 2 teenage girls by the Hells Angels.

I don't see much about this man that needs to be celebrated.  His article if anything seemed like a rambling justification of the destruction of innocence of two young women and how he maintained his friendship with Sonny Barger after his goons beat him within an inch of his life?  What a scoundrel.

And his fake rivalry with Nixon and Nixonism fell flat on its face.  There is nothing defensible about what Nixon did to Ellsberg or many of his critics.  But Thompson's scorn as portrayed by Will Bingley (Author), Anthony Hope-Smith (Illustrator), make Nixon seem larger than life and noble compared to this bum.

There was a lot wrong with this book and failing to find his voice was one of them.   He is allegedly a social critic and moralist.  He is a social engineer whose social architecture we suffer and as to his morals, it would be better to characterize him as an immoralist.  Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Daytripper Reviewed

The art is good and the location exotic.  I can see why it won the Eisner award.  The plotting of the story is at first novel but it quickly becomes passe and predictable.  The pacing is emotionally taxing and pretty soon, you just want the book to be over.

One reviewer wrote that he "found the writing itself laden with superficial self-importance that can only come when a writer writes about being a troubled writer, sort of Latino Indie Film existential bombast (if that’s possible) complete with lots of cigarette smoking and death. No new or original thoughts, no new insight, other than the well-worn brooding young man who has an overblown sense of self, sort of a simplistic “circle of life” presented in a somewhat clever format, artful and painstakingly arranged. All in all, good for youngsters who have yet to think too much about their mortality. I probably sound like the typical cynical old man offering nothing new of my own, and maybe younger reviewers feel differently. Three stars for good art and the clever manipulation of a well-worn story."

One reviewer wrote:  "Let's get this out of the way up front: Daytripper may be the best graphic novel I've ever had the pleasure to read. Consider yourselves warned."

Better than Kirkman's "Walking Dead?"  Vaughn's "Better than Y The Last Man" Or even "Satellite Sam?"  This same reviewer writes:  "Perhaps Daytripper's biggest success is that it saves itself from being cliche. "

I disagree.  The one word that resonates throughout his review is cliche of which it is rife.


The main character is whiny and the characters he surrounds himself are two dimensional and shallow.  He is annoying - selfish and self indulgent - not a warrior spirit - maybe a lesbian trapped in a man's body.  Which is itself a well worn aphorism which may delight the trite and unimaginative unless you like being a man and a strong man.  This character was not a strong man

Someone wrote:  "Someone stop Brás de Oliva Domingos. He's the obituary writer and he is writing about only himself on a fierce ego trip."

The character is definitely spoiled.

She continues by stating:  "I didn't give a fuck about the first chick with the big boobs he meets who is la di da (she didn't want to say she didn't have a job, actually. She never gets one) look at your best friend, Jorge, the photographer. Freedom this and freedom that let's have sex and everything will be free magic. That's fine for them, if they were real, but what is in it for me? I'm drowning in the headstone version of the greeting card. He sees the world through his camera lens, Jorge. Kill me now"

I completely agree.

So many reviewers admit that this piece of art made them cry.

My question is Why did you get teary eyed?  What did you see in the character  that was admirable or likable?  What made you connect or self identify with him?

I cried when I saw "Braveheart."  I cried during the Bette Midler film "Beaches."

Why? because the character did not have the nuts to fight for his woman?  or to kick her ass out when he was out line?  Or connect with his father?  What exactly was tragic about this young man's life?

You know what's tragic?  Child soldiers are tragic.  Human sex trafficking is tragic.  Men languishing in jail because they dared to say 2 words: 'I disagree'  That's tragic.  Some whiny twerp complaining about the brevity of his life and then wasting it away on self loathing is not tragic - it is all too common and maybe worthy of your tears but not mine.

I am glad I read it.  I would not read it again.  I cannot recommend this book unless you want to know what kind of stories win Eisner Awards.

Slawomir Nietupski

Graphic designer and European designer Sławomir Nietupski will finalize the cover design shortly.  For a look inside his portfolio, check out:

http://snietupski.deviantart.com/
https://www.facebook.com/slawomir.nietupski
http://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Nahald/74627
http://www.artserwis.pl/portfoliobrowser.php?gid=4489

Jason Canty of Angry Viking Press

This week we spoke to  Jason Canty of Angry Viking Press out of Boston, Massachusetts. He stated that he has a relationship with Diamond Comic Distributors.  Jason has relationships with artists in IDW which is one of the major publishers.  Jason has raised money on kickstarter before by taking out web ads to meet his goal.

What Jason explained was that the kids go to the comic store - typically on a Wednesday when Diamond makes their delivery. They sell the books to the retailer. We (the publisher - Jason and us) provide content retailer.  His book "Evil Diva" retails at $ 13.99 but for the sake of argument. Let's say the book retails at $ 10.00 flat so the numbers work out nicely. Diamond takes more than half which he splits with the retailer. That leaves less than half to us. The Publisher takes his cut leaves us with ours.

Diamond wants between 96 to 200 pages. They also want to know if there is plans to continue. With the big boys like DC and Marvel they put out 28 to 36 pages every month or twice a month. From the Indies, they would like to know if there will be a follow up book again 96 to 200 pages.

Jason is providing us some free publicity. In promoting his company at the San Diego Comic Con next week, he will be printing off 1000 flyers with the cover on one side and one of Andrea's pages on the other side with his logo and our social media next to it.  The flyers will be on a table that he is sharing. He will have the flyers on the table. He won't just hand them out to people. So if someone wants one, they have to pick one up.

We talked briefly about toys. He goes through an company that manufactures in China. That is happening as we speak so we will see if that business relationship will work out.

We talked briefly about translations. He pays a translator to translate English into Japanese at a discounted rate. There will be international versions of this book.

Thank you to Ari Agbabian

Special Thank you to Ari Agbabian for his generous contribution to our campaign.

Ari's contribution helps us as it puts us 1/5 the way toward our goal. Ari has been a faithful friend and supporter of my artistic endeavor. My friend for over two years, Ari is an accomplished New York City stage and a Los Angeles film actor.  Ari is a constant and loyal friend to the military by supporting military families and honoring the memory of fallen soldiers.  Ari is also a 9/11 survivor.  Please take a moment to thank Air as he has  has helped us achieve an important milestone today.


Help us make it happen! Discover a new world!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-the-kursk-sail-again/x/268132?c=home

No donation to big or too small - $ 500, $ 100, $ 50, $ 25, $ 10, $ 5, $ 1

Submitted!

I submitted our graphic novel to the following publishers:

Image

Arcana

Avatar

Top Shelf Comix

SLG Comics

Action Lab

Acacus Comics

12 gauge

Off Shott Comics

NBM Publishing

Zeta Comics

Angry viking Press

215 ink

Ape Entertainment

Champion

Devil’s Due Digital

We got our first pro-forma response letter. It reads:

From: “Submissions@ape-entertainment.com”

To: XXXXXX@yahoo.com

Sent: Saturday, July 6, 2013 11:59 PM

Subject: Re: The Kursk by Sasha Janowicz

Dear Creator-

Thank you for your submission to Ape Entertainment. Your submission has been received and will be reviewed. Should we find interest in pursuing a publication offer for your property we will contact you directly via e-mail or by phone.

Please be advised that our review process can take from 4 to 6 week to complete depending on the convention season or the current time of the year. Thank you very much for your interest in pursuing a publishing agreement with Ape Entertainment.

Thank you

The Ape Entertainment Team

——– Original Message ——–

Comic Book Diplomacy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tucson, Arizona – July 4, 2013 – In a time where Russo-American relations are closer to war since 1983, is Soft Power being flexed from Tucson, Arizona?  Independent Film Producer and Comic Book Publisher James A. Bretney hopes so.  With Putin publicly humiliating Obama in Syria, with Snowden and blocking US actions in Europe and Latin America, James A. Bretney is hoping to promote closer ties to the erstwhile cold war ties with a comic book? 

"It is not a comic book,"  Bretney snaps menacingly.  "It is a graphic novel."  Bretney's graphic novel is about the Russian submarine, K-141, the Kursk sunk in the Barents Sea 13 years ago in a mysterious accident in August 12, 2000.  "It was their 9/11," Bretney continues. 

Soft power is a concept developed in 1990 by Joseph Nye of Harvard University to describe the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion.  Bretney's international collaborators are hoping this cross cultural exchange will help others give peace a chance. 

"My own mother was born in the Philippines before she emigrated legally to the United States.  Sasha Janowicz was born in the Soviet Union.  He went to college in Poland.  He is now an Australian citizen.  He wrote the story.  Our illustrator Andrea Montano, she was born in Columbia.  She is an American. We have dedicated our lives to the idea that the pen is mightier than the sword and that the best thing you can do with your pen is to make great art."

Bretney has had his own experience wielding a sword as an Iraq War veteran.  "The Bible says 'There is a time for war and a time for peace.'  It also says "Blessed are the peacemakers.'  Look all I am saying is that there are things in war that I never want to see again.  War always hurts the civilians and the innocents and it robs us of our bravest and best men.  I grew up with nuclear bombs aimed at me.  If there's anything I can do to prevent from ever happening again, I will."

Bretney is crowdfunding for his graphic novel on IndieGoGo and has more information on his website and Facebook page. 

To Donate to this campaign:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-the-kursk-sail-again/x/268132?c=home

For more information on this:

http://thekursk.wordpress.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kursk-by-Sasha-Janowicz/444388175655458  

Kursk Update

Author  Jane Monica Jones has broadcast 2 amazing videos about crowdfunding. 

She lists 3 rules: 1) start connecting 2) approach connectors to endorse and pass on your campaign 3) list of influencers start connecting:  I have contacted over 500 of my friends mostly family members, people in college and high school friends.  I have gotten some response. connectors to endorse: Don't really know what this means but I suspect it means get a hold of comic book reviewers and enthusiasts and get them to look at my book  list of influencers: I emailed the following people:

1.  Brian White - web content producer for KVOA
2. Craig Anderson Arizona Republic
3. Betty Beard - freelance reporter
4. Peter Corbett - Arizona Republic
5. David Morgan - Sierra Vista
6. Christina Leanard - Arizona Republic
7. Cecilia Chan - Arizona Republic
8. Carmen Duarte -
9. Andy Kavetz - Freelance Reporter Illinois
10. Jimmy Lovaas - Freelance Reporter Seattle
11. Editor, Eloy Enterprise
12. April Madison - KGUN 9
13. Obi Wan Kenobi - KNST
14. Jennifer Marries KOLD 13
15. Jenna Busch - ThinkHero.TV
16. Erin Christensen KGUN 9
17. Quinn Schuler - TV Minneapolis
18. Naomi Pescovitz - TV
19. Paul Westcott- White House Brief

Kim McLaughlin a Social media strategist helping established brands engage & retain consumers with Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn has been helping me too. She advises the following:

"There's no magic bullet when it comes to success on social media James. You have to simply invest the time and the money (or time in lieu  of money.) 

Because you're creating a person brand, I'd advise you start working your twitter community more. Much much more. And follow James. Follow others. 

Every single day, log in and follow about 15 people. Careful here - if twitter feels you're 'aggressively following', they'll suspend you account. At the end of the month, unfollow those who haven't' followed back (not at once though b/c now you'll be 'aggressively unfollowing' as per Twitter) and start again. 

If you have money, get some tweets sponsored. You can certainly buy follows to boost you social credibility, however, it's easy enough for folks to figure that out and engaging robots will only get you so far. In the meantime, work with a freelance PR agent who can get you a bit of press and start building relationships with local media folks so they turn to you for commentary. Direct everybody to you social media feeds." I also contacted a few local publicists too: more to follow

    

The Kursk Sails Again

Draft Cover Art
provided by  Sławomir Nietupski

Tucson, Arizona – July 4, 2013 – The Russian submarine, K-141, the Kursk sunk in the Barents Sea 13 years ago in a mysterious accident in August 12, 2000.  But with the help of awarding winning Australian playwright Sasha Janowicz, illustrator Andrea Montano and film producer James A. Bretney, The Kursk Sails Again in a new graphic novel: The Kursk.

Bretney is raising money on IndieGoGo to make his dream a reality.  “I invite you to discover a new world, world of intrigue and honor, of danger and mystery.  By donating to our campaign, I guarantee you will have done good thing.  You will reinforce the health of your community and the world that is only good by the results of good men.”

Illustrations by Andrea Montano

Bretney is trying again after his campaign on Kickstarter failed. "I did not know what I was doing.  Failure can be a generous teacher.  But we are not quitting on the Kursk," says Bretney.    Bretney is revising his expectations.  His Kickstarter campaign was $ 2,500.  On IndieGoGo, Bretney hopes to raise just over $ 500.    “We are raising less not that we don't need less but because we have to start small.  I have 45 days to raise 500.  It works out to about $ 11 a day. “  IndieGoGo offers a flexible funding format where if project managers fall short of our goal they still get the money.  Kickstarter is all or nothing.

With collaboration with the author,
illustrator Andrea Montano designs
the characters of the novel

Actress Evelyne Bronwyn Werzowa raised over $ 30,000 from her crowdfunding campaign or $ 1,000 a day.  Her advice to Bretney was "just bug every body." Bretney responds , "That is what I am doing."

Bretney himself has paid for five pages out of his own pocket.  "We are building a fan base one fan at a time from our friends. To get our art out there. Once its out there strangers have joined us and are waiting to see what we come up with next."

Front man James A. Bretney. says “ I once asked a stranger what he felt when he saw someone die.  He said that though he did not know the man, he felt like he lost something great and valuable that he was not aware he had.” 

Author Sasha Janowicz spent 6 years researching the story by interviewing members of the very secretive Russian Navy. Sasha Janowicz’s play won the 2007 Bell Award for Best New Play, the Matilda award three times for Best New Australian Play, Best Direction, and Best Independent Production, Matilda Awards.  

Like a director's story boards, here
Andrea Montano provides Sasha
Janowicz a rough visualization
before proceeding to the finalized frames

Bretney continues, “This is a good story.  It raises questions about what really happened and the people deserve answers.  The families of those who died deserve answers to what happened and how their loved ones lived and died.”

Bretney hopes the visual medium of the graphic novel will resonate with younger viewers.  “Andrea Montano is in her twenties.  She is very young.  She has a youthful vitality in her portfolio.  She handles color and lighting very well.”  Comics books are a billion dollar market with more users not only going to the comic book stores but downloading them from websites and smart phones. 

The art of comic book making is a process.  Andrea Montano draws rough thumbnail sketches throughout the script. Sasha Janowicz approves each thumb then Andrea Montano proceeds with each frame. Image Comics requires 5 pages to pitch.  The play is 60 pages -  55 pages to go.  

“We want to bring this story to a world stage.”

To Donate to this campaign:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-the-kursk-sail-again/x/268132?c=home

For more information on this:

http://thekursk.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kursk-by-Sasha-Janowicz/444388175655458

TAGS:

The Kursk, Sasha Janowicz, Submarine, Russian Submarine, Russian Navy, Soviet Navy, Spies, James A. Bretney, Jimbo, Airborne Productions, Andrea Montano, Matilda award, Bell Award, Best New Australian Play, Best Direction, Best Independent, Best New Play, Graphic Novel,