Upstart Comics!

I recently launched a website with my comics collective, Upstart. Go over there and check it out! I’ve got a new weekly blog on story structure, and there’s a bunch of cool comics by me and my friends.

That One Moment in Endgame

WARNING: I tried to be careful about spoilers. Nonetheless, I’m talking about Endgame and it’s three in the morning on opening night. If you haven’t seen it, I may have slipped up somewhere, so be careful.

 

 

The moment in question is a chaotic battle in which all the female characters, who were scattered across the battlefield, suddenly wind up in the same place and charge in unison. Some people on social media are decrying it for being forced social justice, others value it for being an awesome moment for women.

I feel it’s problematic, for feminist reasons. The characters featured in ‘the moment’ deserve a better moment, and they deserve more moments. The majority of the film is focused on male characters and the relationships between them. The female characters getting an immersion-breaking fifteen seconds is not a triumph for women. The problem is the female characters don’t know each other well enough to actually have a meaningful interaction, so instead they must all just charge together; the only way to give them a moment is to do it clumsily, because no time or effort has been spent on the relationships between them. The film is full of amazing ‘bro moments’ between the guys. Those moments are amazing because we have gotten to see those dudes connecting in like 5 movies now. Can’t say the same for the serendipitously gathered group of ladies in this particular battle.

What this moment indicates is that the problem is in the MCU’s bones. Endgame is paying off ten years of worldbuilding around male characters. It’s easy to have great moments between the guys, because the work has been done. Clearly the filmmakers recognized that the women have been underserved, but a ham-fisted moment was all they could muster because there were already too many guy-centric plot threads to wrap up from the twenty previous movies.

One positive thing ‘the moment’ does highlight is that the MCU is now host to a slew of excellent female characters. I’m hopeful this kind of immersion-breaking, forced feminist moment will give way to satisfying, earned feminist moments as the MCU builds off of films that devote screen time to forging connections between female characters. They’ve already started putting the work in, as Black Panther and Captain Marvel attest.

Limbo

Hi friends-

I have been neglecting Coldbridge and Imp in favor of working on a bunch of smaller projects. Also, I thought I had another artist lined up for Chapter 3, but things didn’t work out. The distance gave perspective, and I’m keeping this story on hiatus in favor of pursuing other things.

I still love these characters and this world, but I feel like they are best served by me ignoring them and working on smaller projects that I can complete and show I can execute a complete story effectively.

Hopefully one day I’ll have a larger audience willing to come with me into a Victorian fantasy about a necromancer and his dog, and we can pick things up again then.

Thanks for reading. More cool stuff is coming in 2019…

…In fact, here’s a little preview drawn by the very talented Josh Thompson, colored by the very talented Gabriel Roldan, and lettered and written by the supposedly talented Leland Bjerg:

Finite Resource

When this chapter ends next month, Coldbridge is going to take another break. I’ve got some other projects cooking, and only so much time. Peter and Imp taught me a lot about making comics. I hope I’ll be able to come back to their adventures soon. I have a lot of cool stuff planned for them.

Chapter 2 Is Here!

So I did some pitches, got no bites, and decided I’ve got other ideas that’ll go over better with publishers anyhow, so it’s time to get back to posting Coldbridge online for free, as it should be!

New Year Update

Happy New Years! Things are great! Chapter 2 came out so well that I wanted to try pitching to publishers before posting online. Been working hard on that, which is what’s been delaying me releasing it digitally. Pitching process is slow. If no one bites, expect to see new Coldbridge with a new art style (Courtesy of the very talented Amelia Parris) in Spring.

November News

I have found a new penciller/inker for chapter 2 and we are working hard to get a head start before I begin posting them online. Her name’s Amelia Parris, and you can check out her comic Maddy Scientist here. It’s fun, funny, character-driven sci-fi written and drawn by a rising talent!

Chapter 2’s going to be awesome. It’s got magical metallurgy, irresponsible roommates, demon eyeballs, flying squirrels, lost loves, adorable napping, and, of course, more irascible smooth fox terrier. All coming soon…ish

Went to the Kelowna Comics and Collectibles Expo last month and peddled print versions of chapter one. Got a great response. People were very nice and enthusiastic, and some of them were generous enough to give me their money in exchange for my ideas!

Thanks to everyone that stopped by my booth and checked out Coldbridge!

June 12 Page Delay

Sorry folks, no Coldbridge this week. Might be a while, but will get it posted soon as it’s ready!

Real Life Swamp Dog

It’s not as exhilarating as geist-hunting in a bayou, but fetch in a marsh will do.