Poser comics?

Actually, here's a thought.

I've been seeing some good work with Poser recently, mostly over at DeviantArt. If you haven't checked out ElenaEvil's semi-regular series that deals with the Baroness from G.I. Joe (well, mostly) then you should; there's whole lot of masking and kinkiness going on in there. With some better captions/writing, I think it'd be really something. (And that's no slight to Elena as author - they're from Italy so I don't think English is their first language.)

Anyway. Is there anyone out there reading who'd be interested in collaborating on a Poser-created masking comic?

I'd supply the plot (although, I'd be happy to collaborate) and the words generally, you'd provide the Poser, the posing, the textures, the rendering and so on. Obviously we'd share credit.

It's something I'm sort of tempted to take on myself, but I just know that learning and working with Poser would be such a massive time-sink, that I could probably finish a novel or two in the time it takes me to make anything good. (I had a version of Poser years and years ago, and it took me forever just to render one image to a standard I was happy with.)

Anyway, consider this a standing offer. If you're a Poser artist already and like the idea of doing something with masks or disguises - doesn't have to be sexually explicit, either - then let me know. Perhaps we can make beautiful comics together.

Happy Whatever, and the New Year...

Ahem. Well, I was certainly hoping to have something new to share by Christmas, but I forgot about one little thing: Christmas. Yes, the holidays have a tendency to suck up free time, and my time has been well and truly... sucked.

I'm progressing slowly on a couple of things. I'm very aware that it's now been close to 18 months since Spider-Girl #20, but hey, unlike a few authors I could mention... at least I keep you up to date with what I'm doing (or not doing... you get the idea). As I've said before the current Spider-Girl arc has been nightmarish, but I'm pushing through. I really do hope to have something to share, on that front at least, inside a month or so. Here's hoping 2010 brings a bit more free time and therefore, a few more released 'things'.

Speaking of 2010, is there anything else you'd like to see around here? I know, I know - 'more fiction' is a given. I've been thinking about a 'how to write mask fiction' series, which might be easy enough to do. And a few other things.

Anyway, let me know. Speak up.

Twittering

I like Twitter. I use Twitter a lot. No, I won't tell you who I really am on Twitter. But I will create an account on there so you can stalk me there.

I could go into the various reasons why I want to use Twitter, but that'd be boring, would waste time I could spend Twittering - er, writing - and it's easier to just, um, do that on Twitter.

So if you like, sign on up to Twitter and follow me. Or alternatively, just come back here now and again and check out the big honking box on the top right. Or just look on Twitter. It's free. It's open to all. I won't tell.

Oh and don't moan at me that you need to sign up. Just sign up using the email address you use for all the other places we frequent where we don't want our real email address being used. You know the ones.

Here's me, on Twitter. (By the way: this is definitely not me. It's some squatter.)

Here we go a-bloody-gain

Patience! We all have it, especially in this small community, and I thank you for it. I thank you because when I get my weekly stat report on this tiny blog I see to my astonishment that you're still visiting, even when I have nothing to say.

And guess what? I have nothing much to say tonight. But I'll try and tell you what's happening.

As is my usual bent, even though a few months ago I seemed to be going in one direction I have in fact gone totally off in a different way. First off, I've made a certain amount of progress on the story that's still titled 'The Babysitter', although that won't be the final title. I'm nowhere near ready to share it with you, but hey, at least I'm writing it.

Second... she's sucked me back in. Partly because I hate leaving a promising story undone, and partly because I can see this future image of what she will end up being, I'm writing Betty's adventures as Spider-Girl again. However! I won't be releasing anything until I have at least an issue or two done - just because the way these issues are shaping up, I often need to go back and revise things (sometimes radically) and I can't do that if I've already released something.

God. Some days, you must just want to frigging strangle me. But honest - hand on heart, swear to everything holy - I am writing.

Just, umm, possibly not what you want to read.

Thoughts on the Chameleon's return

I warn random search visitors in advance: I doubt you're looking at this the way I am. Also, SPOILERS for Amazing Spider-Man 602.

As I mentioned before, this week's issue of Amazing Spider-Man features the return of the Chameleon, who in the course of the issue manages to kidnap and impersonate Peter Parker as a ploy to get inside the high security of City Hall, wherein J Jonah Jameson is now serving as Mayor. At least, that's what we assume he's going to do, he hasn't done it yet.

The issue's writer, Fred van Lente, has done a really good job updating the character for the modern world. He's written in a creepy, quite chilling way; ruthless in what he does, clinical, professional... and to me, not entirely convincing.

One fairly major issue I have is this: I've never seen the Chameleon as a serial killer. In this issue he kills one bystander so he can take over their life, and then 'kills' (because, you know, I highly doubt Spider-Man himself is about to die off-panel) Peter Parker too. Without much concern for either death.

Now sure, we could argue that many people in this world wouldn't be missed, especially if after the Chameleon impersonates them, he makes arrangements for them to 'leave town'. And yes, I know it makes the character more threatening if he's willing to kill, and I also know it's just a story and no-one thinks these things through. I'm only giving it thought because frankly I've spent way too much time thinking about this character, as I'm sure you realise.

My take was always that if the Chameleon had to impersonate someone specific, he'd get them out of the way if needed, but only temporarily. He'd also quite often just go ahead and do it, and leave others to figure out why there were two people who looked exactly the same wandering around. This has been seen in previous comic appearances, too.

My other thought was that often, when the Chameleon chose a disguise, it'd be one that wasn't even based on a specific person; it was instead just a generic disguise, non-specific, but convincing. If after all you just need to blend into the crowd, how hard can that be?

Of course for us, as particular consumers of a particular fetish, it's the specific impersonation we crave. That's always more fun to read about. Which is why I found it quite thrilling to see the Chameleon impersonate Peter Parker - even though he's done this before (briefly). As you can see in this preview for next week's issue, he certainly gets away with it, to the extent that he actually manages to seduce Peter's roommate, Michelle - who in fact Peter's already slept with.

Which brings up an interesting point; some commenters on that preview have said that this is rape, because Michelle, while she consents to sex, isn't consenting to sex with Peter. Interesting argument, and I wonder how it'd hold up in the courts. If you think for all intents and purposes that the person you're sleeping with is who they say they are, is it rape? I expect the argument would hinge on consent regardless of who it is.

It is of course a downright sleazy and villainous thing to do - to take advantage like he certainly does - but hey, the Chameleon is a villain. And one thing this storyline seems to be doing is re-affirming his place as a Grade-A one, at that.

If that leads to more storylines, great. I've got to say, it's gotten me thinking about the Chameleon again as a character. How fickle am I, eh?

Update, sorta, and an idea

Hey, at least it's only been a month or so.

My 'big changes' are behind me now, well not entirely but they're mostly dealt with, so slowly I'm starting to try and write a bit more often. I'm nowhere near the output level that will yield new stuff any time soon though, so don't get over-excited.

One thing I have been kicking around in my head - in truth, for months now - is the possibility of a different superheroine series. I may have even mentioned it on here before actually, but to be honest I can't be bothered to go back and check my own archives. I'd like your thoughts on it.

Anyway my thinking is potentially it would be something involving a male-to-female transformation at the heart of the story; a man who turns into a woman to be a superheroine. (This, I should point out, would be a disguise, not a magic transformation. I think you know me well enough by now to realise that's not what I write, but I want to be clear.)

This actually isn't that original an idea - Holly Fairfa, if I remember right, did a short story with exactly that idea waaay back on the original MaskFiction.com.

My thinking on why I'd do this is several-fold as my thinking usually is:

1. It would, obviously, be massively kinky. Man disguised as woman disguised as superheroine? I think you can imagine all the kinds of fun I'd have.
   
2. It could be an original character, but still a superheroine. That means more potential for me - in all sorts of ways.
3. I'm getting just a teeny bit bored with Betty... but still want to write super-stuff. (What can I say, it's the spandex lover in me.)

I've also had a few thoughts on how this can roll out. The idea has been in my brain for a bit, after all:

1. An original story/series with all-new characters. I have the 'origin' plotted out, roughly. It makes some sort of sense, to me anyway...!
   
2. A spin-off series (or mini-series) featuring Batgirl, set after the Spider-Girl 'Crossover' arc... in other words (SPOILER!) with Dick Grayson under the mask(s).
3. My 'Project AC' concept, which... well alright, might as well spill, can be neatly summarised as 'Catwoman is actually a guy'. (There's more to it than that; a lot more in fact... but you get the idea.)

I'll be honest, on different days I think each idea is the best thing ever, but then I haven't sat down and tried any of them on paper. So which would you prefer? And here's the rub: why?

(Your answer would preferably run to more detail than 'Catwoman is the sexiest'.)

I will admit, if pressed, to having something of a preference for the first idea (the original series). Mostly because while I know it'd be easy for me to write Option 2, and fun to write Option 3, I keep telling myself that if I'm going to commit the inevitable amount of huge effort required to produce something, I should really do that for my own original creation, right?

Hmm. Oh by the way, I know a lot of you will shrug and say "Whatever, just write something, please God I need a fix" the more feedback I get in any particular direction, the more likely I am to... errr... do something.

Maybe...

Chameleon returning to comics

In case you don't follow comics like I tend to do, you might have missed this. This week's issue of Amazing Spider-Man, number 602, will feature the return of the Chameleon - and it looks like he's up to his old tricks:
That image, by the way, is part of a five-page preview you can see over at Newsarama.

What's really interesting (well, to me anyway) is that as you can see, he's back to using masks for his disguises. The Chameleon's appearances in comics are infrequent enough that I'm not 100 percent sure of this, but I'm pretty certain the last time he was seen, he was using 'face changing tech'. Or maybe I'm confused with the Spider-Man cartoons.

Anyway, for those of you, myself included, who are fans of this master of disguise... might be a good idea to get along to your local comic store. (This issue is the first in an arc to feature him, by the way. If we're really lucky, perhaps he'll try on a few of those female masks behind him, hmmm?)

Oh and fans of the Black Cat might be pleased to see this cover image for issue 607, which is coming in about five weeks or so (now that Amazing Spider-Man comes out three times a month):


... especially because if your mind works like mine does, it probably sparked a few Spider-Girl ideas...!

A search related addendum: By far, this is the highest traffic post on this blog. I can only assume it's some magic combination of 'Chameleon' and 'Marvel' going by the search terms, but then again, I find myself on page 10 of the Google results... so I have no idea what you're looking for.

On the off-chance that you, like me, find the Chameleon an intriguing and in fact exciting character; if the phrase 'master of disguise' does special things for you... then you might like my fan fiction series which features him heavily, especially in the first four issues. Read the first issue right here.

Whoops

Ah, sorry about that little three month break there. Nothing you're not used to, I figure, but I also figure it's worth popping up here and saying something now and again.

Here's where I stand; my life is about to change in a very big way, but I don't want to elaborate on just how. (Although I will shoot down a couple of obvious things: no, I'm not having a kid; no, I'm not getting divorced; and no, I'm not having sex change. Alright, the last one's not so obvious.) That's partially led to my invisibility over the last few months.

The good news for you is that I am, occasionally, still writing, but Other Stuff has gotten in the way. I'm still interested in continuing/finishing things I have going, though, with The Babysitter (working title) and quite possibly Teya (also a working title) being the most important ones.

For the handful of Betty Brant/Spider-Girl fans out there, well, that's not going anywhere fast. I have ideas of where I want to go with her, but honestly, right now it's not appealing. That could change.

I know it's a bit crappy of me to write another "Oh I'm writing stuff, but there's nothing to see here - yet" post but personally, I prefer to hear something from people in our little 'circle' instead of nothing at all. Hope you feel the same.

That's it. I'll try and make sure next time I post, I've got something to share, too. In the meantime feel free to sound off below, or send me an email just to say 'hi'.

Oh, and happy July 4th, for those who care about these things!

Going around and around in circles

For those keeping track, I'm trying to write. And it's proving tough.

At the moment I've got a few things on the go. I've actually started writing The Babysitter, which is now very much a working title, after I was inspired randomly one day to put down the thoughts of the main character. That turned into a sort-of prologue which will probably never be used, but established what I wanted to do in the story early on, which has led to a productive streak... that's now hit a bit of a wall, as I've come to A Big Scene and seem a bit scared to write it. What a wuss, eh? For those who like to dig around, I talked about the origins of this (gulp) over a year ago.

Second, I'm trying to move Betty Brant's adventures onwards, but man oh man, that's proving tough. I have been plotting and re-plotting and re-plotting the next issue forever; I have almost 6,000 words of it written, but have probably thrown away half of that. It's driving me kind of nuts. I can't even tell you why it's driving me nuts - half because it'll spoil it, and half because I don't know why!! Still, I think the destination I have in mind is worth getting to, so, I continue to slam my head against this particular wall.

Your opinion wanted

Hello there.

Well, it's fair to say that there's been a fair amount of thinking and perhaps not as much writing as I might like here in the past month or so. I've been tapping away at something new, which may or may not pan out, but has kept me interested. I've stalled on a couple of other things.

What I'm here for now, though, is a bit of research. Call it professional curiosity. On the right you should see a poll (unless you're looking at this post over a week from now; greetings, time traveller). Can you do me a favour and answer it? And leave any additional thoughts or comments you have under this post.

Oh, and just for the time travellers, here's the question: "In mask fiction, what sort of transformation do you prefer to read about?" Options being 'male to female', 'male to male', 'female to female', 'female to male', 'any, if it's right for the story' or 'all if at all possible'. So now even you can answer.

Let me know... vote today!

UPDATE: I moved the poll up top, as that way, you can see the results properly.

Thanks to those who voted so far!

2009 and all that

Hello and Happy New Year to those of you who, no doubt, still drop by occasionally hoping to see new stuff.

Here's the good news: there is new stuff coming.

Here's the bad: I've got no idea when it might turn up.

Due to a combination of factors, mostly personal, I haven't had many solid periods of writing since last August or so. I'm trying to get back into it.

Ideas are not the issue (in fact, extracting those ideas into one, coherent plot is often the issue) so don't worry about that. It's just the usual stuff: time and effort.

I took a look back at 2008's resolutions which I wrote about just over a year ago (neatly summarised as 'Finish more stuff') and it made me smile, wryly. Naturally, stating that I would finish more stuff ensured I didn't.

Maybe I should try some reverse psychology on myself: don't write.

Let's see how that one works out...