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Dear Jeff Smith: ALS ice bucket challenge accepted
So Jeff Smith, creator of Bone, doused himself with a big old bucket of water, and passed along the ALS ice bucket challenge to me: either donate $100 to ALS research, or dump a bucket of ice water on your head. Here’s Jeff getting doused. Well, bless your heart. I don’t have a video camera, and even if I did, I have better things to do with cold ice water. Like make a refreshing batch of lemonade with it! Here I am on my deck, like a good southern girl, under my lace parasol and drinking my yummy lemonade. MmmmMMMMMmmmmmm Good. And wearing flannel. In August. Go figure. You can…
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Effective Medical Treatment for Migraines
A migraine is not a headache. It is a neurological condition that affects the central nervous system. Those who do not suffer migraines dismiss them as the whines of malingerers. Those who get them want to put those people in a chair and hit them in the head with a spike so they can see how it feels. Migraine pain is said by many to be worse than natural childbirth. I have been a migraine patient for 25 years (chronic for eight) and gave birth to my first child a year and a half ago. Hands down, a migraine is more painful than labour and birth (including the episiotomy, lateral…
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Brain Fog
You used to be able to do long division in your head. Now you can’t do simple math on paper. You always knew what time it was, never needed a watch, and had the entire television schedule memorized. No one bought a TV Guide because they had you. Now you can’t keep up with your favorite shows because you can’t remember the storylines. Or when they were on. You never had to study because one pass over a book and you had it down. Now you can barely remember what you’ve read a half hour after you put the book away. You write for a living, but you stumble over…
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Thought for the Day: Steve Bissette
I fear the mythos of “creative living” sans income is not just damaging to individuals, but is one promoted culturally to justify various methods of creative theft, corporate mistreatment, and publisher methods tilted to ensure successful publishers elevated on the backs of processions of starving creators. Steve Bissette
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In Loving Memory of Mary Gray
Mary Gray was an early editor/proofreader of A Distant Soil, and a major reason I didn’t give up on the project early when circumstances made it seem as if going on would not be worthwhile. She worked very briefly as an assistant editor at The Donning Company publishers, where, when the executive editor was let go, Donning passed her over and hired someone else to take the job I was sure she deserved. Mary did not like the pressure of the regular gig, and decided to leave the company. I asked Donning to keep her on a freelance basis as she asked, but Donning refused. She did most of the…
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A Distant Soil Fan Art: Amazing Niniri Doll and Set!
Allen, aka IXIDragonLordIXI has made a wonderful Niniri doll complete with elaborate Ovanan set! This is amazing! LOVE it!!! Looks at those earrings and that hairpiece! Those are real crystals! And Allen made the entire doll head and body himself. Here she is at her console, planning galactic domination in the sweetest way possible. And doing it all with fabulous hair! A girl likes to be well dressed, and this lovely cape is just the perfect accompaniment to the genteel megalomaniac’s wardrobe. Vogueing it, while poised to push the red button! Detail of the back of Niniri’s cape. Just love this, what an outstanding job, Allen! Thanks so much for…
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Gone to Amerikay Launch Party Photos
The Gone to Amerikay book launch party, courtesy of businessman and lawyer JP Delaney of Rosie O’Grady’s, O’Dwyer and Bernstein, and the Harbour Lights Restaurant, was held at Harbour Lights on the last weekend of March. Harbor Lights on the 17th Street Pier has fantastic food and a fracking amazing view. We could not have asked for a better venue, and Derek McCulloch, Karen Berger, Joan Hilty, Joe Hughes, Jose Villarubia, Jared Fletcher and I are all so very grateful for the incredible hospitality of Mr Delaney and the staff of Harbour Lights! If you are ever in New York City, you should definitely try it. Beautiful, romantic view! YUMMY…
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A Distant Soil Cosplay
For the life of me, I cannot find this nice young lady’s name, but here she is in a gorgeous Liana costume posing next to me ma! If you have any cosplay photos you’d like us to post here, please use the contact button to let me know and I will give you instructions for sending pics. When we have enough pics, we will set up a gallery. So much fun to see these! Thanks so much! Great work on this dress!
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Marvel Comics vs Jack Kirby Decision: Marvel Wins
Just received 50 page judgment of the United States Southern District Court of NY in Marvel vs Kirby and counterclaim Kirby vs Marvel. Grants plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment against Kirby, and denies Kirby’s motion for summary judgment against Marvel. Key quotes: The expert opinions of Mark Evanier and John Morrow on behalf of Kirby were roundly dismissed as hearsay. The court paper goes into Marvel’s business practices with regard to creation of comics and payment of freelancers in detail, so it’s worth a read for that alone. A 1972 agreement signed by Kirby reads: And a 1986 document signed by Kirby: VERY important note here: the “instance and expense…
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Happy Birthday, Rose O’Neill!
Rose O’Neill, one of the most important and influential cartoonists of all time, was born today in 1874. Her creations “The Kewpies” were a worldwide sensation. At a time when women weren’t even able to vote, Rose O’Neill was one of the top illustrators in the world, and a prominent suffragette. O’Neill’s charming and feminine works are largely ignored by comics pundits today. Here are two previous articles I’ve written for this site about Rose O’Niell. This one tells the tale of Rose’s career and her marriage to one of the men who helped create the first moving pictures. And here is the tale of her creation of The Kewpies.…