Fresh Dirt--Scott Nicholson's journal

July 1
Flow. That's the word of the day. The blueberries, cherries, and raspberries are coming in and it's so peaceful to climb up on the mountain and collect them. Cherries are too much work to store, so they are best picked and eten on the spot. The blackberries will be in a little later, and the apples are looking pretty good this year.

We've finished the first issue of The Gorge, now it's time to put it all together and get it to publishers. We'll either do it as a six-issue series or collect it into a trade paperback. I am real pleased with the art and will be revealing some here at the site soon, but in the meantime, we'll work on Dirt #3 if I don't go broke first--got the wedding coming up in a month...

Details of the 2009 Haunted Computer Paranormal Conference are posted now. We're disappointed in the loss of the Green Park Inn, but this location came together so well that it's almost like there were, uh, forces beyond our control making it happen.

June 24
So on my birthday ( a prime number year), a large redtail hawk flew right in front of my car on a curvy mountain road, breaking out of the trees into a wedge of sunlight. It was so close I vividly saw the red of the tail feathers, something I'd never seen before (because you usually view them from a good distance below). One of my spiritual advisors said it was a good sign, but that I should be alert. So I stayed alert and maybe I avoided some mishap or other. Usually my spirit animals are dead possums or goats that have crashed into my house (ripped through the window screen and ate my ficus tree), so I will take a real encounter any day. I've had some orders for the two issues of Dirt with sketch card deal, so I am working on those and pushing ahead on the Dreamboat series. I have some books out on submission and The Skull Ring is moving along toward publication. This novel will mark the next phase of my career, since it is a distant evolution from the earlier supernatural works. My current project hearkens back to that a bit, but it also has more spiritual elements than its predecessors and will come down to a more straightforward confrontation of Good vs. Evil than my earlier work.

I don't like absolutes of black and white, because they are simplistic and meant to be reassuring but generally just gloss over any true embracing of our purpose here. Do we do the right thing even when no one is looking? If so, do we do it only because we think God is looking and will eventually pay out some reward? I had this discussion with writer Eric Wilson at Hypericon, and even in Christian fiction there is a schism between those who want the comforting company line and those who want to take on the real issues of faith. Of course, it's still just fiction, but maybe that's the only place we can afford to be honest.

June 22
I always love the summer solstice, that very long day of too much light. Partly because my birthday is on June 24, and it's Cancer season where creativity and romance rule. Yes, I am getting married soon...

In the unveiling of all things Nicholson, here's a gander at Samantha Smartt, Julian Furr's sidekick in the Dreamboat series. or maybe she's the star--we'll see who emerges on top. Artist Sergio Castro is working on the first issue, and soon these guys will be available in a T-shirt. We're also finishing up The Gorge issue, a full-color book that I will be shopping around soon. I had at blast at the Heroes convention in Charlotte, miles and miles of comic books (at least, it seemed that way, and lots of different creators. The indie guys seemed to get lost in the dust, with long lines waiting to meet Chris Claremont and some of the other artists. My personal highlights were meeting Steve Niles and Eric Powell, though I spent the day divided between fanboy mode and creator mode. Post Mortem Comics and friends Bitter Tea Studio and Jester Press had a slow start but things seemed to pick up later Saturday.

After seeing all those mountains of old comics, many of them selling for 50 cents or a dollar, walking around with Dirt #1 and #2 felt a little silly. But, hey, there's only one Digger, and there's only one Scott Nicholson, though I am not sure which is which anymore. It will be even worse when the T-shirt comes out...incidentally, I am running a special--order the first two issues of Dirt from me and you get a FREE original sketch card--my own rendition of The Digger. I am not a real artist, and therefore I can guarantee you that no two of these cards will be the same! Plus you get a limited-edition sticker from Post Mortem Comics.

Also, if you are a comics fan, please go to your local store and ask them to order comics through Haven Distributors--it's the new refuge of the independents and where all the comics of tomorrow will emerge. Unfortunately, not many comic stores seem to know it yet. A few other alternative distributors are popping up, and with lots of people concerned about Diamond Distributors' cutting of titles that don't sell in the thousands, then the small press will have to find new avenues to survive and thrive. Luckily, in the Internet Age, a paper catalog is old-fashioned anyway, but change takes time, they say. Guess they aren't on Twitter.

June 14
Dean Koontz has an interesting tidbit in his latest newsletter that really resonates with me: "When you accept your talent not as something to take pride in but as something for which to be grateful, you set the ego aside, and you are freed from the desire to impress, and you enter into play. When that happens, the consequent spontaneity enriches the work, and you experience moments that are spiritually exhilarating, an awareness of God within and without." Koontz is not really given much credit for spirituality but he does have a deep streak of faith and mystery running through his work. Nice to hear such humble words for somebody who is one of the bestselling writers of the last three decades.

June 6
Blogging "live" from Hypericon--interesting war stories from Jonathan Maberry, Brian Keene, Wrath James White, Ronald Kelly, John Everson, David Jack Bell, Bryan Smith, and more. Good artists, too--Stephen Gilberts is artist guest of honor. The only downside is the wonderful Deb LeBlanc couldn't make it, but this is a relaxed, fun event. I will post a couple of interviews in my Ghostwriter section soon. I'm getting inspired hearing the success stories, too--writers are selling projects and people are reading them. I have launched a new project that has a little more humor than my other work and this morning I am working on the Dreamboat comic series. Ana Ludmila has done some beautiful character sketches, and Sergio Castro will be developing the art. Here is one of the two main characters. For your approval, Julian Furr:

I miss my chickens and garden--this year really feels like a struggle for some reason, with odd weather--too rainy, then too cool, late frost, then sudden summer. I've had a few requests for garden updates, so let's just say the slugs are winning, though I do have a few new greens this year like tatsoi, fennel, and a different kind of Swiss chard, as well as four different kinds of potatoes. Here's what kind of garden nerd I am--I got this great big pick-up load of cow crap, piled up for over a year, in a creaky old truck with bad tires and a door that doesn't shut and you can start it without a key. Heaven! Also have about 50 tomato plants this year, as the canning experience was so satisfying last year that I'm going to keep us busy this fall. Also have many more green beans this year, five different varieties, three of them heirloom. About two-thirds of the seeds came from my own stock, saved from last year, and there are other things I'm learning about seeds. For example, some things seed in the spring after overwintering--turnips, parsnips, parsley. I always wondered how you get cabbage seeds--I guess you just leave the stalk in the ground and let it go full cycle. I'll have a "chicken post" next week, as I'm writing a newspaper article on my experience with chickens.

June 3
About to hit the road for Hypericon in Nashville--I haven't been to an actual SF/F Star Wars dress-up gaming panels con in a while. A number of my writer friends are there, so I am looking forward to it, even if money is tight with the wedding coming up. I'll have a stack of books to sell but I'll probably buy more than I sell--the artist's lot in life.

I was discussing with another starving artist this morning whether Van Gogh was a "success" or not. The core issue is whether Van Gogh failed because he made very little money off his art and once was so hungry he ate part of his own ear after that unrequiting lover sent it back (oh, wait, now I'm confusing it with zombies). At any rate, the art is enduring, and so what if Van Gogh couldn't hustle a buck in his day? Too many writers are worried about pimping product, hyping their persona, schmucking up at writer events--you know, typical human behavior when people are in some type of "career." I used to be very career-oriented but as my life branched out, I guess I just wanted jobs. And not even "work." Just labors of love. I've always said writing isn't a career, it's a lifestyle. When I have to write one of those third-person biographies and put in all the weird stuff I do--comic books, screenplays, paranormal conferences, comic-show hosting, organic gardening, chicken raising, novelist and a full-time job as a journalist--sometimes it's just busting at the seams and maybe I should just try to do one thing well. But I try to do all things well. Maybe not the top in any field, maybe not even good enough to be noteworthy, but with full passion. And the people I've met in the course of these various endeavors have really enriched my life in ways I couldn't imagine if I had sat at a keyboard for the last five years the way I thought I wanted.

Now, I do want to bring all these experiences to the keyboard, and I do. I told my honey she's made me so happy it's hard to write a song anymore--I think I have written two or three this year. In my younger and unhappier days, it was common for me to write five a week. I'm too poor to be comfortable and too egotistical to be content with mediocrity. All my Taoist musings aside, there's this core little Scottie Nicholson that wants to kick the world's ass and stand on the mountain with my gleaming trophy, beating my chest and screaming, "Told ya so!" Then I'd get bored and give the trophy away and come back down the mountain, leaving it for the next sucker's bloody, painful climb.

I have this new comic concept called...ah, never mind!

May 27
One of our local bookstores is closing in a few days--a combined victim of the recession, small variety of stock, and cheap bestsellers in a couple of big-box retailers. Another local indie is not doing so hot, and we may even lose our Waldenbooks in the mall. This is a university town--and it could be without a bookstore by the end of the year.

I fully believe the book industry has changed so much that many of the old rules apply. The Internet offers you the books at your fingertips, and though there's nothing like the heady smell of ink and paper in a bookstore (and expensive coffee if you're lucky), I am not sure bookstores are "cool" enough for the modern shopper. They tend to cater to the sweet-potato-pie crowd and reading clubs, and though I dearly love both, I am not sure they are a broad enough audience.

My honey and I talked about what kind of stores we'd open if we wanted--I used to own a sports card store in the 1990s, and though that fad faded, I am now organizing and hosting sports cards and comic shows, so I enjoy it. I might even add some books, but a used book store selling 25-cent paperbacks and dollar hardcovers requires a ton of room and a slim profit margin. It's hard to see how any survive in a downtown area. Unless you own the property, I don't see how it would work as a business. We have a "freebie table" at work, where people put out things they don't want and take things they need. There's a stack of paperbacks, some by well-known authors, that have been there about two months. Nobody wants them. And this is a newspaper, where presumably most of the people are literate.

What kinds of things would draw a younger, hipper audience? Stores already say author signings are not big draws anymore. Sure, people will line up for miles to see Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, but the guy down the street with the new memoir is probably not going to bring in the skateboard crowd. Adding video games, DVDs, flashy things seem like a culture clash, but those things are already available on the Internet, cell phones, and other tiny, portable devices. Maybe books will eventually migrate there, too, as soon as today's tweeners become little old ladies. I do know the number of new fiction titles declined by 11 percent last year (decimation in its truest sense) while the number of print-on-demand titles soared and now is more than twice that of traditional, offset titles. Yet I personally know of several author friends of mine doing amazingly well, so there is no blanket statement of "Publishing is dead."

Personally, I have found joy in putting together my "pop cons," and my paranormal conference, and developing comic books. I still write and I'm working on an interesting novel, but it's just one of many passions now. The umbrella is getting larger and they all seem to fit. So this issue is something I've been pondering both for myself and for the effect on our culture. I am not sure of the future of books or publishing but I still believe those messages of the soul will find their way to the world.

May 15
If you follow my ramblings much, you know I am protective of my personal life. I'll talk about my garden but rarely about the people in my life. But this event is big enough to fill the universe with love. I am blessed to be sharing my life with Lexie Danner. We are getting married on July 31 and look forward to learning to live and love one day at a time, for as long as we choose to follow the path side by side. Lexie has taught me so much and, just as importantly, has opened herself to my rather peculiar views. On paper, we match up pretty good: we are both Cancers, we are both tigers in the Chinese zodiac, she's a lefty and I'm a righty, and we both are creative homebodies. But we also have enough differences to never get bored--I'm rough around the edges and my spirituality is a work in progress, while she has long believed the message of compassion and love. She once said, "When I kiss you, it's like my feet are on the ground and my head's in the clouds." Sure, I'm the Digger and she's the Dreamer, I'm the troll and she's the fairy, I'm the cynic and she's the optimist. We like each other. Here's the Official Wedding Page with some art.

May 6

FREE COMIC DAY!
With Scott, every day is free comic day. Special offer: If you post my Dirt banner on your Web site, Myspace site, Facebook, or other Web page hangout, I will send you a free PDF copy of DIRT #1. Please copy and paste the banner below and link the banner to www.postmortemcomics.com/dirt.html.

Or copy and paste this html code:

<a href="http://www.postmortemcomics.com/dirt.html"><font color="#000000" face="Arial">www.postmortemcomics.com/dirt.html</font></a><font color="#000000" face="Arial">. </font></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.postmortemcomics.com/dirt.html"><font color="#000000" face="Arial"><img src="dirtbanner.jpg" border="0" width="468" height="60"></font></a></p>

Simply email me the page address where the banner and link is posted (to graveconditions AT yahoo.com), and I will email over the PDF file. No fuss, no muss, no trees destroyed, and great Digger fun for all.

Been busy working on the new novel and a number of comics projects. An update on Scattered Ashes, it is now available in trade paperback through Horror Mall and Amazon, with the collector hardcover editions at Dark Regions and Horror Mall. Comics news: I don't have a catalog order number, but if you drop by or call your favorite local comics shop, ask them to order "Dirt" from Post Mortem Comics, available through the Haven Distributors catalog.

Also in development are the comics Dreamboat, Murdermouth, The Red Church, The Gorge, Grave Conditions, and another project for young readers that is too early in development to share much about. I'll soon be expanding the comics section to include more art. Post Mortem is developing the Digger character as a T-shirt and collectible statue, too. So that's why I haven't been around much to update all these pages, but look for some new articles soon, as well as information on a couple of new books.

April 10
As a former baseball player and coach, I was saddened to see the death of Nick Adenhart, the rookie pitcher for the Angels, who was killed by a drunk driver. No doubt there will be a renewed call for lowering the drinking limit and more of the "Drink good, drunk bad" rhetoric that governments use as an excuse to raise taxes on alcohol while continuing to support a culture of "War on Drugs." I don't drink or use drugs and I don't care who does, as long as they don't cross the line (or double lines) into my lane. Legalize drugs and immediately the gun trade will die down a little, and the Afghanistan opium warlords and the Taliban and the Mexico murderers and the street-corner thugs will be out of business. And, yes, the government will tax the heck out of it and our farmers will be able to get off welfare and the economy will straighten up a little and people will have a little more civil liberty and personal responsibility. Of course, the problem with that scenario is that we'll have to rely on the next person to be as responsible or irresponsible as we are. Either way, killing people over this stuff seems like bad business and bad karma.

Congratulations to my friends Christopher Ransom and Jack Kilborn (aka Joe Konrath on the success of their new books. I'm glad to see good books are still being published and consumed. Keep reading!

April 5
A big shout out to Shawn Gadsberry, a.k.a. Monster A-Go-Go, for the first Nicholson book trailer, though in this case it's a comics trailer combined with a general all-around Scott fest. You can proliferate it on YouTube.

Also announcing the deal for The Home movie option has been signed, which will be developed by producer Lea Marin with Sean Frewer attached to direct. Marin is a member of the Canadian Film Board and Frewer has directed some animated series for MTV. Thanks to my friend Stephanie Boddington and her passion for the story in getting it to Sean. Hopefully it will get some financing and a script soon, then move forward to the big screen. The usual question is "Who would you like to see in the lead roles?" and I'd have to answer that I don't watch enough movies to know anything, as long as it's not that chunky red-headed kid Mason whatever who was a child star when I was young. Or one of the Partridge kids. I guess I'd like to see Johnny Depp with a big role, as that would mean a big budget. Heck, I'd even vote for Pauly Shore or Tom Arnold or Bugs Bunny as long as it went into production. Obviously I have no vote, though, so I'm trusting the production team's vision.

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