INTERNETS: I HAVE SUCH SIGHTS TO SHOW YOU.

 So I have been teasing a BIG THING for a while now. A thing I could not share. A SECRET!

I SUCK AT SECRETS.

but I did it. BUT NOW I CAN SHARE!

I made my first pro sale to a comic company!

You may have heard that BOOM! studios is doing a Hellraiser Anthology series

CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER: BESTIARY will be a 6 issue anthology series featuring loads of impressive writers and artists...

and me!.

Meep!

Issue 1 comes out in August and features: 

CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER: BESTIARY #1 (of 6)

Written by Victor LaValle, Ben Meares, and Mark Alan Miller

Illustrated by Colin Lorimer, Carlos Magno, and Conor Nolan

Covers by Conor Nolan, Kim Herbst, and Sam Shearon



I have no idea which issue my story will be in, but this is ... unbelievable. 


The first comic I ever read was a horror anthology.

The first horror movie I ever saw was Hellraiser.

It's really AMAZING to be part of that universe and I am super excited about it.

Endless love to my editor, Chris Rosa and the artist for the story 

Daniele Serra for making this story all it could be.

In Which Lela Gives a Lecture on "Freedom of Speech"

A girl gets raped by a teacher and a commenter on the news article says she
was “asking for it.” A hue and cry of rape culture follows. The commenter
stands by the original statement and adds that she was probably wearing
something provocative and was old for her age. It is explained to the
commenter that these are all standard responses from someone immersed in
rape culture, that victim-blaming is part of what creates the perfect
conditions for rapists to act with impunity. Some of the respondents are
more aggressive, creating an us versus them dynamic. The commenter angrily
declares that this is a free country and he or she can say what she wants.
Freedom of Speech!

America, can we talk?

For the most part, I love you. Seriously. I mean yes, I'm a politically
moderate feminist, which means I find myself mad...a lot, frankly. But I
love you.

But my love is a tough love. And there is a problem. An arrested
development issue.

In elementary school when someone said “Shut up” the standard answer was
(and I dare to stay still is) “It's a free country. I'll say what I want”.

Which is perfectly fine 8-year-old logic.

Thing is, America, I see a lot of adults using this same counter-argument
all the time.

Every time someone says something racist, sexist, or rape apologist and is
called on it I see the same sad, sorry response. “Don't censor me! This is
America! Freedom of Speech!” The peanut gallery adds a  chorus of “We have
a little thing called the Bill of Rights! First Amendment!”


Let's take a look at the First Amendment, with some emphasis added, shall
we?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


See that? The Amendment provides Freedom of Speech... from the government.

The government.

Not people. Not society. In fact the way human society works is we keep
each other in check and weed out undesirable behaviors using peer pressure.
When a person says or does something awful, it is imperative to society's
forward movement that we do so. This is how civilization was built. And
here in America, this is how we get to that much lauded “more perfect
union.”

Screaming censorship or wrapping yourself in a false banner of freedom of
speech is a tool for stopping conversation. For stopping progress. For
keeping old paradigms of inequality and hate in place. Using “freedom” and
your “rights” as the unassailable bubble wrap protecting your hate takes
the dreams of Americans wishing to live in a land where all people are
created equal and distorts them. The Bill of Rights was created to prevent
tyranny, not to create a myriad of small tyrants. By accusing people of
censorship and infringing on your rights you are casting yourself as a
victim and negating all personal responsibility for maintaining civil
discourse.

So, grow up America. Get a grasp of the rights that you have and go argue
with someone. But if someone tells you that what you are saying is
unacceptable, first stop and think about what you are saying. And then if
you are still set on your position, find a different tack. Try logic or
past precedent to prove your point, but unless you are talking to a
government official, don't cry censorship or scream about your First
Amendment rights. Civil communication moves us all forward.

WE'RE FULLY FUNDED!

BORN DARK IS OFFICIALLY FULLY FUNDED

which is AMAZING!

YOU can still get in on the fun (NO RISK! ALL REWARD!)

THE KICKSTARTER IS LIVE

That's pretty much it!

After a MONTH of issues we are GOOD!

THE KICKSTARTER FOR BORN DARK IS LIVE!

GO SUPPORT US! SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS! BE AMAZING!

WAIT... It's Valentines Day . Shouldn't there be a BORN DARK KICKSTARTER?

WELL, YES.

but no.

I MEAN NOT YET!
Due to the fact that we want to present the BEST POSSIBLE THING and the fact that when Kickstarter says it takes up to 7 days for this to happen and 3 days for that you should DAMN WELL LISTEN (my bad, I'm sorry. Learning here.) we are delayed.

BUT I WILL BE SINGING FROM THE BALCONY WHEN WE (finally) GET THE GO AHEAD.

and till then, go check out the PREVIEW.

and let me know what you think!

Sacrifices *written in support of Dylan Farrow. Trigger warning*

Mallory walked into the room and beamed at John.

“You just saw it, didn't you?”

“I did.” She looked up at the ceiling, drawing her fingers through her hair, trying to gather the many thoughts and feelings that swirled in her head.

“So?”

“I'm glad I went alone. I don't think I could have waited to talk about it and I hate people who talk in movies.”

John pulled back his blanket and patted the couch next to him. “So let's talk. What was your favorite part?”

Mallory dropped onto the couch eyes still up, still living through the movie in her head. “The whole thing? Everything? I mean the emotion, the focus on small conflict, the realness of it all.”

“Right? It feels like life. But life as art. It's beautiful and terrible and real and better than real.”

“Yes! That exactly.” She leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. “I feel so good right now. I can't wait till he makes another one.”

John's face darkened. “Well you know it'll be a while. It takes certain things for a genius to do his work and selfish people never want to make the sacrifices.”

Mallory lifted his chin and and smiled at him.

“Don't worry, babe. They'll do it. No one wants to live in a world with his brilliance.”

~~~

The room was dark except for a single light behind the three men sitting at the table. That single light was sun bright and spotlighted a young girl in a thin cotton sundress.

The girl blocked her eyes and squinted at the men, but they were blocky black shadows in the dark.

“You're certain no one will miss her?”

“Her mother, maybe, but she's no angel. We can paint it as an unfit parent getting help from a wealthy, softhearted celebrity and then turning on her benefactor. Plus, everyone loves those movies.”

The girl couldn't tell which ones were speaking. Just that in the whole time that she'd been in here two of them had talked about her like she wasn't there and one never said a word.

“What's he saving her from? Health problems? Poverty? We can't have...”

There was more, but she didn't understand it. She looked down at her dress. It was new. A yellow dress like for the summer time with a lady bug on a leaf on it. She grabbed the skirt and looked at it closer. Cold air blew on her bare legs. There were one, two, three spots on one side of the ladybug and one, two, three, four on the other side.

She was so busy counting she hadn't noticed one of the men had gotten closer to her. The light was still behind him and he was bent over so she couldn't see his face.

“What's your name?”

His voice was softer than the other men's. He was the one that hadn't been talking.

“Myra Jean Falloy.”

“Well, Myra Jean. You're going to come with me. Isn't that nice? I make movies and my movies make people happy. Making people happy is good isn't it, Myra Jean?”

She nodded.

“You're going to make me happy, so I can make other people happy.”

He held his hand out, the long shadow of it cut her in half. She hesitated for a moment, thinking of her Mother. She hesitated, but then relents. She is a child. It's her job to trust adults.

It's been a long time coming....

So I've been talking about making comics for a while now. Hell, I've been working on the project That has been known as Mother, Bourne, and now BORN DARK for almost 3 years. But friends, Neighbors, countrymen WE HAVE PROGRESS.

We have art. And it's sorta awesome. And you're totally gonna lose your mind.

And if you sign up at www. BornDarkComic.com you will be the firsty first first to see that awesomeness right in your inbox. Why? because we love you.

Who is we?

Well, I cannot talk about Born Dark with out talking about my amazing TEAM OF AWESOME

Adam P. Knave - editing- (because I knew better than to think I know best :D) You know him from his Eisner Award winning hand at editing PopGun and writing amazing comics like Amelia Cole and Artful Daggers

Richard Clark- art- (because AWESOME) You've seen his work in House of Gold & Bones as well as a a dozen other superhero titles. He's bringing some serious depth to these characters and I'm super excited to show you what he's got!

Frank Cvetkovic- lettering- (cuz AMAZING) He's the letterer for books such as ARTFUL DAGGERS, THE BLACK WRAITH, FIRESIDE MAGAZINE, KUNG FU SKRATCH!, MOLLY DANGER, NENETL OF THE FORGOTTEN SPIRITS, and THE INSIDE. He's pretty much the bomb y'all. 


The plan is to Kickstart Issue 0 beginning Feb 14th and to have a special package for people who give in those early days. SO BE READY! SIGN UP at BORN DARK COMIC if you want to know more before ANYONE ELSE!