Greeting Loyal Airmen, some time last year, we posted a list of the 8 comic projects we were currently involved with and the artists we were working with on each. Recently, we tripped over that list and saw that quite a few things have changed and thought we’d take this week to bring you all up to speed. So sit tight. Here we go.

Mr. Jigsaw Man of the Thousand Parts remains our longest running series ever, done with my pal Gary Kato and edited by Rob Davis, published via Rob’s Redbud Studio. We did finish issue # 18 but sadly it has yet to become available at (www.IndyPlantet.com) Whereas it is one of the three issues contained in the 6th volume of The Adventures of Mr. Jigsaw available from Amazon. Hopefully, we can get cracking on issue # 19 before year’s end.

BEYOND THE STARS – Having wrapped up a successful Kickstarter Campaign for issue #2, Silverline Comics hopes to have that issue out to all supporters in June. Meanwhile artist Andrea Bormida is hard at work on the art for issue # 3. Which is our cue to get cracking on script # 4 of this planned six-issue sci-fi mini=series.

JIN & TONIK, the spy thriller graphic novel series we are doing with artist Cesar Feliciano. Issue one has been completed illustrated and we are awaiting the gorgeous coloring by Matt Webb.  Matt was recently very, very sick with pneumonia and is just now getting back on his feet. We are really happy he got through that and we should soon start seeing more pages from him.  Note, in regards to our participation, we have written the first two scripts.

THE BLACK BAT – The graphic novel origin of this classic pulp hero. Artist Mike Belcher is still hard at work on, when time allows. Mike is penciling, inking and lettering, with his son Aiden on coloring chores. After a good start last year, Mike and his family got sidelined with other responsibilities that forced him to do more paid art commissions and set this aside for a little while. Per our recent conversation, it is his hope to get back to do pages on a regular schedule soon. At which time he will self-publish the book via Ka-Blam and his own imprint. So it is very much alive, BB fans.

THE WOODEN BLADE – The ongoing anthropomorphic series featuring the adventures of Raizee the Ram and Orai, his Vulture side-kick continues at a good pace. With issues one and two out from Pulp Fission Comics, artist Olivia DeGaine hopes to have issue # 3 out in time for the Fort Collins Comic Con the weekend of Aug. 26-27. Both of us are having a blast with these stories.

THE BOSTON BOMBERS Vol Two Issue # 1 –  Artist Rob Davis has been bowling us over with his amazingly beautiful pages for this sequel to the 30 yr old Boston Bombers book. At present he’s approximately four pages from wrapping up issue # 1 and will publish via his own Redbud Studio imprint. Stay tuned, Loyal Airmen, you don’t not want to miss this one.

CHIVALRY INC – Artist Javier Lugo who initially signed to the project, dealt with some major setbacks over the past year. This book is still set for publishing via Silverline Comics and in Javier’s recent message, he’s still very much on board and hopes to start work on it as soon as he finishes his current comic project.

SATIN’S WAYS – A project that was going to go to Silverline Comics but we ran into problems finding an art team, and then learned the Silverline’s 22 pg format wouldn’t work with our pg count per issue. In the end, we pulled it from them and recruited Gary Kato to do the entire 48 pgs which will then be published by Redbud Studio. We’ll keep you posted. We’ve forgotten how many different artists were connected with this over the past twenty years. With Gary on board, we’re guaranteed it will now come to completion.

HAMLET’S END – New western series we kicked off last year with artist Zane DeGaine. Still moving forward with hopes to have issue # 1 from Pulp Fission Comics available at this year’s Rocky Mountain Con in Nov. All fingers crossed. This one will be in full color.

CRIMSON NUN

And finally our latest in progress project based on a 1997 series from Antarctic Press and created by Warrior Nun’s own Ben Dunn. Ben gave us the green light back in April at the Wicked West Comix Expo where we met for the first time. Our artist on this one is Jesse Thomas and he’s now working on the first nine pages of script number one which we cranked out last week. The plot for this one has been slowly germinating and with God’s inspirations coming together in a truly excited fashion. This one is going to be a blast.

And there you have them, Loyal Airmen. Ten comic projects all be juggled daily by the Air Chief. We must be nuts. Hahahaha.

AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCION – THE PULP STUFF

Meanwhile back at good old Airship 27, Rob is busy doing his illustrations for “Sherlock Holmes – Consulting Detective” Vol 19.  And as ever his work is gorgeous, ala the illo above. Artist Howard Simpson will be providing the cover for that one. And believe me, Loyal Airmen, we’ve at least four other titles nearing the finish line so in the next week or two expect to see them popping up at Amazon.

And there you have it Loyal Airmen, what the Air Chief is currently juggling creatively.  As always thanks for stopping by. Stay well and God bless.

Ron – Over & Out!