Greetings Loyal Airmen, we truly hope that all of you had a super wonderful Christmas Day and were able to share it with your loved ones. Hope Santa also brought you that special something you’d been wishing for. Now we look to next week’s New Year celebration and saying good-bye to 2025. The Air Chief is exciting about the projects were currently involved with and hopefully you’ll be seeing lots of new comic issues in the months ahead. For example…
JIN & TONIK PLAYING WITH AI
As most of you are well aware, artist/creator Cesare Feliciano has been hard at work wrapping up the pages to issue # of our spy thriller, JIN & TONIK. As the Air Chief writes this entry, Cesar only has one or two pages left before he hands things over to colorist Matt Webb and letterer Mike Belcher. In the meanwhile, Cesar surprised us recently when he began playing with some AI 3D programs. What he does is take one of his actual illustrations, ala the one above left and runs it through that program…which then turns it into a more “realistic” looking artwork. There has been a whole lot of discussion concerning AI this past year; most graphic artists and comic companies pledging to never use it. Which is understandable, it really isn’t creating anything, just changing what’s already been done. Still, it remains a tool and in this case, one that could be use to whip up some pretty dramatic covers. What do you think, Loyal Airmen?
THE CRIMSON NUN # 2
By the time this entry post, there will be 5 days left of the Kickstarter Campaign. As you’ll recall, Ben Dunn of Antarctic Press set the goal at $500 which was met withing the first 24 hours. All of us were stunned by that support. Today, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve, we’ve reached $1,462. Only $38 short of hitting $1,500!! Wowser. The Air Chief can’t wait for this issue to go to print and get it out to all you Loyal Airmen. We think you’re going to love it. Meanwhile, artist Jesse Thomas is move full speed on issue # 3.
BROTHER BONES ORIGIN GRAPHIC NOVEL ISSUE # 1
Moving on, another whopping Kickstarter success story was our Brother Bones Origin Graphic Novel’s first issue, with art by Joe Arnold and letters by Mike Belcher. Right now that issue is at the printer’s and copies are being stuffed into mailing envelopes about to be sent out. Couldn’t be more excited. We’ve also agreed to make it possible for the comic to be available, after this initial distribution, to all you Loyal Airmen who missed out as it will be on sale at retail site. We’ll let you know in a future Flight Log.
BEYOND THE STARS # 5
Finally, we wanted to give you a sneak peek at issue # 5 of our sci-fi saga, BEYOND THE STARS. The plan is for Silverline Comics to launch it in Feb 2026. Meanwhile artist Andrea Bormida is half-way through the sixth and final issue. The action ramps up in these two issues as our team of Science Warriors battle everything from giant bugs to giant statues all to save their galactic empire from annihilation by the Black Cloud of Death. Hang in there Loyal Airmen.
A POPEYE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
Finally we couldn’t this entry without sharing a few Santa surprises the Air Chief found on Christmas Day. The first was a beautifully crafted Popeye Cookie Jar send along by our dear friends, Michael & Donna Housel. As our granddaughter Cora is the Cookie Baking Queen in the family, we got her pose with us for this pix. Little did we know that she, and her husband Calvin, had bought me a “gag” present and after snapping the first pix, they handed me an envelope with a phone golden $100 Popeye Dollar Bill. Now that was too funny a coincidence. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.
THE GREATEST GIFT
Of course the greatest gift we celebrate now is the gift of God’s son, Jesus Christ our savior. May his arrival herald in us a new awareness of peace and love for all. Amen.
HAPPY NEW YEAR LOYAL AIRMEN FROM VAL & THE AIR CHIEF!!!
STILL AMAZED