Sunday, March 27, 2005

A few years ago, I had an idea for a story called Red Ax, which I excitedly hashed out with Saalon. Unfortunately, it was a comic book story with anthropomorphic characters, and since I couldn’t draw and didn’t know any comic book artists, I shelved it.

About a year ago, I wanted to write, and that comic book idea floated into my head. So I sat down and wrote an eleven-page script that introduced one of the protagonists. Then, since I couldn’t draw and didn’t know any comic book artists, I shelved it.

A few months ago, as I was working with my animators on Matrix Experiments Lain, I noticed in her portfolio that she was drawing some amazing anthropomorphic characters. So I talked to her about Red Ax and sent her the script, and she agreed to try drawing the characters. Here’s what she drew:

Isn’t this amazing?

It gets better.

One of my favorite comic book writers is a fellow named T. Campbell, whom I know almost exclusively through Fans!, an amazing character-based story about SF/F fans. I’ve traded a few e-mails with him, and ended up helping him with some of his SF Blog entries.

At the end of one of his e-mails, I noticed that he listed his address. I blinked and re-read it. That address is less than twenty miles from my townhouse. T. Campbell lives practically next door to me!

Meanwhile, I have this emerging work of beauty on my hands in the form of Red Ax. I want to figure out how to get this in front of readers, such that it doesn’t get lost in a galaxy of online comics or resigned to a print run of twelve copies.

Well, T. Campbell lives practically next door to me.

So I e-mailed him with a plaintive plea for advice. He kindly responds—the same day, no less—and before I know it, he’s agreed to have dinner with me this Tuesday.

So I’m having dinner with T. Campbell on Tuesday, to talk about this oddball story idea I came up with a few years ago and figure out how to publish it.

Life really is weird.