"How romantic of you. I had no idea cops were so sentimental in Tennessee. Here's a little tip, Detective, I don't know what happened to her. I don't even really know what happened to whoever did that to her. I don't know what happened to my husband, and I have no idea where my life is going right now. I'm seeing a therapist who asks me a ton of questions that make no sense, and I have work in the morning. Let me know when you get it all figured out, because I'd sure like to know."

*she drops the phone... looks at the woman in bed... out the doorway.... starts running down the hall, opposite direction of the man... she looks back, he's following. She rounds a few corners.*

"I have no idea where I'm going..." *She's out of breathe* "... or why I'm running."

*The man catches up to her after stopping to check which way she'd turned more than once.*

"I'm clearly in no shape for this. Look, I really just wanna talk to you. I didn't mean to scare you. S'why I used the phone instead of coming into the room."

"I didn't do anything..."

"Then why are you back here?"

"I didn't have anyplace else better to go." *she bursts into tears*

*The man looks awkward* "Let's get some air, alright?"

*They walk outside and the man offers her a cigarette, she declines, and as he lights it up, she smells the hint of vanilla and clove and takes one anyhow*

"Cops dress a little differently than what I'd expect. A little smarter too."

"Well, I'm a detective and off-duty anyhow." *his cigarette is dangling from his lip and his brownish hair, has been clearly ruffled from the short chase. He pulls his left hand out of his pocket and brushes his hair back. We notice a wedding band on his hand as he does so.* "My name's (tbd)." *She looks at his hand* "It's a hand, you shake it. No handcuffs waiting in t'other, I promise."

*She takes his hands and looks at him for the first time. He looks younger than the lines around his eyes would suggest. Probably 36, 37.* "Isn't your wife worried about you running after girls at supper-time? You said you were off-duty."

"Ex. So, it's none of her business anymore, I s'pose. Can we talk about that girl in there? What happened to her nearly happened to my wife. That's why I'm running around looking for you instead of drinking myself stupid about now. I couldn't catch him after he got to Angela, so she left. You not only caught him, you did exactly what I have been wanting to do for a year now. But you can't go around killing these guys, you know? No matter how much we want to, there's a reason I wear this badge, it means accountability, it means I have to take them in and hope they rot."

APE

I went to APE this weekend in San Francisco. It was really encouraging to be around people who self-published their comics, or those who were just there getting their comics and wares out. I'd really like to get this whole mess here done by next year. Get at least an issue done or short GN and push it some, see what the response is. What needs to be worked on. I know right now it's a bit of a mess, and there will have some editing to do when it is translated into graphics.

Maybe I just really need to purge this. Toying with the idea of calling it Memphis Belle. Google doesn't turn up any comics with that name that I was able to find. So, there is: working title.

I'm looking at lulu.com as a source for doing a small run of the issues to start, at least enough to get feedback on. They seem pretty reasonable as far as pricing.

"hello?"

"You did kill that guy, you know. He may have deserved it, but it's still murder."

"Who is this?"

"Why don't you come into the hall and we can talk about that?"

*looks down the hall. A man in a suit and beat up shoes is on the nurse's phone at the end of the hall, seeing her, he waves.*

"I didn't..."

"You did, and I intend to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"What am I supposed to do with this?" *looking down at the detonator in her hands... starts walking... just ahead we see the lights from the ER sign*

*sitting by the bedside of the still-comatose girl* "I didn't know where to go. I guess I figured talking to you was better than my therapist or sitting at the computer all night. I'm not a hero. Just remember that when you wake up. I mean, I have all these stupid fantasies about blowing up car speakers, only lately, it's been happening. I thought somehow I was doing it, but I ran into this guy tonight, literally ran into him and he dropped this thing and ran... it looks like it could be a detonator, but what do I know, I've only seen them in movies. I feel really alone in this. After finding you.. and what I, I guess I did to that guy who did this to you... *sigh* There's this guy online who talks the way my husband used to talk... but he's dead... maybe that's just how all guys talk. I sent him to the store for tampons of all things and he didn't come back. They said it was a drunk driver, but the guy was too afraid to stick around afterwards, so who knows. I don't know why I'm spilling all of this to you...."

*phone rings in the hospital room*

*starts to rain*
*runs right into a tallish bulky man... knocks him down and something falls out of his hand, it looks like a remote of some kind. She gets up and grabs it to hand it back to the man who looks a little shaken*

"I'm sorry, I guess I didn't look where I was go... *brushes back her hair.... realizing what she has in her hand has a thumb trigger. A detonator. The man runs. She chases. He disappears into the crowd*

*GrandExalted: if you could have any superpower what would you pick?
me: why would you ask that question?
GrandExalted: just curious I guess.
me: I have to go.

*Signs off.

I can't sleep. Memphis is warm and syrupy this time of year. The kind of town that dribbles right through your veins and makes your heart thump louder. It's unshakable. I thought I would leave after he was gone. But Memphis held fast to me. Guess I should go out and give thanks. Some people talk about home like it's just a place to keep your things, but here... hell, Elvis felt it, so did Johnny. Isn't that enough?

The sweat and melody that pulls me when I walk out my door tells me it's more than enough. I owe this town my life. I... I don't know what I would have done after he was gone if I'd been anywhere else.

I need to get a dog or something. Christ, I'm cracking up.

*car comes thumping by... thump thump BOOM.... she runs.*

*oh god.. do I walk by? He's seen me.*

*hospital room, SHE's sitting next to a young woman, beaten, in a cast but alive, a nurse is looking at her chart*
"How you found her was a miracle. There've been a rash of bodies in here lately, worse off than this one here. Gotten so bad, the girls here won't walk to their car alone after their shift."

"I just got lucky... guess I scared him off is all. A..and I couldn't just leave her lying there."

"There're people who would've looked the other way, scared. Me for one, as much as that hurts to admit, but she's sleeping so it's just you and me. I would have pissed myself thinking I was next."

"Was in the right place is all."

"Have the cops come back in to talk to you? They found him you know. He was in worse shape than this poor thing here, I can tell you... they're hoping that you can explain how he got that way...though they're laughing more than suspecting that someone your size coulda done all that."

"I didn't... "

"It's okay, either way you're the hero here. If to no one than our girl here... and maybe me. I'll be walking home a little easier tonight."

*Did I? I was so scared...*

**therapy session**

"So I sorta saved someone, I guess."

"Are we speaking literally or figuratively?"

"I don't know... I saw a woman being raped and next thing I know I'm holding her hand over at Baptist Memorial and the nurse is telling me they caught the guy."

"Well, that is good news. How are you feeling about this? In saving her, do you feel you've saved yourself at all?"

"Hadn't thought about that. They said the guy was in real bad shape when they found him. Some cop keeps asking me if I know anything, the others are all giggling about how a tiny Memphis Belle could do anything like that."

"Do you think you could have done anything like that?"

"You ask a lot of questions...I don't know why I'm here again. I dunno. I feel so weak. I can't concentrate on much these days. I sit online all the time talking to people so removed from me, just to feel safe."

"Maybe you are safer than you think. It's a big world out there, too many people walking around like they don't know left from right. You have a better head on your shoulders than you give yourself credit. I think it's been a long time since anyone has said something like that to you, but it's time."

"Yeah, okay. Bill me this time."

"This one's on the house, Hero."

it's been a while...

since I posted anything here. I didn't forget, I just couldn't formulate. I'm working on that though and will be posting here regularly if for no other reason than to purge these ideas to be able to rework them later.

premise

Premise is basically that through a series of extraordinary coincidences, a young woman is left wondering if she really has superpowers or whether she merely has the strength to help others around her.

Perhaps it's not birthrites and toxic accidents that create superheroes, perhaps it's really just the strength within us to make things right in the world.

She has her own problems, her husband was killed in a drunk driving accident. She consistently blames herself for it, wonders why she couldn't have saved him if she may or may not have the power to save others.

As we see her through these coincidences, things that are very much a part of every day life, that make you wonder... are some of us a little more blessed or do we just happen to be in the right place at the right time.

kicking around (idea 1)

*(couple in a car)

If you had any superpower what would it be?

like what? marvel or dc?

anything.

I'd blow up car speakers. You know, all those idiots who think we need to listen to their shitty taste in music with the added pleasure of deafening themselves? Yeah, I'd blow those up. Speaking of the Devil... (car booming music rolls up)... perfect example... boom (BOOM!)... shit.

What the hell was that?

Never happened like that before...

Before?

*(therapy session)

You know why you're here, it's not your fault he's gone you know. You can't control accidents.

They always say that... everyone says that. But if I couldn't control it, then who do I blame? How do I deal?

You have to find that strength in yourself. If you look hard enough, you'll find it's there. It's in all of us.

(gets up from the couch)
(drops a check for 100 bucks on the desk)
Thanks a bunch, keep the change.
(door shuts behind her)

*(sitting at her computer, ashtray full of butts next to her)
It's been 6 months and things aren't any easier. I still come home to an empty house and work over in my head how if I hadn't sent him to the store for tampons he might be home with me. I might not be killing myself slowly with all these damn cigarettes.

He always fought me when I asked him to buy them for me. Maybe he was right, I'd take cramps and errands over all of this any day
(IM pops up. GrandExalted-)
Maybe you could have stopped it, but it's too late. Maybe you can find that strength afterall, or you could just make a beer run and wallow. Up to you.

Beer sounds good. Thanks.

*(walking to the store)
(under the light we see what looks like a couple making out as she gets closer we realize it's a rape and the man is covering the mouth of the woman who is trying desparately to scream. Flash to her eyes and a glimpse of the hand over the woman's mouth, tear falling. Flash to HER, eyes narrowed)

comic con

I was asked several times this weekend at the Con why I don't have my own comic. I have excuses.

I can draw, but I would want to detail the art to such an extent before I'm happy with it that I would lose track of the goal. OR I haven't pinned down an idea yet. Those are both such cop out answers to a question I have tossed around quite a bit over the last several years though there are solutions. Simple ones. I know artists. Artists who love comics but aren't currently involved in one have mentioned interest in the idea.

Maybe the timing is right. Maybe I should try kicking around just one idea and see where it goes. This blog will be that journey. Disregard the format, it's more for me at this point.