What's My Webcomics Business and Publishing-Production Strategy, You Ask? Hmmm

Fraid I've never actually had one until recently. I didn't start thinking more strategically with my comics and webcomics publishing online and in print until long after I had been actively drawing artwork and comics. I essentially just charged into the webcomics field pretty mindlessly, fearless. You know, like a Bull. I dealt with life as a webcomics cartoonist one hour, one day at a time, dealing with my career as it came to me, then I read that Scott Kurtz book one day in the last few years, and I kind of reacted to it in shock. "Holy Shit," I thought to myself. "People actually bother to dream up STRATEGIES for this line of work?"

Which to me isn't all that  surprisng, considering my face was buried in word processor software typing out my then-private Journals I was putting the bulk of my work into the entire time from 2004 -  the last year or two. Comics were a side dish to the main course of my passion. My Journals, which would later become a published book series that would eventually be published online alongside my Super Duper Amazing Spectacular Mono Blockbuster Franchise. But some weird fucked up Catholic Guilt Conscience in me keep muttering sweet nothings and promises in my ear, saying things like "Yes you have mastered Journal writing honey. That's very nice. But no one wants to PAY people to see that until after your dead. You need to sell COMICS baby." Damned be that foul muse mistress temptress of deception. I actually listened to my self-pr and marketing muse for a while. I was clearly better at writing private journals than I was at being a manga-ka or cartoonist in many ways. It felt more natural. I did it a lot more in my spare time. And it wasn't an aphrodisiac for horny critic zombies. Pretty big pluses at the time. But dammit, what did I know..I had FINISHED GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS to DRAW AND PROMOTE. That's what all the anime kids really want to READ and BUY? Isn't it? You can publish those silly journals of yours when you're DEAD.

Okay. If you say so. You know what's best, right Momma Muse?

Of course I do! Attah Boy!

Well Okay then.

End Ch. 1

Sorry. I nodded off. What I miss? So I hear it's one setback after another for him...Say....

Does that cloud look like it's getting REALLY DARK to you??

Aaaanyway...

Probably not going to write a lot of tweets or blog entries or draw a lot. Keeping a journal and reviewing some of my book publications. Too exhausted from all the delocating.....

Soon as I get a minute to breath and shit like that in the next month, I think I'll TRY resume work on my various projects...

Oh wait, you must have a lot of questions, don't you? well ASK AWAY! Don't be shy. I don't bite. Well, most of the time....

Mmmmmmmm

Well, I lost my virginity finally. Last month, August 2015. At the tender age of 31 a few months shy of 32. It FINALLY happened. I did in fact have sex for the first time. Who's the lucky lady, you people want to know? None of you guys's business.

But yeah. Sex is pretty incredible. I guess I lucked out finally.

The Merton Connection

The Pope and Media discussed a Thomas Merton a LOT today! That was quite cool to see him get that kind of recognition seemingly out of the Blue.

Made me happy to see all that.

Some of you may be wondering why I never brought that whole fame aspect up.

FEAR NOT, JM FANS!

We'll devote plenty of discussion to that in the near and distant future at Thunder-Lightning.

But rest assured. If good things have happened in the past, then it is inevitable Even More Good Things Shall Happen In The Future.

Trust Me.

[J.M., Out]

That's where I live..

What? You haven't HEARD?

Shining Lights Above Chinatown....

THRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DEEEEEEEEEELLLIIIIIIVEEEEEERRRYYYYYY!!!!

Some of You May Be Asking...About Thomas Merton

"Joe! Joseph! Joey! James! What is it like being related to Thomas Merton after it's been kept a Family and National Secret all this time??"

It's great. It feels amazing. It feels great. I feel blessed to be related to someone so famous, important, influential, and holy.

I'm filled with a newly found sense of responsibility, confidence, contentment, relief, and family and religious pride. There was definitely a kind of "I was right all along" feeling going on there...

Moved out...

Technically I've been living out on my own for around a month now. Doing pretty well currently. I got a lot LESS bullshit to deal with at my place. Probably because my parents are slowly fading from my life.

Short Story Episode: Mono's True Powers Emerge

Mono Jubei began to reach out his hand to grasp his sword, but paused and retracted it.

Wait a minute, he thought. What's going to happen if I touch the hilt of that blade. Will it unleash its's most powerful Form Level Ever, the Mythical and Limitlessly Powerful Fireblade? Or will no waves of Floating Fire be unleashed from it?

Mono sighed, breathed a few meditative breathes. Paused. And then picked up the blade. As soon as his fingers rapped around the hilt. He could feel the Limitless Ultimate Power of the Jubei Clan Pulsating through him, from head to toe, consuming his entire aura and spirit. He and the blade were finally one. Mono stood up on both legs, lighter than before. Without exerting a single move, he knew he had already won this battle against this most powerful, ferocious, mystical, and fear opponent, and could feel the very core of his opponents being consumed by terror and fear.

Oh man. Oh my God! The young man said, losing his bladder and releaving himself in his pants. I didn't sign on for this when I joined the gang. I'm out of here. Auuggh! Take my money. Take my jewelry. Take my clothes. TAKE EVERYTHING! Just please spare me and let me Go-hoooo! He's a fuckin SAMURAI MAN! A FUCKIN Monster. LEAVE ME ALONE he screamed, terrified, running back to town at full speed, almost exactly like a frightened child.

Odd, Mono thought. What just happened? He. DIDN'T want to fight?? What's with that, man! What a pansy. Or. Wait..Am I? Too Powerful?? At this rate I might never be able to have a real battle again. His suspicious was right. The Jubei spirit was too powerful. He had painted landscapes. Mountains and valleys with his chakra energy alone.

MAN! Mono griped. What fun is fighting if no one wants to do it? Mono Jubei was now officially the second or third most powerful fighter in living Japan. And yet some how he pulled it off without having to resort to actual fighting, by merely inventing tactics for what was almost all defensive routines.

Ooh Lah Lah!

Hackers

Essay

Hackers. Hackers Are

• If you know one, you essentially know all of them. They're actually all kind of similar. All will attack people and surprise people using collective tactics with a suprising lack of diversity. They are terrified of being mapped and figured out, and losing their so-called “invisibility” and anonymity. A few mugshots in the news might fix that Just a hunch. HaxorU.exe.
• Uh oh! They're onto us! Shut their PC down!!!!
• They're not all weak nerds. Many are strong jocks who drive white pickup trucks in Casselberry.
• Mind games
• They hate to be mapped and figured out
• Most of them can only access things that are plugged into a wall outlet
• Some work as writers for Comedic American TV networks. Many are contractors for the mainstream news and American media, trafficking information about vulnerable people.
• Are terrified of ending up in mugshots, as they are aware of it as a threat to their anonymity.
• Anti gay. Anti pedophile
• Pro hate
• Sociopathic
• Know when people are paying attention to them or seeing them, and avoid being seen
• Very aware of what is going on around them in other houses and rooms, have an almost supernatural perceptiveness of the people around them and human behavior
• Afraid of being mapped, discovered, and caught
• Criminal tendencies
• White pickup trucks
• Florida, Russia
• Firecracker, M-80s
• Collge age
• Bullies, both cyberbully and jock bully
• Verbal equivalent of sexual assault
• “Fag. Gay. Fucker. Fuck. Shit. Homo. Ha ha. Hee hee hee hee. Mocks your laughter”
• Both fat and skinny.
• In their 20s. In colleges
• In College
• Macho. Masculine, no feminine.
• Don't like you doing to them what they will gleefully do to you
• Florida. Russia. Boston.
• Hitler. Bellamy. Anonymous
• United States Opposition to Joe
• Like comedic programming more than dramatic
• They work for American TV networks
• Snipers
• They really, REALLY like having their words read and voices heard. But they absolutely HATE and FEAR you seeing their physical demeanor and face
• Mind control
• Aggressive intimidation tactics
• Not responsible with power
• Loud Stereo Truck or car
• American Eagle
• Sound Sniper
• Anime and Cartoon Network Fan
• Will hack anyone who's not aware of them or who's not protected
• Defenders of the so-called “Status Quo”
• Hate wimps
• Gain access through LAN Local Intrusion to neighboring consoles and Malware Haxor.exe download doppelganger files
• They want need, and feed off of publicizing scapegoats, and love to hide behind scapegoating
• Rat. Dragon. Eagle. Double. Conservative. American.
• They only want you to THINK your secure and safe, so they can observe you and strike like an invisible Dash Jock Ninja from the Shadows and down the street
• They're best defense is a wall or fence and misidirection
• Schizoidal
• They are the “Voices in Your Head”