Table of Contents
Welcome Back (0:18)
Project Updates (1:26)
Event Updates (2:23)
Main Story
The Pulp Masters (5:30)
What is Big Smoke Pulp? (6:41)
This Is What You Can Get (7:49)
But Wait, Isn’t This Pesto Comics? (10:44)
Release Info & Updates
Upcoming on Substack (11:42)
Secret Bonus Audio (12:08)
Welcome Back
I’m writing and recording this on Monday, so I have no idea what is going to happen South of the border with the United States elections. As a Canadian who is used to our parliamentary elections that can be called, completed and certified well within a month - the past year of US media that fills our screen and podcast players has been exhausting.
Especially since we have no say in the matter. Worse yet is that we will be affected depending on how it all plays out. We’re already seeing our dollar begin to slide in anticipation of things going pear-shaped and this hasn’t helped the costs of creating comics as almost everyone uses the greenback to make their deals.
I thank the 73% (so roughly 1180) of subscribers from the US. You keep this, and our Kickstarter campaigns, afloat and I hope for nothing but the best for your country.
The US is not just a vast country that I love to explore, but a neighbour that we depend on for a lot. I’m hoping things go as smooth as possible, but you’ll know better than me as you read this post-election.
All that seriousness aside, let’s talk about what’s coming up in the funny books…
Project Updates
This post is all about Big Smoke Pulp Vol. 1
I won’t get too into it here for that reason, but this morning we’ve launched the first edition of Big Smoke Pulp. Here’s a link to join the party:
Big Smoke Pulp Vol. 1 is on Kickstarter now.
Archetypes Issue 2 - 60% there (as of Monday)
Another project I’m involved in is Archetypes #2. They’ve got a much loftier goal than what I’ve set out for with my campaigns and as of Monday they’re hovering around 60%.
I will be continuing my series of Writing Tools articles here. If you’ve followed me on Twitter in the past, you know that I wrote daily writing tips and that led to these articles in this magazine.
They’ve been received pretty well, but beyond that you get some amazing short comics from some of the best indie creators around. My article is honestly a small bonus to the grade A entertainment inside these pages.
Event Updates
Thought Bubble in 10 Days!
My bags aren’t quite packed yet, but I’ve been making a mental catalogue of what to bring with me over the pond. I’m very excited for this one.
I’ll also be milling about the Tiny Onion mid-con party, so if you can’t track me down at table C14a in Redshirt Hall, you’ll be able to find me there enjoying a stout or three.
Now, let’s talk about the latest offering from Pesto Comics in detail, but first, a story for you…
Main Story
We Get It, Already! You Went To Film School!
Ignoring that it was a lifetime ago, I bring up my relatively brief time in film school an awful lot. You’d think I’d have moved on from that by now, having been decades removed from it and never really making it in the film industry itself.
But it had a huge part in shaping how I see the world, how I conduct business and what goals I continue to aim for. It’s a big deal.
The main reason I bring it up this time is my original goal when I walked in those studio doors at the CBC Building in Toronto: I wanted to be a screenwriter.
Film school may have been the last place I should have gone to do that. Sure, I learned the format and the challenges of the production side, but it didn’t teach me how to write a story.
For that, I relied on books. Tons of books. It started with instructional books like Save the Cat!, Story and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, but I’d branch out to anything that would give me even a little insight. Moreover, I would read all kinds of novels to get a good sense of storytelling, along with watching hours and hours of films.
All with a very steady diet of comics.
None of that has really changed since, honestly, but it was set in stone in this time of my life. As I discovered the type of screenwriter I wanted to be, I gravitated to one era in particular…
Dalton Trumbo and The Black List
I try not to pick an individual to model myself after as it feels like a good way to set yourself up to fail. Nor am I interested in dealing with the same trials and tribulations that Dalton Trumbo had.
But there’s one part of his story that I can’t help but get inspired by: The unrelenting urge to write.
Even with the government coming down on Trumbo, threatening to imprison him for a fallacy of charges, he had to write. He would argue it was to put food on the table, but there were other, safer ways to make money if that was truly the reason behind it.
It’s a compulsion to create - and do so prolifically that I get behind. Some would argue I’m missing the point of that whole period of time, and I get all that. It’s certainly very relevant today, but I took this very specific lesson about writing out of it - along with those others.
(A quick sidenote: if you haven’t seen the movie adaptation of Dalton Trumbo’s story in Trumbo, starting Brian Cranston, I recommend you remedy that.).
I have a lot of stories to tell. I can spend my life polishing one or two, hoping they reveal themselves as gems, or I can get them all out there and see who ends up being the strongest of the lot. I believe that by getting your reps in, you only get stronger with each piece of work.
I intend to by being a writing machine, not unlike…
The Pulp Masters
Lester Dent, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lawrence Block, Raymond Chandler, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, Dashiell Hammett, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert E. Howard and a bunch more I’m surely forgetting. These are just the authors that I can list off the top of my head.
They’re authors that would have, and may still have, the literary community turning their noses up at them. Yet, the works of these authors are giddily converted into films which in turn earn film directors Academy Awards. It’s a strange twist of fate for these stories, to be ignored in one medium just to be celebrated in another.
If there’s been a theme to my past few posts on this Substack, it’s been about writing genre fiction. It’s about genre fiction relies on the writer figuring out the tropes and using them to their advantage. Genre fiction doesn’t need to be low-brow or formulaic. When it’s done correctly, like the authors I just listed did regularly, it reveals something new about humanity while remaining in familiar packaging.
I love the pulps. That’s why I needed to do what I could to bring more attention to them.
What is Big Smoke Pulp?
It’s a collection of the best pulp stories I could find in an open call.
I read as much as I can, as often as I can. I subscribe to Asimov Science Fiction and Fact, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Apex Magazine and Clarkesworld Magazine. I love me a good short story.
Yet, I’m don’t always find the type of story I love in these books. I’m sure there’s nothing inherently wrong with the stories that are selected. I can only imagine the amount of submissions they receive and curating those down into what makes it to shelves is no small feat.
Still, rarely do I find the stories I’m looking for. I want stories with tension and high-pace. I want to read stories that I can’t put down - one after the other. Instead, these collections tend to be more pensive and slow-burn than what I crave.
Rather than being satisfied with the odd story that suits my desires, I decided to curate them myself into a collection of absolute bangers.
Every story contained in Big Smoke Pulp grabs on and won’t let go to the very last word. No word is wasted. It’s meant to be a great, heavy book that you just can’t put down. If you’ve enjoyed anything I’ve written in the past, this book will be right up your alley.
This Is What You Can Get
In true pulp novel fashion, the main reward is this book in a pocketbook paperback format. It won’t look out of place between your Mike Hammer and Conan the Barbarian books on your shelf or in your stack.
However, not everyone is looking for that style of book. Tradition is that paperbacks find their way into the world after having a slick hardcover available. This campaign is no different. We’ll have a Kickstarter-Exclusive Hardcover during this campaign only. We’ll be printing the exact amount that is ordered, so it’s truly a now-or-never scenario.
If you prefer to read digitally on your Kobo or Kindle device, we’ll have a digital tier that will be your only way to get DRM-Free copies of the book. Once the campaign is over, you’ll be able to find it on all of your typical digital stores, but all with the usual DRM you would find there. If you’d like the freedom to read these books your way, the Kickstarter campaign is a must.
If you recently missed one or more of our campaigns, you’ll also have the opportunity to bundle this book with our back catalogue of comic book offerings, including From Parts Unknown #1, Crazy Latte Thing Called Love, Stay Cool and Unlimited Udo. That includes both physical copies and DRM-Free digital ones that are only available via Kickstarter.
The book clocks in at a hefty 500+ pages, and that’s set to grow the better the campaign goes. As we hit stretch goals, we’ll be adding more stories - written by me - along with adding your name to the list of supporters in the back pages. These pages will be included in both editions of the book.
But what if you want more than just your name listed as a supporter? What if you have a germ of an idea that you just haven’t been able to see through?
We have a tier for that. You can pitch me as story, I’ll write it for you and it’ll be included in the book. You’ll receive a Story By credit and you can see your work published along with the long list of amazing authors contained within these pages!
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, let’s see who’s involved in this project…
Who Is Responsible For This?!
You may have seen this screen grab on last week’s post or the prelaunch page. All of these authors have provided stories that cut through the 200+ submissions to be included in this sizable collection.
The stories span from noir to sci-fi to romance to comedy to old-fashioned thrillers. Every single one of them is an edge-of-your-seat thrilling experience. These are all easily digestible short stories ranging from 100 to 5,000 words - all meant to be read in one sitting so you’re getting a complete story end to end.
Though there’s clear breaks from one story to the next, I dare you to put this collection down. These authors understood the assignment. They sink the hooks in and they do not let go. You will find yourself re-reading these stories time and time again for how well-crafted and thrilling they are.
I can’t wait for you to get your hands on them - in whatever format you choose.
But Wait, Isn’t This Pesto Comics?
It sure is.
But, at the end of the day, I’m a writer.
I appreciate all forms of the craft. Whether it’s screenwriting, which I thought I’d end up doing regularly as a fresh-faced 18-year-old film school student; comic writing that I have been doing regularly, and will be doing a lot more in the coming months; short story writing which I continue to experiment with to this day; novel series writing, which…I’ll share more about in the near future.
I just enjoy writing too much. It’s one of the most narcissistic activities one can partake in - assuming that anyone would want to take time to read your thoughts or your takes on the world. Yet, I feel an insatiable urge to do so. I can’t help myself.
As always, I thank you for indulging me in that - and I’ll hope you’ll do the same with this amazing collection of authors with Big Smoke Pulp Vol. 1.
Until next week…
Release Info & Updates
Upcoming on Substack
November 13
I'm No Artist, But I Try
My adventure with Inktober'24
November 20
Con Journal: Just Look for the Lost Canadian
The last con of 2024: Thought Bubble
November 27
Fun with Fulfillment: From Parts Unknown #1
The second part of the From Parts Unknown #1 post-mortem
Upcoming Conventions
Pesto Comics Release Calendar
Naked Kaiju Woman launches in 63 days on January 8th, 2025.
Instant Ink Comic Book Podcast
Share this post