Dear Reader

Happy middle of the beastly summer. I'm writing this in a spare moment, trying to juggle dishes, laundry, and the now-screaming kids. Snack time is about to happen, so I'll be brief.

It's been a tiring, and wonderful, couple of weeks. My wife and I took the girls up to the White Mountains for a whole week, a new hideaway for the family. For the twins, it was a chance to climb their first mountain in our backpacks. For our oldest, it was her first hike on her own two feet, and she handled it with aplomb. For context, Artist's Bluff is a wonderfully difficult hike, full of long stretches of rocks and bouldering, and our daughter handled it as a three-year-old. She may have caught the hiking bug, and I am so here for it.

The last few weeks have also been illuminating for self-reflection. I...am kind of in the midst of mild depression. It is understandable, and no one's fault. Being with the kids is exhausting, and constant. But it's also been because I keep thinking about where I am.

Believe it or not, I've been working on writing for now twenty years. When I was in middle school, I picked up a book about a young boy discovering a dragon's egg and suddenly thrust into a continent at war. "Eragon," made me think that I could do this, that I could write for real. Two years later, my sophomore English teacher encouraged me to start writing. And I haven't stopped since.

But that also means that in twenty years of working on this, it's hard to see the professional success. I've applied to hundreds of agents with completed books since 2009, and I've never had someone write back that they were interested. Sixteen years of attempts, and the professional writing world has continually said thanks, but no thanks.

Mental exhaustion is a tricky beast. It doesn't just hang on one thing, one tick that bugs you. It's a gelatinous blob that settles on the edges of your eyeballs. Reminding you that your work is not done. That there is so much to do, and so much you can't accomplish. And that it's more than likely that this is as far as you'll ever go. So sink into the blob, and be exhausted, forever.

But I'm here. My wife is here, and so is the rest of the family. Reminding me of scaling the mountain. Of days spent running through the front yard, and finding a secret ice cream place. A chance to sit out at a brewery, breathe and write, even if just for an hour.

I'm reminded every time my artist sends new images for Legends of the Realm just how far we've come as fantasy creators. That we are so close to making something complete, and filled with wonder.

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Does it help? Possibly. Depression doesn't go away even when you acknowledge how much it is a part of you. This will be a constant struggle for a while.

But I can see the bright spots on the horizon. And the sparks of joy nestled in the every day. And that is enough.

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All the best,

Jack

Where do we see you next?

August 8 - 10: Terrificon! Come down to Mohegan Sun and see us at our biggest show of the year!

Some awesome projects to check out

Hot on the heels of Vol. 1's success, Faster Than Light: Futuristic Tales of Family is back with an all-new Vol. 2!

From editor Sarah Cooke and Lesser Known Comics, Faster Than Light Vol. 2 is a 60-page saddle-stitched anthology, which collects 9 brand-new stories by 20 talented creators about how families maintain their bonds in a fast-paced, futuristic world and how they struggle to do so. Families encompass both found family and family of origin.

Hop on board with this curated collection of grown-up, futuristic stories about families from across the galaxy!

​Faster than Light Volume 2 link​

MANDRILL P.I. is back with the 7th issue of the hit series--and with it, an all new story arc featuring brand new characters and a new adventure!

We have already published issues 1-6 + the trade collections, as well as three prose novels and a novella.

We invite you to join us as we continue the story of Manny Mandrill, a hardboiled private investigator in a cartoon world whose cases often involve the paranormal and supernatural.

Read along as MANDRILL P.I. fights to save his city despite his struggle to pull himself out of a downward spiral of grief and alcoholism following his wife's untimely death. This series has it all: Action! Comedy! Adventure! Mystery! Noir! Drama! Cartoons! The supernatural & paranormal!

It's kinda like Hellboy meets Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and we’d love for you to join in on the fun.

​Mandrill P.I. Link​

In the realm of Plaena, peace has settled over the land, but cruel injustices still lurk in the shadows.

Vaun Grawlgore, a dwarf tailor of questionable skill but keen intellect, and his surly orc steward, Arlog Shanks, traverse the land solving crimes and righting wrongs—often in exchange for patrons wearing Grawlgore’s garish outfits.

From uncovering murderers in small villages to confronting class-driven conspiracies, the duo blend detective work, humor, and heart in an episodic fantasy adventure.

This is a world with its fair share of dungeons, and perhaps even a few dragons. But this is not a tale of grand fantasy quests. Instead, Grawlgore and Shanks are dealing with murder, missing persons, haunted house hoaxes, jailbreaks, cons, and kidnappings. Because the small wrongs need righting, too.

Grawlgore and Shanks are not so much typical adventurers as they are prototypical private detectives. While maintaining the look and feel of the best high fantasy faire, instead of an epic war story of good verses evil, this is a procedural detective series with humor and heart…and the occasional grisly murder!

​Grawlgore and Shanks Link​

Dead by the Book

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I didn't ask for a destiny.

Especially one that says that I'm supposed to destroy every god in existence.

It made the name William Creed a curse. Made me turn tail and run from the only home I knew. Left my friend, my favorite ghost, and hoped that the gods would just forget about me.

But now I'm back. Chasing the one good paycheck I've seen in years. Chasing some kid who's in way over his head, searching for a book that could break reality.

I'll have to take on dragons, the undead, a whole cosmos of deities, and my own mother.

Welcome to God Street. Where miracles become realities.

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