BEN TINSLEY: We got reviewed!

Hey, guys:

We were lucky enough to get a recent review for Two-Fisted Adventures #1 from Ron Fortier, a professional writer with over 25 years of time in the show, writing comic book projects such as The Hulk, Popeye, Rambo and Peter Pan.

To be honest with you, the two comic series of his that really kicked my a@# were The Green Hornet and The Terminator. He did Terminator with the fantastic Alex Ross.

Anyway, here's his review, which originally was printed on the fantastic comics news website Comicrelated.com. Hope you enjoy.

Thanks,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher
Wham Bang Comics

2-Fisted Adventures #1 (Christmas Variant)
$4.25
COMICS LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE

A Review of Two-Fisted Adventures # 1
by Ron Fortier
(Imported from www.comicrelated.com)

More than twenty years ago I attended a small convention at a Howard Johnson’s in Portsmouth N.H.

The convention was sponsored by the owner of a local comic shop and he made it a point of inviting talent from the neighborhood.

That included two young fellows who wanted to debut their brand new, black and white comic book.

It was an awkward looking book, oversized and the art inside was way too dark and crudely rendered.

I bought a copy, wanting to support these likeable guys whose talented was obvious, if a bit crude. There was nothing amateurish about their love of comics.

They were Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and the book was the first ever issue of something called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

While reading through the first issue of Two-Fisted Adventures, I found myself remembering that day often. Don’t get me wrong, the two books in shape, style and production are leagues apart.

Where they are exactly alike is in the tons of enthusiasm for comics that jumps out at you on every single page of this new comic.

And unlike TMNT, this is an anthology with many different concepts and voices, all to the good, I might add.

The brain child of Ben Tinsley and his son, Jake, Two-Fisted Adventures is very much about the love of comics. Night Owl is a manga inspired super-hero strip, as is the book’s final entry, Sentinels of Liberty.

It’s rock and sockem action start to finish. John Doe is way more adult in orientation and perhaps the best written piece in the collection, albeit very, very short. An idea like this should have been given a few more pages to breathe.

Whereas Genius is perhaps the most professional tale and features a great new character in Tanya, the sponge-like librarian with the world’s knowledge at her command. I’m going to be very, very anxious to see where this goes next.

Two-Fisted Adventures # 1. Why you should you race out and buy it? It isn’t often comic book lightning strikes. Ask all those imitators who tried copying TMNT and failed miserable.

TFA is an original worthy of your both your attention and support. Buy it, read it and enjoy it. I sure as hell did.

-- Ron Fortier

BEN TINSLEY: We're on ROK!

Wham Bang Comics Art Director Jason Dube and I recently started submitting our Night Owl comic strip to ROK Comics, a Lancaster, UK-based company that publishes licensed and creator-owned comics for use over cell phones.

After a very short time. ROK Managing Editor John Freeman contacted me about continuing to submit comics to them, for immediate publication and for possible syndication after we finish 20 strips. So far, we've had at least three of our current comics posted on their Internet front page.

I totally love ROK. These guys are tireless and hungry to succeed -- all the elements a company needs to skyrocket to the top.

Our strip is usually published in a typical one-page format, the same type of layout you'd see if you opened a comic book. But to accomodate the "order your strip over the cell phone" style of ROK, we've had to take our already-finished comic pages and reformat them a bit, breaking down each adventure panel-by-panel so that you can access the story on your cell one panel at a time.

And ROK won't just take anything you give them. We recently had a strip returned, with the editor asking us to work on the punch line a bit. We did just that and I think the end result is better.

I'm really hoping ROK decides to syndicate us after we hit the 20 strip mark. Jason, my son Jake, and I are in the process of mass production of our comic strips right now. We're hoping for a long and healthy relationship with ROK.

Just part of our ongoing campaign to bring you Wham Bang-tastic entertainment!

Thanks,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher,
Wham Bang Comics

Check this out! The ROK Comics experience!

BEN TINSLEY

Special Christmas issue at www.comiXpress.com at a discount price!

Starting next week, Wham Bang Comics will start publishing a special variant of Two-Fisted Adventures 1. It's the same basic issue as before, but with a brand new cover, more comics, and a drastically -- HUGELY -- reduced price.

We will only be publishing this special collector's item Christmas variant through Dec. 25.

We're reducing our price from $5.95 to $4.25. We're stuffing brand new comic strip material inside these 52 pages and packaging the comic book in Christmas cheer. It should make a great, economical gift for the kids as well as comic reading adults! Easy, too. just access www.comiXpress.com, point and click and a copy will be delivered right to your home!

Check www.comiXpress.com next week for the debut of this special issue!

And .. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanks,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: The wheel in the sky keeps on turning

Lots of interesting things happening with us since we announced the publication of Two-Fisted Adventures 1.

1. My son Jake, the 13-year-old author of Night Owl, has been interviewed by two news agencies and appeared on television discussing our comic. The press release explaining what brought him into this fine business has appeared on numerous news sites.

2. A fantastic comics news site, comicrelated.com, has asked us to write a monthly column for them on our adventures in comic booking and will also be running our webcomic every month. From us to the staff at comicrelated, THANK YOU!

3. We've sold several issues of our comic on www.comiXpress.com. This printing company is bending over backwards to be helpful to us and we totally appreciate it!

4. Christopher Blaine is still a polygamist!!

5. We've got more news on the horizon. But look for our column and webcomic on www.comicrelated.com tomorrow. And thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher
Wham Bang Comics

How 12-year-old Jake Tinsley created a comic book to honor his late grandfather, a Tx journalism legend

Contact Rachel Raya,

214-597-3539

Rachel_raya@hotmail.com

November 2007

Twelve-year-old Night Owl creator is schoolboy by day, comic superhero by night.

Grandson of legendary Texas journalist crafts character’s hero after his late grandfather

GALVESTON, TX. -- When Jake Tinsley sits down to write his superhero adventures, he draws inspiration from the memory of his grandfather, legendary Texas journalist Jack B. Tinsley, who was Jake’s best friend.

Jake’s first book, Two-Fisted Adventures #1 is slated for publication this month in www.comicexpress.com, making him one of the youngest comic book writers in America. Night Owl is the character in the 50-page comic book which also houses three other titles. The other adventures are written by Texas teacher Pmanuel Alvear, Kentucky fan fiction writer Christopher W. Blaine; and Chicago comic book artist and writer Casey Columbus.

Jake began writing the book over two years after his grandfather died unexpectedly in 2004, when Jake was 9. Jack B. Tinsley, known to Jake as “Poppa,” was the executive editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The paper won two Pulitzers under his leadership.

For some time after his Poppa died, Jake was overwhelmed by sadness. It subsided after awhile, but Jake was still troubled by the fact he hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to his real-life hero.

“I think the whole creative process of writing Night Owl has helped him remember the many good times he shared with his Poppa,” said Ben Tinsley of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ben Tinsley is Jake’s father and a journalist who formed Wham Bang Comics to publish Jake’s writings when living in Galveston, Texas. The company spans both Texas and Nevada.

In his Night Owl adventures, Jake’s main character, 12-year-old Zack Finley, inherits the Shaman powers of his Poppa after witnessing his brutal murder at the hands of a villain. In real life, Jake’s grandfather died of complications from surgery after suffering a ruptured aortic aneurism. Jake was unable to get to the hospital in time to say goodbye.

“The character Jake patterned after grandfather, “Poppa Finley” will play a major role in the second Night Owl episode in Two Fisted Adventures #2,” Ben Tinsley said. “He’s referenced in several flashbacks.”

Jake, who lives with his mother in Fort Worth, always had a ferocious imagination, having invented the Night Owl character as a small child. But as he dealt with the death of his real life hero, he was more drawn to the character than ever. At Jake’s urgings, his father decided to publish his work, which is why Wham Bang Comics to do it.

“Wham Bang Comics is creating a new mythology of heroes for the here and now,” Tinsley said. “We all love today’s superheroes but many of them were around when our grandparents were still kids.”

Jake inherited his love of comic books from his dad. Ben Tinsley is a journalist of 18 years and an avid reader of comic books since childhood.

“Comics inspired me to learn more about history and writing and words as a young child, and I’ve seen them have the same effect on Jake,” Ben Tinsley said. “Several times my son has put down a comic and asked me to go online with him to research history, geography and other concepts.”

Jason Dube of Sacramento, California, Wham Bang’s art director, said he came aboard with the new company because he was impressed by the passion that Jake and his dad had to create new and interesting comic books.

Together, Dube and Ben Tinsley spent the better part of six months – mostly in their spare time – editing and organizing the first issue for the comic. It was a lot of work, and their collaboration occurred completely over the internet and telephone. Dube and the Tinsleys have never met in person.

“As I began working for Wham Bang Comics I realized I was not doing your average comic book,” Dube said. “I was now part of a vision that little 12-year-old Jake Tinsley and his father shared. Working for long hours at my art table and over phone conversations with Ben Tinsley I saw the development of a child’s world come to life.”

Dube said he really enjoys working with Jake Tinsley because of the young Texan’s love for kid heroes.

“Two-Fisted Adventures has a little bit of something for everyone – from a funny, slapstick, sometimes dramatic superhero adventure to a gothic tale of magic, to a super powered fight against terrorism,” Dube said. “The comic really covers a lot of ground and I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in future issues.”

Shane Clendening of Fort Worth, chief financial officer for Wham Bang Comics and a longtime friend of the Tinsley family, said he hopes Two-Fisted Adventures inspires other children in the same way Jake and his father have been inspired by comic books Clendening’s young son Niko is friends with Jake as well.

“If we can get kids as excited about reading our superheroes as Jake is, they’ll eventually get excited about history, math and science,” Clendening said. “That’s what Wham Bang Comics is all about. We’re selling excitement.”

Two-Fisted Adventures #1 goes on sale today!

By the time you read this (I wrote this Thursday night) Two-Fisted Adventures 1 should be up on www.comiXpress.com. Meaning, OUR FIRST ISSUE IS OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED!

The guys at the old Xpress are great and professional printers and one click of the mouse should send our comic right to your front door.

It's been a long time coming and we're totally happy to get our product out to you.

But there's more on the horizon. I'm not going to say what, but the story behind our creation is about to be explained -- and it's something you'll want to hear.

Watch the skies!

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
publisher
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: Getting close

The Wham Bang Comics revolution starts in less than two weeks with the premiere of our first title, Two-Fisted Adventures 1.

It's a good read. It's interesting, it shows some real talent, and it's the start of something wonderful -- us coming to you with our fantastic characters on a regular basis. Night Owl is going to rock the house and Genius, John Doe, and the Sentinels of Freedom won't be far behind.

We're looking forward to nurturing our new relationship with an audience. We're going to keep doing what we do until our comics are read far and wide. In at least two languages.

What's on the horizon? A Spanish-themed comic book with Spanish-themed characters published in both English and Spanish. There will be English and Spanish versions of ALL our comics after that issue premieres.

What's now? Two-Fisted Adventures, of course! We're selling it on www.comiXpress.com and hopefully it will be proudly on display for our Nov. 2 debut date!

I love those ComiXpress guys. They do super work. They really do. Hardest working folks in show business.

BTW, we've been increasing our friend base on our MySpace page. I was looking at our friends meter on it the other day and noticed it was up to "616" people. Which is kind of eerie if you're a Marvel Comics fan and know that "616" is the title commonly used to refer to the main Marvel universe.

Next week, we'll be posting the cover to our first issue along with two of the inside pages so you'll know what you are getting. And we'll continue to bring you our monthly webcomic. Don't worry. Jason and I have at least six months worth of them safely backlogged.

Read us, please enjoy us, and then write us to give us your feedback, okay?

Thanks.

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: We're almost there!

We're almost there. We publish in November.

As we stated in previous blog entries, Diamond Distributors declined to pick up Wham Bang Comics' premiere issue, Two-Fisted Adventures 1. Therefore, we have decided to distribute over the Internet, and the fantastic and talented printsmiths at ComiXpress have graciously agreed to list us sell us from their online comics shop.

It won't be quite as gratifying as walking into a comics store and seeing our comics on the shelf, but ComiXpress has a stellar reputation for quality. Hopefully with the advertising thrust we have planned for Nov. 10, our magazines will still be in the hands of many, many readers.

We're adding something special for our new customers: an additional two pages. Two-Fisted will say "50 pages" on the cover, but those are just the pages you're paying for. The additional two will contain our best two Night Owl webcomics -- FREE -- as a "thank you" for starting us on our publishing journey. We hope that doing it this way will give readers a taste of the young Texas shaman superhero in both long story and short story form. From us to you. Respect.

I'm hoping we get our comic out there far and wide. It's been in the works for awhile and frankly, the entire process of just getting it off the ground has been exhausting. I've been calling our art director, Jason Dube, every work day for updates on how the process is going with the printing and technical jazz and whatnot. I'm fairly certain I'm driving him crazy.

Here's to the end of the beginning.

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
publisher, Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: Kids! Want a free comic book?

Hello!

We at Wham Bang Comics are about to publish our first issue ever. The Wham Bang Comics universe is about to become known to anyone who wishes to read our stuff.

That's the good news. The bad news is that Diamond has decided to pass on picking up that issue, Two-Fisted Adventures 1, for distribution.

Oh, well. That sucks, but it also provides us with more good news: We really don't have any real reason to delay any longer. We're moving up our launch date to Nov. 5!

Soon, we will be selling copies of our very first issue over the Internet.

So, to celebrate our launch, we will be offering free copies of Two-Fisted Adventures 1 to the first five kids whose parents email us at btinsley@mycingular.blackberry.net. We'll even pay the postage!

That's the first FIVE children. Parents: remember, we will need you to tell us how old your kid is, what grade he or she is in, and that sort of stuff. Plus, any feedback about the comic will be welcome and posted on this site.

If we get any further inquires after that number we will consider handing out more, if supplies allow.

So write us! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher, Wham Bang Comics
btinsley@mycingular.blackberry.net

BEN TINSLEY: Even more from the fan fiction career of Christopher Blaine

Justa Lotta Animals:

The Batmouse – Cry of the Hentress

By: Christopher W. Blaine

e-mail: darth_yoshi@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained in this story are ©2003 by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related non-profit purposes only. This original story is ©2003 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole without the express permission of the author.

I watched in horror as my parents were slaughtered before me, killed for the change in their pockets. I remember the face of their killer, the small eyes and pale beak. The weapon still smoking, held in a black-feathered hand.

That night, Bruce Waynermaus died a horrible, slow death from drowning. He drowned in the tears of a child.

When the last one had dropped from his whisker, he realized then and there that he would forever be changed and he accepted it. He accepted it with a cry and shaking fist.

That night I died and I was reborn, rising from the pools of blood that surrounded my parent’s sprawled forms. On that night, I became something more than myself.

I became Batmouse.

“New partner?” Jim Gordon Crowe asked, pushing his spectacles up his beak before pulling out a large cigar. He used it as a pointer, directing the Batmouse to the yellow and orange costumed teenager behind him.

“This is Robin,” Batmouse replied, his eyes getting smaller. “Batmouse must always have a Robin,” he replied with a small smile. It was the only time he would do so, except in situations that required the embarrassment of Super-Squirrel. Making the Rodent of Steel squirm brought him great pleasure.

“A duck this time I see,” Jim said, noting the bill on the teenager. The last Robin had been a bear both in form and attitude. He wanted to ask what happened to him, but he felt it was better left unsaid. Bears had it rough in Gotham City as he remembered the death of Jason Toddly Bear, the ward of Bruce Waynermaus. Terrorists had killed the poor boy while he had been on vacation, or so the story went.

Little did the police commissioner know that behind the mask of Robin, Timothy Drake was well aware of what had happened to his predecessor. Striking out to find his mother, the second Robin, the deceased Jason, had traveled to the Middle East where the Jackass, the arch-nemesis of the Batmouse, murdered him. “You’re called sounded important, Commissioner,” Robin said, wanting to change the subject.

Jim gave a harrumph and lit the cigar. “An informant has told us that there’s someone new in town, but we don’t know if she’s friend or fowl, pardon the pun.”

Batmouse nodded. “The Hentress,” he said coolly. “Word is that she may be an operative for the Black Spider.”

“You need to find out since costumed nuts are your specialty,” Jim said. He flapped his arms, shaking some dust from his feathers. “Damn city air.”

Batmouse waved the cigar smoke away from his sensitive nose. “No kidding.”

Jim paid him no heed and continued on. “The Black Spider is on the move, consolidating his power. I understand the Penguin has agreed to merge his group into his.”

Batmouse took the information in stride, betraying no emotion. His only movement was to reach down to his utility belt and open the special cheese compartment. Mild cheddar always helped him think things through. The Black Spider was a mysterious figure that was slowly making his way to the top of the Gotham underworld food chain. Who he was exactly was the big mystery; as of yet, Batmouse still had not confronted the criminal face-to-face.

“He already has the Bronze Tiger and Catmouse on his payroll; he’s forming an army,” Batmouse thought out loud, popping a couple of chunks into his mouth. He chewed on them and then turned to regard Robin. The teenager was busting at the bill to go into action and prove himself. “Maybe I need an army as well.”

“What was that?” Jim asked.

Batmouse shook his head and threw his cape back. “Nothing, Jim; don’t worry, I’ll find the Hentress.”

“I was never worried,” the crow said with a big smile.

“Two years and now you need my help,” Night Owl said in a hooting tone. Hooter “Dick” Grayson had been the first Robin until he and Batmouse had separated after a philosophical argument. Night Owl now operated solo, having recently broken up with his girlfriend, Star Firefox.

“Things are getting bad in Gotham,” Batmouse said, his visage interrupted occasionally by static. Night Owl’s internet connection was bad, as was everything else in his hideout/apartment. Though he had his own money, he chose to life frugally. “I need you to come home.”

“I like New York.”

“You liked New York when you had some warm mammal to snuggle up to on long, cold winter nights,” Batmouse said. Night Owl was about to respond, but the Dark Rat beat him to the punch. “I do keep tabs on my interests. Your woman is gone, the Zoo Titans have disbanded…again…”

“I’m not some little chick that you can order around, Batmouse; I’ve made my own nest, I can fly without being pushed,” Night Owl responded. “You might need me, but I don’t need you. I can stretch my wings here.”

“What about Barbara, Dick?” Batmouse asked, playing his trump card. Barbara Gordon Crowe had been the Batchick, another junior partner to the Batmouse and the first serious love of Night Owl. Only a year before, the Jackass had shot her, putting her into a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Now she aided the Batmouse as the cyber-sleuth Oracrow. “She’d like to see you.”

“She knows my number, Bruce,” Night Owl replied. He turned his head completely around, a trait of his species, and blinked away the tears of regret. He had always blamed himself secretly for her condition. If he hadn’t run away with Kory, perhaps they would have been together when the Jackass struck. Perhaps then he would still be able to fly with Barbara up high…

“I won’t ask again,” Batmouse said. He chewed on a slice of American cheese and Night Owl knew he was getting upset. He only pulled out the slices when the stress was getting to him.

Night Owl had to make a decision. Was he going to prove he was a grown owl by staying in New York, or was he going to prove he was a dutiful son by giving in to the Batmouse’s demands? He turned his head back around and puffed out his chest. “I’m coming.”

“I am a trained warrior, mate.”

Batmouse nodded, his ears wiggling slightly. He sat in the lotus position, Swiss chunks in his left hand, and cheddar in the other. The Tasmanian devil in front of him breathed deeply before beginning to speak again. “We have nothing to discuss.”

Batmouse nibbled the Swiss. “You are dangerous without training. You have the will, but lack the patience to escape the maze. Under my tutelage, you will become better.”

“Crikey! Do you really believe that rubbish? I gots the System in me noggin’,” the other mammal said, pointing to his skull. “No stupid muskrat…”

“Mouse.”

“Whatever. Tazrael does not need to be trained by the Bat, mate…or Mouse,” the devil said as he stood up. “I’ll handle the Black Spider and that’ll be that!”

Batmouse shook his head and stood up as well, putting the cheese into his utility belt. “Nobody does anything in Gotham without my approval.”

Tazrael stepped closer and Batmouse noted the glint of light on his fangs. He was a powerful adversary who Batmouse was considering making his reserve. There was always the possibility that someone would build a better trap and a new Batmouse would be needed to protect Gotham City. “Fine, mate,” the devil said, turning his back to the Dark Rat. “You take care of the problem yourself. Jus’ don’t be crawlin’ back to old Taz when you get your bum handed to you!”

Batmouse spun around and left the room immediately. The monks of the Order of St. Bernard bowed as he walked by, a sign of respect for the warrior that he was. He had hoped to recruit Tazrael for his new “family”, but the other mammal was simply too independent.

He would simply have to make do with what he had.

Oracrow tapped some keys and opened a channel. “Fried Chicken to Lady Bird,” she said into the microphone. She tapped her long beak as she waited. Behind her, Robin played with his hand-held video game. Batmouse had sent him over to get a status report from Oracrow’s Birds of Prey, a private investigating group.

Currently, she had Black Canary searching the warehouse district for any signs of the Hentress. The Fowl Fatale had been hanging out in that area for the past week or so and Batmouse was hoping to use the BoP group to cover more ground for him.

“Lady Bird here, flapping around in the fog,” came the reply. Robin moved in a little closer to hear. It was recently revealed he had a large crush on the Canary (who was also a duck, secretly Dinah Drake Lance) and had volunteered to be here in the hopes of meeting her. “Have you seen the new cute partner Batmouse has?” she asked.

Barbara smiled. She had clued her partner in on Robin’s crush earlier. Both thought it was cute but also realized that Robin wasn’t all that young and one day he was going to be a striking mallard, firm in feet and long in bill.

Very long in bill it was hoped.

“Quiet, Dinah, he might hear you!”

There was a quacking chuckle on the other end that was soon interrupted by the deep baritone voice of the Batmouse. “Less chatter and more flying.”

Batmouse put the binoculars down and peered across the pier to the other side. His eyes were not reliable in this fog, but his sense of smell was something different. He could detect the Canary fluttering around to the west in an area frequented by the Warf Rats, a local street gang. He suspected, however, that the Hentress, whom he believed he could smell across the way, was after bigger fish.

This part of the pier, these four warehouses, were owned by the Penguin. Actually, it was owned by a company that the Penguin owned through a henchman. Given that the Penguin was now allied with the Black Spider, that meant this was mobster territory.

Several toughs, bulldogs and weasels, were milling about and Batmouse could sense that something was about to happen. Most likely a major arms for drugs deal. The Black Spider was planning on taking control of Gotham the hard way with guns blazing.

A car pulled up and shut its lights off. An otter stepped out, smoothing back his slick hair with a hand and exchanging elaborate handshakes with the weasels. After a few minutes of that, the otter moved to the trunk and opened it. “Night vision,” Batmouse whispered and the lenses in his cowl switched to an ultra-enhanced view. His vision was now twice as good as it would be in normal light and he zoomed in on the open trunk.

Several weapons could be seen piled up ranging from simple handguns to advanced laser rifles. One of the thugs brought over a suitcase and handed it to the otter. More handshakes were exchanged and then all hell broke loose.

The scream was something between a rooster and a banshee, the leather clad Hentress roaring in rage from atop the other warehouse. She was a magnificent specimen of chicken, with a black crown and powerful wings. Her costume was tight against her plumage and it left no question about her figure.

Aiming a wicked-looking crossbow at the otter, the Hentress fired. Batmouse cried out “No!” and then let his batarang fly. His weapon deflected the crossbow quarrel and then returned to his outstretched hand. The thugs were already moving, pulling out guns and firing at both the Hentress and Batmouse.

“I need you,” Batmouse said as he pulled his cape over, letting the Kevlar absorb several rounds before he made his move. Like his namesake, the hero literally flew through the air and came down hard into the crowd of criminals. The Hentress who was delivering chops and punches like a pro joined him.

Night Owl wasn’t far behind, swooping down and grabbing a weasel with his feet. With a deft move, the weasel went flying into the water. “Who’s the spicy chicken surprise?”

The Hentress took down two dogs with a surprise Kung Pow strike. “You don’t belong here heroes!”

Batmouse ducked several swings with a pipe and took down the weasel. “This is my town! I won’t let the Black Spider just come in and take it away from the good people of Gotham!”

By now the Black Canary had also joined them, using her sonic Canary Quack to shatter the eardrums of many of the thugs. Within a minute, the foursome had taken down a score of villains and nobody was dead. Batmouse, his breathing steady, turned to face the Hentress. “Who are you?”

She laughed. “I am vengeance! I am the night!”

Night Owl snickered as she parodied Batmouse’s standard introduction. “Fine. I’ll tell you who you are. You’re name is Henlena Bertinelli…”

Black Canary gasped. The Bertinelli’s had been an infamous mob family in Gotham some years before. The Hentress said nothing for a minute and then tapped her foot on the ground. “So? You’re supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, right? If that’s true, then you know why I’m doing this.”

“If you keep this pace up eventually they will find you in a bucket,” Night Owl offered from behind her. She turned to him and gave him a wink.

“You’re a lot cuter out of that Robin uniform,” she said.

“You should see me out of this one,” he teased.

Batmouse cleared his throat. “Can we get back to the situation at hand? Canary, secure the weapons and have Oracrow contact the authorities.”

“The Black Spider arranged to have my parents murdered. I had to watch as my father was deep fried in front of me!” the Hentress cried out.

Batmouse nodded, remembering when Joe Chilly, a penguin down on his luck, had murdered his parents. Could he be judging her too harshly? “We both want the same thing…justice,” Batmouse told her and he reached for his pouch of Colby chunks. “I’m offering you the chance to get that without killing.”

She shook her head. “The Black Spider has to die! He’s the worm in the apple and I intend to feast!” She pulled out her crossbow and reloaded it. Slipping it back into its holster, she turned to walk away. “I won’t settle for less.”

“You don’t want me coming after you,” was the warning.

“I’ll keep that in mind, rodent,” she relied. Night Owl moved to get in her way, but Batmouse motioned for his to move. “Don’t get your feathers ruffled, handsome!”

They watched her disappear into the night. “Why did you let her go?”

Batmouse chewed on his cheese. “She’ll be back.”

“How can you be so sure?”

He sniffed the air before answering. “You came back, didn’t you?”

“Batmouse took down all of our boys,” Catmouse said. His orange costume looked similar to the Dark Rat’s, but had a more feline touch to it. He was addressing the other members of the Black Spider’s inner web. “It’s going to cost us.”

“This Hentress is not helping business either!” the Penguin added, tapping the table with his umbrella. “It’s a conspiracy I say!”

“I say we break both of them, snap them into twigs,” the Bronze Tiger remarked. He then roared in frustration. “I did not agree to this partnership to sit on the sidelines! I demand a chance to match my mettle against the Bat!”

In front of them, hidden by shadows, the Black Spider spoke. “Patience my friends. The Bat is a problem, as is this Hentress, but we must tread carefully. Do you want to bring the entire might of the Justa Lotta Animals down upon us? I’m not ready to tackle Super-Squirrel or Wonder Wabbit.”

“Well, no,” Catmouse started.

“We will achieve our goals, my friends,” the Black Spider promised, “and I assure you that when we do, the blood of the Batmouse will serve as the wine we will toast our victory to!”

9:43 AM - BEN TINSLEY: It’s monthly webcomic posting time!

Current mood: accomplished
Category: Blogging

Folks:

Just letting you know we're posting our October Night Owl web comic online today.

As a bonus, we're also posting Jason Dube's recent televised media interview -- the one where he discusses his Wham Bang Comics projects and other great works. It's now a You Tube fixture so we thought it might make a good bonus to supplement your reading pleasure.

Good interview, good comic, and generally a good day.
So GOOD LORD! Be good!

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher
Wham Bang Comics

Why Christopher Whiskey Blaine keeps me reading

Justice Guild of America Issue 1

By Christopher W. Blaine

DISCLAIMER: This work of fiction contains characters and situations that are ©2006 by DC Comics Inc. and Christopher W. Blaine. DC Comics has not given permission for the use of their characters or situations. This work is done for fan entertainment only. This original story is ©2006 by Christopher W. Blaine.

The story thus far…

Years ago, the time-traveling villain known as the Time-Guardian enlisted the aid of Extant in order to try and recreate the Crisis event. It was revealed that the Time-Guardian was actually the Roy Harper of Earth-2, a world that had existed before the Crisis. Blaming God for his situation and the loss of his world, Harper used his magically-based powers, which he inherited by accident, to travel through Hypertime where he murdered his duplicates.

Finally, he gathered together villains from the pre-Crisis universe, using his powers to literally pluck them from the timestream, and with this army he assaulted the true Roy Harper and killed him. By killing Harper before his time, the Time-Guardian managed to exploit the hole caused in the space-time continuum and he pulled the Crisis wave through.

A new universe was created, but while trying to make his own order, the Time-Guardian had managed to also build some chaos. In the non-dimension of Limbo, Abel, keeper of the House of Secrets, pulled together heroes that should had never existed and put them on the Time-Guardian’s world, hoping they would be able to set things correct. Led by the Kryptonian super-hero Nightwing, this group, called the Time-Wardens, destroyed the Time-Guardian’s Crisis engine, which should have restored the universe.

It did, but not without a wrinkle.

The Time-Trapper, a time villain from the 3oth century, wanted to see how the scenario would play out and created a pocket dimension to hold the Time-Guardian’s universe. While life went on there, a hole in Limbo was allowing criminals from various ages and realities to spill out into the real world and the Justice League found itself leading a fight against a more powerful enemy. War was breaking out in all dimensions but the cause of good was not without its champions.

At a critical juncture, the original Superman arrived with Alexander Luthor in tow. The aided the Time Wardens in defeating the Time-Guardian and sent him to the Speed Force where he would do no more harm. The universe was set right and the pocket dimension continued to exist. Superman and Luthor returned to their banishment outside of time, with nobody realizing the consequences of all of these actions.

On Earth-T, the name given to the world in the pocket universe, the newly-christened Wardens did their best to serve the cause of justice. Their membership fluctuated slightly as they continued to protect the innocent from the Legion of Doom, led by Dominus. Adventure after adventure molded them into first a team, then a fighting force and finally a family.

In the Speed Force, the Time-Guardian could tell something was happening, but he was not sure what. He tried to use his powers to see the future, but it was not possible. Instead, he could sense the fabric of magic being altered. Unknown to him at the time, Alexander Luthor had instigated the Infinite Crisis, his mind warped by the dreams of power he had glimpsed originally in the Time-Guardian.

Superboy-Prime, Luthor’s main accomplice, was sent to be imprisoned in the Speed Force by the Flash and Kid Flash. The young powerhouse would eventually prove to be more than what the Speed Force could handle and the Time-Guardian was able to escape. His imprisonment, however, had given the villain a long time to consider things and he emerged a very different person.

Luthor’s base of operations

“You stole my ideas,” the Time-Guardian said as he slowly approached Luthor. Both were clad in armor, Luthor’s golden while the former Speedy’s was crimson. “But you didn’t learn my lessons.”

Luthor did not turn around; he considered the Time-Guardian nothing more than a nuisance, a man of limited vision and ability. Had he truly been worthy of ruling the universe then he would have won when he tried. “Is there something that you wanted before I destroyed your little pocket universe?”

“If you can, you mean,” was the quick, smirking response. “I don’t think you’ll win.”

“You won’t know because you will be dead, or I should say, wiped from existence as you should have been from the beginning. Your powers will soon fade because this age of magic, the age that granted you your abilities…”

The Time-Guardian cut him off. “I am fully aware of your manipulations of the Spectre. That would have been more impressive had he been grafted to a living host.” The supposed angel of holy vengeance had been running amok during the Infinite Crisis, crushing sources of magic. Magic was one of those things that Luthor needed to be marginalized for his plans because magic did not adhere to the strict rules of science. “It still won’t help.”

“Did you know you weren’t the only one to survive the Crisis from your world? Power Girl is here,” Luthor said, pointing up. A tower, constructed from the remains of the Anti-Monitor, stood before them. Several beings were strapped to the tower, like captive ornaments on a Christmas tree of death. One was an attractive, buxom blond in a white costume.

The woman was Kara Zor-L, the cousin of the Superman of Earth-2, who had been the man who had helped stop the Time-Guardian. In another time and place, he and her would have been good friends, maybe even teammates in the Justice Society. “You could have taken her as a mate.”

“I got the hint that you were the one with a thing for her,” he told him.

Luthor shrugged. “I have little time to think about sex, but if I were inclined to participate in it…”

“She would most likely kill you,” The Time-Guardian laughed. “You are a Luthor, not a Superman. You lack the…”

Luthor whirled around, hatred in his eyes. “You insect! You would dare mock me? I am a god compared to you!”

“I don’t think so,” the Time-Guardian said cryptically, his eyes flashing with small, blue electrical discharges. They were signs of the magical energies that flowed through him. “I have redesigned the universe before, you are still trying. That’s because despite your intelligence, you have no imagination! You never really lived in the real world, Alex; you don’t have a clue what is really good and evil.”

Alex turned back around and stuck his hands into a holographic projection of multiple earths. He grabbed two of them and smashed them together, merging the realities into one.

New Earth-42

Sister Helena Joan Bertinelli jumped high and to the left as another vampire hissed and clawed at the spot she had been standing in. Behind her, Green Lantern used his power ring to shove back three werewolves that were attacking with equal ferocity. The Justice League had found this nest of the undead quite by accident; they had been on the trail of the Scarecrow, a priest of a pagan religion that had been committing several human sacrifices in Metropolis.

“Hal, watch your back!” Green Arrow called out, letting loose with a wooden arrow. The shaft pierced the heart of the vampire that had been attacking Helena, even as she landed and rolled away. She came up face to face with another vampire. The creature screamed and bared bloody fangs at her. She hesitated for a moment; she did not want to kill the creature.

But, she had been trained to do so by the Vatican and despite the fact that she felt great sympathy for the monster, she was not about to let it kill her. In one movement she threw back her purple cloak to reveal her golden crucifix. The vampire immediately shied away even as twin beams of crimson burned their way through its skull, boiling the ichor within and causing it to explode.

Super-Woman landed and fired off another blast of heat vision at a vampire that was armed with a golden sword. The sword was meant for the preoccupied Green Lantern, but by the time it reached his back, it was nothing but yellow steam. “Thanks, Shyla,” Green Lantern grinned as he turned to face his foe. “I think I can handle it from here!”

Green Arrow, from his relatively safe spot on top of some crates, fired two more times before calling out that he was out of ammo. “We’ve hit the mother load here!”

Helena shook her head. “This isn’t right, there are too many of them here! They were waiting for us!”

A young woman, barely out of her teens, crashed through the ceiling and landed in front of Super-Woman. Clad in a skimpy black leather uniform, she looked more like a dominatrix than a super-villain. Wonder Wendy was the second in command of the Legion of Doom and one of its more powerful members. A quick right cross knocked Super-Woman onto her butt.

“Watch and learn,” Luthor commanded as he reached for another world. His machine, which allowed him to pull realities out of the nothingness, was also giving him the ability to merge them.

Behind him, the Time-Guardian said nothing, but crept slowly towards his foe.

New Earth-232A

Super-Woman looked up and wiped a small trace of blood from her broken lip. Above her, three hundred and fifty pounds of flesh, stuffed into an entirely too small red and gold swimsuit, stood at the ready. In Wonder Woman’s hand was a blueberry fruit pie, which had contributed to the cyan hue of her tongue. “So skinny, baby needs to eat,” the obese Amazon said, waggling her tongue as she looked underneath Super-Woman’s miniskirt.

“Burn,” Super-Woman said as she fired off a lethal blast of her heat vision. Too many members of the Justice League had succumbed to the lure of the dessert treats. Wonder Woman and Black Canary had been the first to fall and Super-Woman was sure that the Legion of Doom was behind the plot. The sugars that the women had consumed had destroyed their bodies, ruined their teeth and had rotted their brains.

The beams of light struck Wonder Woman in one of her fleshy chins and the smell of burning fruit filled the air. Liquid fat boiled and rolled down the front of her gargantuan breasts as she screamed in pain and fell back. Vampires, weak from the battle with the other heroes, fell upon her and sunk their teeth into her ample flesh.

Hawkgirl spit on the floor and threw her mace in frustration from her perch on top of some crates. “Nobody will come up here to fight me!” she said with anger.

Green Lantern laughed and used his power ring to create a giant fist that punched through a nearby wall. As it crumbled, he picked up the sight of their quarry. “Got the Scarecrow, who wants him?”

Helena jumped past him, her crossbow in her hand. “Hawkgirl is with me!”

“You’re building Stupid Earth! So what?” the Time-Guardian taunted.

“I’m not trying to recreate this reality,” Luthor answered him. “I’m going to horribly distort yours and then destroy it with a squeeze of my fist!”

Three more blue globes were pulled out of the stew and slapped into the one he had already created. Like a stark raving mad chef, he tossed ingredients into the pot with no regard for measurement, taste or consistency.

New Earth 3458Q

“It’s over Scarecrow,” Batwoman said. Behind her the extended “Bat Family” stood ready to leap to her aid. Next to them stood the members of the Justice Guild of America. The Scarecrow and his allies in the Crime Syndicate had gone too far this time. Hundreds of innocent people had been infected with a lycanthropy virus that had turned them all into Man-Bats. The ensuring chaos had allowed the free members of the Syndicate to stage a jail break from the maximum security facility called the Watchtower. “Surrender now and tell us where the rest of your friends are at?”

The Scarecrow cackled. “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you because now all of you will have to look over your shoulders, wondering where we will strike next!”

Super-Woman folded her arms across her chest. “We’re not afraid, Dr. Crane.”

“You will be!”

“Now, your world dies and its pocket dimension dissolve away,” Luthor threatened.

“No, it doesn’t,” the Time-Guardian responded. In an instant, he turned his powers inward, enveloping his body in magical energies. He flashed into pure magical energy as he surrendered his body to the cosmos. This had been his plan all along.

Once he realized what Luthor had been doing, that he was making the same attempts to recreate reality he had, the Time-Guardian had put his own plans into motion. His incarceration had given him time to think about his crimes and his reasons. Somehow, he had let himself go astray, but that had really been putting it mildly. He had become everything he had been raised to fight.

He didn’t want to die that way.

So, he reasoned the one thing he could do to try and make up for the billions of murders he had committed was to save the universe that he had helped bring into existence. To protect it from what Luthor had planned, he needed a magic shield. The problem was that the Spectre was going around destroying all of the magic.

The only thing he had left was himself.

A flash of blue lightning struck Luthor’s hand and he dropped the created world back into the maelstrom that was before him. The lightning did not burn him, but it startled him and he jumped back, cursing. He looked into the mass of earths, trying to find the one he had been looking for, but then he realized there was no time. “Fine, let it reside in its own little closet. After I am successful in this venture, I will come back and deal with that detail.”

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1. Chapter 12. Chapter 23. Chapter 34. Chapter 4

BEN TINSLEY: Christopher Blaine is keeping it real for the male fan fiction community

FROM: A History of Male Involvement in the Fan Fiction Community Or: Challenging Assumptions: Fandom isn’t a bastion of femaleness

by Laura Hale
In fan the fan fiction community, there has been at various points in our history an assumption that the community is a largely female one: female driven, female led, a community with feminist perspective or bent, female majority, a history where women are at the forefront. A look deeper into the history of fan fiction challenges this assumption of the fan fiction community being one of female privilege.

... (Denotes elipsis)

... The comic book fandom had Darth Yoshi, aka Christopher W. Blaine. Darth Yoshi was active in promoting a number of more obscure comic book fandoms, promoting awards and otherwise giving increased visibility to ignored parts of the fandom. His fan fiction helped kick start a number of comic book fandoms on FanFiction.Net. David Ivanick helped to drive much meta discussion in the comic book fandom because of the article he had published in May of 2001’s Savant #42. In the Elfquest fandom, there was Whip. He was a member of and maintainer of the FAQ for the biggest Elfquest fan fiction mailing list on the Internet in 2000.

BEN TINSLEY: Jason Dube is in the news —and on YOU TUBE!!

Jason Dube, our fantastic art director, has made television news.

On a local news show, Jason is interviewed about his career, his tremendous art style, and continued ascension into fame in the comic book world.

During the interview, Jason gives a much-appreciated shout-out to the Wham Bang Comics posse and especially to my son and our company muse, Jake Tinsley. Jason describes Wham Bang Comics and its upcoming premiere issue as one of the biggest projects he’s ever been involved in.

Hopefully it’s the first of many mentions to come.

Unfortunately, in the process of the interview the reporter mispronunces our name. (Wham BANG Comics, ma’am!)

Despite her snafu (of all the things to screw up, why OUR NAME?) it’s obviously us. While she’s continuing her spiel, Jason is tweaking some Night Owl art in the background/.

You can catch the broadcast your self by accessing You Tube, www.youtube.com, and punching in "Jason Dube" to the search tool.

As always, we totally appreciate Jason and all he brings to the table and totally look forward to bringing out Two-Fisted Comics #1 to the public as soon as we can.

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY

Publisher

Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: Jason Dube is in the news —and on YOU TUBE!!

Jason Dube, our fantastic art director, has made television news.

On a local news show, Jason is interviewed about his career, his tremendous art style, and continued ascension into fame in the comic book world.

During the interview, Jason gives a much-appreciated shout-out to the Wham Bang Comics posse and especially to my son and our company muse, Jake Tinsley. Jason describes Wham Bang Comics and its upcoming premiere issue as one of the biggest projects he’s ever been involved in.

Hopefully it’s the first of many mentions to come.

Unfortunately, in the process of the interview the reporter mispronunces our name. (Wham BANG Comics, ma’am!)

Despite her snafu (of all the things to screw up, why OUR NAME?) it’s obviously us. While she’s continuing her spiel, Jason is tweaking some Night Owl art in the background/.

You can catch the broadcast your self on www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ApWV TZX_Q

As always, we totally appreciate Jason and all he brings to the table and totally look forward to bringing out Two-Fisted Comics #1 to the public as soon as we can.

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY

Publisher

Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: Jason Dube is in the news —and on YOU TUBE!!

M

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Jason Dube, our fantastic art director, has made television news. Jason, on a news show, is interviewed about his career, his tremendous art style, and continued ascension into fame in the comic book world. During the interview, Jason gives a much-appreciated shout-out to the Wham Bang Comics posse and especially to my son and our company muse, Jake Tinsley. Jason describes Wham Bang Comics and its upcoming premiere issue as one of the biggest projects he's ever been involved in. Hopefully it's the first of many mentions to come. Unfortunately, in the process of the interview the reporter mispronunces our name. (Wham BANG Comics, ma'am!) Despite her snafu (of all the things to screw up, why OUR NAME?) it's obviously us. While she's continuing her spiel, Jason is tweaking some Night Owl art in the background/. You can catch the broadcast yourself on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ApWVTZX_Q As always, we totally appreciate Jason and all he brings to the table and totally look forward to bringing out Two-Fisted Comics 1 to the public as soon as we can. Sincerely, BEN TINSLEY Publisher Wham Bang Comics

CHRISTOPHER BLAINE: WTF?

God has chosen to bless me with migraines and a job I hate. That’s fine. We take what we get. Then, God thought he would be funny and team me up with Ben Tinsley. See, at my normal job, I get told how stupid I am and then they tell me how lucky I am to be underpaid.

When I write comics, I have to deal with a publisher who frightens the staff by creating a fake story about my criminal history. Let me say this: the only thing offending about my sex is the way I perform. Leave them pissed is my motto.

I do not have more than one wife (actually I have an ex-wife, so maybe I do have more than one). I would not want more than one wife. Having more than one woman is like having less than two nuts. Of course, since this is a kid-friendly blog, I am speaking about our friends the squirrels, who must gather their nuts before winter.

Remember kids: A squirrel with no nuts dies!

Yeah, I have been gone and in my absence, others have tried to fill the void. Well, I am the only one who can do that! I have size 12 feet ladies. That means only one thing: more expensive shoes.

I could speak about my comic, but what am I going to tell you? My publisher will tell the world I have sex with goats. You believed him. For shame!

I will be back. Like a Britney Spears or a Michael Vick, I will climb to the top of the heap and vomit my ideas, opinions and tales of romantic horror to all of you.

Jason: you thought I was a sex offender? Please send me a drawing of Power Girl as a form of apology.

Ben: You have drawn blood, sir! My honor demands I spank thee smartly! I want you to draw me a Power Girl as well, biznatch!

Christopher W. Blaine is the Managing Editor of Wham Bang Comics. He is the man. Everyone knows that.

CASEY COLUMBUS: Genius might have a recipe for success

Girl + Knowledge + Martial Arts = ???

The answer? RAD. Or so I hope, as I work diligently with the characters in my title, "Genius."

Take one part sweet teenage girl, one part awesome and unexpected powers, and toss in a whole lot of chaos
as people fight for control over the very thing that makes her so excellent: the source of her power.

I don't want to go into too many details, because what would compel you, oh member of the internets, to read it then?

Let's just say we start with an old Indian cult that murdered people to prevent the
coming of Kali... and they're just the start of a parade of villainy and scum of the spiritual world's underbelly.

Fortunately, our hero, Tanya, has help and support from friends and family.

But then again, that just might not play in her favor after all...

It's coming directly at you soon. Stay tuned for Genius!


CASEY COLUMBUS

BEN TINSLEY: Writing webcomics 101

My son Jake, as you may or may not remember, is Wham Bang Comics' senior writer. He pens the Night Owl adventures, which debut in Two-Fisted Adventures #1 coming soon.

Now, Jake and I both agree: Coming up with scripts for the one page Internet comic strips you will see on our MySpace webpage -- www.myspace.com/whambangcomics -- is a lot harder than writing a full-length 8 to 18 page comic.

Not sure why. Maybe it's the fact that you have to condense everything into four panels and have it make some sort of sense. There has to be a punch line. It's a different form of creation altogether, compared to the steps that have to be taken to put out a standard story script of any caliber.

No room for subplots. None. No room for really cool action scenes. Hardly any room for dialogue. At all.

Plus, there's the added burden of having to only use characters who won't spoil serious storylines, plot twists, or any surprises you have planned for your regular comic book.

And it's a much stranger process. Normally when Jake and I are working on his comic character for a full-length story, he stands beside me rattling off his story while I type it down. I come back with editing ideas, we come to a compromise and the story is just about done.

But not with webcomics. When we go through this process, Jake tells me VILLAIN X should do this or that to Night Owl and Night Owl should do this or that in response.

I then tell Jake that there's no way I could make any of that happen in four panels.

Jake condenses his original idea.

I condense his condensation.

And maybe we're down to 8 to 10 panels by then. So we have to go back again, rethink and rethink.

At some point the light goes on in both of our heads and we come to the same conclusion on how to condense it even more. (Jake is 12 and I am 40 but we still think a lot alike.)

After some aches and pains, finally it's done.

Viola! Webcomic!

It's work. It's definitely a learning curve. But it gets easier. And it's always 100 percent fun.

Keep reading as the Tinsley boys master their craft. We'll all enjoy the process together!

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
publisher
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: I love Christopher W. Blaine's team comic!!!

I love team comics in general. Why? Because they give writers a chance to explore team dynamics, explore on-team romances -- pretty much put all the complications of the workplace put on the superhero stage.

It's a formula that works, even with the younger heroes. Lots of back-and-forth, mixing it up, working it out.

I especially love team comics that get a lot of storytelling done in a short amount of time. Tight, bright, and to the point.

The reason I mention this is you really need to read Christopher W. Blaine's upcoming team adventure in Two-Fisted Adventures #1. It blends lots of history with sweet, punchy dialogue and the promise of something special to come. (We're withholding the title for now.)

We're almost there with the how and where Two-Fisted (and all our future comics) will be published. It's been a long process for us, but stay tuned. You won't regret it!


Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
publisher,
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: I love Christopher W. Blaine's team comic!!!

I love team comics in general. Why? Because they give writers a chance to explore team dynamics, explore on-team romances -- pretty much put all the complications of the workplace put on the superhero stage.

It's a formula that works, even with the younger heroes. Lots of back-and-forth, mixing it up, working it out.

I especially love team comics that get a lot of storytelling done in a short amount of time. Tight, bright, and to the point.

The reason I mention this is you really need to read Christopher W. Blaine's upcoming team comic in Two-Fisted Adventures #1. It blends lots of history with sweet, punchy dialogue and the promise of something special to come. (We're withholding the comic title for now.)

We're almost there with the how and where Two-Fisted (and all our future comics) will be published. It's been a long process for us, but stay tuned. You won't regret it!


Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
publisher,
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: CHRISTOPHER BLAINE IS INNOCENT OF POLYGAMY AND BEING A SEX OFFENDER

Christopher W. Blaine, the amazing managing editor for Wham Bang Comics, is not a sex-offender or a polygamist. I swear.

The last blog that indicated he was both was intended to be satire in the same way Chris often satires or makes fun of me by saying I eat children or pistol-whip him when I’m feeling depressed. Like that.

Unfortunately, our art director Jason Dube, who didn’t know of this little running joke, read the last entry with horror.

Aghast, Jason emailed me, wondering why I’d hire a sex offender. OR, if I didn’t know he was a sex offender when I hired him, why I didn’t fire him immediately when I found out the truth.

The truth is this: Christopher Blaine is an upstanding citizen. He just doesn’t get his blog in by deadline sometimes and I get worried and have to fill the space myself. This time I tried doing so with a page out of his prank book. With disastrous results.

I won’t say that we won’t have satire here again, but it won’t be as far out as this last one was.

AGAIN: CHRIS BLAINE IS NOT A SEX OFFENDER. I MADE THAT UP.

If you’ll notice, the sex offender number on the sex-offender entry I posted under his name was 867-5309. After the lyrics of the famous song “Jenny,” performed by Tommy Tutone.

So … Sorry Chris. But if you’d post your blog in a timely manner I wouldn’t have been forced to get midlevel on your a#$...

By the way, Two Fisted Adventures #1 is coming soon! Watch the skies!

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher, Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: Christoper Blaine knows what a "dutch oven" is

I really don't know why Chistopher Blaine has stopped writing blogs. He's MIA. And I think he's strung out on some serious drugs. And hanging with some strange women.

I keep calling his house to ask when he's going to turn his column in and I get this really eager "Yessir, Boss," early in the day. Sounding really eager to please, you know?

But no blog ever arrives.

So I call back and no one answers. Finally on my 13th telephonic try, Blaine picks up the phone abruptly, his voice husky with Whiskey and Vicadin, and he tells me he's going to kill me if I don't stop harassing him. Then he threatens to reassign my wives to new husbands. I then remind him I'm divorced -- and that even when married only had one wife. And Chris goes all weird and silent for a moment.

"Wha the fug don' you stop calling me?" he asks.

"Because you owe me a blog, Doofus," I answer.

Then I hear a teenage girl with a cute Kentucky accent scream, "NO, Daddy! Don't start the apocalypse!!" And the phone goes dead.

I'm planning an intervention for Chris. His drunken, heroin-fueled behavior has started to attract the attention of the cops. I was questioned by the feds about him the other day. Something about "plural marriage," whatever that is.

I was looking online the other day and found that Chris has a sexual offender profile in the state of Kentucky. And, like, 70 children from multiple wives.

So all I have to say is Chris is this: START WRITING YOUR DAMN BLOG OR I'M GOING TO PUBLISH EVERY BIT OF EVIDENCE I'VE ACCUMULATED ABOUT YOUR ALTERNATE LIFESTYLE.

Sincerely,

Your publisher.

REG ID: 8675309
NAME: BLAINE, CHRISTOPHER WHISKEY
ALIASES: BUENO EXCELLENTE
DOOKEY N. MYHINEY
BIRTH DATE: 1-21-69
SEX: Male
Race: White
HEIGHT: 6'6
On supervised release
Offense: CRIMES FROM OTHER STATES/TERRITORIES/COUNTRIES
Age of Victims: 17 through 109.
Remarks: Unable to determine which of the female victims is actually married to him and which just think they are.

BEN TINSLEY: Let's talk about magic.

I've been a sucker for good comic book magic stories for a long time.

I loved DC's old House of Mystery, the Phantom Stranger, Deadman and Swamp Thing series. I adored Marvel's Werewolf By Night, Dracula, Son of Satan, and Dr. Strange.

There's also my beloved Vamprella -- copies of whose mag I could only seemed to find on the magazine rack at the local grocery store. Vampi was tuff in that rubber band swimsuit she always wore.

When Hellblazer first deputed in the late 1980s I was the hugest fan ever. Sandman, then Lucifer, now Fables just keep the fictional momentum going for me.

You name the magic comic and I love it. I love magic stories because, if they are worth their salt, they are VERRRY mysterious. The characters seem more real to me for some reason (probably because everyone's motives are usually so dark and therefore believable).

A good magic story redefines and reinvents exactly magic IS, and how it can and can't be used. Like its own independent universe. In my opinion, if the rules of one good magic story don't contradict with another, then the writer hasn't done his job.

That's why I love Pmanuel Alvear's JOHN DOE, the adventures of an urban magician, which debut in our upcoming Two-Fisted Adventures #1. John Doe is mysterious, the rules of magic are again reinvented, and we're told how magic can and can't be used.

Pmanuel and I have spent many college evenings in Stephenville, Texas discussing the implications of magic. We did this while reading and comparing issues of Hellblazer and arguing about which writer was the best. Garth Ennis tends to win the day when we do this, but I'm also a huge Jamie Delano fan.

Pmanuel has long wanted to write a good magic story and I have long wanted to read it.

So, here it is. Soon. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we do.

Watch for JOHN DOE. Coming soon to you in a comic book store. We hope.

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
Publisher,
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: Check out "The Juice" on our MySpace page!

Over on our MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/whambangcomics, we're coming out swinging with our new webcomic, which is being published online a tad early because we want it to stay timely.

It revolves around the new robbery charges against OJ Simpson in Las Vegas -- which I am more than aware of since I work as a newspaper reporter in this fine city now.

We should have our following comic out within the next three weeks or so as the countdown to the premiere of our first comic book continues.

Hope you enjoy it.

Sincerely,

Ben Tinsley,
Publisher,
Wham Bang Comics

BEN TINSLEY: We’re moving our OTHER blog. (Not this one.) At least for the time being

(From our MySpace page in regard to our arriving here at our new blog home.)

We're moving -- at least for a little while.

Not from THIS site. We love MySpace. No, we're moving from our former primary site to a new one, http://whambangcomics.blogspot.com/.

Why? Well, we're having some computer difficulties at the old place that's making it hard to keep posts going there on a regular basis.

So please join us over at http://whambangcomics.blogspot.com/ for fun, frolic, and the latest news about our impending first comic book Two-Fisted Adventures 1.

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY

BEN TINSLEY: Welcome to our new blog!

Welcome to Wham Bang Comics' new blog!

Following is a repeat of a recent column:

You may see us soon. This is my repeat of an update about Wham Bang Comics' inaugural issue, Two-Fisted Adventures 1.

It's just about finished -- art, writing, the whole shebang. But everything remains an "if" right now. IF all goes well, we could be on the racks at comic book stores by early next near.

That depends on Diamond Comic Distributors picking our first comic up for distribution. If they do, we will take out a pretty healthy ad in their catalogue and hopefully be in the hands of young people across the United States by February!

If Diamond doesn't pick us up, we will have to regroup and figure out how to get our product out there. But I have high hopes that whatever happens we will prevail.

As a comics reader, I think it's time that new superhero mythologies were created. I think that recycling established characters decade over decade is great for fans like me, but I'm worried that the kids of today don't have any heroes of their own generation to inspire them.

With my son Jake's character Night Owl, I have faith that will change. Jake is only 12, but the influences he brings to his writing -- with my help and coaching -- is unlike most of the superhero stuff you'll see today.

Not to mention our powerhouse writers Chris Blaine, Pmanuel Alvear and Casey Columbus. This fabulous trio have gone out of their way to write great superhero or horror stories that I predict will have a great impact.

If only we can get this comic to your hot sweaty hands through Diamond's distribution. Hope, hope, hope. Pray, pray, pray.

The first issue of Two-Fisted will be 50 pages, cost between $4.99 and $5.99 and be in full color. It's a total labor of love from start to finish and I hope our future readers enjoy looking at it as much as we enjoyed writing and drawing it.

We're about to send our comic to Diamond by mail for their evaluation.

Keep your fingers crossed that they'll decide to pick us up. Maybe you'll see us in your comic stores soon.

Hope, hope, hope. Pray, pray, pray.

Sincerely,

BEN TINSLEY
publisher, Wham Bang Comics