A Look At What's To Come...

A page from THE BEST OF YOU, THE BEST OF ME



Written by Len N. Wallace
Art by Aaron Bir

Coming in 2010.

The Age When Rock Stars Die...

Another year older, another year closer to being old enough to shout down timid senators at Town Hall meetings. Today, I turn 27. The year where it becomes more apparent that you've past the point of no return towards 30. I joke a lot about feeling like an old man, but that's mainly just because of what a curmudgeon I've been from a way younger age than most, as well as the fact that in the words of Abe Simpson, "I used to be 'with it', but then they changed what 'it' was, and now what's 'it' seems weird and scary to me."

The excitement of birthdays kinda fade with age and after so many years and so much distance from being a kid, the thing just kinda becomes another day. I literally didn't realize my birthday was coming up until maybe a week ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Every year that notches up is another year I was never expected to live past my own life expectancy. Kinda puts it into an interesting perspective when you're born to having doctors tell your parents that there's a strong possibility you probably won't live past your first week alive, and then later that you won't see past eight years old. My life and my perception of mortality have been pretty skewed after growing up most of my life knowing that to this day, there's a small piece of earth in a cemetery somewhere in Georgia, between my grandmother and grandfather that's been meant for me for almost as long as I've lived, but thanks to fate (and probably more than a few advances in medical science) I'm still alive and healthier than anyone ever expected I'd be.

I know if you're reading this, you're probably taking this entire tirade as something extremely morbid, and y'know? Maybe it is, but the feeling in me right now is anything but. I have my moments of ill feelings about life in general, but lately, I'm finding less and less to complain about... Okay, that's a lie. The news has been pissing me off, the Republicans have been whining on and on like an increasingly disturbing bunch of racist babies, and summer television has been terrible as usual, and the comic industry has been going nuts, but I digress. It's 2 in the morning at present, and while my birthday is technically past, I can't help but feeling that while life ain't quite the grandest, it's heading towards something that I can finally be truly proud of. Love Buzz is finished and on schedule for a release very soon, I've got a couple of other projects quickly progressing, and I'm feeling like a real writer again for the first time in forever, after an embarrassingly long creative lull period.

But now I'm back. I'm feeling better and more invigorated about this asinine career choice of mine, and luckily the world is giving my poisoned pen more than enough ammunition to keep me fighting another day. Ever maintaining my own special blend of optimistic pessimism. I'm living to spite the rules of death another day, and I'll still be here when there's nothing left but the roaches and crickets out of my own sheer stubbornness.

People Say I Live In The Past...

Not true, but I do tend to dwell from time to time. Just came to a realization yesterday.



She'd have turned 25 two days ago. It's mind blowing how fucking fast the time creeps up.

One More Time, With Feeling

Are you there, Blogoverse? It's me, Leonard.

I know it's been a while since we last spoke, and while I promise I have a reason, (although most of them aren't very good) I've been saving a slew of new news for you until it was a little more ready to come out. As you may or may not have noticed, the month of June has come and gone, and if you've been looking for it, you will have noticed that Love Buzz has been nowhere to be found on shelves. Sadly, these things happen with comics. Michelle had some issues with her family as she was closing out the art on the last couple chapters of the book, and we had to pull it for a while until her dad got better and she could rock it strong.

And rock it she certainly has. Just got the last pages a couple weeks ago, and they're gorgeous. The visuals in this book are like she reached into my brain and pulled out every image and put them on the paper. This girl is on her way to becoming a master of this craft and I owe her huge.

Just got word a couple days ago. Love Buzz is now completely in the can and other than a little bit of lettering left over, is good to go. Oni has posted a release date of 11/11, (make a wish!) and Michelle, Dave, Tom, and myself couldn't be more excited to finally be done with it and have it out there for everyone to see and love. Here's a look at the full page solicit from the latest edition of the Previews catalog.



Additionally, that big image in there IS our final cover, although we are still tinkering with the logo. Please, bask in it's glory.

Additionally, a brief segment of me promoting the book, way back on our first round of solicitation on Fanboy Radio's Indie Show. There are a few other creators on there, but you can find yours truly at the 37:35 mark.

Fanboy Radio #507 - March Indie Show Open Lines

Listen to the whole show, if you will. They plug a lot of great indie creators, including Mike Dawson, whose graphic novel ode to Freddie Mercury, Freddie & Me was one of my favorite reads last year.

Naturally, this is exciting news for all of us, and while I don't have a lot else to plug on this, or any other projects, I should have a little more to announce very soon.

Stay tuned. I promise to update a little more frequently.