026: an ominous meat-ball.

Black Mirror

                            May 10, 2017

                026: an ominous meat-ball.

                        Hullo.

I would like to make it clear that I married an Italian for reasons other than her ability to cook pasta sauces, but if this newsletter is suddenly cut short, you know why. The smell coming up the stairs is basically like a nasal Siren, calling unto me. I've found myself thinking up a story about a a ship sailing across a sea of pasta-sauce, towards an ominous meat-ball.

 Do I need to mention I'm hungry, or can you handle subtext on your own?

Contents!
 Scream if you want to go fly your X-wing down the death star trench faster
 SMASH it up
 Please Don't Make Me Be Woden Please Don't Make Me Be Woden
 TMI is never TMI enough
 Ludocratic Summit
 Byeeeeeeeeeee!

****

It's the release of the first part of the Screaming Citadel. It starts in this zero issue, with two more issues this month (one in Star Wars, one in Doctor Aphra) and finishing off next month with two more. Five issues. We motor.

Jason and I like to keep Crossovers tight conceptually and direct in impact – anyone from a hardcore Star Wars fan to my mum should understand instantly why it's worth their time. The core of our last was “Darth Vader versus an army of rebels.” The core of this one is “Star Wars does gothic horror.” Marco Checchetto draws this, and it's divine, giving me everything I ask for, from a lived-in bar to an Alexander McQueen Empress.

Picks up from the present state of play in the books, but all you need to know is included. And here's a preview.

Man, I'm chipper today. It must be the optimism born of knowledge that in my future there is good, namely the food I am about to eat.

 God knows after that.

****

 I'm popping along to the MCM on the 28th of pay to be on the London Graphic Novel Network's SMASH panel about SELLING OUT. I need to write my opening statement for it, which is basically a two minute provocative ramble. At the moment I've got random fragments like “Never trust anyone who uses “Selling out”. They are not interested in changing the world. They are only interested in getting laid from saying they want to change the world.” and "'Selling out' is a middle-class construct created by people who don't need their art to be a commercial success to pillory working class people who lack the financial support networks that remove material consideration from any of their decisions.”

I'll decide if I believe them or not before then, I'm sure.

Been a while since I've gone to an MCM, even briefly, so it'll be nice to go there.

****

The Internet has been highly amused by this excellent WicDiv “which god are you” quiz.

Give it a shot, as it's a good one. I actually said “Well played” allowed when I reached the page of dogs. Plus, almost uniquely for this kind of quiz, the actual paragraph summation of a character's core traits actually align pretty well with the actual characters. Good work.

If you're wondering, both McKelvie and me turned out as Dionysus.

****

The other big Interview from C2E2 has emerged, with Jacob from Multiversity. It's even more of a gleeful sprawl than the last one. It includes lots of TMI about WicDiv and my method, attempting to rescue a cosplayer, Spangly New Thing, Ludocrats, Darth Vader and more.

 Let's quite a bit about Spangly New Thing...

You mentioned it briefly before, but can you say anything about your new book? I haven’t heard much about it.

KG: I call it the ‘Spangly New Thing.’ Hmm, what have I said in public? It’s going to be a medium length ongoing, not as long as “WicDiv.”

Not one of these giant Vertigo-style-

KG: No, no, no, I would reckon like, four trades? A medium length ongoing. It’s about… it’s a fantasy book, and I want it to be a little bit more mature. When I say mature I mean, it’s not necessarily as pop as WicDiv. It’s weird, in a different way. The characters are older than me. That’s my main thing.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen you write something like that actually.

KG: I mean like- there are a lot of books which have older characters, than me? Like, “Uber” has really quite old people, or whatever, “Three” has some of them, but this is yeah, my age and older. That was part of my desire.

Get out of the writing about teenagers box?

KG: Hmm, that’s probably the best way of putting it. And it’s a bit more complicated than that because when I’m writing about teenagers, I’m not really writing about teenagers, like… [have you seen the Black Mirror episode,] “San Junipero?”

No, but I know of it.

KG: It’s kind of like that. Hmm, it’s about teenagers and young people and spoilers, really old people. It’s not about either really, it’s about people my age and slightly older. It’s about the 80s youth and realizing ‘one day I’m gonna die.’ That show is kind of about- it’s about other stuff as well, but it’s very clearly someone slightly older than me processing… THAT.