Here's a stunning bit of Corporate Skull art from the exceptional John Aggs, who's version of Kiko gives me thoughts i didn't know i had about her (also feelings of impending doom). Thanks so much John!
If you want to do any Corporate Skull art then please do show it off, grab me on twitter or by email and i'll get it into the Skull Art section, where there's already an impressive array of Skulls!
This time next week, book two will have begun!
We did it! Book one is completed, four issues of Skully Plop-Tits goodness all here for your amusement. And it's been HELLOFFA fun thing so far, for me at least. I was unsure when I started it if I had the momentum to keep going past a couple of issues, I knew I wanted to but I also knew my concentration ain't what it used to be. But now, with four issues done, I'm more fired up than ever, and itchy keen to get the rest of this story out.
Book one is called The Beginning because it's the beginning of Skull, it's how he came to be and the events which shaped him. I didn't want him to just lose his face and run around kicking things, I wanted to have him really go through a lot to get to where we are so far, thus his final speech on this last page. He has reason for his fury and contempt, which has now set him up as a character i really want to throw through the rest of the story, and watch how he grows and what he becomes.
And of course there are the questions, the fragile framework of clues and set-ups I've tried to lay through this first book, which we will begin to explore more in the next few books. Maybe on re-reading you'll find things you missed.
But most importantly, I want to have more fun with Skull, more swearing and violence. I feel in explaining the set-up so far we've not had enough chance to play around with him as a character, so i'm excited to get back into that.
As for an actual book release? No plans yet. I'd love to, but at the moment I'm concentrating on the web version so haven't sat down and worked out any specifics of making a book or pitching one.
The start date of Book Two will be announced soon, i'm hoping it won't be more than a month before we begin again but please bear with me while i work it all out.
And lastly, thank you again. Your comments, discussions and support have made me even more motivated to keep going, I'm really chuffed that people are enjoying it all.
See you soon!
Jamie
ps. if you can think of any ways to spread the word of Corporate Skull please do, it would be great to get some new readers on board when issue two starts! In the meantime, if you'd like a chance to win this Corporate Skull sketch (and i've not given any Skull sketches away before) then just follow Skull on twitter HERE and RT the latest tweet! Winner will be chosen at random and emailed by 10am UK time tomorrow (12th April 2012).
I hope you enjoyed Oh F*** Week, everything's been snowballing to this point and from Monday we're back to being weekly, as we slide towards the end of issue 4.
Let me tell you about issue four. It has been the hardest thing I have ever had to write. It has been written, rewritten, thrown out, clawed back, rewritten again and chopped into pieces. At one point it was going to be a 48-page special. It then got cut down to 36-pages. Then I got angry and insisted no, it needs to be 24, like the previous issues. So I went back in with a scythe and ruthlessly chopped whole chunks out of its flesh.
The problem I found was that I was trying to explain too much. Issue 4 marks the end of Book One, and Book One is about how Skull came to be, as well as the springboard into the series. So it needs to set up our direction and put everything in place ready for that. And then I was going to take a little break to get drunk and try to write Book Two. But I realised in Issue 4 I was giving everything away too soon, I was showing a lot of the secrets which don't need to be shown yet. Less is more. And while (from experience) that's frustrating for the reader, you also wouldn't have it any other way. It's the thrill of the ride. There are SO many climaxes, cliffhangers, reveals and pay-offs planned for Corporate Skull throughout its intended 6-book run, but they need to be carefully plotted out and placed where they'll benefit the story (and Skull's growth) the most. And while this is an inherent part of storytelling, it feels kinda new to me, since I haven't dealt with this kind of long-form before.
I'm still worrying about the rest of issue four, I'm worrying there's too much exposition, worrying not enough is explained, etc etc. But that's natural I guess. Fact is, we need to start getting some answers, and some things are going to need to be explained to Skull, so I think I've done it in the best way I can. Many of the reveals I cut out of issue 4 for the sake of space, are now forming much of Issue 5 as I'm planning it out. So despite my concerns and my constant last-minute tweakings, I'm proud of this issue. It won't answer ALL your questions, and the ending will hopefully give you a whole bunch of new ones, but it will tell you what the hell has been going on.
Thanks for reading.
Skull pic by the fantastical Rob Cureton
Events in Corporate Skull have been building for a long time, and they're about to hit a bit of a climax. Even though we're only halfway through issue four, since it's all about to kick off lets not lose the momentum.
So, Corporate Skull will update a new page every day next week, as we tear our way through the explosive OH F*** WEEK.
BLOOD WILL BE SHED, BELIEFS DESTROYED, EMOTIONS SHRED TO TINY LITTLE PIECES.
Do come back on monday, won't you.
