Saying Goodbye to CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK

As some of you know, today sees the release of Cartoon Network Action Pack #67, the final issue in the series from DC Comics.  Exactly one year ago to this very day, I was able to publicly announce that my first-ever published comic book story would be appearing in CNAP #61 and now here I am saying goodbye to the series.  Strange what can happen in twelve months, hunh?

Yes, it's the end and the moment has been prepared for.  First off, I'd like to thank my longtime friend and editor Michael McCalister for giving me the opportunity to submit a few Generator Rex story pitches that Cartoon Network seemed to like well enough to approve for full scripts.  I'm fortunate to have a number of loyal and dependable friends that truly mean the world to me, and time and time again, Michael proves that just by being Michael.  If you're a friend of his, you should know precisely what I'm talking about here.

I admit that I wasn't much of a Generator Rex fan before submitting those pitches, but I did a considerable amount of internet research and watched a number of episodes thanks to Time Warner Cable's On Demand service in order to get a handle on the characters before writing my first script.  "Night of the Living Movie," which appeared in Cartoon Network Action Pack #61, was actually my second pitch but I'm glad it was my first story to work on.  I learned quite a bit about the importance of things like word balloon placement along with panel layout, so I really appreciated Michael's patience during this initial learning curve.  As for the story itself, I thought it would be fun to see Rex duking it out with an EVO in a movie theater, then built the idea of a sort-of double date around that, featuring Rex and his best friend Noah Nixon meeting a couple of cute girls named Annika and Xan.  The girls were named in tribute to two other friends of mine, Annika Gibson and Xan Sprouse, and I was very relieved to later find out that they both liked their younger comic book counterparts.

My second story published, "Unhappy Holiday," appeared in Cartoon Network Action Pack #66 even though it was my fourth script, commissioned specifically for the 2011 holiday issue.  The issue didn't end up arriving in stores until January because CNAP was shifted to a bi-monthly release schedule.  For a long time, I had the idea of "Die Hard in a shopping mall" rattling around my head, so it seemed like an amusing enough story premise for Generator Rex.  I continued my running theme of pairing Rex with a different supporting character, this time with Dr. Rebecca Holiday, and worked several in-jokes into the story, including (understandably sanitized) Die Hard references, a Star Wars reference, and even the name of this very officially official blog.

Unfortunately, due to CNAP's impending cancellation, my remaining two Generator Rex stories were never published even though (thankfully) I was paid for writing them.  The first, "Fezzes are Cool," was even solicited for CNAP #67 but ended up being replaced with a different story for production reasons.  Hey, these things happen.

It's a shame, because this was the one I most wanted to see in print and I was absolutely thrilled when Michael sent me the pencilled artwork for review.  This story would've seen Rex and Bobo Haha travelling all the way to Morocco to replace Bobo's fez hat that gets destroyed early on.  And if you're a Doctor Who fan, as I am, you can probably guess that this story would've had a number of in-jokes as well...

Ah, what could have been...  The other unpublished story, "Firebirds of Prey," was going to be my nod to Battle of the Planets, one of my favorite animated series as a kid, and Japanese giant monster movies.  This time, Rex would've been paired with Agent Six to investigate reports of EVO activity in Osaka, Japan.  There they'd encounter a team of teenaged EVOs called the Firebirds and everyone would then team up to battle a giant bat-like EVO.  Yeah, tell me that wouldn't be all kinds of crazy awesome.

So now my time on Generator Rex comics is over, for now at least, but I'd also like to thank artists Mike Bowden and Adam Archer as well as the various inkers, colorists and letterers for giving life to my stories.  It was an amazing feeling to check out each page as Michael sent them and see my words visually depicted through someone else's imagination.  I hope that sensation never gets old.  Oh, and many, many thanks to everyone who read my stories in CNAP #61 and #66 and took the time to tell me that they enjoyed them, or just shared their love of Generator Rex. 

And now, let's see what the future holds...

GENERATOR REX: Fezzes Are Cool Again in March

It is happening again...It is happening again...

Those of you who perused the DC Comics March 2012 solicitations today may have noticed this little item...

CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #67Written by CHARLES SKAGGS and JASON BISCHOFF
Art and cover by MIKE CAVALLARO
On sale MARCH 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E
Bobo’s favorite fez is destroyed during a battle with a rampaging EVO and he insists on taking Rex to get a replacement. One problem, though...The only hat shop he trusts is all the way in Morocco and it’s under siege by a vicious local gang of EVOs. Are fezzes cool enough to be worth all this trouble?

Oh yeah, you read that right...Fezzes.  And anyone who gives me more than five seconds of their attention should know exactly what that means.

This is my third Generator Rex story for Cartoon Network Action Pack, saving what I personally feel is my best for last in this buddy adventure featuring Rex Salazar and Bobo Haha in Morocco.  I've only seen pencils by artist Mike Cavallaro so far, but I couldn't be more pleased with how this story is turning out.  And just to show how special this story is to me, I think I'm going to run a little contest the week of March 14th with some sort of Damn Good Prize to the winner.  However, if you want to participate in the contest, you're going to need a copy of Cartoon Network Action Pack #67 so be sure to put one copy or twelve on your next Previews order form, steal a copy from your little brother when he's not looking, stage some elaborate first Mission: Impossible movie style infiltration of Diamond's delivery warehouses, whatever works best for you.

Oh, and I hope you have fun reading my story.  I certainly had fun writing it.

Fandom: The Next Generation

Generation X, this may be hard for some of you to accept, but it's time to step aside and make room for Generation Text.

I know, I know...As a comics and science-fiction fan of forty-two, I'm not overly fond of my increasing obsolescence but I like to think I'm secure enough to understand my reduced place in the rapidly-shifting landscape of fandom.  While attending the 2011 Mid-Ohio Comic Con as a guest this past weekend, I had several opportunities to engage in a writer's favorite pastime -- people watching.  (And no, not in a creepy, stalky way...)  Here's a little of what I observed:

• Those Damn Kids are just as passionate about stuff they like as you are, probably more so -- See those four guys in the photo above?  They spent a good ten minutes hanging out at my table, talking all kinds of fun, good-natured smack to me and to one another about who was better, Generator Rex or that nowhere-near-as-cool-as-Generator Rex Ben 10 guy.  They threw out each character's advantages, flaws, you name it, all with energy and true geek passion that used to fuel many a Kirk vs. Picard argument back in the day.  They love what they love, just as you geezers do, even if you have absolutely no clue why that is.
• Those Damn Kids aren't just fat white kids with bad skin anymore -- Ever since the Lord of the Rings movies and the Harry Potter films debuted, the traditional white, straight male geek demographic has been seemingly halved by a much more diversified and more importantly, female presence.  As a result, you can find things like Twilight memorabilia (shudder) and all kinds of custom jewelry mixed in with all those Japanese katanas and Klingon Bat'leths.  Some comics creators are wisely making specific efforts to reach out to those new types of fanbases, which only helps to grow them further.  If you're looking for real social progress, take a good look at a modern comics convention floor.
• Those Damn Kids love to cosplay -- Once upon a time, nerds with Spock ears and Batman masks roamed the convention floor in often cheesy homemade garb, but now you can find all kinds of elaborate costumes made by people talented enough to be working in film and television instead.  Oh, cheesy still has its place, as it always will, but you can find fans wearing quality costumes from just about every TV, movie, novel series and animation project you can think up.  With numerous comics and science-fiction sites posting cosplay photos these days, these younger fans know they need to come up with something attention-grabbing and they often do.  Young women have the advantage here, obviously, and are more than willing to wear the skimpiest of costumes whether they have a decent physique to pull them off or not.  Halloween costume shops seem to be big for those female fans who want to show off as Sexy Captain America, Sexy Robin or yes, even Sexy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
• Those Damn Kids are The Future -- Just as our geezer generation replaced the Silver Age-obsessed Baby Boomers, this new generation is gradually replacing us.  Digital comics and e-books are rapidly becoming the norm, whether you like it or not, and we've just seen how accommodating these newer formats and technologies has helped companies such as DC Comics earn their best sales in years.  Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley have given way to Pine, Quinto and Urban, creating a new generation of Star Trek fans for decades to come.  One group's Star Wars is now another group's Clone Wars.  Tom Baker Doctor Who scarves have been replaced by Matt Smith bowties and fezzes.  The names and details may change, but the core of What We Love continues on in What They Love.  As it should be.

Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011: Day One Photos

Day One of Mid-Ohio Comic Con 2011, my first-ever convention as a guest, is officially in the history books.   An absolutely huge turnout for Saturday and I gave away twice as many free copies of Cartoon Network Action Pack #61 than I expected. My many thanks to everyone who stopped by my table today and a Special Shout-Outs to fellow ex-TitanTalker Neil Southwell and to all the Doctor Who and Generator Rex fans. 

Oh, look...photos!

The Tenth Doctor, The Eleventh Doctor, The Ninth Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness (with banana because bananas are good)

Mistah J and Harley Quinn

Four new recruits for Team Generator Rex.  Represent!

Ed Brubaker-era Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Aquawoman

Rose Tyler from "The Idiot's Lantern" and The Tenth Doctor from "The Girl in the Fireplace"

My favorite pairing of Day One -- Mysterion from South Park and Shipwreck from G.I. Joe

Want to see more pictures?  Check them out on my Facebook account!

My GENERATOR REX Revolution Returns in January

It is happening again...It is happening again...

If you've managed to check out the DC Comics January 2012 solicitations, you may have noticed this little item...

CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #66
Written by CHARLES SKAGGS and JAKE BLACK
Art by ADAM ARCHER and LUCIANO VECCHIO
Cover by MIKE CAVALLARO
On sale JANUARY 11
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
RATED E
Desperate for help with last-minute holiday shopping, Rex heads to the mall with a caffeine-deprived Dr. Holiday. Is doing a little shopping and flirting with cute girls too much to ask? Maybe you should ask the ginormous EVO.

This is the second of my four Generator Rex stories for Cartoon Network Action Pack, although technically the fourth because it was written last.  My previous story, "Night of the Living Movie," featured Rex and Noah, but this one partners Rex up with Dr. Holiday for another 10-page round of teenage hormones and pop culture references interrupted by giant monster fight scenes.  I've only seen the rough pencils by Adam Archer so far, but this should look outstanding when everything's finished.  I really hope you dig it.

One Year of DAMN Good Coffee...and HOT!

As of today, DAMN Good Coffee...and HOT! is officially a year old.  Just like that.

When I launched this blog 365 days ago, I had no clear idea of what I wanted to do with it.  I know I wanted a forum to ramble about a number of things that interest me (and hopefully others as well) and I wanted something that would keep me writing on a regular basis.

And now, after almost 200 posts, over 40,000 pageviews averaging over 4,000 views per month, and people occasionally searching for a picture of Katy Perry's boobs, I'm about to head into Year Two.  I'm looking forward to posting about my upcoming Generator Rex stories for DC Comics' Cartoon Network Action Pack and my first-ever appearance at Mid-Ohio Con in Columbus as an actual guest.  And yes, I might have one or two thoughts about Doctor Who in there somewhere.

So my deepest thanks to everyone who's supported The Little Blog That Could over the past year and shared links on Twitter, Facebook or elsewhere.  I hope you keep enjoying my ramblings about comics, movies, television and whatnot and I'll keep trying my best to make all this worth your valuable time.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled DAMN Good Coffee...and HOT! already in progress...

The Long and Winding Road of Writing Comics

Okay, as some of you may know from my neverending tweets on Twitter, my first comic book story arrived in stores in the pages of DC Comics' Cartoon Network Action Pack #61.  Today, at long last, I am officially a comic book writer.  In the immortal words of that master thespian Keanu Reeves...Whoa.

Since I was able to announce this back in March, I've been trying to wrap my head around the notion that one of my stories was finally -- finally -- going to be published in a comic book.  You see, this is something I've wanted to do since I was about eighteen and hey, it only took twenty-four years to actually happen.

Oh sure, there were a number of reasons why I haven't been published in comics before now.  My own inexperience as a writer was my initial and toughest roadblock, followed by my lack of previously published work, my inability to truly network with others (Thanks for taking that whole first decade to get yourself established, Internets!), the lack of editors attending comic conventions in a "flyover" state like Ohio, and my personal favorite, my colon going toxic and needing to be surgically rebuilt.

Yeah, I know, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, right?  So years after watching people I knew somehow executing their own game plans to get published in comics, I began to come to grips with the dreaded notion that hey, It May Not Happen After All.  I focused on my job as a Project Administrator -- the job that is kind enough to pay me on a regular basis -- and let various social networks, message boards and other strange little corners of the internet become my creative outlet.  That's how things like DAMN Good Coffee...and HOT, which continues to amaze me as The Little Blog That Could, came into being.

So imagine my stunned surprise months ago when my longtime friend Michael McCalister, now an editor for DC, invited me to pitch a few Generator Rex stories for Cartoon Network Action Pack.  I first thought that okay, Michael's just being his usual nice self with the offer and don't get your hopes up too high here because Cartoon Network could still shoot down the story ideas.  However, in a strange twist of the cosmos that I have yet to truly fathom, Michael told me that Cartoon Network approved my pitches and asked me when I could get the first script to him. 

My reaction to said news can be summed up like this...



Michael's put up with my nonsense for two decades now, so I owe him HUGE for that alone, but that debt has swelled to United States national levels after all this.  The story released today, "Night of the Living Movie," is the first of four planned Generator Rex stories for Cartoon Network Action Pack and shares my love of simply going to the movies and hanging with friends.  Each of the other stories pairs Rex with a different supporting cast member and also pays tribute to something I've loved for years.  I'll pass along more information about them as soon as they appear on DC's schedule.  My biggest hope, of course, is that these stories will lead to addtional comics work somewhere down the road.

And even though today's release fulfills one particular dream of mine, there are still other dreams that have remained horribly neglected over the years.  If this whole strange experience has taught me anything, it's that you should never give up wanting to do the things you love, no matter how unlikely they are or what life sees fit to throw at you.  As the legendary Yogi Berra once said, it ain't over till it's over.

Let's see what the future brings.

GENERATOR REX: Night Is Coming...

Wednesday, June 29th

Your friendly neighborhood comic shop

Cartoon Network Action Pack #61

Ten pages of Generator Rex goodness written by some guy named Charles

BE THERE

Make Way, I'm Starting a GENERATOR REX Revolution!

Yes, the unthinkable has finally happened. 

Against all perceived notions of sanity and accepted universal reality, I'm actually writing comic books...for DC Comics, no less.  Don't believe me?  Well, I wouldn't either, so here as proof that such absolute madness now exists, I give you DC's June 2011 solicitations.  You may want to scroll down a bit until you see the words Cartoon Network Action Pack #61...

Okay, okay...Shhhh, calm down.  I know, I thought it was a terrible misprint as well, but there it is and now we're just going to have to come to terms with what's coming in June.  And hey, it's not like I'm writing something for Superman or The Flash, so at least you can have that small consolation as you spend the next few months heavily medicating yourself in preparation for what's to come.

So who should you blame for all this?  None other than Michael McCalister, my editor and longtime friend, whom I met through the Amateur Press Association TitanTalk way back in the Stone Age of the early 1990s.  This strange, strange group of fans of DC Comics' Teen Titans characters has managed to produce a number of comics professionals over the years and most importantly, my marriage to my beautiful wife Lori along with a number of lasting memories and friendships I still cherish to this day.  After taking over the editorial reins of DC's Cartoon Network Action Pack ongoing series, Michael was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to pitch a few Generator Rex story ideas, which were thankfully approved by Cartoon Network and allowed to go to full script.  At last, my twenty-year masterplan of breaking into comics is now complete!

Cartoon Network Action Pack #61

I'm guessing many of you are probably unfamiliar with Cartoon Network's Generator Rex series, so you can find more information about the series and the characters here or even here.  After my first story in CNAP #61, I have a few more scheduled throughout the upcoming year but I'll discuss them more in detail as each one is officially announced.  I will say, though, that writing these stories has been a lot of fun and I've already seen some great advance artwork by Mike Bowden for issue #61.  If you're already a fan of the animated series, you might be glad to know I tried to capture the tone and feel of the show instead of just writing a version of it for young readers.  If you don't already read Cartoon Network Action Pack, I really hope you'll give issue #61 a try and let me know what you think.  Oh, and retailers, I think each of you should order at least a thousand copies or so...y'know, just to be on the safe side.

And so, it begins...