Author Archive: JohnG1972

I'm a writer and comic book fan who attends East Coast conventions regularly. As a father of three, I find myself juggling being a father, a breadwinner, a publisher, and a writer. With the tiny bit of time I have left over from those four areas, I enjoy helping others get their books and stories out of the desk drawer and into the world.

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The wrap up!

| November 30, 2011 | 0 Comments

Well, I finished 30 characters in 30 days without missing one. I have to admit I’m pretty proud of myself for drawing 3/4 of them because I didn’t think I would draw any when I started. When Tyler first told me about this challenge, it didn’t occur to me that I would need art for the posts. I’m a writer and I just figured I would write up a quick character each day.

Little did I know that this challenge would open the doors of creativity for me and inspire me to get the pencils and markers going on my own work. For that, I have to say thank you to Tyler James and the Comix Tribe group for putting this together. I look forward to using some of the characters I created in future projects.

I definitely enjoyed seeing everyone’s art also, it was fantastic and I appreciate the effort everyone put into it. Have a great next 11 months and I’ll see you in November for the next one.

#30 – Kenzie-San

| November 30, 2011 | 0 Comments

#30 – Kenzie-San

Half cat demon and half innocent school girl, Kenzie-San is wonderful until she gets upset. A master of cat fu, she has the ability to either beat you up or win you over with her big blue eyes.

You can likely imagine that I didn’t draw this because it’s nowhere near my talent level. After 30 days of creating characters, I’m lucky to even get a line or two in that matches the picture. I guess I’m good for 20 or so characters in a month, so I’m lucky to have talented kids to carry me the rest of the way.

Picture was drawn by my daughter Mackenzie.

#29 – The Triple Scooped Terror

| November 29, 2011 | 0 Comments

#29 – The Triple Scooped Terror

Three scoops of sentient ice cream, three different personalities, three flavors, and just one goal – to hunt you down and give you the dreaded brain freeze. Each scoop has its own distinct weapon and fighting style. The Sprinkle Launcher, the Cherry Bomb, and Throwing Waffle Spikes all combine together to disable you and leave you helpless before the might of the three flavors.

These brain freeze assassins tend to stick to the cooler climates so you’re pretty safe as long as the temperature is high enough.

Another sketch by my talented son JT.

#28 – Donut Dan

| November 28, 2011 | 0 Comments

#28 – Donut Dan

Considered to be holy in some cultures, Donut Dan lives his life in constant fear that someone would consider him sacridelicious. His focus in life is to help people understand that there’s more to the world than eating tasty fried dough with a frosting top.

Honestly though, I can say that I’ve realized two things this week. The first is that I’ve run out of ideas and I’m truly scraping the bottom of the creativity barrel. The second is that I have issues with food, which you may have realized in my many posts. If I had a chance to consume a dozen Krispy Kremes right now, I would likely be comatose on the couch instead of typing these words.

Hopefully everyone out there doesn’t have the same issues I do, and have instead learned to accept food in a productive way.

#27 – Psychotic Spud

| November 27, 2011 | 0 Comments

#27 – Psychotic Spud

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice helping of leftover mashed potatoes the day after Thanksgiving? Well, if you’re Marv Spinkle, the technician at a Nuclear Power plant, you might not. You see, Marv decided to heat up his leftovers in the reactor core instead of taking the five extra minutes to walk down the hall to the breakroom.

Little did he know that his large pile of mashed potatoes would morph into a gooey pile of sentient life, one that was hell bent on destroying all the humans who had pounded his family into a smooth filling substance. Through the heating process, Psychotic Spud was born and the world learned to fear the potato once again.

This picture drawn by my talented son, JT.

#26 – Game Boy

| November 26, 2011 | 0 Comments

#26 – Game Boy

Game Boy is a second generation gamer who takes his games very seriously. While he isn’t endowed with super powers, some say that he has lightning quick reflexes and pin point accuracy in pushing buttons. Born into an era of advanced technology gaming systems, GB has no issue with tackling tough technology turbulence.

His father, Game Boy Original, laid the foundation of the importance of gaming early in life. Training from an early age on Atari, Intellevision, and 8 bit Nintendo, only to encounter his version of kryptonite – the multi button controller. Out of frustration he walked away from gaming after realizing there were advancements beyond the Sega Genesis.

Game Boy now carries on the mantle and eagerly looks forward to amazing graphics, interaction, and as many buttons as you could possibly fit on a plastic controller. No game is too challenging and no button combination too formidable. He lives to fight crime, ogres, vampires, zombies, soldiers, and whatever else is thrown his way.

#25 – The Cart Protector

| November 25, 2011 | 0 Comments

#25 – The Cart Protector

Every Black Friday shopping event has this colorful character, typically working in unison with a woman dashing about and picking up things from store shelves. The Cart Protector’s job is to do just that, protect the cart and items within it from people who would unscrupulously try to steal them because the store has run out.

His primary characteristic is a hovering motion around the cart and eyeing everyone that comes within two feet with suspicion. Heaven help the person who wants to look at a shelf or rack near the cart protectors cart because they are usually snapped at.

In the end, the Cart Protector has no desire to spend his morning chained to a shopping cart as his wife darts back and forth, but has come to realize that trying to sit at home and relax on his day off will only result in incessant bickering for the rest of the evening. This tends to make the Cart Protector rather grumpy toward everyone in his vicinity.

#24 – The Gravy Giver

| November 24, 2011 | 0 Comments

#24 – The Gravy Giver

Typically at a large Thanksgiving gathering there is someone who wants others to increase their caloric intake. This person is usually fit and likely went to the gym before stopping by the big event. Their weapon of choice at the table, the Gravy Boat. For some reason they want to encourage everyone to saturate their foodstuffs with that fattening gravy.

But let’s be honest, we encourage that person because almost every part of the Thanksgiving meal is made better with a large helping of Gravy. Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and rolls all have no issue being drowned in the brown manna from the heavens.

So for that one day a year, who cares if the Gravy Giver has mental issues regarding their body image so they want everyone else to get fatter. Bring on the gravy and keep it flowing until you can eat no more.

#23 – The Cranberry Controller

| November 23, 2011 | 4 Comments

#23 – The Cranberry Controller

Rick Martini wants to dominate the United States and become its supreme ruler. Unfortunately, the best method that Rick could come up with is a special helmet that focuses his brainwaves to control processed cranberries in the can. While they aren’t that intimidating, his hope is that people will panic when they see the can shaped mass of gelatinous cranberry come crawling across the table at them. Since Thanksgiving is the holiday that has the most cranberries used, Rick’s goal is to hold the holiday hostage until people make him the ruler of the US.

Your goal this Thanksgiving will be to slice up your canned cranberries as quick as possible. This will help to avoid the staining of your tablecloth as they attempt to attack you and fill you with fear.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

#22 – Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Beater

| November 22, 2011 | 0 Comments

#22 – Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Beater

Do you like Pumpkin Pie? Have you ever given much thought to how those defenseless pumpkins are turned into the delicious paste you have grown to enjoy?
Enter Peter, a young man with a chip on his shoulder the size of his deformed left hip. Peter’s never been the happiest guy, but one thing does make his life perfect and it’s Pumpkin Pie. When Peter looked for a career field that was right for him and his mental issues, he was excited to discover there was a need for pumpkin beaters.

You see, every November 1st is the start of pumpkin season, where the massive amount of pumpkins on doorsteps begin to fear for their lives. People like Peter live for the thrill of hunting these wild gourds and pounding their delicate bodies into paste. Oh, it’s a savage process, but one that is perpetuated by our cultures need for pumpkin pie and other pumpkin related products around the holidays.

I guess we can say that it’s good for people like Peter to find their place in society and provide a service that many can’t stomach. On the other hand, when you see a man with a bat chasing down a defenseless pumpkin that once had a cute expression on its face, you wonder how far over the edge humanity has slipped.

So go ahead everyone, enjoy your pumpkin pie this year! Don’t think about the life that pumpkin lived before it reached your plate and definitely don’t think about the horrible way it met its demise.

#21 – Kid Joe

| November 21, 2011 | 0 Comments

#21 – Kid Joe

Honestly, I drew this picture in an attempt to see if I could create something from scratch that has two different levels of perspective. My goal was to show the hand with the thumbs up coming out toward you, but I’m not sure that it worked.

So instead, let’s pretend I intended to draw a young kid with a huge hand. In fact, let’s name him Kid Joe and say he’s in the running to be the international Thumb Wrestling champion. Kid Joe has trained all his life with his giant right hand to refine the techniques needed to pin his opponents in the thumb wresting arena.

Joe’s goal is to travel to Europe and train under the thumb masters before entering the final competitions. While he’s just a young man, Joe has the talent and a giant thumb that can take him to the next level.

#20 – Adrenaline Town Werewolves

| November 20, 2011 | 0 Comments

Below are some myths dispelled in the Adrenaline Town series.
Myth Number One:
Werewolves are savage creatures with no rational thoughts. When they transform, they become animalistic and unable to stay in control of their urges.
False. In fact, werewolves conform to a system of order common to the animal kingdom called the pack system. The pack system is as follows; a leader is established (usually the oldest and strongest wolf) and the rest of the pack follows that wolfs lead. The leader can be challenged if one or many of the pack believe he has become incompetent, but usually the wolves don’t like to make waves in their packs, so they hesitate to take action unless things become drastic.
Werewolf packs consist of between seven and nine members. If a member of the pack loses control and begins to lash out and kill regular humans, then that member must be destroyed for the good of all packs. When you first become a werewolf, you are drawn to the pack closest to you by an incredible urge. In your first meeting with the pack, you will be taught of what you are and what you are capable of doing. After that you will be a member of the pack and you will remain with the pack you first meet, werewolves shun those who leave to join another pack or avoid their own kind.
Myth Number Two:
You must be bitten by a werewolf to become a werewolf. Werewolf genes can also be passed down through the family line, father to son and so on.
The truth is werewolf’s blood and saliva contains a special element that is virtually undetectable. In the rare occurrence (odds about sixteen million to one) that your bodies DNA structure accepts the element, your body will undergo a gestation period. Depending on the person, this period can take between six months and two years. After the gestation period, you will begin to feel your senses begin to heighten and change. You’ll want to tell people about the changes occurring, but you won’t be able to. You will begin to exhibit animalistic characteristics, little ones at first, but they will gradually increase.
Then, on a night of an eclipse of the moon, you will be drawn to a place you have never seen or thought of before. Guided by instinct, you will know the exact location and how to arrive at your destination. When you arrive, you’ll meet a small group of people who will be part of your pack and share a sort of unspoken bond with you.
Through research, there have been found some exceptions to the rules of changing into a werewolf. For example, if a small child’s DNA accepts the werewolf element, the gene will lay dormant until puberty. The hormones released during puberty will activate the gene and gestation will usually occur 2 to 3 years after puberty. There are never cases of children or young teenagers becoming werewolves.
Women rarely become werewolves because they have a special chromosome that fights against and 99% of the time kills the werewolf element. If a female werewolf and male werewolf have a child, the child will usually be a stronger, more powerful form of werewolf called a second-generation leader. He or she will, of course, not become a werewolf until after puberty, but when the change does occur, there is a great celebration called the Ratall. All of the packs in the surrounding areas come together to celebrate and welcome a second-generation wolf.
Unfortunately, the children of two werewolves rarely survive birth or past the age of five. They are plagued by illness throughout infancy and are sometimes killed by another pack out of jealousy. If a male or female werewolf has a child with an ordinary human, the child will be immune to the werewolf element and remain a normal human for its life.
Myth Number Three:
Only in the light of a full moon will a werewolf change. The person who is a werewolf has no control over the change. When not in werewolf form, the human is just an average person.
Unlike myths and movies, a real werewolf can change his/her form at anytime day or night. Rarely will a werewolf change during the day because they are less powerful and more likely to be seen. Werewolves pride themselves in their unknown status and will do anything to keep things that way. Since werewolves can change at any time, they must stay in control of their form and every situation at all times. When they are not in control, it drives them crazy. The control factor causes werewolves to avoid certain things.
The first is drinking alcohol at any time. Alcohol affects the amount of control they have over their form. When a werewolf does drink, it is usually with another member of his/her pack. That person provides company and will get them out of sight if or when they begin to lose control.
The second is anger. A werewolf must take on a peaceful nature because when you become angry you lose your rational thought. Without the rational thought process, control is easily lost. Being human, a werewolf will indeed become angry at time and lose control for a second, but they quickly realize what the consequences will be and regain control. Usually in anger situation, such as a fight, the werewolf will simply turn and walk or run away. The only time that is not true is when a werewolf is protecting something or someone it holds dear, because werewolves are taught from the beginning how important honor is. In the old days, the packs used to call each other “Original Samurai’s”. Even in these modern times, a wolf’s word is their bond.
A warning sign for werewolves that they are losing control are various facial ticks. These ticks are the first sign of losing control of their form because they are a sign of the transformation process. To be a werewolf today, you must realize the power you are capable of and Misuse of that power and lashing out or killing a regular human means to be destroyed by the pack.
Myth Number Four:
A werewolf is chaotic. They are naturally evil and enjoy causing or inflicting pain upon others.
The only ways werewolves can become evil, pain-inflicting creatures is, if they lose control when in wolf form or when someone is naturally evil and becomes a werewolf. When the latter occurs, the evil person usually ignores the laws of the pack, goes rogue and must be hunted and destroyed.
A werewolf retains the full capacity of his/her mind when they are in wolf form. Many have great senses of humor. During deer, moose, and elk hunting seasons, packs sometimes take retreats in the mountains seeing which wolf can scare the most hunters. The game is popular here in Utah.

Other interesting facts about modern werewolves:

• Werewolves have a high threshold for pain in human form and even higher in wolf form. When a werewolf is wounded, the wounds heal about five times faster when they are in wolf or wolfen form.
• Werewolves are three to five times stronger than regular humans, but their need for secrecy makes it so they will rarely, if ever show their full strength.
• In human form, werewolves cannot stand creatures doing violence to other creatures. They are strongly against humans hunting animals, but they don’t protest hunting for fear of drawing attention upon themselves. In their wolf form, however, their attitude becomes survival of the fittest in the animal kingdom. They take part in many hunting expeditions to keep their skills and senses at their peak.
• With their heightened senses, werewolves are very insightful about people. Their belief is that you should know more about a person than that person thinks you could ever know. Werewolves have the ability to identify a threatening person and avoid contact to keep out of a dangerous situation.

#19 – Adrenaline Town Vampires

| November 19, 2011 | 0 Comments

#19 – Vampires in the Adrenaline Town story

Vampires are real, but they are becoming extinct.

A vampire is a parasite living off the blood of others, so what happens when a vampires blood source slowly gets tainted over the years? Look at our earth, pollution and disease ravage the planet. Toxins are released into the air and into our food. Some places are still fresh and clean, but they are rapidly disappearing. Human and animal blood is slowly becoming tainted without us even knowing. We feel fine, but vampires can taste the difference.

Tainted blood has some interesting effects on vampires.

It sickens them for one, creating symptoms similar to a powerful flu strain and weakening them against attack of other supernatural creatures. Another downside of drinking tainted blood is disorientation. Sometimes a vampire can become confused or disoriented, which can get them killed by hunters or caught out in the pure sunlight in mid day. Finally there are the many blood diseases and disorders in the world today. AIDs and Hepatitis can’t kill a vampire, but those and other blood diseases can make one comatose for days, weeks, even up to a month before a vampire’s body can assimilate the virus. The large amount of blood diseases in the world has made some countries vampire population extinct. Other countries are quickly dwindling.

Some other myths worth dispelling.

Vampires can venture out during the day, but direct sunlight on their skin can be extremely painful and prolonged exposure can result in death. Give them a cloudy day and some decent clothes, they’ll blend right in.
Religious objects can’t affect a vampire unless the person using it is a true believer. Someone can’t just grab a cross and start loving God to get out of a jam, their heart needs the conviction to survive. This goes for any religious item, not just crosses. They all work with the right belief.

Survival with blood filtration.

Over the years vampires have become dependent on a special machine that filters out the impurities in human blood. Unfortunately, this machine is quite large, difficult to use, and rare. The one machine in America was invented in the mid 19th century by an ingenious vampire that could see the blood problem coming. Using his understanding of arcane knowledge and machinery, he was able to build just one working model before leaving America for other countries. This one machine is taxing on resources and difficult to assemble so no others were created.

Picture something that is much more advanced than any blood filtration system found in a hospital or laboratory. The systems in those places can’t even detect the minuscule changes to human blood over the ages. The machine used by the vampire population is bulky and infused with mechanical magic that no others have been able to replicate or reverse engineer.

When the machine was finally created and running, a ban was placed on recruiting new vampires. Word was spread about the impending issues with blood and the need to keep their community small. Those that remained faithful to overall good of the group were rewarded with a steady supply of filtered blood delivered to them. Those that refused to comply were hunted down and destroyed, along with those that were newly created. Only a few new recruits have made it through the first 10 years of turning.

The total population of vampires in America continues to dwindle slowly, not because they are hunted or killed, but due to the occasional accident or mishap. The filtration machine and a vampire council were moved to Indianapolis, IN to provide a central location for shipping throughout the US and Canada. This has turned vampires more into a corporation like entity than the romanticized version seen in the movies.

No picture on this one, but if you like to draw Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies then let me know, I might be able to put you to work.

#18 – The Sleighbot 2000

| November 18, 2011 | 0 Comments

#18 – The Sleighbot 2000

The time has finally arrived for Santa to join the 21st century. With the help of Willie the Cyborg Elf and the North Pole Computerization and Robotics Division, Santa has been implementing new technology to make Christmas Eve less Stressful.

One of the first innovations was the Sleighbot 2000, an automated helper that has been hooked to the Santa’s sleigh. The sleighbot gives Santa that extra edge in preparing presents and stocking treats for each house, all the while giving the most current readings of temperature and wind direction.

Santa’s life is changing for the better with the help of technological advances.

#17 – Willie The Cyborg Elf

| November 17, 2011 | 0 Comments

#17 – Willie The Cyborg Elf

Willie the elf was just an average worker on the toy assembly line. One day, the machine he was watching that built toy robots went haywire and sucked him into its manufacturing core. Before being saved by the Elf Safety Squad, half of Willie’s body was transformed to robotic circuitry.

Now, only half elf, he is feared by many on the assembly lines and in the lunch hall. Willie was going to quit the business and venture out into the world, but Santa had other plans. Realizing that Willie’s part robotic brain was perfect to help bring gift giving technology into the future, Santa created the North Pole Computerization and Robotics division. Willie was made chief assembly technician and head of the Research Division.

Santa needed to move his operation into the future and he finally found the most important thing on his list. Willie has become a key component in keeping North Pole operations cutting edge.

This picture was drawn and colored by my talented son JT who knew I needed a break from all the art I’ve been creating this month.

#16 – The Ribbonator

| November 16, 2011 | 0 Comments

#16 – The Ribbonator

I could never understand the ribbon candy that is put out in dishes during the holidays. Seems like it just sits there for a long time getting disgusting until finally being eaten by some desperate child wandering through the living room of their grandparents house.

The Ribbonator was sent back in time by future holiday foodstuffs controlling a future world. The main candy controller, SweetNet, determined that Karate Kane could stop it’s plans so the Ribbonator was sent back to destroy him.

The Ribbonator has one goal, destroy Karate Kane, and he will mow down everyone who gets in his way. At one point, he tries to find Karate Kane at a holiday party, but is stopped by some party goers. They gave him a hard time about a sweet candy, so the Ribbonator went out to his truck and got his weapon. The final phrase heard by those innocent party goers was, “I’ll cause plaque”, which was said in a slight Austrian accent.

The Ribbonator still hunts Karate Kane to this day, while avoiding the rain and large animals because they make him sticky and irritable.

#15 – Halfway Hal

| November 15, 2011 | 0 Comments

#15 – Halfway Hal

In celebration of being halfway through the 30 Characters challenge, my submission is Halfway Hal.

Hal likes to think of himself as a superhero, in fact, he actually has the ability to create a hole into another dimension and reach through to another point in his vicinity. This allows him to reach through objects or grab things from high places without straining. Unfortunately, Hal can never put more than half his body through the hole at any one time, which limits him a bit when fighting the forces of evil.

There are no easy escapes when he is trapped by villains and the “punch a guy from behind” trick usually only works once before evil doers start looking for it. So for now he looks for the petty crooks that might be on the run from the cops, allowing him to shift his foot in front of them and trip them up.

Hal hopes to one day join a super team, but sits patiently by the phone waiting for them to call.

#14 – Earoque

| November 14, 2011 | 0 Comments

#14 – Earoque

Pronounced Air-o-quay, she’s a member of the mermaish tribe, who lives her life beneath the waves in the other realm. With a life that consists of peace and serenity, her days are filled with singing soft flowing music to the other creatures of the sea. Her voice is like a silken cloud that settles over those who benefit from hearing it.

She seeks out her friends and when they combine together to sing, no one can resist them. They have no desire to harm the sailors or other creatures of the sea, only to give each a moment of bliss that they can reflect on for years to come. It is said that to hear their song makes one’s life complete.

This picture was drawn by my talented daughter, Mackenzie, in an effort to give folks something nice to look at versus my wacky characters.

#13 – Pizza Luvin’ Santa

| November 13, 2011 | 0 Comments

#13 – Pizza Luvin’ Santa

People picture Santa as a jolly old man who eats nothing but cookies and sweets all year long. Really though, who could eat that stuff all the time? You would have to take a break every so often and eat a real meal.

When Santa’s craving something that will fill him up, he turns to the North Pole Pizzeria where Antonio the elf makes a special pie with his favorite toppings. Recently Santa has been getting a slice or two left for him on Christmas Eve and it’s made his busy night go so much smoother. He’s even decided to modify his outfit to reflect the love he has for the classic dish.

Be a sport and leave Santa some pizza this year instead of the same old cookies and milk.

This picture is another one done in homage to the coolest artist I know, Mark Mariano. Check out his art at his website, www.mypalmark.com, and don’t rub in the fact of how much better he is than me when it comes to drawing.

While you’re out surfing, I’ll put a plug in for my site, www.nosweetsforsanta.com, for a cool story about Santa getting pizza on Christmas Eve.

#12 – Antonio the pizza making elf

| November 12, 2011 | 0 Comments

#12 – Antonio the pizza making elf

A little known fact about the North Pole is that it has its own pizzeria. You see, Santa is a big fan of the pizza pie and has enjoyed the fact that people have been leaving him slices on Christmas Eve instead of cookies. A guy can only eat so many cookies in one night before wanting to throw up, so pizza was a refreshing change.

On the other days of the year, Santa would occasionally visit The North Pole Pizzeria to get his pizza fix. Antonio is the head chef and has been making the finest pizza for hundreds of years. Antonio’s family broke off from the cookie making elves group in the late 1700’s, migrating to the North Pole in the hopes of making finely carved wooden toys that were so popular in Italy. It didn’t take long before they realized that toy making wasn’t for them, so they sought out another avenue to express their creativity.

Soon a small eatery was opened and that slowly morphed into the North Pole Pizzeria. Pizza has been all the rage in the North Pole for years. Try to guess the elves favorite toppings.

I drew this picture trying to replicate the style of one of my favorite artists, Mark Mariano. I’ve got a long way to go.

#11 – Peanut Riddle

| November 11, 2011 | 0 Comments

#11 – Peanut Riddle

Especially feared by those allergic to peanuts, Peanut Riddle makes it his goal to terrorize holiday party attendees. Using his special raygun, the Brittilizer, he can transform almost any substance into an easily breakable and tasty treat.

His joy of using riddles and questions when dealing with foes make him a confusing nemesis. While not actually part of the Holiday Hellions, Peanut Riddle still seeks to avenge the fallen holiday foodstuffs each Christmas Season.

His favorite riddle?

“ What’s sweet, crunchy, and just knocked you out? My fist you pathetic human!”

#10 – The A-salt-er

| November 10, 2011 | 0 Comments

#10 – The A-salt-er

Just seeing this villain shaking towards them makes most victims blood pressure rise. The A-salt-er is bad to the core and will often overpower certain foods to make them uneatable.

While not a deadly villain, the A-salt-er’s victims often suffer from muscle cramps, dizziness, and electrolyte disturbance after being assaulted.

Like most vigilante villains, he has his fans, but often he causes more harm than good.

#9 – Dead Nog

| November 9, 2011 | 0 Comments

#9 – Dead Nog

Sir Eggington Nog was a distinguished carton from the U.K. visiting friends in America. He decided to stop by a suburban Christmas party and was viciously attacked by the party goers. He was found after the party ended, laying lifeless on the floor with the last of his contents slowly leaking out.

Found later by the Holiday Hellions, his death only strengthened their resolve to stop the holiday massacres once and for all. Ninjabread Man, Bruit Cake, and Mangled Mallow use his death as a turning point in their campaign of avenging fallen foodstuffs. When going into battle, they often cry out:

“Let’s do this for the Nogster!”

#8 – Karate Kane

| November 8, 2011 | 0 Comments

#8 – Karate Kane

After falling behind a console at a Nuclear power plant during a Holiday party, this simple candy cane became slowly soaked in radiation. After many years, the sweet confectionary became a sentient being and decided to leave his space behind the console and seek out adventure in the big world.

After weeks of wandering, he found a small town theatre that often ran Kung-Fu movie marathons. Taking up residence, he slowly learned from the Kung-Fu masters of the silver screen, perfecting his craft.

One fateful night, he decided he must fight for justice and good holiday cheer by calling himself Karate Kane. He wanders the streets, looking for the thugs that would bring about the demise of Christmas spirit.

#7 – The Mangled Mallow

| November 7, 2011 | 0 Comments

#7 – The Mangled Mallow

On the run after barely saving himself from a boiling cup of Hot Chocolate at a suburban Christmas Party, Marsh looks for a way to avenge his deformity.

His contempt for humanity increases each year as the weather gets cold and he sees bags of his brothers and sisters melted into oblivion to make sweet treats.

While there isn’t much the Mangled Mallow can do to harm humanity, he focuses all of his mental energy on hoping the main villains will develop diabetes. That is the best revenge he can come up with at this time.

As part of the gang called the Holiday Hellions, he typically serves the very important role of decoy.

#6 – Bruit Cake

| November 6, 2011 | 0 Comments

#6 – Bruit Cake

Years of feeling no self worth and often being the butt of jokes every holiday season has made him stale. Now, pushed to point of no return, he strikes out at others, wielding the small butter knife that once threatened his existence.

Bruit Cake becomes especially mean during the holiday season when he sees the unappreciation of his kind. His own brother was left at a doorstep, only to be discarded one month later without any remorse.

Losing an eye to a local cat has only made him even more resentful of the world, driving him to even lower depths of depravity.

This post is a follow-up to my NinjaBread Man.  I guess I can call the collection, “Holiday Hellions”.

#5 – Rachel Grandison

| November 5, 2011 | 0 Comments

#5 – Rachel Grandison

15 years old and living in Chambersburg, PA

Rachel did not have the werewolf gene passed down to her. She lives with the fact that she is the only one in the family that can’t transform into a werewolf or have enhanced senses and strength. She is a normal girl in the world.

Rachel is a fan of reading and often is found with a book nearby. The knowledge absorbed from books has made her quite knowledgeable, but doesn’t give her the street smarts and ability to interact with people, that experience would.

Since her family has moved a variety of times when they felt people have grown suspicious of them, Rachel keeps people at a distance. She is likable, but rarely has close friends, which suits her fine. At times she may cling to her acquaintances, but often she will push them away so she can do her own thing without comment from them.

Where her brother Michael avoids conflict, Rachel is one to rarely back down from an argument. She can be opinionated and sometimes stubborn. Not necessarily a fighter, Rachel’s parents still thought it important to learn defensive skills and meditation techniques to control her reactions to different situations.

She is a vegan and doesn’t appreciate anyone eating meat in her presence. This has caused some tension in her house since she is the only one that feels that way.

Rachel is one of the feature characters in my “in process” YA book series called Adrenaline Town.

The picture of Rachel was drawn by my talented daughter, Mackenzie.

#4 – The NinjaBread Man

| November 4, 2011 | 2 Comments

The NinjaBread Man

Vowing to avenge his family after they were savagely eaten at a suburban Christma party, the once cute GingerBread Man could take no more of humanity. Arming himself with a candy cane bo staff and concealing his identity with a strand of Christmas ribbon, he wreaks havoc through the neighborhoods in his area.

His typical method of attack is at night while humans are walking on the snowy streets.  He uses Dough Foo, to cause people to loose their balance and become injured.

If you listen carefully on an icy night, you can hear his squeaky voice in the distance, chanting his hunting song:
“Run, Run, Run, as fast as you can. You can’t escape me, I’m the NinjaBread Man!”

While some say he has gone completely over to the burnt side, those closest to him remind us that he still hasn’t given up his colorful gum drop buttons, so there is still hope.

I hope you enjoyed this holiday inspired submission, it’s actually the first picture I’ve tried to draw and color myself, hence the poor quality.

#3 – Michael Grandison (Werewolf)

| November 3, 2011 | 0 Comments

#3 – Michael Grandison

17 years old and living in Chambersburg, PA.
Michael was born a werewolf, though the mutation didn’t manifest itself until he was 14 years old. Throughout his life, his parents prepared him for the coming change by enforcing a life meditation and relaxation. His goal is to avoid becoming worked up because even adrenaline can cause his strength and senses to activate, causing him difficulty being reasonable. Over the years he’s learned defensive martial arts and Eastern meditation techniques.

Michael lives with two great fears, the first is losing control of himself and attacking someone, the second is nights there is an eclipse of the full moon, when he becomes completely savage.

Due to the werewolf gene being infused with his DNA, Michael has severe reactions to chemical additives in his food. While he tries to eat as normally as possible, he has to avoid heavily processed foods and drinks.

Michael is an average student and enjoys the subjects of biology, math, and wood shop.

Michael is the lead character in the book Adrenaline Town, which has yet to be written.

A special thanks to my talented daughter Mackenzie for her art skills.  She will always be a better artist than I could dream of being.

#2 – Bubble Guy

| November 2, 2011 | 1 Comment

#2 – Bubble Guy

I created this character to act as a fun guide for toddlers to learn about proper bathing techniques. The Bubble Guy speaks in rhyme and talks through the steps you need to know when washing yourself in the tub.

The goal is to publish a waterproof book, along with a wash cloth to help promote cleanliness in kids. Let’s start a revolution of being able to read in the tub.

Special thanks to Morgan Orr who drew the picture for me.  As I said in my intro, I’m a writer, not an artist.

#1 – Small Press Writer Guy

| November 1, 2011 | 0 Comments

#1 - Small Press Writer Guy

Small Press Writer Guy
This character is incredibly talented and can create amazing worlds and characters. Unfortunately, he can’t draw to save his life, so he tends to be overlooked at most convention tables. Sure he can describe the story and get you excited, but in the end, most folks just want a sketch from his buddy – Small Press Artist Guy.

He is often observed behind the convention table, looking over the shoulder of the artist next to him who’s frantically drawing to keep up with the many sketch requests he’s received.