New Projects, a Wild Nightmare, and Ghosts!
Plus New Advice and Resources for Creators!
Known Facts of Events to Come:
ANOTHER New Comics Anthology in the Works!
So last time I mentioned I was writing new stories for my personal anthology of short stories. Well, it turns out I will actually be using one of those stories in a new anthology a group of my peers will be producing! For this anthology, we settled on a sci-fi theme, so the story I was already writing about a fighter pilot’s encounter with a U.F.O. should work just fine.
Comics Collective Group
A group of classmates and I formed an online group after our Intro to Writing Comics class. The goal was to form a community of like-minded artists interested in figuring out how to make and publish our own books. With so many talented peers who bring so many skills and perspectives to the table, having the forum has been immensely motivating. We have artists, writers, designers, editors, and more, so while making our anthology will not be easy, we’ve got all the right talent to get the job done and start getting our work out there.
One of our group members recently adopted a Boston Terrier puppy, Alfie, so he’s become our mascot and the likely trademark for future anthologies as well. Viktor Farro (@viktorfarro) is a killer artist in our group, and he sketched out the great prototype cover image of Alfie above.
Are you interested in making comics yourself? Feel free to reach out to me about joining our forum. It’s a completely free group to join and very welcoming no matter what your level of experience is. Just shoot me an email: sterfest@gmail.com
Sterling’s Deep Dives:
Where Do New Stories Come From?
I have been writing a long time, and my process has gone through many changes. Since I am starting a new story, I thought now would be a great time to track the whole process from beginning to end for any writers who are interested. I cannot say my process is perfect or will be the right one for you, but I can definitely share what has been working for me most recently and why.
Recommended Haunts & Carnies:
A Recurring Nightmare Every Night for 14 Years!
Title: Cryptonaut Podcast
Format: Podcast (obviously)
Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts and other platforms
Here’s another podcast of nerdy guys who make funny banter about cryptids and other weird stories. Unlike some other comedy-paranormal podcasts, I don’t listen to these guys as often because their joking tends to wear out its welcome for me personally. However, I’ll listen occasionally because they actually have some pretty good stories that I don’t hear repeated that often.
Case in point, today I happened to catch a story that came from one of their listeners that was one of the creepiest stories I’ve heard in awhile. This listener started having a recurring nightmare as a kid that was about being in a boat where red haired woman who would grab him by the face and drown him under the water. The crazy part is the nightmare went on daily for 14 years! The story is mostly him trying figure out how to deal with this nightmare in his day to day life, but the conclusion of the story is mind-melting.
Spooky Guests & Ghostly Apparitions:
Ghosts Caught on Video Scaring Cats & Dogs!
In The Latest Strangeness, Casey O’Malley shares some new video evidence of supernatural beings showing up on video. Are they real? If not, what are those animals getting so freaked out about?
Also, in a Counterpoint Op-ed, Jimmy Thompson (age 10) argues why he thinks Casey’s telescope is swell.
Read More Here!
Sterling Martin is an artist and designer living in Chicago, IL. His background includes drawing, writing, theatre, teaching, improv & sketch comedy, and whatever else he can get his hands on to be creative. You can find him on the internet at:
Instagram: @sterfest.art
Website: sterlingmartin.design
Twitter: Maybe someday?
Linkedin: I’m pretty sure I have one of those
Facebook: Ugh, do I have to?