We're back from the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con! Four day cons are an endurance run, but we had a great show! I'll be doing an After-Action Report tomorrow, but in the meantime, check out our photos HERE.

Cheers,
-Jason

Next week, Leigh and I will be attending the 41st Annual San Diego Comic-Con! We will be at table K-7 in the Small Press area, so come on by and say 'hi!'

As a special treat, I plan on shaving at least ONCE while I'm down there.

We will be updating on Tuesday as usual, though I won't be blogging during the week on account of being far away from my computer.

Anyway, we hope to see some of you there. I will be writing free sentences as is customary and Leigh will be doing commissions. So if you've ever wanted a custom picture of your favorite super-hero and an unintelligible sentence of dubious worth, you know where to go :)

Have a good weekend.

Cheers,
-Jason

Torgor blinked. “What? There’s no reason to get mad about it. Destroying the source of a wizard’s power is the classic way to defeat one.”

“But that’s not the source of my power, moron!”

“Oh.” Torgor nudged a piece of pottery with his foot. “What was in there?”

“My mother’s ashes!”

Torgor stopped, foot in mid-nudge, and then took a small step away. “This is kinda awkward,” he said after a moment.

Urgan glared at him. “You think?”

“I thought it was the source of your power!” Torgor said. “Wizard’s always keep them close at hand!”

“No we don’t. That’s just a story we spread so idiots like you’ll attack us in our towers.”

Torgor folded his arms. “Then it’s really your fault I broke your mother’s urn. If you spread stories like that, of course someone’s going to take a swipe at her vase.”
With a sigh, Urgan pointed over his shoulder. “You’re supposed to attack that.”

Torgor looked up. There was a large globe above the door, set in an ornately carved clawed hand. The orb pulsed with sickly blues and greens, with the occasional spark of red.

“Huh,” the barbarian said. “I completely missed that.”

“Obviously.”
The wizard and barbarian glared at each other.

“Well,” said Torgor suddenly. “It’s late and I’m sure you’d like to re . . . uh . . . inter your mother, so I’ll just let myself out.”

“Fine.” Urgan gestured and a large, leather-bound tome with a golden clasp appeared in his hand. He opened it and began scanning the pages. “I just need to see if I have some sort of ‘vacuum’ spell.”

“Okay then.” Torgor walked over to the doorway, stepping over the remains of the door. “No hard feelings!” he called out.

“Sure,” Urgan said, as the barbarian darted down the corridor. “At least until I get mother squared away,” he continued. “Then I’ll hunt you down and turn you into something small and fluffy and give you to my cats.”

Cheers,
-Jason

The barbarian, his massive frame covered only by a thick fur loincloth, shattered the stout door with a single kick.

A throne room stretched out before him, its floor inscribed in golden runes. Smoke from a dozen braziers curled up, as the smell of exotic incense filled the air. The stone walls were hung with tapestries worked in gold thread, depicting scenes of decadent delight. And upon a throne of marble, a silken pillow padding his bum, sat a man in a tall pointed hat.

“So,” began the man on the throne, as he made a note to call the carpenters. “Tardor the Barbarian isn’t it? You slew the Three-Eyed Dragon of Corumbia and vanquished of the Potentate of Fresno, did you not?”

“I am he. Him? Whatever,” said Tardor. “And you are Urgan, the Black Wizard of Bakeria!”

“Guilty,” said Urgan, with a slight chuckle. His hand rose to stroke his thin, white beard. “And I suppose you’re here to defeat me?”

“Yes! Everyone knows the villainy of Urgan!” Tordor pointed his huge two-handed sword at the wizard. “Your deeds are infamous! The destruction of Vomen! The burning of Avellia! The Baby-Souffle on Sundays!”

Urgan raised a finger. “Actually, I don’t do the baby thing. My marketer went a little nuts,” he said with a shrug.

“I care not! You will die for your crimes!” With a roar, Tordor leapt across the room, even as Urgan raised his hands, a spell tumbling from his lips. The barbarian’s huge sword swept down, cutting through the wizard’s point hat, but rebounding from his head as if he’d struck solid stone.

Urgan laughed. “You are a fool, barbarian, to challenge a wizard in his home!”

Tordor regained his balance and inspected his sword. The edge where it had struck the wizard was bent and twisted. “I thought the tales were a myth,” he said slowly, his eyes roving around the room.

“No, no myth. My magic protects me from simpletons with swords!” Urgan rose from his throne, tossing the remains of his hat to one side. He rubbed his head where Tordor’s sword had connected. “Not even a headache. Now then,” Urgan continued. “Time to die.”

The wizard raised his hands and lightning spat forth from his fingertips. Tordor leapt at the last second and the energy exploded against a tapestry, setting it alight. Urgan cackled, as he continued to spray lighting at the nimble barbarian.

Tordor dodged and weaved as the lightning crashed around him. He ignored the wizard’s taunts as he bounded, seemingly searching for something. After several minutes, he suddenly gave a shout.

“I have you now, wizard!” The barbarian leapt across the room, his sword raised high. Above the throne in a small nook, a golden vase rested upon a length of velvet. His sword swept across the vase, even as the wizard screamed.

The vase shattered, a fine powder billowing forth. Torgor landed and turned, a smirk upon his rugged features. “There, wizard! I have destroyed the source of your power!”

Urgan stared at his foe, his mouth open. “You . . . “ he began, as if unable to find the words. “You dick!”

Tomorrow: Part 2 – Someone Gets a Surprise!

I may have just discovered my super power. I complained about the weather last week and now, all of a sudden, it's freakin' hot. The fact that it's now July probably has nothing to do with it.

It's been an exciting week here at Single Edge Studios. We started updating again, Leigh did not burst into flames when he went outside, and I spelled 'rhythm’ correctly on the first try.

And I’m not implying that Leigh is a vampire. It’s just that it’s very hot and both Leigh and I go outside as little as humanly possible. Basically, we both look like Gollum, only with more hair.

We’re both excited to be exhibiting at the San Diego Comic Con this year, as we plan on debuting our trade paperback! It combines all six issues and includes an illustrated story as well as guest art and a few other surprises for a total of 160 pages! As usual, Leigh will be doing commissions and I will be offering free sentences! Be the first on your block to have a custom art piece and an accompanying literary masterpiece!

NOTE: ‘masterpiece’ is a highly subjective term. Your sentence may very well contain words like ‘booger’ and ‘fart.’

Anyway, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next Tuesday with a new page and the usual bloggy goodness!

Cheers,
-Jason