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SDCC 2015 hasn’t been a slouch in the announcements department especially if you’re a fan of comics.  Friday morning, Aspen Comics held their Comic-Con caucus in room 9 kicking off with a big traditional “Aloha” and leading to a couple of big teases for fans.

Frank Mastromauro, Vince Hernandez, Mark Roslan, and Peter Steigerwald were joined by Josh Reed, Beth Sotelo, BigDog Ink’s Tom Hutchison, David Wohl, Paolo Pantalena, Siya Oum, V. Ken Marion, Heather Quinley, Alex Koant, and Hannibal Tabu. So many people that actually couldn’t fit on the stage.

Frank opened with the upcoming Eternal Soulfire showing off the Century Edition cover which was an SDCC exclusive. With Eternal Soulfire debuting this week more covers for issues three and four were shown off including a large piece separated into four different covers. The Vettix sketch cover initiative cover was talked about and their lineup for auction includes Art Adams with more names to follow soon. Vettix helps armed forces men and women attend hard to score events like comic-con.

The presentation transitioned into the recently launched Fathom Blue. One of the two Aspen team books set in the Fathom universe. Some scantily clad covers and regular covers for issue 2 through 5 were showing.

David Wohl talked about his new project called Santeria: City of Fear (working title). Wohl talked about wanting to do a paramedic story. It’s about a woman who saves someone’s live and in doing so is thrust into a world of Santeria. The pitch for the book sounds like an interesting take on what the cost of saving a life could be.

Oniba Swords of the Demon by Paolo Pantalena is a series featuring a female samurai. Her feudal Japan timeline story will see the heroine battle intricately designed monsters. There’s a sketchbook available at the Aspen booth featuring some intense line art.

The Big Dog Ink rundown started with an update on Critter. Some con exclusive covers were shown which should be available on the publisher’s online store. After Critter will be Legend of Oz Wicked West in October. Wrapping up the BDI stuff is a tease for new Shahrazad stuff next year.

Panel exclusive Critter #1

Jirni Volume two debuts in August. Some new covers for the series were shown and Marion’s art really bumps up his game here.

The all ages Psycho Bonkers showed off some covers including one by MLP artist Agnes Garabowska.

LOLA XoXo Wasteland Madam had some new cover art to show off by the impressive Siya Oum. She’ll return to writing the LOLA series with Vol 2 whileWasteland Madam continues to be written by Vince Hernandez.

Steigerwald talked about the delay with Zoohunters. His current DC Commitments were taking more time than they should have but he’ll be returning to the book very soon.

Upcoming trades by the publisher include Fathom Vol 2, Fathom Killian’s tale, Legend of the Shadow Clan, and Jirni Vol 1.

Following the recent movement of Aspen Novels is Aspen Novellas. The first one in the line will feature the world of Executive Assistant Iris. They’ll be shorter than the novels but an expansion into the comics’ worlds that takes prose form.

Dellec and Shrugged will have new Volumes at some point. The stories for each are in the works but current titles are the focus. Mastromauro explained the publisher can only handle a certain number of books a month.

The Scourge,  Scott Lobdell’s previous Aspen series is in talks to be a feature film and has a screenwriter.

A gorgeous Michael Turner gallery edition collecting the legendary artist’s Batman/Superman run through the lens of the original pages is currently available at the show and at Graphitti Designs. The oversized book is a must for fans of Turner and orginal art which also contains tons of cover work and designs for his various DC Comics contributions. Fans can flip through one at the Graphitti booth, but be prepared for the best impulse buy ever.

The panel announced this year’s Halloween Fest book will be a Psycho Bonkers coloring and activity book for kids.

The publisher also announced a catch up with day-and-date digital as well as the back catalog continuing to update with Comixology.

For years Aspen has always had their IP on the cusp of breaking into other mediums, while there has been movement on a few things; according to Mastromauro the thing closest to being a reality is Executive Assistant: Iris. In the group’s opinion it’s the property that would be cost effective for a studio to tackle. Even teasing that it could be a SDCC 2016 announcement.

With that the panel closed with another rousing “Aloha!”

Please welcome my guest blogger today, Robin Helm...

I started writing in earnest only about a year ago. Before last March, I dabbled a bit, but I was too busy teaching high school, working in music at my church, and traveling with my daughters’ sports teams and ensemble groups to have the necessary time to reflect and think enough to write a book. Empty nest syndrome combined with leaving my full-time teaching position provided me with the needed free hours, and encouragement from friends and family boosted my courage.

Writing my first book was fairly easy, though it morphed into a trilogy before I could tell the complete story. Guardian, my first book, had so many of my own life experiences woven into the narrative that it was mainly a matter of putting the words on paper and polishing the writing. My second book, SoulFire, was more difficult, because nearly all of it came from my imagination. I am now more than half finished with the third and final book in the series, Legacy, and I am learning how to keep myself motivated.

It is fortunate that I did not depend on making money to keep me writing in the early stages, because, though I published Guardian in August, I did not see any royalties until October, and those were very small amounts. When I published SoulFire in December, sales of Guardian shot up, and the royalties are now fairly significant for both books. Knowing that Legacy will further boost sales helps me to stay focused on writing, and I already have two more books planned in my mind to begin as soon as I finish.
However, money has never been a main motivator for anything I have done in my life. The approbation of friends, relatives, and other readers means more to me – particularly e-mails and messages from people whom I have never met. Particularly inspiring are the people who write me and say that my books have encouraged them and helped them in their everyday lives.

The actual act of writing itself requires a different type of motivation and inspiration. Oddly enough, typing the chapter heading on a blank document gives me a sense of accomplishment. I feel that I have begun when I see the name of the chapter and save it into my book file. After that, I usually look at my outline, decide what must be in the chapter to move my story toward the desired end, and begin to visualize the scene in my mind.

I write the scene as it unfolds in my head, not worrying too much about details or dialogue as I rapidly put the words on the screen. After an hour or two, I go take a shower or do a simple household task that does not require much of my attention, and I think about what is happening in that chapter. Within an hour, I am back at my computer, and I write for another three or four hours. Though I know where the chapter will go ultimately, the way that I get to that destination unfolds in my head as I write.

Mornings are the most productive times for me, so I usually begin to write as soon as I get out of bed three or four days a week. I am a disciplined person, and I write a chapter per week. Making myself stay on target keeps me from feeling anxious or pressured about accomplishing my goals: to publish Legacy by the end of April and to write and publish at least one more book this year.

I also reward myself. After I finish a chapter and send it to my editors, I allow myself a day or two before I begin to write again, and I do other things that I enjoy, such as reading or watching a movie. Thinking of that down time as within reach keeps me racing toward it. I know that if I allow writing to become a drudgery, I will eventually stop, and I have too many stories to tell to allow that to happen.

About the Author:

Robin Helm has published the first two volumes of a trilogy (The Guardian Trilogy), Guardian and SoulFire, and is presently writing Legacy, the third and final volume, posting as a work in progress on four different forums. She has also published three Regency short stories.