Starbolts: A Look to the Past

Hail!

Today is the seventh anniversary of when I started this comic! Seven years ago, the world was a different place. Iron Man premiered and started a cinematic universe that has continued to this very day. I also posted my first comic in the blogs of TGWTG.com on New Years' Eve that year just to see if people would like it. It turned out they did. They really did! I was surprised and kept going and going.

Eventually, I got the help of Justin "JewWario" Carmical and well the rest as they say is history. I'm not as hard on the old sprites as Marcus up there is. Sure they look kind of goofy. But, what do you expect? I had just started learning how to make sprite based characters from scratch. Not everything is going to be perfect right out of the gate. With time and patience, I think I did okay. I still love doing the comic and I don't see myself stopping any time soon.

But, man there are a LOT of characters in the last four panels aren't there? Naming them all would take a while. I wanted to keep it as heroes vs villains who have showed up already. So, the fire based avatar isn't going to show up in the pic. She'll be showing up next week.

There's a lot of old faces in the pic, too. Like Halconis with his red energy sword. Some new faces like Kyodon are even there. I kept a clean version of this pic so I can add more heroes and villains as they debut. I also realized that I could use more characters without powers. For some reason, that has always seemed tricky to make. For me anyway.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the comic. It was a lot of fun making it and soon we'll be continuing our march to Starbolts #300. Now that will be fun!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more stuff coming your way! Happy anniversary, Starbolts!

Starbolts #293: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Happy Holidays!

It's Christmas time and the Starbolts are fighting Grunn, still. Don't worry. We'll get back to the action next comic. I thought for this holiday comic I would tie it with last year's comic where Garazo took on Santa. I also wanted to tie it in with the fact that the 'Bolts don't have a place to live when they get back. Remember, the embassy was destroyed and the Guardian here is in sorry shape.

Fear not. Now the ship will be docked at station Armstrong. The next time we see it, it'll have a new name, some enhancements and I'll most likely improve the office where Richard Dastara and Stan Whitefox are talking. I wanted a very bare bones look for the office and the operations area.

The Ops area is run by members of the Alliance. I was going to have a Leonid and a Dovianni added, too. But, let's just say they were off duty.

Anyway, I hope everyone reading has a happy holiday season. I'm glad people have enjoyed the comic and the videos I've been putting out. It means a lot to me. Stay tuned because we have a lot more to come like the 300th comic!

See you next time!

Comic Showcase #38: Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (2015)

Bad Movie Beatdown: Moonraker

I have a cameo in the season seven premiere of Bad Movie Beatdown!

Starbolts #292: The Fire of Courage

Hail!

Sorry the comic was a little later than usual. I had some issues to take care of video editing wise. So, I decided to work on a comic this week. I think it came out really good. Here, I gave us a glimpse as to how Aquita, Shrall and M'anta got their powers. And now a fourth joins the list of champions! She will definitely be a friend. I doubt she's going to join the Starbolts. Not everyone with powers needs to join the Starbolts. So, instead, she may join Xemplara just to figure out her newfound powers.

I see Shrall personally training her since he is a champion/avatar himself. I had a bit of fun making up the goddess of fire. She reminds me of the goddesses in Kid Icarus: Uprising for some reason. Probably because she's full of spunk. There's also something cool about making a firefighter a fire-based hero. Dunno what it is. But, it's cool nonetheless. =D

In other news, I'll get a vid out when I can. Going to try editing this bit and then go from there. That's the only thing really slowing down the process. It'll be worth it, I'm sure. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

So, next week will be a surprise. Will it be a comic? Will it be a vid? We shall see! Stay tuned! And thanks for being patient!

Starbolts #291: Down and Dirty

 Hail!

It looks like Grunn here is a little jealous, huh? He's jealous that the goddess of the sea and life, god of the sky, god of justice, god of war, goddess of death and the god of the underworld all have avatars/champions that represent them in the mortal world. This doesn't sit well with him of course. So now, like Aquita said, the balance has been changed. Another avatar must be made in order to maintain the balance. But, who will it be?

I toyed with making Tayalla an avatar but I don't think so. She's a queen and she's going to have a baby. So, she's out. Someone else will have to step in. If you notice, I have avatars for the classic elements of earth, wind and water. Fire would be the next step. However, will the fire avatar be friend or foe? Hopefully friend. So, I may introduce a god/goddess of fire. I'm thinking goddess myself. But, I dunno. We'll see and I will think on it.

In other news, I'll be working on a video. Sorry it has taken so long. I had the holiday and a few other things come up. I was also sick for a while so I couldn't really do anything. It sucks to be sick over Thanksgiving. It really does. I feel better now so I can get back to work on all of the things. And I do mean ALL of the things!

Lots of stuff is coming! Stay tuned!

Starbolts #290: Angel vs Monster

 Hail!

The race to Starbolts #300 starts here! With Kyodon gone, Grunn has now made the scene. But, Kyodon may have found a weak point in Angela's armor during that confrontation. This week's comic is a little late, I know. I initially had a plan to have Angela become possessed by Kyodon at the end and I thought "Nah." Mainly because I didn't want to do another possession arc. Still, I think Kyodon did something far worse than possessing Angela. Yeah. She messed with her mind and that I think is going to leave some scars.

Anyway, Grunn is here in his diamond-like form. I was going to have him be a rock monster but the best rock monster I have is Granite so I didn't feel like making a Granite clone.

In other news, work has begun on the next video and according to the poll, it is going to be Guardians of the Galaxy #1. Again. Eh, I make a joke about that in the script so it should be fine. In the mean time, I also created an episode guide for Comic Showcase. You can check it out here:  http://starbolts.blogspot.com/p/episode-guide_7.html

I might make an episode guide to Starbolts, but I think I might do something better and make a timeline of the events. That's always fun to do.

Until next time, true believers!

Starbolts #289: The Angel of Truth

 Hail!

Oh, Angela. If a guy ever met her in a bar and had ill intents, he'd better watch out. She can force the truth out of anyone since that's her metahuman ability along with flight, energy blasts and turning into a being composed of ethereal energy. The thing is, Angela can't always control her powers. Sometimes she may inadvertently force the truth out without meaning to. It takes a lot of effort on her part to actually control her powers. She's learned how, somewhat. If she focuses on it. She's also a little bit scared of her own abilities. So, the next comic is going to be a real test of her resolve.

The next comic is going to wait a bit as next week I plan on working on a video. The next Comic Showcase is going to be cameotastic. There's going to be some people showing up and it'll be a lot of fun.  Still, I am having trouble deciding on which comic to review. So, let's put it to a vote! You can do so right here:

Starbolts #288: Old Ghosts

Hail and Happy Halloween, everyone!

Richard Smythe, a ghost possessing his decaying husk has a lot to answer for. He killed his former teammates in cold blood, tried to kill his best friend Jack and of course betrayed Soldier Six to D.I.S.C.O.R.D. He was brought back by Demonstorm and now has a choice to make. Does he want to become a walking husk or does he want to join his former friends and be judged due to the sins he committed against them. I think in the last panel, he has found a third option. We'll be exploring that option after the Kyodon saga wraps up!

This was a fun comic to work on! I know it is a little on the long side since it's forty panels and all. But, I wanted to give almost every ghost a spotlight. I have Air Raid dive-bombing Cobra. Cheetah chasing after him in a demonic car. And finally I have the zombie Soldier Six show up and scare Cobra senseless. Please note the blood stain on zombie Scarlett. That's where Cobra shot her.

I have to admit, I really liked that line:

"Why are you haunting me and not Jack?"
"We like him. We hate you!"

Eh. Makes sense all things considered. At least now we know what happened to him post Starbolts #275. He escaped and managed to rescue three members of his team. He's going to need ALL of them in the coming storyline. I meant for this Halloween special to also tie into a future story. I think it works well given what day it is. =D

I didn't really have time to work on a new page this week as I was working on this comic. I'll try to have a new one up in a couple days. Hope you all have a great Halloween! Scare you next time! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Starbolts #287: The Hero King

Hail!

This week, Shrall takes center stage as he does what he has to do to save his people from Kyodon. This comic took some time to make because I had running civilians to make and I had a bit of an issue with the panel where Shrall saves the tadling. What happened originally was that Shrall kneeled down and grabbed the kid. It'd have made more sense, I thought, that if he were to grab him and keep on running.

Makes sense to me. Still, Shrall saved Jaro's goose from being cooked. Will he help the 'Bolts stop this creature? He'd better. We'll find out soon. Next Saturday is going to be a special Halloween edition of Starbolts. It'll be a nice spooky tale. It will be in continuity with what's going on in the Starbolts universe and tie into a future story that will come after this one is wrapped up.

In other news, I have finished my About me/FAQ section. Check it out here: http://starbolts.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

Thanks go out to some people who submitted those questions for me. They were fun to answer!

Take care and I'll see you soon with a spooky tale!

About me/FAQ

Hail!

I have just finished an update to the "About Me" page. It now has a FAQ section! Check it out here:

http://starbolts.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

I thought it was a good idea to combine the two pages since they sort of go hand in hand. If any more questions pop up, I'll be sure to add them to the FAQ.

Starbolts #286: The Rage of the Beast

Hail!

This comic is a little late because I was working on the best ways to scale the creature. The original big sprites were a little too big so I had to scale it down. Good thing I did. I really like how this one came out. Giant fire-breathing turtle attacks city. Was pretty awesome to do and we'll definitely see more of it next week when it goes after Shrall. She really hates the "heirs of Delclina" doesn't she? Well, that's too bad for her. The others are coming to save the day! Here's hoping they fair better than Jenna, Manta, Mateo and Centurion did. Jack, of course will be on hand to help. I figure he and the rest of Xemplara were guarding the king and queen.

In other news, thanks go out to everyone who voted in that poll. I'll be adding new pages soon. Probably about one a week since the clear winner was "All of the above". Heh. I suppose this site does need more meat on its bones. I'll get right to work on that. =)

The first page will probably be about the planets in the Starbolts universe. I have some ideas on how to best go about it. Plus, my paint program can make nifty 3D spheres. So, I'll probably use that to actually show the planets. Though, the easiest thing would probably be the episode guide. I'll flip a coin. The pages will all go up soon. So, stick around!

In the mean time, thanks for reading the comic and I'll see you next time! 

Comic Showcase #37: A-Force #1

Odds and Ends (10/3/15)

Hail!

I'm sorry I don't have a comic or a video up this week. I had planned to do one or the other. But, things came up and I hadn't had the time to do them. Rest assured, I will have something for next Saturday. I do, however, want to mention a few things now that I am here.

1. You might have noticed several comics from 2010 to 2013 not working on this site. That's because they were still hosted by Imageshack. I have since finished putting up all the old comics and even fixed broken images in the heroes and villains pages you see at the top navigation bar. That brings me to the next item on the list.

2. Since I have fixed the heroes and villains profiles and added pics and such, I have been debating what to do next. Blogspot has given me options to add more pages and I've been wondering what pages to add. For the longest time, I had been thinking about putting up a page about the various planets in the comics. Then, I started wondering. What would you like to see on the website as an extra page or so?

Starbolts #285: Landfall

Hail!

Being sick sucks. I woke up Monday morning sounding like Don Corleone. Sufficed to say, I couldn't work on a video for this week as fall allergies had other plans. So, I opted to do a comic this week. As soon as I feel better, I'll be working on the next Comic Showcase. I've noticed a fair few of the spin offs are continuing once our heroes return to what passes for normal. In that case, I'll be looking at X-Men '92 and A-Force.  Both titles are continuing post Secret Wars and A-Force is really good. I haven't had the chance to check out X-Men '92. But, I'll see what I can do.

In comic news, it looks like Kyodon is about to make landfall. Its appearance gave Aquita a bit of a psychic headache. That can't be good. I am thinking of changing Kevin's powers a bit after this adventure. Psionic arrows are fun and all. But, he needs something more. Perhaps a psionic armor would work? Just some ideas I am tossing around.

Hope you all enjoy the comic! See you next time!

Starbolts #284: Kyodon Rises

 Hail!

Well, I think it's fair to say that Jaro Odan is a religious fanatic. Eh, there's a few in every culture that just loves to ruin everyone's fun. Nothing can be done about that. But, right now I think our fantastic four over here will stop him. I had a little bit of a squabble about the talking to Kyodon thing because Angela's still really unsure of her potential. She's powerful. But, she has the potential to be more and that really scares her. We'll see why when she finally does talk to Kyodon. =) Spoilers, I know. Do you see that audience, though? They're clapping for the wanton destruction of the surface world. They ain't all there!

We'll see what happens. Next time, though, I'll have a video out next week. A lot of the Secret Wars titles are winding down. But, Deadpool's Secret Wars is still going! I'll be reviewing that next and I promise there'll be a lot of chimichangas! =)

See you next time when I break the 4th wall into itty bitty pieces.

Starbolts #283: The Legend of Kyodon

Hail!

Sorry for the delay in posting. I was working on some Kyodon designs and I think what I ended up with was the best one. Before, I had this mix of Groudon/Kyogre from Pokemon. It worked okay but it looked a little TOO much like those two pokemon. So, I made a compromise. Giant fire breathing tortoise steals Trogdor's gimmick. Film at 11.

The backstory I came up with is interesting. This basically means M'anta, Aquita and Shrall can't fight this thing head-on. To do so would mean their certain death. So, it's up to those four in the cell to save the day. And of course they might be getting help from Jenna, Mateo and Jack. They are still on the planet.

The question is how is the four going to get out of this mess? They will. They will. It'll take some doing. As for me, I got the Trogdor theme stuck in my head. Kyodon is definitely burninating the peasants of that village. Problem is I don't think those roofs are thatched. Ah well.

And the Kyodon goes into the NIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!

 In other news, Comixology has a New Warriors sale going on. Check it out and you can read the first seventeen or so issues of the '90s New Warriors comic. You WON'T be disappointed. And speaking of comics, I am making my picks for review once the MU comes back from Secret Wars. Got some good stuff on my plate and chances are this will keep me busy.

Until next time!

Starbolts #282: What Lies Beneath

Hail!

Well, now we have a decent look at the sea creature Jaro's been hanging out with. I was inspired largely by two pokémon: Kyogre and Groudon when I designed the creature. I'll make far away sprites of it soon so we can get a better look at the thing's body and not just the head and hands. The hands, by the way wouldn't really be seen when you look at this thing dead on. I imagine they are to the side when it's swimming and it's shadowy. Think of it as being more aerodynamic that way.

It should be noted that Marcus isn't a scaredycat. I was thinking the monster is messing with his mind. But, eh, that's too Ch'thulu like for my tastes. He was just surprised. Surprised and then wanting to catch it in a pokeball.

Next time, we'll join the others at the dinner table and I am sure Marcus will ruin that dinner. Assuming he gets away from these Kyodon lovers over here. Spoilers: He does.

See ya next time!

Comic Showcase #36: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1

Starbolts #281: Under the Sea

Hail!

The seaweed is indeed always greener until someone summons a leviathan to destroy a city known for romance, culture and all that fun stuff. I have designed Oaysis City to be basically the Paris of Aquarius as I said in the comic. In my mind, the city is powered by volcanic vents deep beneath the ocean floor. The city also has a rich history I will probably go into at a later date. Let's just say that this city and Paris have a lot in common.

Our main baddie for this adventure draws inspiration from Namor of Atlantis, Doctor Doom and a bit of Mole Man from the Fantastic Four comics. I would add in other baddies, but, nah. I was also thinking of making him have a crush on Angela. But, eh, there's already one Aquan lusting after a Starbolt. I don't need another one.

That reminds me. I need to bring Robkas back somehow...

In other news, next week we will see a video from me. I'm not sure which Secret Wars tie-in I will review first. Most likely it'll be Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows. Come on. If you know me, you KNOW I will review a Spidey comic at the first chance I get. I'll probably try and do something interesting with the review, too. We'll see what happens as in my last video I faded into nothingness. How do I come back from that?

I think I'll use the old, tried and true trope and say "I just got better."

See you next time!

Starbolts #280: The Fantastic Voyage

Hail!

Today's comic starts a small storyline on Aquarius. Nothing too heavy. I was thinking this will be a Fantastic Four homage of sorts. I have four characters venturing into the unknown depths of a world very few outsiders have seen. Who knows what dangers await them at the bottom of Aquarius's vast, world-spanning ocean? Well, they'll more than likely find the nut responsible for this mess. That much is obvious.

Anyway, as a homage to the first family of comics, I have Kevin be the scientist, Marcus being the wiseass, Angela being the scientist's girlfriend and Garazo being the muscle. Speaking of Garazo, I kind of wonder how he'll do with all that water. We shall see.  Next week, I'll show the submarine the group is in. I didn't have time to draw one for this week. But, next time I will. Should be cool. I also kind of like the hovercar I made in the beginning of the comic.

After next week, I'll be working on a video. I'll be working on one about one of the various Secret Wars tie-ins. Not sure which one, yet. But, it should be good.

Until then, enjoy the comic and I'll see ya next time!

Starbolts #279: Learning to Love

 Hail!

Continuing from last week, Marcus tries to teach Gee-Nome a thing or two about affection. But, it seems like his friends have other plans.  I'll let you, the reader, figure out what Kevin and Angela are up to in the last few panels.  It's best to leave that ambiguous. What's not ambiguous is Mateo and Aquita dealing with their son. The things toddlers say should be on a website. Oh, wait it is! My sister in law found a website called Honest Toddler and they have a LOT of silly stuff on there. Kids say the craziest things!

Then there's M'anta and Jenna. Out of everyone in the group on Aquarius, it's those two who really needed this vacation. Jenna was put through the wringer. Manta was, too. It's nice to see the story progressing isn't it? I really want to give the 'Bolts some serious downtime. They'll go back home, eventually. When they do, they'll all be in a better frame of mind and that's good. Very good.

What hasn't been good is the new Fantastic Four movie. I haven't seen it. But, I outlined my thoughts here if you'd like to see it. Check it out: http://starboltproductions.tumblr.com/post/125885375664/turning-the-worlds-greatest-comic-magazine-into

That's it from me this week. I hope you enjoyed this week's funfest because more is coming soon!

See you then!

Starbolts #278: Keen Observations

Hail!

Well, uh...Gee-Nome has definitely led Marcus on a chase all day didn't she? They aren't going to become a couple or anything. No need for EVERYONE to get involved with someone. I figure Gee-Nome is from a planet where affection is an alien concept. I'll explore why that is when Marcus talks to her next week. Whooboy does he have a LOT to go over. I'll try to not make it sound like an afterschool special. That's something I really, really want to avoid.

I feel for the guy, I do. But, I have to admit the scene with Garazo was fun to write and running past Danar like that was just too funny to NOT do. Hahaha!

Oh and for the record, the jersey Marcus has on is a Boston Celtics jersey. I was going to have it be two zeroes after Robert Parish's number but only one zero fit. Ah well. Maybe I just needed to make the zeroes smaller.

Anyway, tune in next week for more hijinks on this crazy Aquan vacation. See ya next time!

Starbolts #277: Aquan Vacation

Hail!

Today brings good news for our heroes as King Shrall and Queen Tayalla are expecting a baby. That means M'anta and Aquita will be an uncle and aunt respectively. I figured this week I'd show some good news happening for the Starbolts since there hasn't been anything good in a while considering the base exploded, the Guardian was confiscated, and a whole lot more stuff happened. It's been tough so I decided to create an arc where it's just downtime. They need to rest for a bit. That isn't to say there won't be some adventuring to be had here on Aquarius. There will. It just won't be as crazy as the last one was.

I've got to say it sucks for Marcus as he meets the newest member of Xemplara, Gee-Nome. She's an alien from the farthest reaches of our galaxy and joined up rather recently. How she joined and who she is will be explored soon. She isn't some one off lady. I've had plans for her for a while. Her species are metamorphs that can change into anything and anyone.  That form there is her attack form. It's fast and has many sharp parts. I've created a few other forms. There's defense, speed and a few others. The possibilities are limitless when one creates a shapeshifter.

Next time we'll see more of Gee-Nome, the gang reacting to the news and maybe something else happening. Should be a vacation the Starbolts won't soon forget! See you next time!

Comic Showcase #35: Secret Wars #1 (2015)

Special thanks go out to my friends at http://www.rtgomer.com and Nash Bozard of http://www.radiodeadair.com.

Starbolts #276: Inquiring Minds

Hail!

This week's comic is a special jumping on point for new readers. I like to do these every one hundred comics or so. This is also a special one since I am going to be posting this on http://www.rtgomer.com shortly. Every Saturday, a new comic will appear there as well as videos. It took some time to get my comics there because I had a storyline to finish. I didn't want to jump head first into the comics and get people confused. That would have been bad.

Anyway, this week's comic also moves the story along a bit after the events of last issue. The panels themselves give clues as to who people are and hints as to their backstories and the like. For example, in the 28th panel, Manta is referring to his father. His father, Sirak was a great hero to his people. There are other nuggets of info, too. Have fun finding them!

I hope you all enjoyed this week's comic. I'll be back next time with a video! Take care!

Starbolts #275: By Dawn's Early Light

Hail!

Here it is! The two hundred and seventy-fifth comic! After this one, I am going to be creating a jumping on point for new readers and posting them on http://www.rtgomer.com . It should be fun as I already post videos there. Speaking of videos, I had a slight editing issue with the Secret Wars review. So, that is going to be delayed for a bit. Don't worry. I'll get it up when I can. It's more than halfway done and it should be ready soon. I promise!

As far as the comic goes, I made this a special double sized comic. The main issue of course has been resolved. But, there's still a long way to go before the government can trust the Starbolts. Next issue, expect a hearing of sorts that will cover the history of the Bolts. I am basically going to have H.P. Gladstone grill Jenna about everything that happened here.

Hope you enjoyed this week's comic! Have a great 4th of July!

Starbolts #274: The Dogs of War

Hail!

We are one issue away from Starbolts #275: By Dawn's  Early Light! This week, though, the dogs of war have been unleashed. The baddies have made their move. The teenage heroes have learned a valuable lesson. The stage is set. The players are ready. Now let's see if Earth's mightiest can dance.

Earlier this week, I asked Twitter for possible locations in DC that Skull can use to transmit the wave that will change humanity. After talking with my creative consultant, we figured the best place of course would be three places. Which three are they? You'll find out soon enough.

In other news, it looks like Apollo survived the explosion. There's no way a GOD can die from a blast like that. But, did the others live? Who can say? Apollo's looking mighty pissed off isn't he. Eh, he has a right to be.

Since this comic is done, next Saturday will have the premiere of a new episode of Comic Showcase. I'll be reviewing Secret Wars #1 and it'll be cameotastic. Why? You'll see. =)

See you then!

Starbolts #273: The Skull's Agenda

Hail!

It's tough being surrounded by crazy people isn't it? One person talks to rocks. Two people can't keep their paws off of each other and then there's Doctor Jansen. I got a little back story for him in here since his is a little interesting because he and his sister wanted powers like several other heroes. Jealousy does crazy things to people. That jealousy turned to hatred and determination to become what they are: A bat-like guy and a being composed of light energy.

Valentine and Punchline are also back. They were dragged back off panel by Cobra. Cobra, in my mind dragged them back kicking and screaming. They obviously don't like D.I.S.C.O.R.D. island. I don't think anyone really does. There's nothing there but bones, dirt and death. Not exactly a vacation spot is it?

Working on issue #274 for this weekend before I wrap up the storyline on the 4th of July. In between, I'll be reviewing Secret Wars #1. Should be a good review. Looking forward to talking about Marvel's reinvention. Time will tell if post Secret Wars Marvel will be good. I saw the previews on Free Comic Book Day and some stuff seems to be promising like the All-New, All Different Avengers. I'll most likely give that a read.

In the mean time, enjoy the comic and I'll be back here Saturday with issue #274!

Starbolts #272: The Power of Symbols

 Hail!

Today's comic centers around the star-spangled Starbolt, Lady Liberty!  She's got her suit back and is ready to take on the Skull. Sure she could have beaten him without the uniform. But, like Selena said, there's something to be said for symbols. And who doesn't like a blond person punching a Nazi over and over and over again? That kind of symbolism is amazing to me.

We also see Jenna's parents and a look inside Jenna's old room. Sadly the rest of her belongings went up in flames last week when the Embassy exploded. That's okay. She's going to take the fight directly to Jade Skull!

In other comic news, I have scripted #273 and that'll go up early next week with number #274 happening next Saturday. So, keep an eye out for that. #275 will go up on the Fourth of July and I promise it'll be well worth the wait. Stay tuned, true believers!

I'll also be working on a video for the end of June. So much to do. So much going on in this comic! Where do I find the time?

See ya in a few days with Starbolts #273: The Skull's Agenda!

Starbolts #271: The True Face of Evil

 Hail!

 Look at those explosions. Michael Bay would be proud. A lot has happened this week! The Starbolts have broken out of jail. Manta returned. The embassy AND Guardians' mansion were both destroyed. The 'Bolts weren't in the embassy. It remains to be seen if the Guardians survived this explosion. Some will. Some...probably not. Though, Omega is starting to Hulk out there. Maybe he can lift the rubble? Perhaps. I also thought about shooting Cobra. But, the guy's undead. It'd be a mere annoyance to him.

I still plan on having issue #275 premiere on the Fourth of July! So, that'll be fun. I'll probably have to do two comics in a week to do so. That, I know I can do. I'll have a video in there too. This summer, I'll be focusing on the current Secret Wars events and a few of the tie ins that came out of the event.

They should be a fun series of reviews and I really can't wait for the stuff that happens AFTER Secret Wars because that looks to be exciting. I am glad that it isn't a reboot as many people think. It looks to be an exciting time for Marvel and as the nuts in charge said, it's just the next chapter in the ongoing story of the Marvel Universe.

After seeing a few teasers that came out this week, I think I am ready to dive head first into those new titles coming out of the Secret Wars once the dust settles and it's back to business as usual for the Marvel Universe.

Until then, it's time to continue rocking my own comic universe. See ya next week!

Starbolts #270: The Great Escape

Hail!

The countdown to the special double-sized  two hundred and seventy-fifth issue is on! What will happen, then? Well, I plan on releasing it on the 4th of July. So, you can imagine what will go down. This also means I'll have to release two comics in a week. I think I can manage that. So, keep those peepers open! In the middle of all that, I'll have a comic review for you all to check out!

As far as this issue goes, it was fun making Neptune. I used a Nasa photograph as a guide. Out of all the outer planets, it was the easiest to make.  Jupiter would have been cool, too. But, I digress. Manta, Aquita and Ariel are heading back to Earth! The storyline will be ending soon and then I think I'll have a few fun comics and of course the annual jumping on point for new readers.

A lot is coming this summer! Should be a wild ride! See you all next time!

Comic Showcase #34: Quantum and Woody #1

Starbolts #269: Twisted Sense of Liberty

Hail! Poor guy gets thrown down a LONG hallway. Sucks to be him doesn't it? At least we finally find out what Gladstone's issue is. But, there are still a couple lingering questions here. What does this have to do with Sara? Is there a connection with Iron Eagle? It's getting close to the climax and I'm sure Jenna can piece everything together and save her friends. Still...why doesn't Sara have a file? This is most perplexing. Yes, I know the reason why. Telling you would be spoiling it. =D

In other news, I did a video with Kira Kennedy. You can see it here or at http://www.peanutbutterdisaster.com I suggest checking it out because I reviewed Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and it's basically my first movie review. I've been wanting to do movie reviews ever since I started helping Film Brain and I can tell you they put a lot of work into it. As for my own reviews, a new one will be arriving soon. Just have some technical issues to beat out before I can start editing. In the mean time, enjoy the comic! Thanks for reading and see you next time!

Hipster Ninja: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Starbolts #268: Titanic Explosion

 Hail!

Let me tell you a little story. There was a guy named Dennis who was in love with a lady named Sara. They were both Starbolts and they had a bit of unrequited love. Sara later died in Dennis's arms in the very early goings of this comic. Like years and years ago. It's in my backlog somewhere. Along comes this new Sara and Dennis has changed into this hulking behemoth. He'll get his brains back soon. He's just kind of out of it. Okay. He's VERY out of it. Still, Sara 2 here isn't making things easier is she? At least we don't have to worry about any other metahumans being transformed against their will.

Another thing to note is that Jenna's powers are now back! Yay! Plus it seems like Manta is not so "gone" as we think if he's been talking to Sara 2.0 and Ethan Knight. So, there's that.

Comic is up a lot later than usual as I saw Avengers: Age of Ultron yestrday and didn't have time to really work on the comic. The movie is good. Though, I do have a thing or two to say about it. I might make a vlog. I might not. We'll see.

I also finished up work on my crossover with Kira Kennedy. Look for that soon and a new Comic Showcase. Busy Cferra is indeed busy!

Take care!

Starbolts #267: Prisoners of Pain

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Hail!

Busy Chris is indeed busy this week. I did this comic, I scripted the next Comic Showcase with a friend of mine from the Comic Book Issues Facebook Group, I helped to script a crossover I'll be doing with Kira Kennedy from the Channel Awesome forums and I'm getting ready for the opening of Avengers: Age of Ultron. I can't wait to see that movie! My friends overseas say it is awesome. Will judge that for myself of course. But, chances are I will enjoy it, too.

As far as this week's comic goes, Dennis seems to be in a tough spot to say the least. Since the guy already generates a biomesh, it'll be interesting to see what he turns into. Meanwhile, do you think Jenna's powers are back? Certainly looks that way. We'll find out next time! Dennis on the other hand is going through a startling transformation. Wait and see what that brings, true believers!


See you next time!

Starbolts #266: Team on the Run

 Hail!

Wow! A lot has certainly gone on this week. Hopefully, everything has been tied together in a neat package. It's funny, though. The alien members of the team have been asked to leave. BUT! They don't really know about Carra, the daughter of Garazo do they? Gladstone just said the bird lady and the Aquans had to go. So, he doesn't know about Carra. It's just as well. She's safe at the sanctum for the moment. The question is...what are they gonna do? Well, we shall see.

I certainly had a good time writing this comic. I know it's a little longer than most. But, there was a lot I want done. The scene in the shuttlebay was originally shorter. I wanted more stuff done so I made the comic a little longer.

Enjoy the comic and I will see you next time!

Starbolts #265: Back at the Ranch

Hail!

Leave it to Crystal to have like +5000 charisma or something. I kind of feel bad having her flirt with Omega. But, then remember...she just wants to get away. Nothing more or nothing less. Nothing was going to happen. She wanted out of there so she had time to run off to Norad. Speaking of him, the team back at Agents Embassy are going to have their hands full aren't they? Good thing Knight showed up! We'll find out what he's up to next week. It's certainly fun to write Crystal as a southern belle. She really lays on the charm. I had to make sure she didn't lay it on TOO thick.

So now TK, Kaori and Dennis are captured. You don't know want to know what sinister plan Skull's got cooked up. It's not going to be pretty! Stay tuned and find out! See you then!

Starbolts #264: Arrested Development

Hail!

Two things to note this week. One: Those robots are silly looking for a reason. Not sure what, exactly. But, I am pretty sure that Jade Skull thought yellow paint on an android was a good idea. Add in a monitor with his face on it and you have yourself something really kinda stupid looking. Never said Jade Skull was sane now did I?

The other thing to note is that H. P. Gladstone is a grade a jerk. Seriously.  Let's hope that he shuts up when Jack and M'anta arrive back with proof. AND some robot parts. Can't have enough of those. God, those things are silly looking. They'll be in action next week. After that, I probably won't use them again. We'll see.

Hope you all enjoyed the Ms. Marvel video! Was fun making it. So much so that my video editing software broke on me afterward. It's okay. I am getting a new one and all will be right in the world. Will be working on a crossover with JT Haslach, the dude in the end of the video. AND I'll be in another crossover, soon. So, it looks like April is gonna be busy!

Anyway, enjoy the comic. I really hope that yellow isn't blinding anyone.

Comic Showcase #33: Ms. Marvel #1

Starbolts #263: From Bad to Worse

 Hail!

The Starbolts just can't catch a break this week can they? Who is this Gladstone guy? He couldn't have seen that news report already could he? I don't think so. Something else must be up. It could be the fact that there's a nice,  big spaceship in the middle of the park. Oh well. It's not like a superhero universe hasn't ever had that happen before.

In other news, work will begin on the Ms. Marvel #1 review and I'll have that up as soon as possible. Then that will mean the end of the retrospective. I have some other comics in mind for after that video. Most likely the aftermath of the new Secret Wars coming out. We shall see.  If anything, I'll offer my take on "Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows".

Until next time, true believers!

Starbolts #262: Made in America

 Hail!

Whew! What a week! It should be noted that people inside the restaurant I so cleverly called " The Upper Crust" and people across the street here have been watching this fight. When Iron Eagle snaps out of this, I don't think he can find a way to redeem himself. I wanted to show Iron Eagle being a villain in public. What better way to do that than in front off a swanky Manhattan restaurant? Note: The Upper Crust is really a pizza joint in my mind. =)

Anyway, the comic is longer than usual because I wanted to show Sentinel getting locked up, too instead of Jenna just leaving him knocked out.

What will happen next? Time will tell! Just what was Skull planning to do with that shield? From Manta's POV in the last panel, all he can see is Jenna about to be decapitated. This doesn't look good. Tune in next week for more action from this storyline. Gonna start winding it down some!

See ya next time!

Comic Showcase #32: Young Avengers #1

Starbolts #261: Waking Up Liberty

Hail!

Nice long comic this week, huh? I decided to make it a little longer because I wanted to show both Lady Liberties dispense some advice to Jenna. We have the first one telling Jenna something is up with her grandson, Iron Eagle. She'll be sure to remember that. We then have her mentor, the second Lady Liberty, trying to get her to wake up. She does and then rushes to the lab to get a sweet new armor. The armor, though, isn't going to be permanent. However, I'll probably incorporate some of its design in the regular suit. Like glider wings!

Here's hoping Jenna can turn the tide in the battle!

Next week, I'll have a video up. So, get ready and I will see you next time!

Starbolts #260: Accidentally in Love

 Hail!

This week's comic is a Valentine's Day comic without outright saying it is one because I wanted to try doing it that way. I think it works. I also wanted to show M'anta as he was when he and Jenna were starting to date. He was very awkward around her. He didn't grow into his own until later. He's much like Peter Parker. It's a sharp contrast to how he is in the beginning of this week's comic where he's barking orders and is trying to save Jenna while at the same time deal with that Adam kid.

At the end, we have the first Lady Liberty greeting Jenna. What does she want? We'll find out next week. There may be some trouble brewing before she wakes up. Remember, the Guardians are still posed to attack.  So, things are looking serious for our heroes.

In other news, Sony and Marvel made a deal about Spidey being in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! I am so excited for that you have no idea. I can't wait to see what happens. He'll have a cameo and his own movie. So, that will be fun.

Here's hoping both are a success! See you next time!

Starbolts #259: Burning Out the Torch

Hail!

A lot of stuff happened this week! We find out why the Guardians have been jerks. I was hesitant to use the tried and true mind control trope. But, here it works. There was no other way around making these formally noble supers suddenly become jerks unless they just snapped and became evil for no reason at all. So, in that case I had to use mind control for better or worse. I'm slowly revealing the real names of the Guardians. Sentinel is Terry Starling. Iron Eagle is Roger Stevens. I think you see where I am going with this. If not, I am so sorry. =) The puns were too good to pass up.

In other news, Jenna seems to be back to normal. Or is she? Dunh Dunh Dunnn! Hmm. That sound effect doesn't work well in text form does it? Her costume is in tasteful tatters as my friend, Mark put it. Not much of it left is there?

Back to the Guardians for a moment. They are going to be on the move! But, next week is Valentine's Day! What's going to happen? Find out soon enough!

See you then!

Comic Showcase #31: X-Men #1 (1991)

Starbolts #258: Fighting Fire with Fire

Hail!

Well, obviously I have a comic up this week. Next week, though, I will take you back to the '90s with X-Men #1. I scripted the review last week. I scanned the pages and I'm ready to dance in front of the camera! Yeah, that doesn't sound right. But, it works doesn't it? I've also heard about the Secret Wars Marvel "reboot".

I don't really see it as a reboot. Time will tell. I remain on the fence about it and have already picked out the comics I'll talk about once the retrospective is over. I really like doing these looks at good comics of the past. Some people think comics in the '90s weren't that good and while some DID suck, some were actually pretty good.

Anyway, back to the comic. Adam is a bit of a jerk. Then again, he is a teenager who has heard all kinds of bad stuff about the Starbolts. Like some teens, he takes what people his age say as gospel. SO! This is...uh...gonna be the shortest fight of all time. I also wonder how much longer Jenna is gonna stay stuck in human torch mode. Not much longer, I hope! Hehe. Not going to spoil it, either!

Until next time!

Starbolts #257: YOU COPYCAT!

 Hail!

A lot is happening this week. Adam is a metahuman on a serious power-trip. He's like someone getting their first hint of power. I just hope that the old adage "Absolute power corrupts" does not apply to this kid down the road. He's just a wee bit misguided. Yeah. Let's go with that one, shall we? We shall.

Then there's Sara. She's not a clone. Not an android. What else could she be? She's a riddle wrapped in an enigma!

Plans are going well for the X-Men #1 video. Trying to decide if I want to do it next week or for the week after. I guess next Saturday'll be a surprise then! I think it'll be a comic. We'll see. It depends on how I want to do the opening bit for the '90s part of the retrospective.

See ya next time!

Starbolts #256: Crafting the Ultimate Metahuman

 Hail!

I honestly don't know who I want to smack more in this comic. Do I smack "Iron Eagle" for being a Nazi crazy person? Do I smack Adam for being a self-absorbed teenager? So many choices this week. I don't know where to start. I did have a good time writing this week's comic as I usually do. I wanted to focus on the baddies since I was pretty sure I didn't focus on the Nazi here. Man, when the real Iron Eagle comes back...and you know he will...I don't think he can bounce back from having a Nazi brain inside his body. How do you come back from that?

Adam's new powers will be explained in the next comic as he goes toe to toe with the Starbolts. It will be interesting. His powers will definitely make him the ultimate metahuman! So, stay tuned and see what he can do.

In other news, I am planning my X-Men #1 review. Should be fun.  Look for that later this month! See you all next time!

Oh and I have added a link to RT Gomer Productions on the side as I am a member of that site. Check them out. They have good stuff!

Starbolts #255: Derailing Subplot Ahoy!

Hail!

Here we are at the first comic of 2015! I thought it'd be best to recap where I left off with the story originally so people can catch up. Now we have a lot of things going on. Let's recap:

1. Jenna and her power situation.
2. Sara back from the dead somehow.
3. Adam, the reluctant metahuman.

It's a lot to take in. I'll try not to make it a clustered mess of a storyline. Needless to say these three things are actually all connected. Wait and see how. Just wait and see.

As for the rest of the year, I can promise more action, adventure and whatever else from the Starbolts! Plus more videos. I am also looking to move from blogspot to wordpress. Gonna be tricky. But, it will be worth it in the long run.

Until next time!