Danny Baram's Blog
March 16, 2025
Joining a Team - HALLOWEEN TEAM returns!
Last year, I was in a strange in-between place with HALLOWEEN TEAM. Along with our extraordinary artist, Matt Shults, I had accomplished the goal of digitally self-publishing the complete four-issue series, and then ultimately putting it out as a collected edition. In many ways, it was thrilling. I had - finally! - written a comic book, and it was out there for people to read. All in all, pretty cool.
However, I knew that I didn't want things to stop there. From a personal perspective, I didn't want this to be a one-and-done foray into the world of comic books - a world that I've long been extremely passionate about. I wanted the opportunity to write more, to contribute more, to make a real go of it. From a story perspective, I wanted to find a financially feasible way to make more Halloween Team, and to continue the story I'd started in our initial series. So I knew I needed to keep plugging away, to keep looking for a way to make that happen.
As I mulled that problem over, I scoured social media for any and all opportunities to do more comic book writing. I would often scan a Comic Book Anthology page on Facebook, as anthologies seemed like a great way to get new writing gigs. Eventually, I found one that sounded really cool, called It's A Horror Show: The Found Footage Anthology. I replied to their Facebook post seeking stories, asking if they could connect me, a writer, with an artist. Very quickly, an artist named Lorry Jamison replied, saying they'd love to collaborate. I wrote up a script, Lorry provided some truly incredible artwork, and we were off to the races. As we emailed back and forth about the project, Lorry mentioned working with an indie comics publisher called Comicker. Perhaps, Lorry suggested, I should contact them about potentially publishing Halloween Team. And so I did. And they were, indeed, interested. And suddenly, Halloween Team had a new home.
Here's where things really got interesting. Because aside from the excitement of finding this great indie publisher that was interested in my work, the other cool thing that happened was, for the first time in my life as a writer, I found myself part of a team. And when I say that, that's not to discount the rewarding collaborations I've had with artists like Lorry or Matt Shults working on comics, nor the amazingly supportive screenwriting community I've found here in LA and via social media. But when it comes to the day-to-day of writing, to the nuts and bolts of getting my work out there, I've pretty much been a solo act so far.
Now though, it's been a lot of fun to find myself as part of the team at Comicker. There are a number of super-talented writers and artists and creatives working on projects there, and everyone brings vastly different styles and aesthetics to the table. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very much in "hustle" mode when it comes to working to get Halloween Team out there to a bigger audience. At the same time though, there's something motivating and reassuring when you're part of a team - where everyone is working to help lift each other up. Oddly, it sort of reminds me of one of the central themes of HALLOWEEN TEAM.
There is a weird thing for writers, where because our writing is done mostly in isolation ... it's easy to feel like an outsider. It's easy to have Imposter Syndrome. It's easy to think "well, I've written a comic book ... but am I really a *comic book writer*-?!" Every time you meet someone who seems to have things just a little more figured out than you do, who seems to have their flag just a bit more firmly planted as a writer - it makes you wonder. I'm sure artists experience something similar. I'm sure this is true for just about anyone involved in creative work.
But at some point, I think you have to put that doubt aside and just be confident in your work. You have to have confidence in your voice as a writer. You have to be realistic and pragmatic about how best to push forward, but at some point you also have to have the ability to appreciate how far you've come.
All of this to say: I'm feeling very appreciative that HALLOWEEN TEAM has now been re-released, in a new graphic novel edition, from Comicker Press. I'm excited that I'm currently working on new Halloween Team scripts that I hope will soon become new Halloween Team comics. I'm happy to be part of this new team, and I hope you will join me in that excitement and sample some of the great books from Comicker. Lorry's got some new books from Comicker, for example, that have just released as well: Party Animals and Blush. Make sure to check those out, asap! And if you've not yet read Halloween Team, then hey, now's the perfect time.
HALLOWEEN TEAM Vol. 1 - from Comicker Press - is now available to get from Amazon/Kindle/Comixology, GlobalComix, Comix.One, and the Comicker website (and they've got T-shirts and pins there, too!).
However, I knew that I didn't want things to stop there. From a personal perspective, I didn't want this to be a one-and-done foray into the world of comic books - a world that I've long been extremely passionate about. I wanted the opportunity to write more, to contribute more, to make a real go of it. From a story perspective, I wanted to find a financially feasible way to make more Halloween Team, and to continue the story I'd started in our initial series. So I knew I needed to keep plugging away, to keep looking for a way to make that happen.
As I mulled that problem over, I scoured social media for any and all opportunities to do more comic book writing. I would often scan a Comic Book Anthology page on Facebook, as anthologies seemed like a great way to get new writing gigs. Eventually, I found one that sounded really cool, called It's A Horror Show: The Found Footage Anthology. I replied to their Facebook post seeking stories, asking if they could connect me, a writer, with an artist. Very quickly, an artist named Lorry Jamison replied, saying they'd love to collaborate. I wrote up a script, Lorry provided some truly incredible artwork, and we were off to the races. As we emailed back and forth about the project, Lorry mentioned working with an indie comics publisher called Comicker. Perhaps, Lorry suggested, I should contact them about potentially publishing Halloween Team. And so I did. And they were, indeed, interested. And suddenly, Halloween Team had a new home.
Here's where things really got interesting. Because aside from the excitement of finding this great indie publisher that was interested in my work, the other cool thing that happened was, for the first time in my life as a writer, I found myself part of a team. And when I say that, that's not to discount the rewarding collaborations I've had with artists like Lorry or Matt Shults working on comics, nor the amazingly supportive screenwriting community I've found here in LA and via social media. But when it comes to the day-to-day of writing, to the nuts and bolts of getting my work out there, I've pretty much been a solo act so far.
Now though, it's been a lot of fun to find myself as part of the team at Comicker. There are a number of super-talented writers and artists and creatives working on projects there, and everyone brings vastly different styles and aesthetics to the table. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very much in "hustle" mode when it comes to working to get Halloween Team out there to a bigger audience. At the same time though, there's something motivating and reassuring when you're part of a team - where everyone is working to help lift each other up. Oddly, it sort of reminds me of one of the central themes of HALLOWEEN TEAM.
There is a weird thing for writers, where because our writing is done mostly in isolation ... it's easy to feel like an outsider. It's easy to have Imposter Syndrome. It's easy to think "well, I've written a comic book ... but am I really a *comic book writer*-?!" Every time you meet someone who seems to have things just a little more figured out than you do, who seems to have their flag just a bit more firmly planted as a writer - it makes you wonder. I'm sure artists experience something similar. I'm sure this is true for just about anyone involved in creative work.
But at some point, I think you have to put that doubt aside and just be confident in your work. You have to have confidence in your voice as a writer. You have to be realistic and pragmatic about how best to push forward, but at some point you also have to have the ability to appreciate how far you've come.
All of this to say: I'm feeling very appreciative that HALLOWEEN TEAM has now been re-released, in a new graphic novel edition, from Comicker Press. I'm excited that I'm currently working on new Halloween Team scripts that I hope will soon become new Halloween Team comics. I'm happy to be part of this new team, and I hope you will join me in that excitement and sample some of the great books from Comicker. Lorry's got some new books from Comicker, for example, that have just released as well: Party Animals and Blush. Make sure to check those out, asap! And if you've not yet read Halloween Team, then hey, now's the perfect time.
HALLOWEEN TEAM Vol. 1 - from Comicker Press - is now available to get from Amazon/Kindle/Comixology, GlobalComix, Comix.One, and the Comicker website (and they've got T-shirts and pins there, too!).
October 31, 2023
Halloween Musings: All Good Things ...
I was scrolling through Reddit recently, and came across a post from a woman describing a kind of sadness she feels every year on Halloween. Because she loves Halloween, and after all the weeks of build-up and anticipation and Spooky Season revelry, the big day itself actually represents the end of her favorite time of year. When November 1st rolls around, all of a sudden, Halloween is over - and it's back to the rote, the mundane, the routine of everyday life.
I can relate. As someone who loves horror and all things spooky, the entire month of October feels like a magical time when everyone joins in on the celebration - a celebration that, at many times in my life, has felt like a somewhat solitary journey. By the time October 31st rolls around, you can almost feel something in the air start to change. Most people - us Spooky Season aficionados aside - are ready to move on. It's why I have a poster hanging in my office that says "Live Every Day Like It's Halloween." To remind me that just because others have moved on, the spooky spirit of fun and imagination and endless possibilities that Halloween embodies doesn't have to end come November 1st.
And yet ... this Halloween marks another kind of end. Last October, we released Issue #1 of HALLOWEEN TEAM, following months of planning, prep, and tons of hard work by our incredible artist, Matt Shults. We released the fourth and final issue this past summer - but all along, the plan was to build towards this October, this Halloween, as our crowning moment, our big finale. We released HALLOWEEN TEAM: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION at the beginning of October - a new digital volume that collects the entire Halloween Team miniseries into one definitive graphic novel edition. And all month, I've been doing everything I can to promote The Complete Collection's release: endless social posts across numerous platforms, countless emails to news publications, podcasts, publishers, and more. Since the beginning of this process, there's been a lot of rejection. We heard "no, thank you" (sometimes sans the "thank you") over and over again. But I kept pushing forward, doing everything I could to get the word out about Halloween Team. I was determined that, somehow, I'd manage to get our self-published indie comic book the attention it needed to be a breakout hit and a calling card for Matt Shults and I. Both of us would love to do more work in comics, and I felt like, with this book, we had a really cool, high-quality story that could get our names out there. So yes, there was a lot of rejection - but if working in the entertainment industry for years has taught me anything, it's that you've got to roll with the punches and just keep plugging away. And plug away I did - all the way through today. All the way through Halloween.
Tomorrow is November 1st. Tomorrow, a book called Halloween Team may not feel as relevant. And that is a little sad to think about. There is a part of me that wants to keep going full-steam in doing everything I can to get this book exposure. But I also know that I need a break - and I need to move on, to an extent, to other things. At the same time, HALLOWEEN TEAM is now a part of me. It's something I'll always feel a pull to come back to, to share, to show off, to revisit. There are so many more Halloween Team stories to tell, and I still want to find a way to make that happen. By this time next year, I hope that somehow, some way, there's new Halloween Team news to share. But today, try as I might to deny it, also marks the end of a chapter. Our initial push to launch Halloween Team is over. Another chapter now begins.
Tomorrow, many of us will feel that hint of sadness. Is it really a whole year until next Halloween? But we will find those moments each month, each week, each day to get excited about. And we'll always carry with us that bit of Halloween magic - even if it's February, or April, or July.
Halloween is forever - and so, I hope, is HALLOWEEN TEAM.
I can relate. As someone who loves horror and all things spooky, the entire month of October feels like a magical time when everyone joins in on the celebration - a celebration that, at many times in my life, has felt like a somewhat solitary journey. By the time October 31st rolls around, you can almost feel something in the air start to change. Most people - us Spooky Season aficionados aside - are ready to move on. It's why I have a poster hanging in my office that says "Live Every Day Like It's Halloween." To remind me that just because others have moved on, the spooky spirit of fun and imagination and endless possibilities that Halloween embodies doesn't have to end come November 1st.
And yet ... this Halloween marks another kind of end. Last October, we released Issue #1 of HALLOWEEN TEAM, following months of planning, prep, and tons of hard work by our incredible artist, Matt Shults. We released the fourth and final issue this past summer - but all along, the plan was to build towards this October, this Halloween, as our crowning moment, our big finale. We released HALLOWEEN TEAM: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION at the beginning of October - a new digital volume that collects the entire Halloween Team miniseries into one definitive graphic novel edition. And all month, I've been doing everything I can to promote The Complete Collection's release: endless social posts across numerous platforms, countless emails to news publications, podcasts, publishers, and more. Since the beginning of this process, there's been a lot of rejection. We heard "no, thank you" (sometimes sans the "thank you") over and over again. But I kept pushing forward, doing everything I could to get the word out about Halloween Team. I was determined that, somehow, I'd manage to get our self-published indie comic book the attention it needed to be a breakout hit and a calling card for Matt Shults and I. Both of us would love to do more work in comics, and I felt like, with this book, we had a really cool, high-quality story that could get our names out there. So yes, there was a lot of rejection - but if working in the entertainment industry for years has taught me anything, it's that you've got to roll with the punches and just keep plugging away. And plug away I did - all the way through today. All the way through Halloween.
Tomorrow is November 1st. Tomorrow, a book called Halloween Team may not feel as relevant. And that is a little sad to think about. There is a part of me that wants to keep going full-steam in doing everything I can to get this book exposure. But I also know that I need a break - and I need to move on, to an extent, to other things. At the same time, HALLOWEEN TEAM is now a part of me. It's something I'll always feel a pull to come back to, to share, to show off, to revisit. There are so many more Halloween Team stories to tell, and I still want to find a way to make that happen. By this time next year, I hope that somehow, some way, there's new Halloween Team news to share. But today, try as I might to deny it, also marks the end of a chapter. Our initial push to launch Halloween Team is over. Another chapter now begins.
Tomorrow, many of us will feel that hint of sadness. Is it really a whole year until next Halloween? But we will find those moments each month, each week, each day to get excited about. And we'll always carry with us that bit of Halloween magic - even if it's February, or April, or July.
Halloween is forever - and so, I hope, is HALLOWEEN TEAM.
March 1, 2023
Taking the Leap Into the World of Indie Comic Books
Comic book readers tend to be creatures of habit.
We all have those comics and characters who grabbed us at a young age, and who have, oftentimes, remained a source of comfort for us as adults. Personally, I was a DC Comics kid growing up. I got into comics in the early 90's, enthralled by DC's one-two punch of The Death of Superman and Batman: Knightfall. Since I had limited spending money and few comic shops nearby, I was very laser-focused in those early days of comic collecting: I wanted the latest Superman and Batman comics, and couldn't be bothered with much else. Somehow ... at least for a little while ... I was able to ignore whatever else was out there.
But then, very quickly, it happened - as a gift, I received one of those mega-sized comic packs that they used to sell in wholesale discount stores like BJ's. The pack contained *every* DC comic book published in a given month. There was Superman and Batman, but also Green Lantern, and The Legion of Superheroes, and Aquaman, and more. I eagerly read each and every included comic book - some hooked me, others less so. The one that stood out to me the most was The Flash, written by Mark Waid. After sampling it, I was all in - and suddenly, even if ever so slightly, my horizons had been expanded.
Soon enough, I realized that with superhero comics you inevitably get big, line-wide crossover events accompanied by huge hype and endless fan speculation. The first such "event" for me was DC's Zero Hour. I remember printing a giant guide to the event off of a DC Comics message board. It listed all the major characters you needed to know, all the relevant backstory, etc. Suffice it to say, I *studied* that document like I was cramming for a major test. Longtime comic fans often groan when confronted with crossovers that necessitate buying multiple books ... but hey, the tactic worked on young me. Zero Hour had me sampling all sorts of titles from DC that I wouldn't have been interested in otherwise.
Then, as I got into my pre-teen years, my comic book reading tastes began to expand a lot further. I bought myself a copy of the Watchmen trade paperback, and, as I'm guessing has happened to multiple generations of 13-year-olds since the 80's ... my mind was completely blown. I didn't realize that comics could be so sophisticated, so adult. I soon sought out other works by Watchmen's iconic writer, Alan Moore. Then, throughout high school and college, my tastes broadened even further. I read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, Garth Ennis' Preacher, Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man - lots of non-superhero stuff, lots of bold and boundary-pushing original stories. During this time, bookstores began to carry a much wider selection of graphic novels - making it much easier to bone up on the classics. Plus, I went from living in a small town to going to school in Boston - where I was a regular at places like Newbury Comics and Comicopia. Suddenly, I had easy access to well-stocked stores full of comics and graphic novels. These stores fed my rapidly-expanding curiosity to discover new original comics, and to catch up on greats that I'd missed.
There remained (and remains to this day!) that nostalgic, comfort-food quality to checking in every month to see what old-favorite characters were up to. But as I got older, my comic reading became more creator-driven. I began following favorite writers like Jeff Lemire and Ed Brubaker across projects ranging from superhero epics to slice-of-life indie books. But I'll admit, I still usually stuck to comics from familiar publishers: DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, IDW, etc. Seeing a familiar company logo on the front of a book felt like a quality seal of approval - a reassurance that a given book was the real deal.
And even now, having written and self-published an "indie" comic, I get that it can be a bit of a tough sell - even to regular comic readers. After all, most of us already buy way too many weekly comics - are we really going to randomly add something completely new and different to our weekly haul? Something without characters we already know, and by a creative team we're not already familiar with?! And not even from one of our trusted, go-to publishers? Sounds like a risk. Best to stick to what you know ... right?
I know. I get it. Especially within a medium that many of us use as a source of comfort food or nostalgia, promoting an indie book can feel like a major uphill battle. But I also think that we, as comic fans, should embrace one of the best things about the medium: that comics are, arguably, the BEST incubator for original ideas and new creative voices in all of entertainment.
I mean, think of some of the incredible, original stories that have come from comics: Preacher, Y: The Last Man, Locke & Key, Sweet Tooth, 100 Bullets, The Walking Dead, Criminal, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Department of Truth, Saga ... to name just a few.
Now, I realize ... all of the above came from major publishers. And historically, as a reader, that is where I've gravitated to to find my new favorite books. But lately, as both a comics reader and writer, it's clear to me that - especially now - these big publishers increasingly tend to rely on the same old (and very limited) pool of talent. Each month we get multiple books from the same couple of "big name" writers, with fresh, new names few and far between. DC and Marvel - much as I love 'em - let's face it: the majority of their books in a given month are from the same, extremely small group of creators. So while it may be tempting to write off "indie" books as unworthy of your time and hard-earned cash, the fact is: in today's market, that's where a lot of the absolute best, coolest, most original comic book content is coming from.
I've said this before, but I don't even really think of my comic, HALLOWEEN TEAM, as "indie" in most respects. It's a big, fun, wide-appeal kind of book. We just so happen to be self-publishing it. But it was created for a mass audience, and I sincerely hope that its target audience finds the book.
All that to say: I hope you'll check out HALLOWEEN TEAM. Issue #3 finally released this week (get your digital copy now!) - and it's an extra-sized issue full of big revelations about our characters ... not to mention a few game-changing twists. Plus, it paves the way for an epic finale to our miniseries in the upcoming Issue #4.
So many of us comic readers have gone through a similar evolution to the one I speak about above. We go from following our favorite superheroes as kids to following our favorite writers or artists as adults. From sticking with comfort-food favorites to expanding our horizons beyond the Big Two's standard superhero fare. But going a step further? Diving into the world of indie comics? That doesn't happen quite as often. But now - especially with the ease of digital comics buying, and all of the amazing indie work being put out there? - it's the perfect time to give the indie comics space some serious attention.
So yeah, it was definitely a bit scary and intimidating for me to take that big leap into the unknown, and release HALLOWEEN TEAM into the world as a self-published indie comic (along with our great artist, Matt Shults!). But I'm excited that we did it, and I hope that you, the readers, will take that leap with me.
We all have those comics and characters who grabbed us at a young age, and who have, oftentimes, remained a source of comfort for us as adults. Personally, I was a DC Comics kid growing up. I got into comics in the early 90's, enthralled by DC's one-two punch of The Death of Superman and Batman: Knightfall. Since I had limited spending money and few comic shops nearby, I was very laser-focused in those early days of comic collecting: I wanted the latest Superman and Batman comics, and couldn't be bothered with much else. Somehow ... at least for a little while ... I was able to ignore whatever else was out there.
But then, very quickly, it happened - as a gift, I received one of those mega-sized comic packs that they used to sell in wholesale discount stores like BJ's. The pack contained *every* DC comic book published in a given month. There was Superman and Batman, but also Green Lantern, and The Legion of Superheroes, and Aquaman, and more. I eagerly read each and every included comic book - some hooked me, others less so. The one that stood out to me the most was The Flash, written by Mark Waid. After sampling it, I was all in - and suddenly, even if ever so slightly, my horizons had been expanded.
Soon enough, I realized that with superhero comics you inevitably get big, line-wide crossover events accompanied by huge hype and endless fan speculation. The first such "event" for me was DC's Zero Hour. I remember printing a giant guide to the event off of a DC Comics message board. It listed all the major characters you needed to know, all the relevant backstory, etc. Suffice it to say, I *studied* that document like I was cramming for a major test. Longtime comic fans often groan when confronted with crossovers that necessitate buying multiple books ... but hey, the tactic worked on young me. Zero Hour had me sampling all sorts of titles from DC that I wouldn't have been interested in otherwise.
Then, as I got into my pre-teen years, my comic book reading tastes began to expand a lot further. I bought myself a copy of the Watchmen trade paperback, and, as I'm guessing has happened to multiple generations of 13-year-olds since the 80's ... my mind was completely blown. I didn't realize that comics could be so sophisticated, so adult. I soon sought out other works by Watchmen's iconic writer, Alan Moore. Then, throughout high school and college, my tastes broadened even further. I read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, Garth Ennis' Preacher, Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man - lots of non-superhero stuff, lots of bold and boundary-pushing original stories. During this time, bookstores began to carry a much wider selection of graphic novels - making it much easier to bone up on the classics. Plus, I went from living in a small town to going to school in Boston - where I was a regular at places like Newbury Comics and Comicopia. Suddenly, I had easy access to well-stocked stores full of comics and graphic novels. These stores fed my rapidly-expanding curiosity to discover new original comics, and to catch up on greats that I'd missed.
There remained (and remains to this day!) that nostalgic, comfort-food quality to checking in every month to see what old-favorite characters were up to. But as I got older, my comic reading became more creator-driven. I began following favorite writers like Jeff Lemire and Ed Brubaker across projects ranging from superhero epics to slice-of-life indie books. But I'll admit, I still usually stuck to comics from familiar publishers: DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, IDW, etc. Seeing a familiar company logo on the front of a book felt like a quality seal of approval - a reassurance that a given book was the real deal.
And even now, having written and self-published an "indie" comic, I get that it can be a bit of a tough sell - even to regular comic readers. After all, most of us already buy way too many weekly comics - are we really going to randomly add something completely new and different to our weekly haul? Something without characters we already know, and by a creative team we're not already familiar with?! And not even from one of our trusted, go-to publishers? Sounds like a risk. Best to stick to what you know ... right?
I know. I get it. Especially within a medium that many of us use as a source of comfort food or nostalgia, promoting an indie book can feel like a major uphill battle. But I also think that we, as comic fans, should embrace one of the best things about the medium: that comics are, arguably, the BEST incubator for original ideas and new creative voices in all of entertainment.
I mean, think of some of the incredible, original stories that have come from comics: Preacher, Y: The Last Man, Locke & Key, Sweet Tooth, 100 Bullets, The Walking Dead, Criminal, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Department of Truth, Saga ... to name just a few.
Now, I realize ... all of the above came from major publishers. And historically, as a reader, that is where I've gravitated to to find my new favorite books. But lately, as both a comics reader and writer, it's clear to me that - especially now - these big publishers increasingly tend to rely on the same old (and very limited) pool of talent. Each month we get multiple books from the same couple of "big name" writers, with fresh, new names few and far between. DC and Marvel - much as I love 'em - let's face it: the majority of their books in a given month are from the same, extremely small group of creators. So while it may be tempting to write off "indie" books as unworthy of your time and hard-earned cash, the fact is: in today's market, that's where a lot of the absolute best, coolest, most original comic book content is coming from.
I've said this before, but I don't even really think of my comic, HALLOWEEN TEAM, as "indie" in most respects. It's a big, fun, wide-appeal kind of book. We just so happen to be self-publishing it. But it was created for a mass audience, and I sincerely hope that its target audience finds the book.
All that to say: I hope you'll check out HALLOWEEN TEAM. Issue #3 finally released this week (get your digital copy now!) - and it's an extra-sized issue full of big revelations about our characters ... not to mention a few game-changing twists. Plus, it paves the way for an epic finale to our miniseries in the upcoming Issue #4.
So many of us comic readers have gone through a similar evolution to the one I speak about above. We go from following our favorite superheroes as kids to following our favorite writers or artists as adults. From sticking with comfort-food favorites to expanding our horizons beyond the Big Two's standard superhero fare. But going a step further? Diving into the world of indie comics? That doesn't happen quite as often. But now - especially with the ease of digital comics buying, and all of the amazing indie work being put out there? - it's the perfect time to give the indie comics space some serious attention.
So yeah, it was definitely a bit scary and intimidating for me to take that big leap into the unknown, and release HALLOWEEN TEAM into the world as a self-published indie comic (along with our great artist, Matt Shults!). But I'm excited that we did it, and I hope that you, the readers, will take that leap with me.
October 28, 2022
A Scary October
This October has, in many ways, been extremely exciting. First and foremost, it saw the launch of HALLOWEEN TEAM's first two issues - something I've been anticipating for a long, long time. It's been such a rush to get those first two issues of the comic book out there for people to read - and just in time for Halloween to boot.
But this month has also been difficult in a lot of ways. After finally (unfortunately) getting COVID at the end of May, I realized in July that I was suffering from some seriously scary and at-times debilitating Long COVID issues. It started with a few nerve-racking "attacks" of lightheadedness and vertigo that left me stuck in bed for multiple days. In between attacks, I'd start to feel a little better and more functional - but I was still dealing with persistent issues of dizziness and lightheadedness that seemed to be triggered by certain situations. Being in any sort of group setting was difficult. Sitting on certain kinds of surfaces made my head twinge. Being on video calls - or in any situation where my eyes and ears were darting back and forth between different things - was challenging. Talking for a long time uninterrupted made me feel faint. I stopped driving longer distances and relied on rides from others. I continued to work from home, even as my colleagues returned to the office on a more full-time basis. I started seeing an endless series of doctors and specialists. Various symptoms came and went - though the biggest new one from the Fall was elevated blood pressure, and with it, a heightened feeling of anxiety. Certain meds seemed to help mask the symptoms, but even then ... there were good days and bad days, and the lightheadedness and vertigo issues never completely went away.
After a more mild September, my symptoms really began flaring up again in mid-October. On the day the second issue of Halloween Team released - 10/25 - I had my first "attack" in quite some time, while in the waiting room of my ENT doctor. The next day, I was excited for the opportunity to participate in a podcast to help promote the comic - but while on the (live-streamed!) show, I began to experience lightheadedness attacks and thought I might be about to have the awkward and embarrassing experience of passing out on a live show. Luckily, that didn't quite happen - and the interview ultimately came out pretty good - but still, a bit of a harrowing thing to go through. It was frustrating, because I wanted to be at my best ... but instead felt like I couldn't quite put my best foot forward.
I know that so many have been going through similar challenges these last few years. Not only are many suffering from the effects of Long COVID, but the continued dangers of the pandemic have made many - in particular the immunocompromised - reluctant or unable to participate in everyday life as normal. For a writer like me, the combination of COVID risk and my ongoing Long COVID issues mean no conventions, no networking functions, no mixers, and no attending other events that might help me to promote my new comic. I know for many of us writers, the general stress from - waves arms - *all of this* can make it difficult to be creative, to get writing done, and to put the time and energy into promoting and marketing our content. It took me a long time to find the creative energy to write again after the events of 2020. Now, my bigger concern has been finding the ability to perform the physical act of writing. I tend to be a pretty "intense" writer - really getting into a zone when I'm writing and not stopping for a lot of breaks. I've had to really reconsider how to get writing done with these new (but hopefully temporary!) Long COVID limitations. And as I mentioned above, while part of me wants to do anything and everything I can to promote the new comic ... I've got to be careful to pace myself until I'm feeling better.
Still, it feels especially gratifying to come out with a comic book during this particular moment in time. Since the start of the pandemic, my weekly digital "stack" of new comics has taken on a particularly special meaning. No matter how rough my week was or how crazy the world seemed to get, the ritual of reading my newly-purchased comic books each week provided something to look forward to, something to put a smile on my face, and a means of escapism and joy that, often, really calmed me and lifted my spirit during tough times. I hope that Halloween Team can bring some joy to at least a few readers in that same way.
Over the next few months, I'll be focused on continued recovery and good health. But it's funny - I feel like those of us who are fans of books, comics, TV, movies, videogames, etc. - we all live in two worlds. We have these amazing, vivid fictional worlds that we can escape to whenever we choose. We have the ability to somehow forget about our problems and, for a time, live vicariously through our favorite fictional characters. We have one foot in the real world, sure - but there's a part of us that is always dreaming.
So here's to the power of stories and storytelling. Whether you're a writer or reader or both, great stories can get us through even the toughest of times. Maybe that's a small part of why I love horror and Halloween - because they take our fears and, in a strange way, make them fun and exciting and somehow ... more manageable? Horror allows us to take what scares us and position these fears as mere challenges that, if we're brave enough and tenacious enough ... we can overcome.
In HALLOWEEN TEAM, our gateway character Tommy Taylor relishes a good mystery. He can't quite crack the meta-mystery of what to do with his life as an aimless thirty-something - but give him a monster, mad-scientist, or evil cult - and he won't stop until he learns the truth, saves the day, and solves the case. I sometimes feel the same way. Life, especially these days, can at times feel overwhelming and out of control. But maybe if we just approach it case by case, mystery by mystery ... maybe we can, somehow, figure it all out. And when the going gets really rough, when our lives seem to be spiraling ... we always have stories to turn to.
So ... onwards and upwards, and Happy Halloween!
But this month has also been difficult in a lot of ways. After finally (unfortunately) getting COVID at the end of May, I realized in July that I was suffering from some seriously scary and at-times debilitating Long COVID issues. It started with a few nerve-racking "attacks" of lightheadedness and vertigo that left me stuck in bed for multiple days. In between attacks, I'd start to feel a little better and more functional - but I was still dealing with persistent issues of dizziness and lightheadedness that seemed to be triggered by certain situations. Being in any sort of group setting was difficult. Sitting on certain kinds of surfaces made my head twinge. Being on video calls - or in any situation where my eyes and ears were darting back and forth between different things - was challenging. Talking for a long time uninterrupted made me feel faint. I stopped driving longer distances and relied on rides from others. I continued to work from home, even as my colleagues returned to the office on a more full-time basis. I started seeing an endless series of doctors and specialists. Various symptoms came and went - though the biggest new one from the Fall was elevated blood pressure, and with it, a heightened feeling of anxiety. Certain meds seemed to help mask the symptoms, but even then ... there were good days and bad days, and the lightheadedness and vertigo issues never completely went away.
After a more mild September, my symptoms really began flaring up again in mid-October. On the day the second issue of Halloween Team released - 10/25 - I had my first "attack" in quite some time, while in the waiting room of my ENT doctor. The next day, I was excited for the opportunity to participate in a podcast to help promote the comic - but while on the (live-streamed!) show, I began to experience lightheadedness attacks and thought I might be about to have the awkward and embarrassing experience of passing out on a live show. Luckily, that didn't quite happen - and the interview ultimately came out pretty good - but still, a bit of a harrowing thing to go through. It was frustrating, because I wanted to be at my best ... but instead felt like I couldn't quite put my best foot forward.
I know that so many have been going through similar challenges these last few years. Not only are many suffering from the effects of Long COVID, but the continued dangers of the pandemic have made many - in particular the immunocompromised - reluctant or unable to participate in everyday life as normal. For a writer like me, the combination of COVID risk and my ongoing Long COVID issues mean no conventions, no networking functions, no mixers, and no attending other events that might help me to promote my new comic. I know for many of us writers, the general stress from - waves arms - *all of this* can make it difficult to be creative, to get writing done, and to put the time and energy into promoting and marketing our content. It took me a long time to find the creative energy to write again after the events of 2020. Now, my bigger concern has been finding the ability to perform the physical act of writing. I tend to be a pretty "intense" writer - really getting into a zone when I'm writing and not stopping for a lot of breaks. I've had to really reconsider how to get writing done with these new (but hopefully temporary!) Long COVID limitations. And as I mentioned above, while part of me wants to do anything and everything I can to promote the new comic ... I've got to be careful to pace myself until I'm feeling better.
Still, it feels especially gratifying to come out with a comic book during this particular moment in time. Since the start of the pandemic, my weekly digital "stack" of new comics has taken on a particularly special meaning. No matter how rough my week was or how crazy the world seemed to get, the ritual of reading my newly-purchased comic books each week provided something to look forward to, something to put a smile on my face, and a means of escapism and joy that, often, really calmed me and lifted my spirit during tough times. I hope that Halloween Team can bring some joy to at least a few readers in that same way.
Over the next few months, I'll be focused on continued recovery and good health. But it's funny - I feel like those of us who are fans of books, comics, TV, movies, videogames, etc. - we all live in two worlds. We have these amazing, vivid fictional worlds that we can escape to whenever we choose. We have the ability to somehow forget about our problems and, for a time, live vicariously through our favorite fictional characters. We have one foot in the real world, sure - but there's a part of us that is always dreaming.
So here's to the power of stories and storytelling. Whether you're a writer or reader or both, great stories can get us through even the toughest of times. Maybe that's a small part of why I love horror and Halloween - because they take our fears and, in a strange way, make them fun and exciting and somehow ... more manageable? Horror allows us to take what scares us and position these fears as mere challenges that, if we're brave enough and tenacious enough ... we can overcome.
In HALLOWEEN TEAM, our gateway character Tommy Taylor relishes a good mystery. He can't quite crack the meta-mystery of what to do with his life as an aimless thirty-something - but give him a monster, mad-scientist, or evil cult - and he won't stop until he learns the truth, saves the day, and solves the case. I sometimes feel the same way. Life, especially these days, can at times feel overwhelming and out of control. But maybe if we just approach it case by case, mystery by mystery ... maybe we can, somehow, figure it all out. And when the going gets really rough, when our lives seem to be spiraling ... we always have stories to turn to.
So ... onwards and upwards, and Happy Halloween!
October 14, 2022
Halloween Team Is (Finally!) Here
It's been a long journey to get to the release of Halloween Team #1.
Several years ago, I wrote a TV pilot script called Alt Alex that got some exciting buzz and attention. For my next script, I wanted to write a follow-up that had a similar tone and would make for a good companion piece. I love writing stories that are horror or horror-adjacent, and I started brainstorming what would become Halloween Team.
As a kid, I was obsessed with the Nickelodeon TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark. I wondered about those kids - the members of "The Midnight Society" - who would gather in the woods every week to tell scary stories. What if instead of just telling scary stories ... they also solved mysteries - and in doing so encountered real-life ghosts, goblins, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night? And what if ... what if we flashed forward twenty years, and this team of misfit kids was now grown? What if they led separate lives, and had mostly lost touch over the years? And what would then happen if a new mystery - one that reveals a deep, dark secret about the early days of the team - reunites them for one more adventure?
I wrote the Halloween Team pilot and had a ton of fun doing so. I grew to really love the characters and the world - and more so than anything else I'd previously written, I felt sad to not be continuing on their journey. But, such is the nature of TV pilot writing. For the most part, it's one-and-done.
For whatever reason, the Halloween Team pilot didn't get as many accolades as Alt Alex. But as time passed, I kept coming back to it as I thought about one of my other big writing ambitions: creating an original comic book series.
Now, trust me - as a lifelong comic book fan, I know that there can be heavy skepticism over the idea of work being adapted from TV or movie scripts. I totally get that. But the thing is: I've read so many comic books over the years that my favorite comic book writers and series are already a huge influence on my writing in general - even my film and TV scripts. Halloween Team, in particular, had a very comic book-y feel to it from the start. So the story seemed perfect to translate to the comic book medium. Additionally, there were so many elements that just felt like a great fit - from the name itself (I started getting excited just picturing a big "Halloween Team" logo emblazoned on the front of a comic book) to the distinct characters, big action, cliffhanger endings, and the blending of various genres.
I began the process of adapting the script to better suit a comic book, and then went out in search of an artistic partner. Luckily, I found the talented Matt Shults. Matt had a great sense for story and character, and it's been a lot of fun collaborating with him on things like character design, world-building, and cover art. He even helped design a killer title logo! As a writer, it's been thrilling to see Matt bring the scripts to life so vividly.
I also went about trying to shop the book to publishers. There were a few close calls, but ultimately, no dice. What can I say - much like Film and TV, the world of comic books is not exactly easy to break into. That said, I was still eager to get the book out there any way I could. I felt confident that we could self-publish the book and stand out from the pack - if we could just get people to check out the comic.
And that's where YOU, the reader, come in. We ended up self-publishing the book digitally via Comixology/Amazon (it's also now available on GlobalComix). Issue #1 released on October 4th, and Issue #2 is out October 25th. It's all very exciting, but we need YOUR support to make sure we maintain solid position on the Amazon charts, keep visibility for the comic high, and somehow, some way, get enough organic buzz that we, eventually, have the means to keep the book going beyond this initial 4-issue miniseries. Because this miniseries is, really, only the beginning - we've got *so* much more story to tell.
Halloween Team is an "indie" comic - but it's also a big, fun, spooky adventure with, I think, pretty wide appeal. It's got horror, action, and humor - and it's also a bit of a commentary on what it's like to be a Millennial here in this crazy era we're all living in. If you like stuff like Stranger Things or Buffy or Paper Girls ... I think you'll dig it.
I appreciate your support, and I hope you enjoy Halloween Team! If you read and like it, tell your friends, leave us a good review on Amazon and Goodreads, #JoinTheTeam, and stay tuned for the rest of the series. Follow the book on Twitter: @HalloweenTeam22 - for more news and updates. We even have Halloween Team logo T-shirts available on Redbubble and Design By Humans (and they look great, if I do say so myself!).
And oh yeah, one more thing: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Several years ago, I wrote a TV pilot script called Alt Alex that got some exciting buzz and attention. For my next script, I wanted to write a follow-up that had a similar tone and would make for a good companion piece. I love writing stories that are horror or horror-adjacent, and I started brainstorming what would become Halloween Team.
As a kid, I was obsessed with the Nickelodeon TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark. I wondered about those kids - the members of "The Midnight Society" - who would gather in the woods every week to tell scary stories. What if instead of just telling scary stories ... they also solved mysteries - and in doing so encountered real-life ghosts, goblins, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night? And what if ... what if we flashed forward twenty years, and this team of misfit kids was now grown? What if they led separate lives, and had mostly lost touch over the years? And what would then happen if a new mystery - one that reveals a deep, dark secret about the early days of the team - reunites them for one more adventure?
I wrote the Halloween Team pilot and had a ton of fun doing so. I grew to really love the characters and the world - and more so than anything else I'd previously written, I felt sad to not be continuing on their journey. But, such is the nature of TV pilot writing. For the most part, it's one-and-done.
For whatever reason, the Halloween Team pilot didn't get as many accolades as Alt Alex. But as time passed, I kept coming back to it as I thought about one of my other big writing ambitions: creating an original comic book series.
Now, trust me - as a lifelong comic book fan, I know that there can be heavy skepticism over the idea of work being adapted from TV or movie scripts. I totally get that. But the thing is: I've read so many comic books over the years that my favorite comic book writers and series are already a huge influence on my writing in general - even my film and TV scripts. Halloween Team, in particular, had a very comic book-y feel to it from the start. So the story seemed perfect to translate to the comic book medium. Additionally, there were so many elements that just felt like a great fit - from the name itself (I started getting excited just picturing a big "Halloween Team" logo emblazoned on the front of a comic book) to the distinct characters, big action, cliffhanger endings, and the blending of various genres.
I began the process of adapting the script to better suit a comic book, and then went out in search of an artistic partner. Luckily, I found the talented Matt Shults. Matt had a great sense for story and character, and it's been a lot of fun collaborating with him on things like character design, world-building, and cover art. He even helped design a killer title logo! As a writer, it's been thrilling to see Matt bring the scripts to life so vividly.
I also went about trying to shop the book to publishers. There were a few close calls, but ultimately, no dice. What can I say - much like Film and TV, the world of comic books is not exactly easy to break into. That said, I was still eager to get the book out there any way I could. I felt confident that we could self-publish the book and stand out from the pack - if we could just get people to check out the comic.
And that's where YOU, the reader, come in. We ended up self-publishing the book digitally via Comixology/Amazon (it's also now available on GlobalComix). Issue #1 released on October 4th, and Issue #2 is out October 25th. It's all very exciting, but we need YOUR support to make sure we maintain solid position on the Amazon charts, keep visibility for the comic high, and somehow, some way, get enough organic buzz that we, eventually, have the means to keep the book going beyond this initial 4-issue miniseries. Because this miniseries is, really, only the beginning - we've got *so* much more story to tell.
Halloween Team is an "indie" comic - but it's also a big, fun, spooky adventure with, I think, pretty wide appeal. It's got horror, action, and humor - and it's also a bit of a commentary on what it's like to be a Millennial here in this crazy era we're all living in. If you like stuff like Stranger Things or Buffy or Paper Girls ... I think you'll dig it.
I appreciate your support, and I hope you enjoy Halloween Team! If you read and like it, tell your friends, leave us a good review on Amazon and Goodreads, #JoinTheTeam, and stay tuned for the rest of the series. Follow the book on Twitter: @HalloweenTeam22 - for more news and updates. We even have Halloween Team logo T-shirts available on Redbubble and Design By Humans (and they look great, if I do say so myself!).
And oh yeah, one more thing: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
