Hey folks, this will be the last regular strip until after the Pittsburgh Comicon (Sept 11-13th). For the next month I’ll be preparing a print version of Blue Wraith with extra story content that won’t be found online.
Between now and September, in lieu of the weekly strip, I’ll be posting some fun stuff, character sketches, pin-ups, etc.
In a couple of weeks, Blue Wraith will be on a brief hiatus as I get ready for the Pittsburgh Comicon, which will be taking place September 11th-13th (I can’t believe it’s almost a month away!)
What I’ll be working on is a print collection of the first strips which will have additional story content that you won’t find online. I’m not talking about character sketches, unused story ideas, etc.; this content will deal directly with the story you’ve been reading for the past four months.
In the meantime, I will be posting sketches/behind the scenes in lieu of the weekly strip. If there are any readers out there who would like to contribute pin-ups/fan art to be posted or other webcomickers who would like to trade pin-ups, feel free to contact me.
San Diego Comic Con, the Super Bowl of comic book conventions, starts on Thursday. Hopefully one of these days I’ll be fortunate enough to go.
As promised, here’s the second strip for this week.
This week there will be two strips, one today and one on Thursday. Enjoy!
DEATHMARCH ESCAPES!
By Candace Moore
Venture City, June 28, 2009–The convicted murderer of Venture City’s favorite son, philanthropist Jonathan Manor, escaped from his high-security cell on Sunday morning, mere hours before his scheduled execution. This is the third time that Anton Carnevinge, commonly referred to as “Deathmarch” by law enforcement officials and members of the super-powered community, has escaped from prison in the United States.
“We’re distressed to learn that Deathmarch has escaped, but even more distressed to learn about allegations of official complicity,” said prison warden Tom Root. “Authorities in Venture City must do everything in their power to ensure Deathmarch is caught and that those who assisted in his escape are brought to justice.”
UFO Reporting Center, Northeast Office
Case #009432
March 15, 2008
While conducting a flight test of his newest aircraft, the scientific adventurer known as Doctor 13 reported that one or more egg-shaped objects, radiating intensely bright blue-green light, and periodically spewing out a cloud of sparks, streaked over the states of Pennsylvania and New York last night.
According to his limited sensors, which were affected by the UFO’s unique energy signature, the craft(s) crash landed in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly 50 miles out. Doctor 13 is currently coordinating with state and federal authorities from his laboratory headquarters in Venture City to located and identify the UFO(s). So far there has been no trace of any UFO water landing or wreckage that would indicate that it may have been an airplane or other aircraft mistaken as a UFO.
“Rivers shall flow
be pure and crystalline
But red rivers must not
they must be trapped inside my being
This river so red
must be stopped with a golden net
Stop the now stop this bleed”
-High Priest Diego Castillo of the Children of New Hope Sanctuary of Venture City
“VC Rebels” Motorcycle Gang member rides onto VCPD 15 MOST WANTED list
It is something most criminals would rather avoid, but Randall “Rand” Bagger, head of the Rebels motorcycle gang in Venture City, has just landed on the Venture City Police Department list of 15 MOST WANTED fugitives. He earned this dubious distinction thanks to a lifetime of violent crime.
Bagger was the Regional President of the Rebels and one of 17 club members indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2007, for violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statutes.
The underlying offenses include murder, arson, possession and use of explosives, possession and trafficking in counterfeit U.S. currency, robbery, burglary, trafficking in stolen motor vehicles, and narcotics violations. Bagger is the only remaining fugitive in the indictment, and if convicted, faces a maximum term of life in prison.
Happy Birthday to my buddy Mario Speedwagon, creator of Frostbite.
Happy Wednesday everyone! It’s new comic book day and it looks like it’s going to be a big one. Get out there and support your local comic shop.
In case you haven’t heard, Stan “The Man” Lee is going to be at the Pittsburgh Comicon. This year’s show is September 11-13, Stan will only be appearing on Saturday the 12th.
Venture City Society Magazine, May 2009
Spotlight on Jonathan Manor, heir to the Manor Industries empire, by Tony Gerrard.
Despite being interrupted during his very expensive lunch, Jonathan Manor listens politely to the director of a charity as he begins to give his standard plea for funds.
“I will send $20,000 to your charity if you are out of the room in 30 seconds,†Manor told him. The man picked up his charts and was gone. Manor smiled, pulled out a leather checkbook and began scribbling.
Despite his generousity, not just during lunch but all year around, charities stand to gain much more upon his death. At 35, the youngest millionaire in Venture City has announced that he is to give more than 80% of his wealth to good causes.
His first significant move into charitable work followed the murder of District Attorney Keith Blake during the Broadwater Street riots in Old Town in 1998. The young man, barely out of college, offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killers.
In 1999 he launched Crime Line, which provides confidential telephone lines on which people can leave information about those they suspect of having committed crimes.
The charity celebrated its 10th anniversary with its one millionth call last summer. So far the calls have led to more than 86,000 arrests, the recovery of 102 million dollars worth of stolen property and the seizure of 151 million dollars worth of drugs.
red hand takes a purple terror
love knows these nuts
when we escape from the madhouse
we will… hunt down
tonight we murder
between the battle of pain and hate
we will wait, but not for our time
we’ll for hate and to take
to deep… throat
tonight
tonight we murder
between the pain, the battle of pain
love never ties knots
a twisted plan of fear and hate
we’ll never untie these nuts
tonight we murder
I murder
tonight we murder
VENTURE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERROGATION REPORT
CONCLUSION OF INTERVIEW BETWEEN SGT. RANDALL TRICKLE AND SUBJECT GEORGE TRAVELLE
Q. George, did you stab this woman?
A. I don’t remember stabbin’ her.
Q. Could you have stabbed her and don’t remember?
A. I could have.
Q. How many times did you stab her, George?
A. I don’t remember. I — you know –
Q. You remember everything else. You remember how big her titties was. You remember how big her waist was. You remember everything else. Why wouldn’t you remember that? Look at me.
A. I don’t remember.
Q. Look me –
A. I don’t –
Q. Look at me. Look at me, George.
A. — because I’m a heavy drinker, and if I did it I was drunk at the time, I know.
Q. But how can you remember about everything else but you can’t remember this?
A. Well, I’m picturin’ it in my mind, you know.
Q. You’re picturing what in your mind?
A. What happened.
Q. What happened? You tell me.
A. That’s just what I said.
Q. I wasn’t there.
A. That’s what happened.
Q. But you’re not saying anything about stabbin’ her.
A. Was she stabbed?
Q. Yes, she was stabbed.
A. Well, she was stabbed during the fight, then.
(End of side one of tape)
Last entry from the personal journal of Anton Carnevinge, aka “Deathmarch”:
“Its time for me to die. I know this because the warden is in front of my cell reading the death warrant to me and several guards are waiting to take me to the execution chamber. They open my door and walk me into a room less than ten feet away. In the center of that room I see a large wooden chair with several leather straps attached – its the electric chair. About ten feet in front of the chair is a cinder-block wall. I can’t see through to the other side because of a set of Venetian blinds that are closed, but I know that on the other side of that wall are the official witnesses to my imminent execution.”
This Saturday, May 2nd, is Free Comic Book Day. Scott and I will be podcasting live from Phantom of the Attic Comics at the Oakland location, which is located between the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. We’ll be there from 11:00am to 1:00pm talking with the great people that work at the shop, comic fans and hopefully a couple of local creators who will be there.
What is Free Comic Book Day you ask? Well, Free Comic Book Day is a single day – the first Saturday in May – when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for their participation and rules.
For more info, check out: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/
Not sure what comic store is the closest to you? Then find it at http://www.comicshoplocator.com/
VENTURE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS
Shooting Incident at Fort Abernathy on 20th February 2009
We were informed by the Military in the early hours of this morning that at 1:30am, three unknown men had entered Fort Abernathy and had slightly wounded Cpl. Bradley Burns.
The scene was visited immediately by Chief Robert Hannigan. Burns was interviewed and he said that he was on sentry from 12 midnight to 2 am. At 1:30am he thought he heard a slight noise. On looking in the direction of the the noise he saw three men approaching. He advanced toward them under cover, and when within 30 yards of them he called upon them to halt. He received no reply by was immediately fired upon and struck in the shoulder. He fired multiple shots then and blew his whistle for the Guard Commander.
Blood trails and footprints indicate two of the three men were injured immediately by Cpl. Burns random gunfire, but not fatally. Despite the sound of alarm, the three men made their way to a weapons storage facility where they took multiple fireamrs and ordanance. (see inventory list on page 3)
The two wounded men were found at the weapons storage facility, both dead, each shot at close range in the chest and head. (see crime scene photos on page 4). The identities of the deceased have not yet been determined.
The identity and location of the third man is currently under investigation at this time.
TODAY’S WEATHER BROUGHT TO YOU BY WVCN NEWS
Today, cloudy with scattered showers. High 48F.
Tonight, temperatures stay steady in the low to mid 40s. Fog advisory in effect this evening for parts of Venture City, including Master Harbor, Blacksworth Commons, and Old Town.*
*VCPD advises current weather conditions are unrelated to Weathermaster as he is currently incarcerated in federal prison
Since Wednesdays are the release days for new comic books, I figured it’s an appropriate day to put out new BW strips.
Today’s strip introduces (albeit briefly) another guardian of Venture City, Valorian.
VENTURE CITY VIEWER – LATE EDITION
A wave of street killings is sweeping through many of Venture City’s neighborhoods, leaving a trail of grieving families, overworked police and bewildered community leaders.
The onslaught pushes the murder rate in Venture City to ninth-highest among cities in the biggest U.S. metropolitan areas, higher than in Miami and Los Angeles and triple New York’s rate.
With no relationship between the murder victims and no connection to the apparent randomness of the attacks, the police and the mayor’s office have turned to Venture City’s super-powered community to aid them in bringing the killer to justice.
Valorian, who was seen flying from the mayor’s office earlier this week, could not be reached for comment.
