Well, I’m back two days from Baltimore and back in the studio to do all the catching up I’m seriously in need of doing. The wonderful news is, save for a few inquiries, my delays and silence have gone mostly unnoticed (most of my colleagues, at least, perceive that I’ve been busy of late), but of course that doesn’t change that I’ve been seriously unfair to my fans (especially my Chadhiyana fans) for months now. As I’ve written in previous posts, I’m working to change that—it’s just going to take a bit of time to work my way out of the back log of work I have to catch up on. That said, however, Baltimore Comic-Con was a success, and though I stayed away from social media for the most part during the show, I was fairly busy round the clock.  Read more… ›

Another year and another Baltimore Comic-Con. It’s one of the shows I’ve done for the longest length of time (in, I believe, about eight years of exhibiting at conventions—since the Fall of 2009), and it’s one of my favourites. Baltimore is extremely artist friendly (just look at the size of its Artist Alley), and I’ve always found the show to be well run and the staff quite friendly (though, admittedly, I’ve never been to a show where the latter wasn’t true). Read more… ›

I realise it’s seemingly been a while since there was any word from me (again), both on my websites and on social media. I can assure you this absence was not planned (unlike the time I took off in the summer to recharge and reevaluate things), nor was the length of it premeditated. Rather, I was without internet access in my studio for a full two weeks—something I thought was originally only going to be a few days.

I won’t get into specifics (I still like to keep some privacy in my life), but it’s worth noting I’m back online and just in time, as there’s a new Gentleman Cthulhu collection to release, a sketchbook to finish up and print, Chadhiyana to return to, and two conventions coming up in the next three weeks. Read more… ›

The above title actually has a loose double meaning. I have two conventions coming up in the next two weeks, including this weekend’s Boston Comic Con. Though more specifically it refers the delays in publishing Gentleman Cthulhu: Year Two (working title) and that I’ve decide to up the ante and publish two new books in the next couple of months to make up for it and other delays (including Chadhiyana). More, August is the month to have your name featured as a supporter in both of these books (specific information at the end of this post). Read more… ›

I just wanted to quickly take the time to thank the Odenton Library for inviting myself and my other Rosarium Publishing compatriots to the AAPCL (Anne Arundel County Public Library) Comic Con this past Saturday (and my thanks too to Bill Campbell for asking me to be a part of Rosarium’s presence there). It was a small show, but sometimes those are the most fun and relaxing. Plus, I always enjoy speaking on panels, and as per the encouragement of my publisher, I’m trying to speak on more of them going forward. Read more… ›

Just a brief reminder that I’m speaking on a panel with other members of Rosarium Publishing at the AAPCL (Anne Arundel Public County Library) Comic Con this Saturday. The panel is called Diversity in Children’s Comics and will also feature Micheline Hess (Malice in Ovenland) and Bizhan Khodabanden (The Little Black Fish), and it will be moderated by none other than Rosarium Publishing’s fearless leader (and writer of the recent viral–though long-ago-written–letter to DC Comics about diversity), Bill Campbell. Read more… ›

Mike Mignola is on the short list of creators whose work inspired me to get back into comics. After years of being sick of Marvel and DC (especially after Marvel’s Onslaught thing and the whole Amalgam deal in the 1990s), I stopped reading comics for a long time, and I make no secret of my complete lack of interest in the “mythology” of superheroes (can I write that word?). Then, in college, I was introduced to Mignola and other creators (such as Alan Moore) who offered an alternative to what comics could be about. And though it took a bit to get used to Mignola’s style, once I read Hellboy I was instantly hooked. It was equal turns dark and humourous and was inspired by much of the same source material which I myself enjoy. So when Mike Mignola announced through his social media networks that a new Hellboy film was in the works, you figured I’d be ecstatic.  Read more… ›

I’m taking a break from writing about Dark Souls (and other related games) this week, to give you all a little update on my convention schedule for this year. Currently, there are a few unconfirmed appearances (and one which I haven’t decided upon just yet), but the months are starting to fill in (admittedly, I’m not the most active con-exhibitor, usually averaging about one a month or month-and-a-half each year). True, I already exhibited at No Such Con in February so this may seem a bit late to be listing what’s coming in 2017, but I don’t usually attend cons in the winter. Now spring is officially here, and I already have an event coming up in May!  Read more… ›

J. R. R. Tolkien once wrote in a letter to a fan, “Part of the attraction of The L. R. [Lord of the Rings] is, I think, due to the glimpses of a large history in the background: an attraction like that of viewing far off an unvisited island, or seeing the towers of a distant city gleaming in a sunlit mist. To go there is to destroy the magic, unless new unattainable vistas are again revealed” (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien; letter #247, bottom pg 333).

It’s for this same reason, I believe, George R. R. Martin insists on not presenting a factual history of his Song of Ice and Fire series (The World of Ice and Fire being told from the perspective of a character in that world; vulture.com/2014/11/George-rr-martin-new-book.html). It’s partly why, in my opinion, the second trilogy of Star Wars films was so unsuccessful (aside from the obvious storytelling faults). The rumours I heard about the Clone Wars had built up a story in my imagination greater than anything George Lucas could have presented to me.

Sometimes that little bit of unknown information can be infinitely more enticing than the fully revealed truth. It’s what makes history so intriguing. We can never know all of the answers for a certainty. It’s this precise device which draws players into the stories of the Dark Souls games and their related titles (collectively called the Soulsborne series), and it’s the way the stories are presented which creates such an immersive experience for the player. Read more… ›

http://patreon.com/jmdesantis

Today is an exciting day for me, though (to be honest) it’s also a bit terrifying because today I’ve officially launched my new Patreon page!

For a long time now I’ve toyed with the idea of crowdfunding, drawn by its potential to help fund personal, independent projects. As it is, personal, independent projects have been a major part of my career as a writer and artist, yet I’ve never been certain if I could carry a campaign all on my own. But then, over a year ago, I became aware of Patreon. Read more… ›