Common Scents

From Skunks to Turtles.

2011-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

As a writer I have recently stepped out and tried my hand at play writing. It is a different medium than book writing mainly because with a book the writing process is completed once the book is finished. With a play the work really isn't completed without a staging of the play.
I have been very fortunate with my play Turtle Soup. Its a comedic reenactment of a true life occurrence that took place in Churubusco Indiana back in 1949. The cast we assembled for this production has been invaluable to me. No one scrutinizes a play more than a theater director and a group of actors. If you are open minded and listen to the feed back you get back it really helps to sharpen the piece.
As a playwright you know what you want to come across to an audience, but at times we can become blinded to how something is actually working on stage. The cast helps you to see the work through eye other than your own. So much was added to the story that I am convinced that the rehearsals of the premier production are just as essential to the writing process.
The cast we assembled for Turtle Soup has been so enthusiastic and insightful. I would like to post a special thank you to everyone.
Terry and Lisa Ellis.
Dennis and Lauren Nichols
Elijah Knapp
Ron Stauss
John G. Jedinak
Joel Miller
Rayna Long
Levi Rossiter
Jeff Salisbury
I have spent so much of my writing time with Skunk-Guy and the Flinch family that is was a nice break to move over to some other characters. Both stories take place in the same Indiana area. But completely different time periods. And strangely enough both stories are centered around a person who is obsessed. Seems to be a prevailing theme with my work.

Skunk-Guy Goes Looney

2011-05-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

One of the great things that I love about the Skunk-Guy legacy is that it draws people in. It creates a sort of game that people want to play along with. Contributing their bit whether it be a bad pun, a story line, the name of some villian or just a query to become a Skunk Scout.
I would like to introduce you to the latest Skunk Fever victim that I have had the pleasure of running into. Her name is Maeghan Looney.
One Saturday morning I logged into my Facebook page and found some very unexpected beautiful illustrations of the Stinking Stalker himself.
Her style as you can see is distinctive it can be very dramatic or adorable. She has a very sharp technique with the wit in her layout and use of space.
I was knocked over to see someone take Skunk-Guy and make him look so cool.
I had known Maeghan less than a year. We were in a stage play called An Inspector Calls. We had chatted a bit about our mutual interest in writing and drawing. I had showed her the Skunk-Guy books and she mentioned she liked the costume design. Then the run of the play was over and we went our separate ways.
But when I saw her take on the outfit and the character I was floored. I am long over due to update my webpage and you can believe me that these illustrations will definitely take a prominent place on the site. Very nice work Maeghan. Now if I could only get you to illustrate an entire graphic novel.

How It All Began

2011-05-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words. Then a moving picture with sound must be well into the hundreds of thousands. So this would make this blog entry the biggest one I have ever done by word count alone.
Ignore the fact that they miss-spelled my last name. They obviously didn't have spell check on their video editor.

Skunk-Guy III Now Available

2011-05-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for quite a while and there is a number of developments to report.
First is the fact that the third Skunk-Guy novel is out.

Skunk-Guy: Skunk On The Run is available to order at www.skunk-guy.com
This latest edition has Skunk-Guy running for his life. He finds himself wanted by the police and when he tries to prove his innocence it turns out to be a deadly trap. Pretty heavy stuff for a fourteen year old.
This story introduces the Skunk Squad. An element brought in from the real life exploits of the original Stinking Stalker of so many years ago. Many people had called into WOWO radio back then wanting to be part of the fun. They were eventually sworn in as Skunk Scouts. These callers were caught up in the fun of it all and each one added their own quality to the Skunk-Guy legacy.
From a story stand point the idea of the local community being active crime watchers for Skunk-Guy has a lot of potential for adventure and comedy.
Another development was an enchanting feature article posted in the Fort Wayne News Sentinel. As a result of this article I have been reconnected to a couple of old friends that I haven't seen in decades. You can read the article by clicking on the link over on the right.
Outside of the Skunk-Guy saga I had the thrilling experience of having a stage play, that I had written produced. You can't imagine the excitement of hearing your words coming out of other peoples mouths. I will post more about that later.
If you have read any of the Skunk-Guy books and would like to post a review please let me know where you have posted the review. Or if you would like you can post the review in the comments window here and I will move it to a review web site.
That's all for now.

You Just Never Know.

2010-03-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

I got an unexpected phone call the other day. It was the mother of a young man whom I had met at the Imagine Schools last January. This boy was one from the crowd of kids who clammered their way to my chair at the end of our question and answer session. He had written a letter to me and when he stepped up to talk he scribbled his address on the back, handed it over and said 'please write to me.'
I had been quite busy with a very demanding play that I was doing at the time and I didn't get back to him as quickly as I might have. After the show had closed I got back to my literary efforts and I found his letter. I jotted off a note making sure to answer the questions he had asked. I sent it off and thought nothing of it.
Well, two days later I get a phone call from this young woman who wanted to know who was writing letters to her son. I was taken aback but at the same time I completely understood where she was coming from. She said that when he had recieved the letter he was elated and was so excited. It concerned her that she knew very little about me and so she had to call.
We had a delightful conversation and she shared that her son was having some difficulties in school but that he really liked the idea of writing. She wanted to know if he could write to me again, 'of course' I said 'any time.'
I thought Wow! Here I started out writing because I had a funny story to tell but I end up being a mentor for a young writer in the making. Life certainly is funny isn't it.

The Missing Title

2010-01-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

As this new year begins I have just completed the first draft of Skunk-Guy III. The title that I originally had set for the book has since gone to the wayside. As I was writting the book it became obvious that the my original title gave the ending away. We couldn't have that now could we. It would take the fun out of reading it. So now I am faced with a book draft with no title. It's not that we can't come up with a good title but I have a feeling it will take some doing. I mean I just didn't come up with Norman & The Stinking Space Goo over night ya know. It was an arduous process, many elements had to be considered, several titles were tested and in the end the stinkest title won out.
This third volume introduces some new characters and brings back some more familiar ones. Norman finds himself facing a tremendous challenge when a revenge plot threatens to blot out Skunk-Guy all together, nuff said.
I am also planning my second annual trip to the Imagine School on Broadway this month. I will get to judge a spelling bee and then have some fun with the kids as we talk about Skunk-Guy and writing and whatever else is on their mind. A very nice way to start the year off.

Fort Wayne History

2009-07-12T18:21:00.001-07:00

I was waylaid from working on the third Skunk-Guy installment by a fascinating project. I completed the script for a two act stage play based on the fantastic turtle hunt in Churubusco Indiana back in 1949. It was a story rich in local lore and humor, but more importantly it was a historic event.
As I move back to working on the Skunk-Guy books I appreciate all the more the historic elements woven into these stories. Even though the saga of Skunk-Guy takes place only thirty some years ago. A lot has happened since then. It is not the same world now that we lived in then. I even added special footnotes to the second novel explaining many of the differences from then and now.
The Fort Wayne Three Rivers Festival, which is going on right now, played a prominent part in the second book. The third book will follow suit. Fort Wayne land marks will find them selves a part of the plot such as the Wells Street truss bridge and the Historic Fort Wayne Fort that was just getting started back in the 70’s.
To the average 9 year old who reads the books the historic elements may not seem all that remarkable. But to those of us who grew up here it may rekindle some nostalgic recollections of of our home town. To anyone else in the world who has never heard of Fort Wayne, well, they may find that our neck of the woods is a pretty neat place to live.
I seriously doubt that there will be much of an influx in the populace here as a result of Skunk-Guy, but I love the place and I hope it shows.

Imagine That

2009-01-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

I find that my infrequency of Blog posts is due as a direct result of the sporadic activity centered round my writing. Unlike a more accomplished writer I haven’t given up my day job. And the time between writing activities tends to move at a petty pace.
I have recently had the joy of visiting a group of young readers and writing hopefuls at the Imagine School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This group of third forth and fifth graders had all read the epic story of Norman Flinches encounter with the stinky space goo. They had questions regarding where I got the idea for the book, where did I come up with the name Norman and Flinch, Why had I made Wendell so smart. We discussed how hard it is to write a book. I think they were surprised that it was such a long process with a lot of rewriting involved. But it didn’t seem to dim there enthusiasm for trying their own hand at writing something.
I had been contacted by Brian Clark a forth grade teacher at the school who thought I might be able to inspire the kids to write. However, they were so enthusiastic that they inspired me. The details of the story that they made mention of included the fork used by the jewel thief, the healing process of the goo, the time Norman banged his knee on the kitchen table and spilled his cereal all over, and the fact that his cape was too long. Now I may be showing my insecurity as a writer here, but you put details in a story like that never quite sure if the readers are going to get it. Well there was no doubt these young readers didn’t miss a thing, and they were hungry to devour the second novel.
I thank Brian and Imagine Schools for this overwhelming opportunity, and I thank all the kids who showed such excitement about The Stinking Stalker. I know that there are many potential skunk scouts in that crowd.

Self Published Taboo

2008-11-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

As the release of the second Skunk-Guy book is now underway. I find myself examining options to promote it. I have set out a local press release, (that is now available on the NEWS page at skunk-guy.com). I am scouring the book review websites, which I will submit copies for their review. But I have noticed a myriad of reader blogs that are wonderful. Their review of books comes from their love of reading. They are honestly critical and supportive with each book they discuss. These web-sites are really a great resource for finding a good book or book series or what books to avoid.
I would like to put a challenge out to these reading blogsters. Upon reading your blogs I have been exposed to books that I have never even heard of that have proven to be wonderful finds.
All of these books are published by mainstream publishers however. What I would like to propose is that you would devote some small portion of your reviews and examine some self published books. Now granted their probably is a lot of bad stuff out there but there is also probably some hidden gems. I would like to think that Skunk-Guy would be a gem, but I'll never know until someone puts it through the ringer. By giving some attention to the self published market you might actually open doors for some good books that never got a chance.
It's risky, I know. I don't think a blog tour would be appropriate but if you honestly looked around for books that were self published, every now and again you just might be pleasantly surprised.

Slime Saga Submitted For Your Scrutiny.

2008-10-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

In the literary world when an author releases a new book they have a party and celebrate the launch and aspiring success of the book. I intern am but a humble author and the launch of the latest Skunk-Guy novel “The Sensational Slime Saga” will be heralded far more modestly.
The book is currently available at the Skunk-Guy web-site http://www.skunk-guy.com/ but it should show up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble before Thanksgiving, just in time for Christmas, the perfect stinking stocking stuffer.
Now that the book is available I would appreciate any feedback that you the readers may care to express.
Reviews are always a risky thing to ask for because you face the possibility of rejection. But I think that an honest review of what you thought about the book is really a compliment in itself. Because the reader took the book seriously enough to read and think about what they read tells the author that what they wrote is important.
So go get some goldfish crackers, maybe some popcorn and a soda and give this new gooey book a read and have your own private book release party. Then let me know what you think.

Coming Soon Skunk-Guy II

2008-09-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

In just a few weeks the official release of the second Skunk-Guy novel will be available. It has been an intense few months getting the proof copies and going over them with a fine tooth comb. As an artist I continually find things that I want to improve. Working and reworking the illustrations, checking the text for a better way to have written something, reviewing the strength and consistency of the characters, etc…
I have a few thank-you’s to dispense not the least of which is my editor Lauren Nichols. From the very start, when I presented Lauren with the original manuscript for what would eventually become Norman & The Stinking Space Goo, she has been candid and thorough with every thing that she has done for me. She has really helped me to understand and write to the young readers who will be reading about Skunk-Guy. My Wife Cindy has been very supportive in giving me the time I have needed to tinker away at this. Cindy has also scoured the manuscript herself pulling out grammatical glitches helping to make the story shine. I would also like to give a nodd of graditute to Maureen McCozzi who contributed a special note at the end of the book.
Here is an advanced peek at the cover of this epic sequel.
The Sensational Slime Saga picks right up where Norman & The Stinking Space Goo left off. Norman has his stink power and he is trying to make a name for himself as a superhero. It turns out a bit tougher than he first thought. He’s attacked by a girl-scout troupe and gets walloped by a women he tried to rescue. On top of that a strange gloppy creature slithers up from below the street. This slime creature leaves a path of destruction wherever it goes, giving a whole new meaning to the expression “Jumpin’ crud!”
For those of you who have been waiting patiently it won’t be long now. This latest Skunk-Guy novel will be available the second week in October barring any unforeseen delays.

The Reviews Are In

2008-06-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

It has been a week now since my visit to Central Lutheran School. The students have done their part to tell the internet universe what they thought of the first Skunk-Guy novel. I found their reviews scattered throughout several websites. It was very similar to hunting for Easter eggs. I hope I didn't miss any.
Over all I am delighted that the kids enjoyed the book. The reviews were honest and enthusiastic. Many of them mentioned the parts of the story that they personally liked, and they weren't shy about mentioning anything negative. Many noted that when the story started out they weren't sure about it, but that it took them by surprise.
I would like to give a personal thank you to the kids whose reviews I found on line.
Gabriel
Abby
Alex
Ohndrea
Maddie
Kylie

Tori Bontrager

Christina Lewis
Keegan Holle
Katie Strahm
Kristen Eiden
Brianna Bowman
Garrett Bricker
If I have missed anyone elses review please let me know.
If you would like to post a review on your own, you can check out either of these websites;
http://www.yabookscentral.com/cfusion/index.cfm?fuseAction=books.newReview
http://www.booksunlimited.ie/review.asp?ISBN=9780615151410
or find a website on your own that will post your review. Just make sure you let me know where I can find it. I am very interested in who is reading the book and what they thought.

Next Generation Skunk-Scouts

2008-05-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

I spent Friday morning with 40 students at Central Lutheran School in New Haven Indiana. They had all just read Norman & The Stinking Space Goo, and were eager to discuss it with me.
It was a real treat for me to get to meet these kids. They all were very enthusiastic and loaded with questions. “How long did it take you to write the book?” Did you draw your own illustrations?” “Why did you set your story in Fort Wayne?” Then the questions got more personal, “Did you read comic books when you were a kid?” “Are you Norman?” “Who is Nemo?”
My answers were simple. As I mentioned before I used Fort Wayne because I was living there when I created Skunk-Guy and it has a rich history to draw from. It took about three months to write the actual book you see here, but I spent close to thirty years perfecting the idea and developing the characters. Yes, I do all the illustrations myself.
On a more personal level, yes I did read comic books when I was a young kid, and I still do. Well, let’s just say that Norman is modeled after me, only I would like to think that he is more of a klutz than I am. And Nemo was my Grandmother. She was a pretty special grandma to me and I have always called her Nemo. She passed away a little more than ten years ago now. Dedicating the book to her was my tip of the hat to her.
Several of the kids had developed games based on the book. Three of them were board games. It is such a joy to see that the art of board game design has not disappeared in this age of computer and video games.
One of the games was based on colored cards that directed you to the appropriate colored space on the board. There was a black box in the center that you could be sent to and hoped to avoid. Along the way you were quizzed about various smells and odors. The second game looked like a map of the school neighborhood. You traveled through the map by the roll of the dice and when you landed on any space with a students name on it you had to answer one of the questions that that student had written about the book. Tough questions like; “What was the 6th word on page 95 in the 3rd line,” answer: “him.” The third game was centered around a motley collection of super villains. If you landed on a black space you drew a card to see which villain you were going to have to fight and then you threw a dice to determine the outcome of the battle.
The forth game was not a board game but a simple smell & guess it game. It was a game that could be used by any one, in fact it would be a wonderful party game. They gave me a written copy of the rules they came up with so that I could post them at http://www.skunk-guy.com/.
The students were then told that if any one wanted to post a review of the book on line that they could get an extra 200 points toward their grade. I about fell over that was music to my ears. I was hoping that if the kids enjoyed the book that they may pass the word on by posting a review somewhere. But to make it a project for them to improve their grade was an exciting surprise. I have set the following web addresses on the skunk-guy website for the kids to post their reviews:

http://www.yabookscentral.com/cfusion/index.cfm?fuseAction=books.newReview

http://www.booksunlimited.ie/review.asp?ISBN=9780615151410
My only regret for the morning was that I took my camera and then got so wrapped up in our discussions that I forgot to take any pictures. I wanted to post some here. If any of the students from there read this blog entry, I would love it if you could send me a picture of your group or any of the games you designed. You can e-mail any pictures you come up with to this e-mail address skunkguy@thestinkingstalker.com
We talked about the further adventures of the Stinking Stalker and the production of the second book. The next Volume The Sensational Slime Saga should be coming out about the time they get back to school in the fall. There is even a preliminary picture of the front cover on the NEWS page of the Skunk-Guy web site. I look forward to going back to Central Lutheran High School to discuss book two with them. And more than likely swear them all in to the Skunk Squad.

Origins

2008-05-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

The origin story of any superhero is a critical part of their legacy. Skunk-Guy’s story is no less important. Like many of the hero’s before him his tale has gone through many incarnations. I have had thirty years to tinker with it and it has been a creative challenge to find just the right scenario.
I toyed with the idea of Norman being sprayed by a radio active skunk. (A great idea, but too similar to someone else’s story.) Then there was the brilliant flash I had, about morphing with a skunk during a space-alien abduction. (Too gruesome, remember the Fly.) I plotted out the whole course of putting Norman and the earth in the middle of an intergalactic war. (Way too complicated.) I finally settled for simplicity.
Now the histories of all of the main stream superheroes have some trauma motivating them to do the deed and right the wrong, Spider-man loses his uncle, Batman lost his parents and Superman had his entire home planet obliterated. None of these tragedies would fit with a character called The Stinking Stalker.
Instead I opted for a theme utilized many years earlier, before Superman made his appearance. That of the lanky dreamer so filled with stories of knights in shining armor, that he mounts his own steed with lance in hand, in order to do battle with an army of windmills. Yes, the theme has been done before, but not of recent memory, at least not to any great effect.
Take this basic idea and move it into a domestic setting, introduce a few simple sci-fi elements and you have the formula for "Norman & The Stinking Space Goo". The official origin story of Skunk-Guy: The Stinking Stalker.

A Renovated Hero

2008-02-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

Having actually lived the life of the Stinking Stalker around the middle of the 1970’s, I have a lot of odd and nutty experiences to draw from in creating the stories for this series. Throughout the years as I would tell the tale of this Aromatic Hero the reaction was always one of wonder and laughter. The character of Skunk-Guy easily won the admiration of all, and the listeners would inevitably beg to be considered for the Skunk Squad. It was plainly obvious that there was still a spark of life in this legacy, and so I began the task of reinventing The Stinking Stalker for the printed page.
There were certain elements from my experience that I decided up front must be maintained. The first being the time period. The nineteen seventies was a gaudy and awkward period. It was a time when technology was nowhere near what we have today. The biggest video game on the market at the time was a thing called PONG. This presents our hero with the challenge of doing more leg work in his investigation of things. He couldn’t just Google something and get the answer. This is why there is no PC in Wendal’s bedroom. The second element was the place. Fort Wayne, Indiana was the actually stomping grounds of the original Stinking Stalker. There were so many historical and special events that took place, I wanted to make certain that they would be a part of this new phase of the legend. The third element came through the radio. When Skunk-Guy was regularly interviewed on the air, listeners would call in and add to the fun. Their enthusiasm was very much like a twisted version of bat mania from the 1960’s. I wanted to make sure that this form of interaction would be continued and so I constructed http://www.skunk-guy.com/.
I wanted the humor of Skunk-Guy to be genuine, coming mainly from the characters and their relationships and not stereo-typical super-hero clichés. That’s the main reason that Skunk-Guy isn’t mentioned in the title of the first novel. It’s really about Norman the boy behind the mask. What kind of an imaginative kid could take an absolutely ridiculous situation and turn it into a noble crusade. Villains and monsters will come and go, but the hero should stay with us long after the story is over, no matter how much of a klutz he is.