Wanted Hero eComics! KID TESTED…PARENT APPROVED!! Bookmark WANTED:HERO now!

Yes, as I tried to tell everyone, I have been working hard on this project.

Writing as a whole, isolated experience is very new to me in this way (fiction).

The first book was completed last night and is now in it’s first revision stage, which goes to my toughest critics: my wife and daughters (oy vey).

Once they tear it apart, it will go out to our local club members, who give their dolars worth.

So it’s moving along–and as we do this, we are developing the system for the next book as well.

Yes, Elves, Dwarves and especially Gnomes believe in Christmas.

Well,…at least they believe in the festival of the Winter Season, but that’s close enough!

I just wanted to take a moment and say MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!!

It is my hope that you get to spend time with those you love, and those who love you this season. I also wanted to remind you that eComics can be downloaded for FREE at www.wantedherostudios.com, which is now live and active.

If I get my Christmas wish—this site will soon be a terrible thing of the past and we will be able to move on to what we once had, but in a fresh new design: the Original WANTED:HERO website.

Not in ‘blog’ form, but rather full of art and fun.
Just pray I get the programs I asked from Santa! LOL

One of the great privileges of being a comic book creator, someone online and a father of 10 who wants to cheer kids on everywhere is getting questions.

It’s been such a long time since I have been able interact with kids the way I did when making a living with WANTED:HERO, so when getting the new influx of emails—my son’s said ‘Hey dad, why don’t you do these in podcasts, so everyone can hear how you answer your emails?’

What a great idea.

So here is the first show, short and sweet—where we cover:

1. The Nexus.
2. What I miss about creating the whole eComic.
3. What to do when those around you, don’t believe in you?

Join us and write in with your own questions to Jaime@wantedhero.com.

 

 WANTED--Answers 1 [13:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

All content is 2005-2008 Jaime Buckley & WANTED:HERO STUDIOS, Inc.

My friends, here is the interview with Kevin Keough, though I have to put a warning on it:

I was asked some questions which brought out a very passionate side and I was not ‘G’ rated in some of my comments. So I do not recommend the kids listen to this interview without parents permission. It wasn;t hateful, but I did use a few bad words, which we tried to edit out…but couldn’t.

This interview was intended for adult audiences, all male…but I got permission to post it live on this site anyway…because it talks deeply about the eComic.

Please listen at your own discression.

 

 Standard Podcast [86:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

One moment I was in Evan’s back yard…and the next moment I’m…not.

An electrical shock snapped through my body. The green creature, still sitting on my chest—let go of my neck. For such a small thing, it’s weight crushed my ribs and prevented me from taking a full breath.

“Don’t worry—the pain will pass. Happens to everyone the first time round. ” It said, sliding off my chest. I wondered if this thing made a habit of kidnapping innocent and brilliant young people from other worlds?

I flinched as it walked around to my face and grunted, spittle from it’s mouth hitting my cheek. Quickly curling up into a ball, I looked away—so I didn’t have to see what would come next. My heart was pounding in my ears, my tongue sticking to my teeth as I reminded myself to take another breath.

This was it.

The end.

The world would never know how brilliant and handsome I really was, and I would never become famous. Those poor supermodels would forever be deprived of ‘The Wendellizer’.

“You’ll get used to it later.” it added.

Later? What did it mean by—OW!

It grabbed my hair and started pulling me into the shadows. I hope IT doesn’t PLAY with IT’s food!

“AAAAHHHH!!” I screamed, kicking and grabbing it’s hand to prevent my hair from being torn from the roots. I arched my back and struggled with every bit of strength I could muster, but I just couldn’t break it’s steel grip. I was doomed…and with my luck, most likely dinner.

No. I wouldn’t give in. The supermodels needed me. My eyes darted across the floor, looking for anything I might grab and use as a weapon to free myself. But there was NOTHING…but cold, hard stone. CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!!!

Maybe I would get the chance to bite him first.

The thing just jerked me harder and grunted as if he were irritated, at ME!

Without pausing, it used it’s free hand to pull another used cigar from the waistband of it’s boxer shorts.

With another grunt and a punt of it’s huge green foot, I was kicked through a stone archway. My face bounced off of the hard surface, my teeth snapping together upon impact. No air left in my lungs, I skidded to a halt…gasping and grabbing at the white drapes now in my face.

“Oh my goodness—are you alright!?”

Great—now I was hearing things. My ears were ringing, head pounding and chest burning as I continued to gasp for air in small gulps. Small drops of blood dripped onto my hand. Bloody nose from hitting my face on impact, no doubt. Too afraid to see my doom upon me, I clenched my eyes tight and buried my face in the cloth of the drapes.

Please oh please make this quick and painless…

Nothing happened.

I opened one eye carefully, peeking over my shoulder, looking for the yellow teeth ready to devour my tender flesh.

They were nowhere to be seen.

I was alone.

“It’s alright, he’s gone now.”

Alone with my own mind. Oh joy.

Maybe this is just a dream? What am I saying—it HAD to be a dream! Nothing could be this crazy, this frightening…and a creature like that—that THING just isn’t POSSIBLE!

I sniffed and felt little knives shoot to the front of my brain. The pressure behind my head and eyes caused my nose to run even more.

Reaching out and gathering the white drapes, now speckled with red—I applied pressure to my nose, and then slowly turned over on the ground to rest my head on the cold stone floor. Maybe if I calmed down, I could—

EEEAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Yellow eyes stared down at me…surrounded by BLUE SKIN! So THAT was the plan of my captor: to suffocate me and then leave me as food storage once I have turned blue!

“My Lord.”

What!? I was in the presence of royalty? CRAP! What are you supposed to do…? Kneel!

I quickly roll to my belly and then up onto my knees, my face close to the ground–just grateful for not being a late night snack after all. Maybe someone with a tad more kindness would take pity upon me?

“My Lord, what are you doing?” asked the voice.

Remained completely still, I strained to listen for footsteps, breathing or some signal of approach. My mind raced with thoughts of movies, documentaries and plays where people addressed royalty. How they talked, how the bowed. Of course, in ‘Titans of The Saturn Amazons’ they beheaded the guy who looked up at the wrong time.

A gentle hand touches my shoulder and I flinch.

“Arise” said the calm, soothing voice. The hand never leaving my shoulder.

I tried to remember what people did in the movies when they found themselves in front of royalty, but my mind went blank. I know it had something to do with big, graceful movements and words.

“My Lord,” I said, bowing lower while waving my arms about, which made me feel more like an albatross trying to leave the ground than anything graceful. “I am honored.”

“Who are you talking to?” asked the voice.

Glancing under my arms about the room, I only saw two sets of feet…one of them being my own. Popping my head up, I met the gaze of the blue faced figure.

“Me?”

He looked like he could be my grandfather with all the wrinkles on his face,…but he was BLUE! Yellow, piercing eyes, which made me shiver…and blue skin. Blue….? How is that even possible,…unless you were a corpse??

“Yes, my Lord. I am talking to you.”

Straightening up, I looked around. I was correct—no one else in the room by blue man and myself. Gratefully, however, no green goblin. I was confused. There could only be one explanation:

I had fallen asleep beside the pool.

That had to be it. Evan had brought out food, I ate too much and dozed off. I’d done it before—the result of a salty burrito or too many slices of lemon pie. That would explain the weird colors of skin and the brief spurts of pain.

Wouldn’t it?

“My Lord, who else would I be talking to?” the blue man asked, this time bowing slightly.

Might as well go for the ride and try to enjoy myself here. This is going to make one heck of a good story to tell when I woke up.

“Um,…I’m not a Lord. Just a kidnapped victim, actually.”

The blue man did a double take, confusion filling his eyes.

“Kidnapped? Why would anyo…” he paused. “Oh, I see.”
“I assure you, Dax had no intention of harming you.”

Rubbing my sore behind and wiping the remainder of blood from my upper lip, I raised an eyebrow and smirked, “Too late for that.”

The blue man smiled kindly. “Quite right. My deepest apologies.”

“We really must be moving along my Lord.” Bowing and pointing an arm in the direction of yet another huge wooden door with a carved eye in the center. “There is so little time, and I must prepare you before you are found. Would you follow me please?”

Taking several steps across the floor towards the door, he looked at me. I refused to move until I got some answers. Something to at least satisfy my basic curiosity—such as where I was and what was going on.

The blue man sighed and placed his hands into the folds of his robe.

“I am the High Elder of the Iskari Council, my Lord.”

“Wendell.”

“Pardon?”

“Wendell. That’s my name. Not ‘Lord’, not ‘sir’ and not ‘bub’—this ‘Lord’ thing makes me very uncomfortable. Just call me Wendell.”

“Quite. I see.” He cleared his throat.
“Let’s try this again, shall we Wendell?,…I am High Elder of the Iskari Council and you have been brought here, to the moon of Iskari-Kalam, at my command. You have a birthright Wendell, and it is my charge to make sure you are given what is rightfully yours. The duty of my Order is to watch over your treasure, with our lives if necessary, until it is returned. That is why you are here.”

The High Elder waited for my response…as if his words made any sense to me.

“So, you send some creepy little monster to kidnap me?” I asked. “Taking me from my home? …Why didn’t you just give this ‘treasure’ to him and have it brought to me?”

He was already shaking his head as the words left my mouth.

“I wish it was that simple, Wendell. But the treasure is so valuable, there are those who desire it for their own use. We are ever forced to stand watch over it. Hide it from all sight and knowledge, here on this moon. This is why we sent for you. To give you the treasure quickly, in secret, and then send you on your way.”

Again he motioned to the a door. His eyes were clear and he never blinked. Hmmm. Can’t say I ever had a dream like this—and I had to admit, this was making me curious. So I motioned the High Elder to continue on and I followed him out of the room.

This castle, or whatever it was, was immense. Rooms and hallways the size of stadiums, created from stone, wood and accented with strange metal to hold lanterns and torches. The metal weaved in and out of the stone…almost like it was grown, or part of the stone itself. Yet what bothered me, was the lack of windows. Not a slit of sunlight or moonlight anywhere. Just that alone kept you wondering if you were above or below ground.

“So why me?” I piped up, trying to keep up with the robed High Elder, who seemed to glide across the floor effortlessly.

“You are the birthright child, Wendell. You are the last in a long line of royalty, entitled to the greatest treasure of mankind.” The High Elder spoke, never turning or slowing down his pace.

“You pretty much said that already. What I mean is—how do you know it’s me? I mean, I’m from another planet…what makes you think this ‘treasure’ belongs to me? I’ve never been important to anyone but my own mother and father…and maybe my best friend Evan.”

The High Elder stopped, his back to me.
“Wendell, please listen to me carefully, because we don’t have much time…

“You are the most important person alive. I do understand that this is a great deal to believe, and I must say you are taking this far better than I had hoped—but my whole life has been in preparation for this very meeting. You are the last in a royal line of heroes.
Not something you have read in your school history books. I am talking about Heroes of planets and billions upon billions of lives. Heroes of legend, where the very cultures and ways of life are lived in honor of your family. That, my friend, is what runs through your veins…and this treasure means the difference between freedom and slavery for all life, everywhere.”

I shook my head in disbelief and laughed. This caused the High Elder to falter in his rhythm.

“Hero? Me?? …Riiiight. I hope I remember all this when I wake up—I gotta tell Evan about it all. Especially about talking with a blue-skinned dude in a dress.”

“You think this to be a dream!?” the High Elder snapped, coming to an abrupt halt.
“This will be the greatest adventure you will ever have, with rewards beyond your current imagination! …this is no dream, I assure you.”

The High Elder watched for my reaction. I wasn’t buying this and I think he knew it. People in dreams always tell you it’s not a dream–especially when they are trying to get you to do something stupid or dangerous. Probably our minds punishing us under the direction of our subconscious. A revenge thing for not listening, I bet. So I just smiled back at the old guy, wide as can be.

“Look, it doesn’t really matter what you say at this point, bud. Really. I was a nobody at home anyway. No real hopes or potential, so people told me day in and day out…and now you tell me I’m the center of something big? Sounds good to me, where do I sign!?”

My words had a shimmer of sarcasm, but the High Elder turned slightly, his eyes squinting at me and finally commenced down a large set of winding stairs.

“Robe.”

“What?”

“It’s not a dress,…it’s a Robe.”

I just smiled to myself. “Where are we going, anyway?”

Looking around at the increasing number of odd symbols on the walls, ceiling and stairs. Everything was covered with…‘eyes’. Like the ones in old painting—which follow you no matter where you go. They may have been made out of wood and stone—but something told me the dress-wearing blue skin and I were not alone.