Void logo, designed by my son, William III.

It is with no small amount of pride that I announce that issue #1 of my online comic, Void:  Let Man Put Asunder!, is now completed!  Many of you are aware of this ongoing storyline.  For those who do know, this will be a review.  For those who do not, I hope you’ll check it out after reading this week’s post.

Issue #1 just wrapped; cover art by Scott Reed.

Void is an original series created by yours truly and published free on my webpage.  If you are reading this blog, you can link to Void on the lower right corner of my home page.  You can also link and follow Void on Facebook, where I publish lots of photos and other stuff before it sees print on the webpage.  If you would like to check out Void on Facebook, please click this link, then “Like” the page.  I’d really appreciate it.

Enter the Void on Facebook Right Here!

Void is the ongoing saga of mysterious London investigator, Deacon Void. For some reason, his features are covered with massive bandages that are yet a mystery.  Since that appearance is unsettling, he usually wears a mask over those bandages when he appears in public.  He also seems to have some pull with the London Metro Police and just welcomed his assistant, a beautiful American named Georgia Fontaine. But Georgia has a secret herself and both are being watched closely by Peter Drissell (a character based on my real-life friend, British Brigadier Peter Drissell), an investigative reporter for The London Lighthouse newspaper.  Is Void a hero or villain, good or evil, dead or undead, angel or demon?  What is his purpose?  Why is he here?  Where did he come from?  All these questions will be answered page by page, issue by issue!  Discovering exactly WHO Void REALLY is will be a major part of the story.

Issue #1 established the groundwork for the series, a spooky, mystery thriller.  Operating in the shadows of the Tower of London, Issue #1: LET MAN PUT ASUNDER, was written by me, drawn by artist Blake Wilkie, and lettered by my son, William III.  In addition to introducing the above characters, Void disbanded a vicious street gang called “The Circus Freaks” and “ended” the marriage of a battered wife and abusive husband in a “unique” way!  Most of all, we established that VOID is both a person AND a place!  Plus, there is a huge PRICE to be paid for what he is doing!  And all of this was just issue #1!

Ink-wash art of VOID by Blake Wilkie, artist of issue #1!

Lovely Georgia Fontaine has a secret! Art by Przemyslaw R. Dedelis.

We have just begun issue #2, Like A THING Alive! This issue will introduce London Met Chief Sir Richard Holmes (from Scotland Yard) and a couple of baddies, cult leader Darwin Koenig and his brutish assistant, Apollo Thorne. You’ll see a creature from the depths of the nightmare realm and learn more and more about Void (both the man & the place), Georgia, and Peter.  Written by me, drawn by European talent Przemyslaw R. Dedelis, and inked by Samuel Grey, I think it’s unlike ANYTHING being published in the horror/thriller realm today.  I hope you’ll check it out.

Cover art to issue #2, Like a THING Alive! Art by Rich Hennemann.

VOID is intended to be told in 12-issues or story arcs, each consisting of 24-28 pages.  That’s more than 300 pages of slam bang action and high-tension suspense, and it’s all FREE!  VOID also features pin-ups (many in color) and a new “cover” for each arc, drawn by some of the best artists in the business today (from Don Perlin to Scott Reed to Jason Flowers to Rich Hennemann to Bill Mariman to Tim Tyler, to name a few)!  The tale is a bridge between my 2009 novel, I Know Why the Dogwoods Blush! (just nominated for best Fiction-Mystery book of the year by the Military Writers’ Society of America, or MWSA) and my planned 2012 sequel, Dove of War! The true identity of Void is a major part of next year’s Dove of War. Once it all comes together, I’m betting you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Sneak peak at the cover to issue #3, SUFFER A WITCH, which will begin in December 2011! Cover art by Jason Flowers.

Inspired by my lifelong love of old monster films, spooky tales of mystery, B&W horror magazines of the 1970s like Eerie & Creepy, and the newspaper strips of my youth, Void publishes each Tuesday and usually has a second feature on Thursday.  This online comic represents the culmination of a lifelong dream of mine … writing and publishing my own, original comic series.  I once said to my mentor, the late George Roussos,  “I’d like to write a Captain America story one day.”  He responded, “You are too talented a writer to write stories about characters whom other people created.  You should write stories about your OWN characters!”  So that’s what I’m doing with Mr. Deacon Void.  And George, I hope you are smiling all the way! 

If you like emotional drama with a touch of spooky “bite” to it, then please check it out and let me know what you think.  I am positive that once you dive in, you’ll be hooked.  And, if my guess is right, you won’t be disappointed!

Void in action; art by Blake Wilkie.

Check out Void and drop me a line with your thoughts!  We’d love to hear from you!

Beyond the light lies the darkness. And beyond the darkness lies ... THE VOID!