33 - Travel short.
In which travel happened, and words are finished and sent on their way.
This week’s newsletter is coming to you from the UK where we spending a couple of weeks dealing with some family-related stuff.
As there were a couple of long travel days involved, I didn’t really have time to put much together, so this will be a short missive this week.
Other Stuff
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Brabazon Bits
Research this week has turned to the details of the Brabazon’s construction, which has me wrestling with the conundrum of just how detailed should I be.
A lot of the research material I have, in both book form, and material from our archives visits back in February, is highly technical. But I don’t want to write a technical manual (ironic as that’s where my career started). I want to tell the Brabazon’s story not a dissertation on how it was all bolted together.
Some technical information is key to telling the story, and working on this chapter is where I’m wrestling with that balance the most.
Word Slinging
Back in 2012 I had a story title pop into my head but had no idea of what the story would be.
In the middle of last year I started writing that story and have worked on it since as a background project, mainly while traveling.
While I have always known what the ending would be, I had got stuck on the mechanics of the final scene. - Until 4:00am Sunday morning that is.
Writing followed.
A few hours later I typed those glorious two words “The End.”
It is now sitting with a very patient publisher
Talking of things sitting with a publisher, a couple of years ago I turned in a short piece for an anthology celebrating one of my favorite science fiction franchises. This week. I received my final edited copy to check over as the book is heading into production for release later this year. The fun part is that it’s my first published work related to that franchise. I’m looking forward to seeing it in print. Who is the franchise? Well more on that as official announcements materialize.
Pages and Screens
Book Read in 2023 - “Comics of the American West” by Maurice Horn.
I enjoy cowboy comics, have quite a few in my collection, and I’m often on the lookout for them at conventions. Unfortunately, they are often difficult to find these days.
This volume from 1977 provides a good grounding in the history of the genre in comic strips and comic books from around the world, and as such gave me a few more titles that I need to be on the lookout for.
Noted comics historian Maurice Horn does not hold back on his views on the quality of writing and art on many titles, almost to the extent that I began to wonder if he actually enjoyed any Western comic he’d read. However, his exploration of the central themes and ongoing international appeal of the Western motif was fascinating.
About a decade ago I was in conversation with a publisher about doing a modern history of Western comics, but unfortunately they didn’t feel there was a market for it. I still think we need one.
Podcast Procrastinations
The Before They Were Beatles podcast - A quick reminder that Episode 25 of The Before They Were Beatles podcast is now live and available on your podcast platform of choice.
Entitled “Beginnings and Endings” it covers the events of September through to December 1962 as we complete our journey as The Beatles return to the recording studio, make their TV debut, and say goodbye to Hamburg.
A quick reminder that the latest issue of the companion Before They Were Beatles newsletter is now online in which we take a look at John Lennon's tumultuous schooldays.
This month the newsletter's full contents are available FREE to all subscribers. So if you haven't checked out this monthly look at a slice of early Beatles history, this is the ideal opportunity.
Where on the Web is Alan?
You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.
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See you next time
Alan J. Porter
Horn's book is probably the best history of western comics. But I agree, a new one is sorely needed.