Glow-in-the-Dark Radio

Introducing... Red Hot! #1 out next Wednesday!!

2012-01-26T23:02:00.000-05:00

My first full-color modern super powered hero book comes out next Wednesday! Earthbound Comics releases "Introducing... Red Hot!" #1, written and lettered by me with art -pencils, inks and colors - by the talented Rhys ap Gwyn, on February 1st. It's a super-hero coming-of-age story - young Red Hot is trying to prove himself a hero worthy of following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Unfortunately, his latest tip leads to a bank being robbed by a most unusual criminal - the founder of the The Team! "Introducing... Red Hot #1" will be available Print-On-Demand at IndyPlanet.com and as a digital download from DriveThruComics.com.

Here's a preview!

BC's Mission to Fortune Station Comes to Its End!

2012-01-21T20:37:00.000-05:00

Sex, lies, politics, murder, religion... the chapters of my science fiction adventure Vatican Assassin on this episode of Glow-in-the-Dark Radio have it all! BC's mission to Fortune Station has been a spectacular failure. Insteading of assassinating cult leader The Light, the cult took BC prisoner. They've been trying to brainwash him, poisoning his food and dosing him with psychedelic drugs. Last episode BC talked to God... maybe. Now he's talking to cult members about something kind of radical...

Listen to chapters 19 & 20 from my free Vatican Assassin audiobook - and get a little bit of news, too. My new comic book Introducing... Red Hot! #1 comes out February 1st from Earthbound Comics. I was a guest on this week'sGeek Radio Daily (http://geekradiodaily.com). And the new free audiobook The Adventures of Alibi Jones: Six Short Stories is available now from iTunes and Podiobooks.com.

More about my stuff at http://glowinthedarkradio.com and http://vaticanassassin.com.

Introducing... Red Hot! #1

2012-01-20T00:36:00.000-05:00

Coming out on February 1st: Introducing... Red Hot! #1!

BC Talks to God...

2012-01-15T13:01:00.001-05:00

...Maybe.

BC is still a prisoner of the religious cult squatting the abandoned Fortune Station - they're dosing his food with poisons and mind-altering drugs, messing with his mind - hard to say what's real, what isn't - what BC's mind is creating and what he's actually experiencing. That's for you to decide...

It's 2109 and BC kills people - or tries to kill people - for the pope of the New catholic Church. But BC's mission to assassinate the cult's leader "The Light" isn't going so well...
The science fiction adventure Vatican Assassin continues on Glow-in-the-Dark Radio! Get a quick dose of news and a run down of the story so far, and then enjoy Chapter 18 of the novel. The science fiction is written and read by me - Mike Luoma. Our podcast theme music is by Juan Carlos Quattordio. I put The Vatican Assassin theme together myself.
Want to learn more about the world of Vatican Assassin and Alibi Jones? Head to http://vaticanassassin.com - http://alibijones.com - and http://glowinthedarkradio.com.

Good Time to get My Books - Lulu Giving 25% Off All My Titles!

2012-01-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

Lulu wants to sell books. I'd like to sell some of my books. We've got a sort of conspiracy going working towards those mutual ends. They send me emails - give me coupon codes. Then I try to entice you to follow some links to my books with said codes and the promise of a discount. Now, if you weren't planning on buying one of my books, you'd still save more money by not buying anything at all. But maybe you were thinking, considering picking up a copy of the Panthea Obscura graphic novel or the Special Edition of the Vatican Assassin Trilogy Omnibus, or Alibi Jones - but the regular price was just a little too much. Perfect. Have we got a deal for you! :)

Details from Lulu:
25% off any of your books
Coupon Code: LULUBOOK305
Coupon expires January 31, 2012
$50 Max Savings
So you can save 25% on as many of my books as you want, until you've saved up to $50 on your order. Which would be like, what, about $150 bucks in books? That would be cool and all, but I'm not thinking anyone I know is gonna spend like that. So you should be all set.

My main book page at Lulu is here: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mikeluoma
You'll find most everything there. Or go directly to:
Alibi Jones - cost w/25% off: $14.96 (usually $19.95)
The Vatican Assassin Omnibus Edition - 25% off: $24.29!! (usually $32.39) - great deal for the hardcover 3-in-1 edition!
Panthea Obscura - the full color 94p graphic novel with art by Juan Carlos Quattordio - 25% off: $18.71 - (usually $24.95)

I'm not saying you have to buy anything. But now is a good time, if you'd like to.

Will The Vatican Assassin See The Light?

2012-01-07T16:15:00.002-05:00

When we last left BC - the Vatican Assassin - he was getting clubbed over the head by a religious cultist on a distant space station! It's 2109 and BC kills people - or tries to kill people - for the pope of the New catholic Church. BC's mission to assassinate the cult's leader "The Light" isn't going so well... Find out what happens next on this episode - will BC see The Light?

Now you know enough to jump in and enjoy Chapters 16 and 17 of the science fiction adventure Vatican Assassin on Glow-in-the-Dark Radio! As always, the fiction is written and read by me - Mike Luoma. Our podcast theme music is by Juan Carlos Quattordio. The Vatican Assassin theme is my own.

In the news - many thanks to Geek Radio Daily for mentioning my new audiobook The Adventures of Alibi Jones: Six Short Stories on their latest 'cast! Find them at http://geekradiodaily.com. Been talking to them about appearing on their show, too - I'll let you know if and when that happens.

Want to learn more about the world of Vatican Assassin and Alibi Jones?
Head to http://vaticanassassin.com - http://alibijones.com - and http://glowinthedarkradio.com.

Great News and Chapter Fifteen of VATICAN ASSASSIN

2011-12-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

All kinds of news and chapter fifteen of the science fiction adventure Vatican Assassin - on this episode of Glow-in-the-Dark Radio. BC has made it to Fortune Station - just barely! Now it's time to snuff out The Light... Just as soon as he finds his way inside.

The news? The Adventures of Alibi Jones: Six Short Stories came out this week at Podiobooks.com! Six science fiction audio short stories – a chronicle of Alibi Jones’ exploits across the expanse of the Solar Alliance and beyond! Alibi Jones is a mediator for the SAIF – Solar Alliance Interplanetary Force – but that doesn’t stop trouble from coming his way. Travel with Alibi from Earth to the asteroid belt – from the human colony of Cat’s Eye to the alien water world of Kee’Ere – from a lost, unnamed orb on the fringes of explored space to a planet that should not be called Paradise. Find out more and get free downloads at http://www.podiobooks.com/title/alibi-jones-six-short-stories/

More at http://alibijones.com http://vaticanassassin.com and http://glowinthedarkradio.com

The New ALIBI JONES Free Audio Book is OUT!

2011-12-28T21:28:00.002-05:00

Time to travel to the 22nd century! Wrap your ears around six new audio short stories with Alibi Jones!

The Adventures of Alibi Jones: Six Short Stories is available at Podiobooks.com! Get your free downloads here: http://www.podiobooks.com/title/alibi-jones-six-short-stories

The Adventures of Alibi Jones: Six Short Stories audio book collection features three stories of about a half hour length and three shorter stories that clock in at just over ten minutes each. This new audiobook is the perfect entry point for new readers, so I’m hoping to get some more folks checking out my books with this one.

The stories:

Blind Eye – Alibi runs into an old flame at a diplomatic function. Shirra is helping to sell a new colony that a now suspicious Alibi has never heard of... Also appears in Podioracket Presents: Glimpses, at Podiobooks.com. The comic book version, with art by Meisha, can be found in The Adventures of Alibi Jones #1 published by Earthbound Comics.

Father’s Day – The story of how Alibi met his father BC – the Vatican Assassin! A variation on the final chapter of the Vatican Assassin Trilogy from the perspective of three year old Alibi Jones. The comic book version, with art by Rhys ap Gwyn, appears in The Adventures of Alibi Jones #1published by Earthbound Comics.The Vatican Assassin Trilogy – Vatican Assassin, Vatican Ambassador and Vatican Abdicator – are all available at Podiobooks.com.

Vacation – Paradise isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What with the coup and all. A revised telling of a story that originally appeared in the anthology Podioracket Presents: Visionaries. A comic book version is in the works.

In Over His Head – Some negotiations offer more challenges than others – sometimes for the oddest, yet most natural of reasons. The comic book version, with art by Juan Carlos Quattordio,is in the anthology Earthbound Comics Presents #1.

About Time – An old friend arrives with a big new problem. Related: is time travel really possible? The comic book version, with art by Meisha, is in The Adventures of Alibi Jones #1 published byEarthbound Comics.

The Wishing Stone – A tale of alien archeology and ancient power. As always, you should be careful what you wish for... – A never before seen or heard short story exclusive to thisPodiobooks.com collection!

More at Podiobooks.com and GlowintheDarkRadio.com!

Great Review of The Adventures of Alibi Jones #1 - The Comic - Today!

2011-12-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

As I celebrate the release of the new Alibi Jones audio book today, along comes a review of the comic book from the folks over at Geeks of Doom - they loved it! How awesome is that!

"There is a lot to like in this issue. Action and intrigue, coupled with fantastic artwork make for a fantastic read. The Adventures Of Alibi Jones‘ first issue was great... Mike Luoma has introduced this great character in bold fashion."

You can read the full review here:
http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2011/12/28/comic-review-the-adventures-of-alibi-jones/

New Alibi Jones Audiobook Comes Out Wednesday!

2011-12-26T21:42:00.001-05:00

The 22nd Century begins this Wednesday... get ready to travel the stars with Alibi Jones! The new audiobook appears at Podiobooks.com - There's a Podiobooks facebook page for the "event" of the release:

https://www.facebook.com/events/280478851999843/

A New Mission for BC!

2011-12-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays! As I'm prepping this episode a little early, there isn't much in the way of news or promotion this week - I'm afraid you'll just have to settle for three straight chapters of VATICAN ASSASSIN! These three together tell the story of BC's trip out to Fortune Station, as he seeks to assassinate the leader of a throwback cult that has occupied the once-abandoned space station.

Free science fiction adventure - my gift to you this holiday season and all year 'round, on the Glow-in-the-Dark Radio Podcast!

"Think Frank Miller’s HOLY TERROR without all of that bat-shit annoying Frank Miller-ness and you’ll get the drift of this one..."

2011-12-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

"This is a fun book which empowers women while it entertains and inspires hope."

Sometimes you get a review that makes your MONTH. This review of Ben Ferrari and my Souverain #1 by Ambush Bug over at Ain't It Cool News did that for me. Souverain #1 is Earthbound Comics' book for December:

"Collecting five short stories featuring the female vigilante Souverain, this issue is a great introduction to the character created by Ben Ferrari and written by Ferrari and Mike Luoma. Set in the conflict of the Middle East in Iraq, Souverain serves as a masked force for justice, operating by going AWOL from her military unit in order to fight crimes that happen on foreign soil. Part revenge fantasy/part bold superhero adventure, this is a character that one most likely wouldn’t see in a mainstream comic. Ben Ferrari writes and draws the first tale, a bit of an origin story for our heroine. Mike Luoma steps in to write two hard-biting, hot button-pressing ~~prose~~ tales. Think Frank Miller’s HOLY TERROR without all of that bat-shit annoying Frank Miller-ness and you’ll get the drift of this one. This book successfully mixes real world issues with superheroism, while remaining respectful to the men and women fighting overseas and pointing a finger at atrocities performed around the world. This is a fun book which empowers women while it entertains and inspires hope. - Ambush Bug" http://www.aintitcool.com/node/52200#11

I corrected "prose" because that's not quite right - I did write a brand new prose piece, "The Kid", for the book, but he second "story" - the interconnected "One Nation - Under God - Liberty and Justice for All" is a good old fashioned comic book story with art by Ben and letters by Matt Grant and myself.

Get a digital download for 99 cents here: http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=96675
Order a print copy here: http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6337

Another cool review here: http://www.blogthispal.com/2011/11/life-during-wartime-review-of-souverain.html
(Thanks, Gordon!)

It's a Mountain Goat Christmas, Charlie Brown!

2011-12-21T10:22:00.001-05:00

The Mountain Goats cover "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Best Tunes of 2011

2011-12-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

It was a pretty good year, despite Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene's attempt to wash some of Vermont off the map. Pop culture-wise, while much was cringe-worthy there were some real gems - take Game of Thrones, for example. I think it's the first time a TV series got me reading a book series - and both were fantastic.

It feels like music is getting better - more bands are doing creative, interesting things. Of course, I've been exposed to more new music over the last couple years, so that may be coloring my judgement. As I get into new releases by bands with histories, I do like having earlier releases to go back to check out.

I've been asked to pick my Top Five Albums of 2011 a couple of times, so I've had to think about it... it keeps changing... so this top five is my third different one I've committed to print!

Number Five: Opeth - Heritage

Number Four: My Morning Jacket - Circuital

Number Three: Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing

Number Two: Bright Eyes - The People's Key

Number One: Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones

There are more picks from this year on this YouTube Playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1713F7DEB5B65C0C&feature=mh_lolz

Never-Before-Revealed Bonus Material - AND Two Chapters of VATICAN ASSASSIN!

2011-12-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

Never-before-revealed bonus fiction on today's Glow-in-the-Dark Radio Podcast!

Get caught up with a quick rundown of the story so far and then hear Chapters 10 and 11 of Vatican Assassin on this episode of Glow-in-the-Dark Radio! There's also bonus short fiction, a short story fragment set in 2072 - 37 years prior to the story being told now! Hear a part of fictional history, right after the chapters from the novel.
BC - the Vatican Assassin - recuperates after he's nearly killed. Hasn't been able to talk for a couple of weeks. He was left for dead in a deserted outbuilding, marooned without air on the lunar surface by a double agent during the last attack on Lunar Prime by the Universal Islamic Nation. Now it's time for BC to check back in with his boss... The Pope!
Links: http://glowinthedarkradio.com http://vaticanassassin.com

Two Adventures - One Podcast!

2011-12-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

Here it is - podcast number 181! Vatican Assassin AND Souverain!

This week on Glow-in-the-Dark Radio it's chapters eight and nine of my science fiction adventure VATICAN ASSASSIN! Get a quick rundown of the story so far as BC - the man who kills for the Pope - tries to get away with murder, after almost getting killed himself! And then hear the new chapters. PLUS the bonus this episode is the second part of my short story "Souverain: The Kid" - our favourite soldier and vigilante is taking on suicide bombers and the U.S. Army! The entire short story is in the new book SOUVERAIN #1 from Earthbound Comics! From deep space to the deadly streets of Iraq - with a little bit of book news, too... Links: http://glowinthedarkradio.com http://vaticanassassin.com http://earthboundcomics.com

Happiness Is... A New Book!

2011-12-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

Here it is - my newest baby Souverain #1

Print copies arrived at the house today!

War Between Planets and Vigilantes in the Middle East!

2011-12-03T19:26:00.000-05:00

Hear Chapter Seven of Vatican Assassin and Part One of "Souverain: the Kid" on this episode!

The Universal Islamic Nation (UIN) brings the war from Mars back to the Moon and Earth Orbit in chapter seven of my science fiction adventure VATICAN ASSASSIN! Listen in for a quick rundown of the story so far to get up to speed, and then enjoy the ride! PLUS there's a bonus on this podcast episode - you'll hear part one of the audio adaptation of my short story "Souverain: The Kid" - as our favourite soldier and vigilante deals with the hero worship of a local and the U.S. Army - The entire short story is out this week in SOUVERAIN #1 from Earthbound Comics! From deep space to the deadly streets of Iraq - with a little bit of book news, too...

Links: http://glowinthedarkradio.com http://vaticanassassin.com http://earthboundcomics.com

Sample Saturday Featuring VATICAN ASSASSIN!

2011-12-03T15:24:00.001-05:00

Check out my buddy Jake Bible's blog today to read the first four chapters of Vatican Assassin! Jake has a feature called "Sample Saturday" where he posts free tastes of folks' work for your reading pleasure:
http://jakebible.com/2011/12/03/sample-saturday-mike-luoma/

SOUVERAIN #1 is OUT!

2011-12-01T08:24:00.000-05:00

My new book is out today - SOUVERAIN #1! More a group effort than mine alone, of course. The character was created by Earthbound Comics founder Ben Ferrari, and he wrote the origin story in this issue. And Ben draws and inks all the comic book stories collected here. Former Earthbound honcho Matt Grant letters three of the four stories - I lettered the fourth and did the production work on the issue - spending a bunch of time on things you won't really notice but that hopefully make the book more cool!

For those who asked - Mike, love Souverain, but do I have to buy all those Lady Fight issues to get her whole story? Not anymore! All four of Souverain's Lady Fight stories are now gathered here under one cover - And what a cover! With pencils and inks by Seth Frail and color by Chuck Michael Obach, the brand-new cover art really sets the tone for the issue - Beautiful!

For those now wondering - Mike, why should I buy this new issue if the stories are from those other books? Well, I've written a brand-new prose short story "The Kid" with new illustrations by Kitae Kim - there's a bunch of brand-new material!

For those of you wondering who the hell Souverain is, in these pages you can "Meet the woman who works with the U.S. Army by day and strikes out at night delivering justice on her own as the vigilante SOUVERAIN!"

It's in print here (Indy Planet): http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6337

Get the 99 cent download at Drive thru Comics: http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=96675

And there's been a review: http://www.blogthispal.com/2011/11/life-during-wartime-review-of-souverain.html

Save 25% on My Books!

2011-11-24T23:33:00.001-05:00

Lulu just sent me a coupon to share that you can use to save 25% on any of my books!

You can find my books here: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mikeluoma

And here's the Lulu info:

25% off any of your books
Coupon Code: BUYMYBOOK305
Coupon expires December 14, 2011
$50 Max Savings

So that's the deal - The Lulu people also said in their email:
How you use this coupon is completely up to you. You can share it on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. You can post it on your blog or mention it over Thanksgiving dinner -- as word-of-mouth sales always work well this time of year. We encourage you to get creative and encourage your audience to save. We do ask, however, that you make sure your buyers are aware of the coupon's max savings amount ($50) and the coupon's end date (December 14, 2011).

Enjoy!

Getting Away With Murder...

2011-11-20T00:43:00.000-05:00

Can BC get away with murder?

The Vatican Assassin has done his job - Governor Meredith McEntyre of Lunar Prime is dead. So far, no one suspects BC. Authorities are not yet even certain that McEntyre was killed - it looked like a heart attack. But McEntyre's widower Daniel is about to accuse BC of being her killer!

That's all you need to know to dive right in as Vatican Assassin continues - chapters five and six on this episode of Glow-in-the-Dark Radio!

Got carried away creating bonus material for this episode - there's more bonus stuff than chapters, and more than an hour's worth of both! Thought about breaking The History of the UIN up into two parts, but decided you could do that if you want. Just to forewarn ya - there won't be much next week with the holiday and all. But there will be an episode.

Come back each week for more chapters and exclusive background material from VATICAN ASSASSIN!

Links: http://vaticanassassin.com - http://glowinthedarkradio.com - http://mikeluoma.com

Page One of "Souverain: The Kid"

2011-11-16T20:53:00.001-05:00

Here's a look at page one of the prose short story in the new upcoming Souverain #1:

Souverain... soon!

2011-11-16T20:36:00.001-05:00

December 1st...

The Earthbound Comics release for December is Souverain #1 by Ben Ferrari and myself, along with Matthew Grant, Kitae Kim and Vic Moya, and Seth Frail and Chuck Michael Obach on cover art.

Spent a long time on the lettering and layout on this, too - but, again, I wanted it to be right :)

Black and Blue From the New 52

2011-11-13T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is not a complaining, bitching and moaning blog post. Got no problem with the New 52. I approve of the idea, the sort of risk-taking relaunch DC approached but failed to follow through on before – they almost did it a few times. Kudos to them for finally following through. It’s working. Sales are up. Digital sales are finally beginning to uptick. The timing on that couldn't be better with the excitement for new tablets and the market exploding right in front of us. Those new toys are going to need content. Could be time for a new comics renaissance. The future looks bright.

But right now? OW! OUCH! CUT IT OUT!

I’m getting black and blued by the New 52!

Call it "sucking all the air out of the room" or "dominating the market" or whatever you’d like, DC’s New 52 initiative has grabbed hold of the comic world’s collective consciousness and ferociously refuses to let go. Even now, Google "New 52" and you’ll discover article after article, blog post after blog post on "The New 52 – Two Months In!" and the like. The coverage is intense and exhaustive, from the highest trafficked websites down to the smallest comic book bloggers.

Hell, s’pose this is even more coverage... hurm.

This is all great for DC. As a fan of their iconic characters, gifted artists and talented writers, I’m happy for them. But their market saturation and domination makes the life of an independent comic creator an awful tough slog right now – it’s not easy for the little guy to fight against Supes, Batman and the rest of the Justice League!

My new book The Adventures of Alibi Jones #1 came out last month from small indie publisher Earthbound Comics. It’s a pretty sharp 40 page black and white comic with fantastic art and pretty good writing and lettering, if I do say so myself. It’s gotten a couple of great reviews. Just a couple, though. Because Alibi Jones is no match for Superman – it’s been almost impossible to garner coverage and reviews for my little indie book in the wake of the New 52.

Comic book blogs and websites aren’t doing anything wrong. They’re covering and writing about what the comic book buying public are spending their hard-earned cash on. I get Gary Scott Beatty’s Indie Comics Magazine’s emails. Today’s triggered this post, as I read, "DC had 51% of the comics unit share in October. That was a whopping 21 points over Marvel. My diamond brand manager said indie books are still struggling, some canceled, going up against books like Action Comics #1, #2 and #3."

I knew it wasn’t just me. Hard for all us little guys to go up against the Superheroes at full strength. Bad time to try getting an indie book noticed.

So this post is a bit of a plea. If you’re a web site reviewer, reporter, writer or blogger, please consider reviewing or covering an indy book or two this week. If you’re a comic book reader, please consider buying an indie comic book this week. You can find them at sites like IndyPlanet.com and DriveThruComics.com, to name just a couple.

Of course I’d love you to check out my new book The Adventures of Alibi Jones #1... more at http://AlibiJones.com. If you review or cover comics and want a pdf of the book, please email me at mike (dot) luoma (at) gmail (dot) com.

It’s hard out here for an indie comic trying to promote. Show your favorite indie creators a little love if you can this week. The future is looking bright, but right now we’re all a little black and blue from the New 52.