I'm a Mental Giant, this is the title of my comic book blog. Come on in and have a look around, maybe even leave a comment or two. If you like what you see, I have lots of other great comics on here as well. Oh, and don't forget to like and share. I'm always open for questions or comments, you can message me here or on twitter (@josh_halen) or through my facebook page. Thursday, May 19, 2011 Howdy, folks! So a couple weeks ago I started writing a new comic book called "The Adventures of Goo & the Little Giant," and I'm already halfway through with the first story arc. The premise of the comic is the story of this tiny little humanoid monster who was created in a chemical plant accident, and his adventure as he tries to find his place in the world and live a normal life. He's also the best friend of a tiny little green alien that looks like a little monster, and they've been raised by this nice couple that found them on an old farm at the edge of their world. It's set in a 1950's world, and some of the characters are modeled after people I knew growing up. Here's a preview of Goo's first day at a new school, and all the new teachers we have that meet him for the first time. It's funny in a 'monster-lives-in-a-town' way. I have some more illustrations I've done for the book, as well as some rough scribbles for the stories, but I'm still working out the details of the comic, so they might be a bit wonky for now. Hopefully I'll get some pages finished and put up for you to see soon. In the meantime I've put up some rough sketches of some of the characters so far. If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear them. You can check out the "Goo & The Little Giant" blog, including the first story arc, on my website here. Wednesday, May 11, 2011 Every once in awhile I'll run a Kickstarter campaign just to get the ball rolling. After this one it'll probably be another year or so before I do another. This time I'm asking for help in getting a series of shorts produced and shown in local theaters. The idea for the series is based on the stories I've written for the various anthologies I've been in over the years, and I really want to see them as an animated TV show or cartoon, so that's the goal this time around. I'm doing a Kickstarter this time because I don't really have the funds to cover all the costs involved in putting a show together, even with some pre-sale contributions. By doing a Kickstarter campaign I can get the ball rolling, and keep it rolling. Also, because a Kickstarter campaign means I can set some clear, specific goals, and if we reach them then we can get some amazing rewards, which will help me reach some other goals I have. So what are the goals? Here's some examples: Pledge $20 or more•Get your name included as a "special thanks" at the end credits. Pledge $45 or more•We can get the film printed in a DVD quality, collectible DVD box, and mailed to you. Pledge $90 or more•Receive an autographed DVD of the film (same as above) and an original drawing of a character from the film. And we've done it! In fact we're only 2 backers away from getting this project funded, which is pretty freaking amazing when you think about it. Of the 9 pledges I have made so far I have gotten 5 back, one more than the number I needed, but I'm looking at all the pledges going out this week, and the pledges for new stuff are starting to rise, so who knows how much we can actually get? If we get the funding by next week I will be able to hire some voice talent and a couple actors to help write the parts of the story. I can already see myself in an animated version of this story, maybe even as a main character, and it's very exciting. I'm also glad to see so many people coming out to support me, and I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot more of you in the near future, helping us to make this series a reality. If you haven't checked out the latest issue yet you can find it at your favorite retailer or download the PDF on the site. Also, we're doing a giveaway for all the pledges right now, which should be around until the end of May. Get all your pledges in by then and you can go in and add your name to the giveaway at the end credits. I'm also very excited for the next issue of the Ginger-Monster anthology, which should be out in a couple weeks, and it's doing something special, so I won't say any more about it at this time. Hopefully you're all enjoying the stories so far, I'm so happy that I'm able to make this comic, and I hope I can make something even cooler in the future. I'll see you at the end credits! Monday, May 9, 2011 Hi, folks! The good news is that the Kickstarter has ended, and we've reached the goal. The bad news is that only three people contributed toward the cause. All of which is a good thing for my ego though. This Kickstarter campaign was to help me fund my first animated film, which I'm putting together, and it was an experiment for me as a writer and filmmaker. I'm a huge fan of the Ginger-Monster anthology, and it's an incredible learning experience for me as a writer and a storyteller. In fact, I had already thought of making an animated version of one of the stories, but I never did anything about it. If you've been following along I've been posting the first chapter in this blog. Check out all the new stuff I