February has been blazing past. Why? Because of beer. Freedom Beer, to be precise. Since Codex Nekromantia ended last September I’ve been devoting more of my time to long term projects. I missed the frantic energy of serialized long-form fiction. Freedom Beer has been like a glass of, well, refreshing beer to slake my thirst for stress, deadlines and pressure.

Some writers work at their best in low-stress environments, like a secluded cabin. Other writers prefer the constant murmur of bars and cafes.

I work best with a series of minor emergencies pulling me along. Once I’ve built up my savings a little more, I’m planning to hire a part-time assistant to stand behind me all day and flick lit matches into my hair.

And now there’s a new way to support my goal of being slightly on fire at all times! With the help of the talented designer Ashley Hay, I have produced a tshirt based off of the Chronocyclops story in the Guide to Moral Living in Examples.

Because of my silly ideas about labor rights and the environment, the design is printed with PVC-free plastisol inks that are manufactured in the USA and silkscreened onto US-made Royal Apparel organic cotton tshirts – now with 100% less sexual harassment or weird tumors!

The store portion of A Path Fantastic isn’t quite ready yet. If you are jonesing really hard you can email me and we can sort out something where I meet you in an alley and pass you a parcel wrapped in brown paper and inside that parcel might even be a tshirt but I’m no snitch. Otherwise, the store should be available soon!

A fist arrives without any preample.

And Hank Rockjaw tags along behind it.

Freedom Beer, the newest Hank Rockjaw serial, begins today. My publisher, 1889 Labs, is graciously hosting it for its run. I’ll be posting entries Monday, Wednesday and Friday from now until February 29th.

There will be fists, beer, mystery, beer, jet fighters, beer, intrigue and beer.

If you don’t like Valentine’s Day, then this book is for you.

And if you do like Valentine’s Day, then you should also like this book because you seem to be the sort of person that likes things.

Who is gunning for Hank and the brewery that’s been in his family for generations? Who is behind the mysterious Saint Secaire Brewery? Is it Josh, former sweatshop owner and former punch recipient, trying to exact his revenge on Hank for ending his exploitative business? Or is it Zelphia, Josh’s enigmatic attorney, who arrives unannounced at his home?

And why is this book cover so fucking awesome?

Samuel the Inquisitor stood before the village council.

“You want to do what, again?” asked Farmer Shears.

“Inquisit!”

Farmer Shears turned to the village librarian, Ms. Kiwi.

“Is inquisit a word?”

“Of course it is!” Samuel said.

“I don’t think so,” Ms. Kiwi replied. “I think that you’re looking for the word ‘inquire.’”

“Oh, well that’s ok,” Farmer Shears said. He leaned back in his chair until it creaked and hooked his thumbs in his buttonholes while he let a magnanimous look spread across his face. “We’re happy to share information about our little village. What would you like to know?”

“Are any witches, demons or warlocks living in your midst? Read the rest of this entry »

Have villains got you down? Have their henchmen run roughshod all over your azaleas? Have their schemes ruined your anniversary dinner when the restaurant had to cancel your reservation due to a gigantic robotic mole burrowing through its foundations? Have they cut you off in traffic and honked while doing so?

Hank Rockjaw is in the same boat.

When a mysterious enemy threatens the Rockjaw family brewery Hank must use his wits and his fists to cut through a web of intrigue and betrayal. Who can he trust? Is it the beautiful and mysterious Zelphia Dipthong? Or Roland Wu, his mysterious gardener? Or the Cult of Aristaeus, a mysterious motorcycle gang?

Clear your calendars, because from February 1st to March 1st 1889 Labs will be hosting Hank Rockjaw’s latest serialized adventure: Freedom Beer!

“They’re not worth it,” Myrna said. She put a hand on her husband’s metal arm.

It vibrated beneath her hand because his tungsten carbide cutting blades had wound up.

“But they’re sitting there staring at us,” Mining Unit 1041 crackled. “We have rights.” Read the rest of this entry »

Coinciding with the SOPA/PIPA blackouts on January 18th (yesterday as of the time of this writing) the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the United States Congress may take works out of the public domain and re-copyright them. Read the rest of this entry »