👽Devil's Moon

Serializing strange space sightings

Every episode of Storymaze = writing ideas or writing-in-progress; something creative I’m excited to share; a highlight from my comic book writing; and a quote that’s worth a think.

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It’s still January — just barely! — so I still get to wish you all Happy New Year! 🎉🥳🥂This Eve we broke with the tradition of hanging with family to hit up a concert, featuring Jonathan Coulton (the genius behind the closing song in Portal) and They Might Be Giants (the lyrical loons promising birdhouses in our souls).

The sound mix was off so we couldn’t understand most of the words, but the music carried us into midnight with confetti and bubbles. I hope your ‘23 got off to an equally rocking (and nerdish) start.

Photo by Arisa Chattasa on Unsplash

It’s been a minute, so let’s catch up. We’re serializing “Something To Watch Over Us” — a faux documentary in the rhythm of “In Search Of.” If that doesn’t ring any bells — roll with it, I think you’ll have some fun along the way.

Our first couple of parts set up strange visuals from the moon, promoted by a conspiracy-fueled organization called Skyfire, investigated by a paranormal research group called The Cryptic, *maybe* tied to an rogue space shuttle, *definitely* dismissed by the Space Force official assigned to deny-deny-deny. (Refresh yourself with a click or a tap on Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.)

INVESTIGATOR/HOST — A Leonard Nimoy like guide into the unknown
KARL — An investigative researcher 
ANDREA - Leader of the Skyfire Project
COLONEL - A liaison for Space Force
WV GRANT - A preacher with a foreboding sense of doom

INT. SPACE FORCE HANGER – DAY

SFX: Indeterminate air traffic control chatter and high-speed whooshing aircraft.

COLONEL: The devil? The man in the moon is the devil? I thought this was at least a semi-serious piece of journalism.

INT. THAILAND CYBERCAFE – DAY

SFX: Low level Thai voices; clattering of diner dishes; video game sounds.

ANDREA: The devil doesn't have to mean "the devil." What about ancient technology? Alien technology...

INT. SPACE FORCE HANGER – DAY

SFX: Indeterminate air traffic control chatter and high- speed whooshing aircraft.

COLONEL: It would appear that for some, the thrill of space can’t hold a candle to the thrill of conspiracy. While I can not comment on mission specifics, I can state without hesitation that Space Force operations are based in reality- based principles of science.

INT. THAILAND CYBERCAFE – DAY

SFX: Low level Thai voices; clattering of diner dishes; video game sounds.

ANDREA: Why did we stop going to the moon? Did we find something that we couldn't deal with, that we had to run from? Artifacts so strange and beyond our understanding that of course we assigned a malicious purpose.

I admit, Grant has been an influence. I have a recording of him here...

SFX: A "thunk/click": the sound of an reel-to-reel player button being pressed; the low level hiss of an old tape recording.

WE HEAR THE VOICE OF W.V. GRANT: he has the power and presence of the actor Powers Boothe, the cadence and commitment of a scholar/preacher delivering truth to his flock.

WV GRANT (tinny, warbling): These lights in the sky... the manifestation of "fiery chariots" of the bible. Why do they bring a sense of peril?

It is my belief that the so-called space race is a race to the power of evil. To deny it, or ally with it.

I am conflicted. Do I reveal or conceal these truths? On the one hand, knowledge that may provide for the protection of humanity. On the other, madness for mankind as it realizes the terrible truth of what is watching us.

Do you want to know the cause of our earthly sorrows? It is because our prayers are blocked on the way to heaven. Perhaps Hell is not below, but above.

Next episode: The Cryptic Conclusion!

Still processing this one — and that’s a good thing. This isn’t a documentary about the artist so much as it’s a tone poem. It’s a frenetic collection, collision, rhapsody of image and sound that kaleidoscopes together selections of David Bowie’s performances, behind-the-scenes, interviews and pop-culture moments.

Don’t go in expecting to follow along so much as go with the fused-together flow. It’s not a narrative, but more an immersion. It’s probably not for everyone — but I’d love to hear what any of you think. It makes me wish I’d appreciated him even more when he was still with us.

This isn’t cosplay. Really, it’s not. But it might make its way to an upcoming comic book convention.

I haven’t been at many conventions as a guest in the last 20 years. But thanks to the great folks at Terrificon over the last few, I’ve got a renewed interest in showing up at shows. (If you’ve got an “in” on any invites, let’s talk!) As a writer, I’ve got less showy things to show off — so I thought a little prop-making might be a fun to prop up attention on my table. And who better to invite than hornhead himself?

We’ve had a family 3D printer for a few years, and it’s done mostly light duty on Xmas ornaments and D&D figures. (And that dog’s jaw bone. But that’s a story for those who are really paying attention…) This, however, is the first foray into a multi-part anything that’s then got to be assembled and smoothed out and painted and…and…

(For the makers in the audience, the machine isn’t big enough for an all-in-one, so it has to be printed in sections.)

As you can see from the Worf-like forehead, this one’s got a ways to go. But a lot of sandpaper, a little bondo, some wood putty — let’s check back in a few and see if it rises to the standards of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen!

“I am the Walker and the Maze.” — Catherynne M. Valente

Amazing Times

I’m D.G. Chichester. If that looks pretentious, feel free to just call me “Dan.”

I earned my storytelling cred writing comic book titles like Daredevil, Terror Inc., Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, along with digital widgets in the world wide web of advertising. I like weird tales, so if things here bend that way — now you know why!

Folks seem to like the comic book adventures I’ve written, so if you haven’t checked one out — please do. Many are now available in fab collected editions.

For the eager moments between newsletters…

@dgchichester — 280 characters from the Twitterverse

@dgchichester — images via Instagramland