It’s the fourteenth episode of the UltraCreatives Interview Series; this one’s an incredible conversation with the brilliant multifaceted artist J.R. Blackwell.

J.R. is a writer, photographer, singer, podcaster, blogger, contortionist and performer. She’s incredibly gifted at all of these art forms, many of which skew toward the fantastical and horrific. In this interview, J.C. and J.R. Blackwell talk not only talk about her many projects, but also what  informs and unifies her creative style throughout these different media. It’s an incredible conversation, and J.C. was thrilled to have her on the show.

Find J.R. Blackwell on the World Wide Everywhere:

• JRBlackwell.com
• BlackwellVisions.com
• 365 Tomorrows website
• 365 Tomorrows podcast
• J.R. Blackwell’s Flickr site
• J.R. Blackwell’s 365 Days photo project

This is the first of two UltraCreatives interviews for this week. Watch the feed on July 1, when J.C. drops his interview with Matthew Wayne Selznick, author of the novel Brave Men Run.

Coming up in the podcast feed: Two “Voices From the Darkness” fan-created 7th Son: OBSIDIAN episodes, and then the first part of Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff’s epic OBSIDIAN story.

PROMOS:

• The Random Encounter Show
• MacMod podcast
• Lost Falchion podcast novel

 UltraCreatives Interview #14: J.R. Blackwell [48:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In my grand vision of the Internet and how I interact with folks in the online space, I see this website, JCHutchins.net, as my “fort” — a base of operations from where most of my content hails, and where I want most folks engaging with me and my art. However, I perceive social media networks beyond my site as “beachheads,” and have presences on services like Facebook and Myspace because I know that’s where people congregate.

My perceptions of these beachheads have changed throughout the years. My opinion of them has improved, mostly because of the cool tools and applications folks are now creating that transcend the one-dimensional “Bite A Friend” games. I crave something useful in my social media apps, something that can not only help evangelize my work, but organize my thoughts and share some fun personal details with my audience. Of course, being an indie content creator, I want to do all this on my terms.

Imagine my surprise when this scrappy, indie writer learned how uberbrand Coca-Cola could help me do just that.

The folks at Coke have concocted something very clever with their “CokeTag” Facebook Application. (You can see my personal CokeTag at my FB Profile.) Here’s an elegant app that allows you to share information about yourself, spread the word about worthy causes, or promote your friends and the great things (or nonsense) they’re up to. The app is robust and flexible enough for folks like me (who like to control nearly every aspect of the information piping through the thing), yet intuitive enough to get users rolling in seconds.

The app gives you five “categories” with which to fill with content. As I configured my app, I selected a category called “Music That I Like” and simply typed the names of my favorite bands. Here’s the groovy part: the CokeTag app cross-referenced my hand-typed content with Amazon’s Alexa web search engine and automatically inserted the URLs of those bands’ sites into the app. There was zero fuss or management on my end, and nearly all of the auto-results were accurate. Very cool.

I appreciated that I could override those auto-results with better URLs when needed.

You may choose from a list of pre-created content categories, or create your own. I chose to create a “Podcasts I Dig” category to give my audience a peek into what shows I enjoy … and also help promote my podcolleages. (Every link helps.) This homebrew feature has great promise. I can easily create a Cool Stuff category, which I can update with the interesting links I discover as I bebop around the Web. BoingBoing lite.

There is a low-key “viral” element to the app — you can post your friends’ CokeTag apps within your Profile, and there’s some business about tracking clicks to your CokeTag (which calculates how “influential” you are) — but its truly spiffy evangelical element is the ability to share the app in Facebook messages, or on a friend’s Wall. Suddenly, I’m armed with an easily-sharable portal into my personal interests, and a sly way to spread the word about killer content.

The app is fun to use out of the box, and has enough customization features to please scrappy DIYers like myself. Highly recommended.

–J.C.

This week’s OBSIDIAN short-short is slightly different — which perfectly matches the sensibilities of its creator, the incomparable Soccergirl. For nearly as long as there’s been podcasting, Soccergirl has been there, defying expectations and conventions … and telling tales on her terms, normalcy be damned.

New media performance artist, skeptic, atheist, author, musician, (and super-spy, J.C. is convinced of it) and one of the first podcasters ever, Soccergirl has written, starred in and produced nearly 300 episodes of her popular audio and video podcast, “Soccergirl, Incorporated,” reaching an audience of up to 80,000 worldwide.

Soccergirl has also appeared on Sirius satellite radio, television and terrestrial radio, and in various print publications including The New York Times and Wired Magazine. Soccergirl wrote, directed and starred in “The Soccergirl Second,” a theatrical adaptation of her show (performed at The Brick Theater in New York City) and has just completed an absolutely brilliant book of short fiction and essays, forthcoming from Mevio Press.

If you enjoyed this small peek into the genius that is the “Soccergirl, Incorporated” experience, please visit SG’s website at SoccergirlIncorporated.com, send her an appreciative email, and check out her other work. (Photo by Chris Marquant.)

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: J.C. takes us out of the blackout for another UltraCreatives interview with J.R. Blackwell, and then we dive back in with audio and video “Voices From the Darkness” episodes.

Feedback about OBSIDIAN is welcome and appreciated! Send J.C. an email, leave a comment below, or call the Clone Line at 206-984-2566 (CLONE).

 OBSIDIAN: Episode 11 VIDEO [1:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week’s OBSIDIAN showcase short story, titled A Rose By Any Other Name, is written and narrated by award-winning author and podcaster Mur Lafferty. Ride shotgun with young heroine Rose, as she learns a secret about her name … and must face unfathomable odds during the OBSIDIAN blackout.

If you enjoy Mur’s tale, please send a few gracious words her way. Her contact information can be found at her website, Murverse.com.

J.C. covers some fun, if familiar, ground in his “talky talk” segments, including:

• The popular John Alpha for President election campaign
• 7th Son: Runner, J.C.’s new serialized mobile phone text story, which is rolling out now. Find details here and here.

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: A priceless video short-short by Soccergirl. A new UltraCreatives interview with J.R. Blackwell will drop after that, and we’ll close out the week with more audio and video “Voices From the Darkness” OBSIDIAN episodes!

PROMOS:

• The Takeover audio drama
• Short Cummings Audio podcast
• Aurora Hunter podcast novel

Feedback about OBSIDIAN is welcome and appreciated! Send J.C. an email, leave a comment below, or call the Clone Line at 206-984-2566 (CLONE).

 OBSIDIAN Episode 10 [47:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I rarely post interviews of myself in my own podcast feed — I always fear that the act is a little smug and self-congratulatory — but I simply could not not showcase this recent conversation with brilliant interviewer Stephen Kilbride from the “Tea and Chat” podcast.

What makes Stephen’s interview so special? While it is perhaps the longest interview I’ve ever done in podcasting … and I’ve done well over 100 in the past two years … it’s also one of the most exhaustive and authoritative in its scope and depth. While longtime 7th Son fans will know the trilogy’s plot “elevator pitch” all too well — and several other anecdotes found here — this conversation explores my perspectives on podcasting, publishing and writing … and how I think projects like 7th Son: OBSIDIAN can permanently (and positively) change the landscape of storytelling.

I believe no other interview I’ve done to date better encapsulates my thoughts on new media, free content, and where I think fiction can go, when authors empower their audiences to participate in the creative process. The lines between creator and spectator are blurring, and I think that’s an exciting thing indeed.

You’ll also hear me chat about topics other than 7th Son and OBSIDIAN. We touch on the UltraCreatives Interview Series (and why it may not return after OBSIDIAN’s conclusion), my advice for new writers, creative inspirations for my characters, the roots of my undying gratitude for 7th Son fans, and a lot more.

I hope you enjoy this very long interview, and — more important — I hope you check out Stephen’s incredible “Tea and Chat” podcast, in which he interviews other authors in the podcasting space. It’s must-listen content, and I’m grateful to Stephen for making so much time to chat with me for his show.

–J.C.

 BONUS: "Tea and Chat" interview with J.C. Hutchins [1:44:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The first installment of J.C. Hutchins’ serialized “cellphone-centric” text story 7th Son: Runner is now available for download! Runner is the first story of its kind from a podcast novelist: the tale isn’t available in print or audio … but is available for reading on your mobile phone. (Folks who do not have a mobile phone — or have one, with no data plan — fret not: the story is available for you, as well. More on this in a moment.) As with all stories in the 7th Son experience, you can enjoy Runner for free.

7th Son: Runner chronicles the story of James DeFalco, assistant director of the 7th Son facility. DeFalco was a small supporting character in 7th Son, Book One: Descent — but here, he takes center stage. Astute 7th Son fans may recall DeFalco, and Book One’s facility-wide evacuation that sent all “nonessential” 7th Son personnel topside until the John Alpha crisis had passed. DeFalco was one such employee, and Runner reveals much more about this nigh-anonymous doctor … and the 7th Son legacy … than you could have ever imagined.

This is the first time anyone, anywhere, can actually read J.C. Hutchins’ fiction.

Runner was written for, and is intended to be read on, cell phone screens. Users must have mobile Web access to download and read the Runner .txt files as they are released. But that doesn’t mean folks who don’t have a data plan (or a cell phone, for that matter) can’t enjoy the story. J.C. has made certain that anyone with Internet access can download this serialized text.

Visit this page to learn how to sign up to receive SMS “text blast” announcements when future Runner installments are released. If you’re just now learning about Runner, you won’t be able to receive the FIRST text blast — that’s already been sent into the wild — but you can receive the next blast by signing up today.

All readers — including those who sign up now, folks who do not have a data plan, or folks who are have a mobile carrier not supported by Myxer (the service J.C. is using to release this story), don’t worry: you can find the URLs linking to Runner‘s episodes in the “cell phone” graphic found at J.C.’s Myxer Artist page.

The story’s just started, so sign up — and get ready to run. By the time Runner concludes, the 7th Son universe will never be the same …

The kindest comment an artist can receive is when he’s told that the value of his work transcends the media in which his art is being shared. That’s a fancy way of saying, “It’s really frickin’ cool when people think about your stuff long after they listen to it.”

Take this email I received today from Lorin in Pheonixville, Pennsylvania:

After listening to your “Voices from the Darkness” podcast at work, it really freaked me out when the lights suddenly went out in my apartment later that day. … The storm that followed was a mighty one — the wind was blowing, and my husband and I quickly jumped up in search of our flashlights.

After we resettled into seats at our kitchen table, I looked my husband and said I felt like I had steeped into “Voices from the Darkness.” He asked what I was talking about, and together we listened to the podcast as police sirens were heard in the distance and someone was cursing up a storm outside. It was really creepy! Too real for us! What a great way to listen to the podcast.

After listening, we sat in the darkness in the quiet, and I wondered what it would be like to live like that for several weeks, or even years! Blackouts never used to make me think about what it might like to be in one for longer than a day or so, until I started listening to the stories told throughout your podcasts. … Here’s hoping that we do not have a nationwide blackout anytime soon, because you are right — when the lights go out, chaos does reign!

For a guy like me, emails don’t get much better than that. According to Lorin, she’s in good hands when the lights go out: her husband is a former Eagle Scout, and is prepared for nearly any problem. Dig the photo: hubby whipped up a head-mounted flashlight solution later that evening so they could play Scrabble. How cool!

Thanks for the awesome email, Lorin … and thanks for reminding me that the best feedback an entertainer can receive is when he’s told that his work is being appreciated long after it’s been experienced.

–J.C.

Yes! It appears that the bona-fide’s presidential campaign transcends mere bumper stickers. Behold, an excerpt from Robert Romero’s blog, in which he proclaims his loyalty to John Alpha in the upcoming U.S. election:

John Alpha:  A fitting name for a new beginning that is desperately needed in our country.  John Alpha is a visionary with a grand outlook for our country.  He feels that he can truly bring the United States to a place of respectability and honor.  He is a man of many skills, traits, and dare I say, personalities.  His personality is so powerful that it seems like he is more than one person at the same time.

Rock on! Read the full text of Robert’s blog post here. And if YOU want to evangelize Alpha’s cause, either visit JohnAlphaForPresident.com to get your free bumper sticker, or just as cool, post a message of loyalty yourself on your blog, Twitter stream, Facebook or Myspace profiles! Be sure to email me your proclamation; I’ll be sure to spread the word.

Thanks, Robert, for casting your vote for Alpha. “A” is for America!

–J.C.

It’s the second video “Voices From the Darkness” episode, and this one’s terrific.

All contributions seen in this vidcast were created by 7th Son fans from across the globe.

Behold the 7th Son universe during the blackout, as witnessed by its victims … and captured for all the world to see.

Contributions by:

• Stewart Boyles
• Michael Bekemeyer
• Natalie Metzger
• Brent Weichsel

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: A brief Clone Line episode, and then a short story by novelist Mur Lafferty.

 OBSIDIAN: Episode 9 "Voices From the Darkness" VIDEO [7:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome to the second audio episode of “Voices From the Darkness.” This week’s presentation features only one recording, but it’s a chiller. It’s the OBSIDIAN blackout, as seen through the eyes of ham radio operators across the nation. Sometimes it’s not the news you see that’s horrifying … it’s the news you hear.

This week’s masterpiece of audio, complete with authentic slang, created by 7th Son fan Mark Smith.

If you want to contribute to future episodes of “Voices from the Darkness,” time is growing short. You have until July 7, 2008 to call the National Blackout Emergency Hotline at 206-222-9158 and leave a message as if you are a victim in this blackout. Remember: J.C. is not looking for traditional short stories — your call must adhere to the conceit that the blackout is real, and you are experiencing it now.

Coming up next on 7th Son: OBSIDIAN: The second episode of the video installment of “Voices From the Darkness.”

Feedback about OBSIDIAN is welcome and appreciated! Send J.C. an email, leave a comment below, or call the Clone Line at 206-984-2566 (CLONE).

 OBSIDIAN: Episode 8 "Voices From the Darkness" [14:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download