Gallery: “Playing for Keeps” covers
May 1, 2008
While writing is my first passion (and the only thing I feel I’m truly good at), I do have a handful of other talents, one of them being graphic design. I’m no Photoshop ninja, but I can bang out a decent logo, provided it’s typography-based. I also like to help my pals.
So in late 2007, when Mur Lafferty invited me to design title and headline logos for her “Playing for Keeps” podiobook, I jumped at the chance. It was flattering and fun to help create the cover of her novel — and contribute to the awesome artwork in her weekly “comic book”-style PDFs.
Now, since I’ve completed the cover for the final PDF issue, I thought I’d post this gallery of images showcasing my work. I learned a lot during this 16-image adventure, and it was a hoot collaborating with Mur, photographer J.R. Blackwell and artists Jared Axelrod and Natalie Metzger on these covers. I hope you enjoy them.
–J.C.
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RIP New 7th Son Logo (Feb 15, 6:44 PM — Feb 15, 7:45 PM)
February 16, 2008
7th Son listeners know that I love to experiment with my storytelling, marketing and darned-near everything else I do for my podcast and website. I’m wired to surprise my audience with things that are familiar … but off-plumb enough to be delightful.
I often concoct these experiments on the fly, unilaterally release them into the wild, and see what sticks. In the interest of connecting with the community (and knowing that many creative minds are usually better than one), I’ve pulled back the “curtain” a bit in recent weeks, and invited 7th Son fans to chime in on some creative decisions. I did that last night, and received some intriguing results.
Months ago, I crafted a new logo for the 7th Son experience. I wanted something different and dynamic — something that implied danger, action and excitement (things the 7th Son trilogy is well-known for). I spent several days crafting it, and last night, finally posted it on the homepage here at JCH.net. I asked my Twitter followers if it was “hot or not.”
About 75 percent of respondents liked it. The rest, vociferously, did not. I found myself in a fascinating conundrum.
7th Son is my novel. I wanted a new logo. My informal poll suggested that most folks dug the new design. But the minority was large (and vocal) enough for me to take pause and listen. An hour later, I pulled the plug. We’re back to the status quo.
What have I learned from this? Three things. First: Community rocks. It’s flattering and humbling to know that so many 7th Son listeners care enough to chime in on these ideas, offer their creative perspective, and make suggestions. Second: If you open the floor for discussion, expect it, listen to it — and prepare to make tough choices, should the community split on the issue, or vote against your personal point of view.
And third: Consider strongly what you open up for debate. If you’re convinced in your heart that a certain creative course should be taken, take it. Run with your gut, and be willing to live with the consequences.
I’ll never know if the resistance I encountered with the new logo was legitimate disdain, or the natural reluctance to embrace something new — after all, living things crave stability, and change disrupts that. I’m not dedicating brain cycles to it; I asked for opinions, the people spoke, and it’s done and done.
And so, I present to you the very short-lived “2.0″ logo for the 7th Son trilogy. It was either a bad design, or ahead of its time. But it certainly taught me a great bit about community, the power of crowds, and the unabashed love 7th Son fans have for the podcast. As always, I’m amazed and humbled by that.
–J.C.
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What I’m reading. (And what are YOU reading?)
February 8, 2008
I’m never one to turn down a good writing challenge, particularly if it hails from one of my favorite bloggers. Lorelle’s blog is inspiring because she offers practical advice about blogging and the online life. She also issues weekly blog challenges.
This week’s challenge is a must-participate for me: “Blog about what you are reading, what you like to read, and why.”
I’m up to my eyeballs in good books these days. I’m coming down from a months-long fiction binge (more on this in a moment), so I’m currently enjoying some excellent non-fiction.
Reading serves two purposes for me: entertainment and creative inspiration. My mind rarely seeks out new ideas for my own novels/short stories when I read fiction; I’m there to escape. But when I’m questing for concepts to explore creatively — either in my fiction or my in “zero budget” marketing adventures — I dive into non-fic.
So. That recent fiction binge. What did it entail?
- Rainbow’s End by Vernor Vinge: Vinge is my favorite SF author; his far-future A Deepness In the Sky is so damned good, I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. Rainbow’s End is a near-future story, and its world is meticulously realized. Sadly, I wasn’t invested in the characters (and there wasn’t enough conflict for my tastes), and I dropped it halfway through.
- NEXT by Michael Crichton: A book that had a lot of potential, but felt more like a “101″ on the genetics industry than a true narrative. Again, the characters and conflict weren’t compelling enough for me to recommend it. Sloppy.
- Planetary and The Authority by Warren Ellis: Killer epic SF thrillers by the wickedly subversive Warren Ellis. Yeah, they’re comic books … and they’ve got better pacing and character depth than most traditional novels these days. Highly recommended.
- Garden of Beasts by Jeffrey Deaver: I’m an unapologetic Deaver geek; no one can bonk you on the head harder with an unexpected plot twist than this guy. Garden of Beasts is a fascinating look at Nazi Germany, just before World War II. Deaver deftly educates readers on the history and political climate of the era, and throws in an excellent assassination plot, to boot. Recommended, as are his Lincoln Rhyme thriller series.
But my belly’s full of fiction for the moment (aside from some podcast novels, which are serialized and feel more like “shows” than “novels” to me), so I’m currently immersed in non-fic. It’s all tickling my creative side something fierce.
- Merchant of Death by Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun: Just finished this remarkable true story about Victor Bout, an infamous and reviled Russian black-market arms dealer. In addition to directly arming many of the conflicts in Africa for the past 18 years, he’s also put guns (and rockets, and helicopters and frickin’ jets) in the hands of Columbian drug lords, the Taliban and other slimebags. The most terrifying part: He’s still doing it. Excellent read.
- Join the Conversation by Joseph Jaffe: Terrific read for mainstream noobs (or know-it-alls) who don’t know it all about social media, the speed of communication, and the connectedness of the online world. Jaffe’s prose is punchy and mischievously irreverent, and the perspective he provides is an excellent resource for folks interested in diving into the soc.media space.
- Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin: Another excellent marketing-related read for folks curious about the social media explosion. Godin speaks volumes with few words (a rare writing trait indeed), and offers intriguing insights for marketing folk who aren’t grokking the conversations — and opportunities — found in the soc.media space. Currently reading.
- Letting Go of the Words by Janice (Ginny) Redish: This isn’t just a great resource for bloggers, podcasters and anyone who wants to effectively communicate on the Web — it’s a fun, spunky read. Redish provides great writing advice (and context for that advice) in a style that keeps my peepers moving. The very execution of the book proves that she practices what she preaches. Currently reading.
So those are the things on my plate these days. What about you? What are you reading? Talk to me in the comments! Share your recommendations with fellow JCH.net readers!
–J.C.
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Support the GRIFFIN/HALE ticket!
February 5, 2008
After some irreverent pondering (and some mischievous encouragement from some Twitter friends), I decided to whip up a bumper sticker in support of your favorite 7th Son presidential candidates, Hank “Gator” Griffin and Vincent Hale. (In honor of 7th Son’s prologue, there’s a hearty spattering of, ahem, red in the design.)
The GRIFFIN/HALE 2008 sticker is only three bucks, and I don’t take a cut of the cash. Naturally, you’re doing the 7th Son trilogy a favor by slapping one of these blood-soaked stickers on your ride: The Griffin/Hale website address will redirect to this site. 
The sticker is available for purchase here.
This November, re-elect character and faith! Re-elect Griffin and Hale!
–J.C.
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Purples and Tigers and Fire, Oh My!
January 27, 2008
Something not many folks know about me is that I’m an amateur graphic designer. I used to do it for cash … but these days, I do it for fun, and for friends. For instance: Nearly all of the typographical elements you see in the 7th Son covers and here at JCH.net were designed by me. I’m no pro; it’s just another way to flex my creative muscles.
When time permits, I lend my meager pixel-pushing talents to worthy causes — namely, my friends’ projects. One such pal is Mur Lafferty, author of the Playing for Keeps podiobook. Each week, I collaborate with brilliant writer and artist Jared Axelrod (and more recently, Natalie Metzger) to create the “comic book” covers seen in the free Playing for Keeps PDFs. But when Mur informed me that she had an idea to reward her faithful evangelistic Street Team members, I was stoked, and wanted to help.
Behold the fruits of that collaboration: Personalized online avatars and images for Street Team members. Folks who spread the word about Mur’s novel will receive a cool “Third Waver” picture and avatar, complete with spiffy name. (Since I’m one of the many regular contributors to Mur’s project, I’m a “First Waver.”) You can use the avatar on Twitter, LiveJournal, etc. … and you can post the larger image on your site, or blog. Mur has created yet another “first” in podiobook promotion! Very cool.
Visit the Playing For Keeps site, sign up for the Street Team and get evangelizing. Those who do will receive a custom-made hero and name (created by Mur Lafferty herself), and these whiz-bang cool rewards!
–J.C.
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The cow says … clonnnnnnne.
January 15, 2008
7th Son listeners should get a kick out of this: After years of development, companies specializing in animal cloning — cow cloning, specifically — have received FDA approval to call their cloned critters “safe to eat,” the AP reported recently. This proclamation comes after a six-year federal study. The agency has requested a temporary moratorium on the selling of cloned animals for food.
The cloning, announcement and moratorium don’t surprise me. What I find interesting are the regulatory loopholes detailed in the article. While some major food companies (such as dairy powerhouse Dean Foods Inc.) have wisely vowed to not sell products produced from cloned animals — and at $20,000 per cloned cow, why would they? — the FDA will permit the following:
- The offspring of the cloned cattle can be bred, slaughtered and consumed for food
- Cloning companies such as Viagen Inc. and Trans Ova Genetics intend to begin selling offspring of cloned cattle immediately
- Food companies are not required to label products that hail from cloned animals, or their conventionally-bred offspring
Companies like Viagen Inc. have been pursuing cattle cloning for breeding purposes, the AP story says, “to produce a steady supply of cattle that are particularly tender, for instance, or for prize dairy cows.”
As the article reports, it is well-known that current technologies create fatal birth defects in many cloned animals, and those that survive — such as Dolly the sheep — often have shorter life spans and health problems. According to the story, the FDA concluded that “cloned animals that are born healthy are no different than their non-cloned counterparts during their prime food-producing years,” and also produce healthy offspring.
The agency conceded, however, that “it is not possible to draw any conclusions regarding the longevity of livestock clones or possible long-term health consequences” of those animals.
It should be noted that the FDA isn’t alone in its findings; European regulators and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences have filed similar reports recently.
Where does this leave the consumer? In the dark, it appears. Putting aside the ethical concerns of cloning and animal experimentation in general, the AP story suggests that we will never know if the burger we’re munching has meat from either cloned animals (should the FDA moratorium be lifted), or their offspring.
Should this matter? In a world where a person’s DNA can be patented and become corporate “property” — and where, as Eric Schlosser brilliantly reported in Fast Food Nation, a pound of supermarket or fast food ground beef is the product of dozens, perhaps more than 100, cows — does it make a difference?
I am a cloning advocate, on nearly every front. But not knowing if I’m eating beef from a cloned cow (or its offspring) gives me the heebie-jeebies — if only because of the illnesses and lower life expectancy cloned animals experience. Imported produce is labeled as such; it’d be awfully nice to have a similar standard for this kind of meat … at least for the next decade, or when this concept becomes more “marketable” and “mainstream” for consumers.
Make no mistake: animal cloning will become mainstream. Human cloning is on the horizon. But when it comes to this issue, I’m reminded of what the Beta Clones in 7th Son realize during their adventure: the world is not quite ready for it.
I’m curious to know what you think. Chime on in in the comments. (And thanks to Mae Breakall for sending me the link to the story!)
–J.C.
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Fans create 7th Son soundtrack!
December 6, 2007
Just days before the groundbreaking 7th Son podcast novel trilogy concludes, J.C. Hutchins asked fans following him on Twitter to suggest “soundtrack songs” for the novels.
Below is the list of 7th Son-esque songs they recommended. Visit the soundtrack iMix in the U.S. iTunes store, or browse and preview from your favorite online music seller! (Note: J.C. is not getting an affiliate kickback for this. Making money wasn’t the goal; it was all about having fun with 7S fans.) The list goes: Title, Artist, Album. Enjoy!
- “Toy Soldier” - I:Scintillia - Optics
- “Ghost In Your Mind” - Black Lab - Passion Leaves a Trace
- “New World Man” - Rush - Signals (Remastered)
- “The Lies We Tell” - Munk - Severed
- “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy)” - Information Society - Information Society
- “Killer On the Loose” - Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
- “Man On a Mission” - Chance - Chance: Eleven Through Fifteen
- “Brothers In Arms” - Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (Remastered)
- “No World for Tomorrow” - Coheed & Cambria - No World for Tomorrow
- “Digital Man” - Rush - Signals (Remastered)
- “Strangers Like Me (Soundtrack Version)” - Phil Collins - Tarzan
- “I Think I’m a Clone Now” - “Weird Al” Yankovic - Even Worse
- “Independent” - Chance - Chance: Eleven Through Fifteen
- “Sympathy for the Devil” - The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
- “Symphony of Destruction” - Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
- “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” - R.E.M. - Document
- “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” - Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
- “Not Fade Away” - The Rolling Stones - England’s Newest Hitmakers
Thanks to these fans for their suggestions — I wish all of the songs you mentioned were available on the iTunes store: Tyrion, zard, Songjewel, akaMonty, GlennWebber, elizasea, pseudojoe, dickey, Corwin, aikidoka1977, lmorchard, bpende, chelpixie — and a special thanks to MartynDarkly, who started this twittermeme in the first place!
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Take THAT, John Alpha!
September 16, 2007
Perhaps the coolest video in the history of humankind has been released on YouTube! Behold, beautiful 7th Son superfan Robin in Seoul (who can be seen in the Beta Clone Army gallery page) at the firing range … wearing a 7th Son T-shirt! Totally badass. Click here to watch the video at YouTube!
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The “real” MemR/I Array?
December 9, 2006
Supercool 7th Son fan John Wilkerson sent me an email featuring an excerpt from a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute press release. Take a peek:
Supercomputing Center Will Advance the Frontiers of Computational Biology
Rensselaer researchers will continue to advance the frontiers of computational science with the help of IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer. Awarded under IBM’s Shared University Research (SUR) program, this Blue Gene will complement the $100 million partnership between Rensselaer, IBM, and New York state to create one of the world’s most powerful university-based supercomputing centers. Read more…
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Next stop, vaporwear!
October 19, 2006
More technology news that falls into the realm of 7th Son. Check out this story in USA TODAY, which describes a material that “cloaks” objects, making them invisible to microwaves. Now microwaves are a tiny segment of the electromagnetic spectrum … but who’s to say that visible light/colors won’t someday be similarly cloaked? Is this the beginning of Vaporwear?
Link to Duke University video showcasing the technology. (RealPlayer required.)
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