Dark-Secrets

Cloud 9 Comix Brings Comics from Around the Globe to your iPad

2011-02-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

Sydney, Australia, Thursday, January 27, 2011: Spectrum Pacific Publishing managing director
Benjamin Slabak has announced the launch of Australia’s first digital comic book publisher, Cloud 9
Comix. Collecting the best of independent comics from all six continents, Cloud 9 Comix delivers
some of the favorite titles from Italy, France, Croatia, India, Argentina, Australia, USA and many
other countries, with a number of titles fully translated and adapted into English language for the
very first time.

Spectrum Pacific Publishing, founded by Benjamin Slabak in 1996 in Sydney, Australia, have
developed and published over 30 computer games before moving towards digital publishing in 2010
that will cover comic books, magazines, books, as well as casual games for digital handheld devices.

“We are big fans of the international comic book scene and we will bring a number of classic Italian
fumetti, French BD, as well as titles from Asia and South America to the digital platform, starting
with the iPad and following up with Android and other platforms in the coming months”, says Mr
Slabak. “Furthermore, we will work with and support independent comic book authors and small
publishers in making their titles available to an audience that’s wider than ever before. A myriad of
digital tablets and e-reader devices are slated for release during 2011 and we expect the digital
comic book scene to experience a boom in 2011”.

The iPad app, codenamed Silver Lining, available now as a FREE download from iTunes, was
developed internally by Spectrum Pacific Publishing and it features a store-front that lists the
available comics, previews of each comic, and a handy shelf feature where the purchased comics are
stored and easily accessed. The simplicity of use of the app is one of its strengths and the comic
book fans will surely enjoy flipping between the pages of the many comic books and graphic novels
available in the store, with a number of free ones available to download. The full catalog of the
comics is also available on the official website http://cloud9comix.com.

Cloud 9 Comix has also collected the best of Australian comic book titles under its brand and titles
such as Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes, Vienna, Dark Nebula, Southern Squadron, The Wraith, and
others, which are already available for purchase in the Cloud 9 Comix iPad store.

Mr Slabak drew attention to the quality and clarity of comics on the iPad which is “perfect for comic
books and it allows one to take their comic book collection with them and read them on the go; and
with most comics priced between $0.99 and $1.99 USD, it has never been more affordable to get

back into the wonderful world of comics and graphic novels. Our catalog offers something for
everyone, with new titles being added on regular basis”.

Small publishers and independent studios such as Red Handed Studios, Ratti Entertainment, Spinner
Rack Comics, Black House Comics, Level 10 Comics, Azure Press, Heroic Publishing, Cinemacomics,
Urban Style Comics, Vimanika Comics, and a vast number of others, have joined the ever-growing
Cloud 9 Comix family, which now features over 150 unique titles from all six continents, making
Cloud 9 Comix the only truly global digital comic book publisher. Additionally, comics will be
available in a variety of languages including Italian, Spanish, German, Croatian, and others.

“We are excited about launching Cloud 9 Comix and look very much forward to building our brand
and reaching new audiences with much content never before accessible on the global scale. This is
an opportunity for independent authors and publishers to show their labour of love to the world
which would not be possible without the digital platform”, says Mr Slabak. “I invite everyone with an
iPad to download our free app and sample some of the comic book titles available from us.”

“Come join us, we’re on Cloud 9!”

Official Cloud 9 Comix promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzDmip68u0w

The Dark Nebula, The Southern Cross & The Southern Squadron are all now available through Cloud 9 Comix - coming to an Ipad near you.

Comicsmonkey Goes Live!

2009-12-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

Press Release 12-14-2009

www.comicsmonkey.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMICSMONKEY.COM GOES LIVE! Print-On-Demand technology comes to comics shops with the launch of ComicsMonkey.com!

ComicsMonkey.com, a revolutionary new comics distribution service for direct sales market comics shops, brings comics distribution into the 21st century. ComicsMonkey.com uses print-on-demand technology and the world wide web to eliminate the hassles of traditional distribution -- no more pre-sales, no more advance ordering, and absolutely no more worries about late shipping. With its entire catalog and ordering system online ComicsMonkey.com simplifies the ordering process while also providing retailers with more information than ever before about the products available to them.

"I think people will be amazed by the sheer volume of great comics that they had no idea even existed," ," says ComicsMonkey co-founder Barry Gregory. "We've got a selection that really runs the gamut. We've got comics, manga, graphic novels, and trade paperbacks. We've got everything from slick, full color superhero comics to black & white underground style comics and everything in-between. We've got comics from well known industry veterans as well as by talented newcomers. There are hundreds of titles available right now and we add to our catalog every day.

"The majority of our products have never been available to the direct market before and because of that we're doing our best to take the guess work out of what to order. Each item listed in our catalog comes with sample pages as well as a series overview and an individual issue synopsis. We want retailers to really see what's available to them."

ComicsMonkey.com's products are available to all brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops as well as to established online comic shops. There are no minimum orders, no fees of any type, discounts up to 50% off of cover price, and free shipping on orders that total more than $500 retail.

All ComicsMonkey.com orders are printed and processed by Ka-Blam Digital Printing (www.ka-blam.com), the leader in the rapidly expanding world of comics printed on demand.
# # #
ComicsMonkey.com is a subsidary of 01 Comics Inc. Founded in 2003, 01 Comics is a publisher services company dedicated to serving the needs of independent publishers through its network of affliated web sites. In addition to ComicsMonkey.com, 01 Comics also owns and operates Ka-Blam Digital Printing as well as IndyPlanet (www.indyplanet.com) the online indy comics superstore.

# # #
Australian graphic novelist & publisher Tad Pietrzykowski, creator of The Dark Nebula & The Southern Cross, has affiliated himself with Ka-Blam & Comicsmonkey & is looking forward to having his books made available to the direct sales comics specialty retail market worldwide. His material can also be viewed at his website, www.thedarknebula.com

Tad can be contacted for interviews on 0403.301.250

Everything kicks into high gear with 'The Trial of The Dark Nebula

2007-10-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

It's often said it's always darkest before the dawn - truer words have never been spoken when it comes to The Trial of The Dark Nebula.In the events that led to the creation of The Dark Nebula, a champion of Life, created by Death, Mark Medula & the alien Cerellus of Caileu killed one another, with both being reborn in Mark Medula's body, while Cerellus remained a disembodied spirit in the recesses of Mark's mind.Now Mark Medula must face Caileuan law for the death of Cerellus. Good luck finding a defence as he is considered an inferior being & therefore unworthy of any defence at all. Worse, Mark's had his hands full keeping Cerellus under wraps - what happens when he's faced with a planet of Caileuans, each gifted with the same psionic abilities?It's a no-win situation yet win Mark must, otherwise Earth will fall.Brace yourself for The Dark Nebula's greatest challenge yet in The Trial of The Dark Nebula, starting this week on http://www.thedarknebula.com/

The Southern Cross Special Edition - out now at Indyplanet.com

2007-09-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

After much time & deliberation The Golden Age Southern Cross' adventures are collected now for the first time, in full colour, & available on indyplanet.com.

Average bloke Gordon Russell, who stars in The Southern Cross radio serial, through a strange twist of fate actually becomes the character in real life & there you have the premise for The 'Golden Age' Southern Cross. Gordon finds himself facing saboteurs, siding with secret agents & an evil plot to assasinate the Prime Minister! Told in the 'Golden Age' tradition of Jack Kirby & Will Eisner this story features all the thrills & excitement of yesteryear, when men were men & nasty was spelt 'N-A-Z-I'.

This 62 page trade paperback is priced competitively with other mainstream graphic novels & makes for an attractive showpiece on the bookshelf.

Just follow the link - http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=512.

The magic is yours to own - & check out the on-line adventures at http://www.thedarknebula.com

The Dark Nebula 'Origins' out now at Indyplanet.com

2007-09-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

Finally after many months & much deliberation, the first Dark Nebula graphic novel in 15 years is finally available in print through indyplanet.com.Now you can enjoy your very own prestige edition copy of The Dark Nebula in full colour.'Origins' collects the first two stories that launched the cult Australian series on the web in time for the character's 25th Anniversary with fresh art re-imagining yesterday's hero as he leaps into the world of tomorrow. from the far reaches of outer space to the grime filled back alleys of a city filled with crime discover how a hero is made & a prophesy is fulfilled!Just click on the link & see for yourself.
http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=511.
This 72 page trade paperback is priced very competitively with other mainstream graphic novels & makes for an attractive showpiece on the bookshelf.Check it out, the magic is now yours to own - & check out the on-line adventures at http://www.thedarknebula.com

The Southern Squadron - 'doin' the Walrus Rock

2007-09-09T22:32:00.002-07:00

The Southern Squadron have faced off against The Dark Nebula's arch nemesis The Grandstander in 'Behind Bars' & now it's time to square the ledger as they pursue him to the isolated Walrus Rock where things may not be as they seem & they encounter more than meets the eye.As a bonus, there are the events that lead to this encounter, The Bi-Centennial Ball, where anyone who's anyone is in attendance & the Squadron are on security detail, ensuring everyone's safety - or at least that's supposed to be the plan.Watch everything go pear-shaped, Squadron style, starting this week at http://www.comicspace.com/www.thedarknebula.com & dig the groovy cover by Superman artist, Jerry Ordway!

The Dark Nebula, lost in The Chaos War?

2007-09-09T22:32:00.001-07:00

Round one of The Chaos War has gone to the living embodiment of Chaos, with Mark Medula trapped powerless in the past, as is Cerellus in the distant future.Having long-yearned for separation it seems that the only way to overcome Chaos is to somehow reunite to become The Dark Nebula once again - or will our hapless heroes find themselves locked in combat with one another if they do somehow come face to face?Just what is Chaos' goal? Can he in fact destroy The Dark Nebula or is there something far more sinister planned for our hero & his component protagonists?The answer can only be found in part two of 'The Chaos War', starting this week on http://thedarknebula.com

The Southern Squadron delve into the mystery of 'The Tasmanian Devil File'

2007-09-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

On the tail for their foray in the land of 'The Long Black Cloud' (sorry, that's the Nightfighter's name for it, not mine), the Southern Sqaudron investigate the mystery of the Tasmanian Devil, as it's called. Narrated by Adam West, the mighty Nightfighter, Bertram Davis, The Southern Cross & Costas Borgus, The Dingo, this Lt. Smith solo adventure explores a dock-side mystery in the Tasmanian capital of Hobart amidst sightings by drunken sea-men, a suspicious fishing vessel & an inquiry by a one-eyed American soldier/spy. Saddle up for a sea-side mystery at http://www.thedarknebula.com

The Dark Nebula is plunged into The Chaos War

2007-07-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

Having endured the trials brought on by 'Asylum' The Dark Nebula is faced with his next crisis, or more to the point IT seeks him out.
The living embodiment of the concept of Chaos has manifested to subdue & neutralise the Dark Nebula, by splitting him into his component parts, that of Col. Mark Medula & the Caileuan, Cerellus.
What is hoped to be achieved by this division - & is it something that can be reversed, or even consented to by these two dueling parties who couldn't be happier now that they are finally apart?
The answers to these questions & the most important one, what is Chaos' ultimate goal can only be found in 'The Chaos War', a two-part epic, commencing this week on http://www.thedarknebula.com

The Southern Squadron in New Zealand in 'Who Dares Wins'

2007-07-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

The Southern Squadron in their pursuit of political incorrectness (at least in the case of the Nightfighter) find themselves butting heads with their 'Kiwi' counterparts, the Waitangi Rangers in a joint exercise where things may or may not go pear-shaped. Will Lt. Smith be able to keep the peace or is the Nightfighter's big mouth going to land him in hot water with the New Zealand authorities as well as those they're supposed to deal with. The only way you'll find out is to check out the latest misadventure of this dysfunctional far-from-fantastic four in 'Who Dares Wins', starting this week at http://www.thedarknebula.com - oh & check out the brilliant cover by Mike Grell!

The Dark Nebula has a 'time-out' in 'Asylum'

2007-06-05T01:49:00.000-07:00

Mark Medula is The Dynamic Dark Nebula - or is he? Could it all be a delusion & this poor, sad, pathetic wretch cowering in a corner of a mental institution is simply mentally unhinged? Or could something even more sinister be brewing. While other mainstream comics have done this theme (or something similar) since this was the first, finally available outside Australia for the first time.'Asylum', starting this week on www.thedarknebula.com

The Southern Squadron - Behind Bars!

2007-06-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

We've seen what happened when the Squadron (& the Uncanny A-Men >groan<) Moved Home, now check out what happens when the Squadron finds itself literally Behind Bars, starting next week at http://www.thedarknebula.com Oh, & did I forget to mention that they face a Dark Nebula villain? None other than The Grandstander! Cheers, Tad

& the Walls come Tumbling Down!

2007-06-05T01:47:00.000-07:00

Things are moving at a cracking pace on the Dark Nebula website, http://www.thedarknebula.com & with print editions just around the corner, the subscription wall has come down.Now's a great chance to check out all the material that's been tucked away behind the subscription wall.The bulk of the inventory is coloured & work is progressing on the coloured print editions, which I've had quite a few inquiries about.All this stuff has only ever been available in black & white & the response to the coloured material on the website has been phenomenal.Project Wonderful ads are up on the website & any of you who has internet business should take advantage of the 'honeymoon rates'on te website.If you haven't as yet, come & check out Australia's greatest vintage superheroes who've made the leap into the new millenium. Cheers, Tad

And now.. The Grandstander!

2007-06-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

Heroes are always defined by the villains they encounter & this story is The Dark Nebula's first encounter with one of his greatest enemies, The Grandstander - the smuggest, self-serving son of a bitch you're going to love to hate to love.He's a killer-for-hire with flair, style, taste, charm, wit, devilishly handsome & he's forcing me to type every word of this.Some characters take on a life of their own & the Grandstander has a knack of finding himself in the spotlight, largely because that's the way he likes it.Careful, he'll take you off-guard - you'll find yourself cheering for him, then he'll kill you where you stand. He may be even good enough to take out The Dark Nebula.There's only one way to find out - The Challenge of The Grandstander, starting this week on http://www.thedarknebula.comDon't forget the popcorn!Cheers,Tad

Hold On To Your Braincells - Here comes the Southern Squadron!

2007-06-05T01:45:00.000-07:00

Starting Tuesday the Dark Nebula website is running on all cylinders with the serialisation of The Southern Squadron, Australia's own trouble-shooters.The Squadron has already made their debut overseas in a couple of brilliant mini-series with Aircell comics back in the 90's but this is the first time that the Squadron will be seen anywhere in full colour.Starting with two superb show-piece stories by creator Dave de vries & Gary Chaloner, 'Moving Home' & 'Behind Bars', you'll discover why the Southern Squadron are as much-loved as Dark Nebula Down Under.Meet Lt. Smith, The Nightfighter, The Dingo & the Modern Age Southern Cross an unlikely & sometimes dysfunctional combination that somehow always come through & save the day - only at http://www.thedarknebula.com.The Southern Squadron & The Dark Nebula live in the same 'universe' & move around in similar circles - fighting the same foes & even each other somewhere down the track. When these guys meet, real sparks fly.For old & new fans alike this will be a real treat & a welcome addition to the Dark Nebula website.It also means there will now be a new page of sequential art on the Dark Nebula website every day, with Dark Nebula, The Southern Squadron & The Golden Age Southern Cross.Check it out - over 12,000 have already. Cheers, Tad

Project Wonderful is now set up on the Dark Nebula website

2007-06-05T01:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, we've just set up the Project Wonderful aspect of the Dark Nebula website so, in its formative stage, you'll be able to grab your free ad-space - so it's a case of first in, best dressed. With over 12,000 hits to the D.N. website in under 6 months it's as good a reason as any to take advantage of that sort of traffic. Cheers, Tad

Even The Dark Nebula has Nightmares

2007-06-05T01:43:00.000-07:00

'Nightmare', the latest installment on the Dark Nebula website is the only Dark Nebula story I never wrote. Shea Anton Pensa, who went on to do The Butcher & The Brave & the Bold for D.C. wrote & illustrated this gem 20 years ago & I added the colours to it recently. It's a glimpse at what happens when The Dark Nebula sleeps - he visits the land of the dead & sometimes that's not a pleasant experience at all.Also, starting with this installment we're trying something a little different - the latest page uploaded to http://www.thedarknebula.com will be free to view, then goes behind the subscriber wall when it's superceded by the next page to come up. I love this medium, so many fun options to play with!

Dark Nebula turns 25! - & I'm not talking issues here!

2007-06-05T01:42:00.000-07:00

2007 marks 25 years since The Dark Nebula made his debut Down Under & in New Zealand. Yes, D.N. first hit the shelves back in 1982 - the same week that Nexus debuted! It is only fitting that www.thedarknebula.com is fully up & running with more on offer every day. Already the new version of the classic origin has been widely cheered & received & the new version of the second adventure, The Earth Alive, is being serialised - the origin of Planet Earth, the first hero with earth-based powers created to finally make his appearance on the world stage.Soon the adventures of The Southern Squadron will be available on the website, as many of their adventures & the Dark Nebula's intersect it is only fitting the full story is told. The Southern Squadron has been on the world stage before via a classic mini-series through Malibu back in the early 90's but they'll be presented in sequence with the adventures of the Dark Nebula, culminating in the D.N. / Squadron crossover which has never been seen outside of Australia & New Zealand in the pages of the classic Dark Nebula #7 & #8 - all for the first time in brilliant colour.As well, the adventures of the Golden Age Southern Cross continues - a brilliant period-piece which has had some people ask 'was this an actual hero of the Golden Age of comics?'.It's all systems go for The Dark Nebula's 25th year - oh, & did I fail to mention that new adventures are being worked on as I type this?Make the Dark Nebula part of your life, go to www.thedarknebula.com and find out how a classic hero from the past has made the transition into the future.

This Earth Alive!

2007-06-05T01:40:00.000-07:00

After the huge success of placing the Origin of the Dark Nebula on the website in huge blocks for quick introduction, regular updates appear on www.thedarknebula.com with the serialisation of the second Dark Nebula adventure, 'This Earth Alive'. Updates appear every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. This is guaranteed as the material was all completed some time ago &, in fact the bulk of the inventory material to follow was done over 15 years ago. I've been busy colouring away & not only is the complete Dark Nebula inventory close to completion in colour but the Southern Squadron isn't too far from hitting the website either. It's all systems go at Dark Nebula Central!

Why’d it all come to a screaming halt?

2007-01-14T00:57:00.000-08:00

After I did #8 of Dark Nebula back in 1991/1992 I was going to take a break for a couple of months & launch back in with Dark Nebula # 9 - 12. That didn’t happen. many factors came into consideration at that time which led to my decision not to continue but the major one was fore-seeing the landscape of comics at the time.

Marvel were going to glut the market with an inordinate amount of extraneous titles, designed to flood the market & flush out the little guys (including me).

I could see my money either being set alight, flushed down the toilet, wasted on publishing, or i could hang on to it. I waited for a better climate to emerge - hello worldwideweb! It's been a long time between drinks & I'm sure everyone's parched but it's worth the wait.

How to kill a conversation?

2007-01-14T00:54:00.000-08:00

Many people look at my surname & give up while they’re still behind. It’s pronounced ‘Pee-et-cha-kov-ski’ - it works better when you’re drunk.

What’s the best murdered spelling of your name you have come across??

Oh, the list is long & distinguished, not unlike the length of my actual surname, but the honor of the greatest dog’s breakfast that ANYONE’s ever come up with my surname, goes to an insurance company that addressed a letter to Pieter Zykowski - I mean, seriously, there are names more complicated than mine out there & they still look at my name like it’s a Christian & Surname all rolled into one - puh-leeze!

Uncharted territory

2007-01-14T00:53:00.000-08:00

When the inventory material of Dark Nebula is exhausted the new material, I believe, will be well worth the wait. I’m interspersing old plots with newly conceived plots to ‘pepper’ the time-line from the way it was originally intended. The way we did storytelling before had to be really concise, couldn’t have too many sub-plots going all at once, because you were never sure when it was over. Now I see no reason to have more sub-plots running con-currently. Still getting to the desired end-result without overt confusion but an ability to overlap stories more. That was a luxury I thought I’d never see.

Hold onto your braincells!

2007-01-14T00:50:00.000-08:00

I’ve been asked what level of involvement the Southern Squadron will have on the website. Basically, we’re running the seminal stuff Dave, Gary & Glenn did, chiefly because of the inter-relation between D.N. & the Squadron, which culminated in the popular D.N./Southern Squadron crossover in D.N. #7 & 8. With all the good stuff in between it’d be a shame to have stuff not seen on the world stage - kind of like all the charm of a smile with a missing tooth. After we’ve exhausted all the Squadron inventory material I’ve spoken to Dave about inter-weaving the Squadron where they’ll help with the overall tapestry of any given story. It’d be a shame for their involvement to come to a screaming halt. For those instances I want Dave to have autonomy over the ‘Squadron bits’ (hell, it worked in the crossover) - that way everyone’s happy!

Oh, just to add to this, I’m not limiting this to just the Squadron. I’ve got some story ideas I’ve loosely plotted that involve Gary’s Jackaroo & Flash Damingo. It’s great to already picture specific sequences in my mind’s eye & I can see D.N’s first meeting with Flash.

where do we go from here?

2007-01-14T00:49:00.000-08:00

Now that www.thedarknebula.com is live & happening, this year ahead is focused on presenting all the stories in sequence as they were originally intended. The first two adventures which i felt were a little weak art-wise were re-done by the very talented Shane Foley, who’s set the tone for the series quite frankly. Then, all the inventory will be presented in colour for the first time. This will include the Southern Squadron-related stories which featured Grandstander, my most popular villainous creation, & Crossover, the Southern Cross-featured story. After that, it’s continuing on, business as usual, from where we left off.

Where do you get inspiration?

2007-01-14T00:44:00.000-08:00

Inspiration is wherever you look - you’d be surprised at what can inspire you. For me it’s when I'm driving or riding, the passing scenery seems to unlock the key to new ideas, doing something menial with my hands (gardening, etc) also helps unleash inspiration.

Music is a biggie. I’ve written stories directly inspired by songs - my popular villain Grandstander was inspired by a Don McLean song off his American Pie album ‘Everybody Loves Me Baby’. The story ‘Asylum’ was inspired by a song of the same title by Supertramp. A short story I did in Southern Aurora Comics Presents, ‘The Other Side of Life’ was inspired by a song of the same name by the Moody Blues. Oh, & Roadtrip was inspired by an ‘Eddie & the Cruisers’ song by John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, ‘On the Open Road’.

Oh, & if someone with a really interesting name makes my aquaintance, they’re fair game too. I have over the years used names I felt quirky & unique in the most unsual ways. I have, in fact, a major villain coming up in the next year or so based on a harmless old man's ( & really nice guy) surname, because it inspired me.

Required reading

2007-01-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

If i can get someone onto good reading then my job is done. If a child isn’t reading, the key is to get them onto comics because then they are at least reading something. The trick from there is to get them onto literature.

If someone asked me what I’d like to see someone get into reading after they started with comics I’d have this semi-short list:

The James Herriot All Creatures Great & Small series of books, 'Gladiator' by Phillip Wylie, 'The Power & the Glory', 'Catcher in the Rye', any Robert Heinlein book except I Will Fear No Evil, but my personal faves are Door into Summer, Stranger in a Strange Land, Double Star & the original Starship Troopers, E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith’s Lensmen series, Day of the Triffids, ANYTHING by H.G. Wells, A Stitch in Time, oh, My Brother Jack - & probably a few more I can’t recall off the top of my head.

Any gems of literature anyone care to add to that distinguished list?

How to World-Build

2007-01-14T00:37:00.000-08:00

The way we define our characters & the worlds that each of them live in isthe good old concept of ‘world-building’. It’s amazing how far we can stretch the envelope for the reader without it snapping in their faces as they read it, largely because we establish the believeable parameters, some which we don’t disclose from the outset but introduce in time. I’ve always found the easier it is to write, the easier it is to read. If you have some thoughts you wish to add to this I'd be happy to hear them.

Welcome to the Dark Side

2006-10-22T02:58:00.000-07:00

Hi & welcome to the continuing adventures of Col. Mark Medula, The Dynamic Dark Nebula.

The road to this moment has been a long & hard one, sometimes seemingly impossible, but for the faith of a few good, trusting friends, to whom I’m forever grateful.

Up until now comics had only been a hobby & a sideline.

So, how’d it all start?

Back in the ‘60’s when I was about 5 my father always brought home a little something to brighten my day. One day that was a comic book & that’s what started this whole process off. After that I couldn’t get my hands on enough of them, but I didn’t just want to read them, I wanted to write them as well.

So, in between reading the latest adventures of all my favorite Marvel & D.C. characters I’d want to write them as well, but not other people’s characters, my own.

So started the epic journey within my imagination for a truly original idea so my day-dreams began to turn to something fruitful & constructive. All the way through school I’d tinker away with the concept, all the while showing an aptitude in Art & English, particularly in composition.

The Dark Nebula's Dark Secrets

All the cool characters had formal titles like ‘The Lone Ranger’ & ‘The Green Hornet’ – a passing reference led me to research Dark Nebulas & I had my name. as the pace is fast & ever-changing the adjective ‘Dynamic’ suited it perfectly.

I was (& still am) heavily influenced by the writing of Roy Thomas &, later, of Jim Starlin & Chris Claremont.

The portions of the brain, Medulla Oblongata & the Cerebellum gave me the names for the component parts of the Dark Nebula. It was all starting to formulate nicely.

By about 4th form in 1975 I tested out the concept on my English teacher who was knocked out by it, by the time I’d hit my senior year (6th form) Dark Nebula was my major work in art for the higher school certificate – that was back in 1977.
still It was a long way off from perfection.

Sounds of construction & lessons of life:

Off to college I went & with Dark Nebula tucked firmly under my arm he kept popping up in the odd Graphic Design, Printed Textile & Photography assignment. Yes, Photography, at some point I had the (at the time) brilliant notion of getting the suit made & The Dark Nebula made appearances ‘in the sake of art’. we were into ‘happenings’ back then & were also into having fun – alcohol played a big part, as if you didn’t guess. The character even got on t.v. a few times. All the while, more construction work went into streamlining the basic concept & storyline.

At one point I dumped a whole lot of baggage from it, stripped it down to its basic elements & reconstructed from there. I'm talking costume, characters, the lot.

There were some challenges along the way, like a malicious lecturer who didn’t like the idea of me taking what I learned to make comic books, so he was determined to flunk me. I didn’t understand the politics of the situation at the time but not only did I discover that other lecturers thought he was being unreasonable but they later encouraged me back on my path once the situation had been sorted out. One lecturer in particular, Arthur Wicks, insisted I do an ‘underground’ comic about the college. Having learned the hard lessons of campus politics the previous year I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The project wound up being my first foray into being published (albeit in the college paper) & it turned out to be quite a successful experience - & yes, I got an ‘a’. if I never said it before, thanks Arthur. Oh, & it was in fact The Dark Nebula’s first published appearance, albeit a ‘cameo’.

Houston, we have lift-off:

After completing the diploma of art & having fine-tuned the concept, thoughts went to deciding what was the best forum to introduce The Dark Nebula to the world – he’d already served his apprenticeship.

At the time (early 80’s) there was no Australian comic book industry to speak of. Frankly there hadn’t been one since the advent of television back in the 50’s, with few exceptions doing extraordinarily well (eg: The Phantom), as well as the odd project that came & went. Still & all I was always about artistic expression not suppression. After toying with the notion of a Sunday comic strip I’d settled on what became ‘The Dynamic Dark Nebula’ Graphic Novel in 1982.

Once I’d released that magazine I gauged the response to it. It was hard to tell at the time but it set a chain of events in motion which continue on in the independent comics scene of Australia today. Others saw what I did & whether they liked it or not it set the bar at the time & I was glad to see others produce their own material – kind of ‘if he can do it, so can i!’

Salad Days, Friends & a Buzz of Creative Energy:

It wasn’t long after the release of the graphic novel that I met Gary Chaloner (in fact it was while the graphic novel was at the printers that we first met). I’d already known Glenn Lumsden who I’d been trading comics with for years. Add David de Vries to the mix who’d introduced his creation ‘The Southern Squadron’ in Oz Comics the year following my Graphic Novel & you had the nucleus for ‘Cyclone’, the anthology title that would make Aussies sit up & take notice of comics in this country.

Cyclone consisted mainly of Gary’s ‘Jackaroo’, Dave’s ‘Southern Squadron’, ‘The Golden Age Southern Cross’ which was a co-creation of Glenn & I, &, naturally, ‘The Dark Nebula’.

Cyclone continued as an anthology for 8 issues before taking on a title change of ‘The Southern Squadron’. The Jackaroo took on its own title, as did ‘The Dark Nebula’.

Dark Nebula had proven successful within certain circles & had established a core-following but was still a pleasurable sideline. Meantime my other creative energies went into my career in radio broadcasting, something I enjoyed for some 21 years.

Back in ’92 I’d finished 8 issues of the Dark Nebula run & was preparing to release the next 4 issues after a short break but that year, at the aussie comic convention ‘Oz-Con’ after laying out plans for Dark Nebula 9 – 12, as well as other aussie comic projects, the rep from one of the major companies stood up & gave their marketing pitch for that coming year which was pretty much ‘we’re going to glut the market with extraneous titles & flood you little guys out’ (at least that was my interpretation of it). When they faced chapter 11 some years later I didn't shed a tear.

It's always darkest before the dawn:

I then had to make a hard decision – should I publish, flush my money down the toilet, set it on fire, or just not publish for the foreseeable future? Hard as it was I withdrew till a better climate arose.

So the Dark Nebula went into hibernation over the following 15 years. During which time the world of broadcasting & family life took precedence. Somewhere in the background the notion of re-release via the internet was tickling the back of my brain.

Rising from the ashes:

Time & tide passes with its ebbs & flows & as other things began to recede nature abhors a vacuum & The Dark Nebula seemed to take up a greater role. 3 years ago I was nearly killed in a car accident which put me out of play for some months. A Radio Announcer with a broken jaw can’t really do a lot. During my healing & rehabilitation I began to lay out the ground-work for what you view. Ironic that my character got its start after his death & only fitting it got its second chance after I got mine.

Critically reviewing the published material I knew the first two adventures were in need of refreshing & Shane Foley was more than obliging in re-interpreting those stories while remaining faithful to the original vision. Maybe one day down the track if there’s sufficient demand to view the original interpretation of the origin I may run it on this website as a period piece or curiosity.

With the leaps & bounds in internet technology the concept of publishing an on-line comic was no longer an onerous one. Broadband makes downloading the images so much easier. Programs like photoshop make computer colouring a snap (& this coming from a person who had difficulty getting his brain around that concept for quite awhile), & the headaches of dealing with printers & distributors are pleasurably eliminated, as is fighting for shelf space.

It’s been a long road to get to where we’re at now &, as I said, I couldn’t get to this point without the aid of the few who’ve helped & supported me over the years. Gary Chaloner, who’s helped me through the challenges I’ve faced since the accident & pretty much put the fire under me to get this project up &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; running & to you now & Shane Foley, my series artist who’s been extremely patient & understanding over that fallow 15 year period while pursuing his other ambitions, ‘Shakah-Rune’ being one of his chief projects as well as a reconstructed unused Golden Age Superman adventure.

So where do we go from here? Something old, something new. The previously published adventures will take up the first 12 months of web-publication. The first two adventures, 'The Origin' & ‘This Earth Alive’ are all-new interpretations of classic stories followed by the rest of the previously published material, all in colour for the first time.

You’ll be introduced to the art of Shea Anton Pensa, Glenn Lumsden, Jason Paulos &, of course, Shane Foley. Also the writing of David de Vries as well as myself, Tad Pietrzykowski.

Then strap yourself in for the ride of your life. the adventures continue, as originally planned, with a twist. I’m taking The Dark Nebula places even I didn’t know I was taking him all those years ago. In the months to come you’ll be introduced to the likes of the Grandstander, Chaos, The Southern Squadron &, somewhere down the track, Vondra! You’ll find things move at a cracking pace, hence the ‘Dynamic’ in The Dynamic Dark Nebula.

The beauty of having a rich history behind a character such as this is that at least you won’t have to worry how consistently material will be release, considering the volume of work already there.

Your feedback is always appreciated. It’ll be nice to hear from you, the reader. To that end the ‘letter’s page’ ‘dark secrets’ finds the light of day. It’d be great to post your fan art on the website as well.

I got into all this out of sheer enjoyment of the art-form of comics but looking at the titles I enjoyed so much as a kid I don’t get the same enjoyment today. Not that I’ve outgrown them, the latest issues no longer have the same magic to them. So I’ve decided if I can’t get the same enjoyment out of reading I sure as hell can find it in writing.

So strap yourself in for the ride of your life. It might cost a fortune to follow the adventures of all the major characters of the mainstream comic companies but to follow the adventures of ‘The Dark Nebula’, ‘The Southern Squadron’ & ‘The Golden Age Southern Cross’ it’ll just be the price of your annual subscription of $15 per year & who knows, you might find this more enjoyable.

Anyway that's the intro as originally intended - I'd be interested to hear from long-time fans & new-comers alike to the world of The Dark Nebula. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Let's hear your Dark Secrets.

Cheers,

Tad