afterthedream

Feeling kinda proud today. After the Dream first appeared on the web 8 years ago (on the anniversary of MK-ULTRA, which the comic deals with extensively). Today I posted page 500. After the Dream has actually been in progress for almost 20 years though. It springs from a 30-page short story I wrote in college in the Fall of 2001. That short story became an 80-page novella, which in turn became a 300+ page novel. I decided that there were a lot of things I didn't like about the novel, so I rewrote it, almost from scratch, into another 300 page novel. Something still wasn't quite there. It sat dormant for a little bit, and then I had a breakthrough when I met a real-life survivor of MK-ULTRA. We met several times and talked extensively about her life as well as deep history and deep politics in general. With her blessing, her personal story went on to largely informed the character of Illiana. I went on to interview a few other MK-ULTRA survivors, both in person and via the net. I researched more deeply and read some great books on human experimentation and human trafficking like Nick Bryant's The Franklin Scandal and H.P. Albarelli's A Terrible Mistake. The story I really wanted to tell finally crystallized in my mind, and I realized that it was a story I wanted to tell in both words and images. I was a fair artist myself going into college, but I chose to focus on creative writing rather than visual arts. Knowing that I lacked the skills to bring After the Dream to life in the way I envisioned, I searched out talented illustrators on the net. Since then I have worked with some amazing artists from around American and also countries as far flung as Poland, Croatia, Italy, and Russia. Many thanks to Joon Song, Damon Bowie, Dave Mims, Phil Sasko, Zdenko Cicek, and Stefano Fortis for helping me turn my vision into a reality. The story is far from over. I'm currently publishing chapter 20, and there are another 10 chapters planned after that. I'm excited to see how it manifests, and hope that you'll enjoy the journey with me.

Now that Project Wonderful is gone I've been at a bit of a loss to find an effective / efficient way to get new readers. I'll probably buy some ad space on Top Webcomics when I have the cash to spare, but other than that, has anyone found any effective sites / methods?

get your copy here: comics.drivethrustuff.com/prod…

We're pleased to announce that the first volume of After the Dream is now for sale at DriveThru Comics. If you're new to the comic, check out the full description below.

What if everything that you are - your hopes, your fears, your memories - could be rewritten with the prick of a needle?

In 1975, the Church Committee found out that the CIA was experimenting with mind control. Some of the horrific human experiments were stopped. Many others continued in secret, contracted out to private corporations like Advanced Intelligence Services...

Rhyda Izguerra is a young woman living on the margins of society, haunted by disturbing visions. A seemingly chance encounter will introduce Rhyda to dark secrets from her past and an underworld conspiracy where sex and drugs are cynically used to carry out brutal black ops. In her quest for the truth, Rhyda will find allies who have escaped from the mind control programs. But the damaged survivors may present a threat of their own. To expose the crimes of the government and Advanced Intelligence Services, Rhyda must overcome her personal demons while risking not only her life but also her sanity.

164 pages, color. Recommended for mature readers.

Just had a great interview with Mack White and SMiles Lewis of PsiOp Radio. Talked about various parapolitical topics covered in "After the Dream" and including human trafficking and experimentation, the drug trade, mercenaries, the war on terror, consciousness, and more. We also touched on the graphic novel "Fighting for G.O.D. (Gold, Oil, and Drugs)", Occupy, and other topics. Our conversation starts about 30 minutes in, but the whole show (and the whole series) is worth a listen. Check it out here: www.psiopradio.com/2013/05/psi…

Great thanks to those who submitted artwork or just took the time to check out the comic!

First place (225 points) goes to jailgurdnegative.deviantart.co… for this entry: jailgurdnegative.deviantart.co…

Second place (125 points) goes to vaslittlecrow.deviantart.com/ for this entry: vaslittlecrow.deviantart.com/a…

The two randomly-selected (25 point) winners are: talltom55.deviantart.com/ and nestorpriest.deviantart.com/

Congratulations, and thanks again!