Spotlight: Christopher Baldwin

As promised, we have another treat for you today -- fun, funny and talented author and comics creator Christopher Baldwin is in da house!

For those of you who may not know him, Chistopher writes and draws comics, novels, and plays. Published (self and otherwise) works include Bruno, Little Dee, Spacetrawler, and regular pieces for MAD Magazine. He's been written up in the Washington Post, Wired Magazine, IO9, Salon Magazine, UK Daily Telegraph, Newsbytes, and even appeared on NPR.

Catch all his webcomics Spacetrawler, on Mondays and Wednesdays; Little Dee M-Sat; and Bruno M-Sat; his joint foodie blog, Cookrookery; and his online store for regular doses of the funny.

GK: He is WAY FAMOUS, gang, so be good and pretend we behave ourselves on a regular basis, at least until it's your turn to ask questions. Then? Go for it. So, Christopher, it's great to have you here with us today. Let's roll right in. What prompted you to become a writer? Was it voices in your head, a burning desire to tell a story, or just too creative for your own bad self?
CB: The spark came from a love of reading and of humor. My mother read to my siblings and I, and we were often at the library getting books or audiobooks. Being a solitary child, I had lots of daydreaming hours to make up stories, and since I was bored in school, it gave me lots of free time to write and doodle them down.

Also, both my parents worked at a tofu factory. Not only did this instill in me a deep appreciation for dark humor, but also, like Dorothy on back in Kansas, I knew I needed to get the hell out of there.

GK: You know, a part of me really wants to believe that tofu factory story... So! What was the first book or piece that you wrote and why? Is it published, being shopped, on the shelf waiting for you to get back to it, or in a heap of ashes at the bottom of the fireplace?
CB: I started writing stories and comics in elementary school, but what I consider to be my first serious work was a full-length play in iambic-pentameter I wrote my senior year in high school. I knew then that my writing was sorely undeveloped, but that I could capture the emotion of being a teen -- then edit it when I was older, more skilled, and out of touch.
    
I may decide to invent a time machine and go back and strangle my younger self instead of doing this. Have you ever tried to line-edit iambic pentameter? Stupid teenagers. 

GK: I can honestly say that I never tried to get overly fancy with my early efforts and I would pass on that particular form of line editing. But I applaud your younger self for being slightly insane. Speaking of insane, give us a funny story about writing your latest release. It’s okay if your funny story involves a nervous breakdown as the deadline loomed, btw. I like to relate to my guests.

CB: My latest release was the book #2 of Spacetrawler. My online-store-order-fulfillment people didn't want to handle advance sales, but I chose to do it anyway. For about a week, my girlfriend would come home from work every day and sigh at me, hiding behind my carefully stacked skyscrapers of books, frantically stuffing padded envelopes.

GK: I know what massive amounts of swag I'm bringing with us to Tucson Festival of Books -- I can't make any comment about your Fulfillment Center. So, other than that, what’s your most and least favorite things about being an author?
CB: My most favorite is that I get to sit around and make things up, my other favorite thing is knowing I've brought some laughter and delight into people lives, my other favorite thing is meeting other writers and talking to them about writing, my other favorite thing is putting my characters through the ringer, and... um. Right. Least Favorite things. Hm. Figuring out my taxes maybe? Really, I can barely express how much I love my job. Want to know MORE favorite things?

GK: Let's not talk about taxes, let's talk about one of my favorite things -- you. What’s one fact about you that someone who didn’t know you well or hasn’t read this blog wouldn’t know? Make it juicy -- my readers expect.
CB: Do you want the name of the ailment or the ointment?
GK: Both, and suggested applications and treatment methods.
CB: Kidding. Okay, um, I'm always curious about experiences from people's lives that are different than my own. One was to wonder what SOME women go through regarding body hair, and so I shaved myself bald, both my pits and down there, when I was in college. I've had the deepest sympathy ever since, and also feel I can confidently describe the experience of stubble growing back -- that isn't on one's face.

GK: You're the man. Crazy, but the man. So, can we get an excerpt, then?
CB: Sure, This is from Spacetrawler Book 2.

  

GK: Awesome! Now, how's about a giveaway? 

CB: Absolutely! 

GK: Ask for anything, gang, he's totally agreeable!

CB: Actually, I'm agreeable to giving away a free copy of Spacetrawler #1, open internationally.  It's a sci-fi humorous serialized full-color comic, heavy on character, light on its feet, wide in its scope and thin when it's living off a diet of Limbic Fizzlers and Furryite Burgers. Premise: six humans are shanghaied to save the galaxy, probably the worst plan of action EVER. 

GK: It's hilarious. And one of you will win it! Just answer this question to be entered to win: If you were shanghaied to save the galaxy, who (up to 5 others) would you want with you and, if you're feeling chatty, why them? 

Contest will run through Wednesday, March 13th. Winner will be announced Thursday, March 14th. Winner will have until Monday, March 18th to respond via email to gini@ginikoch.com with full name and mailing address. If the winner does not reply by the 18th, the Gods of Random will snatch back the prize and demand a new sacrifice.

It's Another Winning Day!

Hope everyone's had a good start to the week and all's going well. I'm girding my loins (what DOES that actually mean, anyway?) and prepping for this weekend, aka the Tucson Festival of Books. I'm all over the place, so don't miss your chance to see the me, hear the yap, and get bookie wookies signed! Yes, I will be the one in the pink, sparkly cowgirl hat. Yes, that actually does make me impossible to miss.

But before the weekend we have a lot going on, so let's get to today's installments! First off, the Tidy My office contest is over, and I'll be announcing the winner of the Alexander Outland: Space Pirate marked up galley in just a few moments. I'll also be sharing who won the Honorable Mention prize, so it's two winners today!

Speaking of winning, there's still time to get your entries in to win any ebook from Erin Kellison, so don't miss out -- click the link or scroll down a bit and get your entry in! Contest closes tomorrow, March 6th.

And speaking of tomorrow, in honor of one of my booth mates at the Tucson Festival of Books, who also happens to be a good pal of mine, we'll have the creator of the "Spacetrawler" comic, Christopher Baldwin, as tomorrow's Spotlight guest. And yes, there will be a giveaway. I know! We are just ALL about the winning this week!

Next on the hit parade, check out my latest column, The Ides of Meh, over at It's Comic Book Day. Then hit Larissa's Bookish Life and see who her favorite book duos are -- and they're not necessarily romantic.

Back at the website, don't faint, but we have a new Playlist up, Newsy Stuff has somewhat new news, and to answer a burning question a whole lot of you have asked me recently, YES, there will be more Creation Agent coming, I swears it upon the memory of the Big Fella and Dementia Kitty. (We now know I mean it.) Team Gini also swears that Sightings in the Wild will be updated before Alien in the House releases (but they didn't swear it on anything, so I remain somewhat skeptical...hopeful, but skeptical...).

And now for what many of you have been waiting for...the winner of the marked up galley of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by moi writing as G.J. Koch is:

Elizabeth Vrabel

Note to our winner: You have until Sunday, March 10th to check in by sending me an email with your name (first and last) and your full mailing address. If I don't hear from you, the Gods of Random will demand a sacrifice and a new winner will be chosen.

And now, for our Honorable Mention Winner. While all participants made me laugh or go awww, and some of you were darned creative in your various answers, this Member of the Alien Collective in Very Good Standing went out of their way to consistently make me snort tea out of my nose through all seven weeks. Said winner will get a choice of one signed and personalized book of any of the 7 offered this week, a totebag with the cover of any of the 7 titles offered this week on it, OR an I Heart the Poofs T-shirt (size 2-1XL). 

So, ratkin, baby, come on down and tell mamma what to send in the Care Package to The Home!

Well, that's it for today, but as we know, there's more on the way. So peace out my li'l gangstas, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Love,
Gini

Festival Roundup

Well, as my Hook Me Up! subscribers already know, I'm back from Tucson. Okay, okay, I was back on Monday. But, you know, things got busy. But, never fear, the Tucson Festival of Books Roundup is coming. But first, let's get to the latest news.

First up, head over to Fictitious Musings and see what they thought of Alien Proliferation. Then head to Book Talk with the Woodridge Public Library and check out which books they've enjoyed so far this year.

Check out the nice things Spacetrawler has to say about the series -- and check out the fun, funny, and cool comic strip while you're there. Then head over and see the interesting things awesome author June Kramin has to say over at Romance Lives Forever.

Now, for the TFOB Roundup! First off, much love and many thanks to all of the Alien Collective who came by to see me (and especially to Koren for the DELISH cookies and The Bookpushers for the awesome Festival Survival Kit!) at panels and at my signing at the Mysterious Galaxy booth. It was great seeing all of you, and I wish we'd had more time to hang out and visit.

But the Festival is always busy and jam-packed with things to do! Among the things I did was panel with some awesome authors -- Lorelie Brown, Karen Hawkins, Dennis McKiernan, Robin Hobb, Sam Sykes, and Maxwell Alexander Drake. (Some of you will recognize Drake from my first Comic-Con contest, as he provided several signed flyers and posters. And yes, he's still a cool, fun dude.) I also got to hang out with the ever-awesome Erin Quinn. So it was a fabulous event all the way around.

Next up for me is the Jambalaya Writers' Conference in Houma, LA, which is about an hour outside of New Orleans. It's not only a great chance to see me, but also see a lot of other awesome authors, like Heather Graham and Rick Bragg, and the cost is beyond reasonable. So, if you're in the area on March 31, be sure to come on by! I'll be the one in the pink sparkly cowgirl hat. You know, like always.

Everyone have a fabulous weekend and enjoy a fun and safe St. Patrick's Day weekend. I'll catch you on the flip side, and let's remember to be readers out there!

Love,
Gini