Performed by Val Cole

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Get to know the writer:

What is your novel about?

The Novel Comics is a shared universe of heroes and villains in an alternate timeline. In that sense, I hope to become, “the Stan Lee of the 21st Century.” The series takes place in a world with people who gain superpowers, the Outbreak Babies, and their struggles against the ruling Empire, The Reich. I label my chapters as “issues” for a comics style feel and will continue that trend in the Volume series. I will also release The Novel Comics Anthologies series for stories following other characters outside of the volume series.

See the back cover for a good description of the first book:

ALTERNATE HISTORY. WITH SUPERHEROES. 

December 31, 1929, was a Day That Lived in Infamy. A war between extraordinary beings with superpowers ended in DEFEAT for the United States and her Allies. Darkness fell on a Golden Age of heroes at the hands of the REICH. 

Ten years later, all still mourn the anniversary of the day the Reich seized control during Operation TripleReich. Life is a struggle for the Remnant States occupying the middle of the Old US. 

A virus in the Chicago Zone reignites the conflict between good and evil as the Outbreak Mutineers gather to stop the plague’s deadly origins. 

Join the Outbreak Babies: – Buccaneer, Clockwork, Atlas, and more- as they battle the Warlords of Reich. Their adventures stretch across the years and through the sewers, high-seas, and even a city park. 

No Matter the Time or Place, their Choice is Clear: 

Die Free or Live in Chains.

What genres would you say this novel is in?

Superheroes, Alternate History, Action/Adventure, Fantasy, SciFi

How would you describe this story in two words?

 Superhero Melee

What movie have you seen the most in your life?

Star Wars

What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

 Bon Jovi- Wanted Dead or Alive

Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Technically a series, but I can cheat)

What motivated you to write this story?

 The cathartic release and escapism offered by writing is second to none. A blank word file contains infinite possibilities when I stare at the void of whiteness. It is waiting for me to create. I also have a love/hate relationship with the process. I am not a patient person by nature but had to learn to be as a writer. Every writer should learn that your stuff will always suck…at first. The first drafts are like crude blocks of stone in the hands of a sculptor. If the sculptor leaves only the inchoate form of his creation in the stone, it will never appear in a museum or be admired by on-lookers. It takes painstaking chipping away (editing) and constructive criticism from your peers to bring out the true potential.

If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

 George Carlin

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

 Aside from being a History Master’s student and searching for the esoteric mysteries of the past, my hobbies are improve acting and being a father. I am a member of the Sticky Wickets Improv Troupe (www.facebook.com/ItsTheWickets) and we perform monthly in the Shoals, AL area.

Above all my “hobby” is being the best dad I can be to my son Joel Sandlin. I got back into writing and pursuing higher education after he was born because I realized I had to set an example: I had to show my son through practice that attainable dreams can and should be pursued with smart planning and timing. Everything I do is for him.

What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

My own acting in Community Theater for the last 22 years. I have always longed for an oral performance of my written words.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

The pains of the journey are temporary, but print is forever.

*****

Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Editor: John Johnson

Camera Operator: Kierston Drier

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne