Bill Meeks's Blog

As I get ready to publish Episode 3 of EYE OF THE SCARAB I decided to cut a scene I’ve been trying to include since DANGER ON LIBERTY PIER. In this scene (set after Cindy and the Shadows escape Freaktown in Episode 2) the Mayor and Osbert connect and discuss their “real” boss. Mayor Lane then interrogates Bugs, a boy who’s loyalties are questionable at best.

Did I mention Bugs has a chest mouth?

An artistic rendition of Bugs’ condition

Anyway here’s the cut chapter. To read the rest of the story buy EYE OF THE SCARAB Episode 3. If you think the chest mouth is screwed up just wait until the last two chapters.

 

“Do any of you precious pretty little things have a means to release me from my bonds?” Osbert asked, pulling against the rolled-up shirt that shackled his arms to a rusty spike jutting out from the wall.

Another error. Bugs. He with the abdominis dentata, reached out for Osbert. As he rolled over on his side, Osbert caught a glimpse of the boy’s heart beating through his chest mouth.

“Please fix me,” Bugs groaned.

Osbert chuckled. “Fix you? My dear child, while I do have a talent for extracting these abilities, you’ll notice I’m bound to the building. Wait. Do you hear that? Somebody’s coming to save me.”

The elevator slid open. Mayor Lane exited with several policemen behind him. “What did you let those children do? I was halfway home when they called me and told me there’d been a break out. When I left, we’d had a break-in. By Dogboy. What happened? You-know-who will not be pleased.”

Osbert turned to the mayor as a policeman cut away his bonds. “The group I found in your office earlier is to blame. That boy over there was with them. He’ll know where they are.”

Mayor Lane leaned over Bugs. He took a pen from his breast pocket and poked at the opening in his chest. “Fascinating. You can still breath and other functions?”

Bugs nodded.

Mayor Lane jabbed the pen into the hole, pressing it against Bugs’ beating heart. “Where did your friends come from? Why are they here? Who sent them?”

Bugs’ squeaked as he saw the wild look in Mayor Lane’s eyes. “Don’t. Don’t kill me.”

“Then answer my questions.”

“I can do you one better,” Bugs said, licking the sweat from the peach fuzz on his upper lip. “You hate that Dogboy kid, right? What if I could tell you who he really is?”

Mayor Lane pulled out the pen then took a step back. “I’m intrigued.”

Bugs leaned on his arm, coughed, and looked the mayor dead in the eyes. “His name is Bronson Black. He goes to Woodrow Wilson Middle School and works at the old magic shop down on South 4th Street.”

“What makes you so sure, young man?” Mayor Lane said, his finger circling the trigger on the pen cap.

“He… His girlfriend Cindy told me. Plus he’s always wearing that Bronson kids’ clothes. How does nobody else see that?”

“Well, you’ll be glad to know you’re right.” The mayor leaned on the pen. Bugs winced. “But we were bound to catch him anyway. One last chance. Where did your friends take my soldiers?”

“Like I have any idea,” Bugs said. “Maybe they took them down to the sewers or something. We didn’t exactly come here expecting to bust out a bunch of superbrats.”

“How unfortunate for you.” He poked the pen through Bugs’ heart. The beating stopped as blood gushed out from the raw organ, the crimson soup pooling in the chest mouth. Bugs smiled for a moment before closing his eyes. Mayor Lane pulled his pen out, wiped it off with his monogrammed handkerchief, then placed both objects back in his breast pocket.

“That shop he was talking about,” a policeman asked, having released Osbert from the pillar. “Ain’t that the one we raided last night? The sarge is still down there with the owner. Want us to bring him in?”

“We’ll worry about that,” Osbert interjected, directing the officer toward the southeast corner of the arena. “I think my assistants might still be back there. Think you could check for me while I discuss this with the mayor?”

The officer nodded, lifted his gun, then crept toward the dark corner Osbert had indicated. He disappeared into the shadows. A scream. Silence. The jelly man bounced out with three riot helmets visible in its belly.

“I assumed you’d want them all disposed of,” Osbert said to the mayor.

“I suppose. It’s not like it matters. You-know-who has his own plans,” the mayor said. They stepped onto the elevator. “He doesn’t seem to care anymore. He’s even released the children.”

“What is Willowwood planning?” Osbert asked.

“By tomorrow night, our city will wake up, the forgotten will be remembered, and Bronson Black will leave Colta City to its evolution.”

Dogboy gives a shit… So should you.

I’ve gotta admit, writing about a teenage superhero can be frustrating at times. The frustration comes from a mistake I made in classification.

Despite the YA classification Dogboy was never intended for kids.

When I launched Den of Thieves I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know the market. Every piece of advice I found said that if you had a teenage protagonist you had to list it under Young Adult or it wouldn’t sell.

But what about the scene where Blaze gets his tongue cut out? What about the baby that gets crushed by the crowd? What about the teenage superhero who used knives as his main weapon? Would that really fly in YA?

Apparently so, at least according to my research. So I packaged the book and marketed it as YA, and it sold well. The people who tried it enjoyed it for the most part, but what frustrates me are the people who won’t give it a shot because they think I wrote it for children.

Let me repeat: Dogboy was never intended for kids.

Some might point to the fact that the first few books don’t have many curse words as proof it was written for children. Nope. Plot device and stylistic choice. So, in the name of proving my point:

Dogboy was never intended to be read by damn kids. Darn it.

Anyway, now that you know what Dogboy isn’t, let’s go through ten reason you should give a shit about him.

Countdown? Sure. Why not?

10. Demon’s Dare features a big brawl on a roller coaster - It’s awesome!

9. The setting is a big part of the plot – Colta City is a timeless old town. Like Gotham City from Batman: The Animated Series or Fawcett City from the world of SHAZAM! it exists in a limbo between an idealized past and the modern world. There are computers and cell phones but people say “swell”. I based the stylistic presentation on old boy’s adventures like The Hardy Boys, Danny Dunn, and others. It wasn’t a stylistic choice though. A great, old evil changed Dogboy’s world decades before Den of Thieves starts around 2005.

8. It’s a story about what happens when somebody who shouldn’t be a superhero becomes one – Bronson Black/Dogboy is a big fan of superhero comics, so when he gets superpowers he knows just what to do. A 14-year-old shouldn’t be allowed to dictate or enforce law and order. When I originally created Dogboy a decade ago it was with one aim: demonstrate that the concept of a teenage superhero was mostly BS. At his core, Dogboy is bad at being a superhero. He makes bad choices a lot, and he fails just as often.

This is Willowwood… basically

7. The “big bad” is my version of the trickster god archetype - You know this archetype, right? One of my favorites. Examples include The Great Gazoo, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Puck, and Bat-Mite. These characters have seemingly limitless powers and a penchant for mischief. When I set out to create a superhero I knew a trickster god had to be there from the start. In the first two books you run across the word Willowwood a few times. First in the trunk of magic tricks Duncan Black leaves his son, and then from the lips of Duncan’s former business partner Wylie Morgan. In Demon’s Dare Willowwood is revealed as a “multi-dimensional theater professor” and the source of Dogboy’s powers. He’s a cross between Charles Nelson Reilly and Stephen Tobolowsky. I think I might be in love with him.

6. Dogboy isn’t the first superhero in his world. He’s the last. Before Colta City got frozen in time there was a thriving community of superheroes, as rich and diverse as the Marvel or DC universes. Something happened. They aren’t around anymore, and they aren’t coming back any time soon. The Golden Age of superheroes is over and nobody even remembers it. Sure, there are artifacts. Dogboy read a Spring-Heeled Jack comic Eye of the Scarab for example. But it’s over. It’s done. No more heroes. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other people with powers though…

5. The Colta City Shadows - In Den of Thieves Dogboy’s girlfriend Cindy spends a big chunk of the book investigating Mayor Lane, who she suspects has been abducting low-income kids from the west side of town. Turns out those suspicions have weight. When she gets too close she’s abducted then taken to a facility below City Hall where the mayor is giving these kidnapped kids superpowers. She breaks out, but not before befriending a boy name Axle. When they meet up on the outside they (and a few others) band together to stop Mayor Lane once and for all. After several adventures they start calling themselves the Colta City Shadows, and get matching outfits too. Oh, and a damn hovercraft.

4. Plenty of fun for fans of comics and superheroes - The reason I wrote a superhero adventure series is because I love superheros. It’s no surprise that there are a ton of references. I make fun of existing heroes by creating parodies (i.e. Bayou Wraith = Swamp Thing). I also have a lot of fun playing with the practical side of superheroing: Where does a teenage superhero keep his costume? How hard is it to keep a secret identity? What happens when you annoy the people you save? I also play with the cognitive dissonance required to protect the law by breaking it.

Mr. Horum

3. Mr. Horum - I love Mr. Horum. Most readers do too. He’s the owner of The Old Curiosity Shop, a magic supply store at 523 S. 4th Street in Colta City. In Den of Thieves he gives Bronson a job, and eventually lets him sleep in the shop after a falling out with his uncle Randolph Black. He’s a hoot, and based on an actual magic store shopkeep I met when I lived in Philadelphia. Speaking of Philadelphia…

Ah, Philly.

2. Colta City is Philadelphia - Philly was the first “big city” I moved to after wrapping college in West Virginia. I felt a bit like Clark Kent stepping off the bus. The sights (homeless people). The smells (caramelized onions). The sounds (car horns). I wrote the original Dogboy screenplay while I lived there, so a lot of Philly informed Colta City. Dixon Park combines Love Park and the Ben Franklin Parkway when they have a concert on the art museum steps. The mayor was involved in a corruption scandal. I also spent a lot of time on the trains which is why the subway system features so heavily in the first book.

1. Dogboy isn’t the main character of Dogboy Adventures - Yes, his name is in the title. I would even argue he’s the main character of each individual book. But the series as a whole is telling the story of Cindy McNeil, a girl who’s been a grownup since her dad disappeared one day when she was four. She’s also Bronson’s girlfriend. Dogboy Adventures, in the end, is the story of how the mangy masked crimefighter changes her into… Actually, that’s a spoiler. Up until now she’s been pretty shitty to Bronson though. She’s selfish. She lies. She uses her powers to erase Bronson’s memories whenever he gets close to discovering the truth about her and the Shadows. In her mind he’s two “goody two-shoes” and he’d just get in the way of her revenge against Mayor Lane.

I hope if you hadn’t considered it before this post might have changed your mind. Eye of the Scarab is coming out serialized through the month of December, and River of Time is due out next year. And just in case it hasn’t sunk in…

Dogboy was never intended for kids so if you’re an adult you should probably give a shit.

Eye of the Scarab Episode 1 came out a few weeks ago, and Episode 2 should be out early next week. It called The Shadows Ride Tonight and focuses on Dogboy’s girlfriend Cindy McNeil and the Colta City Shadows. This episode is told from Cindy’s perspective, and crosses over with events in Episodes 1 and 3.

Here’s the blurb for The Shadows Ride Tonight:

When the COLTA CITY SHADOWS (including girl reporter Cindy McNeil) wake up in an underground arena they face off against a group of extraordinary teens. Can the Shadows iterate through the Cycles, or will they become brainwashed soldiers in Mayor Lane’s super-powered army?

PRE-ORDER THE SHADOWS RIDE TONIGHT and it will appear on your Kindle app or device the second it comes out.

In this sample chapter Cindy and her friend finalize their plans to kidnap Mayor Lane. But Cindy just can’t get Dogboy’s magical Scarab out of her head…

July 27, 2005

Curleyworld

8:45 PM

“Guys, Dogboy has something we—” Cindy said as she stopped in the dressing room doorway.

Mirrors lined the walls. Formica countertops hung underneath, with ample room for the performers to lay out their makeup and supplies. No performers had been there for years. This was Curleyworld, behind the main stage. The amusement park closed down years ago. There weren’t any shows planned. There were a few kids close to Cindy’s age standing around in matching white leotards.

“The Colta City Shadows I presume? I thought I’d have some input on the costumes at least. You guys look like scuba instructors.”

“Colta City Scuba Instructors?” Nuncio said, putting his arm around Cindy as he guided her to a chair. “We could roll with that.”

“Like, you run around Dogboy,” Jennifer said. “Maybe you should, like, worry about changing his name first. We like Axle’s name.”

“I think you mean Coaxle,” Axle said. A silver bolt was sprayed into his dark curly hair. He shot some sparks from his finger tips, slid on some cheap sunglasses, then crossed his arms.

“Material Girl,” Jennifer said, slipping her stonewashed jacket on as she slid next to her teammate.

“Digital Boy,” Nuncio said. He stood back-to-back with her.

“Jesse,” Jesse said. Cindy hadn’t noticed him in the room until he spoke. He stumbled up with the others. “We still need to think up a name for me.”

“Shadows, unite!” Coaxle said. They stood in tableau, the consummate superpowered teenage team.

“Thank God I don’t have to go out like that,” Cindy said. She took a printout from her purse and laid it on the counter. “Jenn… Material Girl found a press conference the day after tomorrow where we can grab him with a ton of cameras watching.”

“You guys talking about kidnapping Mayor Lane again? Like you losers are ever gonna do it,” Bugs asked as he came through the door carrying a six-pack of Dr. Pepper.

“Who invited him?” Cindy asked.

“I did, didn’t I, Bugsy?” Jennifer said. She ran up and gave him a peck on the cheek. Cindy did her best not to hurl. She didn’t like Bugs knowing about their secret club or their mission. The fact he was dating one of her friends made it even weirder. Until a month ago, he was just the school bully.

“Material Girl, can you tell your boyfriend to keep his stupid freckled face out of it?” Cindy said.

“You can talk to me yourself. I’m not some monster,” Bugs said, snapping a can off the six-pack then passing the extras to Nuncio. “Why don’t you guys get Dogboy down here? Cash in that reward before you take down the mayor. McNeil knows who he is under the mask, right?”

“Like, didn’t he save you or whatever?” Material Girl asked.

“I figured he’d like to kick in with some funds is all. Once you deal with the mayor, he can break out again.

“What are we gonna do with him once we have him?” Jesse asked.

Cindy paced in front of the mirror as she spoke. “Men like Mayor Lane never pay for what they do. They get some bad press. Maybe they spend time in a rich-guy prison upstate, but they never pay. They go away until people forget about them then come back when nobody’s looking. If I take his memories, he won’t be able to come back. He won’t even know who he is anymore.”

“Problem is people know him, right? Like they’d know him to see him,” Coaxle said. He held up his hand. A blue electrical orb oozed from his fingertips, the sparks pulsing with his breath.

Cindy licked her lips and leaned in, whispering to the group. “The only way we make sure he never experiments on another kid is to make him disappear forever. I’ll make him forget, and Axle will fry his face enough that nobody’ll recognize him. He’ll be like any other bum on the street.”

“You guys are sick,” Bugs said, pouring the last few drops of Dr. Pepper down his throat.

“You haven’t seen what they do to people like us down there,” Jennifer said. “It’s, like, criminal.”

“Don’t you think you should find out why he’s doing it first?” he asked. “Maybe he’s got a good reason.”

Cindy pushed Bugs up against the wall. “He turned us into freaking science experiments. We have to stop him now before he hurts anybody else.”

“You guys do whatever you want,” Bugs said. “I’ll be safe watching them chase you guys on TV.”

“They’d better have helicopters if they want to chase us, dude,” Digital Boy said. He opened the dressing room door. “Come see. Darse prisa.” He led them down the hallway, out from the bunker, then across the walkway to a fenced-off area underneath the Calliope Crusher. When he swung the gate open, they saw a white ship, the size of a compact car. No roof, and the insides had been gutted. A computer control panel and steering wheel sat inside.

“You’re gonna push this roller coaster car all the way to Colta City?” Bugs asked, sneering at them.

“Push is the wrong word, cabron. Here. I’ll show you.” Digital Boy crawled inside the ship then fiddled with the computer display. The hovercraft rose up off the ground far enough to see the two turbines spinning in the undercarriage to push it up off the ground.

“You have a freaking hovercraft?” Cindy said. She hopped up and down from person to person sharing the news. “A hovercraft. You see that? A real, working hovercraft. Nuncio, that’s amazing. Did you use your power to make this?”

“My cousin helped out,” he said. “She found me the plans on some hacker website.”

“It’s not a hacker website,” Material Girl said, rolling her eyes. “I downloaded a 3D model from Goodson University’s website. Two graduate students did a paper on it.”

“It’s amazing, but we can’t use it. They’ll see us coming before we get within a mile of the mayor,” Cindy said, pulling a crisp Colta City Herald from her bag.

CITY HALL WILL WATCH US ALL

MAYOR LANE REVEALS PROJECT DOLAN

“They’ll see you flying in on these cameras and nab you when you land.”

“Coaxle says he’ll let me get us in and out,” Jesse said. He held up a Colta City map. “Picked this up at a newsstand for $3. With this I can teleport us anywhere in the city.”

“I figured why not let the squib help out?” Coaxle said.

“Okay, that’s pretty smart,” Cindy said. “But what if I told you I had a way to check out the whole area before he even zaps you in?” She snatched the map from Jesse’s hand then spread it out on the ground. “Here,” she said, pointing to 525 S. 4th Street. “Dogboy has this bug. Like a beetle. With a shell. You put on these sunglasses, then you fly it around. It’s like you are the bug. You can see, hear, and feel everything. Now he has it in this magic shop. It’s in a silver briefcase. Jesse, think you can grab it for me then come back right back?”

Jesse’s jaw shook. He looked from Material Girl to Coaxle to Digital Boy. “I… I don’t think I can break into Dogboy’s lair.”

“No. This isn’t Dogboy’s lair,” Cindy said. She smiled then knelt down to look Jesse in the eye. “It’s a stupid little shop. Nobody’s even there anymore I bet. Take your map and you’ll be fine. If Dogboy catches you, just tell him you know me. Deep breath. Now what are we looking for?”

“A silver case?” he asked.

“Exactly. See? You’ve got this, kid. I believe in you.”

Jesse clenched his fists then hunched down over the map. He placed his index finger over Cindy’s. She slid hers out from under. A microscopic cyclone started spinning beneath his finger as it grazed the paper. He grabbed the map by its upper-left corner as the cyclone grew wider, bending him like a streamer. His twisted two-dimensional body got sucked into the ground. The map followed him in as the cyclone spun out.

“What now?” Coaxle asked.

“We wait,” Cindy said.

So they did. After five minutes, Digital Boy started pacing. Material Girl chewed on her knuckle. Cindy poked through some gears she’d found stacked over by the fence.

Coaxle kicked the ground where Jesse had disappeared. “Where’s he at, huh? What’s this magic shop called? I’m thinking we need to mount a rescue.

“I’ll go myself,” Cindy said. “It’s bad enough I sent the twerp there. Dogboy would kill me if you guys showed up.”

Material Girl grabbed Cindy’s arm. “Has he ever hurt you? Are you scared? You can tell us.”

Cindy laughed and pulled her arm away. “Please. I’d kick his butt. Don’t worry. I only meant he wouldn’t like it.”

“Screw that. I’ll go myself,” Coaxle said, flipping the on switch on the console. The hovercraft hummed as it lifted ten feet in the air.

Cindy covered her eyes to protect them from the wood chips and pebbles blowing from the engines. “You want Dogboy to help us, right? I wouldn’t start the conversation by busting in his front door to rescue your spy.”

Coaxle considered this for a moment. He bit his lip hard and shook his head. “White girl, you’d better know what you’re doing.” He brought the craft down then switched it off. “If something happens… If he gets caught… That’s one-hundred-fifty-percent on you. You hear?”

Cindy nodded, spit in her hand, then offered it to him. He did the same, and they shook on it. “Don’t worry,” she said, with more bravado than she felt. “If he’s with Dogboy, nothing bad is gonna happen to him. Period.”

PRE-ORDER THE SHADOWS RIDE TONIGHT

DOGBOY: EYE OF THE SCARAB is a 3-part serialized Dogboy adventure coming out this holiday season. Using themes like privacy, the surveillance state, and police militarization EYE OF THE SCARAB drags Colta City kicking and screaming into the modern age. Here’s the blurb:

It’s the end of the world as he knows it.

Colta City is a timeless old town… But time is catching up to it. Old friends and old enemies close in around Bronson Black, and an impossible choice hangs over him.

As the modern world bleeds through Dogboy considers the past. His decision could spell the end of his crime-fighting career!

But maybe that’s a good thing.

PLUS: When the COLTA CITY SHADOWS (including girl reporter Cindy McNeil) wake up in an underground arena they confront a group of extraordinary teens. Can the Shadows iterate through the Cycles, or will they become brainwashed soldiers in Mayor Lane’s super-powered army?

Episode 1: The Eye Sees All comes out this week. You can pre-order it on Amazon right now but if you’d like a taste you’ll find the first chapter below. Mayor Lane’s Project DOLAN is about to make being a superhero in Colta City a lot more difficult…

EPISODE ONE — THE EYE SEES ALL
July 27, 2005
Outside City Hall
4:00 PM
 1

 “No more leash laws,” a student shouted up City Hall’s steps. He swung a protest sign over his head— GOOD DOGS ROAM FREE written in black marker.

“Superheroes aren’t the villains,” yelled a woman passing out bottled water to the assembled crowd.

Several policemen stood blocking the doors, brandishing armored shields with the letters C.C.P.D. stenciled along the front. The protesters milled around the sidewalk, brandishing placards with catchy slogans and hand-drawn Dogboy sketches. A blue tarp covered the area above the door, two lumps on either side.

“Stand back, citizens,” said a cop through his bullhorn. “Please remain within the free speech zone or else we’ll take it as an act of aggression.”

Bronson Black (a 14-year-old who, in his spare time, patrolled the streets as Dogboy) happened upon the protest rally while wrapping up a date with his girlfriend Cindy McNeil.

“See? Who says we have to fight City Hall?” Bronson said. “Looks like there’s a whole slew of people doing that already.”

“Yeah, but why are they doing it?” Cindy said. She tapped a protester on the shoulder. “Excuse me, can you tell me what’s going on here?”

“We’re protesting the mayor’s crusade against helpful vigilantes like Dogboy,” the man said. “This manhunt is the height of hypocrisy. The only reason we need people like him is because the police are already so ineffective. Even a kid can do better.”

A few people cheered across the way. The other protesters followed suit, although they didn’t sound like they knew what they were cheering about.

“Dogboy’s pretty great, isn’t he?” Bronson said.

“Are you kidding? You’re talking to his number one fan. I’ve seen every piece of film out there on him. Twice. What a hero. Don’t spread it around, but I heard he has some weird new power.” said the man.

“What sort of power?” Bronson asked.

The man looked around to make sure nobody was listening then leaned in close enough for Bronson to smell his stale breath. “Ok. Are you ready? Teleportation. One minute he’s fighting in front of you, then you blink and he’s twenty yards away.”

“Are you kidding?” Bronson scoffed, letting a little chuckle escape. “Teleport? No. He’s freezing time.” He stopped himself when he noticed the man’s eyes narrow. “But what do I know about superheroes anyway?”

“Thanks, mister. Bronson, come on we’ve got to go,” Cindy said. She pulled two ticket stubs from her back pocket: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY — ROXY CINEMA. She took Bronson’s hand, leading him away from the crowd. “Quit being so obvious, you egomaniac. You know a secret identity depends on you keeping it a secret, right?”

“We already used those tickets. You didn’t have to lie to that guy. He seemed nice,” Bronson said. “You’re right, though. I should be more careful. Besides, we’re on a date. From this point on, I’m not Dogboy at all. Just your friendly neighborhood boyfriend”

“So did you like the movie?” Cindy asked.

“What a freaking roller coaster. I loved the crazy music, and that guy they had playing the Oompa Loompas was hilarious. What did you think?”

“It was fine but not nearly as good as the old one. Me and Dad used to watch it when Mom was working. The guy playing Wonka is super creepy.”

“Never seen it.”

“Ugh. I can’t even look at you anymore. Where’s your mask? Here,” Cindy peeled off her baseball cap then put it over Bronson’s face. He swatted it away. “I swear it’s a classic. Man, your parents kept you on a pretty tight leash, didn’t they?”

“Stand back please,” the police captain said, pushing the crowd back with his shield. “Mayor Lane’s coming out to talk to you freaks.”

The front door swung open. Mayor Lane stepped out. His suit fit him like a lizard’s skin, saggy in the joints but tight around the limbs. He skittered down the steps, waving to the crowd as he approached the lectern.

“Citizens, first we want to thank you for exercising your right to protest here today. What fool would deny we live in a functioning democracy? In a less free society, we’d take you next door and throw you in a cell… or worse.”

“Why don’t you worry about the real crooks? A 10-year-old is doing a better job than youse guys are at cleaning up the streets,” yelled a voice in the crowd.

“He’s 14,” Bronson shouted.

“Sir, our police are tasked with maintaining law and order. If we allow this child to run around deciding innocence or guilt… that’s not justice. Just because he fights crooks doesn’t make him a hero. He’s no better than them.”

“Tell it to the people he saved in Dixon Park,” Cindy yelled, the crowd cheering for her. Bronson poked her with his elbow.

“Now who’s being too obvious?” he said.

“Irregardless… Be quiet!” Mayor Lane shouted over the crowd. “He’s breaking the law. Despite our city-wide dragnet, our decorated police force… the best in the state… have been unable to capture this vigilante. If we can’t catch him, we must watch him. We don’t want him throwing anybody else off rooftops after all. I give you the new eyes of Colta City.”

Two officers pulled down the tarp above the door revealing a printed sign— PROJECT DOLAN. Two security cameras were mounted on either side. They panned across the crowd as the live video stream played on the massive digital billboard mounted on the building.

“Project DOLAN, or Dogboy Observation/Location Analysis Network, will allow us to track Dogboy anywhere in the city. The cameras are remote controlled by a trained team of technicians from right here in City Hall. We can capture up to twelve terabytes of digital footage an hour. The data will be stored in our Stonehouse Park data centers, which can hold up to five exabytes. We can store and review up to fifty years worth of footage. With access to this much data, Dogboy won’t be able to hide for long.”

He gestured to the building across the street where they’d mounted two more cameras. “We’ve already installed over three hundred ‘eyes’ across the city. There’s no corner we can’t see, no place Dogboy can hide.”

“You a pervert or something, buddy?” a man shouted. “I don’t want you watching me all the time.”

Mayor Lane chuckled. “Sir, I’m not sure what boring things you get up to in your intimate moments, but believe me we have no interest in watching them. This system tracks Dogboy, or any other copycat vigilantes who might appear. Normal citizens with nothing to hide have nothing to fear from Project DOLAN.”

The mayor’s stylish young assistant, Chester, burst out of the doors. He put a note card down on the lectern as he whispered in the mayor’s ear. The mayor picked up the card and read it over then looked back to the crowd.

“I’m sorry, folks. I know your protest permits are all in line, but we’ll need you to exit the area in an orderly manner. There’s a fire at the orphanage down the street, and emergency personnel need you clear. There are still children in the building. The police will inform you when you can resume your little protest. To a brighter future for Colta City.”

“The orphanage?” Bronson said. “I know this was supposed to be a date and everything but…”

“Go save some kids,” Cindy said, tapping his backpack, which held his mask and cape. “See you at the shop around five?”

“What’s around five?” Bronson asked.

“Um, you asked me to go with you and Mr. Horum to clear your dad’s old storage unit?”

“Oh yeah. Sure. I gotta go.”

Cindy leaned over and gave him a quick peck. “Be careful. Sounds like being Dogboy is going to be more dangerous than ever with this DOLAN thing.”

Bronson took off, ducking into an alley a block away. He flew into the air, landing on the building next to the orphanage. Smoke poured out of the windows. Children’s screams cut through the cracking sound of burning wood. He unzipped his backpack, digging out his costume.

A soft mechanical whirring started over to his right. A Project DOLAN camera rotated toward him. He sighed then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the color in the world was gone. The pigeons flying above him hung in the air, their wings stuck mid-flap.

He ran over to the camera then wrapped his hands around the camera body. He focused his magical energies into the device until it melted into a pile of goo. The air in his lungs ran out. He jerked back. A quick thought made time start up again. The colors came back, and the birds flew out across the rooftops.

Dogboy finished suiting up then bolted across the roof to assess the situation at the orphanage. Two children called to him for help from a window three floors down. As he drifted into the air, he heard the soft whir from another camera.

He looked into the camera lens. “I don’t know if these things do audio or not, but I’m warning you right now. If you think you can watch me every second, you’re nuts. I’m gonna break every camera I see, and if you don’t back off, you’re next. I’m not scared of you or your police or your fancy spy gear.”

He shot an orange beam at the camera, knocking it off its stand. The lens shattered on the black roof.

Dogboy flew down to the orphanage window. “Don’t worry, kids. Dogboy’s here,” he said. He grabbed the boys then deposited them in the alley below.

Right back into the air. A teenage girl clawed at a closed fourth-story window. Her thick feathered hair reminded Dogboy of a moth’s wings. He motioned for her to step back. She jerked her head back and forth, screaming like a siren.

She hammered her head into the window. Again and again and again until it smashed the glass. Oxygen got sucked through and fed the flames. She cackled as they engulfed her.

Dogboy pawed through the broken glass. He caught her arm, but it crumbled into gray ash as he touched it. He felt like he was going to hurl.

A cry from the window above him. No time to freeze. No chance for regret. Up to the window, down to the ground, then several more times until the other children were safe.

Heroic deeds done and feats finished, Dogboy flew around the city on patrol, careful to note where the mayor’s cameras were installed He let his mind drift to the girl he couldn’t save. Why put her head through the glass? Why was she laughing? How did she burn so fast? It felt unnatural. Supernatural? He had suspicions, but if he was right, then he couldn’t speak them out loud. He put it out of his mind as he headed toward 523 South 4th Street. It was almost time to leave for his father’s storage unit, and he certainly didn’t want to keep Mr. Horum waiting.

PRE-ORDER DOGBOY: EYE OF THE SCARAB EPISODE ONE TODAY!

Check out this awesome picture of Bronson Black’s alter-ego as drawn by Tondagossa. Looks like this is after the power upgrade he gets in Demon’s Dare.

Dogboy: Eye of the Scarab  (Art by Tom Gehrke)

After a slight delay I’m just a few weeks away from releasing Dogboy #4: Eye of the Scarab! It’s been a trudge, but I wanted to make sure I got it right. Reality is slipping, and it was important to make sure it didn’t break as it hit the ground. Here’s 10 teases to tide you over!

Cindy is keeping a secret from Dogboy. That’s won’t last
We finally circle back to the last chapter of Den of Thieves 2/3 into the book. Mayor Lane’s weird facility, the Colta City Shadows, and their hovercraft all come into play.
We have a new supervillian (The Vominator) terrorizing Colta City. Three guesses as to what he can do…
The storage unit key Wylie Morgan gave Bronson in Danger on Liberty Pier plays a HUGE role. It’s where the “scarab” in the title is discovered (among other magical items).
Speaking of that scarab… Imagine a drone the size of a bug hooked up to a lightweight Oculus Rift that can do Skype.
Bugs gets what he’s always wanted, sadly. Related: Cthulhu appears above the Colta City Skyline.
The Old Curiosity Shop will never look the same again.
The Baba Yaga Sisters are coming to town. You ain’t never seen a trio like them.
Those two watches Dogboy got in Demon’s Dare? Yeah, we’ll be addressing those.
Reality is slipping. What might have appeared a stylistic choice in the first three books finally fulfills it’s destiny as THE major plot point of the entire series, leading us right into RIVER OF TIME.

Keep an eye out for updates, and sign up for the Dogboy Adventures mailing list to get announcements (and free stuff whenever I get around to it).

You can now read Den of Thieves for free over on the fun Wattpad social network.

What’s Wattpad? Here’s what they say on their site:

Wattpad is a place to discover and share stories: a social platform that connects people through words. It is a community that spans borders, interests, languages. With Wattpad, anyone can read or write on any device: phone, tablet, or computer.

You can start reading in the player above, or head over to the site to read it there. Enjoy, and feel free to leave an honest review when you’re done.

The new Dogboy Adventure DOGBOY: DEMON’S DARE is out! HEAR a preview of the upcoming audiobook. DISCOVER the real world theme parks that inspired Curleyworld. RELIVE the beginning with a  free sample of the DEN OF THIEVES audiobook. It’s a jam-packed episode. Welcome to the place where dreams come true.

Curleyworld started as a one-off mention in Dogboy: Den of Thieves when we’re learning how Blaze got his cowboy motif:

He’d been a performer in a show at Curleyworld on the outskirts of the city. Once an hour he and a dozen other guys would emerge from the saloon in the Old California section of the park and have a shootout for about fifteen minutes.

Writing a couple paragraphs is one thing, but when I decided to use Curleyworld as the main setting for Dogboy: Demon’s Dare I knew I’d need a fleshed-out map to keep everything straight. I’d need to know where the cotton candy stand was. In addition I’d not only need to know where the rides were, but what it felt like to ride them.

I built out a general layout for the park using the map they used to give out at Six Flags Astroworld. It was my first theme park for what it’s worth. The map looked like this:

Astroworld map from the early 1990′s.

I drew my own  landmarks in, then added my versions of rides I’d loved as a kid. Here’s what I ended up with. Slight spoilers, but nothing major. Click the picture to get a larger image.

Curleyworld – Click to view a larger image

Here’s a full breakdown of the real world rides and their Curleyworld counterparts:

The Psychlotron

Inspired by: The Rotor, Kennywood Park (Shut down in 1994)

The Rotor was this big spinning room that stuck you against the wall with centrifugal force. Once it got to a certain speed they dropped the floor out from under you. The best things about the ride was that a lot of people could go on it at once. This meant you could ride it again without having to wait in line. All you had to do was run back up the ramp after you got off. It also always struck me as something a mad scientist might have in his lab… A giant centrifuge you could put people in.

The Castle

Inspired by: Le Cachot, Kennywood Park (Shut down in 1998)

Before…

After…

Le Chalot was a creepy haunted funhouse in Kennywood Park. The name literally translates to The Castle. The funhouse I created for Demon’s Dare follows the same basic path Le Chalot did, but the ride inside is a mixture of the Haunted Mansion at Disney World, The Old Mill (another defunct Kennywood ride) and a few other rides designed for teenagers to make out in.

Demon’s Dare

Inspired by:

Jack Rabbit, Kennywood Park
Texas Cyclone, Astroworld
Ultra-Twister, Astroworld

I love Roller coasters. Can’t get enough of them. I was even an official enthusiast back in the day. Demon’s Dare (the roller coaster the book is named after) is a mash-up of several coasters that left me shakey when I rode them as a kid.

The first hill is inspired by the first coaster I ever went on: The Ultra-Twister.

Watching the video of that first hill still makes my heart race. We ran back to get in line they let us in at 9 AM. I figured I’d ride the worst ride in the park first to get all my nerves out so I could get it over with.

That chugging jerky motion up the first hill made me think we were going to die. I wanted to claw my way out of the seat. The rest of the ride was really fun, but that first hill was a killer.

I pictured Demon’s Dare to be around the same size and shape as the Texas Cyclone (Astroworld):

Texas Cyclone

Finally, the Jack Rabbit has these great little tunnels that are kind of slapped together with old wood and white paint. It’s completely dark when you ride through them at night. You’ll see a demon-themed version of one of those tunnels in the book and on the cover.

Creepy tunnels on the Jack Rabbit

These are some of the rides and attractions that inspired Curleyworld… “The Place Where Dreams Come True.” If you’d like to take a visit pick up Dogboy: Demon’s Dare, available in eBook and paperback by clicking here.

I’m pleased to announce that the next Dogboy Adventure, Dogboy: Demon’s Dare,  is available for purchase.

Dogboy: Demon’s Dare



$2.99


Author: Bill Meeks
Series: Dogboy Adventures, Book 3
Genres: Metaphysical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Superheroes, Supernatural, Thriller, Young Adult

Curleyworld closed down years ago, forgotten on the outskirts of Colta City. So why does the Psychlotron spin? Why do trains rush over the wooden tracks of Demon’s Dare? More info →

Here’s the synopsis:

 

Welcome to the place where dreams come true.

Curleyworld closed down years ago, forgotten on the outskirts of Colta City. So why does the Psychlotron spin? Why do trains rush over the wooden tracks of Demon’s Dare?

Dogboy, aka Bronson Black, is Colta City’s 14-year-old superhero. When the Guild of Thieves resurfaces Dogboy and his girlfriend Cindy McNeil follow a trail of abducted children to an abandoned theme park, where the general amusements hide a dark secret Dogboy was bred to uncover.

To step inside is to step out of time, into a kingdom of magic, surprises, and thrills designed to turn Dogboy’s world on its ear. How will he answer the demon’s dare?

Thanks to everybody who picked up the first two and encouraged me to continue the work.

Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions about the book directly at contact@meeksmixedmedia.com, or leave a review on Amazon if you’re so inclined.