Waiting for Wednesday, Volume 4, Issue 6

As I inch ever closer towards getting my act together and finally compiling my picks for our 2011 Year in Review post (yeah, I know, shameful on my part), I've managed to become distracted by something (else).

I'm currently reading Ray Bradbury's book of essays, Zen in the Art of Writing, featuring--you guessed it--thoughts on writing from one of the all-time giants.

I'm only through the first two essays, but Bradbury has already managed to amaze me with his use of language and with his viewpoint on the craft of writing. In the book, he provides some incredible insight, and as always, Bradbury presents and arranges his thoughts and words unlike anyone else.

One passage, in particular, is sticking in my mind this morning:

"For the first thing a writer should be is--excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiasms. Without such vigor, he might as well be out picking peaches or digging ditches; God know it'd be better for his health."

Pretty great, right? I love that--"a thing of fevers and enthusiasms."

I'll probably write a bit more about the book once I've finished it, but for now I'll leave you with that passage, and I'll (gracefully) transition to this week's comic that I'm most excited about.

From Dark Horse, Conan the Barbarian, issue one, ships today. Written by Brian Wood (New York Four, DMZ, Demo) and with art by the incomparable Becky Cloonan (Wolves, American Virgin), this latest Conan launch is greatly anticipated.
While I may not be the world's biggest Conan fan, I am a huge fan of both Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan. And when they get together on a comic book, it's usually akin to magic.

Here's the solicitation information from Dark Horse:

In this sweeping adaptation of Robert E. Howard's fan-favorite "Queen of the Black Coast," Conan turns his back on the civilized world and takes to the high seas alongside the pirate queen Bêlit, setting the stage for an epic of romance, terror, and swashbuckling. This is Conan as you've never seen him, with the combination of one of Robert E. Howard's greatest tales and the most dynamic creative team in comics!

* A perfect jumping-on point for new readers!

*A bold, fresh take on the Cimmerian.

* "Queen of the Black Coast" is the most-requested Conan adaptation!

You can check out a preview of the book right here. I even went so far as to pre-order this, something I typically don't do for books from the bigger publishers.

But I think this book is going to be great, as Wood is perfectly suited to take on the barbarian, as evidenced by his excellent work on the viking-centric Northlanders from Vertigo.

So check it out when you head out to the store today. But before you do that--what are you Waiting for?