A Moment with Hannah Adcock

When and why did you decide to pursue writing as more than a hobby?

I always wanted to write, or at least to make stories, since I was about six. Maybe even five. I was obsessed with rewriting fairy tales, and my own versions of them were, looking back, quite grisly. For example, Goldilocks would find Baby Bear lost in the woods and then raise him…only to have him turn around and eat her once he was big enough!

My first audience (who were my nan and mum) would read these stories and be going, “Why so gory? What did she do to deserve that?” - and laughing - and I’d say, “’Cause it’s funny.”

The urge to write came to light around the same time I got the urge to make people laugh. It was only when I started to read the Roald Dahl books, and the Beatrix Potter books, and then a little later the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, that I began to get the idea you could actually do this for a living. It was like, “Hey - wait a minute. These people are adults…and they get paid to scribble down whatever they’re daydreaming about?…I want to do that!”

I wasn’t sure how. I still wrote, though. My first novel, aged seven, was a farcical story about a family of rabbits who constantly fell out and beat each other up. From then on I was known, by close relatives, as ‘Potty Beatrix’ until I abandoned that particular book. (If you can call all of fifteen pages a book.)

I didn’t try to write a proper book again until I was just finishing my GCSEs. I have to confess, whatever opportunity I had, I’d whip out my notebook and start scrawling when I should have been revising…not in ALL my lessons, of course…how the teacher never noticed I’ll never know. But the fact is, I wanted to write more than anything else, and this was because it was about the only thing I could do well, (apart from wonky comic strips which haven’t seen the light of day). It was like swimming, or flying. Brilliant.

So, I typed up the novel, which was going to be a fantasy novel for older children - dead chuffed, had it all set up in my head - and, aged sixteen, I posted it to a publisher. And I had no idea what I was doing. No idea of how the publishing side of things worked. I was flying, yes - but by the seat of my pants.

They were very nice about it. I got a long letter back giving me words of encouragement and some suggestions about what I should try first before actually spitting out a book. Still kept the letter. I have it lurking somewhere in a frightening corner of my drawers. (Chest of drawers, in case you were wondering.)

After that I left it again for another couple of years. Did my A-levels, reasonably well, but by that time I’d decided I didn’t want Higher Education. I wanted to get off the treadmill and just get on with work. I thought I’d be a pre-school teacher and went on a childcare course for all of six months, and thought, “These people are all right, but I don’t belong here. This isn’t for me.”

So, I set out to learn a bit more - finally. I did a short course in creative writing with the Open University, read An Author’s Guide To Publishing by Michael Legat (written in the days when they still used typewriters, but still interesting), got the Writers and Artists’ Yearbook, and it was like, “Oh!” (slaps forehead) “That’s how it works! You send shorter stuff to magazines!”

I’ve been doing just that (as well as poetry) for almost a year now, and I’m overjoyed to say it’s working.

Hannah Adcock is a writer of fantasy, sci-fi and poetry (often with a humorous bent)living in a strange corner of Lincolnshire, England. Her work has appeared in Poetic Diversity, Clockwise Cat and Penumbra. She posts poetry, artwork and other oddments over at inspirationandlaughs.wordpress.com.

Learn more about Hannah Adcock her Facebook author page.

Roger Rabbit at Comic-Con 2013!

Comic-Con 2013 took place this past weekend in San Diego, and included a panel on the making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. The beloved animated movie based on the work of author Gary K. Wolf is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and the panel was led by a world class group of animators including producer Don Hahn, animation masters Andreas Deja and James Baxter, writer Tom Sito, special effects guru Dave Bossert, and a special appearance by the voice of Roger Rabbit himself, Charles Fleisher!

There is an audible buzz of excitement throughout the audience for the entirety of the panel, and served to be a great opportunity for fans wanting to discover the ins, outs, trials, tribulations and accomplishments of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, both during its making and afterwards.

The panel begins by paying homage to Gary K. Wolf, who of course without his novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, there would be no script for the movie. The panelists then discuss how Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was one of the first movies to be a hybrid, which combines live action with animated character. At the time (1986), digital technology hadn’t progressed to the point of being even half as fast as it is now, so the movie shines as a “hand painted” work, where every facet of the animation is pure hand creation.

Charles Fleisher, the voice of Roger (as well as Benny The Cab, Greasy, and Psycho), seems very Roger-esque to this day. He hops around on the panel—alternating between sitting, standing, and cracking jokes. He also performs his Roger Rabbit voice after an audience member requests it at the drop of a hat, and it is still flawless, twenty-five years later!

Jessica Rabbit. You knew we were headed there, right? The panelists discuss how Rita Hayworth and various supermodels were inspiration for her. In fact, the animators would have supermodels come into the studio to walk and pose in order to capture an essence of Jessica on paper. Her main animator, Russell Hall, was very quiet and shy according to the panelists, and had a very hard time with her character at first. That is to say, he couldn’t quite bring her to life until he ultimately “exaggerated certain parts of the anatomy” (panelists words!). His routine was to smoke incessantly, get up and move about rather sensually around his office, then get back to his drawing board, never breaking focus. And for this quiet, chain-smoking man who danced solo around his office, we thank you for Jessica Rabbit!

The panel concludes with questions asked by audience members (one woman dressed in impeccable Jessica garb!). The best answer comes from Charles Fleisher, who when asked “How would Roger Rabbit react with current video game characters like Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, or Optimus Prime?” responds with “He would destroy them all by making them laugh, and then stealing their batteries.”

Well said.

To watch the You Tube video of the Who Framed Roger Rabbit 25th Anniversary at San Diego Comic Con please click HERE.

Remember to be on the lookout for Gary K. Wolf’s new novel in the Roger Rabbit series, Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? available for pre-order by Musa Publishing on October 22nd, and for release on November 22nd! And be sure to check back here for any Roger related news!

A Moment with J.M. Scott

When did you first become interested in writing?

I became interested in writing fiction when I was at San Francisco State University. Between classes, I had a lot of down time, so reading more than just my text books became a standard practice. I’d spend many foggy afternoons enjoying the works of authors like Peter Benchley, Michael Chrichton, and occasionally, Stephen King. I respected their creativity, but at that point in my life, never thought that I would try to write my own stories.

During my senior year, I took an advanced screenwriting course. It was very educational but extremely labor intensive. The instructor wanted a completed script by the end of the term. Needless to say, I spent countless hours penning my screenplay. When it was time to turn in the assignment, only a few students had completed the work. The sheer volume of the project had disenchanted many of my fellow writers. It was then that I thought I might have the qualifying skills to merit publication. I wrote a couple science fiction pieces and eventually sold one to an online magazine. That same summer, I was hired as an English teacher at a local high school. I was very enthusiastic about my new job, so I went back to earn a master’s degree in Education. Unfortunately, because of the demands of my fledgling career I had to place writing on hold.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to read and teach many incredible works of literature, but I always felt that there was something missing. Most English teachers appreciate and critique the written word often, but few make an attempt to publish work for other people to read. It became important to me to show my students that I could demonstrate the skills that I was teaching them, so one fateful day I started typing.

I made every mistake in the book, but after two years of believing in myself and listening closely to editors and other trained authors, I started to find some success. I finished my first novel, Tarus Falls, and was able to write several short stories that are either out for consideration, or have been published.

I enjoy the craft immensely and still get excited when I take a course or purchase a new book on writing. Optimistically, I’ll continue to learn with each word that I press onto the page, and with a little luck, build a readership that will enjoy my work for years to come.

J.M. Scott is a writer from Fremont, California. When he is not working on his next story, he enjoys an active life of scuba diving, Aikido, and amateur marksmanship.

Jarrod, Jessica, and Roger

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, but its literary basis, Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, by Gary K. Wolf, first hit the shelves over thirty years ago, in 1981! Needless to say, Roger fans of both the screen and page have been quite hungry for more, and this upcoming fall they will be greatly rewarded when Musa Publishing releases Wolf’s third book in the series, Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?

With this release approaching, it’s only right to recognize those fans that have been waiting over twenty years for the third book. Fandom surrounding Roger Rabbit has never been lacking, and a common fan favorite has always been the ever-sultry Jessica Rabbit. If you’re wondering what she’s been up to these past few decades, look no further than the only Jessica Rabbit news site and photo archive on the web: ImNotBad.com, to discover everything Jessica. Below, I ask the site’s author, Jarrod, a few questions about his personal journey and experiences with Jessica Rabbit fandom:

Tell us about yourself and ImNotBad.com—how and why did you start it?
I've always loved art and animation ever since I was a kid. It impressed me that people were drawing those characters. I enjoyed watching the process of that as well - the behind the scenes stuff. I loved art, and drawing. I would often copy what I would see in a picture or on TV and try to match it as close as I could. I still do art, traditionally or digitally. I created my first ever Jessica Rabbit custom doll. I never painted before and it came out better than I expected.

I originally had a Who Framed Roger Rabbit Yahoo group, but the character Disney was focusing more attention on, surprisingly, was Jessica. So In 2003 I started the Jessica Rabbit Group. I started mainly because she was my favorite character and thought it would be fun. It allowed me to make lots of new artwork of her, which I put on the site monthly. Then her collectible pins were really taking off and there was a smattering of other merchandise - so I knew Disney was pushing the character more. Why they did it still remains a mystery. I had wanted a true stand-alone Jessica website. There were only two good sites before which didn't last long. After a few years on Yahoo I knew I needed to branch out, so I started ImNotBad.com- really thinking only a few people would see and visit. There's actually thousands of visits a week during holiday times and when big news hits. It's exciting.

What does Jessica Rabbit mean to you?
There is a wide range of characters I like - but Jessica Rabbit is THE favorite. She was such a different female cartoon for that time: A great combination of sexiness and Disney, which we had never seen before. Knowing real people created her by hand also added to it. The animators really put effort into the film and it shows. Because of the look of the character I think she became hard to create as a collectible back then, so her merchandise was rare. It was like a hunt to find anything, but I enjoyed it. Aside from that, the movie came out during a very hard time in my life when I was so young. It really was my escape. The whole experience of the movie was like fate helping me through something so difficult. So it all grew from there.

Do you have a wide collection of Jessica Rabbit memorabilia?
Yes, though I definitely don't have everything. I own the merchandise I review on my site. I have Jessica statues, snow globes, mugs, shirts, and just over three hundred Jessica pins. The Jessica Rabbit store was open for about a year and by chance I was able to visit. Had I known it was going to be temporary, I'd have stocked up!

Have you always been a Roger Rabbit fan? What's your earliest memory of first watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
I've always loved the movie, and all the characters. The first memory I have of seeing the characters was in a commercial for the film. It pretty much stopped me in my tracks, and all I knew was I wanted to see it - especially when I saw Jessica walk across the screen. In fact I insisted leaving a friend's house early to see the movie with my family. For some reason I think I knew this was going to be something special, so I didn't want to see it with anyone but them.

How would you describe the fandom surrounding Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
With the Internet, people really got vocal about Roger Rabbit when the Blu-Ray was released. It was also shown on TV around that time, and people were commenting how it was one of the best movies ever. I think that’s great. I feel the true "fandom" got whittled down to less people when Roger and Co. disappeared from the parks for whatever reason that was.

…versus the fandom surrounding Jessica?
The fandom for Jessica alone was different, because her merchandise kept going, and she was a character who collectors kept alive. I hoped that would be enough to keep her in the forefront of minds, and perhaps it was. Now, you see many women dressing like Jessica at conventions. So she's definitely remembered, and people want more of the character.

On ImNotBad.com it shows that Disneyland (in Paris) has finally represented Jessica Rabbit in the parks—this is something a long time in the making.

Do you think it will ever carry over here in the states?
I really hope so. The fact that they did this is huge - at least that's how I view it. No matter how it that mask looked, it was so cool to see Jessica along with all the other characters. People want to see her in the parks. That's been wanted for a while now.

The reactions you got from people about Jessica being a face vs. masked debate in the park seems split. You say on ImNotBad.com: "The shape of Jessica's face alone does not match a real human, so if a woman were to take on this role as a face character - as good as she might look - she won't really look like Jessica." Which I agree with, but I also agree with Gary K Wolf (the creator of Jessica Rabbit) when he says: "...I think this could be a better Jessica. In this rendition, she does look a lot like a blow up doll." Is there any way Disney can improve upon her masked look?
Yes, Gary is right on that. It's missing the whole attitude of Jessica Rabbit we know from the movie. She has no expression at all. The mask is also really small - character heads need to be slightly bigger and exaggerated. I tried to translate as much from Disney Paris messages boards as I could, and people think perhaps she was a last minute addition. Either way, I wish people were a bit more open to the fact Disney tried this than criticizing the look.

What is the Jessica Rabbit community like?
The community was mainly collectors. It is definitely expanding though, even after all these years. People love the character. Jessica Rabbit was like our Betty Boop of the 80's. I see women Tweeting about how they wanted to be Jessica when they grew up, or are now copying her hairstyle. The men have always liked her for many reasons, but male collectors do have an eye for her as an art piece. I think if you like Jessica, you're kind of forced into being a collector because her merchandise was usually higher end stuff. A Premium Format statue was released of her, the most accurate you can find. People not even a fan of the movie were buying it because they said it looked so good. That's the power of Jessica Rabbit, and that statue helped push her out in front little more at conventions.

You've been running your site for over 10 years now, what are some of your fondest memories and best interactions with your readers?
People have asked me for certain pictures or merchandise knowledge. I do my best to accommodate when someone is trying to find something in particular. Readers will tell me how much they enjoy the site, I'm happy they are even visiting! Someone gave me the heads up on Jessica in Paris, so it's cool that they are helping me too. Some really great interactions have come from the Disney Artists I've interviewed, sharing all their stories about creating Jessica. I also talk with other artists who create custom pieces of Jessica and feature them on the site. There are some really talented people out there.

Assuming you have met your fair share of Jessica fanatics throughout the years, do any stand out? Any impressive impersonators?
I've become friends with two other fanatics, Andoni and Mark. They often help me with the site if they find out news or merchandise. For a long time I thought it was only the three of us - but I know there are more fans out there. I think Jessica fans were shy. I don't know what's up with that. I think it was because of the nature of the character, and that she wasn't as well known. That's changing though. I've never met anyone in Jessica costume, but the ones I've seen on the Internet lately have been amazing!

How do Roger fans feel about the upcoming release of Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?
They are hungry for it, especially with being teased for twenty-five years now of a movie sequel. The books might be the only kind of sequels we ever have, so I think it's great that Gary K. Wolf is continuing with the characters stories. We have gotten to a point where a successful book is immediately looked at for making into a movie - which could still make it possibility. The fans are in support of this new book fully - as well as the other Roger Rabbit projects Gary has in the works. Those other projects garnered quite a lot of interest.

What are you hoping to see for Jessica in Gary's upcoming novel?
Just more! I'm afraid that Jessica's popularity has eclipsed Roger's slightly because her curvaceous look, and that her merchandise kept her in the public eye, but Roger is such a wonderful character. The two of them are peanut butter and jelly - different, but made for each other. They both make the other more unique in a complimentary way. So, I'm hoping that there's some great interactions between the two of them and we get more of a look into their relationship.

What are you especially looking forward to see in the upcoming novel?
I've gotten a few clues on what might possibly be in the works, but I think it will be so much fun to have the character's back again - in a way that is a reminder of how it all really began - with Gary's wonderful storytelling.

Reuniting fans with their beloved Roger Rabbit characters in Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? will absolutely be a wonderful, worthwhile reward after all these years.

Thank you Jarrod for sharing your Jessica Rabbit expertise! Check out ImNotBad.com to see what is happening with Jessica worldwide on a daily basis, and stay tuned here for more Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? news!

The Creative Domino Effect

by Martin Rose

I'm sitting in the lobby of the Ace Hotel while amused film director, producer and screenwriter Stephen Soucy of Modernist Enterprises attempts to pry space between my overflow of words so he can speak. We cradle coffees in the half-lit atmosphere, overlorded by the stuffed heads of antlered mammals. We're caffeinated and entering a hazy hinterland where magic floats in on hotel lobby dust and the bowed heads of professionals tapping away at open laptops. Anything seems possible with enough caffeine.

Soucy was discussing an array of projects and the string of events that can pull a man from the ordinary work-a-day life into matters of myth and fiction. Having done his time with the corporate world, a story brought him to New York. A story brought us together for an instant at the Ace, and more stories would send us forth into places yet unimagined.

While he discusses the ins and outs of what it's like to produce the film Paperdreams, the man is on fire with future ideas – namely, Soucy's taut screenplay based on John Morgan Wilson's short story "Edward on the Edge," coming to life as a short film called Tightwire.

"You're a story teller," is what I blurt out.

Many writers I know, particularly those in the speculative fiction field, share a similar complaint; in gatherings of friends or family, their assertion that they are artists, writers, filmmakers, all meets with the same stubborn silence or general derision – as though such an occupation were only fit for reprobates or amoeba with no other options.

"Sensible" – or perhaps, "secure" – occupations are desirable, but should you be toiling in the midst of a sea of cubicles and wake up to discover you are a story teller, woe is you. (It is just such an awakening that led to the creation of "Company Man," in Penumbra's August issue.) Misled and bamboozled, you'll find a way out – and I know some have elected for homelessness rather than return to the long snooze of "comfort" and "security." No occupation, no matter how plentiful and promising, guarantees you success – unless you yourself have something genuine to offer. If you plan on bare-knuckling it through that upper tier of professional story tellers, you must pursue what resonates within you, or run out of steam before you even begin.

The moment I realize that Stephen Soucy is a natural born story teller is the moment I understand that nothing from here on in is going to the be same. A story gets inside you and must find release; something authentic and unbeholden to anything surges within and will heed nothing without the chance to be heard. Stephen Soucy is infected with the spirit of the story teller and I smile and sip my coffee because this is the future – story tellers are the future.

It takes a special kind of creature to become a story teller. In any of these artistic endeavors you study the nuts and bolts of what moves and evokes people. The mechanics of seducing an audience of one or an audience of a thousand. Many mistakenly believe that artistic endeavors must surely be easy because so many of the greatest make it appear so – but this couldn't be further from the truth. To evoke visceral response in a reader, a viewer, requires a touch as practiced as that of a heart surgeon. We cull emotion instead of blood and vessels. And like surgery, we must put you to sleep first so we may provide the fertile ground to ferment dreams – and wake you up gasping, crying, screaming.

Hardly an endeavor for the weak of heart. Not all will make it.

Artists of every stripe have long shaped the dreams and the culture of nations. Dante was exiled for it. Caravaggio was hunted for the audacity of introducing realism into his art. Dostoyevsky was sent to Siberia for years of hard labor. Salman Rushdie. Female artists who took on other guises: Charlotte Bronte as Currer Bell, Amantine Dupin as George Sand. And the list goes on, and on. Art is no joking matter when how you choose to express yourself can cost you your life, and yet, so many come to me with the same disappointment – why am I doing this anymore? Why is this so hard? What's the point? Why does no one approve?

Get used to it. No one ever approves. It's never easy.

We forget that words, notably stories, have power. A gun may only fire one bullet at a time but with the increasing velocity of communication, we can break the hearts of millions with a keystroke. This is nuclear fission on a human scale. It's easy to forget, given the barrage of words and images we must wade through on a daily basis to ferret out the meaningful, the genuine, the authentic.

While Soucy and I depart to carry on with the business of life, it is the stories that remain – ideas that grow and take shape into lives of their own. I doubt John Morgan Wilson, a winner of both Edgar Allen Poe and Lambda Literary Awards and an accomplished author, realized at the time his story would gain momentum through Soucy's efforts – a creative domino effect. I await Tightwire with anticipation; and when a writer laments their creative condition, keep in mind what magic you wield when you put pen to paper: Name yourself a storyteller, and make no apologies.

Martin Rose writes a range of fiction from the fantastic to the macabre. He holds a degree in graphic design, and resides in New Jersey. Look for his zombie detective novel, Bring Me Flesh, I'll Bring Hell, forthcoming from Skyhorse Publishing. Learn more about Martin Rose on his blog.

TIME TRAVEL

Sci-Fi Deak Style
by John Deakins

Fictional Time Travel is so universal that every SF writer feels obliged to write a Time Travel story. “Our heroine’s time machine leaves 2013 Chicago and emerges in . . .” 1913 Chicago, future Chicago, Jurassic Chicago, Native American Chicago; etc. What wonderful possibilities! Unfortunately, Time Travel carries the worst scientific flaws of any major SF idea.

We live in an Einsteinian universe. Newton’s laws also work pretty well. Time Travel requires a Ptolemaic, geocentric universe, of which this ain’t one.

If you travel in Time from a particular spatial location, you should emerge in that same location: Right? As the Earth rotates, Chicago is rolling eastward at 1600 km/hr. In the next second, your position will separate from your original by over 400 meters. Five minutes in Time is over 130 kilometers in space. The spinning Earth just won’t hold still!

Unless you repeal Conservation of Momentum, when you arrive with a twelve clock-hours difference than the time of day you left, you’ll exit onto an Earth in which everything on the rotational counter-side will be slamming into you at 3200 km/hr.

Just make sure that you travel exactly multiples of one day. Chicago will have rotated to the same spot . . . except that the Earth is revolving around the Sun at 30 km/sec more. Five minutes is almost 9000 km away. Even a quick jaunt leaves you breathing vacuum.

Don’t forget the Sun’s orbit around the Milky Way’s core (Add hundreds of km/hr more.) and the motion of the galaxy relative to the space-time continuum. Unless your time machine is also a sealed space craft, you won’t survive to appreciate just how much airless space the universe contains.

What about reentry? When you reach a new space-time locus, will you simply push the air aside as you expand from an infinitesimally small point? That would produce a whopper of a thunderclap. Arriving secretly would be impossible. If your machine were too flimsy, the rebounding shock wave would crush it.

Will you and the local molecules simply become one? Writers agree that arriving inside a solid, regardless of method, would be a poor survival idea. With untold trillions of molecules present, some of yours would arrive inside other molecules. You might blow up like a balloon, or simply blow up. If your atomic nuclei appeared in the same space as local atomic nuclei, and the strong nuclear force would fuse them, with fatal radiation and energy release. Nuclei that were close, but not close enough, would be repelled at particle-collider speeds. You’d create thousands of fast particles that would shred your cells like a radioactive shotgun blast.

We don’t want to give up Time Travel, but what can be done? You can always Ignore It. Your readers are also geocentric. They won’t notice that you can’t travel from now-Chicago to then-Chicago without cheating on the universe’s rules. Have fun.

That’s a solution? We’re Science fiction purists. There has to be a better way. More next time.

John Deakins, B.A., M.S.T. is a four-decade veteran of the science classroom and author of his own fantasy series Barrow.

To read an excerpt from Barrow book one, please click HERE.

Independence Day

Photo courtesy of PatriotIcon.org

by SS Hampton, Sr.

On July 4, 1776, the Virginia representative to the Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson, presented one of the most important documents of the ages to that Congress. The Declaration of Independence was written on vellum parchment, “paper” made from sheepskin. In that simple yet complex document of a little more than 1,300 words, a collection of thirteen colonies expressed the reasons for their armed revolution against the British Crown.

By the time Jefferson, the senior member of the drafting committee, presented the draft, the Colonies had been at war for over a year. The first shots were fired on April 19, 1775, at Concord and Lexington when 77 minutemen—no trained professionals but all volunteers—faced some 700 British troops sent to seize arms and munitions. The Battle of Bunker Hill took place in June 1775, and though the British took the hill, they suffered horrendous casualties. The Battle of Trenton took place in December, 1776 after the dispirited and freezing rag-tag Continental Army crossed the icy Delaware River, marched on the town and took it from Hessian mercenaries. The crucible of the savage winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge tested the resolve of the Continental Army, and even George Washington’s spirits were low. Finally, there was the Siege of Yorktown in October 1881 that ended with British Lord Charles Cornwallis forced to surrender his army. The war would drag on for almost two more years until the Treaty of Paris was signed in September 1783, and the United States of America obtained the freedom it sought and took its place among the nations of the world.

Thousands had died and tens of thousands were wounded during the war. Homes were lost and farms devastated. “Loyalist Americans” and “non-loyalist Americans” had warred with one another.

Names, filtered by the passage of centuries, loom larger larger-than-life with an almost mythical quality. George Washington. Henry Knox. Marquis de Lafayette. Friedrich von Steuben. Benjamin Franklin. James Madison. John Adams. Nathanael Greene. And, Thomas Jefferson.

The Declaration of Independence is a wonderful, even poetic, document. It was given life by the dedication, deprivation, and sacrifice of men and women the length and breadth of the Thirteen Colonies, and that of foreigners who arrived to serve in the Continental Army.

What many people may not think of is that without the sacrifice of so many there would never have been the Articles of Confederation; a Constitution of the United States; the Bill of Rights; and the Constitutional Amendments. The documents above are so few in number, but their importance and their meaning give our country life, a life that many nations around the world envy.

That, I believe, is the real meaning of the 4th of July, Independence Day. An eloquent document of a little over 1,300 words began the remarkable journey of a fledgling country with all of its faults and weaknesses—and today the incredible journey continues without end in sight.

SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a grandfather to thirteen, and a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom. He served in the active duty Army, the Army Individual Reserve (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War), then enlisted in the Army National Guard; he was mobilized for active duty for almost three years after his enlistment. He continues to serve in the Guard, where he holds the rank of staff sergeant.

He is a published photographer and photojournalist, an aspiring painter, and is studying for a degree in anthropology—hopefully to someday work in underwater archaeology.

Hampton's first short story was published in 1992. His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories, and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, Ruthie’s Club, Lucrezia Magazine, The Harrow, Penumbra E-Mag, and River Walk Journal, among others.