The Canister X Transmission: Year Four - Collected Newsletters

By A.P. Fuchs

Begin transmission . . .

Running weekly from May 2017 to April 2018, The Canister X Transmission was sent via email to readers worldwide.

Instead of writing letters with a fixed set of topics, A.P. Fuchs simply wrote letters to his readers every week, covering topics like the Frozen Storm Kickstarter, self-pub

• Language: English
• Publisher: Coscom Entertainment
• Release date: Sep 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9781927339848

A.P. Fuchs

A.P. Fuchs is a working writer and illustrator, and the author of more than forty books. He is most widely known for his superhero epic, The Axiom-man Saga, and his shoot 'em up zombie trilogy, Undead World.He's been an independent publisher since 2004 and has played every role in the publishing business, including-but not limited to-editor, book interior and cover designer, publisher, and marketer.His spectrum of work includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, essays, and articles. He also writes a weekly newsletter called The Canister X Transmission, which you can subscribe to here.He can be found on most social networks sharing information.Join his Patreon journey for serial novels, essays, behind-the-scenes stuff, and more at www.patreon.com/apfuchsWriter and illustrator A.P. Fuchs makes his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, smack dab in the middle of North America.

Book preview

Issue One Hundred-fifty-seven A – May 3, 2017

Hello and good day from a cramped corner in what used to be my childhood bedroom.

Here’s how this thing usually works: I write a year’s worth of newsletters then write a bonus issue for the collected edition once that year is over. Well, to hell with that. For Year Four, we’re doing the bonus issue first. Actually, I can’t say that because last night I sent out a supplemental issue promoting the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm Kickstarter so technically that was the first issue. Sorta. Dammit. Why must there always be a problem? Just once I’d like things to go smoothly—but this is also life on Planet Earth and nothing ever goes smoothly. And if you’re having a smooth ride right now, don’t say I didn’t warn you. A storm is coming. They always do.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand and, yes, I realize that’s a terrible pun. Year Four is going to be different from all the years leading up to it, which means the newsletter is going to consist of me rambling at you until one of us falls asleep. But here’s the idea with doing this bonus issue first: this is our starting point, our skeleton, our ground zero. This is the first effort at a free-flow newsletter so, as we go along, we’ll get to see how it’ll evolve over the course of the year and then compare things at the end and see what went where and who stole what.

It’s 9:54PM—just looked at the clock—and I need coffee. I also need a cigarette, but don’t have any, so will either have a vape or a colt and a cup of coffee, which may or may not be spiked.

On the agenda for this bonus issue is a simple welcome, but I feel I need to give you something more, and maybe that something more should be this: life’s a damn hard road and some days kick your ass so bad you feel it right through to the front. Everything hurts inside and out. There are no freerides in this life. Everything—everything—has a catch to it. You want something? You better damn well earn it. You want to be cut a break all the time? Good luck. Not happening. Sure, there are gaps in the trials and people can be nice to each other, but more often than not, each and every one of us fight monsters daily. Sometimes they’re so bloody huge they crush you. Other times you get to be the one to crush them.

War in waves.

Daily battles.

What this world needs is an infirmary for those whose lives are genuinely beating the hell out of them so badly they can take a break, get a rest, recharge and regroup. Rearm. We try to have these resources, but not quite to the extent I’m talking about here and, I’m afraid, too many people would take advantage of it and go to the infirmary for a tiny cut versus a punctured a lung.

Maybe this Year Four, The Canister X Transmission can be your infirmary. Maybe this can be your resting place.

Maybe this collected edition is just what the doctor ordered and you’ll have comfort in knowing you’re not alone. Sometimes all it takes is someone to tell you it’ll be okay. Sometimes you want to punch that person in the mouth. But this book is for you. This year is for you.

Here is Year Four.

Read on.

Heal.

Learn.

- A.P. Fuchs

Cramped corner

Winnipeg, MB

End transmission

Transmission Supplemental – May 3, 2017

Greetings from the middle of North America where the weather has turned from ice to something not quite spring-ish yet. Knowing Winnipeg, it would not surprise me if it snowed in the morning.

Perhaps the global weather machine has something planned to throw us for a loop.

Perhaps Santa will launch a snowball attack from the North Pole.

Perhaps the ice monsters in the upcoming thrilling superhero novel, Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm, will take over—which is why I’m writing you this supplemental transmission before the premiere issue of The Canister X Transmission: Year Four.

The deadline for the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm and Auroraman No. 1 Kickstarter is Thursday. This Thursday.

We’re down to the final hours and Jeff Burton and I need your help to bring this superhero-fest to life.

So many tiers. So many rewards. So much incredible superhero action it’ll make your head spin and your inner geek squeal.

Get in on this. Don’t miss out.

Please support this campaign by sharing it anywhere and everywhere, and please pledge to snag a copy of the book or comic or both.

It’s time to save the world.

Two superheroes, one icy threat.

Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm, available on Kickstarter at http://kck.st/2ngHt5v

Thanks.

End transmission

Issue One Hundred-fifty-seven – May 5, 2017

What do you say for an opening after writing over 150 of these things? Hello? Greetings? Some awkward hug? I don’t know. How about, Hi.

This issue is being transmitted to you from Winter-turned-Spring-Base in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The snow is gone and the mornings are chilly. By later in the day, things heat up and it’s a blessing when evening comes and cools things down again. (I’m not one for hot weather; even really warm weather.)

This week was all about The Canister X Transmission. I wrote the bonus issue for the Year Three collection and edited that a few times. I sent out a supplemental issue for the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm Kickstarter (which ended tonight, the 4th, and made goal), and wrote the bonus issue to Year Four, which is a change of pace because I always write it at the end. Now I’m writing this. All newsletter, all the time. So that was my week. The good news is Year Three is done, so that’s another book checked off the to-do list. Giganti-gator Death Machines is a few scenes away from being finished and Flash Attack needs six more stories. That’d be two more books in the can. Then it’s on to writing Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm, which ships at the end of September. Once that’s done, I’ll knock off Zomtropolis and will have a more or less clean slate aside from the eventual books.

The whole week has been spent sleeping and working, and I’m still bloody tired.

Oh, you’re getting this issue a day early, by the way, because Saturday I’ll be at Galaxy Comics on Henderson Highway here in Winnipeg signing superhero and monster books all day for Free Comic Book Day. You should come down and keep me company. Bourbon accepted. Cigarettes, too.

This issue is also a welcome issue to Year Four. We’re going to have a fun time testing the waters in this new format so I ask you stick with me as I find my footing and figure things out. It’s like starting The Canister X Transmission all over again and I’m feeling a bit teetery. Regardless, nice and fresh. Hopefully it’s nice and fresh for you, too.

* * *

Zach becomes a vampire & quickly learns the love of his life, Rose, has a secret: she’s a slayer. DISCOVERY OF DEATH http://bit.ly/1Nt0kPV

* * *

We’re going to play this year pretty loosely in terms of newsletter content. I want to use it as a headspace emptying ground, which may or may not consist of a lot of hot air or nonsensical garbage. Get your bullshit meters ready.

But here’s the idea with Year Four: expression from within, whatever that looks like. Work updates, journaling, experience sharing, commentary, essays or articles—whatever. My brain needs a rest from all the structured planning that’s gone into previous newsletters, and with my workload being obscenely high, I’m going to use these issues as a de-stressor. We’re gonna rant and rave, cry and laugh, yell and stomp, and maybe throw beer bottles against the wall. Sound good?

Okay. Glad we got that settled.

My main website is www.canisterx.com

Social media outlets can be hooked into from there.

It’s late and I’m tired and my whisky and medication are calling.

Have a good weekend.

- APF

End transmission

Issue One Hundred-fifty-eight – May 13, 2017

Greetings from the northern end of Winnipeg where life is gray and all is text and paper.

My name is A.P. Fuchs and here we are in Year Four of The Canister X Transmission, an experimental year of newsletter writing. It is May, as we all know, though I wish it was March. I get my M months mixed up sometimes and forget where I am on the calendar.

Most of my winter goals were achieved in terms of book production as well as art. There were some peripherals like my website revamp that fell by the wayside. My checklist app on my phone also has a list of to-dos, some minor, some major, but overall, I’m more or less where I hoped to be come this time of year.

It is Friday night as I write this.

This past week consisted of three things: working, sleeping, and whisky. I’ll let you theorize on which order those things were done. Work was a combination of personal projects and work for others. Sleeping was mostly being a corpse. Whisky—well, I gave in and got myself some Revel Stoke Roasted Pecan Whisky. (I hear you whisky purists heckling in the background. Yeah, I see you. Shut up.) This stuff is like liquid candy. A dangerous drink, but one thoroughly enjoyed.

Last weekend, I worked a table for a day at Galaxy Comics for Free Comic Book Day. It was a giant success and I did quite well compared to the past couple of years. Lots of foot traffic until the last hour and half, so I bailed instead of sticking it out until the bitter end.

There are four main projects in my current block of work. Two are done, one is a couple thousand words from being finished, another project needs about five or six thousand. Upon completion of these last two works, there will be a blog entry detailing the plans for these things and ballpark publication dates. As a reminder, when 2017 started, I said I committed to nothing and would only publicly talk about books—outside this newsletter—when they were done.

Thought has also been given to future comic book projects and how I’ll go about completing the ones presently written.

Regarding the Axiom-man/Auroraman: Frozen Storm novel, this looks like it’ll be shipping mid to late September, both the paperback and eBook editions as well as the lettered hardcover edition. The Saskatoon Comic and Entertainment Expo is that month so I’m thinking of joining Jeff Burton there so we can hawk superhero madness to the masses.

* * *

The Canister X Transmission – www.tinyletter.com/apfuchs

Tell your friends.

* * *