Podcast

Monday, February 21, 2022

Marvel Reread Club Episode 23: September 1963, Part 2

Two big meteorites hit Marvel Comics in the second half of September 1963! First Steve and I cover Tales to Astonish #47 with Ant-Man and the Wasp, then we tackle X-Men #1 and The Avengers #1! Hypno-jazz! Magneto’s dainty signature! Horse juggling!

Monday, February 14, 2022

Marvel Reread Club Episode 22: September 1963, Part 1

Marvel Reread tackles the first half of September, 1963, with Amazing Spider-Man #4, Fantastic Four 18, Journey Into Mystery featuring Thor 96, Strange Tales featuring the Human Torch 112, and Tales of Suspense featuring Iron Man 45. Poor photojournalism ethics! The fifth quadrant of the Andromeda Galaxy! Multiple missile test mishaps! Aqua-attractor guns! Cauliflower ears! And just wait until we get to Part 2!






And here, as promised are some images of Betty Brant in her Rambo-esque phase many years later, which Brian Cronin recently wrote about:

Thursday, February 03, 2022

Get My New Book

Hi guys, I can finally share some big news with you: My new book “The Secrets of Character: Writing Heroes Anyone Will Love” is up for preorder on Amazon! That means I can finally share the cover with you! Doesn’t that look awesome? 

The best news for you is that most of the book is new material, never before seen on this blog. I used all those Believe Care Invest pieces as raw data, but I spend most of the book analyzing that data for the first time!

But I know what you’re thinking: Is the book actually any good? Don’t take my word for it, listen to these folks:

“There are plenty of books on the craft of writing. But there’s only one Matt Bird, the ultimate writing coach: smart, funny, insightful, and armed with a toolbox of innovative tips for creating characters readers will love. Whether you’re new to writing or a seasoned pro, you need this classic-in-the-making.”
--Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award winning author of The One and Only Ivan

“Secrets of Story instantly became one of my favorite writing guides. This follow-up dives under the water to take an even more in-depth look at the iceberg of character development. Meticulously researched and brimming with examples, it offers advice that is both precise and actionable. It reveals the genre-spanning patterns of memorable and resonant characters in an easy-to-access reference format that makes for both fun reading and a great tool to keep on your desk for easy thumb-through inspiration.”
--K. M. Weiland, author of Creating Character Arcs and Structuring Your Novel

“Matt Bird has done it again! The Secrets of Character is a book you want next to you when you write. From revealing what gatekeepers look for in your first ten pages to sharing powerful writing tricks from 150 years ago through today, this is a book to read with your laptop nearby. You'll see what your writing needs and it's sure to inspire you to write!”
--Torrey Maldonado, author of What Lane? and Tight

“All the great ideas in the world don’t matter if you don’t hook your audience out of the gate. In Matt’s new book, he lays it out plain and simple, practical advice for making readers grab on to your protagonists and never let go. The Secrets of Character is the perfect companion to The Secrets of Story, another essential writing guide from Matt Bird.”
--Lou Anders, Hugo-winning editor and author of Once Upon a Unicorn, and Star Wars: Pirate’s Price

“Who says there are no shortcuts to success? Matt Bird’s marvelous Secrets of Character offers indispensable, easy-to-implement story hacks that guarantee your character will grab readers’ attention—and ensure you have a story worth writing.”
--Keir Graff, author of The Three Mrs. Wrights and The Swing of Things (writing with Linda Joffe Hull as Linda Keir)

Feel free to pre-order yourself a copy!  Our big release day is April 19th.