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June 17, 2008 “Sorry Holly, Ken’s not here. He said he had to go to the bank and run a few errands,” Jeff Turner said in his usual louder-than-necessary voice, peering over his sketchpad. Holly Wood regarded the man behind the counter. He was heavy-set with dark, unkempt shoulder-length hair and a few days worth of patchy beard growth. He wore a rumpled, black t-shirt that sported a faded logo for some band or comic publisher. She wasn’t sure which. “I wanted to surprise him for lunch. He says Tuesdays aren’t that busy for him,” she said looking around the shop. They were the only two people there among the racks and shelves of vintage comics, collectables and new releases. “Nah,” Jeff confirmed, setting his sketch pad down, “new books come in tomorrow.” He glanced over at his friend / employer’s girlfriend. He had to admit she was attractive enough behind her retro-nerd-chic black plastic rimmed glasses, but she always wore clothes that looked baggy on her. That was a turnoff to Jeff who, as anyone who knew him had heard him say many times before, was an “ass man.” In truth, Holly picked these outfits and wore her non-prescription glasses whenever she came down to the comic store or met up with Ken and his friends. She never really tried to hide her dual identity as Dyna Girl, but liked the protection of a little anonymity when she was out with Ken or the comic store gang. It was her belief that it would be one of Ken’s friends or customers that would be the first to make the connection between her, Forte and her alter ego… and broadcast it on a bazillion blogs and websites. The brunette glanced over at him again. When he cleaned up, Jeff was a good looking fellow, Holly had to admit. She saw him at Ken’s Halloween party when he came as Dean Martin, shaved and combed in a slick vintage tux, and was amazed at the way people gravitated to him to listen to his wild, conspiratorial stories about rock, comics, politics and, of course, superheroes. It was the way he spoke that drew people in and gave them a chuckle. Looking down at his sketchpad, she also had to admit he was a talented illustrator. “What are you working on now?” “Concept sketches. I decided to dust off my ‘Imperion: Destroyer’ project and do a little tweaking. Instead of a comic, I’m turning it into a 4-hour animated rock-opera… with musical interlude and laser light show… in IMAX. “Imperion, an all-powerful alien force comes to Earth to absorb all the life, sending his advance scout to check out the place” the artist said, gesticulating for emphasis, hands and spread fingers flying in sync with his vocal intonations as he broke down the plot. “The scout has cool superpowers and flies around on this cosmic jet-ski-thing. The scout, named the Celestial Skier, falls in love with an Earth woman and fights against Imperion on behalf of the people of Earth,” the artist ended his synopsis with fist thrown near Holly for effect. “It’s. Pure. Gold.” the man said, looking into Holly’s eyes drawing closer with each word, as if to try and convince her through hypnosis or sheer force of will. “It sounds pretty cool,” she admitted, “but don’t you think it’s a bit ambitious? I mean, wouldn’t it be better as a comic book first to sell the idea?” The artist was about to debate the idea with the young woman, when
the front door to the comic shop was flung open and Jamie Colbert, one
of Ken’s regular customers, burst inside. Gasping for breath he
looked squarely at the pair on either side of the counter,
His duty discharged, the flushed man turned away and headed back to the rear of the store where the back stock area and the restroom was. Holly and Jeff heard the door to the bathroom open and close. Several moments passed as the pair sat in silence. Jeff spoke first. “Do you know what the hell he’s talking about?” “Who’s Ron Linfield?” Holly replied. The shopkeeper was about to reply when Jamie returned to the front of the store. His face and dress shirt were still a little wet from the water he splashed on himself in the back. The color was beginning to fade from his cheeks and they began to return to their natural pallid tone. He adjusted his large gold-rimmed glasses and took a drink of water from a paper cup that had obviously come from the water cooler in the back. There was a time when Jamie would have never spoken to Holly, much less any woman. He was shy, in his mid-30’s, and it was believed he still lived at home. Ken told her in confidence that a few years ago, he had asked him how to go about meeting girls. A few summers back, Gabriel, the son of Jared (Seahawk) Banks spent his summer in Seattle. While his father was working he spent a lot of time at the comic store supposedly helping around the place, making a few bucks. In reality, Ken, Jeff and Gabe spent most of the time jawing about comics, TV shows, movies and playing video games. When Holly dropped in to take the young man home to his father’s boat, she ended up talking to Jamie about what to get Gabe for his birthday. After that and a number of visits to the comic store while he was there, Jamie built enough confidence to talk with her. “Dude.” Jeff said simply. “I just got a Cheep from the Heroic City blog Chatter updater. Ron Linfield has bought the rights to Electra Woman and Dyna Girl,” Jamie explained seriously. “Shit.” Jeff breathed with a tone of understanding. “Okay, how about a little help here for the ‘comically challenged.’ Who’s Ron Linfield?” Holly asked again. “Ron Linfield is one of the founding members of the ‘Fan Four,” Jamie answered first. “Like the Beatles?” Holly asked. “No,” Jeff replied, “FAN Four. It’s a group of comic artists. They started their own company about ten years ago. They are a bunch of HACKS and Linfield’s definitely the ‘Ringo’ of the bunch.” “Lee James isn’t a hack,” Jamie protested. “Jim Rudolph is classic. You saw that Thunderman book he did. All in watercolor. And you told me Ted McFerdon is one of your favorite artists ever.” “Was. After he went nuts with that whole hockey puck thing…” Jeff noted, his voice tailing off to a mutter of curses. “Guys. Guys!,” Holly interrupted. “Focus. Debate later. Why is Ron Linfield getting comic character rights a bad thing?” The two comic book experts looked at each other, as if it was some kind of forbidden subject and two village elders debated whether or not to reveal the secret knowledge to an outsider. Holly watched the silent exchange until at last Jeff turned to speak. “It’s long been speculated that the reason Dyna Girl, the Forte one, has never appeared in any of the Forte comics, even though her teammates have, is because they don’t have the rights to the name.” “That’s never been proven!” Jamie exclaimed, somewhat passionately and out of character. “Both Maxi Comix and National have characters that have the same names. The Twister, Cavalier. There are others.” “Yeah, but Dyna Girl is owned by Kraft Publishing. National and Maxi have long-standing deals about characters with shared names. Kraft isn’t part of that deal. Neither is KC Comics, the guys that publish the Forte titles. “Besides,” Jeff continued, “according to a story published on the Dyna Girl Fansite, she grew up reading comic books and liked the name Dyna Girl and swiped it. That proves that she was inspired by the Kraft character. It wasn’t an intellectual property that she created.” “Wait.” Holly interjected. “You read that on the Dyna Girl FANSITE?” “Yeah.” “The fan club website for girls?” “Yeah. So.” Jeff paused. “My SISTER is a member,” he added defensively. “You have a sister?” Jaime interjected with a rare bit of humor. “YES, I have a sister!” Jeff answered defensively. Holly smirked with a wink at Jamie. “Go on, please.” Jamie continued the explanation. “So, anyway, regardless of whether or not KC Comics can use Dyna Girl in their books, it seems that Ron Linfield now has the rights to the name Dyna Girl by way of the Electra Woman and Dyna Girl property.” “So what’s the big deal? What’s wrong with this guy Linfield publishing Electra Woman and Dyna Girl comics again? I’m sure a lot of people would like to see them again,” Holly said optimistically. Jamie turned to Jeff, ignoring Holly for the moment. The pair communed in silence, almost telepathically. Holly began to wonder how this secret fraternity connected like this in mute exchange when Jaime again broke the link between him and Jeff by speaking. “’Strykeforce Sigma’ number eleven?” “Oh yeah. Volly Anna in the strip club with strategically placed furniture,” Jeff said turning from the pair and walking back into the rows of comic bins. “I forgot about that.” “Did you say ‘strip club?’” Holly asked loudly as Jeff continued into the stacks. Strip club? There were never any strip clubs when I read Electra Woman… Jeff ignored her for the moment and began flipping through several bagged comics in a bin until he found the one he was looking for. He brought the bagged comic back up front and dropped it on the counter in front of Holly. “’NuBreed Summer Swimsuit Spectacular,’” he announced the title of the magazine to Holly. “Compliments of the house.” “Oh God,” Jamie said quietly as he suddenly remembered the comic.
June 17, 2008 Many people in Seattle couldn’t find Victor Steinbrueck Park if it was mentioned in conversation. However if one were to mention the “little park at the north end of Pike Place Market”, Seattlites would immediately know what the other person was talking about. That’s how Holly Wood referred to the location where she had asked her friend to meet her. She saw James Avalon seated at one of the park’s few benches. Typically, passersby would find those prime pieces of real estate occupied by transients and protesters. So it was an odd sight to see Avalon seated there dressed in a five-thousand dollar suit with a flashy Rolex on his wrist. “Nice spot,” Holly commented, handing over a bottle of cold water as she sat across from him. “How’d a suck lawyer you swing it?” The handsomely rugged man smiled back with an unsettling, toothy shark grin. “I asked nicely.” “I’m sure you did.” “So what’s up, love?” Avalon said softly in his British-accented voice, leaning in a bit. Holly quickly replayed the highlights of her revelation in the comic store. She discussed her concerns about the artist’s penchant for “creative anatomy” and her fears that she might be portrayed in a manner that could be embarrassing to her, the membership of the Dyna Girl Fan Club, the Forte Foundation, and her teammates. “It takes a lot to embarrass me, Holly,” James (Moonspider) Avalon said truthfully of her last point. “But I understand what you mean.” “I need your advice. What can you do to help me?” Avalon lowered his voice even more, “I could always look up the little wank after hours and scare the living piss out of him.” Holly sighed. “I meant LEGALLY.” “It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught,” the man said, completely deadpan, without a hint of humor or sarcasm, his steely eyes locked on hers. “I meant as an attorney,” Holly said in all earnest. “What are my legal options?” “I don’t think you have any options. At least not yet. You can’t sue him for defamation of character, because he hasn’t done anything yet. You might be able to once he does, but…” “But by then it’ll be too late,” the heroine finished for him. Contemplating, she turned away for a moment to look at one of the regular ferries heading across the Puget Sound. A sad look crossed her face. “You could try to tie the rights up in legal action. Or, you could try the court of public opinion. Bring the full resources of the Forte Foundation and all of their press connections to bear.” “Yeah, I was thinking about that too,” she admitted. “But that would be unfair if there’s no malicious intent. “God, now I’M starting to think like a suck lawyer!” she exclaimed with a smile. Avalon finished off his water and handed the empty bottle to Holly. “Well this ‘suck lawyer’ is due in court in an hour to get another stupid git off on a technicality. “Look, I don’t do Contract Law or Copyright Law. There may be something you can do, and someone who specializes in those areas might be able to help you. You should probably have the Forte Foundation contact their attorney and see who they might recommend.” Leaning back in toward her friend and lowering her voice she added, “It’s so much easier when you can just beat people up.” “Why do you think I picked up the night gig?” Moonspider smiled that brutal grin at her again.
June 17, 2008 “I don’t know what to tell ya, sport,” Nathan James spoke into the speaker phone on his desk. His gravel-filled voice was a testament to his life-long pursuit of excitement, punctuated by years of Jack Daniels and Marlboros. “When you were with Armor, we tried to acquire the rights to the Dyna Girl character from Shel and Morty Kraft as part of our merchandising efforts. The old fellas didn’t want to sell. “Ol’ Morty died a year or two later. His brother Shel had a son-in-law that was connected to some low-budget studio and they tried to pilot the thing out as a TV movie. No one picked it up. “A few months later Shelly bought some real estate next to his brother and the family inherited the publishing company. Even though you had left the team we attempted to purchase the rights, but the son-in-law didn’t want to play ball. “If I had to guess, this guy Linfield must have agreed to cut the family in on a piece of whatever action he has planned. That son-in-law was a real piece of work. Shifty as they come.” “Hah! That’s pretty funny coming from you, Nathan,” Dyna Girl’s voice said with a chuckle over the speaker. “Listen darlin’, I ain’t no saint, and I’m the first to admit it,” James exhaled to punctuate the point. “But compared to THAT joker, I’m an Eagle Scout.” “So what do you think I ought to do? If I can’t get Linfield or the Kraft family to sell the rights…” “Look, your lawyer friend you mentioned was pretty correct. You could try to tie the rights up in the courts, sour the investment opportunity, but you’d eventually lose. Even with the press on your side. Then they could counter-sue the Forte Foundation for losses incurred.” Holly asked the man again, “So what do I do?” Nathan James, Vice President of Legal Affairs for Armor Security exhaled again. “I’d say have Frankie Richards build you a time machine and go back a few years and pick another name, darlin’.”
June 17, 2008 “Geez, that sucks, Holly,” Paul Seaborn said from the kitchen in reply to his friend’s recount of the day’s events. He was busy seasoning the meat for the skewers he was preparing. “I’ll tell you what sucks,” Holly replied from the living room where she was seated on the couch next to her boyfriend, Ken. “What sucks is the way you and Sam here are able to keep such a clean house.” “Word,” Ken said in agreement, as he popped another of Samantha Parker’s crab puffs in his mouth. After chewing a couple of times, he swallowed and added, “Let me guess, Sam. Paul does the dusting at super speed and you teleport the garbage to low earth orbit where it burns up on reentry. “That’s ridiculous!” Samantha Parker, Forte’s Nightsable, countered. After a moment passed she added, “I just ‘port it over to the dump.” “GOD I want superpowers!” the comic store owner added through clenched teeth in mock frustration, while Dyna Girl laughed. At that moment Paul Seaborn, Vortex, came into the room and sat on the floor next to Samantha and put his arm around her. “Okay Ken, you can have any superpower in the world. What is it?” “Paul, I’m glad you asked…” “Oh God,” Holly interjected. “Don’t get him started.” Ignoring his girlfriend, he continued, “I already have the power to kick out some sweet jams, so I don’t need the power to rock. Thinking about all of Holly’s friends hooking me up, I don’t need the power to fly or teleport to get someplace. Thank you very much,” he added with a nod to Samantha. She returned the gesture with a wink. “My girlfriend’s totally hot, so I don’t need the power to seduce women or make their clothes invisible…” “Lucky me,” Holly added, shaking her head, amazed at how fast men could regress in maturity. Paul and Sam smiled as Ken continued. “You know, it really varies from day to day. Sometimes I wish I had the power to get through the checkout at the grocery store faster. Other times, I wish I could cause bad luck on someone I see treating a service worker like crap. “But today, I simply wish I had the power to give Ron Linfield raging case of hemorrhoids. Untreatable. For a year.” Holly leaned over and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. “You’re redeemed.” “So what do you want to do about this?” Samantha asked. “Have you talked to your dad?” “Yeah, and he pretty much said the same things that James and Nathan said. The Foundation has been trying to get the character rights for a while and hasn’t had any luck. By the way, Ken,” Holly added, “you can tell Jeff that Dyna Girl is not in Forte Comics because of the character rights issue. My dad confirmed it.” “Putting that aside for the moment, is it really that big of a deal?” Vortex asked. “If it was just about me, I’d say no,” the brunette heroine admitted, “but I’m worried about the girls in the fan club who will buy that crap just because it says ‘Dyna Girl.’ And what about the boys that will grow into young men and will think it’s okay to regard women like that? “I don’t want my name associated with that. The Electra Woman and Dyna Girl I read as a kid were heroes and they did heroic things. They didn’t fight Dildo Man in a G-String.” Ken sat up and looked around the room at his friends. “So, what’s the WORST thing you could do to Ron Linfield,” he asked the group. “Other than give him a year-long case of untreatable hemorrhoids?” Paul asked with a smirk. To Ken he added, “Nice one, by the way.” “I still think the worst thing you could do is send James over to his house,” Samantha admitted. “If I didn’t know him, he’d scare the crap out of me.” “Hon, he’s my buddy and he scares me plenty sometimes,” Vortex added. “I vote for the hemorrhoids,” Dyna Girl said emphatically. “Nope,” Ken Hollenbeck said grabbing a notepad from the end table beside him. He took a second to write something down and passed the notepad to Holly. “The worst thing you could do to him is make his investment worthless.” Holly looked down at the note she had just been handed. It was a single word, and it took a moment for it to register, but she finally understood the meaning. “That’s good. That’s really good.” She passed the notepad over to Paul and Samantha. They read it together. “I like it,” Paul said immediately. “Nice work, bud.” “Wow. I can’t think of anything better,” Samantha echoed the others. She got up and walked over to the bookshelf, retrieving a large sketchpad from among the design books she kept at Paul’s home. “If you’re going to do this, let’s go all the way.” She returned to her seat on the floor with the sketchpad propped up against her bent knees. Holly stood and sat down in the chair behind Samantha and looked over her shoulder. “What do you have in mind?” ------------------------------------------------------------------ To: webheroine@DynaFans.com Hi Nancy, I’m working on something and will send you the final version soon. Please see the attached. That should give you some idea of what I’m doing. Can you have the rollout ready to correspond with the “Forte of July” celebration at the Museum on Friday the 4th? I know its short notice, but if anyone can do it, I know you can!!! I know you’ll have a million questions, but I promise to get you the details shortly. Love to you and Donny, DG
Date: June 24, 2008 11:03:17 PST Hello Holly, It was very considerate of you to send us a preview of your impending press release. We appreciate your understanding of how this impacts us here at Armor. With that in mind, please know that you have our full support in this effort and if there is anything we can do to assist you, please let us know. In keeping with your wishes, we’ve kept the details of your announcement close to the vest. Only the Board (CC’ed here) are aware of the existence of the document, let alone the contents. You have my word that the details of your announcement will be held in the strictest confidence until the event itself. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be much of a businessman if I let such a great opportunity for exposure go to waste. Dalia is prepared to place a few calls to the right people. We can have you on the late night show of your choice in a moment’s notice. Also, we’d like to have a chance to get you by the office before the Fourth. Dalia has some ideas she wants to run by you. In the meantime, best of luck to you! In friendship, Alex Nelson ------------------------------------------------------------------ To: executiveboard@armorsecurity.com Thanks Alex. Dalia, thanks for the support and your offer to help. I imagine the networks will be in reruns on the Fourth, so I’d like to do Leno or Conan the Monday following the Fourth (7/7). Letterman creeps me out. If Larry King is available that Monday, I’ll drop by there too. I’ll try to come by today (Wednesday) or tomorrow if I can. Things are starting to heat up around here. ? Holly ------------------------------------------------------------------ To: curator@fortemuseum.org Hello, my dear friends! I’m BCC’ing everyone here so don’t hit reply to all! I wanted to extend a personal invitation to all of you to attend the Forte of July celebration at the Forte Museum this Friday. There’s a big announcement coming and I thought you might want to hear it in person. I’ve got VIP passes waiting for all of you. Just e-mail the museum and let them know how many are coming in your party. For those of you requiring transportation to town for the event (and you know who you are!), I’ll coordinate with you offline. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you! This is gonna be a blast! Love, DG ------------------------------------------------------------------ July 4, 2008
“Yeah, I guess,” she replied looking at the old, yellowed comic book in its protective plastic sleeve. She replaced the copy of ‘Electra Woman’ issue 57 in the drawer where she kept it. She’d sent off another copy of the same magazine by special courier a day earlier. But the one she just put away was special. This was the one that Ken had bought her just before she joined Forte. “Your dad wants to get all of the publicity shots done before the event and Sam’s waiting for a call to ‘port you over.” The petite heroine stood and breathed deeply. “Let’s give ‘em a real show!” She smiled the broadest smile Ken had seen her in weeks and it instantly reminded him of the first time he met her when she walked into his shop. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed Nightsable. The display showed that his phone was connecting to the network, and so he took that moment, the last moment they would have together before everything would change, to make sure that she knew exactly how he felt. “Holly Renee Wood, I love you,” he said putting his arm around her waist and looking down into her eyes. The woman beamed back at him. “I love you too. I couldn’t have done this without you. “I couldn’t have done ANY of this for the past five years without you,” she added in sincerity. Ken heard Samantha’s voice come through the speaker of his cell phone and put it up to his ear. “Hey, it’s Ken. She’s ready.” Within moments, a violet energy portal opened in the living room and Samantha Parker stepped through decked out in her Nightsable costume. ------------------------------------------------------------------ July 4, 2008 As a charity event, the “Forte of July” event had become the biggest fundraiser for the Forte Foundation and the Forte Museum. In fact, it had become the largest fundraiser in the Puget Sound area, unless you were to add up all of the individual “Relay for Life” events throughout the region that supported the American Cancer Society. The seating that had been set up for the Forte Museum event was the largest outdoor bleacher scaffolding that the Seattle Center event organizers had ever had to erect. Event organizers noted that the combined size of the stands was even bigger than those put up a couple of years ago for Bumbershoot when Dr. Jackal showed up to jam with Pixie and The Voice of Armor Security. Children and adults dodged spraying water that jetted from the immense fountain in the concreted center of the green, an orb-shaped chrome sculpture that randomly shot water at visitors that dared too close. Meanwhile, others cooled themselves off with drinks sold by vendors form carts and stands scattered throughout the event site. And within a roped-off area off to the side of the stage, VIPs and local luminaries refreshed themselves in a tented area while UNCLE agents and local police roamed the park on the lookout for trouble. Onstage, the University of Washington Husky Pep Band was blaring out a selection of John Williams film score classics. Even without the added amplification of the sound system, the power of the brass section carried to the streets beyond the Seattle Center. As much as everyone was enjoying the summer weather and the music, they longed for the event to begin. They wouldn’t have to wait much longer as the Husky band wrapped up with the “Throne Room / End Title” theme from “Star Wars.” With the conclusion of that piece, the “You-Dub” students received a thunderous applause, took their bows and left the stage. They were quickly replaced by Wally Wood, Electro-Man, curator of the Forte Museum. “Let’s all give a big thanks to the Husky Pep Band!” he called into the microphone in his Texas-infused drawl. The crowd responded immediately and enthusiastically. He waited for the crowd to quiet down before he continued.
“On behalf of The Forte Museum, The Forte Foundation, and the City of Seattle, I want to welcome all of you to the Sixth Annual ‘Forte of July’ Celebration!” A second thunderous roar peppered with whistles erupted from the crowd and the museum curator was forced to pause again. “First of all, I want to thank you all for coming out and supporting the Forte Foundation. While the final total is not in yet, we CAN say that we have already DOUBLED this year’s target!” Cheers from the crowd again. “Your generous donations at today’s event will go to support all of the worthy causes listed on the back pages of the program, including scholarships for Camp Forte in August! “Now,” Wally continued with a slow look across the audience seated in the bleachers or standing around the park, “I should mention that if any of you are thinking about making off with that money, you’ll have to come through me first.” The man scowled and pointed, looking down his finger as it swept across the crowd who got a good chuckle from the joke. “And, if you’re foolish enough to try and take me, you might want to reconsider… I’ve brought some friends with me today…” Once more the people in the audience exploded in applause and screams as they watched one of Nightsable’s teleportals open a few feet from the man. Bursting out of the shimmering lavender gateway, Rainier stomped one of his mammoth, stone feet on the stage. Even though they had specifically reinforced that area, the power of the step caused the stage to buckle slightly. The booming footfall echoed across the Seattle Center. The sound had silenced most of the crowd for a moment, until they saw Seahawk and Vortex shoot out of the energy disc side by side. Then with renewed frenzy, the spectators watched Seahawk sweep low in a wide arc over the bleachers while Vortex dashed in and out of the people standing below. The speedster would pause briefly to muss a child’s hair, steal (and return) a ball cap, fist bump a teen, or any other of a number of crowd-pleasing stunts. Just as Seahawk completed his flyover and returned to the stage, Vortex appeared as if out of thin air beside Rainier. ------------------------------------------------------------------ July 4, 2008 The courier listened to a broadcast of the “Forte of July” celebration on his earpiece radio. He sat outside the house in a non-descript, tan, domestic sedan waiting for his cue to deliver the package. He would occasionally wipe the sweat that built up on his forehead. Hell, it’s creeping up on a hundred, he noted. It didn’t matter. He had a cold beer waiting for him back at the office. He listened to the crowd in Seattle cheer again as Nightsable took the stage. The network broadcaster said that she was blowing kisses to the fans and smiling. Those kids know how to work a crowd, he had to admit. He continued to wait for his cue while Electro Man took the microphone
again. “As much as the others would like to be here,” the former hero-turned-curator admitted while the Forte team on stage continued to smile and wave to the audience, “someone has to mind the shop. “Now, I’m sure a number of you have heard some rumors about some kind of special announcement today. Well I’m pleased to say the rumors are true. I say ‘pleased’ because, particularly for me, this is a very special announcement.” In his time with this latest incarnation of Forte and the Forte Museum, Wally Wood had learned a little about showmanship. He let the tension and excitement in the audience build as people in attendance and listening and watching around the world began to speculate. “Wedding.” “He’s coming out of retirement.” “Max is back!” “Doctor Jackal’s rejoining.” Whispered theories crisscrossed the crowd as Wally let the murmurs come to a crescendo. “I’d like to introduce you to the newest, and… well, not so newest member of Forte. “Ladies and Gentlemen… my daughter Holly Wood… GUARDIENNE!”
July 4, 2008 The artist stood in front of the flat panel on the wall, spitting his Diet Coke all over it, disbelieving what he had just seen on the Forte broadcast. That’s Dyna Girl! “No, no, no, no,” he pleaded with the television. Then the doorbell rang. He was watching the cobalt blue- and silver-clad heroine descend from above to join her friends on stage, her cape fluttering behind her, marking her descent as he headed to the door to answer it. Upon opening it, he saw a tough looking, leathery man in his sixties standing there dressed in blue jeans and a Hawaiian shirt. “Ron Linfield?” he asked. “Yeah.” “Merry Effing Christmas,” the man replied pushing a rigid envelope into the other man’s hands. Quickly, he turned and headed back down the walk. “What the fuh?” Linfield asked watching as Leo Selman of Armor Security climbed back into his non-descript, tan, domestic sedan and drove away. He closed the door and went back inside where he plopped down on the couch. The Forte festivities continued on his television. Everyone was hugging everyone else and the audience in attendance had gone wild with applause. Ron Linfield could care less. He looked at the package in his hands. Linfield pulled the tab on the envelope and shook the contents free. He held a copy of ‘Electra Woman’ issue 57, featuring the first appearance of Dyna Girl. Inside the mylar sleeve holding the comic was a handwritten note: A lot of people, myself included, loved these characters and grew up reading their adventures. You have a tremendous opportunity here to tell good stories. I look forward to reading them. Good Luck, The End…
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