James Powell
@thefictioncoach
Comics editor & coach. I help writers master craft, build confidence, and finish strong. Creator of House of Fear (Dark Horse). 📝
Proof copy is in. I always love this part. #makecomics #indiecomics
Finished Widow’s Bay. What a delightful show. I was laughing out loud in one scene and sort of terrified the next. The perfect balance between humor and horror. Oh, and the drug episode. I haven’t laughed that loud at a show in a loooong time.
One episode into Widow’s Bay and I’m already hooked. Humor + horror tropes + great characters = me trying not to binge the entire series in one night.
Proud to have played a small role in this comic’s creation. And maybe more than a small part in the next one. Wink wink. Wurst and Mayhem by John Edingfield II and Ryan Kroboth. #indiecomics #makecomics #ieditcomics
Damn, Obsession is disturbing. Inde Navarrette's performance is so unnerving that I feel like I need to take a shower or in some way distance myself from the whole thing. Or, you know, go see it again. #horror #horrormovies
I would love to see indie comics use silent panels more often. Sometimes, beats hit harder without words. They can carry so much emotional weight. Greg Rucka is a master of the silent panel. Here’s one from Queen and Country #8 (art: Leonardo Fernandez). Even without the story, you can feel it.
Tongues by Anders Nilsen is so, so good. Probably one of the best OGNs of all time (I need to read it again to say that with certainty). Myth. Heavy themes. And that art! Volume 2 can't get here fast enough. (But also, Anders, take your time. We'll wait.) #comics #graphicnovels
Anyone here watch The Studio? We finished last night. Fantastic series! The final episodes were hilarious. But damn, episode two was hard to watch. The Grammy episode wasn't much easier. Seth Rogan's Matt Remick is so...god, the anxiety of it all! He's so cringe, as my son would say.
Snuck out to see Undertone today, and fuuuuck. The story is razor-thin, and I'm not sure exactly what's happening at the end, but who cares? The sounds were so intense, I kept shifting in my seat, making sure no one was gonna kill me. #horror #horrormovies
Akira has to be the most engaging first volume of any comic series I've ever read. Every panel is dynamic. The level of detail is incredible. Definitely one of those series I want to soak in every moment, but damn, it's so fast-paced, I fly through the pages. So immersive! #comicbooks #manga
Anyone remember these Marvel 3-packs? These Secret Wars packs are what got me firmly planted as a comic fan. (I couldn't track down the whole set, so read the same 9 issues over and over. It would be years before I read the entire series.) #comicbooks
Finally started reading this monster. Damn, it’s fantastic! Liu and Takeda have created a masterpiece.
Scorsese's The Irishman is riveting cinema, but I realized just how bad I'd be as a mafia hitman. "Tell him it is what it is." Ummm, wait, what now? "Take him to Australia." Wait, am I killing this guy or taking him on vacation? Is there a mafia cheatsheet these guys use?
Had to revisit Fraction and Aja's Hawkeye... This is some of the best non-linear storytelling you'll find. And the silent panels are used to perfection. And toss out the idea of 4-6 panels per page, bro. Incredible emotion throughout, bro.
Send Help is so much fun. I don't always appreciate Raimi's humor, but it works so well in this one. Perfect date night film (well, for me anyway).
Guess who just got a dose of sword & sorcery delivered. If anyone needs me, I’ll be on the couch. #fantasybooks #reading
Oh hell yeah! I missed the news that Damsel from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S. was with Mad Cave. Just ordered the collected edition. It goes straight to the top of my to-read pile! @maumoraart.bsky.social @andrewclemson.bsky.social #comics #readcomics
Hamnet is such a beautiful film about family and love and loss and story... one that stuns with an ending that's absolute perfection. And Buckley's performance! I’m going to have to update my 2025 favorites list.
Beautiful melancholy. Train Dreams is such a quiet, wonderful film.
Okay, Frankenstein... it’s absolutely incredible on almost every level, but it's still just Frankenstein again, know what I mean? I'm so familiar with it, even del Toro's take, while amazing, can't grip me by the balls the way I hoped it would. Still a top film from ‘25. And that opening scene!
Watched Life of Chuck last night. I loved most/some of it, but I'm not sure the structure did it any favors. I want a full-length feature of young Chuck. If my top 20 list of 2025 were some sort of fantasy league, I'd say it needs more joy and slide LoC somewhere in the latter half.
The upcoming Masters of the Universe looks sort of terrible, but also: totally want to see it.
I watch a lot of movies... here's a look at my favorite films from 2025 (only loosely ranked). Anything I might've missed?
This is what I wanted the last one to be. Great horror to start 2026.
I've been catching up on comics I missed, and I realize that some I read fast, others I read slowly. Nice House on the Lake is a slow read...I could've read it in one sitting, but I want to make it last. Of course, just typing this makes me want to go upstairs and finish it right now.
When I was a kid, I loved Marvel's New Universe. I subscribed to Spitfire and the Troubleshooters before they even released any images. My first comic subscription! But damn, Star Brand and DP7 were my jam. Psi-Force? Oh hell yeah! Anyone got a time machine?
I finished watching the MCU movies in chronological order up to Avengers: Endgame. Sometimes I felt like I was rewatching the same movies over and over, but I gotta say, these things work shockingly well together. And that finale worked even better after watching 20+ Marvel movies in two months.
Kurt Zauer recently brought me on board to edit Spectress & Sabanion #6. I can't wait to check out his revised script later this week. It's loaded with supernatural action, possession, ancient lore, regret, and bloody horror. @kurtzauer.bsky.social #makecomics #indiecomics