Hi guys

I am posting this because I thought you guys might like to know about a book I just self published.

It's not my sci fi book I've been talking about.  A lot of my friends told me to hold off on the sci fi book because it's extremely violent in some areas.  They said it'd help me better if I published something more uplifting.

Anyway the book I published is about a black superhero in 1953 (I say black to keep with era specific terminology).

It's called John Rocket.

I wrote the book specifically because I have noticed minority characters are being minstrelled out by comic book companies.  Minstrelling is when say a corporation shows someone who is not-white and banks that person/character as a reason to buy the product.
The reason I say this is that dozens of minority comic book characters have been created and launched in the last 20 years to no avail.  The comic book company says "HEY LOOK WE'RE NOT RACIST!  WE HAVE A <insert skin color here> CHARACTER!"  They then cancel the book within 12 to 24 issues.
The character itself has no character.  There's no depth.  The Asian or east Indian characters are always "super geniuses" the dark skinned characters are always "Angry <Skin Color> Man/Woman" types.  The Middle-Eastern characters are "I'm muslim you're an infidel!" character types.  It's insulting.
I had a detailed argument with a couple of people in the comic book industry over this.  Their excuse is "it's too hard to try to identify with <insert ethnicity here>, so we just use what we know."
What they know is stereotypes.

Now this isn't to say all minority characters are failed.

Static Shock is freaking awesome.
The Black Panther is an "angry african man", but he's the counter to Bruce Wayne's Batman (an "angry white man"), so in that case it works.  Of course TBP is decades old.

The problem, as I said, is dozens of non-white characters or non-mainstream characters have been created and shelved in under 2 years because nobody seems to know how to make a worth while non-white superhero.  They're all two dimensional cardboard cut outs of bad stereotypes.

That's why I wrote my book.

I wanted a black superhero who has a PERSONALITY!

I wanted a superhero who had a FAMILY LIFE!

Basically I saw this entire situation as a challenge.  People kept saying you can't make a unique superhero anymore.  I said you could.

So I made Clarence.

I put all of the trademark Superhero Cliches - he's married to a white deaf woman, and has to try to help his niece who was the victim of a very violent crime and left for dead.

I considered the cliches as part of the challenge.

I then concentrated on the entire development of personality and story.

I had people anonymous, friends who I know don't pull punches, and family read it.  I have received 2 complaints:

Complaint #1:  Violent.  Emotionally and physically violent.
So I put a 16 or older warning on the novel.

Complaint #2:  Reverend Davis seemed a little like Santa Claus.
Well, I can understand the complaint, but that was kinda my intention.  I toned him down a little before print, but he's still a Santa Claus like character to Millie.  Emotionally she needed someone in which she could confide and the Reverend is that person.


The rest of the comments from the test readers is that I created a very solid book with 3 dimensional characters and they want me to write a sequel



Anyway if any of you are interested in trying it out before you buy it, I can send you a *.pdf.

If you like it or want to buy it I have it for sale internationally.  You can get it through any book seller (borders won't have it in their system until July I believe, but everyone else has it now).

If you want a signed copy you'll have to send me an email and buy it from Atlantis Comics - letting Rod at Atlantis Comics know you want a signed copy and you already contacted me.

Here's my official website:
http://thelibrary.ninjanezumi.com/johnrocket

Purchase info is on that site.

Anyway I just thought I'd let you guys know I self published one of my novels

It's currently in Hard Back, so the cost is $25.95 if you order from Atlantis Comics, or I think Amazon is selling it for $19 at discount.