New Article on the History of a Local Newspaper

Hello Everyone,

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be asked to write a history article for the local newspaper, Press & Guide, as part of their 100th anniversary. They are a great local paper servicing Dearborn, MI and the surrounding communities. I was very proud to know that my work as a historian was noticed by the newspaper's editor and honored that he chose me to write this article. 

In writing this article, I found that the history of many local newspapers is not well documented before becoming available digitally online. I think documenting local newspaper histories would be an excellent research interest and a great future project.

A link to the article is available below:

Then and Now: The Press & Guide 1994-Present

Michigan in Perspective Breakout Sessions Review

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the local history conference, Michigan in Perspective. It was very well organized and informative. My favorite part of the conference (besides the food) was the breakout sessions. There were over 25 sessions during the course of two days so it was hard to choose which ones to attend. All of them were very exciting and were presented by some great presenters.

The first session I attended was presented by Joe Grimm (who was anything but grim) and featured a staple of the Michigander diet, the coney dog. This session was very entertaining and Joe was very funny. My only complaint was that it was before lunch so I was starving the whole time.

Perhaps my favorite session of the conference was presented by Tom Stanton. He presented the history of the Black Legion in the Detroit area. The things that the Black Legion did were horrific but the presentation was fascinating. I'm not much of a true crime fan, but I found this session to be very riveting.

The last session I attended was "If These Waters Could Talk: Maritime Archaeology in the Saint Clair Flats presented by PhD candidate, Daniel Harrison. I've always had a fascination with archaeology so I was pleased to find out the wealth of maritime archaeologic sites and artifacts that the Great Lakes have to offer.

The sessions I attended really inspired me. I hope one day to be a presenter at this history conference in the future.

My First History Conference!

This week I attended my first ever history conference. It was something that I have wanted to do for years, but my comic book convention schedule didn't permit it. 

Since it was my first conference, I decided to attend one near my house and I have to say that I couldn't have chosen a better conference if I tried. Michigan in Perspective is a well organized and informative conference that focuses on little known Michigan History (I'll write reviews for the breakout sessions in the next post).

Historical Society of Michigan

The conference was presented by the Historical Society of Michigan. This is an amazing group that is truly dedicated to sharing the rich history of the Great Lakes State with residents, visitors, and historians. Everyone on the staff was friendly and helpful. They did everything imaginable to make this event an excellent experience.

 At the conference I was pleased to run into my old friend, Alan Dean Naldrett. He's a phenomenal historical writer that focuses mostly on automotive history and the history of Michigan. His books are extremely well researched and are a joy to read. Needless to say, I make sure to pick up his latest book whenever I have the pleasure of seeing him at an event.

Alan Naldrett Author Page

Another awesome thing I picked up this weekend was my Macomb County History Passport. Whenever I visit one of the local museums here in Macomb County Michigan I get a stamp in my passport. After seven stamps I can redeem it for a delicious meal at Culvers. I love to attend museums and I love the delicious hamburgers and shakes at Culvers to this was a win-win situation.

Macomb County Heritage Alliance

It was an amazing weekend. I got to meet some brilliant fellow historians and more importantly, I got to be a part of a community of people who are dedicated to preserving our history for future generations. I can't wait for next year.

New Year, New Medium, New Project!

The first comic book I ever wrote and the franchise that started the entertainment giant that would become Source Point Press, is making his triumphant return in the medium that originally inspired him. The Jack of Spades returns in 2018 in his first ever old time radio show!

Jack of Spades artist, Joshua Werner, dressed up as the masked detective himself

As a kid my grandfather introduced me to the old time radio shows that he had listened to growing up. The Shadow, The Avenger, Green Hornet, and the Lone Ranger sparked my imagination and would later lead to my love of comic books.

There has been talk about bringing JoS to the airwaves (or in this day and age, iTunes) since the first issue of the comic was released in 2013 at the Motor City Comic Con. 

Finally, the noir detective returns to the medium that inspired him. The first episode will be based on the prose story that was featured in Alter Egos Volume I and the Jack of Spades trade paperback, A Wild Card. Original artist, Joshua Werner voices JoS and actress Krissi Kinney plays Allysa Desmond, a rich debutante that hires Jack to investigate the strange goings on at her mansion.

Keep an eye out for the first episode, Lonely Tower Lives, to be released the Summer of 2018 on podcast platforms (Stitcher, Soundcloud, iTunes, etc)

I have a feature article in Flint Comix this month!

This month's issue of Flint Comix features an article I wrote about the history of the Lone Ranger and the character's connection to Michigan. The article is based on a presentation I did for the Whaley Historic House during their History Happy Hour (which in turn was based on a documentary film I worked on). 

As a long time fan of Flint Comix (which is a free publication that brings the joy of comics to everyone in the Flint, Michigan area) and an even longer time fan of Flint Comix owner, Randy Zimmerman, I was very honored to have an article published in this paper. I'm looking forward to writing future articles for this periodical because of the inspiring public service they provide.

My interview with Crimson Rider author, Zach Davis, for IndieVolt.com

Hello Folks,

Check out this interview I did with one of my favorite creators, Zach Davis, for IndieVolt Magazine. We discuss his new comic series, Crimson Rider, and we judge who has the most epic beard in the indie comic scene.


Zach Davis Interview

New Term, Same Sense of Excitement and Gratitude

Tomorrow is the start of my fourth term teaching at the University of the People. I'm teaching two sections of the history course that covers ancient Greece and ancient Rome which are my favorite subjects to teach. I'm so excited to be an instructor at UoPeople because it allows me to teach students from all over the world and from different walks of life. I'm not only making historians, I'm making them around the world.