Issue 5 - The Infinite Deadline

Wow...
Issue 5 is done and was signed off this morning.
It was, without a doubt, the hardest deadline we've pulled to date. A combination of dozens of stories to go through, awesome art to commission and a complete overhaul of the design and layout pushed this one a lot longer than we expected.

We were hoping to finish it off by Monday or maybe Tuesday at the latest... I finally delivered the pdfs to the printer at 11am on Thursday morning, having done 23 hours straight.

It kinda turned into the never-ending deadline.
We're used to pulling all-nighters on the final night of deadline - what we weren't expecting was the final night to go on for four days.

As a result I've got myself completely sick. My head hurts, my nose is blocked and for some strange reason I can't actually hear out of my right ear - which is infuriating and makes me feel like a tool whenever I'm talking to people.
And V has a week's worth of deadlines to catch up on for the other 3 publications she writes for, so she hasn't actually stopped working - she just put down her pen from Something Wicked and went straight into the 6-odd articles she was supposed to submit this week.... sheesh.

But... Was it worth it?
I think so. I did the ritualistic hanging up of the new cover on the wall next to the other 4 and it looks good. The new layout, I think, looks absolutely gorgeous. The logo, too, looks good and we've got some beautiful art and fiction - so...hopefully it was worth it.

We launch it next week Saturday at the HorrorFest and hopefully people will turn up. It's always a little petrifying doing an event like this 'cause you just don't know if anyone will show up.
I've invited some of the artists and writers of Issue 5 to join us and sign some copies so it should be a fun day.
Afterwards we'll stick around and watch some Horror Movies at the fest.

I was thinking of getting some Champagne or something - I don't know - it is our one year anniversary, we really should do something special but I don't know how well Champagne will go down in 30 degree Cape Town heat... any suggestions?

Meanwhile, here's a little pic our good friend and Something Wicked alumni, Digby C Young took of V and I on the first night of the four-night deadline.
The reason I'm on the couch is because my incredibly comfortable 500 buck office chair was beginning to screw up my back so I moved down there for the last few days. (I'm back at my desk now, in case you're wondering).