2016, this is Ya Boi Graham, notably possessed of longer hair (I spent 16 months growing it out for a Halloween costume) and with fewer cares in the world. This was on a jobsite for a shot we had to do, but the permit wouldn’t be valid for another hour, so we loaded it and waited in the shade. I distinctly remember reading Nick Cole’s CTRL ALT REVOLT novel on my iPhone in this setting, and enjoying donuts provided by one of the other blasters. In the reflection of my glasses you can see the bulk truck of which I was the operator, pumping expansive (not explosive) material into drilled-out shot patterns in the ground. The logo on the hard hat was of my own design, a skull-and-crossbones with a sprocket and wrenches for a modern update.
This is still the coolest job I ever had, and will probably remain so. I’m still in touch with most of the guys I worked with. One of the mechanics went on to be self-employed years later, and he reached out to have me make this logo for his company. I can’t use it in BRIMSTONE because I’ve already got skull logos in other stories and I don’t want to overdo it with the same stuff. Several other components of that job will make it in, though.
The specific job that inspired the setting and story in THE KORBADELL JOB was this one, in northern Nevada several years ago. My BIL and I had to drive up there and got stranded for a few days, fighting the weather and other circumstances, so that we could blow up some shelves at a mine.
After several setbacks and headaches, we got a little cinematic with things. I love this shot, it’s an all-time favorite.
BIL didn’t help much with the driving, lol. The character “Moss Tinmill” was based on him, though he’ll be different in the next version of the story.
It’s been fun to post those old chapters and revisit not just the fantasy story, but the reasoning behind all the stuff I worked into it. I’m grateful for every rejection that story received because—if you read it, you know this—it sure as hell was not ready for widespread distribution, and I couldn’t be proud of it. I’m still proud of the Engines trilogy, for example, it’s just a reflection of a lesser skill level from back in the day. Brimstone was flat-out not ready.
I’ve got a loose idea of what the next version will accomplish, but no way am I gonna commit to any writing schedule for it; I’ve got to knock out a bunch of other stuff well in advance of that series.
And so I shall. Thanks to those of you who kept up with it. I’m curious to hear your opinions, if any. Talk to you soon!