Amber Love 21-JUNE-2012 This week’s VODKA O’CLOCK episode is GEORGE O’CONNOR who is the creator/writer of HEALED, a comic about what life would be like if there were no diseases anymore. I love when someone claims to be shy because it’s someone that I can get to talking for hours. George is a case like that. He’s so energetic and excited about making comics and his mission to follow his dream is contagious. We talk all about his five-part miniseries HEALED which was illustrated by S.Griffin. You can read the first issue of HEALED absolutely free online at the official website.

Download on iTunes, through HipCast’s feed, or listen here (there are technical difficulties with the upload to HipCast/iTunes). Sorry for the background noise, it was exceptionally hot and the air conditioning had to be turned on!

George and Griffin founded Homeless Comic to self publish HEALED:

“Good comics looking for good homes.”

HEALED issues are broken down into three vignettes, called “episodes,” which make readers feel like they are easily covering a larger amount of pages through a short story format of intertwined lives. The people in the universe of HEALED have been affected by the world’s sudden lack of illness and disease.

What are the downsides to curing all disease? George fills us in on his self-proclaimed pessimism about things like a collapsed stock market from the pharmaceutical/medical industries that are decimated by no longer having use. Personal stories come into play within the episodes such as characters cured of Alzheimer’s and having to move out of their nursing homes.

“There’s no chance to digest or think. Everyone’s going to panic right off the bat.” ~GOC

People will panic about food shortages and resources. Though the team originally received feedback they may have people reacting too extremely, George felt validated when he experienced a water crisis in his own town. When something as simple as needing to boil water or buying water turned into supermarket chaos and people resorting to reselling their bottled water right from their shopping carts.

George brings up fascinating elements of life with the rules he and Griffin created: you can still get drunk; you can still get high; some questions are brought up by the naivete of the characters such as whether mental illnesses and addictions are cured and whether being gay is a “disorder” that could be cured by this miracle.

“Anybody listening to this who wants to do it, do it, please do it. Do it! I swear to God, it’ll be the most creatively rewarding thing you’ve ever done. The community is fantastic. It’s supportive. And there’s honestly nothing like seeing your idea come to life in a tangible book. And there’s nothing like telling someone about your book and them going, ‘I want to give you money for that.’ It’s nothing like it. Take the risk. Don’t be afraid to fail. I promise you, you will be rewarded.” ~GOC

George and Griffin will be attending a few more comic conventions for 2012 such as Heroes, ComicConn, and Baltimore. Be sure to look for them and other team members from the Comics Experience workshops.

LINKS:

@LazyHorde on Twitter

@ShadedAreas for Griffin on Twitter

HomelessComics.com official site

RECIPE OF THE DAY:

Mix 2 oz of black cherry VanGogh Vodka with 4 oz of premium orange juice. =)

SPONSORSHIP:

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.