An Open Apology to everyone

I'm not handling things well at all... tonight one of the haters that I have been telling you about for the last week came to my door, wearing a motorcycle helmet and then there was a threat, and this time I believed that it would be carried out.  I ranted and raved and have nearly lost my mind.

I have to apologise to everyone online that read my posts regarding THE SOCIETY FOR THE REMARKABLE SUICIDE I love this book and believe so much that it can do what I want it to do, to entertain and inform, to start a conversation.  I sometimes lose my way.  I thought that was it, one too many a threat, one too many a set back.  Pressure from different sources to 'trash' the book and move onto another script...

I'm going insane, so what do I do?

I've run out of cash for printing any form of run of the book.  It's the damn problem with being on disability and a publisher won't touch the book.  So I've split the book into 3 parts.  Part one is 25 pages of the Graphic Novel, plus the back story of Joe, Catherine and Trevor, and three pieces of art from the Creative Suicide project which I couldn't afford to get printed.  Part two of the comic will be online in a months time and hopefully part 3 will be a month after that.  Printing this way, especially with downloads takes a whole burden of financial pressure off me and gets the book out to people.  Anyway... below is a link to the book on lulu.com and if you have €2 euro to spare then download the first part of the graphic novel...


http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-society-for-the-remarkable-suicide-part-1/15244378

Thanks and again sorry for the ranting...

Stephen

A facebook page too far?

Hello...

As some of you know 3 years ago now I wrote the script for the graphic novel THE SOCIETY FOR THE REMARKABLE SUICIDE. I've been through a numerous amount of trouble getting the book ready for print, with a number of artists coming on and then leaving the project, health reasons, and other stuff going on. 

On June 18th the book will be released, further problems have arisen in the fact that the only comic shop in Dublin that will stock it, out of the three there are, is Dublin City Comics and Collectables, on Bolton St.. 

Now facebook have decided to throw a spanner in the works... they have shut down the page www.facebook.com/remarkablesuicide for the reasons below.  Before reading below let me first tell you that the book is about finding a reason to live, sticking around this glorious planet, and enjoying every second of this one ride we have in life.

Here is facebooks reason for removing the page, this is copied straight from the email sent to me.

Your Page "The Society for the Remarkable Suicide" has been removed for violating our Terms of Use. A Facebook Page is a distinct presence used solely for business or promotional purposes. Among other things, Pages that are hateful, threatening, or obscene are not allowed. We also take down Pages that attack an individual or group, or that are set up by an unauthorized individual. If your Page was removed for any of the above reasons, it will not be reinstated. Continued misuse of Facebook's features could result in the permanent loss of your account.

This is all based on the title of the book, not the content, which they haven't bothered to find out about, but the title.  The title of the book was picked to let people know exactly what they were going to be purchasing and reading.  I know that this is a subject matter that if handled poorly could easily offend people, but that isn't my intent at all I'm trying to get people to talk about this.  A conversation is the best way that people can stop someone they love or someone they do not know from leaving this planet by their own hands.  What do you think of Romeo and Juliet?  That has teen suicide in it, but do you ever think about the suicide or does the romance win out in the conversation.

In our book our Romeo is called Trevor, and our Juliet is called Catherine.  They join a group that helps people kill themselves in ways that are so over the top they are remembered.  But Trevor and Catherine fall in love, still sounds familiar doesn't it... however, unlike Romeo and Juliet, Trevor and Catherine decide that living for each other is worth turning their backs on the Society, even though this causes the Society to come after them to make sure they die either way.

On facebook Romeo and Juliet has a page that has over 100,000 fans... my page for my graphic novel that is out on 18th of June 2011 had 40, that's right... just 40.... say it with me and say it aloud.... 40....

Romeo and Juliet, masterful storytelling with a pretty downer of an ending 100,000 fans and still allowed to carry on having a page.... The Society for the Remarkable Sucide, a tale of hope and light, redemption and love... removed with 40 fans....

I feel pretty beaten by the whole experience right now, I'm fighting this battle for this book that I believe in, and I won't give up.  If you want to know more you can still find me here on facebook, fighting, or on www.twitter.com/stephencoffey or www.myspace.com/chrestfelt both sites have never once complained about my content and it's all shared equally between them.  Or if you would like to preorder a copy of the book email me at chrestfelt@hotmail.com

I promise this isn't the last you've heard about the book... stay tuned and believe in free speech and non censorship of books and graphic novels...

Peace and love

Stephen