Birthday and Author and Books, Oh My!

I haven’t done a blogpost in a while, so as I edge closer to 50 on my birthday today, I will post some content (most of which I was asked to contribute directly through statements or interviews) that was cut from an article on me as an author (I was given permission to share it):

Author Ron Baxley, Jr., who claims he was an imaginative child and affirms that he helps foster civilization, says he believes in what original Oz author L. Frank Baum stated, "The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilization."

Baxley also agrees with the late Ray Bradbury who stated that, "The intellect is a great danger to creativity... I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for over 25 years now, which reads 'Don’t think!' ”

Yet Baxley says he also thinks that Bradbury was more talking about the subconscious mind and that words that are buried there from the stories of the past, from your life, can be quite eloquent.

In fact, as Baxley is a published poet as well as a lyrical writer who uses a lot of imagery in his prose, he agrees with Gloria Naylor who stated, "Not only is your story worth telling, but it can be told in words so painstakingly eloquent that it becomes a song."

In short, Baxley, gleaning advice from these great writers, says to become the imaginative child you once were or maybe still are and do not overthink things and find the songs, the passed-down stories within yourself, and express yourself with lyricism.

Baxley adds that some of the best advice he personally can add as a writer is to be quiet, to observe, to listen, and to look for details and statements others might not otherwise notice and to express those using a literary voice that you have practiced as often as a performer sings, an artist paints or sketches, or a pianist practices his or her instrument.

Baxley said he hopes his readers will understand themselves better through his art of writing.

"I hope my readers will see that they are so much more than their identities and backgrounds, that they transcend those aspects of themselves. I also hope they will see that despite having differences such as physical disabilities or mental illnesses that they can rise above them as some of my characters have. Finally, I hope they see that good will ultimately win out over evil, no matter how much evil tries to fool itself or us," he said.

Baxley has shared his new work entitled Ziggy Zig-zags the Light & Dark Fantastic, Vol.1.

"I am over-joyed that my most recent project, Ziggy Zig-zags the Light and Dark Fantastic, Vol. 1, was awarded the 2019 Readers Favorite International Book Award finalist medallion in the graphic novel category, a medallion which now graces the 2nd Edition of the book."

The 2nd Edition of the Ziggy graphic novel is orderable wherever books are sold online and at brick and mortar bookstores as well as having immediate availability in the CSRA region and beyond in comics shops and independent bookstores from Columbia, S.C. to Barnwell, S.C. across to Augusta, Georgia and on down to Savannah, Georgia. 

This graphic novel, with the story and scripting by Ron and illustrations by Vincent Myrand, has been six years in the making from Ron drafting the story and the scripting from 2013-2015 to meeting the illustrator in 2015 to sign him on and to doing an early preview version of the graphic novel for a mini-tour with him in 2016. Then, there was discussing it with YBR Publishing, eventually signing on with them, and having them refine the hardback version until publishing it in mid-2019.

"From an animal shelter in Newberry in 2013, I adopted my Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Ziggy, who inspired the book along with tales of how his breed were horses for the Welsh elves and fairies. Ziggy and I had real life mini-adventures that helped inspire some of the sub-plots of the graphic novel that I first wrote as a story and then as a script. There are many books beyond the first volume that will be coming out that are based on the many adventures of the Corgi super hero," Baxley said.

Baxley's focus in this piece was to highlight mental health and anxiety -- something that affects millions of people on a daily basis.

"Ziggy Zig-Zags the Light and Dark Fantastic, Vol. 1 is so significant because the main character, Ziggy, deals with anxiety while also being brave. In fact, his dog tag has the elven runes for anxiety and valor on it. Throughout his adventures, he becomes very nervous, copes with his anxiety, takes deep breaths, steels himself, and moves forward.  That is a very significant message to send to children, youth, and adults who are coping with anxiety," Baxley said. 

Baxley continued, "Ziggy, the real-life one the character is based upon, has been like a fur-angel to me, and I want others to adopt shelter dogs in the hope that they will experience this joy. I feel like God sent this dog to me for a purpose as He does many things for others in various ways for a greater purpose."

Baxley quoted what Walt Disney stated about Mickey Mouse, “I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.”

"Well, with the Ziggy graphic novel series, I will never forget that it all started with a Corgi," Baxley added.

Baxley has received opportunities all over the United States.

"I would be amiss not to mention such festivals and cons as Oz-Stravaganza in Chittenango, New York, the Michigan Oz Festival in Ionia, Michigan, and Lake-Collect-a-Con in Mt. Dora, Florida who have had me as a participating Oz author and/or special guest at their events for many years – particularly Oz-Stravaganza. I have been invited to participate as an Oz author at Oz-Stravaganza in Chittenango, New York, the birthplace of original Oz author L. Frank Baum for nearly a decade and was awarded in 2016 the International L. Frank Baum and All Things Oz Foundation Lifetime Membership for my contributions to Oz fiction. I have also been invited for half a decade or so as a special guest to the Michigan Oz Festival which also awarded me in 2017. I have even been invited as a special guest several times at Lake-Collect-a-Con events and have been a special guest author, guest author, or authorial vendor at cons and festivals throughout the country," he said.

Baxley says clear mental pictures come to mind as he is writing new material.

“I picture the setting and the characters while I am typing. As I can picture settings and characters so vividly in my mind, perhaps this is why I incorporate a lot of imagery within my writing. Also, I have always been a good listener of others. I think I incorporate combinations of things others have said and the way others speak in my head while I am writing. Other times, I draw upon my own vivid memories of living in the rural South and exploring other areas as well." he said.

Baxley left a note of encouragement to people dealing with mental illness and for those wishing to adopt shelter animals:

"I think anyone who struggles with mental illness should do their best to keep moving forward while looking for a support network for themselves and should also hold to their faith in God and Christ. Also, I think that anyone who is looking to get a pet should seek out his or her local animal shelter first. You never know what wonderful fur-angel may be waiting in the wings for you. As I have shown by continuing to move forward in life with my creative work alongside a Corgi who seems very much sent from above, so much joy is there for us in life from God. We need only seek that joy and seize it with gusto.”

This was the article in the weekly Bamberg, S.C. “Advertizer Herald” that the above content was cut out of:

My next authorial event will be at FarleyCon this Saturday, March 7 at the East Ridge Community Center in East Ridge, TN from 9-4:

Look for my new banner there near my table:

I am signing and selling Limited Edition, numbered prints (of 40) presigned by illustrator Allison Exley of Savannah from the picturebook we will be putting out in May of this year, Goldey Goosey of Oz, copies of the aforementioned graphic novel, and my young adult fantasy novel which combines Southern literature with the Wizard of Oz, O.Z. Diggs Himself Out. YBR Publishing may also be publishing a sequel to this book entitled, O.Z. Doesn't "Diggs" G.C.C. at Emerald City, sometime later this year.

I hope to attend several Oz festivals and cons later this year (TBA). I should also mention, for approximately the 10 year anniversary of the release of the first book in our Oz/Wonderland series, that co-author James C. Wallace II has re-released the first book, Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens of Wonderland and Oz with illustrations by Gwendolyn Tennille. The book can be found among my others in this listing here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ron+baxley&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 .