Tag Archives: MERCANARY

Open Season on MERCANARY™

1. Terms of the Open MERCANARY License (version 1.0)

1.1 Henceforth, use of MERCANARY is bound by the terms of this open licensing agreement.

1.2 It is understood that David Reynolds is the creator of MERCANARY, which is the trademark of Problematic Press.

1.3 This license in no way relinquishes ownership of this trademark nor our copyrighted works, such as The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY.

1.4 Furthermore, we (David Reynolds and Problematic Press) reserve the right to withdraw and revoke this license from any individual or group of individuals at any time for any reason, which may require the unpublishing and removing of your content from distribution.

1.5 Otherwise, subject to the terms of this license as detailed here and updated from time to time, we grant the limited use of MERCANARY — the character, concept, design, and image — for commercial use in English-language content in any medium to any person or group of persons (hereafter referred to as “you”).

Contents of the Terms

2. Your Use of MERCANARY

2.1 Given that you abide by the terms set out in this agreement, we hereby grant you license to create content in English that uses MERCANARY.

2.2 Content may be created for any medium, including but not limited to short fiction, poetry, novella, novel, comic strip, graphic novel, zine, music, dance, theatre, film, puppet show, animation, or video game.

2.3 Your use of MERCANARY should consider the characteristics detailed in the guide below.

2.4 Your use of MERCANARY must comply with the limitations detailed below.

2.5 Use of MERCANARY in any way signifies your consent to the terms of the Open MERCANARY License.

3. Guiding Your Use of MERCANARY

3.1 While MERCANARY originated in MERCANARY™: A Zine of Poetry and Adventure and was further fleshed out through The Epic of the MERCANARY™ as well as The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™, you are not entirely bound by those depictions. Nevertheless, we suggest you use those sources as guides for the character.

3.2 For example, while we refer to MERCANARY as male (he/him), he is not bound by gender, and you may make him whatever gender you wish for your content.

3.3 Any reference to the character’s name in writing must maintain the use of ALL CAPS and include the symbol in its appropriate position, while references to his species should be styled using lowercase, like any common noun. So, as an example, one might write “MERCANARY is not the only mercanary to be mistaken for a mercenary.”

3.4 Otherwise, we have established in our previous works that MERCANARY is the following:

  • Half bird, half merman, and half myth.
  • He is a mystical being with supernatural powers.
  • He is absurd.
  • He may fly, swim, and slither.
  • He may change shape, so he is not bound to appear with a canary’s upper torso or even with a mer-tail.
  • He may turn invisible.
  • At times, he may be seen by children and hidden from adults.
  • He is inexplicably capable yet he is often naive.
  • He has an extra-dimensional pocket that stores everything he needs.
  • He often wields a pair of machine guns, which he unloads in celebration of small accomplishments and simple joys.
  • He may be mistaken for being a mercenary, given how often he brandishes his guns, but he is more precisely a sells-word, one who relishes in the story sold.
  • He loves reading, and he’s a fan of poetry.
  • Although he used to only speak in chirps and coos, now he has found his voice.

3.5 We suggest you explore one of the following settings or genres for your content:

  • magical realism
  • pulp noir
  • cyberpunk
  • fairypunk
  • retro-futurism
  • swashbuckling adventure
  • cosmic horror
  • dark academia
  • wuxia action

3.6 If you closely follow our suggestions and your content is a work of literature, then you may wish to submit it to us for consideration for publication. Please do so! You may use the submission form found here.

3.7 You retain copyright over your content, which means you may sell it on your own without owing a royalty to David Reynolds or Problematic Press as long as you abide by the terms of this licensing agreement and include the required acknowledgment as detailed below.

4. Limitations on Your Use of MERCANARY

4.1 You acknowledge and accept your responsibilities and limitations as a content creator according to the intellectual property laws of the jurisdiction in which you reside, and you indemnify David Reynolds and Problematic Press from any liability — legal, financial, personal, or otherwise — associated with the content you create.

4.2 While our previous publications also depict other characters, such as Harrison Stockton Bueller and Troll-Cat, this license does NOT grant the use of any other characters. This license ONLY grants the use of MERCANARY in your content.

4.3 You must not use MERCANARY in any way that damages David Reynolds or Problematic Press, including but not limited to anything that may constitute libel, slander, or defamation of David Reynolds, Problematic Press, or a third party.

4.4 To the point of undue hardship, you must make every reasonable attempt to prominently include in your content the required acknowledgment as detailed below.

5. Required Acknowledgments

5.1 In general, your content must include and prominently display this written declaration verbatim: “David Reynolds is the creator of MERCANARY, which is the trademark of Problematic Press. MERCANARY appears here in accordance with the terms of the Open MERCANARY License.”

5.2 If it is feasible, you must audibly declare for your audience that “David Reynolds is the creator of MERCANARY, which is the trademark of Problematic Press. MERCANARY appears here in accordance with the terms of the Open MERCANARY License.”

5.3 If it is feasible, you must include a link to problematicpress.com.

5.4 If it is feasible, you must include the Problematic Press logo.

5.5 We appreciate that different media have different ways of handling such acknowledgments, and we offer the following guidance:

  • For a print book, include the written declaration, the link, and the logo in the front matter of your book.
  • For an ebook, include the written declaration, the link, and the logo in the front matter of your ebook.
  • For a stage performance, place signs near the stage and entrance that include the written declaration, the link, and the logo, and also audibly declare the acknowledgment immediately before the performance begins.
  • For a puppet show, place signs near the stage and entrance that include the written declaration, the link, and the logo, and also audibly declare the acknowledgment immediately before the performance begins.
  • For a film, include the written declaration, the link, and the logo as part of the opening branding, and also audibly declare the acknowledgment while it is on-screen.
  • For a video game, include the written declaration, the link, and the logo as part of the opening branding, and also audibly declare the acknowledgment while it is on-screen.

5.6 If it is feasible, include such an acknowledgment when promoting your content, such as when giving interviews or in advertisements.

6.1 You can download a copy of this agreement as well as additional resources as a .zip file at this link here.

6.2 That .zip file contains logo images as well as a .pdf copy of MERCANARY™: A Zine of Poetry and Adventure.

7. Our Gratitude

7.1 David Reynolds and Problematic Press are thrilled that you are considering using MERCANARY in your content, and we thank you kindly for your interest.

7.2 May MERCANARY be a boon for your content!

Problematic Press
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We’ve Launched The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™ from His Nest!

Maybe you’ve heard this already: we’ve launched David Reynolds’ The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™ from his nest in downtown St. John’s!

Attendees appreciated the absurdity of it all. A screening of The Epic of the MERCANARY™ invited wonder, awe, and laughs as supporters arrived. The opening act was a poetry “reading” by the enigmatic Snake, I’s, which left the crowd speechless yet smiling. Next, Nicholas Morine’s reading of “Johnny Cobra & the Cerebral Crucible” set the stage for heart-pounding adventure. You can read that story and more of his short fiction that cuts deeply in Steel Sarcophagus. Finally, David Reynolds read excerpts from The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™. Teasing tidbits and side-stepping spoilers, he provided a prophetic preview of his debut novel — this gonzo picaresque tale — A Sells-Word’s Story.


We also want to remind you that a tree will be planted for every print edition of The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™ sold!

This goes for print editions that we sell in-person as well as online sales of the printed novel, for now and into the foreseeable future.

Thanks to our friends at One Tree Planted for making this possible!


The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™

Harrison Stockton Bueller thinks he’s hit bottom when he makes a new friend.

Enter: the MERCANARY™.

This is The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™. It’s also the tale of Harry’s nightmarish misadventures.

Problematic Press is proud to present to you this gonzo picaresque novel… or something.

Is there ever any solace?

This is it.

This is lit.


Somewhere between Holden Caulfield, Ignatius J. Reilly, and BoJack Horseman, you’ll find Harrison Stockton Bueller playing with his G.I. Joes.

MERCANARY™, a sells-word inspired by a typo, is a metafictional hero who’s been drafted for lit’s sake on land, sea, and air. His mission? Word.


David Reynolds hasn’t won any awards for his creative writing, but his most shocking anecdote has won him more beer than he could possibly ever drink. He lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, where he teaches English at Atlantic Canada’s largest university.


In the words of the author: “This is a gonzo picaresque novel. It’s a work of intermedial metafiction. It’s a cautionary tale. It’s a sob story. It’s a farcical melodrama. It is high art. It adapts a ‘zine of poetry and adventure. It adapts a memeoem, which is literally a new poetic art form that I invented for this. It is the culmination of my life’s work in literature. It’s ballsy and hubristic and vulnerable all at once. The protagonist is an anti-hero. The sidekick is really something else. The odds are against them, but they’re in this to win it. Together, they make things weird. Well, this thing is certainly weird.”


We wish to thank everyone who came to the launch and purchased a book. People like you make this all worthwhile.

The author expresses his deepest thanks to his family and friends for their love and support throughout the writing process.

He thanks everyone who purchased a copy of the original ‘zine

He also thanks everyone who purchased items from his childhood collection of treasures to help fund this print run of books.


Order copies of The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™ as print and Kindle editions here.


Nicholas Morine — author of Steel Sarcophagus, Arcade Rat, and Kowloon Walled City, 1984 — has this to say about this experimental novel:

“Reynolds’ debut novel surprised me inasmuch as I wasn’t expecting the content to be so innately relatable.”


Find more information about our growing selection of books at problematicpress.com.

Thanks kindly for your interest!


See the CBC’s coverage of MERCANARY™: A ‘Zine of Poetry and Adventure back in 2019 here!

Read David Reynolds’ testimony to the CBC on the ease of vaccination here!

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BOOK LAUNCH: The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™

You may have heard already. We’re launching David Reynolds’ The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™ from our office in downtown St. John’s.

Follow Problematic Press on Facebook to find the event.


We are also excited to announce that a tree will be planted for every print edition of The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™ sold!

This goes for print editions that we sell in-person as well as online sales of the printed novel, for now and into the foreseeable future.

Thanks to our friends at One Tree Planted for making this possible!


The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™

Harrison Stockton Bueller thinks he’s hit bottom when he makes a new friend.

Enter: the MERCANARY™.

This is The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™. It’s also the tale of Harry’s nightmarish misadventures.

Problematic Press is proud to present to you this gonzo picaresque novel… or something.

Is there ever any solace?

This is it.

This is lit.


Somewhere between Holden Caulfield, Ignatius J. Reilly, and BoJack Horseman, you’ll find Harrison Stockton Bueller playing with his G.I. Joes.

MERCANARY™, a sells-word inspired by a typo, is a metafictional hero who’s been drafted for lit’s sake on land, sea, and air. His mission? Word.


David Reynolds hasn’t won any awards for his creative writing, but his most shocking anecdote has won him more beer than he could possibly ever drink. He lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, where he teaches English at Atlantic Canada’s largest university.


In the words of the author: “This is a gonzo picaresque novel. It’s a work of intermedial metafiction. It’s a cautionary tale. It’s a sob story. It’s a farcical melodrama. It is high art. It adapts a ‘zine of poetry and adventure. It adapts a memeoem, which is literally a new poetic art form that I invented for this. It is the culmination of my life’s work in literature. It’s ballsy and hubristic and vulnerable all at once. The protagonist is an anti-hero. The sidekick is really something else. The odds are against them, but they’re in this to win it. Together, they make things weird. Well, this thing is certainly weird.”


The author expresses his deepest thanks to his family and friends for their love and support throughout the writing process.

He thanks everyone who purchased a copy of the original ‘zine

He also thanks everyone who purchased items from his childhood collection of treasures to help fund this print run of books.


If you aren’t in the area, you can still order copies of The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™ as print and Kindle editions here.


Nicholas Morine — author of Steel Sarcophagus, Arcade Rat, and Kowloon Walled City, 1984 — has this to say about this experimental novel:

“Reynolds’ debut novel surprised me inasmuch as I wasn’t expecting the content to be so innately relatable.”


Find more information about our growing selection of books at problematicpress.com.

Thanks kindly for your interest!


See the CBC’s coverage of MERCANARY™: A ‘Zine of Poetry and Adventure back in 2019 here!

Read David Reynolds’ testimony to the CBC on the ease of vaccination here!

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From Epic to Labours to Saga: Myth-Making

From Epic to Labours to Saga: Myth-Making

One of the most fascinating aspects of myths in general is how there are so frequently variations of the “same” stories.

I mean this in a few senses, but, primarily, consider, say, the stories of Heracles and Hercules, and, secondarily, consider Joseph Campbell‘s concept of the monomyth. I’ll introduce the tertiary consideration later.

Similarily, “The Labours of the MERCANARY™” will be a reimagining of – in other words, an adaptation of – “The Epic of the MERCANARY™.”

Further, the Labours shall use the exact memeoems from the Epic, just reordered, remixed, re-cut.

And, the Labours will significantly shape the prose of the novel, “The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™.”

The tertiary sense of variations of myths focuses (perhaps) more on interpretation. Roland Barthes engages the rhetoric of myth in his theories on semiotics (how meaning is made, how communication functions, etc.).

An Occam’s razor explanation: consider how the reader/viewer/listener brings with them a whole set of biases, attitudes, values, beliefs, and more when they encounter any communicated expression, and that set determines how they might interpret any message.

These memeoems are meant to explode meaning; they ought to have great variance in how they are read.

The prose of the novel will be clearer than the memeoems, without a doubt, but readers should still expect a great deal of coy obfuscation, ambiguity, and wordplay.

By the time the novel is in print, this whole project will be a strange intermedial loop of potential interpretations of the work as a whole.

Sincerely,
David Reynolds
© 2020
PROBLEMATIC PRESS

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A Note from the Author on Method

Beware the three of hats.

A Note from the Author on Method

I’d like to tease a few points about this work-in-progress.

These are “The Revelations of the MERCANARY™” …

The nine of cups from which
I shall drink up inspiration.

FIRST REVELATION

I am not mad. While this is a project that plays with themes of identity, psyche, dreams, the supernatural, and more, I assure you that I am deliberately navigating this terrain as reasonably as any writer. Bear with me until it’s in print.

However, I am literally writing a method into what otherwise must appear as complete madness. This leads to the SECOND REVELATION (which is rather lengthy).

SECOND REVELATION

Much is already written. The plot is outlined, and maybe 20% of the rough draft is complete. For the remainder of writing the rough draft, I’m taking inspiration from dadaism.

MERCANARY™ began as a ‘zine, became the trademark of PROBLEMATIC PRESS, sought idolization through OPERATION: MERC(H)ANARY™, transitioned to Instagram for the memeoem epic and labours, and will eventually become a sort of gonzo picaresque novel.

Here is where the method enters the madness.

There are 100 slides in the epic (99 + 1 across two highlight reels). Employing a type of cut-up technique, the first 99 memeoems in the epic will find their way into the novel. Additionally, those 99 memeoems will be used to craft the labours.

Each memeoem consists of three fundamental aspects: audio, imagery, and an original poetic line (or the absence of a line to signal a break).

I have numbered each memeoem in the sequence and noted each of these three aspects for every memeoem.

The notes are cut up as slips. The slips are crumpled into balls. The 99 balls of each aspect will be placed into three of my hats, shaken rigorously, and then allotted. Those 297 balls will be evenly distributed to each of the nine “chapters” of the novel, and this lottery will dictate the memeoems that become the Labours.

The audio shall provide the Soundtrack for each of the “chapters” in the rough draft. I shall make and share playlists for each as writing progresses. I will listen to each on repeat as I write the corresponding “chapter.”

The imagery will provide the Cues for each “chapter,” which I will use as prompts for themes or imagery or some other allusion or reference. These will also be mixed into the labours, meaning the memeoems from the epic shall appear in multiple labours. This is myth-making.

The original poems will provide the A’s. A is for Appreciation. The MERCANARY™ epic is a lengthy appreciation memeoem, hence these are the A’s you are looking for. Since I am the author, these will be directly incorporated into the rough draft. Again, this lottery will help form the labours, so expect a lot of multiplicity in the memeoems.

THIRD REVELATION

I seek to challenge myself with this intermedia-writing project, and I am confident that each prompt will make it into the rough draft.

However, I make no promises as to what gets cut while revising and editing. This ought to be at least somewhat coherent by the time it goes to print.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself, right?

David Reynolds
© 2020
PROBLEMATIC PRESS

PROBLEMATIC PRESS,
Home of the
MERCANARY™

And, follow this link to find “The Epic of the MERCANARY™,” an epic memeoem sequence.

https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODc3NTYyNTkxNTg5MjE2?igshid=lunktmbjeoo7&story_media_id=2286413994658788281_13522736872

Cheers!

David Reynolds

©2020

PROBLEMATIC PRESS

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THE EPIC OF THE MERCANARY™

https://problematicpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/screenshot_20200521_130504.jpg

THE EPIC OF THE MERCANARY™

In the digital age, and within Instagram as a medium, I assert “The Epic of the MERCANARY™” is an epic memeoem.

Specifically, it is an appreciation memeoem sequence that spans 100 slides.

Duration of the experience varies by viewer, but it is at least 25 minutes from start to finish, yet each memeoem is a sort of rabbit hole.

The vast majority feature a “centrepiece” that is clickable back to the source.

Spotify clips are there, too. Tap on any track at the top.

And there is at least one easter egg hidden prominently in the epic. Follow a c(l)ue or two. Tap around. See what happens.

One might get lost if one’s curiosity is piqued.

One might get bored and bail.

One might return, on-demand, and view the epic memeoem preserved as a highlight reel here: @the.mercanary.

“The Epic of the MERCANARY™” is derived from “MERCANARY™: A Zine of Poetry and Adventure,” the zine I published in © 2019.

“The Epic of the MERCANARY™” shall be the foundational text from which “The Labours of the MERCANARY™” are derived.

“The Epic of the MERCANARY™” and “The Labours of the MERCANARY™” shall be the foundational texts from which “The Marvelous Saga of the MERCANARY™” is derived.

Upon completion of the novel, this will be a strange intermedial loop of a MERCANARY™ mythos.

Sincerely,
David Reynolds
© 2020
PROBLEMATIC PRESS

Follow this link to a 20-30 minute long memeoem sequence, THE EPIC OF THE MERCANARY™:

https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODc3NTYyNTkxNTg5MjE2?igshid=cgkpb9hmw6d6&story_media_id=2286413994658788281_13522736872

https://problematicpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/5a4484d8-d946-4e21-b7b3-1a1c5159a1e6.gif

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Preliminary Context and Clarity

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Preliminary Context and Clarity

Before diving head first into the deep seas of writing (and promoting) this gonzo picaresque novel, I want to provide a little more context about who I am in a clear and distinct voice. My voice. Not the narrator’s.

I’m a child of rural Newfoundland in the ’80s and ’90s, having grown up in Harbour Grace. That’s where I began writing little stories by the time I was 8, certainly. I liked pirates and adventure. I played ninjas with my friends in the woods, as one would. I started writing poetry as a pre-teen. I was already reading Poe and Shakespeare by the time I was 13. I wrote some songs as a teen, but I was mostly writing poetry as a teen.

I didn’t really write anything like that while I was studying at university, pursuing a BA with a double major in Philosophy as well as English language and literature followed by an MPhil in the Humanities. Focus had to shift to an academic voice more thoroughly to succeed. I struggled. Believe me. But, I succeeded, and I published the culmination of my graduate studies.

A common creative outlet that carried over from my teenage years throughout my studies and beyond was playing games – video games as well as pen-n-paper roleplaying games. I created and hosted homebrewed sessions and campaigns for more than 20 years. (The other project I’m working on is a video game: FORTHCOMING, ETA = 2023-ish.)

Before moving on, I want to acknowledge absolutely everyone who has influenced, inspired, or encouraged me along this lengthy and bumpy road. I have too many in mind to name here outright (reading this counts for something, though, if you’re curious who’s on the list), but each of you have my eternal gratitude.

As I get into detailing the writing process for the MERCANARY™ novel, I can appreciate that this is going to seem pretty wild.

Ultimately, keep in mind that this sensible-Dave is still here behind the scenes. I’m a competent writer, I’m schooled in narrative arts, I’ve read McLuhan, and I can appreciate social media as a sort of facade.

I can handle this project.

I got this.

With a little confidence, trust, or faith, this ride goes a lot easier.

Kindly bear with me until this thing sees print.

Sincerely,
David Reynolds
© 2020
PROBLEMATIC PRESS

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A Calm Before the Writing Storm

Photo Title: “Distant. Yesterday, I believe.”

https://problematicpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/img_20200517_105557_447.jpg

I present this pic in which I look half sensible since my social media content over the next few months may appear rather mad.

Most of that content will appear on my Instagram, and some of it will trickle over to Facebook or ProblematicPress.com.

Tune in or tune out as you see fit. I appreciate that this is not everyone’s cup of tea. For real. I’m drinking coffee. Pursue your tastes!

Otherwise, kindly bear with me until this thing sees print.

Thanks!

Cheers!
Dave Reynolds

https://www.facebook.com/ProfDavidReynolds/

.
📸 Nicholas Morine

https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.l.morine/


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ON INSTAGRAM
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📚 @problematicpress
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📱👀🍄🐇🕳️📲👌💯💖😎 @the.mercanary
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📓📝⌚🌶️🍌👌💯💗💖😎 @davaflavaprime
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