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There seems to be something about releasing a new installment of the Soulfinder series that brings me back to this little old blog. My musings on politics and pop culture here opened up job opportunities, introduced me to solid dudes who I’m still in touch with today, and put me on the path that ultimately led to where we are now — the release of Soulfinder: Tunnel Hounds at Iconic Comics.
If you’re a longtime reader who was shocked to receive an email notification today and wondering, “What on earth has that Doug dude been up to for so long? He disappeared from the blog!” the main answer is that Soulfinder and projects related to Iconic Comics takes up the bulk of my days. Time seems to go faster with each passing year, which forces the prioritization of books and merchandise over blogging.
Another reason I don’t blog as much anymore is it feels like everything I wanted to say about politics or the comics industry was said. I struggled for a long time between thinking I was bashing my head into a brick wall with many topics, and the belief that it was important to reach as many people as possible with a message about the importance of virtue.
That leads me to new readers who arrived here because of my involvement with Iconic Comics. In short, my solution to the conundrum about a.) not beating my head against a wall while b.) reaching as many people as possible was to create a series about combat-veteran exorcists and their task of battling the demon Blackfire until the end of time.
One of my biggest regrets regarding this blog was not spending far more time years ago concentrating on spiritual warfare than the ideological, political, and cultural battles that made their way through the news cycles. The various wars we see around the globe are physical manifestations of our spiritual failures. The root of our problems is of a spiritual nature and your friendly neighborhood blogger spent way too much time over the years combating the symptoms rather than the disease. For that, I apologize.
My attempt to make amends for lost time can be found in the pages of Soulfinder: Tunnel Hounds inspired by the famous “Tunnel Rats” of the Vietnam War. I wanted to explore the period in a young man’s life when he must leave home and, ideally, become a leader in his own right. Many ties are never broken with our parents, but connective tissues must be cut once a man has others under his command (particularly in war). As much as a man might love his mother and father, it is healthy to want to lay down his life for others in dangerous situations. Men who have opportunities to leave the battlefield routinely return to the front to be with their brothers and possibly give the ultimate sacrifice on their behalf.
Soulfinder: Tunnel Hounds — with beautiful art by Matt Weldon, covers by Rodrigo Avilés, and letters by Bill Williams — delves into the meaning of leadership, the excruciating moral dilemmas faced by young men deployed to warzones, and the myriad ways Satan exploits the highest echelons of society on all sides of war to create pain, chaos, hopelessness, and sorrow for everyone involved.
Whether you’re new to this blog or a veteran from its earliest days, I invite you to head over to Iconic Comics and check out the fourth installment of the series. Each book offers a standalone story but can be read in any order. Tunnel Hounds happens to take place before all the others in the Soulfinder timeline, so starting with Volume 4 is a great idea!
Also: If you believe in spiritual warfare, I highly suggest picking up one of the Memento Mori rosaries (courtesy of Rugged Rosaries), and praying with it as soon as possible. I’ve spoken about the Holy Rosary before on this blog, but we might be due to revisit the issue in the near future… Happy reading and thanks for your continued support over the years!
Douglas Ernst Blog 