High school, sophomore year — 1986.
I remember sitting in the school library leafing through the pages of a then-popular periodical that specialized both in military aviation, and the technological advances of the U.S. space program. One article in particular stood out on that cool autumn afternoon... a piece that spoke candidly about the craft of United States government operatives who would routinely infiltrate foreign nation-states, stir up all sorts of trouble, sell weapons to both sides of local conflicted areas, and then pull back to watch the entire system collapse upon itself. The article then proceeded to elaborate on how the (then) Vice President, George H. W. Bush, was a master at the art of destabilization, and went on at some length to present proof of its assertions.
As geo-political maneuverings were of burgeoning interest, I consumed as much information as I could. I became further obsessed with military aviation, and I began to immerse myself in the works of Tom Clancy and other lesser known authors of the techno-thriller.
I had already been deeply influenced by the sensational worlds created by C.S. Lewis (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,) Lewis Carroll (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,) Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are,) and the extremely prolific and talented works of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Coming from inner city Detroit -- a place which came pre-loaded with its own set of societal and economic challenges -- the works produced by Lee and Kirby struck a chord of resonance within me that their direct competitors did not. Being a comic book geek and a strong advocate for weekday afternoon cartoons -- (this was pre-internet, pre-24 hour cartoon cable channels) -- I began to draft a series of sketches that would, years later, form the basis for what would become my own graphic novel series.
MiG was my first creation, and he came to ‘life’ back in the fall of 1986. As to the rest of the world created within the pages of DESTABILIZATION, all I had to do was to keep my ear to the ground, be mindful of the things that were unfolding here in the real world, and use this glut of information to give wings to my imagination.
Thus, the inception of BEWARE THE BETAS.
Our world is saturated with controversial subject matter, and for those that enjoy the occasional dose of dystopian realism in your reading selections, this narrative may appeal to your discerning mind.
Should these pages help to nourish a greater sense for the imponderable, then I would graciously consider this endeavor time well spent.
J. Ajouissance
September 14, 2017 -- New Orleans, Louisiana
