Here's a brief history of why I decided to write my first bit of nonfiction and what you can expect upon publication:
Yes, I have the popular Japanese cartoon Dragonball Z to thank for this endeavor. Back in 2001, the resurgence of anime (Japanese cartoons) in North America was enormous and the highlight of Cartoon Network's "Toonami" block was, as you probably guessed, Dragonball Z. I watched the show religiously, and my curiosity eventually led me to learn more about the English dub cast. A quick Google search led me to a Q&A conducted with Kyle Hebert (best known at that time as the narrator for Dragonball Z) on the show's official website. In the Q&A, Kyle posted his email address for fans to reach out to him. As a budding website designer, I decided to drop him a line and ask him if he'd like a website to streamline his fan interactions. By October, KyleHebert.com was launched. (Note: Although Kyle and I remain good friends, I haven't been involved with his website for some time now.) Kyle and I became friends quickly, and in 2002 my wife and I took our first trip to Texas to attend our first anime convention. (During this first trip, I got to audition for Funimation - the studio responsible for the English adaptation for Dragonball Z. While I completely blew the audition, I was offered a contract. I was also fortunate enough to have a number of voice over cameos between 2004 and 2006 in some of Funimation's popular titles.)
As my anime-related networking continued, I was contacted by the editor of the up-and-coming (and short-lived) Anime Play magazine. By early 2003 I was made a staff writer, and in 2004 I began freelancing for Wizard's Anime Insider and Beckett's Yu-Gi-Oh! Collector magazines. By April 2005, I was a staff writer for Beckett Anime (credited as Michael Davis for the majority of my submissions, as Funimation and Beckett didn't see eye to eye on certain things appearing in the magazine - and I was still technically under contract with Funimation). I also did some freelance work for Anime News Network's Protoculture Addicts in 2005.
It was about this time that I enrolled in college (14 years after graduating from high school) and really started to look at my writing critically. I began a series of articles for Beckett explaining the real life historical inspirations behind some of the plots in anime. Unfortunately, by early 2006 print media really started to decline - especially for the niche anime market. As the magazine titles began to disappear one by one, my desire to write only intensified. I knew I wanted to write about something from history - something I found interesting (because, after all, it had to at least hold my interest), and something involving the military. I decided on an epic, tentatively titled "Chicken-Powered Nuclear Bombs", that would chronicle the use of animals in war and espionage. With a goal and rough outline in place, I began a five year obsession with obtaining research materials.
Upon obtaining thousands of declassified government documents through countless Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, I had the dizzying realization that the topic I chose was just too broad. Some areas of my outline had ample material, while others were sparse. Complicating matters, much of the information I was requesting was (and is) still classified. In an effort to not lose motivation, I recently made the decision to narrow down my topic to one specific area: mosquitoes. Biological warfare, specifically utilizing insect vectors, has existed throughout history. Beginning during World War II and continuing throughout the Cold War, the United States actually spent millions of dollars perfecting mosquito weaponization. And although most countries no longer research bioligical warfare, its impact remains (West Nile virus?). Its been an incredibly interesting adventure thus far, and I hope you find some entertainment in my continuing efforts.
I would like to stress the fact that most of my book is composed directly from declassified government documents, US Senate and Congressional records, and other reputable sources (such as science and nature journals and other published academic works). It is not conspiracy theory, my opinions, or meant to come off as alarmist. Its American history.
This concludes my not-so-brief introduction to this blog. Fear not, as future posts will be more brief, as well as much more on topic. Feel free to leave your comments here or on the newly created Facebook page.
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