About Douglas Ernst

Years ago I was in a mechanized infantry unit. I loved it on many levels, except correspondence courses while covered in mud and oil wasn’t something I was willing to do. Professors who lied about the U.S. military on a daily basis prompted me to look into conservatism, and economists like Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell brought me home.

I believe hard work, honesty, optimism, and perseverance are a recipe for success. I believe seeing yourself as a victim creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. I believe in God. I’m a USC Trojan with an MA in Political Science from American University.

After graduate school I conducted youth outreach for The Heritage Foundation. I now work as a writer for The Washington Times.

60 comments

  1. While directly searching the internet to find someone to comment on the liberal critics of the movie Act of Valor I was quite pleased with your take on the movie and the critics. I too am an infantry veteran and have deployed twice to Iraq with a third deployment to Afghanistan looming. Being from California my father once invited me to his work at a DMV management type area and I was quite shocked by some of the things I was told. He seemed proud of me yet his subordinates did not share his enthusiasm. Seems the Vietnam era anti-military sentiment had filtered down a couple more generations and my impression of liberalism has been solidified ever since. ‘Soldiers are just population control.’ ‘I would never let my daughter marry a soldier.’ So on and so forth, unprovoked insults to the very service I had experienced firsthand and had respect for. This was early on in my military career. Democrats and liberals since the time of president Bush have seemingly chosen their words carefully when it comes to the military but many of us are not so easily convinced nor willing to forget the actions of the Code Pink and other leftist organizations. I’ve had buddies get spit on in public and called ridiculous Vietnam era insults such as ‘baby killer’ and so forth. We take pride in precision and our service yet it seems the country has been convinced in many places that we are ALL mindless robots and baby killers. What I hate most of all is their ‘sympathy’ most of all. When they talk about Navy Seals in a review, bash their lack of acting and say they just feel sorry for what they have to go through, it’s a slap in the face. These men volunteer and are the pinnacle of what men should be. If we can’t stand up to these loud voices of valueless ignorance and fear then we would be doing a disservice to our brothers in arms. Anyway, sorry for the rant.

    Reply

    1. First of all Darrin, thank you for your service. You served at a time when our country deeply needed men like you, and while liberal critics might not be kind to you … history will.

      Years ago I wasn’t particularly political, and then my college professors began blatantly lying about the military, the men who serve and their motivations. It prompted me to look into more of their claims. Imagine my surprise to find out that the guys I was paying to teach me something were generally a bunch of liars with a twisted agenda.

      Don’t feel sorry for that “rant” because it wasn’t. You spoke the truth, and you should continue to do so. Keep calling the shots as you see it, because it seems to me like you have 20/20 vision.

  5. Seeing as your Twitter account got axed, I have to communicate with you here. Hope you’re doing well.

    I’ve given a video update on my game. You can see other updates on the game’s progress at this link.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the project update, rawlenyanzi. I appreciate it. In regards to the Twitter suspension, I have no idea when that will end. I put in two appeals (ignored) and the social media manager at my workplace put in two emails to Twitter’s press account (also ignored). I guess if anyone threatens to kill me in the future, I’m supposed to just laugh it off when Twitter does nothing? Odd.

      Anyway, I liked the YouTube video. I’m on Heidi’s side. 🙂

    2. Thanks; I’m happy you enjoyed my video. I didn’t want to do a normal update, so I made that instead.

      As for the Twitter thing, it should be the threatener that gets suspended, not the target. Otherwise, I’m happy to know you’re doing well.

  6. I found this blog while searching the net to see if others shared my low opinion of Dan Slott the person and the writer. I never would of thought I’d find an excellently written blog covering comics and conservative politics. I spent 2 hours pouring through your blog, the quality of the writing and the honesty wowed me. You’ve got yourself a new reader.

    Reply

    1. Welcome to the blog, AGP. Any time my reader makes someone think, “I’m not alone!” I consider it a win. Feel free to comment and share your opinions anytime. I’m always happy to hear what’s on your mind.

  7. Dear Douglas Ernst, I talked to Internet Sensation Linkara about the possibility of doing a Post OMD Comic Review on Twitter, but guess who showed up when I asked if he would rip Slott a new one? To be fair, he mentioned I had once sent a number of tweets to Hayden Panettiere about the possibility of being in a movie adaptation of a book I had written and hope to publish, BUT, eventually I got over that and it was when I was discovering twitter. So, yeah. But Slott seems to have signed a death warrant for himself which seems ironic considering the hissy fit he once threw?

    Reply

    1. I love how Dan (who blocked me and Hube of Colossus of Rhodey on Twitter) is now taking screenshots over our conversation. And somehow he thinks I’m in the wrong for telling The Main Event he exploited a charity to win points with Twitter followers! Haha. How is it “stirring the pot” to let The Main Event know that Dan Slott has been stalking his Twitter feed for years?

      Sidenote: I updated my post on Slott’s lying to include a screenshot our your conversation with him.

    1. “Doug when you do your ASM #16 review, you might want to take note of the Letters page…”

      Ask and you shall receive! 😉 I just finished reading the issue before work. 🙂 I’m going to try and write something tonight or early tomorrow.

  9. Doug, I really hope you’re keeping an eye on Ryan Stegman’s twitter, if not you’re missing out on these

    https://twitter.com/RyanStegman/status/765292221612556288 <<< Especially this one

    Reply

  10. Hi Doug

    Just a heads up you might want to compare a page in today’s Civil War II: ASM #3 with a page from ASM #15.
    While it might be just coincidence, it still might be worth checking.

    oh, and did you see the latest from Stegman, It’s beyond cute and beyond adorable

    Reply

    1. “Just a heads up you might want to compare a page in today’s Civil War II: ASM #3 with a page from ASM #15. While it might be just coincidence, it still might be worth checking.”

      Thanks for the heads up, Animehunter. I’ll read Civil War II: ASM #3 as soon as I’m done with my shift at work. I’ll have a review up late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

  11. As one former mechanized grunt, turned light infantryman, I salute your willingness to throw your thoughts into the liberal well that is the American landscape. Are you the same Douglas Ernst who was nominated for the Hugo Award?

    Reply

    1. “As one former mechanized grunt, turned light infantryman, I salute your willingness to throw your thoughts into the liberal well that is the American landscape.”

      Thanks for the introduction, jrhandley. I appreciate it. I was 11M when I was in, although I think my MOS no longer exists.

      “Are you the same Douglas Ernst who was nominated for the Hugo Award?”

      Correct. I’m incredibly grateful to the readers who made that happen.

    2. I found you through that, your last name intrigued me since I have a friend who shares it. 🙂 It was a happy coincidence because I like what you’ve written. Thank you for your service! And you are correct, the 11 series is streamlined now. The specialties are now specialized additions to the 11B MOS.

    3. “I found you through that, your last name intrigued me since I have a friend who shares it.:) It was a happy coincidence because I like what you’ve written.”

      The nomination has been kind to me in terms of sending new readers my way, but I didn’t head to Kansas City because the voting process is rather ridiculous. There were people online that were essentially like, “Yeah, his reviews on comics are pretty good…but his opinion on Sharia Law makes him a ‘No Vote’ in my book.” Huh?! So I spend 90 percent of my time blogging on comics and movies, but because Hugo Voter X doesn’t like what I have to say about Sharia Law then he is going to try and torpedo my chances? Okaaaaaaay. That’s fine, but I’m not going to buy a plane ticket to K.C. for a voting process that is drenched in political correctness.

      I must admit that it is cool to see another military veteran who enjoys writing as much as I do! There are certainly a good number of veterans who read my blog, given the comments I’ve received over the years, but you’re one of the view who posts on “writing good dialogue.” 😉

      “Thank you for your service! And you are correct, the 11 series is streamlined now. The specialties are now specialized additions to the 11B MOS.”

      And you, likewise. I was telling a friend of mine the other day that when I enlisted in the 90s I was straight out of high school and didn’t really have any other professional reference points in terms of comparing my gripes. I got out, and then as the years went by I realized that a lot of the things I complained about exist in all professions. I might have stayed in had I known then what I know now. Regardless, everything happens for a reason…

      Side note: Try living in Germany for a few years with the last name “Ernst.” The locals in Schweinfurt got a kick out that. They never missed an opportunity to remind me, “Ernst! — is German, you know?! Ernst is German!”

    5. Thanks for sharing! This only further motivates me to finish a project that I’ve been working on with a friend of mine. I’ll be looking for a publisher as soon as the artwork for my book is finished… It’s been a slow process because I can’t tear myself away from this blog. I get off work and then I find myself doing up a post instead of writing a short stories, novels, etc.

    7. “Good luck with that! What sort of book will it be?”

      I really need to find a good way to answer that question that doesn’t sound cheesy…

      If you’re familiar with the following books, then you might just enjoy mine when it’s published:

      1. Whittaker Chambers’ Witness.
      2. Sean Naylor’s Relentless Strike.
      3. C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity.
      4. Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead.

      The book is basically done. Once my friend gets done with the artwork then I’ll figure out how to shop it around.

    9. “Not familiar with them, though the name C.S. Lewis is pretty famous.”:)

      I’ll do a free giveaway the next time I do a blog post that touches on him in any significant way. I mail a book to the first person to comment. You’re getting a heads up. Haha.

    10. “I got out, and then as the years went by I realized that a lot of the things I complained about exist in all professions. I might have stayed in had I known then what I know now.”

      I agree, some of the things I complained about seem rather tame now in comparison!! It’s one of those things you don’t know liked until you lose it. Then you miss it like crazy. Some of the most “I hate the Army/Marine Corps” guys I met become the most hardcore “I love the Army/Marine Corps” guys who are wishing they could go back. Such is the circle of life I guess.

    12. “Regarding the Hugo’s…. Ever consider the Dragon Awards as a replacement?”

      If fans want to nominate me for a Dragon Award, then I have no problem heading on down to Atlanta. I have some good friends who go down every year…

      The Hugo thing kind of caught me by surprise. I call those voters my “invisible audience” because not a lot of people comment — but I can see healthy traffic. I know that comic book fans are coming here, even if they just stop in to see what I have to say. We’ll see what happens.

      I think 2017 is a big year for my friends in the DragonCon “300” group. I may go just for that… Let me know if you plan on making the trip. 🙂

    13. Sadly I wont be able to attend any other cons this year. And until I start generating revenue RavenCon will likely be it. It could be fun though, I’ve friends in the ATL as well!!! As for the awards, I’m not totally sure how one gets ON these lists.

    14. “As for the awards, I’m not totally sure how one gets ON these lists.”

      I’m in the dark on that as well. My friend asked me how I felt about all of it and I was like, “Ummm, I’m grateful…but I just sort of do my own thing. It’s nice to be recognized, but that’s not really why I write. I write because I’m a writer. It’s really that simple.”

  14. I read your piece on Joey Salads being “attacked” because of one of his “social experiments”; thought you might like to revisit the issue now that it has been proven that he fakes his “pranks”

    Reply

    1. He had a legitimate black eye in his other video from back in June, and I’m pretty sure he was doxxed if I remember correctly. I also made sure to include his critic’s point of view, Saleh Erakat. But yeah, I stayed very clear of the “Trump car” video for numerous reasons…

  15. Hey Douglas,

    Tried to find your email, but couldn’t find it. Love your work.

    We’re trying to spread the word that Robert Rose is currently off on his third tour of duty, in Syria as a volunteer, with the YPG Kurds. Robert is also appearing on the next episode of MTV True Life “I Want to Fight ISIS” on October 25th 9pm EST. I know you did a story on Robert last year and wanted to keep you in the loop.

    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/28/robert-rose-bronx-man-fights-syria-against-islamic/

    Any help spreading the word would be AWESOME.

    Reply

  16. Hey Doug

    I know it’s been a while, but I though you might want to know about this.

    I sent a message on Bendis’s tumblr after having a read last weeks invincible iron man #9 and normally I wouldn’t get anything back, but for some reason he decided to answer this one, which surprised me.

    http://brianmichaelbendis.tumblr.com/post/163427907007/dear-mr-bendis-apologies-again-for-being-blunt

    Anyway here what I sent him

    Dear Mr Bendis, apologies again for being blunt, but it still breaks my heart to see Mary Jane in your book, especially today’s issue. The fact that she praises Riri for being heroic, yet is adverse to Peter doing the same, is even more heart breaking, while I do thank you for involving her in your book, this is not what I want for her, she needs to be back with Peter, by his side, supporting him and not(sorry) supporting someone else. Same for Black Cat, her being a crimelord is just not right.

    and here’s his reply

    how do you think spider-man fans felt when MJ showed up in the first place. go read the old letter columns. not everyone was thrilled. but Betty! but liz!!

    except there it is. in the comics. its happening. MJ has been a cast member of iron man for years now. Black Cat has ascended into a new role and this year, I promise you, the most shocking move of hers yet. (in defenders)

    As you can see not exactly subtle is he.

    Reply

    1. Sorry for the doubling, didn’t know that your system, grabs the tumblr posts.

  18. By the way, the e-mail below works. I no longer have your e-mail address. I no longer have Hube’s either, though I tried sending one to his old e-mail a few weeks ago, but he didn’t respond. I don’t know if he still uses it or if he has a different one now.

    Reply

  19. Heya Douglas. Just wanted to drop a line to say that I appreciate your blog. It’s been a great source of information on Dan Slott and his atrocious behavior both as a person on social media and a writer of Spider-Man. Hope to hear more from you in the future.

    Reply

  20. I’m reading through your post regarding the Main Event, and how Slott exploited a charity for his own agenda… sigh.

    Look, I’ve had problems with Slott’s behavior for a long time. I was pissed off at how he treated fans of “Spider-Man and the Amazing Friends” when he killed off the titular protagonist for cheap shock value, and definitely more so when he exploited Mayday Parker/Spider-Girl (whose story was perfectly wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion) to so-called “raise the stakes.” But this… this is something else. I mean, the two examples I gave earlier could have been excused since they involve fictional comic book characters (even if the atrocity has more to do with how Slott mocked the fans verbally in a forum), but this charity thing is just truly disgusting. If I had any doubt before that I was wrong about Slott, all that doubt is gone now.

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  21. Love your videos on YouTube, and couldn’t find a way to reach out to you so I figured I’d reach out to you here. You’ve a voice I could see reading books to me, you should consider doing audiobook narration! Seriously, you could do it!! Anyway, have a good one!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Mr. Handley. I really appreciate it. Maybe the book narration job will happen down the line. Haha! I would be open to that for sure.

    1. Hi, London. The campaign has closed, but if you shoot me an email at douglasernst@douglasernst.blog then I will be in touch if I have extra copies. I need to take care of all U.S. and international backers first, but if I have extras after all of that then I will make sure to take care of you. If I do not have extras in a few months, then I will make the original “Soulfinder: Demon’s Match” story available with our 2020 campaign. I hope that helps. Thanks again!

  23. Hey Doug! It’s me, HolyHarleyquin on Twitter! The one who just picked up your Soulfinder Black Tide book! It’s been helping me with inspiration in one of my developing fictional storytelling universes, The VIGIL-Verse which I plan on putting up on my YouTube channel Divine Comedy Productions! I also got my own WordPress sites The Loreverse where I develop my concepts and give reviews if you want to give a follow! You and Timothy Lim are Mong my modern inspirations! Thanks a lot!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for stopping in, man! Also, thanks for the kind words. 🙂 I just followed your WordPress account. I don’t write as much these days on this blog, but I will try and be more active. I do have a few things I’d like to write about.

  24. Hey there, It’s HellsMagenta from Twitter. If you really want to send me a copy of “Soulfinder: Demon’s Match” then I galdly accept it, but like I said shipping a phisical copy cold be troublesome since I live in Italy, so maybe a digital copy would be better.
    Thanks again, it really was a pleasant surprise. I also want to review and spead awareness of comics like Soulfinder along with Black Hops and Kamen America in my country with my youtube channel, so that more and more people can support you and your fellow authors at Iconic Comics.
    Best regards to you.

    Reply

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