A smattering of indie comics related news from March 18th - 20th, 2013!
Vaughan and Martin launch a "name your price" digital comic!
Yesterday, Panel Syndicate offered an exclusive offer involving the latest creator owned project by Brian K. Vaughan, the former Wildstorm talent who has been burning up sales charts with "Saga" at Image Comics. Teamed with artist Marcos Martin ("Amazing Spider-Man", "Daredevil") and colorist Muntsa Vicente, their new property is "The Private Eye", a ten issue "maxi-series". Pitched as "a sci-fi detective story", it takes place in a world where everyone has a secret identity and hides behind masks or bizarre cloths in public, where a P.I. has to solve "a forward looking mystery". This is hardly the first union between Vaughan and Martin; they did a five issue mini series for Marvel Comics, "Dr. Strange: The Oath" in 2006-2007.
The gimmick for this debut is quite unique. The initial issue is 32 pages and offered as a legal download from Panel Syndicate for any price the reader chooses to pay via PayPal. Whether one feels the issue is worth $100 or one cent, so long as one pays something, they get the entire comic as a file to own. While one can imagine future issues won't carry this offer, it is a great way to generate buzz for the new series without making it entirely free. If successful, it will naturally be another triumph for the creators and the progress of digital comics. Most digital comics require third parties such as Apple products or ComiXology, not simply offering PayPal for a paid download. Easy access has overruled fear of illegal sharing in this case; will it be the future?
Titan Comics launches two horror themed comics for April Previews!
Titan Comics, the publisher best known for "CLiNT magazine" and "Lenore" has announced many of their solicitations for April 2013 edition of "Previews" to various media outlets, including this column! Many of them have a horror theme, and while it includes some licensed material like a "Devil May Cry" comic series (based on the hit Capcom video game line), it also includes more creator owned properties.
The most ambitious is "Monster Massacre", a new graphic novel anthology series focusing on horror stories which debuts on Sept. 11th. It includes a reprint of a classic Joe Simon/Jack Kirby story from the "golden age", "The Greatest Horror Of The All", but also includes nine other stories featuring characters from various other creators. They include: "Monster Punch" by Andy Kuhn, "Hitch" by Dave Dorman, "Zeke & Kro" by Mike A. Nelson, "Destiny's Rogues" by Ron Marz and Tom Raney, "El Zombo" and "Sharky" by Dave Elliot and Alex Horley, "Little Monsters" by Ian Edginton and D'Isreali, and finally, "Daikaiju" by Vito Delsante and Javier Aranda. Co-published with "Atomeka" and created by Garry Leach and Dave Elliot, the anthology offers stories from a variety of perspectives, offering "action-packed comics high-brow or low-brow".
Their second promoted launch is "It Came", another horror mini series debuting on August 7th. Written and drawn by Dan Boultwood, it pays homage to black and white B-movies of the 1950's with a black and white tale about an alien robot on a rampage in London who can only be stopped by a plucky local scientist and his "gal Friday". At 32 pages for $3.99 each, it will run for four issues. Check out the publisher's main website for more news and releases!
Flee/Dream Reavers signing this Saturday at Galaxy Comics!
Brooklyn based creators Raphael Moran and artist Ed Watson are holding another signing event at a local shop to promote their recent works, "Dream Reavers" from Ape Entertainment and "Flee" from Arcana Comics. Both are available currently in trade paperback form, and signed posters will be on hand for all attendees! It will be held this Saturday, March 23rd, from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Galaxy Comics on 429 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. It is easily accessible a block from the F and R trains, and one of three locations Galaxy Comics has in the borough.
Previous signing events for Moran's comics have been held at Bullet Proof Comics and the (sadly) recently closed Excalibur Comics in Brooklyn. The next project by this creative team is "Techno-Mancer" by Markosia Enterprises, a 128 graphic novel going on sale at the start of June for $17.99. The premise is that in a future where advanced technology is banned, a traveling magician secretly employs it for his act, and ultimately becomes part of a sci-fi adventure from the skies. Look out for an exclusive advance review of "Techno-Mancer" in the very near future!
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