Fans lined up across the store at Bridge City Comics yesterday to have their copy of the Stumptown hardcover signed. Author Greg Rucka and artist Matthew Southworth were at the store from 6 to 8 pm talking with readers and in Southworth's case, staying until after 9 to ensure that everyone who wanted a sketch got one.
Speaking with fans, Rucka spoke a little about his upcoming take on Marvel's Punisher character: "He's exactly the Punisher you expect him to be." The author also reiterated his dedication to releasing the issues of the next arc of Stumptown on schedule. His earlier series Queen and Country had also been delayed, and Rucka had thought that the experience would have prepared him to avoid a repeat performance. "We're waiting until we have four issues ready to ship," he stated, adding that the next arc would probably not be released for another six months.
Southworth, angled over a sketch in progress, said that he had a ten-page Crossbones story in Thunderbolts coming up, but was also working on writing projects, a move supported by his girlfriend Machelle. "He has a Masters in playwriting, he should write something," she laughed. "It would be nice for him to be able to let someone else do the art." Two stories Southworth mentioned, one called Day For Night, and another based on a country music/gospel duo in the 1950s, are in the works. No publisher is attached yet, as the artist wants to have a complete package to present.
The first thing that readers will notice about the book, which collects the first four-issue arc of the Portland P.I. tale, is the $29.99 price tag. However, the second thing will be the quality of the book itself. "The pages are sewn, not glued," said Oni Press consultant Greg Thompson. "Our operations director [George Rohac] really worked hard to get a good deal on the paper for the hardcover." The oversized tome also includes a short Stumptown story, previously published in business-card-sized format, and various posters and prints created for the series. "It's easier for Oni to do books like this than larger companies who don't have as close a relationship with the creators," Thompson added.
When asked about the decision to release a hardcover book rather than a standard comic-sized paperback, Rohac replied that he had spoken with the creators and the editor, and "it just worked out when I costed it out." Editor James Lucas Jones was initially cautious about the thirty-dollar price point, but Rohac convinced him of the value. "I sold him on all the extras, the dust jacket and the high-end paper, but what made the difference was comparing it to [the deluxe hardcover collection of] Local. I showed him how thick Stumptown would be, and he really saw the quality in the finished book." But Jones was not the final word: "Of course I had to clear it with the creators, since we are a creator-owned company."
By the time the last fan had gotten a sketch from Southworth at around 9:30pm, Bridge City Comics had sold the majority of three cases of Stumptown. The artist seemed pleased at the reception the book had gotten from the residents of its namesake.
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