Break out pay-what-you-want series The Private Eye has it’s second issue out now! It’s still pay what you want, and worth whatever you pay for it!
There’s also a preview for you to check out!
Here’s Mark Millar explaining why he doesn’t want his creator-owned comics to be released in digital the same day as print:
Digital comics are like TV rights to me in that they’re the tertiary phase of all this. These are for the most casual, mainstream readers or viewers and much cheaper than the primary or secondary waves. They’re a great way of pulling people in for the next product coming out in theatres or in comic stores, but absolutely not the bedrock of your business. The fact they’re not on paper doesn’t matter as these guys aren’t collectors as such and the lower price point is very attractiveto them.
That was in November 2011, when same-day release of digital comics was still something of a novelty. Now it is so commonplace that, as Rich Johnston noted, Twitter was full of confused readers last week who couldn’t figure out why the first issue of Millar and Frank Quitely’s new series Jupiter’s Legacy wasn’t available digitally.
You can’t fault Millar for not being able to see the future. It’s pretty counterintuitive to think that sales in the direct market would go up in tandem with the rise of digital media, but that’s exactly what has happened. There’s zero evidence that digital sales are hurting comics shops.
What really bugs me about Millar’s comment, though, is that he seems to be giving the back of his hand to readers who get their comics digitally. Someone should tell him there’s a large audience out there that’s fully engaged, to the point where they are willing to pay full cover price for digital comics in order to get them the day the print editions come out. Those fans seem to me to be precisely “the bedrock of the business.”
I won’t pay $3.99 for a single-issue digital comic, but there is apparently a substantial audience out there who will. Publishers and digital distributors aren’t in the business of losing money, and they wouldn’t maintain that full cover price if people weren’t paying it. Someone who will pay top dollar to get a comic right away, rather than wait a couple of months for the price to drop? That’s an engaged fan.
Millar doesn’t seem to realize many people simply don’t live near a comics shop. Until the advent of digital, a lot of potential readers were locked out by simple geography. One could even argue that both the availability of digital comics and the popularity of comic book movies in recent years have given customers more incentives to seek out comics shops and to travel farther to get print copies. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that digital readers also buy print comics.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear the comics marketplace is growing and evolving, and it really doesn’t need Millar to save it. New comics shops open every week, and smart retailers are developing new ways to create community and keep their existing customers coming in. Day-and-date digital is here to stay; denying it doesn’t help matters any. What’s helpful is to adjust to the new market realities, and retailers seem to be doing just that. When Steve Bennett — himself a retailer — went to buy Jupiter’s Legacy and found it wasn’t available digitally, he wondered, “will this actually lead to added sales for the direct sales market or lost sales for digital downloads?”
At a Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo panel, Mark Waid commented that Millar was “setting his money on fire” by not making his comics immediately available digitally. That’s his prerogative, of course, but it seems a bit mean-spirited to lock out potential readers simply because they prefer to buy digitally. That’s not treating his core audience well — and readers who are willing to spend four bucks on a bucket of pixels are indeed part of his core audience.
Mumbai-based Graphic India, which creates comic characters and super heroes for offline and online worlds, is looking to tap into the 500 million-strong youth population in India to grow its business, a top executive of the firm told Techcircle.in.
Graphic India, which raised an undisclosed sum in January from CA Media, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, LLC (TCG), for a large minority stake, is also planning to roll out apps and e-books for iOS and Android devices in a couple of months. Additionally, it will soon introduce printed comics, graphic novels and other related merchandise in India and the US, according to co-founder and CEO, Sharad Devarajan.
Read the rest at: Graphic India bets on digital comics with homegrown superheroes, can it create a niche? « Internet « Techcircle.in – India Internet, mobile, consumer tech, business tech.
Spirou, the long standing French comics anthology, that was first published in the same week as Action Comics #1, has created its own separate digital comic spinoff.
Spirou Z (the name influenced by Dragonball Z) is aimed at a family audience and has been created by many leading French and Belgian comic creators specifically for the digital reading experience, dubbed something they call Turbomedia.
Which means lost of comics based on Alex De Campi’s layered panel approach, but also examples of infinite space, different directions of reading experience, and limited animation, sound effects and other bits and bobs. It’s very effectively put together, there are lots of stories to experience, it’s basically changed the digital comics landscape in one sitting. Many will take issues in some of the areas it travels, some closer to animation than comics, but it does seem to walk the line of a digital comics anthology well. I urge you to try it for yourself.
And issue 0, is free, on the App Store right now, and it’s even in English.
…DRM free and at a price and format of your choosing!
Welcome to Panel Syndicate, where artist Marcos Martin and writer Brian K. Vaughan deliver original comics directly to readers around the world, who pay whatever the hell they want for each DRM-free issue. Our first new storyline is THE PRIVATE EYE, a forward-looking mystery we created with colorist Muntsa Vicente. Set in a future where privacy is considered a sacred right and everyone has a secret identity, The Private Eye is a serialized sci-fi detective story for mature readers. You can download our 32-page first issue right now, for any price you think is fair. 100% of your payments go directly into our greedy mitts and will help fund the rest of a story that we’re both very proud of (we hope there will be around 10 issues total; an old-school “maxiseries!”), so thanks for reading…
Brian K. Vaughan
The writer and co-creator of comics including SAGA, Y: THE LAST MAN and EX MACHINA, Brian K. Vaughan sometimes moonlights as a producer on television shows like LOST and Stephen King’s UNDER THE DOME.
Marcos Martin
An award-winning artist of books like DAREDEVIL, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, and DOCTOR STRANGE: THE OATH, Marcos Martin’s visual storytelling has been described by Entertainment Weekly as “magic.”
Muntsa Vicente
An illustrator whose clients include Elle Magazine, Harper Collins or Vitubrio Leo Burnett, Muntsa has recently accepted to apply her incredible color talent to several comic-book projects
Every so often I find gems to highlight that you can all get involved with – here’s one of them!
Our Project:
We are making a short film about Velica, a vigilante seeking to avenge her father’s untimely death. We believe that Velica is a solid character, who female readers and watchers of all ages will identify with; as both a source of strength and perseverance.
This is a good time to be a comic creator, especially with the overwhelming support that people have given to comic book screen adaptations. We are not simply doing this to say “Yes, we can do it too,” but more importantly to show that we can deliver an authentic comic book adaptation about a character who has a growing cult following; and meld it into something, which even more people can discover and enjoy.
Who is Velica?
Velica is a vigilante fighting for justice. When she was still a teenager, a trusted family friend killed Velica’s father over a business deal gone wrong. Her quest is a long, hard fought battle that illustrates not only what happens when a person fights their Parents’ wars, but also what happens when they’re fighting their own. Velica doesn’t have super powers. She uses raw strength, skill, and determination to accomplish her missions.
What do we plan to achieve?
We have done a lot of initial groundwork for Velica. We have produced 5 issues of the comic book in the UK and sold them at various conventions and comic shops throughout the territory. The first editions were originally printed in black and white with full colour covers. Our next steps are to produce the “Velica” short film, re-release “Velica Comics” issues #1-5, and publish issue #6. We also hope to turn what has been a labour of love for us into a full time adventure for Team Velica too.
For more information about Velica, please visit www.velicaonline.com and get the latest news and updates about her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/velicacomics. You can also follow her on Twitter @Velica Comics.
You can find out more about the team and donations/rewards here!
Following my recent trip to the London Super Comic Con, I had the chance to meet the guys behind VS Comics.
They’ve already got some digital issues available over a couple of different formats, and I will hopefully bring some news about their new issues:
VS Comics is an all-genre, creator-owned, monthly digital comic., edited by Mike Garley (Collider, Dead Roots) and James Moran (Doctor Who, Severance, Cockneys Vs Zombies), and featuring an assorted team of talented creators from the worlds of TV, prose, film and comics.
Each issue includes over thirty-pages of comic goodness with Day and Night (by James Moran, Patrick Walsh, Nadine Ashworth and Mike Stock), Eponymous (by Mike Garley, Martin Simmonds and Mike Stock), and two ever-changing guest stories, brought to you by some of the top talent from TV, film, prose, and comics.
The entire project is creator owned, so the artists and writers retain ownership of their stories. VS Comics has exclusive digital rights for the first year, and on-going non-exclusive rights after that, which means our creators will have print rights from.
Some more questions and answers – this time with Ash Pure who has created a next generation digital comic – The Lion & the Unicorn!
1. Who are you and what are you working on right now? (2 questions in 1, I know!)
My name is Ash Pure and I’m an alcoholic. Sorry wrong meeting. I create comics (that means words, pictures and everything in between, above beyond and around). I’m currently working on The Lion and The Unicorn, a digital comic and surrounding story world which exists exclusively on Facebook. www.Facebook.com/
TheLionandTheUnicorn
2. What drew you to digital comics?
Having worked in the digital arena (cool – like in Tron? No, like designing websites and that) since graduation in 1999 and having made comics since I was a child it was a logical step. Plus I’m always attracted to the potential of new storytelling platforms.
3. Webcomics or digital comics?
Facebook comics!
Okay that’s just me (Plus I’m pretty sure every time you say the F word Mr. Zuckerberg gets a pound, so enough of that) the honest, albeit annoying answer is – I like good comics, comics that play to the strengths of their medium. Web comics are great for that weekly hit, but there’s no quality control – a good and bad thing, if you want a more coherent package, something deeper, and I do, digital feels like the way to go.
4. What do you think works with digital comics?
For me they work best when they’re doing things that you can’t do on paper, and I don’t particularly mean audio-visual things, I’m more interested in the potential for playing with narrative structure, for breaking it out of a traditional linear form. I also think they have the potential for infinite exploration, getting lost in a world that can be forever expanding. Because digital’s not set in stone, like print, because it’s iterable, expandable, stories and universes can grow and evolve in new ways. That’s really exciting.
5. Can digital comics replace print comics?
Why should they? They are both great platforms. You will never beat the immediacy of print; the tangible, beautiful object, something you can hold, touch smell – the collectors item, the pop art masterpiece. Digital comics have to play to the strengths of their medium, and that doesn’t mean some half baked animation (I want my animation full baked). They shouldn’t try to emulate animation and nor should they reproduce the printed page, there are other strengths to the digital platform which we’re just beginning to explore… Watch this space.
6. How can print comics work with digital comics?
The print comic is real, it’s out in the world, in the comic shops and at the conventions. It’s job is then to hook you, to draw you in. The digital comic can then take you deeper, give you more. It has to be it’s own, unique experience though, it has to be able to stand alone as well as work alongside the print comic.
7. What don’t you like about digital comics?
I really don’t like the panel view you get on most comic readers, where you slide from frame to frame. The page was composed as a whole and should be viewed as a whole, really it should be viewed as a spread. The two pages open side by side making a 3rd whole, that is as important a composition as a single panel. That’s why I completely reformatted The Lion and The Unicorn for viewing on screen.
8. What digital comics/webcomics do you read?
I think Nawlz by Sutu is the best example of what I’m looking for in a digital comic, there’s so much rich content, so much to discover, a whole world to get lost in.There is audio and a sensitive use of animation which in this case genuinely serves to enhance the experience – http://www.nawlz.com/
On the other hand we have Wormworld saga by Daniel Lieske – a beautifully executed, simple scroll comic. – http://wormworldsaga.com/
I thoroughly enjoy Atomic Robo by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wenga three editions of which I got for free on Comixology. It’s a traditional print format comic which I like to read on my tablet, one page at a time! http://www.atomic-robo.com
ComicDuJour.com is a great series of daily updated web comics. http://www.comicdujour.com/
And JL8 by Yale Stewart, tales of the Justice League at Kindergarten is simply perfect. http://limbero.org/jl8
9. Where do you see digital comics going from here?
10. Who do you think we should look out for in digital comics?
Daniel Merlin Goodbrey – Check out his genuinely interactive hyper comics with a ‘ multi-cursal narrative structure’. Now that’s deep. http://e-merl.com/hypercomics
Sutu The creator of Nawlz has announced the finale of Nawlz so look forward to what comes next. http://www.nawlz.com/hq/
Mark Waid is going in the right direction with his Luther PDF http://markwaid.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/03/ Luther-Final.pdf www.Honigstudios.com I’ve got a good feeling about these guys…
And The Lion and The Unicorn tablet app, which I’m currently developing, will deliver everything I’ve been saying I wanted in this interview. Watch this space.
DUST: WITHERED EARTH This digital trade collects the complete DUST saga, previously released by Semantink Publishing and Keyleaf Comics – issues zero through six. DUST is the story of two travelers, Jim and Deborah, making their way through a post-apocalyptic world full of cannibals, mutants, pirates, mercenaries, and more, as they travel from Mexico to San Diego in an effort to change the harsh conditions of their reality.
Written by James Ninness with art by John Narcomey we get a post-apocalyptic story in a western vein.
This is a petty fast moving graphic novel which covers a lot of geographical ground, and the story moves pretty well.
In the story we get the traditional man with no name, but with a twist! He knows the people, he knows the land, but he also has ‘help’!
The cast of characters in the story is rich and varied, we get some traditional western archetypes, but we also get mixed into this the post apocalypse style characters!
There’s a good three act story here, with a very well defined beginning, middle and end – although, the ending is a nice western style which fades away into the dusty sunset.
The art is brilliantly suited to the style of story – dusty, dark and full of some excellent details. The colouring is very good and also suits the story with its tones.
This is a good read and hard to put down, it’s not something that you expect, and is different from the norm. It’s well worth buying and can be bought here
Mike Mignola returned to monthly comic books with Hellboy in Hell (December 2012). He hasn’t drawn a regular Hellboy series since The Island in 2005. I enjoy his storytelling, drawing style, humor, and design so I was excited when Hellboy in Hell #1 hit shelves. I can not remember the last time I went to a comic book shop to buy a new comic book on new comic book day. This was going to be great!
Except, it wasn’t.
I was a little disappointed but couldn’t figure out why because Mignola’s drawing and storytelling were great as usual. When I spoke to Jasen Lex about it, I learned he thought the new comic was fantastic. After a brief conversation, I realized that Lex had read a digital copy (on his beautiful Mac display) while I had read a print copy.
We decided to compare his digital copy and my print copy page by page, panel by panel.
I found the digital copy stunning in comparison. The subtle palette’s warm and cool colors complimented Mignola’s immaculate compositions and storytelling in ways I had missed on my readings of the print edition. *(It should be noted that the digital copy also lends itself to zooming in and out of the artwork and focusing on individual panels, as a fan of Mignola’s compositional choices and drawing, this definitely adds to my enjoyment.)
I had to take back all the negative thoughts I had been sending Dave Stewart’s direction. Each panel and page looked great.
But the print edition now looked even worse compared with the digital copy.
Read the rest at and see the examples at: Hellboy in Hell: Print vs. Digital | Jim Rugg.
Comic books and magazines have been common among the youth for the longest time, but in this digital world we live in right now, everything is evolving.
Kenya’s first digital comic titled ‘Hillside Campus’ has just been launched. Its debut episode has officially been published on Capital Campus, a section featured on the Capital FM website for campus matters.
The comic is about a group of campus students who live life on the fast lane as they study and build their lives. Graphics of this comic have been done by Movin Were. Vince Matinde is the guy behind the interesting and captivating story line which, when you look at it with a keen eye, reflects to what happens in our campus institutions.
Here is the synopsis and the first episode of the new ‘HillSide Campus’ digital comic.
Three campus dudes, Davy, Simo and Kevin are your normal campus buddies. Well not quite. They are more adventurous and almost moronic in their quest to spice up their lives in campus away from their homes.
In their second year in campus, there is a mystery of a disappearance of a third year girl. Five months later, they stumble on the girl’s secret blog diary. They get embroiled in the case as they follow her personal blog where she has left clues and to what could have led to her disappearance.
On her secret blog, she has described different characters in the campus. From lecturers who had advances on her, her ex boyfriends, the scams going on in the campus, the boy she liked and everyone who had threatened her etc.
But her blog is full of various issues any that would have led her to her death. The three decide to follow up on the clues that she has left to unveil the mystery, but they get more than they bargained for…
Apart from following the girl’s blog, the three students get in trouble with their lecturers for their behavior. Love and relationships are poured into the mix and this makes their life in campus more they could have imagined.
via Kenya’s first digital comic launched today. Here’s the debut episode (part one) | Ghafla!Kenya.
Spacelord Muthafu… well, we’ll say Mo Fo because we’re in polite company… Spacelord Mo
Fo’s said to be a one man army who walked into a bar and let loose a hell that destroyed a city.
Of course, the truth behind that tale is something more, but that’s a truth for another telling.
Episode #1 picks up the thread some two months later, in the dust-choked hellscape of Tomb
Towers, the last almost-civilized city on the Edge of Endspace… It’s the kinda place where
trouble always comes calling… and, today, it rode in with a capital Mo Fo!
Launched online in January 2012, from the awesomely disturbed minds of Pat McNamara
(Angelwitch Series) & David G. Williams (Wolverine: Doombringer, Catwoman, In Flesh &
Spirit), The Legend of Spacelord Mo Fo is an ass-kickingly kick-ass post-apocalyptic,
space-western, love story… with guns, presented in the trailblazing Digital Cinegraphic
Novel format (like Marvel’s Infinite Nova & Thrillbent’s Insufferable).
The story follows Bran Mak Foo and Honey Pott, a just-married couple scrounging a living on
the Edge of Endspace after a galactic apocalypse… or three. The Edge is a place where heroes
are few, villainy’s the law, and the rest are just trying to survive…
At its heart, The Legend of Spacelord Mo Fo is a tale of love and guns, with Bran and Honey
fighting the good fight against the galaxy, and sometimes each other, but always finding a way
through… together… mostly… we hope…
Episode #1 Digital Download includes:
196 Panels of Uncensored and Full 1920 x 1080 HD Mo Fo Action!
Spacelord Mo Fo Theme Music by Seb Hudson
28 Page ‘Why Digital?’ – The Comic Evolution Featurette.
22 Page Meet the Ironclad Imagineers & Making of Featurette.
The Legend of Spacelord Mo Fo is for a more Mature Audience… well, not for ‘kids’ anyway,
not sure about the ‘mature’ part.
How the Digital Cinegraphic Novel works.
You may have seen or heard of a ‘little’ game-changing comic that debuted in March 2012,
Marvel’s Infinite Nova by Mark Waid and Stuart Immonen?… Well, the Mo Fo’s like that. The
Legend of Spacelord Mo Fo is a serialized, full-color, digital comic, written and illustrated
specifically for the digital storytelling medium, and presented panel by panel in a cinematic
widescreen format we call, Cinegraphic.
Praise for the Mo Fo!
“Guns, explosions and psychotic villains make an epic love story.” – Nathan Tan. I Got
Superpowers
“Natural Born Killers meets Mad Max in space.” – “If you haven’t checked it out yet, you
should!” – Brian LeTendre. Secret Identity Podcast
“I give big hairy kudos to McNamara and Williams…” – Captainhardshell, International
House of Geek
“…fantastic space opera for the digital age!” – “The artwork is awesome.” – “…it really does
kick ass!” – Paul Norman. Booksmonthly Uk
“…one of the smoothest openings I’ve seen in digital so far! Nicely done!” – Josh S. Henaman.
Writer, Bigfoot – Sword of the Earthman.
Follow the Mo Fo -
www.facebook.com/spacelordmofo
www.spacelordmofo.com
www.spacelordmofo.blogspot.com
Who are the Ironclad Imagineers?
Ironclad Imagineers is David G. Williams, Artist (Catwoman, Marvel’s
‘Phantom’, Wolverine: Doombringer, In Flesh and Spirit), and Pat McNamara,
Writer (Angelwitch Book 1: Dragonscarpe & Book 2: Triumvirate). Ironclad’s mission
is not to replace traditional comics, rather, we want to take what we love about comics,
telling kick-ass, but sensitive, stories through sequential art, into the frontier of
amazing narrative and visual storytelling possibilities offered by the digital medium.
The Legend of Spacelord Mo Fo is our first.
If you would like to know more about the digital comic evolution being plotted in the
affordably decorated lair of the Ironclad Imagineers, drop us an email @
themofos@ironcladimagineers.com
A new project looking to be Kickstarted for digital comic release!
in Sanity, AZ will be Kickstarted – not the first issue, not the first two issues, not even just the digital issues – the whole thing. When we raise the money for this project we will have everything we need to release three digital comic book issues (the smallest of which clocks in at fifty-two pages) and a trade paperback. Single issues will be sold for $1.99 – yup, that’s it – and release in July, August and November of this year. The trade paperback will, hopefully, be out in time for Christmas, 2013.
in Sanity, AZ — The Announcement Trailer from James Ninness on Vimeo.
The book focuses on a small town in the middle of the desert. You know the town. The same town you drive by every time you cross the country or hustle through the desert. The kind of town that causes you to stare from the comfort of your car and think to yourself: “who in the hell would live out here?” This particular town is a bit further down the highway, a highway not often travelled. It is as lost in time as a grain of sand in the desert. And to the natives of this town, that’s not a problem. They have adapted. They have their own way of doing things.A long time ago, deep in the deserts of Arizona, a mayor by the name of Cambridge decided to build an asylum for the undesirables. A place the people of color could receive the mental help they needed away from the eyes of civilized society. It was a dream that turned into a nightmare. Things went wrong, as they are wont to do, and the inmates revolted. Over time the inmates settled the desert, carving out land and making it their own. Utilizing a sign from the asylum, the citizens settled on the name “Sanity”.
in Sanity, AZ #1
JULY 2013
Collecting the first eleven stories in the in Sanity, AZ saga: “Snowglobes and Albatrosses”, “Broken Water I”, “Murder”, “Burgers And Shakes”, “Friends”, “False Idols”, “Inning Five”, “Honor Parents”, “Confusion”, “Sea Of Sanity”, and “False Witness”.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA.
Art by CHRIS COLLINS, COLLIN FOGEL, BEN GLIBERT, SCOTT IRWIN, RICH KUHAUPT, FRANK LUNA and JORGE SEVILLA.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Digital, 52 pgs, $1.99 US – RATED 18+
in Sanity, AZ #2
AUGUST 2013
Collecting the next ten stories in the in Sanity, AZ saga: “”Ham Tickle”, “The Motel In Sanity”, “Lords Name”, “Pointer”, “Raw”, “Breaking Water II”, “Cuckoo Clocks”, “Covet”, “Lollipop”, and “Sabbath”.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA
Art by CHRIS BURKHEART, COURTNEY CAMACHO, COLLIN FOGEL, KEVIN GEMSER, BEN GLIBERT, RICH KUHAUPT, DONALD POQUIZ, and BRIAN SORIANO.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Digital, 64 pgs, $1.99 US – RATED 18+
in Sanity, AZ #3
NOVEMBER 2013
Collecting the final eight stories in the in Sanity, AZ saga: “The Orchard”, “Steal”, “Kids And Their Treasures”, “Adultery”, “Lullaby”, “Dog Tricks”, “Other Gods”, and “Broken Water III”.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA
Art by BEN GLIBERT, RICH KUHAUPT, JOHN NARCOMEY, JED SORIANO, MIKE TEMPLE, and DANIEL TOUCHET.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Digital, 60 pgs, $1.99 US – RATED 18+
in Sanity, AZ (TPB)
DECEMBER 2013
Welcome to Sanity, Arizona. It’s a small town, near the middle of the Mojave Desert, run by a different type of human. The natives of Sanity move a little bit slower, smile a little bit longer, and eat sausages made of tourists. This horror series follows the story of a different type of society, one that functions of its own accord and would rather be left alone than participate in the world the rest of us dwell in. Unfortunately for them, and everyone else, people tend to find themselves in Sanity, AZ.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA
Art by CHRIS BURKHEART, COURTNEY CAMACHO, CHRIS COLLINS, COLLIN FOGEL, KEVIN GEMSER, BEN GLIBERT, SCOTT IRWIN, RICH KUHAUPT, FRANK LUNA, JOHN NARCOMEY, DONALD POQUIZ, JORGE SEVILLA, BRIAN SORIANO, JED SORIANO, MIKE TEMPLE, and DANIEL TOUCHET.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Print, 180 pgs, (Price TBD) – RATED 18+
JULY 2013
Collecting the first eleven stories in the in Sanity, AZ saga: “Snowglobes and Albatrosses”, “Broken Water I”, “Murder”, “Burgers And Shakes”, “Friends”, “False Idols”, “Inning Five”, “Honor Parents”, “Confusion”, “Sea Of Sanity”, and “False Witness”.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA.
Art by CHRIS COLLINS, COLLIN FOGEL, BEN GLIBERT, SCOTT IRWIN, RICH KUHAUPT, FRANK LUNA and JORGE SEVILLA.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Digital, 52 pgs, $1.99 US – RATED 18+
in Sanity, AZ #2
AUGUST 2013
Collecting the next ten stories in the in Sanity, AZ saga: “”Ham Tickle”, “The Motel In Sanity”, “Lords Name”, “Pointer”, “Raw”, “Breaking Water II”, “Cuckoo Clocks”, “Covet”, “Lollipop”, and “Sabbath”.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA
Art by CHRIS BURKHEART, COURTNEY CAMACHO, COLLIN FOGEL, KEVIN GEMSER, BEN GLIBERT, RICH KUHAUPT, DONALD POQUIZ, and BRIAN SORIANO.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Digital, 64 pgs, $1.99 US – RATED 18+
in Sanity, AZ #3
NOVEMBER 2013
Collecting the final eight stories in the in Sanity, AZ saga: “The Orchard”, “Steal”, “Kids And Their Treasures”, “Adultery”, “Lullaby”, “Dog Tricks”, “Other Gods”, and “Broken Water III”.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA
Art by BEN GLIBERT, RICH KUHAUPT, JOHN NARCOMEY, JED SORIANO, MIKE TEMPLE, and DANIEL TOUCHET.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Digital, 60 pgs, $1.99 US – RATED 18+
in Sanity, AZ (TPB)
DECEMBER 2013
Welcome to Sanity, Arizona. It’s a small town, near the middle of the Mojave Desert, run by a different type of human. The natives of Sanity move a little bit slower, smile a little bit longer, and eat sausages made of tourists. This horror series follows the story of a different type of society, one that functions of its own accord and would rather be left alone than participate in the world the rest of us dwell in. Unfortunately for them, and everyone else, people tend to find themselves in Sanity, AZ.
Written by MICHAEL DRACE FOUNTAIN, MARCEL LOSADA, JAMES NINNESS, and JOE PEZZULA
Art by CHRIS BURKHEART, COURTNEY CAMACHO, CHRIS COLLINS, COLLIN FOGEL, KEVIN GEMSER, BEN GLIBERT, SCOTT IRWIN, RICH KUHAUPT, FRANK LUNA, JOHN NARCOMEY, DONALD POQUIZ, JORGE SEVILLA, BRIAN SORIANO, JED SORIANO, MIKE TEMPLE, and DANIEL TOUCHET.
Cover by “BIG” CHRIS WOOD.
Colors by SHANNON FORREY.
Print, 180 pgs, (Price TBD) – RATED 18+
I’ve previously told you about The Lion & The Unicorn, so you know what it’s all about.
Well now I’ve had a chance to look at it fully and I like what I see!
Combining the idea of the ‘infinite’ comic and some other neat tricks we also get a compelling, well written story.
Plus the art is amazing!
Clicking through the story we get a fractured look at how the world is now, but due to the nature of the canvas, it’s always easy to follow.
By using the infinite canvas style, the story can be told in a much more fluid way, with text moving around the screen in action with the artwork moving with it. This is a lot less jarring than the panel-by-panel view.
Interspersed within the story are links to websites and the comics Facebook page which is nice innovative way to get you involved with the creator.
The art deserves a special mention because it’s so damn good.
With an excellent use of shadows, light and colour (see above) you get a real feel for the world in which it is set. This combined with the lettering around it and the work outside the panels make it a feast for the eyes.
This is #0 of 4 so I’m really building it up here in the hope that we all get to see more of this soon, as it’s excellent!
This spotlight has something a little extra. What the team behind Tunnel Ground have for us is not only a beautiful style comic, but also an iOS game to go with it!
Lets start with the comics:
The digital English edition is currently available on the iBook Store. The book can be viewed using iBooks 2 or later and an iPad with iOS 5 or later.
Tunnel Ground – Subterranean Dawn is a new comic, done in a painterly style utilizing the latest in digital art techniques. Featuring intense scenes and stunning visuals, driving the immersive story to new heights. The comic is targeted for people who like in-depth stories and professional art combined. The story renders a post apocalyptic science fiction story set in dark desolate future… The journey takes the main character to the limits, both in the physical and mental realm, as both surroundings and subconscious take their toll on the worn mind of the machine forgotten in the dark depths.
The comic is read in a portrait style – to take advantage of the amazing style that is used in this comic. Black and white comics can sometimes be hard to pick up, but this is hard to put down! The use of shadow really gets you into the feel of the cramped, underground style. When there is light, especially one bright scene, I found my eyes hurt, like coming out of a dark tunnel into the light (or like me when my youngest wakes me up in the morning!)
The splashes of red throughout the comic are equally jarring, bring you further into the madness. It’s weird, having the whole story spoken as an internal monologue, but this works in this sense.The other strange thing is the protagonist – not your usual humanoid character, but by the end of the comic you really empathise with it.
The game is available on the iPad and iPhone. It made me think of the cramped style of the original Doom or Quake games. You never know what is around each corner and you end up jumping at shadows!
The controls can be a little fiddlely, but once you get used to them, you find yourself moving aroud not thinking.
In all this is an interesting, but understandable mix The team behind Tunnel Ground seem to have a real gem of an idea here and I’m glad to see it develop.
Tunnel Ground concept has been developed by Topi Koivisto and Tapio Miettinen.
