Truth In Four Colors

Update Your Bookmarks - www.NickTapalansky.com!

2009-12-11T11:26:00.003-05:00

The All-New, All-Different NickTapalansky.com!

Stop over there and check out all the free swag, including the entire first chapter of both Awakening Volume One and Volume Two, previews of Rusted: Faded Signal, appearing in Popgun Volume 4 (Image) this February, and Perhapanauts: A Grim's Haunt, appearing as a two-part back up in The Perhapanauts (Image) this spring. There's also script samples, trailers, and more!

All that said, part of the reason for the site was to consolidate all this online mumbo jumbo, so I will no longer be on MySpace or Blogger. I won't be checking comments, updating the blogs (unless something truly extrodinary is going on, and even then it'll just be a mention directing readers to the new site), or adding friends. All my contact info is on the new site so if anybody wants to reach on out and touch me they can drop me an email, leave a comment on the new blog, or hit the Awakening Twitter. Otherwise, this is just going to hang around the interweb and direct wayward souls towards the new and exciting site.

See you guys over there!

- Nick
http://www.NickTapalansky.com

Awakening Halloween Signing Tour - Last Stop This Wednesday

2009-10-26T21:03:00.004-04:00

Being sick and trying to compose a sensible blog don't really go hand-in-hand. I'm going to give it shot and see what we come up with, though.

OUR TOP STORY...

One more official Halloween Signing Tour stop to go! Everybody in the NYC area, head on down to Jim Hanley's Universe on 33rd Street on Wednesday, October 28th from 4-7pm to grab your free signed art print, which was created exclusively for the tour, with every copy of Awakening Volume One brought in to be signed or picked up at the store. Then, sign up for the exclusive Halloween preview of Awakening Volume Two debuting at 12am Halloween morning.

Jim Hanley's Universe is located at 4 West 33rd Street in Manhattan.

THE TOUR THUS FAR...

The other three stops on the tour have been great! Thanks so much to everybody who's come out to hang with us, talk comics, and celebrate the zombie season. It's been unreal. Special thanks to the stores who hosted us, Brave New Worlds in Philly, PA and Upstate Comics in LaGrangeville, NY.

For anybody who couldn't make it to these stops or who can't make it out to Jim Hanley's this Wednesday, you're in luck. Folks in the Albany area can catch me hanging around the Albany Comic-Con this Sunday, 11/1. We may not have any prints left but you can defitnitely grab a copy of the book, or bring yours to be signed, and I might even have the sign-up sheet still available for the Volume Two preview...

And don't forget, all you folks who've got the book but can't make it out to a signing stop, there's still time to send a photo with you and your copy of Awakening Volume one to AwakeningComic@gmail.com and get access to that same Volume Two preview. It's the entire first chapter and it's definitely our best yet.

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

Alex and I got to catch up with Tim over at Robot 6 about the signing tour, sticking it out with Archaia, and defining existential horror. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments - Talking Comics With Tim - Awakening

Also, for anybody who's happening on this and isn't familiar with Awakening, the entire first chapter will be going up on Newsarama tomorrow for free! Keep an eye out and watch the Twitter feed for an update when that goes live.

That's it for today, I think - I've got all sorts of things I want to get down but, for now, I think sleep is what's going to happen instead. More next time.

- Nick

Awakening Halloween Tour: Next Stop - Baltimore Comic-Con

2009-10-07T22:17:00.003-04:00

OUR TOP STORY...

I'm so freakin' excited right now I could mess myself. Or you. Either way, I'm PUMPED about this weekend. Why?

BALTIMORE COMIC-CON!

Not only is it always one of my favorite shows each year, but this year it's the first stop on our Awakening Halloween Signing Tour! The best part is that we get to spend the weekend hanging out with friends, like the talented David Petersen (Mouse Guard, AA Table #58), Kate Glasheen (Hybrid Bastards! AA Table #59), and Jackie Santiago (talented illustrator and darling fiance, AA Table #59) AND we get to talk comics with people alllll weekend and disguise it as "work."

I'm also pretty tits excited to let you guys know that Alex is going to be taking commissions at BCC. That means you not only get a signed book, an exclusive free print, and equally exclusive Halloween access to the first chapter of Volume Two, you can ALSO get original art from Eckman-Lawn, The Man-Machine himself! Pencil or ink commissions will be done on site but full digital pieces will have to be done at home and mailed. This is one of the first shows where he'll be readily accepting commissions so don't miss out!

Bonus points to anybody who comes by the table in Awakening costume. I dunno, what you'll get, but it'll be something cool. Maybe an original zombie haiku in your signed book? At the very least, you'll get our undying love.

What's that you say? You want to know the details of our illicit Halloween Signing Tour? I thought you'd never ask:

1 - Do you already own a copy of Awakening Volume One but can't make it to one of our four signing stops? Then hurry up and send a picture of you with the book to AwakeningComic@gmail.com by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009!

Example: A one Miss Chandra Free exhibits her hunger for her Volume Two Halloween Preview:

[click thumbnail to enlarge]

(FYI, get ready for her book, The God Machine, to hit shops this month!)

2 - Are you waiting to try out the book but can't make it to one of our four signing stops? Do you want to see some of what comes next so the wait for Volume Two isn't as excruciating? Pick up the book at your local comic shop (and promote them by taking your photo with the book in front of the shop) or, if you can't get it there for some reason (and shame on them for not ordering it for you!), go ahead and grab it at Amazon.com (Awakening Volume One on Amazon). Same deal, email a pic of you with the book to AwakeningComic@gmail.com by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009.

Everyone who emails a picture in by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009 is going to get an email from us at 12am, Halloween morning with an exclusive link and login info to read the entire first chapter of Volume Two!

3 - Now, let's say you're near one of the four signing stops listed below. If you come by and pick up a copy of the book, or bring your copy to be signed, not only will we take down your email so you get a link to the exclusive preview, but you'll also get an exclusive, signed print created by Alex just for this Halloween tour! Mark these dates on your calenders:

Oct. 10, 10 a.m. -6 p.m.; Oct-11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Artist Alley Table #60, Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(Separate admission fee required for entry into Baltimore Comic-Con)

Oct. 17, 1-5 p.m. [Nick Tapalansky only]
Upstate Comics
Freedom Business Center
1097 Route 55
LaGrangeville, NY 12540
(845) 432- 3320

Oct. 24, 12-4 p.m.
Brave New Worlds Comics
45 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 925-6525

Oct. 28, 4-7 p.m.
Jim Hanley’s Universe
4 West 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 268-7088

NEW ART!

That's right kids, time for some new stuff. Since these debuted on Newsarama today (more on that in a minute), I think it's high time you got a lookee-loo:

[click thumbnail to enlarge]

This here is the cover to what would have been Awakening #6, now Volume Two, Chapter One, and is one small part of the awesome preview you can get on Halloween. We've been sitting on this image for a loooooong time, so it's nice to finally put it out in the world! When Volume Two comes out next summer, there'll be 'covers' for each chapter which'll serve as chapter starts, just like we did in Volume One.

[click thumbnail to enlarge]

This piece is really exciting - this is the exclusive print you get for coming out and getting a book signed at one of our four stops this month. Anybody who brings a book to be signed or buys one at the signing gets one of these bad boys signed by Alex just for supporting the book.

AWAKENING IN THE NEWS...

Exciting week for us so far!

Item the First: MTV Splashpage names Awakening one of its Top 5 Favorite Comics Featuring The Living Dead! Considering the company we're in (The Walking Dead, Marvel Zombies, Dead@17, and Xombie) it's incredibly humbling. - MTV Splashpage Top Five Zombie Comics

Item the Second: We talk with Newsarama's own Vaneta Rogers about the signing tour and what to expect from Volume Two, not to mention debuting those two new images! - Newsarama Interview

Item the Third: Fun interview over at Horrorview where, amongst other things, we get labeled Archaia's prize horse (sorry Mouse Guard. Ha!). - Horrorview Interview

IN OTHER NEWS...

They claim it's to add levity to some disaster planning, but I think somebody at the University of Florida knows something: Florida Is All Set if Zombies Invade

Also, just discovered Inappropriate Soundtracks on the YouTube. There are a ton of funny ones, but this one got my attention since it's been a big joke since Awakening #1 came out (for the latest instance, back track to the 4th Letter interview that went up last week):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5m6urLXVOQ

The best part? It's a fucking zombie song!

Time to start packing and get ready to hit Baltimore in the face with existential horror. Everybody better come out or Alex will convert your breath into fuel for his unnatural body while you sleep.

One. By. One.

See you at the show!
- Nick

Follow Awakening Online:
Awakening on Twitter: http://twitter.com/awakeningcomic
Trailer for Awakening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0
Nick Tapalansky’s website: http://www.nicktapalansky.com/
Alex Eckman-Lawn’s website: http://www.alexeckmanlawn.com/

First Look At Volume Two? Free Prints? Awakening Halloween Excitement!

2009-09-28T13:04:00.001-04:00

OUR TOP STORY...

I love that we're finally rolling into October this week - I think my whole year is a build-up to this month. Leaves are changing, it's cooler out, and the spooks and shadows are creeping to life, peering around corners and following you down lonely streets. Speaking of...

We've got some exciting happenings coming in October, courtesy of the Awakening Halloween Signing Tour! For anyone who missed it, let's run this badboy down one more time because there's something exclusive and awesome for everybody who's reading this blog:

1 - Do you already own a copy of Awakening Volume One but can't make it to one of our four signing stops? Then hurry up and send a picture of you with the book to AwakeningComic@gmail.com by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009!

2 - Are you waiting to try out the book but can't make it to one of our four signing stops? Do you want to see some of what comes next so the wait for Volume Two isn't as excruciating? Pick up the book at your local comic shop (and promote them by taking your photo with the book in front of the shop) or, if you can't get it there for some reason (and shame on them for not ordering it for you!), go ahead and grab it at Amazon.com (Awakening Volume One on Amazon). Same deal, email a pic of you with the book to AwakeningComic@gmail.com by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009.

Everyone who emails a picture in by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009 is going to get an email from us at 12am, Halloween morning with an exclusive link and login info to read the entire first chapter of Volume Two!

3 - Now, let's say you're near one of the four signing stops listed below. If you come by and pick up a copy of the book, or bring your copy to be signed, not only will we take down your email so you get a link to the exclusive preview, but you'll also get an exclusive, signed print created by Alex just for this Halloween tour! Mark these dates on your calenders:

Oct. 10, 10 a.m. -6 p.m.; Oct-11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Artist Alley Table #60, Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(Separate admission fee required for entry into Baltimore Comic-Con)

Oct. 17, 1-5 p.m. [Nick Tapalansky only]
Upstate Comics
Freedom Business Center
1097 Route 55
LaGrangeville, NY 12540
(845) 432- 3320

Oct. 24, 12-4 p.m.
Brave New Worlds Comics
45 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 925-6525

Oct. 28, 4-7 p.m.
Jim Hanley’s Universe
4 West 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 268-7088

I wish we could branch out further but, for now, we're limited in our travel distance - sorry Mid-West, South, and West! If this tour is as big as I think we're going to make it though, we should be able to go much wider for Volume Two next year!

Hope to see a ton of people at these stops - maybe some folks dressed as Derrick or Cynthia? Zombies, anybody?

AWAKENING IN THE NEWS...

Lot's of interviews and reviews abound, so hold on to your pants:

First, we catch up with Kris over at Broken Frontier about the launch of the book and what comes next - Zombie Awakening - Lowdown

Jill Pantozzi aka The Nerdy Bird says of Awakening, "Forget Zombies for Dummies. This is Zombies for Intellectuals." - Read the whole review here and then check out an amazing interview for GEN where Jill and I talk about zombie survival, Alex's anatomy, and Mexican brothels! - GEN Interview -

Speaking of reviews, here's one in its entirety from Ain't It Cool News (link!) that made Alex and I blush heartily:

"Too many zombie comics start with the outbreak and move right into an examination of the human condition when faced with the end of civilization as we know it. We've seen it a million times. And frankly, I'm pretty sick of reading that story. While AWAKENING focuses on the beginnings of what looks to be the zombie apocalypse, this isn't your usual stow a bunch of random people in a house/mall/army bunker/prison/whatever and see them tear each other apart story. At its core, AWAKENING is a detective story, where one private dick is investigating what at first seems like a missing persons case, but soon turns into something a whole lot more diabolical and dire. Detective Peters is a bit jaded, as all good detectives are, but he's good at his job. When the town crazy woman starts spouting stories of zombies, everyone (including Peters) thinks she's just nuts. But then some crazy things start happening and unlike most outbreak stories, this one takes its sweet old time. Literally months pass in this story before anyone even believes there may be a zombie outbreak occurring. It's an extended version of the initial outbreak scenes in SHAUN OF THE DEAD where the dead are walking, but no one is noticing. A very cool statement about the apathetic world we live in and there's no better backdrop than the jaded world of detective noir for this scenario to play out on. Unlike most zombie books that mix genres, this one isn't winking at the reader. This is an all too serious look at one man who is opening his eyes and noticing that there's a problem going on right under everyone's noses that will most definitely get out of hand soon. I love the tension that permeates from every page. Nick Tapalansky has more patience that I've ever seen a writer have, doling out tiny bits of info to disbelieving characters making those who know what's coming chomp at their own bits in anticipation. Artist Alex Eckman-Lawn literally evolves as an artist as you turn through all five issues collected in this novel. His style starts out blocky and overly dark, but shifts almost seamlessly to a more softy, cloudy tone by the end of the book. But in every page, this looks like a detective/horror book with stark blacks with hints of colors peeking through the scribbles. This is a phenomenal achievement in writing and artistry and proof that when done well even when utilizing the most worn out of genres there still can exist something special."

Another fun interview, this one with Gavin over at The 4th Letter - if you've ever wondered what characters I'd want to write at the big two, or how I'd tackle Johnny Storm's pal Wingfoot, this is the interview to read. - The 4th Letter -

FOLLOW AWAKENING...

...on the interweb:

Follow Awakening on Twitter: http://twitter.com/awakeningcomic
Trailer for Awakening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0
Nick Tapalansky’s website: http://www.nicktapalansky.com/
Alex Eckman-Lawn’s website: http://www.alexeckmanlawn.com/

Keep it locked here for updates as we blow through the best month of the year. First stop: BALTIMORE!

- Nick

‘AWAKENING’ CREATORS TO HOLD EAST COAST HALLOWEEN SIGNING TOUR

2009-09-21T13:22:00.000-04:00

This is it, kids! That October event I've been mentioning is revealed below!

***********************************
FANS WHO PURCHASE A COPY OF THE BOOK AT ANY OF THE FOUR SIGNINGS OR BRING ONE TO BE SIGNED WILL RECEIVE A FREE, EXCLUSIVE ‘AWAKENING’ PRINT AND ACCESS TO THE FIRST CHAPTER OF AWAKENING VOLUME TWO ONLINE!

Los Angeles, CA (September 21, 2009) – To help get comics fans in the proper mood for Halloween, writer Nick Tapalansky and artist Alex Eckman-Lawn will embark on a four-stop tour to sign and promote their hardcover horror book, Awakening, and will even offer exclusive prints and a link to read a free, online preview of the first chapter in the next volume. Fans who are unable to attend any of the signings but purchase the book, or have purchased it already, will also get the opportunity to read the free preview.

“The amount of support we’ve received over the past few years has been mindblowing,” said writer Tapalansky. “When the volume was solicited back in April, we partnered with DCBS to offer an exclusive print to fans who ordered the book through their website and it was HUGE! Now that the book is available in stores we wanted to do something special for all of our fans, including those who might’ve been waiting to try it, as well as the local comic shops that support us.”

The stops on the tour are as follows:

Oct. 10, 10 a.m. -6 p.m.; Oct-11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m
Artist Alley, Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(Separate admission fee required for entry into Baltimore Comic-Con)

Oct. 17, 1-5 p.m. [Nick Tapalansky only]
Upstate Comics
Freedom Business Center
1097 Route 55
LaGrangeville, NY 12540
(845) 432-3320

Oct. 24, 12-4 p.m.
Brave New Worlds Comics
45 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 925-6525

Oct. 28, 4-7 p.m.
Jim Hanley’s Universe
4 West 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 268-7088

Fans who purchase a copy of Awakening at any of these appearances, or who bring their already purchased copy to be signed, will receive a free Awakening print created exclusively for the tour. Plus, by submitting their e-mail address they will be sent a link to read a free, online preview of the complete first chapter of Awakening Volume Two, due out next summer. The preview will be distributed at 12 a.m. ET on Halloween morning, Oct. 31, 2009

Fans who aren’t able to attend any of these appearances but would still like to gain access to the preview can send in a picture of themselves with their copy of Awakening standing in front of the local comics shop where it was purchased, along with the shop’s information, to AwakeningComic@gmail.com so that they can receive the link in return, while also getting their shop featured on the blogs of the Awakening creators.

Those readers who do not have access to a local comics shop and are only able to buy their copy online or at their local book store need only to send an e-mail to AwakeningComic@gmail.com.

Fans who have already purchased their copy of the Awakening hardcover won’t be left out! These readers can also e-mail a picture of themselves with their book to AwakeningComic@gmail.com and receive a link to the exclusive preview.

Awakening takes place in the once-peaceful city of Park Falls, where a series of gruesome murders and missing persons has put the town on edge, and Cynthia Ford, known as the town “crazy,” finds retired police detective Derrick Peters and relates to him her belief about what’s going on. Her explanation: Zombies. Unable to ignore Cynthia’s information, though not sharing her beliefs, Derrick and others in the town explore the mystery as weeks turn to months and the death toll rises. Could Cynthia be right or has she finally gone insane?

“I don’t think we can fall over ourselves enough to say how much our readers mean to us,” said Tapalansky. “Our readers have been amazingly patient waiting for this volume and, now that it’s available, we want to give them something cool to not only show how much we appreciate them, but that Volume Two isn’t so far away either.”

Aint It Cool News said Awakening is “a phenomenal achievement in writing and artistry and proof that, when done well, even when utilizing the most worn-out of genres there still can exist something special.”

Brian LeTendre of the Secret Identity podcast called Awakening “a unique take on the zombie genre that has a distinct noir flavor.”

Follow Awakening on Twitter: http://twitter.com/awakeningcomic
Trailer for Awakening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0
Nick Tapalansky’s website: http://www.nicktapalansky.com/
Alex Eckman-Lawn’s website: http://www.alexeckmanlawn.com/

Diamond Order Code: APR09 0649
ISBN-10: 1932386483
ISBN-13: 978-1932386486

About Archaia

Founded in 2002, Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. With a slate including such popular Eisner-Award winning titles as Mouse Guard and The Killer, as well as Awakening, Gunnerkrigg Court, Robotika, Killing Pickman, Artesia and the Publisher’s latest additions of Titanium Rain, God Machine, Roddenberry Productions’ Days Missing, The Jim Henson Company library and Mr. Murder Is Dead and Lucid with Zachary Quinto’s production company, Before the Door Pictures, Archaia has become synonymous with quality content. For more information on Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com. Archaia can also be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/archaiacomics), MySpace (www.myspace.com/archaiacomics) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/archaiacomics).

Wicked October Plans Part 1

2009-09-01T15:51:00.003-04:00

First of all, a big thanks to everybody who's been helping out the book by sharing our "Open Letter to Comic Shops." The letter is still being retweeted on Twitter (Are YOU following @AwakeningComic yet?!) and finding it's way onto new blogs every day thanks to you, and Alex and I can't thank you all enough. All the emails I've been getting back from shops have been really excited about Awakening and they're glad to have been able to check out the book before ordering it just to stock it (i.e., without a customer request).

Those of you who read the letter might've noticed a little mention about a big October event... The details are still being finalized BUT part of it includes a few comic shop stops for signings and we want to know where YOU want us to go. We have to keep it to the east coast for now, I'm afraid, but we can get as far south as Baltimore pretty easily, depending on how we schedule things. Here's how we're shaping up so far:

Baltimore Comic-Con: 10/10 - 10/11
Brave New Worlds - Philly Fresh, PA - 10/24
??? (It's a secret to everybody) - 10/28

If you want us to pop in to your shop to hang out, sign books, and nerd out, drop me an email at Nick.Tapalansky@gmail.com and we'll see what we can do!

Some quick hits:

New interview and Making Of feature with Mr. Alex Eckman-Lawn over at Graphic Novel Reporter!

Great review of Awakening Volume One over at View From Heaven!

A fun interview with yours truly, conducted by Bryn Colvin, writer of the forthcoming Hopeless webcomic (watch this space for details!)

A very kind review over at Comixology

Titanium Rain's first hardcover is now available for pre-order at your local comic shop! Hop in there and demand it!

Places on the interweb you should be:

SpookyChan.com has gone live! Check out the work and news of Chandra Free, creator of Archaia's upcoming The God Machine.

Shadowgirls written by Starkweather: Immortal creator, Dave Rodriguez - awesome webcomic, the #1 Horror Webcomic, in fact, last I'd heard...

Yon Kuma is another sweet webcomic written by another Archaia writer, Josh Hechinger, writer of the very-nearly-released Grave Doug Freshley!

MooreReppion.com, the interweb lair of the wiley and talented John Reppion and Leah Moore, authors of a multitude of great sequential fiction including The Complete Dracula and The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, not to mention Raise the Dead.

Off to fix myself a plate of spaghetti and dive into some ::gasp:: WRITING! With Awakening Volume Two already written and a few other bits already done, what's a guy to work on next? Mystery, Adventure, or Horror? Hmmm...

We love you.

Please Repost! An Open Letter to Comic Retailers - Awakening Update!

2009-08-26T13:35:00.003-04:00

OUR TOP STORY...

So, the book is out - now what? Now, oh loyal readers, we need to keep the momentum going. Reviews and interviews are abound but now we need to show comic shops that there's good reason for them to carry the book in their stores! Below is an open letter to comic retailers which I emailed out to all the shop contacts I could gather online. What we need YOU to do is repost this on blogs and message boards, Twitter a link, send up a smoke signal - get this info to your local shop to help them sell the book. That doesn't mean you should go in and ask for ten copies of the book to be ordered, that's not what this is about. This is about spreading the word about the book and giving retailers the ammunition they need to confidently recommend and sell the book to their customers.

Let's do this thing! Zombie Noir for everybody! Tweet and repost pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaase!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello, purveyor of four-color greatness!

My name is Nick Tapalansky and I'm the writer of the recent Archaia release, Awakening (Volume One). Selling comics is a tough business, and nobody knows that as well as you guys. That said, you do it day in and day out and, one better, you do it well. If I can appeal to your generous side for just a minute, I’m hoping you’ll read on and find your free PDF of the 144-page volume, a trailer for the book, and more. I’m putting in some legwork, trying to spread the word about the book’s release (the hardcover was released in July of this year), and let you know how the team behind the book, as well as Archaia, is working to promote the book and push readers into your stores. First though, a little background.

When the first three chapters of Awakening were serialized back in 2007 the series was nominated for four British Eagle Awards including Favourite Newcomer Writer and Favourite New Comic Book. We’ve also received tons of critical praise, including:

- “The coolest and most original zombie piece since The Walking Dead got under way... This is simply gorgeous art that needs to be lived in. It, like any great art, speaks to you immediately and with authority.” - Lee Ferguson, Broken Frontier

- “Derek Peters is where Phillip Marlowe meets George Romero. Awakening will have readers feeling so lonely that they need someone nearby, but so paranoid that they’ll double-check who’s in bed next to them.” - Nick Kelly, Horrorview

- “Awakening may be the indie runaway hit of the year.” – The Geeks of Doom

- "Awakening is the type of storytelling achievement you often find yourself reading in trade format a year after-the-fact, wondering why the hell you didn't hear more about it at the time of its publishing. The type of book that goes on to achieve eventual cult status and terrible film adaptations that wholly miss the point." — Tom Mattson, Newseed Comics

After Archaia underwent a publishing hiatus for most of 2008, we quietly waited with the book until the business end of things was sorted out. By mid 2009 the machine was moving again and Awakening, now a two-volume hardcover series (more on the format shift in a minute), was ready to make its comeback! The book has since been featured on CBR, in Rue Morgue Magazine, and on various comic news and review sites.

Below is the solicitation for the volume, followed by a link to the trailer for the book:

"The once peaceful city of Park Falls has been tainted by a series of gruesome murders and missing persons. Cynthia Ford, well known as the town crazy, comes forward to speak with retired police detective Derrick Peters one January afternoon. She claims to have information about the murders, but does she hold the key to unlocking the mystery or has she truly gone insane?
To Derrick’s disbelief she utters one word:

Zombies.

Unable to ignore Cynthia’s information, though not sharing her beliefs, Derrick and others in the city explore the mystery as weeks turn to months and the death toll rises. Could Cynthia have been right? Follow the first half of Park Falls’s year-long struggle for answers here."

You can view the trailer for the volume here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0

So, where do you come in? Like I said in the beginning of this letter, I know how hard it is to sell comics these days (or even books in general). It’s even harder to opt to stock a new title from an unknown creative team when you’ve got some guaranteed sellers you can put in its place. That’s actually why we shifted formats from floppy issues and hardcovers to just hardcovers – how could we ask you to order a fourth issue from a relatively little known book and put it on a shelf in place of, say a Marvel or DC book after we had an 18-month publication hiatus? It wouldn’t make sense. That’s not to say you guys don’t support the indies, far from it, but something like that just seemed like a bit of a stretch, even from our end of the table as creators.

Back to the point though – it’s hard to make that decision without knowing more about the book. That’s why, below, you’ll find a link to download a PDF of the entire volume for you to read.

(Email Nick.Tapalansky@gmail.com with your shop's name and location to receive the PDF!)

The book contains the first five chapters of the series, two more than were serialized, 10-pages of supplemental story material (journal entries and illustrations between each chapter), and pinups from a multitude of artists as chapter breaks. It’s also got a sweet dust jacket and an even sweeter price point: $19.95. If the books had all been serialized, they would’ve cost $17.50 combined cover price – for $2.45 more you get it hardbound, with dust jacket, and 15-pages of supplemental material (the journal entries plus the aforementioned pinups)!

I firmly believe there’s at least one (if not two or three) customer in your shop that would love the hell out of this book and that’s my challenge to you: put this book in that customer’s hand. It’s a sale for you, and another reader for us – we both win.

Got a zombie nut? Tell them it’s a “zombie noir,” a murder mystery with a zombie twist.

Got somebody who’s zombied out? Tell them it’s more about the mystery with an entirely different take on the classic zombie (read the book – it’s true).

Got an indie fan who doesn’t dabble in horror so much? Tell them its existential horror, more about the plight of the characters in the wake of this growing mystery (the noir card helps here too).

Got a genre (horror) fan? Tell them its zombies with a Fell feel.

Got all of the above? Go to town! The best part about it is that everything above about the book is true - you're introducing them to something new and exciting they otherwise might not have known about!

Right now Alex and I, along with Mel Caylo, Archaia’s Marketing Director, are working hard to plan an October event for Awakening.
[Details of event edited for now - details will be emailed along with PDF download link, including info on how we'd like to promote YOUR store! - Nick]

We’ll be supporting the event via online news (Comic Book Resources, Broken Frontier, Comic Monsters, Fangoria.com, etc.), social networking (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook), and the like. Our hope is to move more people into stores rather than ordering online, so if you plan to have a copy or two of the book in stock please let me know after I send you official dates for the event so that I can list your stores name and address in any releases, blogs, etc. relating to the event. We want to make push as successful as possible for you and us, so any support or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We're in this for more than just the one day, so anything we can do to help you sell the book beyond the one-day event, please don't hesitate to mention!

In the interim, you can find out more about the book, including interviews and reviews, and follow us online at the following addresses:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AwakeningComic
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/AwakeningComic
Nick’s Site: http://www.nicktapalansky.com
Alex’s Site: http://www.alexeckmanlawn.com

Thanks for taking the time to read this – I know it was a bit lengthy but I’m hoping with all of this material and information you’ll be able to better sell the book in your store. I’ll be sending out more info about the October event as we’re able to finalize details. Alex and I are always up for store signings, talking at graphic novel reading/creating groups, or any other store events, so please feel free to email if you’d like us to pop in! The east coast, northeast in particular, is where we’re located but we’d be happy to come by around conventions to stores that are out of our relative area so don’t hesitate to ask!

Thanks again!

Best,
Nick Tapalansky
Nick.Tapalansky@gmail.com

Awakening Volume One - Out NOW!!!!

2009-08-01T01:54:00.008-04:00

OUR TOP STORIES...

Ho. Lee. SHIT! It's out! It's out! It's FUCKING OUT!!!

Sorry, had to freak out for a minute there because it FINALLY happened! Awakening Volume One hit comic shops on Wednesday, 7/22 and hit 'em hard. Shops I've talked to have been selling out and placing re-orders which is the awesome.

I've also heard that folks who ordered from Amazon started receiving books this week. In other words, those of you who were waiting to see if it was the real deal this time before ordering are in for a treat - get thee to your LCS stat! Failing a local comic shop, hit up Amazon and help us speed our way up the bestseller lists there:

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

As always, your friendly neighborhood Barnes & Noble is able to pre-order for you too.

To everybody who stopped by the booth at San Diego Comic-con, thanks for the love and support! More about the con coming in next week's blog, including pics and anecdotes galore.

SPREADING THE WORD...

Alright kids, listen up: The book is out. The trick now is to make sure EVERYBODY knows. Post the trailer hither and yon, cry forth to the heavens (and to everyone you see on the subway), and recommend it to your friends and loved ones. Especially grandmothers - they dig existential horror and zombie noir. Well, MINE does anyway but she may be partial.

A big part of self-promotion that I think gets overlooked in comics is the library circuit and, with it, reading groups. I'm talking to as many reading group heads and librarians as I can to suggest the book as a monthly selection (for horror, graphic novel, and mystery reading groups) and to make sure a copy is available in any and every library I can get in touch with, but I need your help! If you're following this blog it stands to reason that you dig the book, so do me a favor: check out your local Barnes & Noble, Borders, comic shops, and/or small indy bookshop (my faves) and see what reading groups they have - if they fit with a group which would enjoy Awakening recommend it to them! Likewise, if you frequent a library, whether at a university or just a city or town branch, recommend the book be stocked in their graphic novel section. Heck, show them your copy so they can see how loverly it is!

The short version is that we couldn't have gotten this far without you and any help you can give would be hugely appreciated. To anybody in the Southern New York or Philadelphia, PA areas: feel free to e-mail me if you get any bites at the libraries/reading groups - either Alex or myself (or both) would be happy to stop by and talk about the book, comics, writing, art, or just the weather. You can reach me at Nick.Tapalansky@gmail.com

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

First of all, if you're not following us on Twitter you're not as cool as your friends! Don't be uncool, follow @AwakeningComic for the latest updates on your favorite comic dudes.

Second of all, if you haven't already checked out http://www.NickTapalansky.com what are you waiting for?!

Now then, on with the show...

More reviews for Volume One are starting to roll in! Below is one from The Quarter Bin which has one of my favorite quotes ever:

"Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn are the perfect team for Awakening."

Read the whole review here:

http://thequarterbin.com/?p=7001#more-7001

We also had the great pleasure of meeting Stephanie from ComicMonsters.com after our panel at the con - in her recap of the day she had this to say:

"One of the surprise moments of the day was the Archaia panel. Now that Zachary Quinto, of “Heroes” fame, is involved with the company, HUNDREDS of people were in attendance for the Archaia panel and gathered in the hall to hear about the recently released “Awakening” by Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn. Here is Nick (left) and Alex (right) looking stoic and thoughtful immediately after handing out issues of “Awakening” to fans and attendees.

As a fan of the story for over a year, it was great to see them get the exposure they deserve. And congratulations to them both for reaching the best-seller list on Amazon.com on their first day of pre-order: #2 for Mystery (Graphic Novel) and #6 Hardcover (Graphic Novel) and even selling out of copies at Wizard World Philadelphia! Way to go, guys!"

You can read her whole recap for Saturday here:

http://www.comicmonsters.com/ftopict-11751.html

Oh! For you art enthusiasts in the world, Alex was interviewed by our pal Patrick McEvoy for his Ninja Mountain podcast while we were all at the show. You can check out the podcast here (Alex starts around 22:50 if you're just in it for his purdy voice).

"I'm gonna get edited out of that entire episode, aren't I?"

http://ninjamountain.blogspot.com/

IN OTHER NEWS...

First, an amazing scientific discovery:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/07/14/oldest-male-organ.html

"Now we've actually found it, a specimen with an undoubted clasper with a knobbly end."

Now, exciting Archaia releases!

Both The God Machine and Starkweather: Immortal are in this month's Previews for an October release! You can wander in to any LCS and tell them you want it but I'll have more exciting means, like pre-order coupons and links to various sites, posted here in the coming days. In the meantime... Just go tell your shop you want 'em, damnit!

LOCAL SIGHTINGS INCLUDE...

SUMMER/FALL!
New York Anime Festival (September 25th - 27th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Baltimore Comic-Con (October 10th and 11th with Archaia)
Albany Comic-Con (November 1st with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST AWAKENING UPDATES! WE WANT YOU TO JOIN...

Meh, fughedit for now! I appreciate the sign-ups guys, but at present the idea of writing a separate e-mail newsletter containing largely the info your finding here anyway seems a bit silly. I'm gonna take it back to the lab for a bit of reworking and come back strong though so be on the lookout...

Awakening Release Countdown: Zero Hour!

2009-07-20T19:03:00.001-04:00

Just a short one today, folks. Making some last minute preparations for San Diego (leavin' tomorrow!) but I wanted to make sure you all heard the news...

GET TO YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP WEDNESDAY TO GET YOUR COPY OF AWAKENING VOLUME ONE!!

The countdown is OVER and we've FINALLY arrived. Thanks so much to everyone for sticking with us through the roller-coaster getting here. I'm pretty confident it'll go much smoother from here on out.

Be sure to come by booth #2635 and say hello to myself and Alex as well as the rest of the Archaia crew. We'll have Awakening Volume One on hand for you to check out and Alex and I will be happily signing all week (Alex gets in on Friday for all you folks who want to touch true greatness).

Alex and I are also participating on a panel on Saturday, 7/25 with the amazing Chandra Free (The God Machine), Matz (The Killer) and... SPOCK?!

5:30-6:30 Archaia: New Titles— Come hear about the great titles Archaia has in store, including Awakening (with writer Nick Tapalansky and artist Alex Eckman-Lawn), The Killer (with writer Matz), and The God Machine (with creator Chandra Free). Then: You've watched him for three seasons on NBC's Heroes playing Sylar and on the big screen as Spock in the new Star Trek movie, but what do actor Zachary Quinto and his colleagues at media production company Before the Door Pictures have to do with Archaia? Find out exclusively at this panel, which will feature Quinto, Corey Moosa and Neal Dodson of Before the Door Pictures, plus appearances by top-secret special guests with additional announcements! Room 5AB

See you on the left coast, me scallawags. More release news, signings, and all that fun stuff next week.

We love you.

- Nick
www.NickTapalansky.com

Almost heeeeeeere... Awakening Pre-Order Initiative

2009-07-07T18:10:00.002-04:00

OUR TOP STORIES...

HOLY SHIT IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING!

Got yer attention? GOOD! Because Awakening Volume One has just arrived in the states from the printer and should be hitting Diamond's warehouse tomorrow. That means if we're lucky, the books will be hitting stores next Wednesday or, at the absolute very latest, on July 22nd. Get ready, kids. And for all you California natives or intrepid travelers heading out that way in, oh I don't know, two weeks or so, be sure to get your books and head on over to the San Diego Convention center to say hello. Don't panic, ye of little faithers who might not have pre-ordered - we'll have copies at the show too.

Those of you who want to take advantage of Amazon's sweet discounting, though, can still do so of course!

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

As always, your friendly neighborhood Barnes & Noble is able to pre-order for you too.

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

Check out the newest issue of Rue Morgue (July - #91) for a full-page interview/preview (page 50, "Blood in Four Colors") of Awakening Volume One! It's just hit Newsstands last week so be sure to net your copy (not just because of us - it's one of the best horror mags around with an eye towards culture and quality some other gore mags lack).

And in case you missed my ecstatic update last week, check out our sweet trailer for Volume One on the ol' YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0

Big thanks to all our pals who've posted this puppy up for the world to see. Spreading the word about a new book these days ain't easy and everybody's help and support is HUGELY appreciated.

Last, though certainly not least, I'm happy to announce the launch of NickTapalansky.com! While some of it is still a work in progress, the site is up and mostly operational. It was designed by the illustrious Kate "Monster" Glasheen (http://www.katiecrimespree.com), the illustrator of Archaia's Hybrid Bastards!. Check her out, check the site out (http://www.nicktapalansky.com), and check YOU out. Wrrd.

Not familiar with Awakening? Unsure still what it's even about? Check out a sweet preview/interview and an exclusive preview of the full first chapter of Awakening Volume One, supplemental material and all! Get over CBR STAT!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21437

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter with @AwakeningComic.

LOCAL SIGHTINGS INCLUDE...

SUMMER/FALL!
San Diego Comic-Con (July 22nd - 26th with Archaia)
New York Anime Festival (September 25th - 27th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Baltimore Comic-Con (October 10th and 11th with Archaia)
Albany Comic-Con (November 1st with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST AWAKENING UPDATES! WE WANT YOU TO JOIN...

...our brand spankin' new Awakening mailing list! Sign up and receive release information, special promo news, signing and convention appearance updates and more! Just sling an e-mail* on over to AwakeningComic@gmail.com with the subject "Sign Me Up!" to get started. You'll be happy you did.

First edition was held back until the book was confirmed as in-country and ready to roll - first edition due out pre-SDCC!

*Remember kids, ask a grown up first!

Awakening Volume One Trailer!

2009-07-01T05:56:00.006-04:00

So, Blogspot was being unhelpful yesterday... Let's try posting this here again.

And, failing that, you can always get your existential horror fix on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0

Now then, on with the show:

Watch. Love. Pre-order.

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246374754&sr=8-1

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week 13

2009-06-22T22:00:00.002-04:00

OUR TOP STORIES...

Thanks to everybody who stopped by the table at Wizard World Philly this past weekend! Thanks to you, we SOLD OUT OF AWAKENING VOLUME ONE AT THE SHOW! Wooo! We've finally arrived and Alex and I are PUMPED!! It's been a looooong wait but we've made it. Thanks to everyone for your support so far and we can't wait for the metric ton of you guys out there who couldn't make it to the show to get your copies.

For those of you who didn't get a copy, this weekend don't fret. It's coming...

But that leads to top story number two. Brace yourselves, kids...

There's been a SLIGHT delay in shipping.

I know, I know, ARRRRRGH I know. It sucks. Everybody did everything they could but, somehow, the book just didn't get out and on the way in time to make this Wednesday. They're in transit now and, to be on the safe side, have a street date of 7/29. There's a very good chance, however, that it'll get to Diamond sooner and, therefore, shops sooner as it'll ship as soon as it arrives.

Hang tight, I promise it's coming. It's a real book as Philly can attest, it's been printed, and it's on the way. We've waited this long, right? Believe me, when you see it you'll agree - it's been worth the wait. Maybe I'm partial, but whatever - it's a freakin' gorgeous book.

This means there's still time to pre-order, of course...

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

As always, your friendly neighborhood Barnes & Noble is able to pre-order for you too.

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

This past weekend I had the great (surprise) pleasure of moderating not one but TWO panels at Wizard World Philly. One was a "How to Self-Publish" panel ("But Nick, you've never self-published before..." More on that in a bit) and the other was the "Archaia Returns" panel, which was covered by your favorite comic gal and mine, Jill "The Nerdy Bird" Pantozzi (Twitter - @TheNerdyBird) and Chris "Needs A Clever Nickname" Mautner. You can check out the coverage and see my name re-printed way too many times (I talk a lot...) here -

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21688

and here - http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21705

And in case you missed it, a sweet preview/interview and an exclusive preview of the full first chapter of Awakening Volume One, supplemental material and all! Get over CBR STAT!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21437

And then there's this kick-ass little nugget about the new Archaia/Jim Henson Studio partnership (!!!) -

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21700

And though not press related per se, if you're sick of waiting for me to update on ye ole weekly blog here, check out @AwakeningComic on Twitter for up to the minute updates as they roll in!

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE PANEL...

So due to traffic, business stuff (publishers are a busy people) and a wedding, your pal and mine Mark Smylie (publisher at Archaia, creator of Artesia, and all 'round swell guy) didn't make most of the show this weekend. As a result, his two panels became mine. Yikes! Now, the Archaia one wasn't much of a worry since I'm pretty up to date on the comings and goings there (plus Mark was able to make the back third of that one). His second panel, however, was another matter entirely: "How to Self-Publish with Mark Smylie."

I've never self-published. I've thought about it, considered it actively before hooking up with Archaia, and did a bit of research, but I've never actually done it, let alone successfully.

Luckily I've got friends who have, and four of us were able to equal one Mark Smylie.

Thanks to Dave Rodriguez (writer of Archaia's Starkweather: Immortal and the immensely popular webcomic Shadowgirls - http://www.shadowgirlscomic.com - and all 'round great guy), Mark Holmes (of www.enigmaworks.net and one of my best pals) and Kensuke Okabayashi (manga artist extrodinaire - http://www.kensukeokabayashi.blogspot.com/ -), for helping me pull that panel together. We might not have the experience Mark has, but we were able to give a pretty full room a fun show and talk about what we DID know - some of the pitfalls in publishing and self-publishing, the advent of the web comic, creative collaboration, and self-promotion. It started off a bit rocky (my biggest lesson learned? Don't lead with a bondage joke when you've just told the room the guy they're expecting isn't coming. Who knew?) but we were treated to a lively Q&A with the audience and left to a roomful of applause. Not bad at all!

LOCAL SIGHTINGS INCLUDE...

SUMMER/FALL!
San Diego Comic-Con (July 22nd - 26th with Archaia)
New York Anime Festival (September 25th - 27th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Baltimore Comic-Con (October 10th and 11th with Archaia)
Albany Comic-Con (November 1st with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST AWAKENING UPDATES! WE WANT YOU TO JOIN...

...our brand spankin' new Awakening mailing list! Sign up and receive release information, special promo news, signing and convention appearance updates and more! Just sling an e-mail* on over to AwakeningComic@gmail.com with the subject "Sign Me Up!" to get started. You'll be happy you did.

First edition due out at the end of June - don't miss out!

*Remember kids, ask a grown up first!

We love you.

Advance Copies of Awakening Volume One at WW Philly

2009-06-18T19:33:00.001-04:00

That's right. Limited number of advance copies available starting tomorrow. We're at tables 53/54 in Artist Alley.

BE THERE!

Don't forget the Return of Archaia panel from 12pm - 1pm on Saturday too.

Wrrrrd.

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week 11

2009-06-09T13:18:00.007-04:00

OUR TOP STORY...

Awakening Volume One. 32% off. DO IT NOW! And make sure you get all your friends to join in - tell them they're not cool if they don't get a copy (remember - it's allllll about the peer pressure).

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

Or, if you prefer, you can go in to your local Barnes & Noble and reserve a copy. You know you want to.

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

Did you guys see CBR last week? No? Well then you missed Awakening on the front page with not only a sweet preview/interview but an exclusive preview of the full first chapter of Awakening Volume One, supplemental material and all! Get over there and peep it!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21437

And though not press related per se, if you're sick of waiting for me to update on ye ole weekly blog here, check out @AwakeningComic on Twitter for up to the minute updates as they roll in!

LOCAL SIGHTINGS INCLUDE...

Before we get to the con schedule (which has been amended slightly, no Otakon this year, so take note), I'd like to pause for a moment and say thank you to all the convention goers at all these wide and varied comic-cons we do, just for being you. Over Memorial Day weekend I got to attend my first ever anime convention. And, while Jackie (http://volatile-tifa.deviantart.com) was hard at work...

I was behind the table with my jaw on the ground. Why?

This, folks, is a Mifa. It's a man-Tifa (Final Fantasy VII) I can honestly say I'd never even contemplated a Mifa before, let alone imagined I'd see one.

I love my job.

Other notable cross-dressers include Mikku (man-Rikku from Final Fantasy X-2):

And Meach (man-Peach from Mario):

Some personal faves that I caught through the weekend included a nurse from Silent Hill:

The Thunderkittens:

Darkwing Duck (!!):

Dan (from Street Fighter):

And this guy:

The back reads "Seriously. Freaks."

Love it.

Below is a listing of our upcoming convention and panel appearances - more to be added as they're booked.

PRE-RELEASE! (No hardcover, no Alex - just my smiling face supporting my lovely and talented fiance, Jackie Santiago)
Big Apple One-Day Summer Show (June 13th with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

DEBUT! (First time the hardcover is available folks - get 'em hot off the press and signed by the most daring and debonair comic creators you know)
Wizard World Philly (June 19th to the 21st in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago, Mark Smylie, Kate Glasheen, Dave Rodriguez, and a host of other friends)

Panel Announcement! In addition to debuting Awakening Volume One at Philly, Alex and I will also be taking part in a Return of Archaia panel at the show. It'll be from 12pm-1pm on Saturday, June 20th in room 204A

The Return of Archaia
After a brief hiatus, Archaia, formerly known as Archaia Studios Press, has returned to publishing high-quality, creator-controlled comics, including titles like Mouse Guard, The Killer and Artesia. Join Mark Smylie (publisher of Archaia and writer/artist on Artesia), Nick Tapalansky (writer of Awakening), Alex Eckman-Lawn (artist on Awakening), Kate Glasheen (artist on Hybrid Bastards!) and David Rodriguez (writer of Starkweather: Immortal) for an inside look at Archaia’s returning titles, upcoming books and exciting new projects!

SUMMER/FALL!
San Diego Comic-Con (July 22nd - 26th with Archaia)
New York Anime Festival (September 25th - 27th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Baltimore Comic-Con (October 10th and 11th with Archaia)
Albany Comic-Con (November 1st with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST AWAKENING UPDATES! WE WANT YOU TO JOIN...

...our brand spankin' new Awakening mailing list! Sign up and receive release information, special promo news, signing and convention appearance updates and more! Just sling an e-mail* on over to AwakeningComic@gmail.com with the subject "Sign Me Up!" to get started. You'll be happy you did.

First edition due out at the end of June - don't miss out!

*Remember kids, ask a grown up first!

We love you.

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week Ten

2009-06-01T12:43:00.002-04:00

A WORD FROM OUR WRITER...

Yeah, I know, we're a few weeks behind and I lay myself prostrate before you. Slow news weeks for all things Awakening, a trip to Boston, and various other odds and ends have kept me from you but I'm here now, baby. Not much new to report but just you wait - the coming month leading up to our release are gonna be chock full of cool shit.

OUR TOP STORY...

Awakening Volume One. 32% off. DO IT!

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

Or, if you prefer, you can go in to your local Barnes & Noble and reserve a copy. You know you want to.

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

While I don't have any new reviews/interviews to show you just yet, we've got a couple of big things cooking. Keep your eyes on CBR in the coming weeks for a few cool things, not to mention the July issue of the most kick-ass horror mag around. Then there's the ridiculously cool tr... What? I can't talk about that yet? Hmm, alright.

Links and announcements as they come in...

In the meantime, if you haven't already checked this out, head over to Comic Monsters and see a sick Making of Awakening feature Alex put together:

http://www.comicmonsters.com/section-article-252-The_making_of_Awakening_-_by__Alex_Eckman-Lawn.html

And then there are these advance reviews for the book - find out how tits they think we are:

http://reviews.comicswaitingroom.com/2009/03/31/awakening.aspx

http://www.omnicomic.com/2009/04/review-awakening-volume-1.html

LOCAL SIGHTINGS INCLUDE...

Check this section next week for a special Anime Boston report, especially if you want to know what a Mifa is (trust me - you do.)

Below is a listing of our upcoming convention and panel appearances - more to be added as they're booked.

PRE-RELEASE! (No hardcover, no Alex - just my smiling face supporting my lovely and talented fiance, Jackie Santiago)
Big Apple One-Day Summer Show (June 13th with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

DEBUT! (First time the hardcover is available folks - get 'em hot off the press and signed by the most daring and debonair comic creators you know)
Wizard World Philly (June 19th to the 21st in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago, Mark Smylie, Kate Glasheen, Dave Rodriguez, and a host of other friends)

Panel Announcement! In addition to debuting Awakening Volume One at Philly, Alex and I will also be taking part in a Return of Archaia panel at the show. It'll be from 12pm-1pm on Saturday, June 20th in room 204A

The Return of Archaia
After a brief hiatus, Archaia, formerly known as Archaia Studios Press, has returned to publishing high-quality, creator-controlled comics, including titles like Mouse Guard, The Killer and Artesia. Join Mark Smylie (publisher of Archaia and writer/artist on Artesia), Nick Tapalansky (writer of Awakening), Alex Eckman-Lawn (artist on Awakening), Kate Glasheen (artist on Hybrid Bastards!) and David Rodriguez (writer of Starkweather: Immortal) for an inside look at Archaia’s returning titles, upcoming books and exciting new projects!

SUMMER/FALL!
Otakon (July 17th - 19th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago, Kate Glasheen, and Dave Rodriguez)
San Diego Comic-Con (July 22nd - 26th with Archaia)
New York Anime Festival (September 25th - 27th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Baltimore Comic-Con (October 10th and 11th with Archaia)
Albany Comic-Con (November 1st with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST AWAKENING UPDATES! WE WANT YOU TO JOIN...

...our brand spankin' new Awakening mailing list! Sign up and receive release information, special promo news, signing and convention appearance updates and more! Just sling an e-mail* on over to AwakeningComic@gmail.com with the subject "Sign Me Up!" to get started. You'll be happy you did.

First edition due out at the end of June - don't miss out!

*Remember kids, ask a grown up first!

We love you.

Twitter! Amazon.com! Exclamation Points!

2009-05-19T02:37:00.002-04:00

That's right folks, you too can now know every shit and sniffle Team Awakening takes thanks to the 140-character messages of Twitter!

http://twitter.com/awakeningcomic

Come follow us on our ridiculous adventures in making comics, keep abreast of our every whim, and (ha! I said aBREAST!) make merry with us.

Now you can say "But moooom, all my friends are doing it!" and mean it!

And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention yet again that Volume One is available for pre-order at Amazon.com at 32% off! That makes the book a scant $13.57, impossible to pass up (and if you sleep on this discount, you might just find a certain Mr. Eckman-Lawn sitting on your bed in the darkness of night, sucking your breath out as your dreams fade and your heart slows. Save yourself!).

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

Amazon.com Ranking Update! Help Us Hit #1!!

2009-05-16T12:19:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all of you guys, we're flying up the Amazon charts - it's unreal.

Yesterday we showed up on there for the first time with our updated pre-order info...

TODAY WE'RE NUMBER 25 (!!) ON THE GRAPHIC NOVEL - HORROR BESTSELLERS!

TODAY WE'RE NUMBER 6 (!!!) ON THE GRAPHIC NOVEL - MYSTERY BESTSELLERS!

Holy crap!!

Now we have a mission: Number 1! We have to take down The Walking Dead, Buffy, The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen, and Stephen King himself to do it. It won't be easy, but I think we can do it!

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

Blog it. Twitter it. E-mail it. Tell your friends.

Tell all your friends.

We're coming.

Amazon.com! Awakening Pre-Order Initiative Week Seven

2009-05-15T14:08:00.001-04:00

OUR TOP STORY...

Awakening Volume One now available for pre-order at Amazon.com at a wonderous 32% off! Yeah, I said it: wonderous.

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-One-Nick-Tapalansky/dp/1932386483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242403586&sr=1-1

Get over there and pre-order your copy - organize the world and rise up, crying out with existential horror-driven glee: "We want Awakening!" Tell evvvvvvvvvvvverrrrrryyyyyybooooooooooody!

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

Alex just wrapped up a sweet-ass Making of Awakening feature for the good folks over at Comic Monsters. If you've ever wondered what black magic and sacrifices need to be undertaken to create those beautiful pages, now's your chance to find out.

http://www.comicmonsters.com/section-article-252-The_making_of_Awakening_-_by__Alex_Eckman-Lawn.html

Check it out, join the forum, frollic and comment.

LOCAL SIGHTINGS INCLUDE...

Panel Announcement! In addition to debuting Awakening Volume One at Philly, Alex and I will also be taking part in a Return of Archaia panel at the show. It'll be from 12pm-1pm on Saturday, June 20th in room 204A

The Return of Archaia
After a brief hiatus, Archaia, formerly known as Archaia Studios Press, has returned to publishing high-quality, creator-controlled comics, including titles like Mouse Guard, The Killer and Artesia. Join Mark Smylie (publisher of Archaia and writer/artist on Artesia), Nick Tapalansky (writer of Awakening), Alex Eckman-Lawn (artist on Awakening), Kate Glasheen (artist on Hybrid Bastards!) and David Rodriguez (writer of Starkweather: Immortal) for an inside look at Archaia’s returning titles, upcoming books and exciting new projects!

PRE-RELEASE! (No hardcover, no Alex - just my smiling face supporting my lovely and talented fiance, Jackie Santiago)
Anime Boston (May 22nd to the 24th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Big Apple One-Day Summer Show (June 13th with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

DEBUT! (First time the hardcover is available folks - get 'em hot off the press and signed by the most daring and debonair comic creators you know)
Wizard World Philly (June 19th to the 21st in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago, Mark Smylie, Kate Glasheen, Dave Rodriguez, and a host of other friends)

SUMMER/FALL!
Otakon (July 17th - 19th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago, Kate Glasheen, and Dave Rodriguez)
San Diego Comic-Con (July 22nd - 26th with Archaia)
Monster Mania (Tentative - August 21st - 23rd)
New York Anime Festival (September 25th - 27th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Baltimore Comic-Con (October 10th and 11th with Archaia)
Albany Comic-Con (November 1st with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST AWAKENING UPDATES! WE WANT YOU TO JOIN...

...our brand spankin' new Awakening mailing list! Sign up and receive release information, special promo news, signing and convention appearance updates and more! Just sling an e-mail* on over to AwakeningComic@gmail.com with the subject "Sign Me Up!" to get started. You'll be happy you did.

*Remember kids, ask a grown up first!

We love you.

Awakening Pre-Order Intiative: Week 6.5

2009-05-12T12:17:00.005-04:00

OUR TOP STORY...

"What the HELL, Tapalansky? It's freakin' Tuesday!"

Yeah, yeah, YEAH I know! Truth be told, when I started these weekly updates I knew there'd be a bit of a lull right about now but I figured I'd have something exciting to report last week. Turns out I'm all out of exciting for the present, though the coming weeks are going to be some doozies. Maybe another light news week or two and then BAM! All sorts of stuff to show you and tell you about. In the meantime...

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST AWAKENING UPDATES! WE WANT YOU TO JOIN...

...our brand spankin' new Awakening mailing list! Sign up and receive release information, special promo news, signing and convention appearance updates and more! Just sling an e-mail* on over to AwakeningComic@gmail.com with the subject "Sign Me Up!" to get started. You'll be happy you did.

*Remember kids, ask a grown up first!

IN OTHER NEWS...

I'm sorry to report that our free print promo with DCBS has come to a close as it was only for pre-orders and that cut-off has come and gone. Until we're up and running with Amazon (hopefully in the next week or two - there was some mixup between them and Diamond), may I recommend the always reliable TFAW for your pre-order desires. You an find Awakening Volume One for 20% off cover price at the following link:

http://www.tfaw.com/Profile/Awakening-HC-Vol.-01___321119

LOCAL SIGHTINGS INCLUDE...

Convention season is upon us and with it comes your opportunity to meet your favorite creators (and most handsome guys on the internet that you know of) in person! As we move into the summer you'll find table/booth information and panel announcements along with store signings and more in el bloggo. Updates will always be highlighted and noted and, as the conventions start coming and going, we'll have some geektastic pictures of ourselves, our friends, and all the insanity that is a comic convention.

PRE-RELEASE! (No hardcover, no Alex - just my smiling face supporting my lovely and talented fiance, Jackie Santiago)
Anime Boston (May 22nd to the 24th with Jackie Santiago)
Big Apple One-Day Summer Show (June 13th with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes and Luke Mierisch)

DEBUT! (First time the hardcover is available folks - get 'em hot off the press and signed by the most daring and debonair comic creators you know)
Wizard World Philly (June 19th to the 21st in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago, Mark Smylie, Kate Glasheen, Dave Rodriguez, and a host of other friends)

SUMMER/FALL!
Otakon (July 17th - 19th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago, Kate Glasheen, and Dave Rodriguez)
San Diego Comic-Con (July 22nd - 26th with Archaia)
Monster Mania (Tentative - August 21st - 23rd)
New York Anime Festival (September 25th - 27th in Artist Alley with Jackie Santiago)
Baltimore Comic-Con (October 10th and 11th with Archaia)
Albany Comic-Con (November 1st with Jackie Santiago, Mark Holmes, and Luke Mierisch)

AWAKENING IN THE PRESS...

Recently, those crazy guys behind Archaia's Some New Kind of Slaughter (also out this June!) and The Lone and Level Sands put together a lovely roundtable discussion regarding the return of Archaia. This love-in has since found a home on The Pulse, where you'll find the comments and musings of madmen (including yours truly and Alex). Find out more about Mark Smylie's morning routine, Josh Finney's shady black market organ farm, and see Marv Mann use the word lassitude in a sentence. Direct link below:

http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=543377#Post543377

See you later this week, kids!

We love you.

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week Five

2009-05-01T07:37:00.005-04:00

A bit of a short one today, lads and ladies, as we continue onward. Steady as she goes!

OUR TOP STORY...

It's all official - Archaia is back in action! Check out the interview with PJ Bicket, Mark Smylie, and Steve Christy about the re-launch this June and what's in store for the coming year...

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20991

Give it a read and get excited, people - we're coming...

IN OTHER NEWS...

Haha! Honestly there isn't much else to report right now. We've got a ton of interviews and reviews on the way in the coming weeks, a badass something-I-can't-mention-yet, and a listing of all our confirmed convention/signing appearances for the rest of the year. I'm thinking next week or the week after should be more eventful so stick around!

SOME LAST MINUTE REMINDERS...

If you haven't already pre-ordered the book, do it now! Get to da choppa! Currently there are two ways you can do this:

- Print out the pre-order coupon below and bring it to your local comic shop to guarantee your copy this June!

- Go to DCBS and order the book through them at 45% off to get yourself an exclusive signed art print! The direct link for Awakening is http://www.dcbservice.com/product.aspx?id=303661#dt.

The print is below, if you're curious...

And maaaaybe you want to add a little something to that order - I'd recommend Perhapanauts: Triangle personally - only $8.99 at DCBS, which means you get both books AND the exclusive signed Awakening art print for the regular cover price of Awakening Volume One! How can you pass that up?!

We love you.

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week Four

2009-04-25T13:59:00.005-04:00

Alright sure, it's not Friday - the week got away from me in a hurry. It's gotta be Friday somewhere though, right?

Right?

OUR TOP STORY...

Perapanauts: Triangles (written by my good pal and hetero lifemate Todd Dezago) is out in stores NOW! While it's the third trade in the series, it's actually the first one from the run recently begun at Image and works as a great starting point for new readers!

In fact, you can get it for the ridiculously low price of $8.99 at DCBS! Maybe just add it to your order of, I don't know, AWAKENING VOLUME ONE FOR ONLY $10.97 WITH AN EXCLUSIVE SIGNED ART PRINT!!

Lest ye forget, Alex and I have a two-part back up story debuting in issues 10 and 11 of Perhapanauts later in the summer - this would be an excellent time to jump on and get to know these guys!

Todd also just posted a funny pinup my fiance, the talented Jackie Santiago (http://volatile-tifa.deviantart.com) did for him - behold, THE PERHAPAPALS!

Check out his blog for more about Perhapanauts, Todd, and a wicked cool Friday Trivia contest posted, you guessed it, every Friday.

The Perhapablog!

QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS...

Recently, Alex and I did a great interview over at Omnicomic which I linked to last week (and just now again). A reader left a comment and question up there which I've discussed here briefly in the past but want to bring up again. His questions and comments were:

"So what do I do with my three issues of the Awakening comic book? Now it seems I have to buy the same thing again. And how do I know the second volume will be published, when the comic book version was discontinued?"

I think those are valid concerns and good questions - below is my response:

"Thanks for the comment and double thanks for being one of the pre-hardcover supporters of the book! The decision to go exclusively to two hardcover volumes from floppy issues was based on a number of factors and was made by both Alex and I and Archaia.

For any number of reasons, indie floppy books, especially from smaller publishers which are only just beginning to grow a strong and consistent line, have difficulty finding success in a comic shop. After all, when shelf space is as limited as it is in most shops what are you going to give the slot to - a new, unproven book from a small publisher and a brand new creative team or the 81st tie in to Secret Final Civil Identity Crisis Invasion War? One of them has guaranteed sales. The other is a risk. Unfortunately, it's just smart business on the retailer's end. We bore the brunt of that uphill battle for three issues before Archaia began undergoing its reconstruction and, if not for said reconstruction, would have continued chasing that for seven more issues.

However, between the year-long restructuring (it's complete now and the company is in an excellent position going into the June re-launch) and taking those very obstacles mentioned above into consideration, it didn't seem prudent to return with issue 4 after being absent for a year and a half. Further, releasing in hardcover volumes allows us instant access/exposure to the book trade market (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc) which gives us even more avenues to offer the book. In turn, that gives us a much better chance of putting the book into a reader's hands.

As for buying the same thing again - yes and no (and isn't that the very nature of a collected edition release?). Sure the first three issues are included, but so are 10-pages of supplemental material that are story based and deal heavily with the time between events in the issues, as well as five brand new pinups from fantastic artists. In addition to that you get two more chapters and, if you order through DCBS, you're getting all this in a 144-page hardcover volume (with dust jacket) AND an exclusive signed print for just $10.97 - that should ease any pain of the money previously spent on issues.

I don't control the fates, the winds, or the fickle publishing industry so no, I can't guarantee beyond any horrifying doubt that Volume Two is coming. I can tell you that Archaia is an incredibly strong company, that the book is written and artwork has begun, and that we're on track to put it out in June of 2010. The surest way to make certain it DOES come out isn't to second guess it but to support the book - even if the very worst happens and Archaia isn't around in a year, strong sales would make certain another publisher would happily snap the book up for the final volume.

And hang on to those issues - supporting the book is one way to guarantee that those limited copies of issues 1 - 3 in the market might actually be worth more than cover price some day! :)"

The bottom line is that Alex and I are doing everything in our collective powers to make sure you're getting a great book and that you'll get another one a year from now. And then an entirely different story a year after that, one with nothing to do with zombies. And another book a year after that. And so on...

SOMETHING TO HOLD YOU OVER...

Last week you got a pinup from the amazing Patrick McEvoy which is being included in the Volume One hardcover. This week, I thought maybe you'd like a look at some actual pages you may not have seen yet...

SOME LAST MINUTE REMINDERS...

If you haven't already pre-ordered the book, do it now! Get to da choppa! Currently there are two ways you can do this:

- Print out the pre-order coupon below and bring it to your local comic shop to guarantee your copy this June!

- Go to DCBS and order the book through them at 45% off to get yourself an exclusive signed art print! The direct link for Awakening is http://www.dcbservice.com/product.aspx?id=303661#dt.

The print is below, if you're curious...

We'll have links to Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc. once they update the listing.

We love you.

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week Three

2009-04-17T15:41:00.007-04:00

OUR TOP STORY...

Wondering what the EXCLUSIVE FREE SIGNED PRINT is that comes with every DCBS order?

Bam.

Don't forget to get those orders in to secure your copy of AWAKENING VOLUME ONE AT DCBS FOR ONLY$10.97 INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE PRINT!!

http://www.dcbservice.com/product.aspx?id=303661#dt

AWAKENING ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERWEB...

Jonathan Pilley over at Omnicomic has been spreading the word around town like the dedicated Awakened he is. Below is the Omnicomic advance review of Awakening Volume One. Below that is a link to a sweet interview we did with him this past week.

"Review: Awakening Volume 1

Ok folks. Today I am bringing to you my review of Awakening Volume 1, published by Archaia Studios Press and written by Nick Tapalansky, illustrated by Alex Eckman-lawn and lettered by Thomas Mauer. Now with this title you can come to different conclusions as to what this series might be about, but after reading it came to the conclusion that I applaud how the work was done and the direction they took.

It all boils down to zombies. Yes I said it: zombies. But in a new way. Were this your typical zombie comic there would be tons of flesh-eating action and mindless violence. No my friend this zombie story was written with suspense and mystery in mind, letting the story slowly unfold for you in a small town where mysterious murders start to happen and the bodies are savaged in a manner that has the local police baffled. Thus enters our protagonist, a private investigator named Derrick, who has his own sort of mystery about who he is and what happened to him that makes him a private investigator.

With only one witness to work with, Derrick begins the long journey to figure out what is going on in his small town that has large implications. Recently, a pharmaceutical company came to town and then just up and left, firing everyone and leaving their building abandoned and questions as well. What sort of things did they work on there? Could they be the cause of this zombie madness?

Soon enough an outside source is sent by the government to help the local police solve the baffling murders in the form of Doctor Daniel Howe. Eventually Derrick and Doctor Howe team up at the behest of the chief of police, as Derrick used to be the best man on the force until something happened that made him a civilian. Slowly the two begin to work out the mystery of the missing drug company and what is driving these vicious attacks. How the story is laid out is done in a manner that lets you piece together things slowly and not reveal too much at once so that you can't really anticipate what’s gonna happen next. I know while I was reading it there were some things I didn’t expect to happen, but they did and now it has me hankering for the next volume.

The style of drawing also helps inspire the sense of mystery and danger with appropriately placed foreboding shading in certain panels. The zombies are drawn magnificently as they aren’t drawn as your run of the mill, half-eaten, "blood all over me" type zombie. Rather, they look almost human with a touch of feralness. Another part of the whole package that was done well is that they don’t rely on zombies to be the shock factor or constant gore to move the story. Following our protagonist propels the story most of the way, with a bit of inner monologue and notes at the beginning of each new chapter to recap what’s been said and occurred. This format really helps keep you involved in the story.

Overall it was not what I expected, and that's a good thing. I was surprised greatly in reading it and want more, especially with the cliffhanger ending you are left with at the end of the Volume 1. The style of writing and artistic approach are both a welcome change to the usual graphic novels and comic book genre. Hopefully more artists will go in this direction when completing mystery and horror style comics. I am sorry I missed this series when it first came out back in 2007, but now I've (and you've) been given a second chance to pick this volume up with a special coupon to order it."

Next up was a fun interview Alex and I did with these guys - the thing is pretty long, so I'm only going to post a link (plus I want to make sure you guys check the site out too!)

Nick and Alex talk Awakening Volume One with Omnicomic!

I also want to give a big shoutout to his royal evil, Lord Shaper, for spreading the word like a madman about the pre-order coupon and DCBS discount. He's been all over the web with it, including his own site, Kryptographik, and going so far as to give us a great send up on the Comic Book Page April Previews podcast. Be sure to check out both his site and the podcast by hitting up the links below:

Comic Book Page - April Previews Podcast (Talk of Archaia relaunch begins at 54.05 while the coverage of Awakening begins at 58.34)

Damian a.k.a Lord Shaper on Twitter!

Kryptographik

IN OTHER NEWS....

It's occured to me that I don't think I've mentioned much here about one of the loveliest ladies we know, Chandra Free. She's the creator of the upcoming The God Machine comic being published by Archaia (preview due this July at SDCC, first volume TBA). She's an amazing artist, a great friend, and a lover of Venture Bros. What's not to love?
Find her on deviantArt and MySpace and friend the shit out of her.

In other Archaia family news, Josh and Kat of Titanium Rain fame have posted up a pretty cool trailer for their upcoming July release. Check it out below!

What's that you say? You want MORE previews from inside Awakening Volume One? Didn't I put something up just last week? Alright, alright, settle down. Hmmm...

How about a pin-up by fellow Archaia creator Patrick McEvoy of Starkweather: Immortal fame?

We love you.

Special Offer! Free Print! Discount! Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week 2

2009-04-10T18:06:00.005-04:00

Big news, ladies, gents, and everybody else - Awakening Volume One is now available at a HUGE discount over at Discount Comic Book Service (DCBS for short). Not only does every copy you order come with an EXCLUSIVE print signed by Mr. Alex Eckman-Lawn himself, but it's also on sale for 45% off!!!

What's that now? You want to know how much the book will cost then?

$10.97!!! WITH A FREE EXCLUSIVE PRINT!!!!

Oh, and the icing on the cake? They ship internationally.

Awakening at DCBS for only $10.97!! Includes a signed print exclusive to DCBS!

Don't miss out guys - Get over there and pre-order your copy TODAY to guarantee your exclusive signed print and take advantage of the insane discount!!

**For those of you holding out for an online retailer you know, like Barnes & Noble or Amazon, just sit tight - as soon as the book is available for pre-order through them I'll pass that along. Of course, they won't have the discount OR the exclusive print... But I'll post the info up as soon as it's available.

---------------------------------------------

Let's see, let's see... What else do I have for you? Hmm...

Ah! Here's a fun one - this news story popped up a day or two ago. Give a read and you tell me: Just a strange happening or Awakening viral marketing? Hmmm...

Stranger takes bite of gardener's arm
Victim says attacker chewed, swallowed
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
By Michelle Hunter
East Jefferson bureau

A Metairie resident is recovering after a stranger bit a chunk of flesh out of his arm, and swallowed it, Saturday afternoon.

Joseph Lancellotti, 67, told authorities he did not know the suspect, later identified as Mario Vargas, 48, or why he was attacked in his front yard.

Lancellotti was gardening at his home in the 4400 block of Kawanee Avenue about 2 p.m. when he noticed a man walking toward his house, shouting angrily, the report said. Lancellotti said he couldn't understand the man because he was yelling in Spanish. But when the man got within two feet, he slugged Lancellotti in the head, the report said.

Lancellotti said he tried to defend himself with a garden rake. As the men struggled over the rake, the stranger bent over and bit Lancellotti on his right forearm, the report said. Lancellotti's flesh ripped away as he fell to the ground. The man then got on top of Lancellotti and began choking him, the report said.

It was then that neighbor Chantal Lorio, a podiatrist and director of the Wound Center at East Jefferson General Hospital, came out to check on Lancellotti. Lorio said Monday that she first thought Lancellotti was having a heart attack and the other man was trying to help him.

The stranger was still gripping Lancellotti as Lorio noticed her neighbor was lying in a pool of blood. She didn't learn what happened until she began dressing the wound -- with the stranger still clutching her neighbor's shirt.

"He said, 'He bit my arm, chewed the flesh and swallowed it in front of me,' " Lorio recalled. She said the bite measured almost 3 by 1 1/2 inches, and was less than 1/4-inch deep.

The pair tried to calm the stranger, who never made any attempt to run away. He eventually let go of Lancellotti and walked two blocks to a parking lot, where he hovered near an empty police car, the report said. The suspect was still standing there when deputies arrived and took him into custody.

Vargas, of 724 Camp St., New Orleans, was booked with second-degree battery. He was being held Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Lancellotti's wife, Bonnie, 60, said Monday that her husband was recovering from the bite, physically and mentally. She said his sense of safety in his neighborhood has been shaken.

With all the bacteria involved, Lorio said a bite from a human is worse than an animal bite.

Bonnie Lancellotti also has concerns about the suspect, who apparently had been treated at East Jefferson General Hospital earlier in the day for a finger injury. Vargas was released 45 minutes before the attack, according to the incident report.

Bonnie Lancellotti wondered whether hospital staff noticed anything amiss while treating Vargas. "This person's clearly lost his sense," she said. "I mean, what else can you say, eating people's skin?"

Keith Darcey, spokesman for the hospital, said, "We cannot comment on any individual patient because of privacy laws. But as a matter of general hospital policy, the emergency department has behavioral health nurses available to help diagnose patients who might require mental health assistance."

---------------------------------------------

We've got tons of pending interviews and advance reviews in the pipeline but nothing I can link to just yet... Next week could produce some fun stuff though. I'm happy to report, for those of you who've been patiently waiting for this book since LAST April (or longer) that the book was uploaded to the printers today! We're en route to a big splash in June and, yes, we're really coming this time.

Maybe you need a little preview though, just something to whet your appetites a bit. I've got to have something lying around here...

For those of you who picked up the issues, this journal supplement comes before issue 1. Each issue in the book is supported by an entry like this which fills in some time gaps within and between issues. Read 'em carefully too - you never know what may prove important in Volume Two...

See you next Friday, kids.

We love you.

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week One

2009-04-03T00:52:00.007-04:00

Alright, depending on who you're going by, we're anywhere from 9 - 12 weeks away from the in-store release of Awakening Volume One! Last week we launched Mission: Existential Horror Zombies In Your Face (or, EHZIYF for short) with our pre-order coupon, a.k.a. Phase One, that you can just print and bring to your local comic shop to pre-order a copy of the book.

Phase Two is coming next week and is a pretty cool one if you ask me... More on that next Friday.

Speaking of Friday's, keep checking back every Friday for updates, including online pre-order info (we've got something really cool in the works), advance reviews and interviews, blogs, forums and message boards of note, some really cool previews, convention and signing announcements, info on other books you should check out and more! It'll be a one-stop shop for all things Existential Horror Zombies In Your Face.

First up this week - the first advance review for Awakening Volume One is in! This one brought to us courtesy of Marc Mason and Avril Brown over at Comics Waiting Room 3.0:

"AWAKENING
Posted by Marc Mason at 3/31/2009 8:43 PM
Categories: archaia studios press
AWAKENING: Volume One
Written by Nick Tapalansky and Illustrated by Alex Eckman-Lawn
Published by Archaia Studios Press

Zombies really freak me out, and it is stories like AWAKENING which do not let me forget that fact. More than just another scary monster story, this is one of the most incredibly illustrated and uniquely written comics I have ever read. Zombie, comic and art fans of all sorts should not hesitate to pick up this book and marvel at it for years to come.

Tapalansky takes his time effectively building suspense surrounding the strange and gruesome things happening in Park Falls and keeps the mystery alive, even after encountering several ‘zombies,’ of what exactly is causing these horrific events. This is not an instant epidemic or ‘guy wakes up in a coma after several months’ type of zombie story. Things are gradually getting worse, spreading slowly out from Park Falls, and there is no real pattern to explain why. The main characters are likable and easy to become invested in; an important aspect of a zombie story since you’re never sure how long someone is going to be alive. The journal pages of Derrick Peters, a cop-turned-private detective and the story’s leading man, add a personal touch and insight to the narrative.

The artwork in this book is simply stunning. The amazing mosaic of different media displayed throughout the pages completely vibes with the story and is a veritable feast for the eyes. The mixture of standard comic panels with gritty lines and noir color schemes and full pages of artwork so fine and beautiful you cannot tell whether it was hand drawn or a photograph from the early 1900’s creates a hazy, dark mood suiting for the story. The whole effect is, quite frankly, completely cool.

AWAKENING is a fantastic creation of unlimited imagination, superb writing and pure talent, and is without a doubt highly recommended for anyone with a taste for a slightly different kind of scary story that grips your brain and doesn’t let go."

****

How's THAT for a great start?! Now, as soon as Alex stops strutting around with a mirror and telling his reflection that he's "simply stunning" and I stop dancing to Joe Esposito's "You're the Best (Around)" we'll get back to work...

Also, if you want to check out a fun interview I did with Comic Book Monsters (awesome site with a great forum), you can find that here:

Nick Tapalansky talks Awakening

Meanwhile...

The word about our impending release has been spreading, thanks in no small part to all of our friends and supporters out there picking up the ball and running with it. I want to call out a bunch of them here and encourage you to check out their books, blogs, or anything else they've got going on:

First, our buddy Todd Dezago (Tellos, Perhapanauts, Spider-Man) was great enough to post up our pre-order coupon and gush openly about Awakening in his thrice-weekly Perhapablog! Get over there and check it out! Don't forget, Alex and I have a two-part back-up story in Perhapanauts #9 and #10 due out over the summer. If you haven't been reading the book - get on it!

Also, just got turned on to Omnicomic, a blog run by Jonathan Pilley. He jumped on the Awakening train and ran with it hardcore! Check out his pimping of the book on his blog and watch that space for an advance review and interview soon!

Next up, our pals Kat Rocha and Josh Finney, creators of Archaia's Titanium Rain (Coming this summer!! Can't wait!) were awesome and posted up a little press release I threw together about the pre-order coupon. Visit their main site for their book by clicking here - Titanium Rain - and their blog here - The Hangar. If you dig some deep and thoughtful sci-fi (think Ghost in the Shell: SAC) then you owe it to yourself to get in on the ground floor here.

Speaking of Archaia creators, your buddy and mine Alex Sheikman (Robotika) has a double-sized issue of Robotika: For A Few Rubles More coming out in June too! And, what's this? A pre-order coupon you can print and bring to your comic shop (along with your Awakening coupon of course)! Click the image and download that sucker to get yourself a double-helping of the second Robotika mini (and, if you missed it, the first hardcover).

You can find out more about this amazing Sushi Western (as opposed to Spaghetti Western, get it?!) by checking out Alex's blog - Moonstruck.

Also from Archaia in June, while we're on the subject: Some New Kind of Slaughter! You can find author A. David Lewis (Lone and Level Sands) over at his website, Caption Box, with more info about his second collaboration with artist mpMann, a really unique book bringing together diluvian myths - that's flood stuff for the nonedumacated (like meself). More on this, Robotika, Titanium Rain, and more as the releases get closer...

That's it for this week...

So, our first week of straight pimping has kicked off strong. We've got tons of cool stuff lined up and you'll be seeing it all here over the coming weeks so stay with us as we blaze a trail of glory all the way to our exciting June release! In the meantime, please keep on helping us spread the word: put the coupon up on your blog, show your retailer our listing in Previews, tell your friends and send e-mails, text messages, and twitters about it - this release is going to be an EVENT and everybody's invited!

Seriously, we couldn't do this without you. Keep doing what you're doing and we'll keep putting books in your hands.

We love you.

Awakening Volume One Available for Pre-Order!

2009-03-25T12:31:00.004-04:00

The Time Has Arrived...

AWAKENING Volume One is being solicited in April Previews (comic shop ordering magazine)! It’s alllllll set for it’s June release and we couldn’t be more excited. We'll post up some more previews over the next two and a half months as the release nears, just to whet your appetites...

Now the first step in our multi-pronged effort to throw ourselves in the faces of as many people as possible begins. We’re working with a limited time frame, so any help you guys can give would be appreciated more than you know. :)

The deadline for initial order cut-offs from comic shops is incredibly short this month. While they can place re-orders later, if you want to guarantee that the shop will get the book in on the day it’s released, you’ll need to stop in no later than April 11th. To make it super easy for everyone, Alex and I have created a coupon with all our Previews info on it. Just download it below!

Just print that sucker out, give it to the shop along with your name and phone number, and away you go! If you need help finding a local shop, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com/. Don't worry, it only looks big (that's what she said) - it prints at 4"x6" and won't kill any ink cartridges. Download link is at the top of the image once it loads.

In the event that you don’t have a local comic shop, don’t panic! As soon as the book is available for pre-order through bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc.) or online comic shops I’ll be posting links and a second coupon you can bring to said stores.

In the meantime, please pass this along to friends, family, and loved ones who might be interested in a little existential horror/noir to brighten their day... They can find out more about the book by visiting http://www.myspace.comAwakeningComic or http://thehumungusstudio.deviantart.com.

Likewise, if you’ve got a blog or an online presence (website, MySpace, Facebook, etc.) and dig the book, please please please help us spread the word. Post the coupon up for download, sing our praises, talk about how handsome Alex, Thomas, and I are, you know… the usual.

Thanks again everybody for all the support you’ve given us so far! We couldn’t have gotten to this point without all of you and we hope you know how much that means to us.

We love you.

I HATE COMICS: ARTICLE THE SECOND

2009-03-03T12:39:00.006-05:00

I HAVE TO BUY HOW MANY ISSUES?!

THE ART OF THE CROSSOVER (Part 1)

Last article we talked a bit about shifting tides in our favorite four-color medium thanks to the advent of digital comics, web comics, and the rise of the original graphic novel (or OGN for short). Smaller publishers are excited to broach these avenues in order to maximize exposure for their titles and not have to compete with the deluge of Big 2 titles guaranteed shelf space because of this banner or that strewn across the top of an issue indicating its part in a crossover event. But I ask you dear reader, what about those crossover events? What makes them successful? What is their purpose? And which are more successful – the line-wide (see “Messiah CompleX” in the X-Books, “Planet Krypton” in the Superman titles, and so on) or the company-wide (Final Crisis, Secret Invasion, etc.)?

First though, a small disclaimer: I grew up a Marvel kid. I make no bones about it but, as a result, much of what I talk about is going to utilize those titles and stories as examples. I may be able to comfortably sneak in a few DC bits here and there but the sad truth is that my education in the house that Superman built is still ongoing. I’d sooner stick with what I know for examples than try to point vague fingers towards something which may or may not support the thesis, dig? Also, I’ll be doing my best to keep this relatively spoiler free so read with some assurance that big story bits aren’t going to be ruined for you.

Looking at the overarching idea of the crossover, they typically set out to accomplish very specific ends for the publisher:

1) Increase exposure for underperforming or underappreciated titles by including them in the event.

2) Create hype around a line or the company’s universe by advertising large-scale changes.

3) Act as a springboard for new titles.

What makes these crossovers successful from a company perspective, in my humble opinion, is when it hits those marks. If readers are inclined (or forced, which we’ll talk about next article) to pick up a title they weren’t reading and happen to enjoy it, if they’ve gotten excited enough about an event to follow it from beginning to end with rapt attention, and if new viable print titles are created as a result of the story, then you’ve got yourself a successful event. Near as I can tell then, Marvel and DC have had some rousing successes with their company-wide events, turning them into nigh-annual occurrences.

How about the reader perspective though? If these company-wide events have been successful commercially based on the above criteria then surely they’ve got to have been successful in the reader’s eyes as well, yes? Not so, says I. All the unnecessary mini’s and tie-ins, the fact that they seem to just lead to next year’s big event and don’t give you a satisfying ending of their own (typically), it’s all just blech. Now, to be fair, I do understand the lack of a conclusive “The End” on any of these. They’re built as a launching pad for a full universe and, as such, can’t tie up everything. Still, reading some of these event series (your “Civil War”, “Infinite Crisis”, et al) on their own has been, for the most part, unsatisfying. So then, you say, “Surely reading all the tie-ins would help!”

Unintentionally I entered into an experiment over the past few years. You see, “Civil War” began right around the time I started to consider canning my pull list and, imagine my surprise when it got me super pumped. I fell right into the hype machine, like a junkie looking for one last fix. I followed the event rabidly, buying every mini and every tie-in. All told it was over 100 issues of story, read in the order handed down by the Mighty Marvel Checklist and editor/creator interviews.

Years later (as in, maybe two weeks ago) I had the fortune of seeing “Secret Invasion” in trade format. Having read none of the lead-in, none of the tie-ins, and having the entire main book collected in front of me was too tempting. “Let’s test the water,” I said casually as the other people surrounding the table in my local bookstore started to back away slowly. “Let’s see if what they purport to be is, in fact possible – let’s see if I can enjoy this story WITHOUT the tie-ins!”

Now I can say, for my own personal enjoyment, that neither quite hit the target. With “Civil War” I was loaded down with too many inconsequential points of view, stories which barely touched on the main event, and in some minor but notable cases, contradictions in character locations, costumes, scenes and actions, and so on, this last due to scheduling conflicts and miscommunication somewhere I’m sure. Overall, after being fleeced by my own excitement and not being thrilled with what felt like a rushed ending, I was left wishing I hadn’t picked up the ancillary books at all since none of them really did much to support the event or increase my enjoyment of the story.

With “Secret Invasion” on the other hand, I found myself feeling like I was watching a highlight reel. Bendis is great with characterization (I’ve yet to read an issue of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN I haven’t liked, and I’ve read most of them) but the large scope of the event felt too compressed in some places and too decompressed in others. Feeling as though this might be a case in favor of the tie-ins, and having read an interview or three where Bendis indicated that NEW AVENGERS and MIGHTY AVENGERS were nigh-mandatory for the event, I gave the recently released “Secret Invasion” tie-in trades a read for each of those titles. Did they help?

Nope.

While they both served to fill in some interesting tidbits as to how things wound up the way they did in the main book, neither series was able to do more than that – neither advanced the story, since that was the intention of the main title, and they hardly fleshed out current events well enough to warrant the feeling of reading an overview elicited by the “Secret Invasion” series proper. I'm looking at you, Ka-zar. While I liked the concept of this event, and found myself drawn in a bit more than I was with “Civil War”, likely since I wasn’t diluting the main book with so many tie-ins, I was still left somewhat disappointed. I’m not saying I could’ve done it better, although I would love to have a chance to try it some time. I’m just saying that they left me wanting more, and not, I imagine, in the way Marvel intended.

Who knows? Maybe when the Final Crisis collections this summer will change my mind. Maybe they managed what Marvel didn't, in my eyes.

What's that? Superman sings at Darkseid? Oh hell...

Still, it is Morrison so I'm down for a try.

So then, if Mr. Critical (a.k.a. Yours Truly) wasn’t a big fan of either event even though they met all three basic company goals for a crossover, what COULD make him happy?

A good old fashioned line-wide crossover, that’s what.

TO BE CONTINUED…

This Just In...

2009-02-18T09:39:00.006-05:00

Cinderella's castle down in Disney World? Totally tits.

My lovely fiance and I (you can find her fantastic work on deviantART) just got back in from a quick jaunt down in Disney and man, it's a whole different world down there. The Magic Kingdom park is completely seamless - one second you're in Florida and the next - BAM! Giant mice, beautiful buildings, and... Well, more giant mice.

The weekend prior was the madness which masquerades as New York Comic-Con. Having nothing new to sell (sorry, kids!) I opted to make the most of the designated "Professional" hours on Friday and spent time catching up with old friends, getting to know the new brass at Archaia (formerly ASP Comics or Archaia Studios Press) and nailing down our AWAKENING Vol. 1 release.

What's that? You want to know wheeeeeeeen?

JUNE, SUCKAS!

The book is getting a re-list in Previews for a June release, so all of you scalawags and rapscallions who were kind enough to go to your local shop and ask them to order a copy, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to do it again. Ditto for anybody who placed a pre-order through Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, and all the like.

What's great about this, though, is that we've got another shot at spreading the word around! In the coming months we're going to have some really cool stuff online to help hype the book, including details on all the NOICE supplemental material we've put together and a sweet sweet trailer that you can share with all your existential horror reading pals!

Great for the kids!

In other news, I mentioned in my first post that a buddy of mine was starting up a pop culture blogzine for which he asked me to contribute an article (and thus, I HATE COMICS was born). That buddy was quite possibly the first Awakening fan - patient zero, the outbreak monkey. His name is Quarry and he's been stuck on Awakening since before it even found a publisher. A really great guy with excellent taste, I'll encourage you now to friend him on MySpace as well as checking out the blogzine, which went live last month at ¿Yo porqué? A mi no me importa.... It's in Spanish, so hopefully some of you are bi-lingual (my article is in all its English glory, however) but if you're not, be sure to share it with your friends who are, mmmkay?

QUICK HITS

Awakening artist Alex Eckman-Lawn and Martin Lawrence... Separated at birth?!

Arrrgh, mateys - it's Pirate Captain Nick, prepared to fight back all things which vex pirates like scurvy and ham shortages!

Alright, enough screwin' around! It's time to hunker down and get to work. I have a script in progress, scripts which need to be in progress but aren't, a book still brewing, artists to wrangle (need some updates for THE DESK!), and who knows what else knockin' around in my head...

To work!

- Nick

NEXT TIME: I HATE COMICS, Article the Second - I Have to Buy HOW MANY Issues?! The Art of the Crossover (Part 1)

Welcome to...THE DESK

2009-01-21T23:54:00.011-05:00

Hello dere, True Believas!

When last we met we just dove right in, ignored the niceties of such things like introductions, and got right to it. The nittiest of gritties were sown and I laid my soul bare.

Let’s backtrack a little, shall we?

First things first: I’d like to direct you to the top panel to the right of this entry. There you shall find my basics, my vitals if you will. Let me know when you’re done.

Good? Okay.

Writing comics has been an eye-opening experience. I’ve had an opportunity to see the industry from a different angle and, for once, understand a lot of the frustrations I had as a fan. Now, by understand I don’t mean to imply complacency. Quite the opposite, really. Sometimes those annoyances that just seemed obnoxious as a fan are downright unbearable as a creator. The number one needle-under-the-nail? Shipping delays.

Awakening has seen its share of delays, with issues 1 – 3 (of 10) shipping bi-monthly, as planned, from August – December of 2007. Suddenly, due to restructuring, Arc haia halted their operations. For all of 2008, Awakening sat in purgatory alongside a ton of other great books, all ready and waiting to go. The plan, originally, had been to print issues 4 and 5 in February and April respectively, and follow up with our first hardcover volume in June. Slowly that schedule slipped. And slid. And tumbled. As the company sorted itself out (something I’m very happy to report it’s managed to do quite handsomely) Alex, one of my best pals and illustrator on our labor of love, and I watched as 2008 passed us by, all of our hard work languishing in the pits of publishing hell while all the buzz we’d built for ourselves slowly dissipated. We hadn’t planned for this shift in momentum, this excitement emergency break, and as a result we were left with nothing to do but wait.

Wait… And plan.

You see, I learned a very valuable lesson last year as the months passed and I realized I would have nothing published in my name in all of 2008 (this, after being nominated for an Eagle Award for Favourite New Writer! The indignity!), and that lesson is one which is tried and true and certainly nothing you’ll be shocked by: never stop moving. What I mean by that, in this context, is that when you’ve got reams and folders worth of concepts, scripts, and ideas, WHY THE HELL WOULDN’T YOU WORK ON THEM?! My excuse is one you probably won’t be surprised to hear. Awakening is my first full project, first one I’d pitched and first one accepted for publication. The shear joy at that success didn’t quite pass until reality set in as the book hit a wall waiting for publication. That’s when I realized, if this is going to be a career than I need to do more than just be satisfied with one book in development at a time.

We’re full circle now, back to the title of this post: THE DESK. Sure, Awakening is in a great place now, the extra year affording us time to make some good edits and updates to create an even better zombie noir, our hype machine is slowly lurching back to life, and volume 1 is all set for a late Spring release. Even so, as a result of 2008 and the lessons therein, I’ve resolved to plan my writing career better for 2009 and beyond.

At this point, I’ve got six projects of varying size in motion – some are set for publication (Awakening Volumes 1 & 2,

a 2-part Perhapanauts back-up story over at Image for my good pal Todd Dezago,

and a Corpus Christie back-up for another buddy, Travis Legge - artwork coming soon).

Others, including a manga (SIGHTx9),

a paranormal humor book (Jackson Ashley),

and a short story which looks like it may lead to something larger (Secret City – “The Seductress”),

are being developed with various amazing artists as pitch material for publishers. My mission? To have all three of these in-progress works placed in the coming months and set for publication beginning in late ’09 and throughout 2010 and beyond. Is it lofty? Sure. But I think it’s possible and, if any don’t find a home right now I know they will in short order.

Oooo, confidence. I’m so tough.

So, in order to make this fun for everybody (not to mention shamelessly promote every bizarre idea in my brain) I’ve created a deviantArt account on which I’ll upload all sorts of previews and updated bits about all these projects and more. You don’t need a dA account to look so take a slide over that way and have a look at what the what is over yonder:

THE DESK a.k.a. The Humungus Studio on deviantART

Let the games begin…

Happy looking, sports fans.

- Nick

In the coming weeks: Line vs. Company-wide Crossovers! THE DESK updates! A book review?!

I Hate Comics: A Love Story - Article The First

2009-01-13T16:51:00.009-05:00

First post - time to make it shine...

Now, I don't think every post is going to be as streamlined as what follows - I daresay I can guarantee it. We're going to be having all sorts of discussions here, formal and informal, but what comes next happens to be more on the formal side. It's an article I was asked to write for yet-to-begin blogzine and it just so happens that said article inspired me to get up off of my ass and start singing for all you loverly folks.

The article focuses on a hot-button topic today in comics: Floppy vs. Trade.

Happy reading.

*********************************

WHAT HAPPENED?!

HOW I KILLED THE FLOPPY COMIC.

As the first in what will hopefully be a semi-regular (if not, dare I say it, REGULAR) series of articles, I feel it’s probably prudent to lay out a mission statement - a code of conduct, if not a code of ethics, which will likely dominate the series, columns, or whatever this eventually mutates into, for the foreseeable future. That statement is a simple one:

I hate comics.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery and it’s also the hardest. It’s like a band-aid though – you just have to rip it off and deal with the searing pain of leg hair that may never grow back being evacuated from its decades-long home. You’ve just shared in my hair-yanking agonizing admittance to something which has plagued my subconscious mind for years. We’re in this together now so I expect you to stick it out. You’re my support group for overcoming this detriment, this shortfall in my life, and maybe together we can rehabilitate my mind and release me into the wild. Through these columns and musings we’re going to explore what it is that brought me to comics in the first place, and maybe you too, as well as what’s almost got that fire lit in me again and what’s happening to the industry as it evolves, shifts, and becomes something ALL NEW AND ALL DIFFERENT yet again in the wake of slowing floppy sales and the advent of the digital era.

With any mission statement there must always be a disclaimer and this one is no different. I don’t HATE comics in the traditional sense, not truly anyway. It’s just that of late there hasn’t been much that’s gotten me excited about them. Not in the way excitement used to brew, every Tuesday night being longer than the rest (even longer than the Sunday night with the inevitability of school the next day), frothing and shaking with avid anticipation of New Book Wednesday. I want that back as much as I want to spend my life making comics. The medium offered me so much growing up that I feel indebted to it, and it’s a debt I intend to repay with interest.

I’m now a published comic writer, continuing to make my way into the industry with my chisel and spoon, sneaking dirt out into the courtyard during free time so the warden doesn’t see me escaping my retail cell. It’s a slow process, as anybody on the ground floor will tell you. It also gives you an entirely different view of how things work and today, I want to talk about part of that: floppy comics vs. collected editions.

We began AWAKENING with Archaia Studios Press (MOUSE GUARD, et al) in August of '07 as a bi-monthly release and experienced the slow decline in sales across the three issues which came out, a common and unavoidable phenomenon that all books must endure. That, plus our now year-long delay between issues due to the restructuring of the company, just recently completed, has resulted in us deciding to release the series as two hardcover volumes rather than 10-issues.

For indie books, unless you've already established a pedigree of some kind for yourself, it's just impossible to compete with the big guns in this day and age. Retailers have to play a safe bet, and with banners across a combined total of more than 40 or 50 issues (plus 10 based on a particularly popular space opera, a couple of movie tie-ins...) per month from the big two proclaiming them to be part of either a line or company-wide crossover, shelf space just can't be wasted on a new guy or a book that doesn't have a tried and true sales history. While some larger comic stores (Midtown Comics and so on) have the space and the opportunity to showcase all sorts of books, the average shop wouldn't be making a sound economic decision, especially in these financially unsure times, supporting a book with a guaranteed smaller audience over that of the definite 50 - 100 copy seller. And hey, I'm guilty of contributing to those sales too. I grew up a Marvel guy and even dabbled in DC for a time and I'll always love picking up those books, even when I’m not crazy about everything in them. Going to the shop these days may not have me shivering with glee but there’s a certain sense of warm nostalgia in seeing those old reliable standards waiting for me in their four-color glory. I do this fully aware of the fact that I'm contributing to a machine which kept my book out of others hands. Why? Because I love the medium and most of those stories, those line and company-wide behemoths, are fun and enjoyable and worthy of the space they're given.

MOST of those stories.

On the other hand, asking a retailer to order one or two copies of a hardcover or trade isn't taking away from those monthly sales. A spined book takes up less space than a faced-out floppy on the rack, and very likely a retailer worth his salt will know at least one customer who he can promote the book to and get a $15 - $20 sale out of the deal. Hell, maybe they even know TWO customers who prefer collected editions and like to read, say, Eagle Award nominated existential horror with critically acclaimed mixed media art.

What?! The first volume is coming out soon - I've gotta make a living here!

Then they just nabbed $40 gross in one swoop and they didn't sacrifice anything of their guaranteed sales off the floppy rack. If nothing else, if a retailer doesn't actively try to sell the trade but orders it in the hopes somebody will stumble across it on the trade shelves, it will offer an alternative to the average shopper if they've been Secretly Finally Invaded out. Or, better for the retailer, it represents an add-on sale to a customers purchase. It also opens up the lucrative avenues of book trade sales (Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, etc.) where indie books have a better shot of finding a niche for themselves.

Digital, on the other hand, is just not for me. Maybe my generation will be the last great hold out (what’s a kid of the early 80’s now? Generation Y?) but I need to hold a book, get that freshly printed smell, or in the case of an older book, that musty-I’ve-Got-History waft from the pages, and have a tactile interaction with something. I support the movement, anything that promotes the comic medium to a larger audience, but I don’t think it’ll ever replace printed comics entirely, anymore than I think Kindle or any other e-book phenomenon will replace the heft of a book in your hands. Web and digital comics offer a great marketing opportunity and low cost for creators/publishers and can even be a great proving ground for creators who, for one reason or another, just don’t get picked up right away by a publisher. Hell, I’ve got friends who practically make their living off of web comics and more power to them for it. For me though, I’ve just got to have it on a shelf, or in a long box, or on the nightstand, or where all great reading gets done, the bathroom, to truly immerse myself in the work and get the most out of it.

Personally, I loved writing a floppy book - and I plan to try more in the future once it's more fiscally viable for me, either through success with the trade/hardcover releases of my other books or some other means. For now though, I say let Marvel and DC have that ground and continue to draw people into comics as they have for generations.

Then let retailers show them to the REALLY cool stuff on the trade shelves.

*********************************

NEXT TIME: What's on THE DESK?!