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

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

Wicked October Plans Part 1

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!

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!!!!

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!

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

Awakening Volume One Trailer!

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

Advance Copies of Awakening Volume One at WW Philly

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 Ten

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!

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!!

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.

Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week Five

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

Welcome to...THE DESK

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, Archaia 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?!