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 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.

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?!