Comic Book Resources

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 122

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

Silent panel. Does it work? Does it not? Still feelin' that out.

And again, as a reminder, I'll be up at the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle this weekend (first big show of the year for me!). I'm in the C's of Artist's Alley, so come on by and say hello and remind me that real people do indeed read this strip on a weekly basis, or I'm gonna end up thinking that all my commentors are just figments of my imagination.

As usual, Five Minute Stories will be available for those who ask nicely, provide three words and something to write upon. If you don't provide those, how can I be expected to provide a story in return? Plenty of show-priced collections of MURDER MOON, as well as the ashcan version of the first chapter of THE THIRSTY. And you can even hit me up for a sketch, but it'll probably end up coming from my extensive swipe file.

See you back here next week.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 121

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

Joe's dead, baby. Joe's dead.

Just the first of many reminders, but I'll be up at the Emerald City Comic Con this weekend, somewhere in the J tables of Artist's Alley. Looking forward to the show, may even get a chance to see some of it, as I'll have tablemates to help watch things if I want to stretch my legs. The guys from BRAINS, Anthony Leano and Paul Allen, will be splitting the table with me, so you can wet your horror whistle in more ways than one. Should be a good show.

Hey, anyone know a good Mediterranean/Persian restaurant in Seattle? I could do with some koubideh. Or maybe a nice shawerma.

Back on Wednesday.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - page 120

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

Uh-oh. That can't be the way they planned all that.

See you all next week.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 119

Back on track to two pages a week.

Of course, now that I've said that, I'll cut my pinky off or something...

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

Well, looks like someone has a bunch of new best friends.

Let's see how that works out on Wednesday.

Off-topic: The trailer for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I'm not generally a fan of promotional trailers for comics and books -- most rely on dull montages and even worse music -- but this new spot for Seth Grahame-Smith's upcoming novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is incredibly well done. Well, if you can ignore the really obvious wig and fake mustache on whom I presume is vampire-John Wilkes-Booth.

The novel, Grahame-Smith's follow-up to the bestselling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, depicts Lincoln as the savior of the Union and lifelong enemy of the undead. The author has a couple of comic-book connections: He was among the genre novelists who contributed to the latest Marvel Zombies miniseries. In May, Del Rey/Villard will release a graphic-novel adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is due March 2 from Grand Central Publishing.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 118

Back on track. Kinda.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell

Looks like someone wants to make a couple of real good friends. This oughta end well.

Back next week.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 117

If I say nothing, then people won't notice. So I'm saying nothing.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

Back next week!

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 115

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

No comments, no bon mots. Just me frantically trying to keep up. See you on Wednesday.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 114

Kids before cowboys and vampires...or something like that. Apologies for the delay.

Art by Gervasio and Jok, who are on time more than I am.

Back on Monday. If I make it that long.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 113

Looks like 113 was pretty unlucky for the Engineer.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell

And might not be so healthy for Joachim, either.

Big things afoot at Strangeways central, some of them even involving cowboys and vampires. Some involving a bunch of stuff that'll get me shot if I talk about, so there's just stuff and we'll leave it at that.

See you back here Wednesday for more cryptic proclamations. And vampires.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 112

And for those of you who are concerned about the ethical treatment of comic book creators, please note that the artists are the first people to get paid on any of my projects. The writer and letterer? Well...eventually.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written (and lettered) by Matt Maxwell

Wish I could afford a real letterer...

Back next week with what's likely to be a big KABOOM.

Update to add: My interview at CBR went live as of an hour ago. Check it out.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 111

Week three of rain here at Strangeways Central. I'm beginning to tire of it. I know, folks from Portland and Seattle are mocking my weakness right now.

Anyways, here's today's page.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

Another page going up Wednesday, assuming my house hasn't floated away by then. Living at the bottom of a big hill in rainy season ain't no fun.

Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes

Vampire Knight, Vol. 8

Publishing | Gonzalo Ferreyra, Viz Media's vice president of sales and marketing, discusses the state of the manga market in North America, the performance of top titles like Vampire Knight and Naruto, digital comics and, yes, the impact of Twilight: "[Fans] can only read Twilight so many times. That’s when they come over and they start poking around and they find the Vampire Knights and Rosario & Vampires and other titles. ... Let’s not kid ourselves, the Twilight fans number in the many, many millions -- they’re manga-like numbers in Japan, here. If we can get a fraction more of those readers actively reading manga, if Yen can do that and bring those kids over to read the Twilight manga, and then move on and become manga fans it’s very encouraging." [ICv2.com]

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1

Publishing | Speaking of Twilight, Simon Jones points out that, with a 350,000-copy first printing, Yen Press' $19.99 hardcover Twilight: The Graphic Novel has a retail value nearly $7 million, "which immediately vaults it into contention for one of the best-selling comics in the U.S. for 2010, by both volume and dollar sales": "Whether you like the source material or not, or welcome the books’ legion of female fans young and old (it’s shocking how elitist fandumbs can be), there is absolutely no questioning the significance of this title.  If it does as well as Yen clearly hopes it would, it will expose more fresh eyeballs to comics than any other single release, even series, in 2010." More at the link. [Icarus Publishing]

Continue Reading »

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 110

Stay tuned for information about an upcoming STRANGEWAYS-related appearance. Or just read the page. Up to you.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

Looks like someone went and rung the dinner bell, it does.

Okay, this Saturday, the 23rd, I'll be appearing at the Grand Re-Opening of Bizarro World comics in Davis, CA. I'll be signing books, and will have preview books for THE THIRSTY (which contain all of Chapter 1, some art pages from the upcoming "Red Hands" and MURDER MOON art as well) and trying to bedazzle anyone who'll give me ten seconds to do so. Oh, and world famous Five Minute Stories, too. Here's the info:

Bizarro World

223 E St.

Davis CA 95616

530-759-9490

www.bizarroworld.net

Looks like things kick off at about 6:30. Plenty of time to drive in from out of town and enjoy the lovely weather we have in the Sacramento/Davis area this time of year.

That's a joke, kids. It's been 40 degrees and raining since Saturday, with no sign of abating. Hopefully it'll cheer up by then.

See y'all next week.

Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 109

Feels kinda out of place to be running such frivolity on MLK Day, but there you have it.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.

So, I guess they better get to that shed, huh? Wonder what's in there. Maybe we get to find out on Wednesday.