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Strangeways: The Thirsty - Page 124

Less grumpy, but still, don't poke me.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell

Back next week.

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Retailing | Ada Price surveys six retailers from across the United States about weathering the tough economy, what's selling (and what's not), and the effects of price increases and "event fatigue." "Event titles brought people in last year, both long-time fans and new readers, but [this year] people are suffering from event fatigue," said Eric Thornton of Chicago Comics. "The last year and a half [crossover] events didn't bring people in, and catered to people who are [already] fans." [PW Comics Week]

Publishing | Manga sales in Japan fell 6.6 percent to $4.63 billion in 2009, the largest annual decline in market history. The Tokyo-based Research Institute for Publications points to fans reading in manga cafes instead of buying in bookstores because of the recession, and the release of fewer hit titles. [Anime News Network]

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Strangeways: The Thirsty - page 123

Long trip back from Seattle plus time change plus bad news = grouchy author. Do not poke grouchy author. Just read pages instead.

Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell

Back Wednesday. Hopefully less grouchy, but wouldn't bet on it.

Stephen King talks comics, the dangerous undead and American Vampire

From "American Vampire" #5

At The Daily Beast, Shannon Donnelly speaks with Stephen King about American Vampire, his collaboration with Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque that debuts this week from Vertigo, and offers a three-page preview of the first issue.

In the interview, King admits to the challenges of his comics-writing debut, and confesses his disappointment after learning that thought balloons have fallen out of vogue: “I got this kind of embarrassed call from the editors saying, ‘Ah, Steve, we don't do that anymore.’ ‘You don't do that anymore?’ I said. ‘No, when the characters speak, they speak. If they're thinking, you try to put that across in the narration, in the little narration boxes.’ ... I think it's a shame to lose that arrow out of your quiver. One of the nice things about the written word as opposed to the spoken word in a movie is that you can go into a character's thoughts. You do it in books all the time, right?”

Straight for the art | Ben Templesmith's photos from Barrow, Alaska

Barrow, Alaska (photo by Ben Templesmith)

Ben Templesmith has begun to post photos from his recent visit to Barrow, Alaska, northernmost city in the United States and the Arctic setting of his 2002 miniseries (with Steve Niles) 30 Days of Night.

"It was a homecoming of sorts," Templesmith writes on his blog. "To the place that changed my life in many ways because of a book that became a movie. Time now, to put all that well in the past and move on. This was a symbolic 'goodbye' to all that, on the day of my birthday. No phone, no net. Just me and my thoughts on the shore of the Arctic Ocean."

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.