LADY KILLER: New reviews and upcoming appearances

We are just a week and a half out from Lady Killer's debut, and more advance word is rolling in. 

Joëlle and I did one more interview over at Big Comic Page.

BCP: There’s definitely some fairly graphic violence in the first issue, but the series also seems to have a steady undercurrent of dark humour throughout. Was it important for you to strike that balance?

JSR: From day one, Joëlle laid out her plan to really go for it with the violence. If I remember right, she mentioned DEXTER as an indicator of how violent. It was important to us both that Josie’s job not be toothless, that people be genuinely surprised to see her do what she does and that it’s not very nice. We both have a pretty wicked sense of humor, you should hang out with us after a couple of drinks when we’re being catty. We both like the macabre. So, you know, a little ADDAMS FAMILY, a little of the AMERICAN PSYCHO movie.

We also have some pretty positive advance reviews.

* Geek Rex:

One thing I really dig about this first issue is the way Jones and Rich go about setting up the story. Rather than use the bait and switch (as I just did in my short description), they go about it from the opposite direction, showing you her clever cunning as she brutally murders a woman and then giving us her cover story and family life. It really lets us jump right in without basing the whole first issue on a twist that we already know is coming. -

* Geek Chic Elite:

The combination of writing and artwork accomplish the most important thing; making you interested in the characters. They seemed alive with their facial expression and smartly drawn backgrounds bringing the characters to the forefront even more. The familiar setting for the most part becomes forgotten and pages can go by while you get involved with what’s happening in the panels before your eyes.

We continue to update our Tumblr, and also don't forget to come to our January 7 release party at Things from Another World if you are in the Portland area. Joëlle, Laura, and I will all be in attendance, and I am putting together an extensive playlist for the event. 

You can also meet Joëlle at Wizard World Portland on January 23-25 and at Challengers Comics in Chicago on March 20. Original Lady Killer art will be on display at Challengers.

Then we we will both be at Emerald City Comic Con on March 27-29, signing with Dark Horse and probably Oni Press. I'll maybe make an appearance at Image Comics' booth, and also be hanging around Megan Levens' table. I'll post a full schedule once I have it. 

Current Soundtrack: Alison Moyet, Minutes & Seconds (Live)

LONG BEACH COMIC CON: HERE WE COME!

First, thanks for everyone who came out to Rose City Comic Con. I had a fun time, including getting choked out by Nate Quarry on my own panel.

Tim Seeley and Leila del Duca seem to be really enjoying this.

So, with that safely in the rearview mirror, I'm getting ready to head down to Long Beach Comic Con, where I am a guest of honor and everything.

Megan Levens and I will be tabling both days in Artist Alley at Table 1505. We'll have plenty of Madame Frankenstein issues for sale, including potentially an early release of #6. I'll also have a bunch of my books and free Lady Killer signing cards.

Megan will also have art and prints. If you want to inquire about getting art from her, drop her a line through her blog. 

I'm currently scheduled for two panels. One is the Eat Geek Play game Geeks Against Humanity, a spin on the Cards Against Humanity Card Game. One of the other contestants will be the legendary Len Wein. That panel is Saturday at 5:30 in room 101A.

Then on Sunday I'll be part of the crime writing panel alongside lots of great writers. We will be in room 102B/C. Check it out.

How To Get Away With It: The Art of Writing Crime
Sunday at 12:30 
Join Kyle Higgins, Jimmy Palmiotti, James S. Rich, Alec Siegel, and Alex Segura as they talk about the most addictive genre of writing. Learn just how far a writer has to go when coming up with the perfect crime.

That's a pretty killer line-up, no pun intended. 

So, come down and get some books signed. I'm bringing mostly newer stock, so if there is something specific you want that's older, you may want to drop me a line before I pack my suitcase!

Current Soundtrack: Late Night Tales, curated by Franz Ferdinand


MAY DEATH NEVER STOP YOU

* Reminder: This Saturday, I am at Zeus Comics in Dallas with Mike Norton and Joëlle Jones to celebrate Free Comic Book Day. I will have books for sale, including advance issues of Madame Frankenstein in limited supply. Come down!

* Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks: We are more than halfway through the digital serialization. Response has been great.

Sequential Pictures even has a very thorough, albeit spoiler-free, review that includes talk about the $0.99 roll-out.

Archer Coe combines 1940′s noir cinema and the masked adventurer pulps of the same era to great effect. It centers around Archer Coe, a stage hypnotist whose craft is not a parlor trick, but a grander “exchange of information”. His profession and eclectic lifestyle first cast him as belonging to the large pantheon of masked adventurers. Unique abilities, high ideals, and a costume all set the story to be an adventure narrative. By the second issue, it evolves into something that bares a greater resemblance to a Phillip Marlowe novel, than one about Doc Savage.

Read the whole review here.

You still have almost an entire month to order the book from your favorite retailer. Grab our handy order form.

* Madame Frankenstein: If you'd rather meet Megan Levens than me, I can't blame you. She'll be doing two events in Southern California to promote the book launch.

First, on Saturday, May 2, at Blastoff! in North Hollywood for Free Comic Day: details.

Second, Wednesday, May 7, at Earth-2 in Sherman Oaks: details.

Like Madame Frankenstein on Facebook.

Comic Front Line had some kind words about the book, too.

As a big fan of women in comics and the original Frankenstein story, I’m looking forward to see how adding a reanimated woman into the lore as the monster will be done. The mood is also supposed to be very reminiscent of classic horror films. Levens describes it by saying: “I've always been strongly drawn to the moody, old-Hollywood glamour of the classic Universal monster films, and I felt that aesthetic would be a perfect match for the elements of horror and romance in this story… 

Read the full report.

And look, the real thing exists...

Current Soundtrack: Kelis, Food

COMICS NEWS ROUND-UP

Lots of big things happening in my comic book world this week, so let's do one big post.

May 3 come see myself, Joëlle Jones, and Mike Norton at Zeus Comics in Dallas, TX, to celebrate Free Comic Book Day. If all goes well, I'll have advance copies of Madame Frankenstein #1.

Speaking of, here is another sneak peek of the book. Remember, orders are due to comic shops by this coming Monday, April 14. That's when Image Comics will set the print run. So far, the response has been phenomenal, for which Megan Levens and I both thank you, but please don't hesitate to let your favorite comic book shop know you're interested and encourage them to order heavy. The stronger the start, the better we have to build from.

Image has also added a series page to their website.

Power to the monster! Two panels from Madame Frankenstein #1.

Comixology has the first two chapters of Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks available as $0.99 downloads. We'll be updating their site with a new chapter every Tuesday and Thursday for the next six weeks, totalling 14 chapters in all, until the whole thing is online. The story was always intended to be serialized online, so reading it this way, you'll get the full cliffhanger effect. 

Subscribe to the whole series.

And don't forget you can order the print version from your local comics retailer.

Check out the Oni Press page for the book.

Digital chapter head for the Comixology version of Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks.

Dark Horse Presents #35 is on sale next Wednesday, featuring the final chapter of “Integer City.” This is the opening page. I wrote the story, Brent Schoonover created the line art, Jean-Francois Beaulieu colored it, and Crank! lettered it. It was a lot of fun to create, and the response seemed positive.

Check out more stories from the issue, as well as previews of other Dark Horse titles due next week over at Comics Bulletin. 

And e-mail dhp@darkhorse.com to let them know you want to see this story collected and continued. Mark it “okay to print” if you don’t mind being in their letters column.

Opening page from "Integer City" chapter 6, the big finale, coming in Dark Horse Presents #35, April 16.

Current Soundtrack: A playlist of Neptunes productions on Spotify

WRITE TO PUBLISH

Next Saturday, February 15, I will be appearing at the Write to Publish conference talking about writing and comic books. The event takes place at Portland State University. You can get all the details from their website.

Other folks attending include Monkeybrain impresario and writer of The Mysterious Strangers and Edison Rex, Chris Roberson, and my Hopeless Savages-cohort Jen Van Meter.

In advance of the fest, I answer a few questions for the Ooligan Press blog. Read the interview here.

Current Soundtrack: contemporary soul radio via Spotify

A GOOD WEEKEND FOR THE ROSES [UPDATED]

So, Rose City Comic Con is this weekend, and I am a special guest. 

I'll be there both days, at table E-01, selling books and chatting and other such shenanigans. My table is right next to Joëlle Jones, so you can meet us both at the same time.

I'll also be part of the panel for From the Gutters, which is happening on Saturday, 2 p.m., in room 4. Joe Keatinge has agreed to come and moderate the event for us, and we have a couple of special guests lined up, likely to be announced...edit: here it is!

Joining us special for the panel are legendary Legendary Comics editor Bob Schreck and Mage/Grendel creator Matt Wagner! Tell 'em more, Joe...!

I've also added a signing at the Oni Press table at 5:00 pm on Saturday. If you can't find me at my own spot, we'll be there! They might also have more of my prose works, I don't have stock on a lot of the earlier books. 

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For those looking to party the night before, Oni Press is hosting a kick-off shindig at the White Owl in Portland, and I'll be DJing under my Icky Animal monicker. It'll be the usual mix of Britpop and soul and whatever else I have on my hard drive. Details are on Facebook. 

 Current Soundtrack: Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic discussing In Utero  on NPR