EVERY SECOND COUNTS

Now that you've had a chance to see #1, keep in mind that order cut-off for Madame Frakenstein #2 is this coming Monday. It's a good time to remind your retailer that you want the whole series so he or she and make sure they've ordered enough. Diamond order code is APR140573 for #2.

Thanks, again, for being so supportive! Yesterday was exciting for all of us down in the lab.

Here is the Image Comics page for the second issue. And a sneak peek of a page from the book...

Current Soundtrack: Jobriath, As the River Flows

MAY THE EARTH OPEN HERE

We're rounding the corner into our climax on the digital "cliffhanger" version of Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks. Today chapter 10 went up, that means four more chapters, two more weeks, until the big finale.

If you haven't started yet, now would be a good time to start binge reading so you're right there for Archer to take a bow.

Here is the series page over at Comixology.

By the way, I got a copy of the printed book last week...

It's almost as big as my forehead!

You can't see the lovely spot varnish on the cover in the photo. Jason Storey at Oni Press did a really marvelous job putting it together. As did our editors, Jill Beaton and Robin Herrera.

We still have a few weeks for you guys to get your copies reserved with your comic book retailer so they can have it for you on release day. Since it's a trade and it's printed, Oni Press has done a generous run so the book will last, but even so, all those initial orders count. Here is that order form you can print out and take to them.

You have until May 26!

Current Soundtrack: The Anchoress, "What Goes Around" (feat. Paul Draper from Mansun)

YASS BISH!!

It's finally here. Madame Frankenstein #1 is finally available for folks to read.

I can't thank the fans, critics, and retail community enough for the support this book has gotten. It's been such a thrill seeing people get excited for our series. Megan and I both appreciate it more than we can say.

Megan wrote a little about it herself at her blog, and I am sure she will thank you herself if you head down to her signing at Earth-2 in Sherman Oaks later today. Details in the link, or here on the Facebook event page.

Big Comic Page dropped an awesome review on us last night, too, giving us a 4 out of 5.

If you ever thought Pygmalion would have been improved by Eliza Doolittle being a reanimated corpse, this is the comic for you. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not many stories that reanimated corpses wouldn’t improve, so I’m all over this.

Read the whole thing.

We also got a nice 7.5/10 review from Rhymes with Comics, with Megan's art scoring a full 8/10.

Levens black and white pages look fantastic. The style of this book reminded me of Jeff Smith’s RASL; a shadowy cartoon paired with disturbing, adult imagery. The opening pages alone show Levens’ cinema-influenced scene transitions and designs. As the female creation is awoken, you cen feel the violence of her body jolting with electricity, ‘intercut’ with flashbacks to the accident that killed her. The artwork sets up a unique tone for this book and it is the main thing that will bring me back to check out issue 2. 

You can read that review here.

If those don't convince you, Comic Book Resources has the first six pages previewed, just in case you somehow haven't seen them yet. We're also Tom Murphy's Staff Pick over at Broken Frontier.

If digital is more your thing, here is the issue on Comixology.

Or if you'd rather pick a different file format and get a copy DRM-free, we sell through Image direct.

Now is a good time to thank Image Comics, as well, for their support of the book. Eric Stephenson and his team--Ron Richards, Jenna Savage, Branwyn Bigglestone, David Brothers, Drew Gill, Monica Garcia, Jonathan Chan, Kat Salazar, Meredith Wallace, Jennifer de Guzman, and everyone else--have been super great to work with. They really put their muscle behind us, and we are grateful for the opportunity that provided.

Finally, signed copies are available for cover price in my webstore, check the menu above.

Another shout-out to Zeus Comics and all the folks who came out to see me at Free Comic Book Day. It was a wonderful event, and Zeus are great hosts. Here is a great photo of myself with Joëlle Jones, writer Ian Shaughnessy, and Mike Norton. Aren't we a handsome bunch?

Current Soundtrack: The Horrors, Luminous

TIME WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING

NOW IN THEATERS...

* The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a wholehearted refutation of anything you might have liked about the Andrew Garfield-starring reboot.

* Blue Ruin, a stellar modern crime film telling a quiet tale of revenge.

* Dancing in Jaffa, a feel-good documentary about teaching Palestinian and Israeli children to cooperate through dancing.

* Only Lovers Left Alive, Jim Jarmusch's hypnotic take on the vampire genre.

Also, Portlanders might enjoy:

* Godzilla: The Original Japanese Version, airing for four nights at the Hollywood.

* Hubley Classics, a rare collection of vintage avant-garde cartoons.

Current Soundtrack: Garbage, "Girls Talk" 10;" Jamie XX, "Sleep Sound"

I DON'T WANNA BREAK

I'VE COME FOR MY AWARD

Oh, awards season.

Look, let's be honest. We all bitch and grouse about how they don't mean anything and it's a popularity contest or whatever, but we all want to win one when it comes down to it. I kept my fingers crossed reading over the Eisner nominations last month. Everyone probably did.

While a committee decides on the Eisners, there are other award ceremonies where the nomination process is more open.

There are the Harvey Awards, which industry professionals can vote for. Ballots accepted until May 19.

And there are the Eagle Awards, recently renamed for Stan Lee, that any reader can have a say in. Put in nominations here until May 16.

No big sales pitch here. I'm just going to make a list of books I worked on and that my friends worked on that you might consider. It's hard to remember what's what in any given year, so I'm going to jog both of our memories. In most cases, you can vote for any of these in the major categories: series, writer, artist, etc. I'll make notes if maybe you should consider something else.

* Battlepug digital comic, and vol. 2 collected edition by Mike Norton (writer/artist), Allen Passalaqua (colorist), and Crank! (letterer) [self-published/Dark Horse Comics]

* A Boy and a Girl graphic novel by Jamie S. Rich (writer), Natalie Nourigat (artist), and Ed Brisson (letterer) [Oni Press]

* The Double Life of Miranda Turner digital only series by Jamie S. Rich (writer), George Kambadais (artist), Paulina Ganucheau (colorist), and Crank! (letterer) [Monkeybrain Comics]

* FF by Matt Fraction & Lee Allred (writers), Michael Allred (artist, incl. covers), and Laura Allred (colorist) [Marvel Comics] 

* Helheim miniseries by Cullen Bunn (writer), Joëlle Jones (artist, incl. covers), Nick Filardi (colorist), and Ed Brisson (letterer) [Oni Press]

* It Girl and the Atomics #s 6-12 by Jamie S. Rich [writer], Mike Norton [7, 8, 9, 12], Chynna Clugston-Flores [6, 12], and Natalie Nourigat [10, 11, 12] (artists), Allen Passalaqua (colorist), Crank! (letterer), and Michael & Laura Allred (covers) [Image Comics]

* Revival by Tim Seeley (writer), Mike Norton (artist), Mark Englert (colorist), Crank! (letterer), and Jenny Frisson (covers) [Image Comics]

* The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn (writer), Brian Hurtt (artist, incl. covers), and Bill Crabtree (colorist) [Oni Press]

* Spell Checkers, vol. 3: Careless Whisper graphic novel by Jamie S. Rich (writer), Nicolas Hitori de and Joëlle Jones (artists), Warren Wucinich (letterer), and Joëlle Jones (cover) [Oni Press]

* Please also consider George Kambadais for Best New Talent and It Girl and the Atomics #6 as Best Single Issue.

These are, of course, not everything published last year, not all of my friends, and not even all of some of these folks' work. But its a good core of friends and colleagues. Keep them in mind!

Current Soundtrack: This week's episode of Survivor

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

GO BID ON ITEMS TO RAISE $$$ FOR STAN & SHARON SAKAI

Stan Sakai is the creator of Usagi Yojimbo, which is also the first comic book I ever edited all by myself. His wife Sharon has been battling cancer for many years now. The CAPS Comic Art Professional Society has been running an auction to raise money to help them with medical bills.

For instance, you can bid on this wonderful color drawing by Megan Levens, just one of many great items for sale, some Usagi Yojimbo themed, some not. Go look!

Current Soundtrack: Cody ChesnuTT, Landing on a Hundred: B-Sides & Remixes 

HONEY, THE MIRROR ISN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US

NOW IN THEATERS...

* Approved for Adoption, a mixture of animation and documentary in this adaptation of a French comic book. The original artist, Jung, will be in attendance at the Portland screening. 

* The Den, a smartly crafted horror movie that takes place entirely on someone's laptop.

* Finding Vivian Maier, a fascinating and inspiring documentary about a woman whose artistic talents were only discovered post mortem.

Also, Portlanders should check out the crazy double-feature of Italian zombie movies being shown as one of the regular Grindhouse nights at the Hollywood.

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* The Lonely Man, an emotional western with Jack Palance and Anthony Perkins as estranged father and son.

* The Pleasure Seekers, a tepid remake of Three Coins in the Fountain starring Ann-Margret.

Current Soundtrack: Christina Perri, Head or Heart

IN PUBLIC

Ha!

No sooner is the Madame Frankenstein #3 info released, and Comic Book Resources also puts up a new interview with Megan and myself.

Here's a sample:

Levens: Shortly before I presented the idea to Jamie, I'd revisited my old character designs for the monster -- who I'd originally drawn back in my old college sketchbooks, and never done anything with until this book -- and began dressing her in these elegant, old Hollywood gowns and art deco jewelry, sort of as a contrast to her appearance as bald and stitched-together. I liked the contrast of glamorous and gruesome, which was definitely a hallmark of the classic Universal monster films. When we started really digging into the story, keeping it in that period ended up really helping indicate who these people were and how they came to the place they are when the series opens

Read the whole thing right here.

Also, mark you calendars. May 3 is Free Comic Book Day. Not only will I be at Zeus in Dallas, but if you're in the Southern California area, you can meet Megan at Blastoff! Comics in North Hollywood. Here is their Facebook event page.

Current Soundtrack: Kelis, Food

POSTCARD OF A PAINTING

George Kambadais drew this great portrait of the Cat and some of her superhero friends for the in-progress The Double Life of Miranda Turner. Looks like we have some new folks' stories to tell.

And Megan Levens sketched up a new drawing of Gail, our creature in Madame Frankenstein, contemplating the life she's lost.  

Call it a celebration for getting such strong orders on the first issue!

Current Soundtrack: Bonus interviews on the Kickstarter version of Stripped. 

READER MEET AUTHOR: Special Edition NYC & Free Comic Book Day

First, a reminder, May 3 come see myself, Joëlle Jones, and Mike Norton at Zeus Comics in Dallas, TX, to celebrate Free Comic Book Day. I

Then, the following month, June 14 and 15, I'll be joining Mike Norton, Michael & Laura Allred, and a tons of great folks for Special Edition: New York City. I'm really excited about this show. I haven't been to the East Coast since I went to NY Comic Con a couple of years ago, and this new event is put on by the same people. It's a Special Edition because it's comic books only. No big media, video games, or anything else. Just comics!

I should hopefully have copies of Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks to debut at the show, as well as the first two issues of Madame Frankenstein and a smattering of other books. If I have any A Boy and a Girl hardcovers left by then, for instance. 

Here are more details.

Current Soundtrack: Phantogram, Voices

SO NOW YOU KNOW

Multiversity Comics has an in-depth review of A Boy and a Girl.

If anything, the book is perhaps best described as what Before Sunrise would be like if it were a Janelle Monae concept album. That may seem like a somewhat esoteric description, but it fits rather aptly. Throughout the book, there’s a good amount of rhythm and lyricism to it that is undeniable, all wrapped up in a story about how one evening of philosophy and personal interaction/dialogue can be life-changing. The nature of the sequential storytelling create a bit more of an intimate experience than a film or an album can, though, and while “A Boy and a Girl” is perhaps a tale as old as time, it’s presented in a passionate narrative that makes it still worthwhile.

Read the whole thing here.

Note that signed copies of both the regular edition trade paperback and the limited hardcover of A Boy and a Girl are available in the Shop:JSR link above, and Natalie's art from the series is in her shop on this site, as well.

Not to mention stores everywhere.

Current Soundtrack: Kelis, "Jerk Ribs;" The Horrors, "So Now You Know;" Broken Bells, "Leave It Alone"

MOVIE REVIEWS/ARCHER COE chap. 4/LIBERTY COMICS

After last week's bounty of movie releases, this week's major debuts were pretty lacklustre. I did review a few small things playing locally, however:

* A Cinema of Mutual Respect, a double-feature of international experimental cinema.

* A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness, a trippy existential exploration of the Scandinavian landscape and mindset.

* Winter in the Blood, a compelling indie drama about the Native American experience in the American midwest. 

WATCH IT AT HOME...

* Equus, a bold adaptation of the modern classic by director Sidney Lumet.

* Master of the House, a charming silent drama from Carl Th. Dreyer.

* Paradise: Hope, the final installment of the Austrian Paradise trilogy.

In comics today...

* The fourth chapter of Archer Coe and the Thousand Natural Shocks went online today. Our hero is really in the thick of it now!

* You can also download the complete Liberty collection, featuring all the annuals benefitting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. That includes the year I edited and wrote for.

You really want to go to a comic book shop and get the hardcover, though. That's a lot of comics to have under one package. Here's the info from Image Comics.

Current Soundtrack: Misc. recent tracks on shuffl,e, including Conor Oberst, "Hundreds of Ways" and Foster the People, "Pseudologia Fantastica"

IN MY MIND'S EYE

The third chapter of Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks by myself and Dan Christensen has landed on Comixology. Scroll through the gallery below for a preview.

Download it or subscribe to the series here. Keep in mind, if you purchase the books through the website rather than the app, it's better for the publishers and creators, as the app requires Apple/iTunes to take a cut. I know the app is convenient, and use it myself a lot of the time, but whenever possible, consider going the more direct route. :)

The print version will be released by Oni Press on June 18.

Current Soundtrack: UNKLE, "God of Light (Original Game Soundtrack)" single