A whole stinkin’ mess of scattered updates.
EDGE OF DOOM!
The final issue of EDGE OF DOOM comes out today. Some of you may have already figured out Kelley and I did a sort of back-door horror anthology (because anthology is a bad word apparently). Each issue was and is a stand-alone story but they all tie together in issue #5.
It was a fun experiment and I can't wait to hear what you guys think. Please let us know if you’d like us to do more!
DARK HORSE COLLECTS NILES' "CRIMINAL MACABRE" IN TWO OMNIBUS EDITIONS
New Covers by FIONA STAPLES! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Via CBR News Team, Official Press Release
Leading off a week of announcements related to the return of comics’ favorite supernatural detective, Dark Horse announces two volumes of Cal McDonald’s illustrated adventures.
In 2003, Steve Niles, creator of the 30 Days of Night comics, launched a series of occult detective stories featuring the monstrously hard-boiled Cal McDonald. A pill-popping, alcoholic reprobate, Cal is the only line of defense between Los Angeles and a growing horde of zombies, vampires, possessed muscle cars, mad scientists, werewolves, and much more weirdness!
“The first time Cal McDonald saw print was back in 1990,” said creator Steve Niles. “It took another thirteen years to launch what would become Criminal Macabre, and that junkie monster-hunting loser has been unstoppable ever since. Cal’s been going strong too.”
The first volume collects the first two Criminal Macabre trades, the one-shot story Love Me Tenderloin, and Criminal Macabre: Supernatural Freak Machine—never before in trade paperback!
Boasting nearly 400 pages of story, Criminal Macabre Omnibus Volume 1 arrives on shelves on August 31, with a retail price of $24.99. Fans also have a chance to pick up new Criminal Macabre this weekend in a special standalone story for Free Comic Book Day!
This was also announced!
CRIMINAL MACABRE/THE GOON: WHEN FREAKS COLLIDE
Steve Niles (W), Eric Powell (W/Variant Cover), Christopher Mitten (A), Michelle Madsen (C), and Fiona Staples (Cover)
On sale July 20
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
One-shot
Cal McDonald, the drug-fueled paranormal private dick, goes head to head with Lonely Street’s zombie-pulverizing Goon, in a weird in-between world full of monsters, horror, and humor!
A perfect introduction to both titles for new readers!
Covers by Eric Powell and Fiona Staples.
The Goon™ © 2011 Eric Powell. Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery™ © 2011 Steve Niles.
CREATOR-OWNED/DIY
Things on the creator-owned front have been great I have to say. The sheer enthusiasm I'm hearing from creators and fans are so inspiring. There’s also a tangible undercurrent of fear. I’m hearing some nasty stories lately and I think we’re going to have a flood of creators looking for work in the near future and we may just have to do it ourselves for a while.
We recently published our first and second BLOODY PULP books and the response has been wonderful and the books are being scooped up. People seem to really dig the $5 cover price on the Detective Tales and the whole DIY of it.
I have been circling many publishers trying to find ways to do creator-owned, but the doors are closing. I spoke to Boom and they told me they are not taking any CO projects. Dark Horse will still do some titles but most CO projects will be filtered through the new DHP.
Even my own home-based IDW has been forced to focus on licensed books while we wait out this latest shift in sales. In the meantime IDW and I have some plans for 2 series, one is a license of sorts and the other is, well, the most excited I've been about a project EVAR!
Image, who I thought would be the savior for creator-owned can’t afford to take on projects unless creators can work backend. I don’t know about you, but I live check-to-check and I can’t afford to work for free right now so one of the things I’ve been doing is “growing” comics slowly on the side like the project CRIME & TERROR with Scott Morse. We are doing it in between jobs. We now have hundreds of pages and it looks like Image will publish. See? There are ways to make the back-end thing work.
Here’s the thing, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND exactly why these pubs have to back off creator-owned. These books are big gambles and publishers can’t take the risk.
This is one of the reasons I am pushing for more DIY comics, so we can take some of the pressure off of the publishers and still get our material out there.
I sold art from my collection to finance the first Bloody Pulp Book. I’m hoping we can slowly build and someday make enough to pay ourselves, but right now I’m happy to have some new books out.
Also now available is NOT BAD FOR A HUMAN the autobiography of Lance Henriksen with art from talent like Eric Powell, Timmy Bradstreet and Mike Mignola. All these amazing artists chipped in and made this book very special and I can’t thank them enough for their support.
Zee books haf arrived.
And high praise for both Bloody Pulp books goes to my biz partner Alex Lodermeier. He really did all the heavy lifting and made the books look amazing.
That's Alex. He looks exactly like the singer from Alice in Chains and I remind him constantly.
So, yeah looks like I’m going to take on more self-publishing while the doors are still closed. No big deal. This is how I started out. I’m talking to artists, editors, creators and financial people right now. If there’s a way I can do it, I may jump in.
For more info on these books just go to: www.bloodypulpbooks
Or buy direct from Lance: http://notbadforahuman.com/?page_id=295
FCBD!
Free Comic Book Day in L.A.: Geoff Johns, Mike Mignola, Steve Niles signings
Mike Mignola (creator of “Hellboy,” “BPRD,” “Baltimore“ ) and fellow horror master Steve Niles (“Criminal Macabre,” “30 Days of Night,” “Doc Macabre“) lead a deep list of writers and artists who will descend on The Comic Bug (1807 Manhattan Beach Blvd.) in Manhattan Beach between noon and 3 p.m.
Check link for full list: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/05/03/free-comic-book-day-in-l-a-geoff-johns-robert-kirkman-mike-mignola-steve-niles-signings/
– Jevon Phillips and Geoff Boucher
MUSIC!
That’s right. I have a music update too because I don’t have enough shit going on….
This ran in last weeks DC paper…
And I played bass on one track for MONICA RICHARDS new EP. I’ll also be playing on the new LP.
25 YEARS IN COMICS
This ran in the recent Diamond. I think It’s closer to 30 years I’ve been at this, but we’ll go with 25. J
CONS N SHIT
I was the Media Guest of Honor at this years World Horror Convention in Austin Texas. My appearance was sponsored by AUSTIN COMICS AND BOOKS. Amazing store and even more amazing staff. I had such a fun time with them I’m hoping they’ll adopt me.
I got to see and hang out with Chris and Dirk from IDW. Unfortunately I can't share any of the stories without getting us all in a lot of trouble.
I finally met Joe Lansdale and he's about as cool a guy as you can imagine. We made plans to make a lot of trouble in the future.
I also had a chance to spend time with Joe Hill. I have to say, he is the nicest, most enthusiastic humans I've ever met. He's always up and always using that imagination of his. He's a blast to hang with. Plus he bought me oysters and crawfish, so he's a pal for life.
Me and Joe and our ride to the mortuary.
And here's a shot of the Focus on Niles Panel. Not even my mom showed up. Wah, waaaaah.
Here's a shot of me and Del Howison being idiots. We get a lot of practice.
Here's me and Chris, the limo hearse dude. I wound up hanging late night in the hearse talking and listening to music.
I think that's it for now. I know I have some shot of Chris Ryall but I want to save those for future blackmail.
I'll be making 2 major announcements soon about what I've got cooking at IDW. It's gonna be a fun year!
Thanks!
-Steve