UPDATED - NEW RELEASE: THIS SICKNESS #8 Available at Amazon RIGHT NOW!
A very special issue of THIS SICKNESS. Far more an anthology than ever before, bigger, bolder, deadlier and not just comics anymore! Here is me looking ever so dignified alongside it.
Two new things:
1) It's on the Matchbook program, which means if you buy the print version(and you really should, it's beautiful) you can get the Kindle
for $2.99. 2) If you're a retailer, this is now offered wholesale
through Createspace Direct, which means if you like it can be in YOUR
STORE. Bother your local book or comic store owner to order it today!
And what's in it? Well, it's not just the vehicle for my work anymore. I didn't mean for issue 8 to have exactly 8 creators, but that's what happened. (I didn't notice till I was assembling it)
First, a gorgeous cover by Molly Kiely. It's a portrait of Stefania Casini, who was the basis
for the design of my Lulu, as you've heard far too many times. This issue is dedicated to this great lady of
international cinema.
100 pages thick in black & white and, for the first time, quite a lot IN COLOR! And if I might say so, it printed quite beautifully and brilliantly. Createspace does a good job.
Insides include:
Almost 60 pages of comics by myself, including of course, the new LULU...
...the return
of UNCLE CYRUS to print--last seen in PLASTIC in 2001...
The debut on paper, in full glowing color, of SUZY
SPREADWELL...
And my wordless version of "Strange Fruit" from GRAPHIC CANON 3.
27 pages of artwork by Emily Kaplan (in the first extensive collection of her magnificent and numerous paintings);
Poetry by Chad Parenteau;
A new short story by Chris Dewildt(with an illo by me); Illustrations by newcomer Gianna Ratto...
As well as a new cartoon written byCharles Alverson (Jabberwocky, Brazil, Story of OH!)and drawn by me--our first work together since 2008.
And a back cover (and a painting inside as well) by painter Duong Thi
Phuong Hang.
THIS SICKNESS #8: Completed Front Cover With Logo (Artwork by Molly Kiely) Finished front cover with the new logo. Other updates on the new issue from yesterday here. Art by Molly Kiely. Keep watching for announcement of release.
LULU Chapter 4 Final Page + THIS SICKNESS #8 News This week's LULU. And the last page of this chapter. A day late, but yesterday was my birthday, so eh. Click image for full page.
And how did I spend the last two or so weeks? Assembling THIS SICKNESS #8, which will be 100 pages and very diverse stuff, with, aptly, 8 contributors, though that was accidental. Here's the cover minus text, except on the spine. Art by Molly Kiely(front) & Duong T.P.Hang(back)
Other contributions include lots and lots of comics by myself(including for the first time some in color--my stuff includes LULU, UNCLE CYRUS, SUZY SPREADWELL, my version of "Strange Fruit" from GRAPHIC CANON and a few other items), artwork by Emily Kaplan
(in the first extensive collection of her magnificent and numerous
paintings), poetry by Chad Parenteau, a new short story by Chris
Dewildt(with illo by me), and more illustrations, by newcomer Gianna Ratto. As well as a new
cartoon written by Charles Alverson and drawn by me.
If you're wondering about the "hex21" thing on the
spine--just an informal numbering system like Craig Russell's "Opus" or
Trent Reznor's "Halo" systems. This will be the 22nd thing I've
published.This is including
the books TRADE and VLADRUSHKA 1, which did have a small amount of
printing till Createspace "suppressed" them. (literally, that's how it
was put on my dashboard) The "hex" is an I Ching reference.*
Oh, and don't go looking for this at your dealer--though inquire, because if they deal
with Ingrams they may be able to order it once it's released, as I now have the channels open to sell direct to bookstores and libraries. THIS SICKNESS #8 will be
available only at Amazon, but may also be at Comixology soon after(as LULU Book 1 is now). And
maybe through the new Shop feature at Facebook as well. (where I already have a couple of items for sale) I will post
updates as we get closer to the launch.
Gianna Ratto
Emily Kaplan
Emily Kaplan
*For those that might be interested, here's the full list:
And assembly of THIS SICKNESS #8 is fast underway. Here's the full list of other contributors this issue, about 60 pages(it's fairly big) of which is me. This one will have comics, paintings, drawings, prose, and poetry. In no particular order: Emily Kaplan Chad Parenteau Gianna Ratto (her debut in print) Charles Alverson Duong Thi Phuong Hang ...and just added, a new short story by Chris DeWildt, whom you may recall I illustrated at Martian Lit once. And we also have a lovely cover from the amazing Molly Kiely. More on all that as soon as I can tell you. ___________________
New UNCLE CYRUS @MartianLit 3:10 - An Oddly Late Call As THIS SICKNESS #8 (with me, Emily Kaplan, Chad Parenteau, a cover by Molly Kiely, and a couple of others I'm not announcing yet) is being assembled for print sometime soon, here's the continuing taste of Uncle Cyrus at Martian Lit. Click image for full page.
More Teasing THIS SICKNESS #8: New Cartoon with Charles Alverson
First thing we've done together since 2008's THE STORY OF OH! from the now-out-of-print THIS SICKNESS #1. Just finished last night. Click image to enlarge.
LULU Chapter 4: p.80 - Biting at Satin With Friday comes new LULU. Click image for full page.
And here's this week's UNCLE CYRUS at Martian Lit. And a bunch of LULU and UNCLE CYRUS pages (and more) are still up for sale at Ebay. Bid now! I could really use the dough. Oh, and I drew the last penciled page for that Uncle Cyrus story yesterday, and I'm finishing it now.
That's the last of my contribution to the new issue apart from putting it together, So THIS SICKNESS #8 shouldn't be long now before it's in print. Which besides over 52 pages of comics from me including LULU, UNCLE CYRUS and SUZY SPREADWELL, will also feature Emily Kaplan, Chad Parenteau and a special guest cover by my pal Molly Kiely. Keep watching for announcements. You can, of course, find the previous issues here via Amazon, along with the rest of what I have in print. ___________________
THIS SICKNESS 8- A Taste: "Strange Fruit" (2013, from GRAPHIC CANON Vol. 3) The new issue of THIS SICKNESS, too long delayed because of, well, various personal crap, should be coming along at the beginning of 2016(UPDATE: get it here now), in print and hopefully later at Comixology. So far the roster includes the new chapters of LULU, SUZY SPREADWELL (censors permitting), and UNCLE CYRUS, as well as paintings by the great Emily Kaplan--the first time we've done anything together in any way since 1991--and poetry by WORKING FOR THE MAN alumnus Chad Parenteau. And a cover by Molly Kiely...this will be a damn good issue, I think, and thick. Though I'm not sure exactly how thick yet.
And also this, which I have Molly to thank for getting published in the first place, from the Graphic Canon vol. 3 in 2013. More after the jump...
"Eternity in the company of Beelzebub, and all of his hellish instruments of death, will be a picnic compared to five minutes with me & this pencil." --E. Blackadder, 1789 Questionable
words & pictures from John Linton Roberson