NEWS
Sun
15
Jul
2018
PARDON THE DUST…
…it's just that I'm apparently awful about keeping this site up-to-date these days.
Several projects on the cusp of releasing, as well as some potential interesting new comics writing developments which, sigh, I can't talk about.
A science-fiction themed RPG product of particular interest to people who liked my old work at West End Games in the '90s will be announced shortly, and that's something I'm very excited about.
Some minor housekeeping around here, as well, including the addition of the Atomic Robo and Real Science Adventures section of my Comics Design Work bibliography. In addition to developing some additional material for inclusion in Team Robo's crowdfunded limited hardcover editions, I put together a few softcovers for them, published through IDW Publishing.
People who know me will attest to my deep affection for Atomic Robo; it was a blast getting to work with Brian and Scott on what is easily one of my favorite comics currently on stands.
Here's a look at the cover of the Atomic Robo and the Spectre of Tomorrow TPB…
I almost forgot to mention: my old run with my friend Greg Rucka on the DC spy series Checkmate have been reissued in a new collection, Checkmate by Greg Rucka, Book 2. And, finally, the last arc we did, "Castling"—which was previously only available in a frankly pretty obscure collection of old Kobra stories—is at last collected under the Checkmate banner!
(The collection also includes Nunzio DeFilippis' and Christina Weir's Checkmate issues featuring the Suicide Squad, and the Checkmate/Outsiders crossover by Judd Winnick and Matthew Clark. It's a hefty 300+ pages, too. Lot of superhero spy bang for the buck.
Fri
08
Dec
2017
'TIS THE SEASON
I've been blathering on for a while about the pulp RPG supplements I've been working on for Adamant Entertainment.
Typically, these are PDF only—we publish through DriveThruRPG/RPGNow—and the system available to us does allow for print-on-demand.
That said, the individual supplements are designed to be low-cost for the consumer, so they don't run more than 35-40 pages. Meaty pages, but still, not giant mega-sourcebooks.
This means that the print-on-demand option is not particularly cost effective for the consumer.
Recently, though, we took a page from the comics biz: we've amassed enough of these supplements to combine into a "trade paperback" of sorts—edited and updated, with some new material into the bargain, and can charge a not-extravagant price for it as a print-on-demand book. (Plus you get the PDF, too.)
So, I give you, for Thrilling Tales, Second Edition: "Axis of Evil, Volume One," an omnibus of pulp villainy.
This book contains a heavily updated version of Pulp Villains: Violet, plus:
Pulp Villains: Count Shadau
Pulp Villains: The Yellow King
Pulp Villains: Von Keiner
Pulp Villains: The Subterranean Monarch
Pulp Villains: Baron Korga
Be bad for the holidays, and order a copy from DriveThruRPG or RPGNow! Six villains, twenty bucks.
HEY KIDS, COMICS!
Also out, just in time to celebrate the holidays with tales of a soul-crushing dystopian oligarchy: LAZARUS X +66 #5! This issue, we're joined by the incredible Bilquis Evely (Wonder Woman).
LAZARUS X +66 #5
WRITTEN BY: Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann
ART BY: Bilquis Evely
COLORS BY: Santiago Arcas
LETTERED BY: Jodi Wynne
Sére Cooper has spent years not only surviving but thriving as she delivers the Family approved news via CEEtv. Now, she’s told one truth too many and finds herself sidelined. When a puff-piece story leads to an explosive revelation, she must decide what matters more: the truth or her life.
Image Comics | Color | 40pg | Mature Readers | $3.99
Also available now:
BLACK MAGICK #9
WRITTEN BY: Greg Rucka
ART BY: Nicola Scott w/Chiarra Arena
LETTERS BY: Jodi Wynne
BOOK DESIGN BY: Eric Trautmann
"Awakenings II," Part Three. The Hammer is in Portsmouth. Alex learns the name of one enemy and the face of another. And Rowan's troubles only grow as both Samhain and the baby come due.
Image Comics | Color & B/W | 40 pg. | Mature Readers | $3.99
Fri
15
Sep
2017
I HAVE RETURNED AND I BRING WITH ME PULP MENACE.
I've been super busy of late, and consequently have been lax about updating the website and mailing list, for which I apologize and will attempt to be better about.
In addition to updating the bibliographical portions of the site to include the work I've been doing on Lazarus, the Lazarus Sourcebooks, Lazarus: X +66, Black Magick, and The Old Guard, the RPG section has gotten some love, too.
Including the newest Thrilling Tales Pulp Villain RPG supplement, Baron Korga.
The Pulp Villains line features pregenerated NPC villains designed to be easily dropped into ongoing pulp-genre Savage Worlds/Thilling Tales campaigns, with detailed stats, maps, character histories, henchmen, tactics, and adventure hooks.
Baron Korga, written by Michael B. Lee and featuring original cover art by Colton Worley (Dynamite Entertainment's The Spider) also includes a dozen bonus downloads, 11 x 17, print-resolution posters of Korga's robot army, maps of his lair, and internal and external schematics of his skyscraper-sized submersible, The Kraken.
Available (PDF only) from RPGNow and DriveThruRPG for a mere $5.
(For some reason, there's a technical issue with DriveThru, so searching for the book won't yield any results, but the direct link above should function.)
BONUS DOWNLOADS PREVIEW
Fri
14
Apr
2017
SOME NEW STUFF
A few cool things I can talk about, finally.
First:
WILD TIMES: THE ORAL HISTORY OF WILDSTORM STUDIOS
Joseph Hedges ran a successful Kickstarter for this project—collecting a ridiculous amount of interview material and charting the history of Wildstorm Studios; for non-comics folk, this was part of the upstart Image Comics "movement" years ago, and later was purchased by DC Comics. Wildstorm produced some amazing and innovative comics material from some of the biggest names in comics. To be frank, a lot of them became the biggest names in comics because of their Wildstorm work.
Joseph hired me to tackle the book's interior layout chores, and I'm pretty pleased with the result. (The cover is by the excellent George Sellas.)
To purchase the print or digital editions, visit the book's official store.
There's also some cool related material on the book's Tumblr.
ATOMIC ROBO: ULTRA FIELD MANUAL
I've been a big fan of the comic series Atomic Robo since pretty much day one and it's been a pleasure to get to know the book's creators (writer Brian Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener) a bit.
A while ago, they ran a Kickstarter (I'm sensing a theme), and one of the rewards was an employee handbook for Atomic Robo's company, Tesladyne. It's a lovely bit of work, funny and smart.
So I was super-thrilled to be invited to help them put together a similar project for them, a military-style field manual for the super-secret shadowy paramilitary organization ULTRA (which intends to seize and re-engineer as much of Robo's / Tesla's technology and use it to SAVE THE WORLD mumble mumble but also secret bad guy agenda mumble mumble).
It was a blast.
It also made for a fun design challenge—make something that looks credible as a military manual (which, historically, tend toward the deeply, vastly ugly) without making it look deeply, vastly ugly.
In addition to typesetting Brian's text, I got to create all kinds of fun things like requisition forms for exotic / world-breaking weapons, requisition forms for those requisition forms, a "Secret Vampire" checklist (your commanding officer might be a vampire! Be ever vigilant!), Vampire autopsy forms, unit insignia for ULTRA, and all kinds of fun stuff.
For details, visit the Kickstarter page here.
And some samples of the material:
And a peek behind the curtain; my "worksheet" for designing the ULTRA insigne.
Thu
30
Mar
2017
OUT THIS WEEK: LAZARUS #26(!) AND THE OLD GUARD #2
Kind of a busy week this week—two titles I did design work for hit store shelves on Wednesday: the long-awaited Lazarus #26, and the second issue of The Old Guard.
Health stuff and work stuff and travel stuff and life stuff have reduced my output tremendously over the last couple months, but things seem to be ramping up nicely.
A new Sekret Projekt™ has been added to my to-do list, and it involves working with a creative team on a series I've loved unreservedly for many years. Can't wait to let the cat out of the bag.
Anyway:
LAZARUS #26
Written by: Greg Rucka
Art by: Michael Lark (with Tyler Boss)
Cover by: Michael Lark
"Women's History Month" Variant Cover by: Michael Lark
Colors by: Santiago Arcas
Letters by: Jodi Wynne
Publication Design: Eric Trautmann
“Cull,” Part Five
Vassalovka strikes. The Beast is unchained. Forever suffers a devastating loss.
Image Comics / 40 pgs / Mature Readers / $3.99US
THE OLD GUARD #2
Written by: Greg Rucka
Art by: Leandro Fernández
Cover by: Leandro Fernández
"Women's History Month" Variant Cover by: Nicola Scott
Colors by: Daniela Miwa
Letters by: Jodi Wynne
Publication Design by: Eric Trautmann
PART TWO
The Old Guard is revealed. A new immortal is discovered. Things go sideways, fast.
Image Comics / 32 pg. / Mature Readers / $3.99US
THE OLD GUARD #1 GOES TO A SECOND PRINTING
If you missed out on the first issue of The Old Guard, a second printing has recently been released, too.
Written by: Greg Rucka
Art by: Leandro Fernández
Colors by: Daniela Miwa
Letters by: Jodi Wynne
Publication Design by: Eric Trautmann
PART ONE
Eisner-winning writer Greg Rucka (LAZARUS, BLACK MAGICK, Wonder Woman) and critically acclaimed artist Leandro Fernández (THE DISCIPLINE, Deadpool, Punisher: MAX) team up together to introduce The Old Guard, the story of old soldiers who never die…and yet cannot seem to fade away.
Trapped in an immortality without explanation, Andromache of Scythia—“Andy”—and her comrades ply their trade for those who can find—and afford—their services. But in the 21st century, immortality is a hard secret to keep, and when you live long enough, you learn that there are many fates worse than death.
Image Comics / 32 pg. / Mature Readers / $3.99US
