Samurai Jack #1 arrived in comic shops on Wednesday and it’s been a whirlwind since the launch. The praise from readers and reviewers has been overwhelmingly positive and I’m blown away by all the kindness shown to the comic. Thank you to everyone who has been sending messages, emails, and tweets about the first issue.

• IGN Comics: 8.8/10 “Writer Jim Zub and artist Andy Suriano work in perfect harmony to deliver a comic that captures the distinct tone of the series to the point where you might wonder if this is secretly a lost script from Tartakovsky himself.”

• Newsarama: 8/10 “Samurai Jack is more than just a trip down memory lane. Zub and Suriano may be nostalgia surfing, but they’re also shredding new and exciting waves.”

• Alpha Comics: “Zub’s wit and hilarious imagination is put to good use with this crazy plot and opportunity to invent some really cool enemies for the chiseled jaw of Jack to growl at.”

• Big Planet Comics: “It matches the style of the show perfectly.”…”If you’re a fan of the cartoon it’s a ‘must have’.”

• Comic Bastards: 5/5 “Samurai Jack: the comic book shows promise and its first issue is a sterling example of an adaptation done right.”

• Comic Book Bin: 9/10 “Of all the comic books that have debuted this year, Samurai Jack is the purest of them all. It is so free of pretension, yet is still bright and imaginative.”

• Comic Book Communicast: “You open it up and it’s like you’re watching another episode of the TV series.”…”It’s perfect.”

• Comic Book Therapy: 5/5 “Samurai Jack fans rejoice, Zub and Suriano have presented an excellent first issue. IDW is two for two on their Cartoon Network adaptations. Whether you’re a longtime Jack fan or someone who’s curious what all the fuss is about, check this one out.”

• Comicosity: 8/10 “Jim Zub and Andy Suriano bring a lot of the same imaginative character design and the over-the-top mix of action and humor that made the cartoon work.”

• Fanboy Comics: “Suriano’s art is such a dead ringer for the original art that I found myself missing the soundtrack and the effects during my read.”

• Fellowship of the Geeks: “Zub and Suriano have really knocked this one out of the park. It’s original where it needs to be, but it’s still familiar like an old friend.”

• First Comics News: “…my mind was seeing animation flow from panel to panel, which shows how good the comic is!”

• Flickering Myth: “Jim Zub’s writing is pretty spot-on in terms of authenticity, the comic feels like a genuine continuation as opposed to trying to sell paper off the back of a decent franchise.”

• Geek Smash: 8.8/10 “There are so many fantastic things to say about this comic, even if I wasn’t fueled on pure nostalgia.”

• Geeked Out Nation: 8.5/10 “There is so much good in this issue. Huge kudos to the writer and artist for making this series feel exactly like the show. “…”I’m really, really, really, REALLY looking forward to the next issue.”

• Moar Powah: 4/5 “Between the dead-on accurate artwork, to the quick wit and well written dialogue, every inch of this book just SCREAMS Samurai Jack. “

• Nerd Span: “This was honestly one of my most anticipated comics of the last half of the year, and it did not disappoint. It’s a nice new chapter in Jack’s journey and is wonderfully presented.”

• Nerdlocker: 5/5 “This one seems like it’s gonna be fun. I’m on board. You guys should be too.”

• Nerds on the Rocks: 7/7 “This comic offers everything I want in a number 1 – A feel for the characters and the world, a complete story and a dangling carrot that makes me want to continue reading without feeling cheated. Samurai Jack #1 is a worthy follow-up to the animated series and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

• Omnicomic: “Fans of the Samurai Jack show will feel right at home here. Zub and Suriano do a great job picking up where it left off, offering up continuity in the way of story and art that will appeal to new fans as well as old.”

• Outhousers: “This is an amazing debut issue from Zub and Suriano. It’s the perfect pairing for a book like this. Given the genius source material and the creative team, the possibilities are endless.”

• Pop Culture Maven: “Solid story and fantastic art make this one of the few adaptations that really works. Very Recommended!”

• Reading Pictures: “If you miss Jack and his samurai ways, go pick this up. If you never watched the show, buy the book anyway because it’s just plain fun.”

• Shadowhawk’s Shade: 10/10 “Jim Zub has done a great job of capturing that same sense of wonder and charm that was there in the cartoons.”

• Sound On Sight: “This issue IS an episode of Samurai Jack, from the set-up, to the battles, every panel knows its origins and doesn’t shy from its roots. A wonderfully fun read that’s perfect for the whole family.”

• This Is Infamous: “…the motion and movement necessary to make the fight sequences sing are all there, and Jack’s magic sword swings right off the page.”

• Unleash the Fanboy: 4/5 “Samurai Jack #1 is a great beginning to something that’s bound to be memorable. Recommended.”

• What Culture: “Samurai Jack #1 is a really fun comic that gets the series off to a good start – fans of the show have definitely got to give this one a look!”

I started working on the Samurai Jack comic back in April. It feels surreal and wonderful to finally have the first issue released today.

Thank you to Andy Suriano for collaborating so well and illustrating the heck out of the comic.

Thank you to Carlos Guzman, our Editor, and the rest of the IDW team for their support and enthusiasm.

Thanks of course to Genndy Tartakovsky and the crew at Cartoon Network for giving me the chance to contribute to such a great property.

I know it can sound a bit corny, but I really mean it – Thank you for supporting my work. It means the world to me.

If you get a chance to buy a copy today, please let me know what you think and, if you enjoyed it, spread the word: Jack is back!

Our pals at Comics Alliance have posted up an exclusive preview of Samurai Jack #1, which arrives in comic shops this Wednesday October 23rd!

Coming in January…

Samurai Jack #4

Jim Zub (writing) • Andy Suriano (art & cover A) • Genndy Tartakovsky (subscription variant)

A mystic queen of great power and beauty accepts no criticism, especially from a lowly wandering samurai. Can Jack find another one of the Threads of Time before he’s imprisoned for royal heresy?

Here are all the Samurai Jack #1 retailer-exclusive covers arriving in October. So many awesome illustrations:

Genndy Tartakovsky (The Beguiling)

Sean “Cheeks” Galloway (Emerald City Con)

Sergio Quijada (Hastings)

Jim Zub (Phantom Variant)

Ethen Beavers (Newbury Comics)

Craig Rosseau (Rhode Island Con)

Bryan Turner (Awesome Con)

A couple months ago IDW asked me if I had a good suggestion for an artist who could do up a retailer-incentive cover for Samurai Jack #1. Andy Suriano, the regular artist on the series, was slammed with other work and they wanted him to keep plugging away on the interior art for the first issue. Not trying to come across as presumptuous, I asked if I could have a shot at it. Thankfully they said “Yes” and it all turned out.

Here was my process on creating the cover art:

I wanted to create an image that was symmetrical and bold, something that would fit the style of the show and would also channel the look of an old samurai movie poster. I started with the looming shape of Aku and then placed Jack stoically standing in the middle. I don’t normally show people my chicken-scratch gestures, but this is how most of my drawings start. What’s most important is the overall appeal of the shapes intersecting and the composition.

From there I looked up some reference for the characters to make sure their proportions were correct and started tightening up the rough. It’s still sloppy, but the posing is a lot clearer.

I added some quick shadows and colors to the piece to see how they would work together. The Samurai Jack animation style relies on bold simple shapes and colors and I wanted to put that feel into my piece without copying any particular still from the show.

I asked Steve Cummings, a good friend of mine (and amazing artist) living in Tokyo, if he could help me with translating the title “Samurai Jack and the Threads of Time” for the cover illo. He helped me out with the translation and positioning of the individual characters. This was the rough version I sent along to IDW and Cartoon Network for approval.

Once IDW/CN gave me the go ahead, I printed out a light blue line version of the rough lines on to 11″ x 17″ paper, then traditionally inked it. I like working digitally, but felt that the imprecise nature of the real ink line would fit well with the Japanese poster look I was going for. After scanning in the final, I adjusted the levels in Photoshop to get the stark black and white line work.

This is midway through coloring. The rendering process on a flat-graphic illustration like this can be quicker than fully painted work, but the “less is more” approach also lead me to a lot of experimentation to get the right balance between the colors, textures and lines.

Steve Cummings asked his friend Makoto Nishi if he could do the traditional ink calligraphy for the title and he did up several wonderful sets for me to choose from. It added the perfect traditional finish to the piece and looked ten times better than just using a Japanese font to create the title. Here’s a sample of that beautiful ink brush lettering before it’s digitally inverted and added to the illustration.

And here’s the finished cover with all the titling and graphics in place. I’m really proud of how this turned out and can’t wait to have the printed version of the issue in my hands.

Contributing to Samurai Jack, now as both a writer and as an artist, is a real dream come true for me. I hope fans of the cartoon enjoy the further adventures of Jack that Andy Suriano and I are putting together.

Samurai Jack #1 should be in comic shops on October 23rd. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?