When I wrote 4 pages of connected crazed-surreal imagery that our dwarf pal was swimming through in Skullkickers #3, I knew it was a heck of a challenge.

Click on that image above. I think it’s fair to say that Edwin and Misty stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.

Buy issue #3 when it arrives on store shelves tomorrow and read that very special scene with narration and sound effects included. It’s an absolute knock-out.

Click for larger version

Pin-Up artwork finished last night for Emerald City Comicon’s Monsters & Dames 2011 artbook. I’ll post up a step-by-step on this piece later this week.

It’s happened again! Everyone on the Skullkickers team and at Image is blown away at the increased demand and orders that are coming in.

Check out the amazing cover that Edwin Huang and Espen Grundetjern put together under the gun for this new printing of issue #3. Once you give it a read, the crazed cosmic bull bucking bronco imagery will make more sense, trust me. 🙂

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Betsy Gomez
510-644-4980 x 26
betsygomez@imagecomics.com

COMPOUND SKULL FRACTURE
Like first two issues, SKULLKICKERS #3 sells out at distribution level.

Berkeley, CA – 22 November 2010 – The main characters of SKULLKICKERS can’t be put down, and readers can’t put the book down either — the third issue of the riotous action-comedy series has already sold out at the distribution level!

Image Comics has ordered a second printing of Skullkickers’ side-splitting third issue. It will be in stores alongside the fourth issue on December 22, 2010.

Written by Jim Zubkavich (POPGUN, Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki) and illustrated by the talented team of Edwin Huang on interiors and Misty Coats on colors, SKULLKICKERS plays fantasy tropes to the hilt with all the black-hearted comedy and bombastic action any comics fan could want.

“Everyone on the Skullkickers creative team is working hard,” says Zubkavich, “so getting this kind of back-to-press boost three times in a row is incredibly gratifying. Please keep reading and enjoying because we intend to keep delivering frantic fantasy fun throughout the holidays!”

In SKULLKICKERS, two mercenaries are entangled in a high-class assassination plot, and nothing will stop them from getting paid. The third issue sees our heroes tripping the light fantastic with pilfered poison stew and undead antagonists aplenty. This one has something for everyone — including a special recipe for Skullkickers Stew for comic culinary enthusiasts!

SKULLKICKERS #3 Second Printing (SEP108188D), a 32-page full-color comic book for $2.99, will be in December 22, 2010, the same day as SKULLKICKERS #4 (AUG108190).

Follow the Skullkickers blog at www.skullkickers.com for sneak peeks and more. You can download a free preview of SKULLKICKERS using the Image Comics app from comiXology.

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

At the one day Toronto Comicon yesterday I hung out with friends and sold some Skullkickers issues. It was a pretty relaxed day. While I was there I also started sketching out the mercenary boys.

I didn’t make a big deal of it when I posted the issue 6 solicitation last week, but if you look carefully you’ll see that I’m listed as one of the artists for the issue, not the writer. I’m actually going to be drawing one of the short stories in that special issue. I’m excited and intimidated by the rest of the artists on board, but I really want to contribute and am hoping I can push through to a new level with my work on it.

Anyways, here are my first-ever sketches of the boys, exploring their basic construction and shapes:

I don’t want my version to be a poor copy of Edwin’s but I’m using that as a starting base and then will push in to a slightly different direction as I get more comfortable.

I’m ecstatic that I can finally talk about our special short story issue in Skullkickers #6. It’s been something we’ve been pulling together for a couple months now, so now that it’s out in the open we’re even more excited.

Issue 6 is a wild jam issue with other creators as a way for us to keep Skullkickers on the stands and in people’s hearts while Edwin and Misty take the time required to rebuild the art buffer for our second story arc. As nice as it would be to have issues completed in one month, at this point that’s just not realistic. Everyone on the Skullkickers team is juggling extra jobs to make this work financially and, in turn, issues take longer than four weeks to produce. So, even though we started with issues finished as they were being solicited, we’ve slowly burned through that lead and need time to get ahead again. We want retailers and readers to know that the book will arrive on time as the story arc rolls out and this is the best way to do that.

—

Going through the issue 6 creative crew, in alphabetical order:

Brian Clevinger is the writer and co-creator of the hilarious Atomic Robo series, one of my absolute favorite comics being published right now and a real inspiration for the brand of hijinks that populates Skullkickers. Robo is a creator-owned dynamo and if you’re not reading it you need to stop whatever you’re doing right now and head to your local comic shop for issues, trades – whatever you can get your hands on.

Jeffrey ‘Chamba’ Cruz is one of those artists who makes it all look so easy, even while you know under the surface that he has masterful skills and works his butt off. His dynamic action artwork and moody colouring has made him a fan favorite on UDON’s Street Fighter comic series and I’m excited about having him contribute his skills to the Skullkicker boys.

Ray Fawkes is a rock solid writer and artist who has created titles for Oni Press and Vertigo that strike an emotional core and defy expectations. We first met when I was still in college, lost touch and then reunited through comic conventions and mutual friends. Seeing his skills grow with each project he tackles and knowing that he has a wickedly well developed sense of humour, I wanted him to bring the same kooky/eerie qualities he has in Possessions, his supernatural-comedy graphic novel series, to the world of Skullkickers.

Scott Hepburn is another old college friend and former UDON studio mate who toiled away for years on smaller projects and built up his skills until he was turning heads with the quality of his storytelling and solid figure work. I’ve wanted to collaborate with him for quite a while and am thrilled that he’s on board this special issue.

Chris Sims is the gut-wrenchingly funny writer of the Invincible Super Blog. The consistent humor quality of his entries turned it from an occasional amusement in my daily RSS read to a can’t-wait part of my day. His pointed satire about comics and the industry cuts through crap with ease and I really do feel he’ll be a big name writer within a handful of years. With that firmly in mind, I wanted to get my hooks in to him early so I could claim some kind of feeble partial credit for his success at a future point.

Joe Vriens is one of those artists who keeps upping his game every time you turn around. From cartoony designs all the way to lushly rendered digital paintings, Joe’s creativity and natural design sense bursts through in everything he does. After contributing a killer pin-up that we ended up using as the cover for Skullkickers #2 second print, I knew I had to get him involved with this issue.

Adam Warren was the first North American anime-influenced artist I ever saw and his Dirty Pair mini-series (originally published by now-defunct publisher Eclipse and then later by Dark Horse) had a profound effect on my writing and art. His creator owned series Empowered is top notch character study under the wrappings (quite literally) of fetish-y superhero nonsense and it will surprise you with its depth even while it titillates and teases. That I can now count him amongst my friends kind of blows my mind. I’m honored to have him on board.

—

Without trying to hype it too much, I really do think it’s a killer creative line-up; Some of the funniest writers in comics working with some of the best artists anywhere. I hope comic fans everywhere snag this issue in February to see what kind of alchemy is formed from these guys pouring their efforts in to our special ‘Four Tavern Tales’ and that it helps build extra excitement for the second story arc of Skullkickers series that begins in issue 7.

SKULLKICKERS #6
story Brian Clevinger, Ray Fawkes, Chris Sims and Adam Warren
art Jeffrey ‘Chamba’ Cruz, Scott Hepburn, Joe Vriens and Jim Zubkavich
cover Chris Stevens, Edwin Huang and Saejin Oh
FEBRUARY 23
32 PAGES / FC
$2.99

“FOUR TAVERN TALES”

The Skullkickers find some time to kick back and relax… and by “relax”, we mean “mash more monsters”.

This issue is a Skullkicking short story smorgasbord by top flight comic talent Brian Clevinger (Atomic Robo), Ray Fawkes (Possessions), Chris Sims (The Invincible Super Blog), Adam Warren (Empowered), Jeff ‘Chamba’ Cruz (Street Fighter), Scott Hepburn (Star Wars), Joe Vriens (Darkstalkers) and Jim Zubkavich (Oh yeah, an actual Skullkickers guy).

This Sunday I’m a guest at the Toronto Comicon 1 Day Show on Nov 21st.

I’ll have a handful of advance copies of Skullkickers #3 for sale along with rare first print issue #1’s and 2’s. Bring your comics to get signed or pick them up at my table and jump on board the series.

Last night I put the finishing touches on the first Skullkickers story arc. I’m solidifying the second arc and, between SK and a couple other projects that are gestating, I’m writing more than ever before and loving it.

Amongst all the other things that 2010 has brought me (marriage, stability, travel, joy), this creative outlet is the one I did not expect in the slightest.

Skullkickers was originally pitched to Image in June of 2008 and eventually mothballed. I thought it was very dead until things started moving again in February/March of this year. Being able to complete the storyline I brainstormed over two years ago is really satisfying. Extending it into more stories to come is even better.

Getting a chance to tell this kooky fantasy tale and having people respond positively to it has been fantastic. Pulling together the enthusiasm I have for fantasy, comedy and bombastic action in to this ridiculous blend is a thrill.

Issue #6 (arriving in February) is extra special because it’s a jam issue between arcs called ‘Four Tavern Tales’. I contacted a few of my favorite creators, people I think are some of the funniest people in comics, to write short Skullkickers stories as a treat for readers and also as a way for us to get keep the title on the stands while rebuilding our buffer of material for the second arc. Then I got in touch with artist-pro friends and paired them up with awesome writers. I can’t wait until the Image solicits are out and everyone can see the line-up.

At the same time, I’m slowly but surely planning convention trips for next year, trying to figure out which shows would work best for promoting SK. I’d like to give at least one RPG show a shot (Gen Con Indy maybe?) to capitalize on the D&D-centric nature of the book. Other comic-centered ones I’ve never been to before are now an option too – maybe Wondercon, Mega Con or Heroes Con, but I have to be careful about making the most of my meager travel budget. Even still, planning this stuff out because the book is doing well is a good problem to have compared to wrapping it all up after 5 issues because sales weren’t sustainable.

Things are good. Damn good.

Jim Graves, the Character Design instructor at Seneca, has been setting up sketch themes at the college, asking students and staff to draw up a different subject each week. I’ve been so busy with work and personal stuff going on that I haven’t been able to contribute much.

This week’s theme was “Street Fighter”, so I felt kind of obligated to pitch in. 🙂

Here’s a Dhalsim pencil sketch I busted out this morning before class.

It’s Neil Gaiman’s 50th birthday today, so it seemed an appropriate time to tell the story about how I met Neil back in 2003 and how it steeled my resolve for interacting with famous folks.

After my first convention experience back in 2002, I wondered if I’d ever be able to afford to go back San Diego for the big show, or to hang out with comic folks and ride that crazy merry-go-round again.

A year later I was living in Toronto and had started working for UDON on some smaller projects, slowly but surely building up professional relationships and getting a feel for how the business stuff worked with comic, illustration and video game projects coming in to the studio. Financially things were tight, but when the ever-gracious and amazing Howard Tayler offered me crash space at his hotel, I leapt at the chance to go back to SDCC and ride the whirlwind again.

Thursday night after the show Ray and I headed out to the CBLDF party taking place at a nearby Irish pub. People were talking about how amazing it would be because Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller and Will Eisner would be there. All of us had visions of hanging out with comic legends and feeling about 300% cooler than we were before. Making our way over to the party, there was a feeling of electricity in the air.

That lasted until we arrived.

The pub was absolutely jammed. There’s no way the place would pass fire code inspection. People were crushed in shoulder to shoulder and could barely even move. We slowly pushed our way in hoping to catch a glimpse of greatness, or at least to see people we knew, but no such luck. The noise, the crowd, it was beyond ridiculous. You could have body surfed your way to the washrooms. When we finally fought our way to the bar we discovered that pints were double price (with half going to the CBLDF) and we forked out $15 for the house beer with a sigh. Even though we knew it was for a worthy cause, the whole thing was just overbearing. When I asked someone where the big name guests were at, they told us they were upstairs in a private lounge and regular people weren’t allowed upstairs. Great, so we were in the same building as Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman and Will Eisner. Not exactly what anyone was expecting.

Some brief conversations with friends, some awkward moments crushed against walls or tables and I was ready to get out of there. We downed the rest of our pints and started shuffling our way back out of the building. Getting impatient, I pushed a bit too much without looking where I was going and promptly shoulder checked Scott McCloud in the chest. Scott recognized me from last year and was as positive and upbeat as ever, even after I bumped him. He wanted to chat, but we explained that the party was just too much and we were on our way out to find a bar that had space. Scott told us he’d come with us, he just needed to say “Hi” to a few friends first. Not wanting to lose him in the insane crowd, we followed.

When Scott made it to the stairs, he was immediately waved up in to the VIP lounge… he is Scott McCloud, after all! We waited at the bottom as the bouncer stood between us, until Scott looked back and cheerfully said “Oh yeah, those guys are with me!”

And that’s how we made our way in to the comic book Forbidden Zone!

Upstairs was open, spacious and everywhere we looked there were big name comic pros hanging out, chatting and having drinks. Scott grabbed us a table and ordered a round while Ray and I looked at each other feeling guilty that we’d found a way up here.

After some nice conversation, Scott asked us if there was anyone we wanted to meet. I knew that Scott and Neil were longtime friends, but I felt really awkward asking for an introduction. I grew up as a huge Sandman fan and had just finished reading Neil’s American Gods book a few weeks earlier. It felt so fan boy-ish and I wasn’t sure how to broach it. Ray happily filled Scott in on how big a Gaiman fan I was and Scott grinned from ear to ear. I thought it was just because of their friendship, but what I didn’t know was that while we were talking about this, Neil was coming right up behind us. He reached right over me to shake Scott’s hand and I was dumbstruck, frozen. I wasn’t ready and Scott knew it. I didn’t want to make an ass of myself, but I just was not prepared.

Scott: “These are two good friends of mine, Ray and Jim.”

Ray: “Hey, a real pleasure to meet you.”

Jim (wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights): “Hi.”

Neil (looking at me a bit confused): “I’m Neil.”

Jim (still totally freaked out): “Cool.”

Neil (smirking a bit): “I’m a writer.”

Jim (smiling awkwardly in terror): “Oh?”

(horrible silence)

Neil (turning back to Scott): “Well it’s great to see you, Scott. We’ll catch up later on.”

And off he went. As soon as he was gone, Scott and Ray burst out laughing. They couldn’t believe how badly I’d seized up and how wigged out I was by the encounter. I was so horribly embarrassed and held my head in my hands, feeling like a huge moron. This guy’s work was a massive influence, had struck so many emotional chords for me and I couldn’t even greet him properly or wish him well. Fuck, he didn’t even know that I knew who he was! Unbelievable.

Over the next half hour Scott slowly rebuilt my ego and convinced me that I had to go try talking to Neil again. When would I have this kind of chance again? If I didn’t do it, wouldn’t I regret it later? Of course he was right. I had to try again.

So, I watched for a good moment when Neil wrapped up a conversation and went over to start again, introducing myself and telling him how I was thrown off guard when he came over to the table. I’m so glad I did. We had an absolutely delightful conversation about how much his work meant to me and how much I’d enjoyed the ending of American Gods. I’m sure he has no recollection of the encounter, but it was one I’ll never forget and it purged my fear of talking to professionals and celebrities alike.

After it all wrapped up, I asked Neil if Ray could snap a quick photo and he happily agreed. After 8 years doing shows, it’s still one of my favourite con photos as I am so goddamn happy in it, especially with Neil’s ridiculously appropriate “Learn to Dream” shirt in there.

All this to come around in my own foolish way to say Happy 50th Birthday, Neil. You’re a class act and an inspiration. Thank you for all you’ve done to unlock the imagination in all your readers.