More quotes from our launch reviews last week:

Hey Readers and Retailers,

This is a post to remind people that NOW is the time for retailers to finalize their order numbers on Skullkickers #2, which will be in stores October 20th. If you want to ensure your shop has copies in stock, especially with the second printing of issue #1 arriving a week earlier to bring in new readers who have heard about the series, please order appropriately or let your retailer know you want the series added to your pull list.

We’ve received an overwhelming amount of praise and excitement from readers and retailers alike and we greatly appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. The last few weeks have been a real roller coaster ride.

We’ve also heard from a few people who think Image is trying to manufacture false buzz for the series and that it’s some kind of grand conspiracy to underprint books and create demand for Skullkickers. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

First off, everyone on the Skullkickers team is an unknown, as far as the industry at large is concerned. Image has no vested interest in our success or failure and we have no special favors or blackmail held over them (useful though that would be). Image has been supportive and enthusiastic about the book but it’s one of dozens of titles they release and was, and still is, anything but a sure thing in this market. If they could just deem a particular book “hot” and tilt everyone’s opinions towards it, I’m sure they would have picked something by much higher profile creators with clearer mainstream appeal in a genre that hasn’t had spotty representation in the North American market this side of Battle Chasers.

When Skullkickers #1 hit the Final Order Cut-Off date, many retailers decided it wasn’t a book they would support and they ordered low or not at all. This was after the book was made one of Diamond’s ‘Gem of the Month‘ titles, had the Image Spotlight for September and extensive previews had appeared on major comic news sites including Newsarama and Comic Book Resources along with advance reviews that talked about it being a really great new series. This was also with extra incentive offered from Diamond where retailers would get a free copy if they ordered 10 for their store, effectively discounting the books by another 10%.

The orders came in and they were okay, but not great, and the print run was set based on that FOC number, along with a healthy overprint to account for damaged copies, standard complimentary copies for the creative team and an added buffer to absorb late orders. This is the way it always works. Why would you print a ton of extra copies if they aren’t going to sell?

Believe me when I tell you that we would’ve been very happy to get higher orders right out the gate. Image is creator owned content, so overprinting a ridiculous amount on the faint hope that they might sell (an unknown book by unknown creators in an under represented genre) is ludicrous. If they didn’t move, it would eat up what little profit could come from the book. Even still, Image overprinted more than usual and we all crossed our fingers.

The buzz grew after some very positive high profile reviews and speculation kicked in to gear. We were all (Skullkickers team, Image and Diamond distribution) surprised. Late retailer orders, after the book was already printed, shot past the overprint numbers before issue #1 arrived and, doing our best to keep up, we rushed to get a 2nd print going so it could arrive in stores before #2 to maximize the potential larger readership.

So… here we are again with Final Order Cut-Off on #2. Orders for issue #2 are obviously stronger, but not as robust as we’d expect based on the number of 1st and 2nd print books that will be out in the market. Even after last week’s Final Order Cut-Off for the 2nd print of #1, orders are still coming in. There is genuine interest in this book!

Second issues always have some drop-off, understandably, but it’s entirely possible stores won’t have enough issue 2’s come October 20th. I’d prefer to just have issues ordered and sold, build a readership that enjoys the book and keep it rolling forward as strongly as we can. I don’t want to play this nail-biting game and hope retailers kick in enough late orders to make an overprint a success or wonder if we’ll need to do a second printing of #2. My guts don’t want to play that game again.

Lend us your support and we’ll deliver a fun book on time that kicks ass.

Thanks,
ZUB

I spoke to Gerard Sternik and Vince Peets at the Animation Portfolio Workshop about my experiences applying to art school, working in animation and eventually becoming the Coordinator of Seneca’s 3 year Animation program, along with an extensive run through of the college’s portfolio process:

Podcast Part 1 (9:17)
Podcast Part 2 (11:10)
Podcast Part 3 (8:13)
Podcast Part 4 (6:27)
Podcast Part 5 (10:03)

SKULLKICKERS #4
story JIM ZUBKAVICH
art EDWIN HUANG & MISTY COATS
cover CHRIS STEVENS
DECEMBER 22
32 PAGES / FC
$2.99

“ONE THOUSAND OPAS AND A DEAD BODY,” Part Four

The Skullkickers are up to their necks in trouble and the key to their survival is the Necromancer who wants to see them both (un)dead!
Or, more eloquently explained in Haiku:

G4 TV’s Blair Butler gives a review of Skullkickers #1 on the latest episode of Fresh Ink.

The video is embedded below. Skullkickers coverage begins at 2:48.

Our first issue overcame Blair’s usual distaste for comedy in comics and she gave it a solid endorsement including “This is a very funny fantasy book” and “My hat is off to Skullkickers”

I’ll be signing today at the Silver Snail comic shop in downtown Toronto today.

WHERE: The Silver Snail – 367 Queen Street West
WHEN: 1:00-4:00pm on the main floor
WHY: My new Image Comics series Skullkickers debuted this week.

Edwin and I chatted with Chris Arrant at Newsarama in depth about the first issue of Skullkickers, walking readers through some of the little bits that may have flown by while they read the issue and extra background material that will come to light later on in the series.

Okay, here’s one last slate of reviews about Skullkickers. After this, I won’t be posting links to every single one because it’ll get monotonous (if it hasn’t already 😛 ).

—

• Primary Ignition reviewed the issue after coming across it by accident.

“I was pleasantly surprised by Skullkickers. I opened it without a clue about it, and found a fun little romp of a story. It strikes me as a book that simply isn’t afraid to be what it’s going to be.”

• Adam Prosser at JoBlo gives a quick rundown of the issue and notes my webcomic start.

“…it feels like a labor of love, not something pumped out (smartly or otherwise) to cash in on a popular trend or genre.”

• Giant Killer Squid enjoyed the read, especially considering the reviewer normally shuns any and all fantasy material.

“Looks like Image has put out another fan-favorite.”

• WPR digs right in and has a great time with it.

“This book was an entertaining, drunken, and mythical romp through a world that has werewolves, dwarves with drinking problems, a mysterious assassin, possibly a vampire, and death by spoon.”

• Newsarama’s Best Shots Review finds a fun new book they can get behind.

“Writer/creator Jim Zubkavich’s dialogue and speech are spot on, never falling prey to the usual fantasy tropes, but also never feeling so contemporary as to be off-putting.”