Pop culture super site IGN has just posted up a feature interview with me all about Wayward.

Click on through to give it a read and find out new details about my new supernatural comic series launching in August!

If you like what you’re seeing, please consider pre-ordering the first issue now.

WAYWARD is coming at the end of August, and I know that seems far away, but it’s really not.

In fact, the next handful of weeks are an absolutely crucial period that will determine the long term viability of our whole series before even a single issue arrives in stores.

Yup, it’s solicit time.

Comic book retailers receive a spiffy Previews catalogue jam-packed with pictures, information, and order codes aplenty as publishers try to entice them to order strongly on hundreds of different line items, including many from worldwide superhero and media brands. In the thick of that jumbled mass is Wayward #1, the first issue of a brand new creator-owned comic series I’m launching at Image with artist Steve Cummings.

Without a tie-in movie/TV show, toys, video games, or other multimedia branding, one of the only ways to grab attention for a new title like this is for retailers to know that their customer base is interested in it… and the best way to do that is to pre-order the first issue.

• In the mood for a new story?
• Have you enjoyed other comics I’ve written?
• Have you found my tutorials on breaking in or working in comics helpful?
• Do you like the art that’s been teased so far?
• Are you liking the recent surge of creator-owned comics?
• Does teenagers beating the $#@% out of Japanese mythological monsters sound like a good time?

If you answered “YES” to any of the above, please consider pre-ordering WAYWARD #1 now from your local comic shop.

You’ve probably read my blogposts about the economics of creator-owned comics. What those pie charts and percentages should make very clear is this: Your pre-order matters. Pre-ordering and telling other people about creator-owned titles makes a huge difference and will help ensure we can keep Wayward rolling.

Here’s a convenient pre-order form (that includes solicit info and order codes) you can print out and take to your local comic retailer to let ’em know you’re on board:

Want to find out more about Wayward? Steve and I will be doing a circuit of interviews and will be posting teaser artwork at pretty much every major comic news site online as we head towards the launch. I’ll keep this up to date, but here are ones up so far:

And here’s the solicit:
WAYWARD #1
(W) Jim Zub (A) Steven Cummings, John Rauch (CA) Steven Cummings, Ross Campbell

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER FOR A NEW GENERATION!

Rori Lane is trying to start a new life when she reunites with her mother in Japan, but ancient creatures lurking in the shadows of Tokyo sense something hidden deep within her, threatening everything she holds dear. Can Rori unlock the secrets of her power before it’s too late? JIM ZUB (SKULLKICKERS, Samurai Jack), STEVE CUMMINGS (Legends of the Dark Knight, Deadshot), and JOHN RAUCH (INVINCIBLE) team up to create an all-new Image supernatural spectacle that combines the camaraderie and emotion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the action and mystery of Hellboy. Don’t miss it!

Item Code: JUN140487 In Stores: AUGUST 27 / 32 PAGES / Full Color / Mature Readers / $3.50

I can’t properly express to you how proud I am to finally reveal WAYWARD, my new creator-owned comic series being published by Image Comics starting in August.

This is the first new creator-owned project I’ve launched since Skullkickers in 2010. So much has changed in the past four years and I’m incredibly excited about showing readers a whole new side to my storytelling.

Artist Steve Cummings, colorist John Rauch, and I are working really hard to create an engaging and bombastic supernatural series about myth, magic, and finding friends who will stand by you against all odds.

Expect to see a slew of interviews, previews, and drum beating here as we build towards the launch. In an industry where everyone is trying to get your attention I’ll need to push harder than ever before in order to stand out on the shelf beside well known comic titles.

As always, I deeply appreciate your support and encouragement. If you like the way this story sounds, please, please consider sharing the info with your friends and pre-ordering a copy from your local comic retailer. It’s the best way to build up interest and ensure that we start off strong.

With everything else whirling all around me and convention season well under way, I’m electrified and nervous. It’s a great time to launch a new creator-owned comic.

Here’s the official press release that went out today:

Writer Jim Zub (SKULLKICKERS, Samurai Jack) teams up with penciler Steve Cummings (Legends of the Dark Knight, Deadshot) and color artist John Rauch (INVINCIBLE) to create a Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a new generation in WAYWARD, coming from Image Comics in August.

Rori Lane is an outsider by nature, but moving to Tokyo to live with her single Mom has only exacerbated her weirdness. She’s feeling out of sorts, worried about fitting in and, as if that wasn’t enough, strange things are begining to happen. Glowing symbols and patterns are starting to appear before her eyes… and she’s the only one who seems to notice.

“Wayward is a coming of age story filled with mystery and emotion. It’s also an ass-kicking joy ride with teenagers beating the hell out of Japanese mythological monsters,” said Zub. “Steve and I built this series from the ground up to play to both our strengths. I can’t wait for people to see what we have planned.”

In WAYWARD a group of teens living in Tokyo find a common bond in manifesting strange, supernatural abilities. As they begin to unravel the mystery behind their powers and their common source they’re drawn into a war with the vestiges of Japan’s monstrous mythic past.

WAYWARD #1 arrives in stores on 8/27, and will be available for $3.50 with special variant covers by Alina Urusov (Birds of Prey), Jeff “Chamba” Cruz (Street Fighter), and Adam Warren (Empowered).

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And here, in case you missed it, is the teaser we put out on Monday…