Our run on Assassin's Creed is coming to an end...
Like all good adventures, our ongoing run on Assassin’s Creed is coming to an end.Two weeks ago Conor and I submitted our script for Assassin’s Creed #14. We knew at the time it was our final issue in the current run and made sure to jam it (as well as the previous Issue #13) with as much character and action moments as possible (and a couple very jarring deaths, too). And when the final words “The End” were typed on the final page, I sat back and reflected upon how much fun it had been to bring these characters to life.It was both a melancholy – and proud moment.In early 2015 we were approached by Titan editor Lizzie Kaye asking if we’d be interested in pitching on a video game property license. She didn’t tell us which one but would after we signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). As I was signing it I was singing to myself, like some sort of mantra: “Please let it be Assassin’s Creed… Please let it be Assassin’s Creed…” And, well, you know what the end result was.From our release last year at New York Comic-Con (with rave reviews) through to a panel at FanExpo Canada a month ago, it’s been a wild ride.Conor and I are proud of what we’ve been able to create. Our main character, Charlotte de la Cruz, has been so fun to create and write for. Like all great characters, she’s flawed – a little too impulsive, a little too argumentative and stubborn – but she’s also determined, caring an idealistic. We’ve also enjoyed writing for the time periods she’s delved into, especially the Salem Witch Trials (I read a half-dozen books about the era before writing a single word of the script).
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed creating within a world that has such a HUGE fanbase. So many followers on social media and at shows help to bring this property to life. And it’s only natural! It’s such an amazing world Ubisoft has been able to create! The reason I really loved the video games in the first place is that it’s both entertaining and enlightening. It’s an incredibly immersive world in which you get to travel back to times like Renaissance Italy and Revolutionary France and feel like you’re almost there.
There are so many people to thank and give props to. Our original editor at Titan, Lizzie Kaye, who had the confidence that we could create some great stories within the world. She’s a superstar and a great editor (and even came to my talk at the Globe Theatre in May, 2015) to cheer me on). She passed the baton on to the uber-cool Tom Williams, who has helped shepherd the final few issues and is tasked with keeping our tale alive. The others at Titan Comics - Andrew James, Chris Teather, Lucy Ripper, Will O’Mullane, Ricky Claydon – who have created a fantastic support system for us. Fred Van Lente, the writer of the companion Templars series has been a great confidante that I could discuss ideas and characters with (very convenient since we’re only a ten-minute ride away from one another). And there’s the squad at Ubisoft – game writer (and guitarist supreme) Richard Farrese, the worldly superpower Anouk Bachman, and the silent but deadly Clemence Deleuze. And Ubisoft’s Aymar Azaizia, who I always seem to be on panels with and we start talking about the coolest immersive media projects out there!)I must give props to my two collaborators. Neil Edwards has been our artist since day one and he’s been great to work with. He’s the one that designed Charlotte’s look and I think he really brought a little bit of her Latin flair to the mix. And of, course, my co-writer Conor, who brought his trademark humor, dialogue and scripting skills to each and every issue.
And thanks to all of you that read the series. I know that as time goes on more fans will discover our books and it’s great to chat with those that have, asking questions about specific characters and situations.I’d like to wish the upcoming creative team – Dan Watter, Alex Paknadel and Jose Holder – the best as they take the reins. I know you’ll love working with the squad and enjoy it! It’s an amazing sandbox you get to play in.
There are some ideas and worlds that we didn’t have a chance to delve into (I had an amazing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-esque storyline that would have been amazing!) but I’m happy with what we’ve been able to create in our three arcs. And I’m sure you’ll see us back in the Assassin’s Creed world at some point in the future.
In the meantime, enjoy our final three issues. Issue #12 is released this week (I’ll have some for sale at New York Comic-Con this weekend) and, as I said, our final two issues are rocking fun times.Much like Charlotte de la Cruz, I’m really happy to have been selected for this mission. And I’m excited to see what comes next.Anthony
Assassin's Creed #6 Released This Week!
Sorry I've been so silent on this end. Things are really busy with a LOT of projects on the go, and some really cool developments and announcements coming in the near future.But let's not get ahead of myself... I'm here to talk about Assassin's Creed, as our title suggest.ASSASSIN'S CREED #6 is released in comic shops (and online) this week - Wednesday, March 16th. It's the beginning of our second arc, which means we keep some characters (our modern-day tale with Charlotte de la Cruz and her teammates) and introduce new ones. For the latter, it means that we talk Charlotte to the Last Days of the Inca Empire, circa 1536. It's an amazing time in history - and an incredible society - and we focus on a new historical character called Quila, who is a "Chasqui" (a messenger) who is responsible for bringing messages back and forth between locales. The Inca society was quite developed and had created their own form of composed communication, and it's one of these messages that Quila must deliver when she discovers it features dangerous information.You can access a preview of the pages here.The great artist Paul Pope does our A cover for this issue: it's a great one:
So pick up your copy this week!
New York Comic-Con!
Hello! It's been a while as I've been quite busy over the last month with lot of stuff going on and lots of news to announce in the coming months. It's a little frustrating as I love to be able to post information regularly for our readers but, alas, I also need to make time to do, well, actual creative work that I will be able to write about!But today I write about this weekend... The New York Comic-Con!Yes, we will be attending the New York Comic-Con this weekend (Oct 8 -11) at the Javits Centre. It's the second-largest comic convention in North America and seems to grow bigger and bigger each year (with attendance hitting about 150,000, from what I've been told). It's always our biggest show of the year and this year it'll be just as big for us!
WHERE WE'LL BE (OUR BOOTH)We'll be at the same spot we've had for the last three years - BOOTH #1249, locating in Small Press area and close by the Marvel and Image booths. It's a great spot and we're happy to return. Conor will be overseeing the operation this weekend and I will be there on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. And joining us this time around is our amazing Marketing Coordinator Keith Morris! So swing by to pick up copies of Kill Shakespeare (including our recently-released hardcover book), Sherlock Holmes vs Harry Houdini (now available in graphic novel!), our board game, our t-shirts, and the first issue of Assassin's Creed (being released on Wed, Oct 14th!).ASSASSIN'S CREED - PANEL AND SIGNINGSTo celebrate the release of Assassin's Creed #1, we'll be taking part in a number of signings and a panel talk with Titan Comics. Our signings will be:Thur 3:15 - 4:15 - Titan Comics Booth # 2142Fri 1:30 - 2:30 - Titan Comics Booth # 2142Sat 2 -3 - Titan Comics Booth # 2142And our panel is:PANEL: ASSASSIN’S CREED COMICS PANELTime: 1:45PM – 2.45PM - Room IA24Guests: Richard Farrese (AC Scriptwriter at Ubisoft), Aymar Azaizia (AC Head of Content), Anthony Del Col (writer), Conor McCreery (writer), Dennis Calero (artist), Fred Van Lente (Templars writer), Andrew James (Executive Editor) So come by and say hello - it would be great to see you!
FanExpo, here we come!
It's that time of year! No, I'm not referring to cooler weather or the purchase of backpacks and pencil cases... I'm referring to FanExpo Canada in Toronto!Conor and I will be attending this year's show for our fifth straight year. Wow, it's been five years! Maybe six? I've lost track by now. It's always one of our best shows and this year we're excited to have it serve as the official launch pad for our new book SHERLOCK HOLMES VS HARRY HOUDINI! Though the book hits stores on September 10th you'll be able to find a limited number of copies at the show this year.
This year's FanExpo runs from Thu, Sep 3 - Sun, Sep 6th at the Metro Convention Centre. Conor and I will be located in Artist Alley at Table P59 all weekend.
HOLMES VS HOUDINI released next week!
I apologize if I haven't been able to post a firm release date for the collected SHERLOCK HOLMES VS HARRY HOUDINI but a number of overseas printing/shipping problems have kept everything up in the air. But we now know for certain when it is...SHERLOCK HOLMES VS HARRY HOUDINI: VOLUME 1 will be released next week (Wed, Aug 26th) in comic shops around the world!We're excited to see our tale in one complete book. We've made a couple small corrections and additions to this final product which we think you'll enjoy reading through. So check out the book when it's released.
(Please note that the book will be released at book stores around the world two weeks later - Wed, Sep 9th.)
Pre-Order Your Copy of Assassin's Creed #1 This Month!
Last week Conor and I spent two days in Montreal, meeting with the key content brain trust for Assassin's Creed. It was a creatively energizing time for me, finding out more about the immersive world of the franchise, future plans, and how we can add to the lore of the world. See photo below...Artist Neil Edwards is busy at work on the art and what we've seen thus far has been great - we're excited to show you artwork when we can.As for the first issue, it's scheduled for release on October 14th. And you have a chance to pre-order your copy this month at all comic shops!Here is the two-page spread in Previews magazine (the ordering catalogue for comic retailers), which highlights the series and some art:
Go to your local comic shop and as for them to pre-order this book. The order code is AUG151704 (regular cover) with alternative covers available as well.We'll post more information over the coming weeks.And here's a photo from Montreal from last week, with Conor and I and the creative brain trust (along with editor Lizzie Kaye and writer Fred Van Lente):
We're writing the new Assassin's Creed comics!
We're excited to announce that we are the writing team picked to write the new Assassin's Creed comics book series, debuting this fall from Titan Comics!Announced late yesterday by our amazing editors Andrew James and Lizzie Kaye at a panel at San Diego Comic-Con we were upset to have missed, we will be overseeing a new story arc for the game franchise that has sold millions of copies worldwide. When we were first approached months ago by Lizzie, she labelled it as a "mysterious video game franchise" and the first thing I thought was: "Please let it be Assassin's Creed... Please let it be Assassin's Creed..." I've been a fan of the world and mythology that Ubisoft has created and I'm quite excited to be playing in their sandbox.Our first adventure will be taking place in a very interesting time period: The Salem Witch Trials in the late-17th century, which will parallel a modern-day espionage tale. It's a very fascinating historical time period where the US was really starting as a country and people suddenly stopped trusting one another - and sometimes themselves. A great world to delve into and tell the story of some of the accused and the people trying to save/hurt them. We've created great new characters and have been doing quite a bit of research into the time period to bring it to life.Here is some of the preview artwork by British artist Neil Edwards, who we are quite excited to work with:
And you can find coverage of the announcement here.The first issue will be released in early October and followed up monthly. You can pre-order copies (there will be 5-6 variant covers for the first issue) in comic shops later this month and all of August. We'll get you the order code as soon as we receive it. And stay tuned here for more information as we move towards this great new series.
New York - A Hell of a Town!
Well, what has quickly become the busiest convention of the year for us has just ended... The New York Comic-Con! Some reports indicate that the show is now bigger than San Diego in terms of attendance; I don't know if this is the case but I do know that it's a really big show.We had a great time in the city this year - meeting with fans, finding new readers, seeing the board game for the first time, and selling our new Sherlock Holmes vs. Harry Houdini series as well. We broke sales records and look forward to winding down the year with only a couple more.Here are some pics from the weekend:
New York Comic-Con
We are now only a week away from our biggest comic-con of the year... The New York Comic-Con!It was five years ago that we attended this show and secured ourselves a publishing deal with IDW... and now we're back with not only the fourth volume of Kill Shakespeare but also the debut of our new Sherlock Holmes vs. Harry Houdini series.
We will be at Booth #1249 the entire weekend so swing by say hello, check out our final issue of Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night, the first issue of Holmes vs. Houdini... and our board game! You can find a floor plan here. Andy will also be at the show at Table N11.We will also be doing signings at some other booths over the span of the weekend. These will include:IDW Publishing (Booth #1844) - Fri (Oct 12) - 6 - 7pmDynamite Comics (Booth #2022) - Thu (Oct 11) - 2-3pmDynamite Comics (Booth #2022) - Sat (Oct 13) - 4-5pmDynamite Comics (Booth #2022) - Sun (Oct 14) - 11am - 12pmSo it'll be a busy weekend for us but do come and visit!
Two books released next Wednesday (October 1st)!
Well, when it rains, it pours...Next week is going to be a busy one for us as we are releasing on Wed, Oct 1st not one but TWO comic book issues on the same day!First off, we are releasing the fourth and final issue of our latest Kill Shakespeare mini-series, THE MASK OF NIGHT. Betrayed by the vicious cannibal Captain Lucius, Viola and Hamlet must undertake an odds-defying mission to punish a murder most foul. It’s an ending that features adventure, romance, revenge, amazing art (by Andy Belanger) and death – all the good parts of a Shakespearean tale.And we're quite proud to release the debut issue of our new series with Dynamite Comics, SHERLOCK HOLMES vs HARRY HOUDINI. In this first issue, famed detective Sherlock Holmes and brash showman Harry Houdini must combine forces to defeat a mysterious mystic dedicated to destroying Houdini’s career and anyone who gets in his way.We quite enjoyed the ability to bring these two larger-than-life figures together and see what happens when they first meet. Do they become BFFs? Do they get under each other’s skin? And who is worthy of doing battle with both (if there is anyone at all)? We are working with talented Carlos Furuzuno and the talented team at Dynamite Comics to bring our story to life.
To read a preview of the first couple pages of Holmes vs. Houdini, click here. So go to your local comic shop next Wednesday and check out both issues!
Kill Shakespeare @ FanExpo this weekend!
While I refuse to acknowledge that the summer will be ending soon and the autumn beginning, I do recognize that one of the events that marks the countdown to fall is one of my favorite comic-cons, FanExpo Canada in Toronto. It's our hometown crowd and we always have a blast catching up with fellow Torontonians as well as meet our fans and earn new ones along the way.And yes, we will be attending this year's show, which is this weekend (Thu,Aug 28 - Sun, Aug 31) at the Metro Convention Centre in downtown Toronto.You can find us at Table P31 all weekend with books, issues, tshirts, stories and jokes. Yes, jokes! Come and say hello!
Happy Birthday Conor!
Today (July 1st) is Kill Shakespeare co-creator Conor McCreery's birthday! So if you have a moment leave him a quick birthday note below, or on our Twitter or Facebook pages! Special points for those that leave him a note in iambic pentameter...
Happy birthday Conor!
Toronto Launch Event this Wednesday!
Now that we're back from L.A. Conor and I will be returning to our old stompin' ground of Toronto's Paradise Comics this Wednesday (the 26th) for a signing of the first issue of our new series, THE MASK OF NIGHT! It's where we have our first signing of our original series, as well as our sequel (The Tide of Blood) last year so we're looking forward to returning and hanging out with Doug, Pete and everyone else at Paradise.
We're signing from 4-7pm that day so come by and visit us and check out our new series!
Wondrous WonderCon!
I'm in the midst of a move (details to come soon!) so I've been pretty swamped the last couple of weeks. But I wanted to take a moment to post some photos from our appearance at WonderCon in Anaheim two weeks ago (March 18 - 20).As usual, it was a great show for us - we sold out of books, sold a whack of tshirts, and gained a whole new legion of fans. Thanks so much to everyone who came by our booth as well as those that helped us out - Alex from WonderCon, Mimi Cruz from Night Flight Comics, and everyone from IDW Publishing, especially Dirk Wood, Chris Mowry, Mike Ford and everyone else.Here are some glimpses of our time at the show:
It's Official! A Brand New Mini-series Is On Its way!
It's official! Hamlet, Juliet, Shakespeare and our characters are coming back for more!IDW Publishing has officially announced this morning the release of Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night. Set to launch in June of this year, it is a four-issue series that continues our adventures but also allows us to introduce some new players to our stage. Oh, and there's pirates as well.
The official summary of the series is:Hamlet, Juliet, Othello and Shakespeare become pawns in a deadly game between the infamous pirate Captain Cesario, his lover (and second mate) Viola, and the new terror on the seas, Titus Andronicus’ massive dreadnaught The Lavinia. Featuring pirate battles, action, violence, love, strong female heroines, comedy, death and an exploration of the power of myth, The Mask of Night continues the tales of Hamlet and Juliet from The Tide of Blood and also introduces new players (some of which will be featured in the board game) and mythologies.Yes, we are introducing Viola (from Twelfth Night) into our story. She is one of the most requested Shakespeare characters and we're excited to bring her into our story in a very unique take on her.Coming back to the series is its bedrock, Andy Belanger as artist for both interiors and covers. As he says, "Shari Chankhamma (colorist) and I have sharpened our pencils, made black our brushes and are ready to paint the high seas red in this next chapter of Kill Shakespeare! Get ready for BLOOD!"Conor and I are back on writing duties, and Shari is the colourist. Assisting us on our side is our amazing editorial assistant Keith Morris and we're excited to be working again with the team at IDW, from our editor Tom Waltz to designer Chris Mowry to everyone else (Chris Ryall, Ted Adams, Greg Goldstein, Dirk Wood, Rosalind Morehead, Kahlil Sweitzer, Alan Payne, Robbie Robbins and everyone else).Look for more updates in the coming months - we're excited about this!
Kill Shakespeare returns to Kitchener-Waterloo!
It's been a while since any of the Kill Shakespeare have done a signing in the Kitchener-Waterloo area so this weekend provides us a chance to return.While Conor attends the Miami Book Fair (such a rough life he leads...), Anthony will be attending the G33K Art Show in Kitchener, ON this Friday and Saturday.
Friday night will feature the Gala Opening of the show, at which KILL SHAKESPEARE: REINVENTED will be making its debut. Featuring voice actors, animation and (most importantly) circus performers (with fire), it should be the most inventive take on our story. The show is at 8pm and info about tickets can be purchased here, being held at Kitchener City Hall. Check out this video for a preview:And on Saturday I will be exhibiting at the show throughout the entire day (11a - 8p) and also conducting two workshops: "How to Pitch and Market Your Comic" from 1-2pm and then "What Goes Through Your Head? – A Panel about Art, Industry and More" with myself and good friend Scott Chantler.So if you're in the K-W area come out and say hello, pick up a book, tshirt or anything else - it'll be great to see you!
We never slept - well, because it was New York...
I'm back in Toronto, finally catching up on everything from this past weekend. The New York Comic-Con was amazing - so much fun and we burst through to break our sales record - by quite a bit, actually. We sold out of our new Volume 3 on Saturday afternoon, and Volumes 1 and 2 early on Sunday.In addition, our tshirts flew off the table and our new Shakespeare Fighter design was a HUGE hit.Thanks to everyone who made it such an incredible weekend for us - the organizers of the show, REEDPop (especially Jenny Martin), our hosts (Vanessa, Eric, Stephanie), Oliver and Mike from Mad Scientists (helped store and deliver our tables), everyone from IDW, and most importantly, everyone that swung by to say hello!Here are a few pictures from the weekend.
The team reunites at FanExpo this weekend
With our busy schedules these days, one of us having a child, and living in different cities, it's often tough for myself, Conor and Andy to actually be in the same place at the same time. That's what makes this upcoming weekend's FanExpo something for us to look forward to!
Yes, all three of us will be appearing at FanExpo this weekend, Toronto's largest comic and fan convention!
The show takes place at the Metro Convention Centre from Thursday (the 22nd) until Sunday (the 25th). We will be appearing at Table #P128D by all of the other comic guests and artist alley (around the food court area).So swing by our table, pick up some books/issues/shirts and also get a preview of what's coming up for us - our final issue of The Tide of Blood (released August 28th), new t-shirt designs, and perhaps even a glimpse at our mobile game...
See you there!
We're in both Calgary and Chicago this weekend!
It's a busy weekend for all of us as we're all at comic conventions this weekend!First off, I will be attending the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo in Western Canada this weekend. The show runs on Fri (12 - 8), Sat (10 - 7) and Sun (10 - 5) at the BMO Centre. The convention is one of the fastest growing conventions in the world - if not the fastest. I attended two years ago (Conor attended last year) and we sold out of everything by the middle of the day Saturday.I will be at Table P-10 all weekend. I will also be hosting a panel "How to Pitch Your Own Comic" will be on Saturday, Apr 27 @ 4:30pm in Palomino FG. Check it out for pointers on how to get a publishing deal, put together a pitch package, etc. It's been standing room only at numerous other conventions so this one should be good.
Whilst I'm in Calgary, Andy and Conor will be attending Chicago's C2E2 convention this weekend. I attended last year and it's another fast-growing event. The two will be positioned at Table 1037 all weekend.On top of that, Chicago's Strawdog Theatre will be doing a free preview/review performance of their acclaimed run of KILL SHAKESPEARE: LIVE GRAPHIC NOVEL at the show this weekend. It will be held on Fri, Apr 26 @ 3:15pm on the Variant Stage. If you're attending the show be sure to check it out
Spinning Tales at FableTown and Beyond
Safely entrenched in Anaheim after a busy few days in Los Angeles, and prepping for WonderCon, I've now finally be able to catch up on the events of last weekend.Last Fri - Sun saw the first-ever FableTown and Beyond convention in Rochester, MN. Not just a convention for the hit Vertigo series Fables, it was an exploration and celebration of "mythic fiction" in comics today. In addition to Fables and Kill Shakespeare, the show also featured titles like The Unwritten, Mouse Guard, Mice Templar and others.It was a fantastic convention and we made a lot of new friends, hung out with some great people and artists, sold a lot of books and t-shirts, and survived the cold weather of Rochester. I hope that there's a convention next year because this was one of the most high-spirited event I've attended and enjoyed it immensely.Here are some photos from the weekend:
