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.
Good morning, Baltimore!
Last weekend I visited one of the top east coast comic-cons - the Baltimore Comic-Con! I spent the weekend chatting with fans, signing and selling books, attending the Harvey Awards, eating crab cakes, and having a great time. Thanks to everyone that I saw over the course of the weekend!Here are some photos from the weekend:
Heading to Baltimore this weekend!
With Labour Day signifying the end of summer (though I'll deny that fact until late-September at the earliest...) we are now looking ahead to a busy fall convention season (but not as busy as our spring traveling season was). We're still locking in dates and shows but we will have conventions for most of September and October. The ones that we can announce are Baltimore (see below) this weekend, Montreal (Sept 13-15), Edmonton (Sept 28-29) and New York Comic-Con (Oct 10-13).The first one up is the Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend (Sept 7-8) and I'll be there the entire weekend!I'll be at Table #A98 (you can find a map here) and I will also be sitting in on the IDW Publishing panel on Sunday from 2-3pm in Room #302-303.
So come and visit me - and perhaps join me on a tour of haunts from The Wire...
The Tide of Blood concludes in stores today!
We're excited that after a small delay The Tide of Blood #5, the final issue of our mini-series, is in stores today (Wed, Aug 28th)!Let us know what you think about our final installment - we're quite excited to see what the reaction is. We know that our editor was shocked by the conclusion when we first sent it to him.
And the early reviews are quite positive - check out this one and this one.
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!
The Long Wait is Over - final Tide hits stores on August 28th
After what seemed like FOREVER, the final issue of Kill Shakespeare, The Tide of Blood is steaming its way from the printers in Korea to YOUR local comic book shop!(o.k., it probably isn't STEAMING its way here, since this isn't 1910, but "dieseling" doesn't have the same romance now, does it?)The issue will finally run aground at your LCS on the 28th of August. We apologize for the big gap between issues #4 and 5 -- there were some script issues we had to iron out and Andy hit a crazy busy patch in his work and personal life and it all conspired to see us JUST miss our July deadline.But that is the past, and the future is....... well, one HECK of an amazing end to the latest series! Issue #5 is a wild, break-neck race across the island you've grown to fear.This puppy will wrap up the increasingly jagged love triangle between Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, will result in a wild three-way between Prospero, Shakespeare and Lady M (a WIZARD BATTLE you sicko, get your mind out of the gutter), and we'll get a better sense of just what Sycorax has in store for our heroes as well.I might even say it all ends on a "high tide"?(No? No, I shouldn't? In fact I should never try that pun again?Fair enough...)"Groaners" aside, because we're generous guys, below is a sneak preview of the VERY first page. I don't know how many other special peeks we can give you, every page is a spoiler in this 28-page juggernaut, but we can at least get you licking your chops for some Shakespearean action!Thanks for being patient, and for being the best fans in the world! (and for those of you who may have missed it, I'm also including the cover here as well)
CONOR
Battlin' in Boston (pics)!
I just returned last night from a weekend excursion in Boston to attend the 2013 Boston Comic-Con and enjoy a bit of the city. It was a really fun weekend and the show was amazing, having doubled in size from the last time I was there, back in 2011.Thanks to everyone who made it a great weekend - our new fans and readers, the organizers of the show, Beata and Loren for helping out with logistics, the amazing Lisa for her pictures and patience, and the city of Boston!Here are some photos from the weekend:
Anthony is attending the Boston Comic-Con this weekend
I am heading to Boston on Friday to take part in this weekend's Boston Comic-Con (held on Sat/3 and Sun/4 at Seaport World Trade Center. I was originally scheduled to take part in the convention back in April but the Boston Marathon bombing and arrest of the two suspects forced Jim and the organizers to cancel the event (yes, I was actually situated about six blocks away from the arrest of the second suspect in Watertown, MA on Fri, Apr 19th).I attended the Boston show back in 2011 and really enjoyed it (I had to cancel my plans to attend in 2012 because of another show). This upcoming weekend should be a great one with lots of top guests and a good crowd expected.
I will be at TABLE AA252 all weekend so swing by and say hello, pick up a book, and get a special sneak peek at the final issue of The Tide of Blood (due in stores later this month)!I am also doing my HOW TO PITCH YOUR COMIC TO PUBLISHERS workshop at the show. The workshop will take place on Sun, Aug 4th from 2 - 2:45pm in the Beacon Hill Room.
Tide of Blood #5 Cover!
Though we've been a little more silent than usual with our blogging and updates this summer, the entire Kill Shakespeare team has been pretty busy with a number of cool things that we'll hopefully be able to share at some point in the near future. One of those things, though, we're quite happy to announce - the release of the final issue (#5) of The Tide of Blood!We haven't received an official release date from our publisher IDW yet but we expect that it will be either Wed, Aug 14th or 21st - which is great as it'll be just in time for Toronto's FanExpo (the biggest show for us every year). Once the official release date is confirmed we will announce it here.And in anticipation of this release, here is the official cover for Issue #5, done by British artist Simon Davis (who did our wildly-popular The Tide of Blood #1 cover).
Yes, the cover hints at a number of things that will take place in the issue - books, blood and... Prospero (I couldn't think of something else that starts with a "b"...). So keep coming back and checking for more information and sneak peeks of the issue!
Photos from Afar (England, that is)!
I returned from Europe earlier this week and have been busy catching up so haven't had a chance to get around to posting these photos until this afternoon.My trip to London, England late last month was incredible. First off, I'm a BIG fan of the country (despite the horrible weather I always seem to encounter) - there's so much happening and everyone we meet in the comics, theatre and film worlds there are so nice and have been great to us.Mainly, though, this trip was great because the MCM London Comic-Con (May 24-26th) was an amazing con for me. We sold out of books and made a great deal of new fans, readers and friends! I was very fortunate to be placed in a row with amazing talent like Richard Starkings, Boo Cook, Yishan Li, Lee Townsend and Emma Vieceli, all of whom made it a fun trip.I owe a HUGE thanks to the team at Diamond Comics UK for helping to put my visit together, mainly Mike Holman, who is one of the best ambassadors for comics in the entire world. He assisted Conor and I on our visit to England last year and made this year's trek so much better. He also allowed me to take part in the Diamond Retailer Summit on the Sunday, which allowed me to forge new friendships with a number of retailers across the UK.Another big thanks to the talented and fun Serena Obhrai, who provided accomodation for me - and also hosted a really fun Arrested Development party (complete with cornballs and frozen bananas) on my last day in London.And after the convention I headed over to Oxford to spend a couple days there, visit the great professor Amy Scott-Douglass, and lecture at her class at Oxford. It was a really fun session where we talked about not only KS but also Hamlet (as a man of action/in-action), Juliet as a strong female lead, and other things Shakespearean.Here is a selection of photos of my visit - additional photos can be seen on our Facebook page.
Caption Contest!
Issue #4 of The Tide of Blood is being released this week (either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on your country) and in anticipation of this we are running another caption contest.Please insert a caption for the image below (one of Juliet meeting a new opponent in her quest to find Hamlet and Romeo) and we will randomly select two winners on Wednesday (the 29th) for those that give us a caption below, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed. Winners will receive a signed copy of the issue (or any back issue from The Tide of Blood).
Captions can be funny, serious, or anywhere in-between.And don't forget to pick up a copy of our series when it's released this week!
Preview Pages of The Tide of Blood #4
Just completed a full day of meetings and story activity here in London and head to the MCM London Expo tomorrow for the weekend...In the meantime, here are a couple preview pages of The Tide of Blood #4, to be released next week (Wed, May 29th)... As usual, all artwork is by Andy Belanger and colouring by Shari Chankhamma.
Anthony in London this weekend (UK)!
I will be traveling to the home country of Mr. Shakespeare himself this week. Departing tomorrow, I will be attending the MCM London Comic-Con this upcoming weekend (May 24 - 26) in London this weekend. I will be in the Comics Village the entire weekend so if you - or anyone that you know - will be attending swing by to say hello and pick up a book or issue (or two).
I will then be heading over to Oxford to teach a Shakespeare class and take in some other meetings.I'm looking forward to revisiting England. Last year's trip was amazing - attending the Bristol and Kapow! shows, visiting Oxford and, of course, Stratford-upon-Avon. And it'll be great to reconnect with friends from last year's show - and make new ones.Check out the video that Conor and I shot at Shakespeare's Birthplace last year...
Cover for Issue #4 (sneak peek)!
We've received word from IDW that the fourth issue of The Tide of Blood is being released next week - Wednesday, May 29th. We're pretty happy with the fourth issue - it takes the story in some new and cool directions. And, of course, the artwork by Andy Belanger is amazing.We'll be posting previews of the artwork from the next issue all of this week. Today we'll start by posting the cover of the issue.For this cover we brought in uber-talented Canadian illustrator Nimit Malavia to design a cover of Juliet and Romeo. It's a bit of a variation from earlier covers but I think adds a really nice flourish to the series. For those unfamiliar with Nimit's work check out his website here and Twitter page here.
And don't forget to pick up The Tide of Blood #4 in comic book shops next week!
Images from Ottawa
Despite a severe allergy attack and a really bad cough, I was able to take part - and quite enjoy - the Ottawa Comic-Con this past weekend. It was only the show's second year but it was a really big one and the organizers - the same ones who put together the Montreal Comic-Con - have done a great job.I was really fortunate to be placed beside some amazingly talented (and really nice) artists - Yanick Paquette (Swamp Thing, the upcoming Wonder Woman), Pia Guerra (my favourite series of all time, Y The Last Man) and Ian Boothby (Simpsons Comics) - they were great to chat with and share space with.And thanks to everyone who came to the show and swung by to chat, learn more about KS, pick up some books/ShakesGeare, etc. It was great meeting/chatting with all of you!Here are some photos from the weekend. You can find more on our Facebook page.
Anthony in the (Canadian) Nation's Capital this weekend!
After finally having a weekend off, I become a weekend warrior again this upcoming one as I attend the Ottawa Comic-Con from Fri, May 10 - 12th. This is our first time attending the event, run by the amazing organizers of the Montreal Comic-Con, so I'm excited to see what it's like.I will be at Table #A600 the entire weekend, which is plum in the middle of some of the top artists today - beside Pia Guerra (co-creator of my favourite series of all-time, Y The Last Man) and superstar artist Yanick Paquette (DC's Swamp Thing relaunch). You can find a floor plan of the show at this link.I am also conducting a workshop "HOW TO CREATE AND MARKET YOUR OWN COMICS" on Saturday at 2pm in Meeting Room B. I have put on this workshop at almost a dozen conventions so if you're at the show and would like to find out how to get your comic off the ground come by and pick up some tricks of the trade. The workshop description is:
Pics from Calgary!
After five weeks straight of traveling I'm finally at home for an extended period of time... Well, until next Thursday when I head to the Ottawa Comic-Con... And I've just gone through the photos from Calgary (below).What a great time I had in CowTown! Another Expo, another great time. We sold a lot of books, shirts, buttons and had a great time meeting new fans and readers. Lots of people - perhaps more than most other shows - were already fans of the series and picked up issues of the new Tide of Blood series.Thanks to everyone who helped out with the show - especially the volunteers, who were amazing! I'd like to single out Doug and Carrie-Ann, especially the latter, who provided sales relief during a good chunk of Saturday. And Tasha Zimich, who would inch over from her Sky Pirates booth to help out as well.I look forward to attending next year!
Issue #3 is released today!
The day has arrived! Issue #3 of The Tide of Blood is in comic book shops around the world today!
We're quite excited about this issue. The continuation of the saga of Juliet, Romeo, Hamlet, Miranda and Prospero continues in this issue and not only are we happy with the story but Andy Belanger's artwork is amazing. He has a great take on the look of Prospero but also the mad wizard's setting.The early reviews are quite positive as well.Keith Silva from Comics Bulletin writes: "As aesthetics go, Kill Shakespeare: Tide of Blood comes as close to perfection -- to some sort of golden ratio of comic books -- as any art aspires to achieve. "Lyzard from AintitCoolNews.com writes: "What Belanger chooses to do with Prospero’s “study” works as both an homage to the source material and a giant leap from anything put to paper, canvas, stage, or film."Samantha Roehrig from Comic Bastards writes: "I love how raw the pictures are in this comic. It draws me into the play and I can’t stop thinking I should drink poison or stab myself with a dagger in order to fit in. I can’t wait for the big fight scene. I love Shakespeare and I am wondering why it took me so long to pick up this comic. So don’t miss out on this newest installment."
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
First Page of Issue #3 of The Tide of Blood
Yesterday we posted the cover for The Tide of Blood #3. Today we're going to do something different by posting the first page of the issue - with lettering.The issue begins with a significant character (hint: his name is in the title...) in hiding as as fool at a bar. What happens when he is discovered by two mysterious figures?The artwork is by Andy Belanger and coloured by Shari Hess.
