Mosey on to Calgary!
Our creative team (myself, Conor and Andy B) will be appearing at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo next weekend (June 17 - 19th). We're excited to take part in this event as it'll be our first time promoting our series to the Western Canadian market - and we've also heard such great things about this Con. It's the biggest in Western Canada and apparently people travel from all over British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and even Manitoba to check it out!
Also, I will be appearing at Happy Harbor Comics in Edmonton on Thursday, June 16th in a Mini-CCEE event. It will run from 7 - 10pm at the Jasper Avenue location and will include myself, Jim Zub (Skullkickers), Omar Dogan (Udon Studios) and Ray Fawkes (Apocalypstix).
TEENAGE SATAN!
We're very fortunate to know the talented and lovely Marsha Cooke - one of our favourite people in the world of comics. Well, Marsha has given us ANOTHER reason to worship at her temple of awesomeness as she, Stephanie Buscema and Candis Cooke have come together to create the awesome looking Teenage Satan!Check out the trailer below (and because Marsha is so bad-ass, she challenged mighty Warner by using Martin Solveig's "Hello" as this clip's original score. But after 17,000 views they made her pull it down. I get it, but BEWARE Warner - Teenage Satan has you on a list!)I'm also a little jealous that Marsha already has an entire suite of often web-games ready to go... just reminds me we really need get ourselves in gear on that front).Enjoy!
Life too boring? Maybe a zombie apocalypse will help.
Hey all,
Just taking a moment before we head off to Heroes Con to give a nod of the head to David Bishop one of the great guys behind the Renerd and Talking Dead podcasts and a web-comic creator of some note. As you can probably guess from one of the titles of those podcasts Dave is a zombie fan - a BIG zombie fan. Therefore it is no surprise that his webcomic Stranger is an interesting entry into the genre.It's early yet so I can't tell you TOO much about how Dave plans to make his zombie tale distinctly different, but I know we have a stuffed bear to reckon with.And Sean.Poor Sean.What I like most is the fact that David is very willing to let the art speak for itself. The first few pages of Stranger have no dialogue - we just get a growing horrific sense of how large the zombie horde in this world is - and how quickly they can mass.For the Kill Shakespeare fan who's been waiiting (in vain) for Zombie Iago I hope Stranger helps fill your insatiable lust for brains... braaaains....Conor
On our way to Heroes Con!
(Well, we haven't left yet... we're departing on Thursday morning...)Conor, Andy and I will be attending the famous Heroes Con this upcoming weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. We're excited to attend because we've heard a LOT of great things about the event and they have a great roster of talent attending.
We will have a table in the small press section so if you're at the Con please stop by and say hello (and pick up a book if you haven't done so already). We're happy to meet everyone!
All positive reviews for Issue #11 (round-up)
With the launch of our 11th issue came a wide range of reviews for the issue. And we're happy to see that they are all quite positive - and all look forward to the release of final issue in July!
Starting off, we received a review by David Pepose at Newsarama (click on the image to go to the review). The site, of course, is one of the top out there for news and reviews in the comic and geek worlds and I must admit that I felt a little slighted that we had only received one review from them for the entire duration of our series. However, David has stepped up to the plate and put together a great review, with mainly positive and some slightly negative and constructive thoughts on our issue (and series). My favourite: "But for what is essentially a war comic that hits the literary fanboy button, this is an issue that will be appreciated by diehards and new readers alike."
Secondly, top comic website, ComicBookResources, posted another review of one of our issues last week (after having missed Issue #10). This is another positive - however, writer Ryan K. Lindsay also wonders if, with one of our plot points (that of a new side of Puck) we have "jumped the shark" ("There have been some creepy and imaginative visuals in the past, but Shakespeare’s multi-eyed soldier takes this book in a sudden and jarring direction. It’s a twist, and one not all will like, but it certainly provides a rich backdrop on which to paint this finale."). But overall he likes the issue and especially enjoys a scene with Hamlet and Juliet (one of my favourite moments in the entire series).
A small comic blog, Paradox Comics Blog, did a mini-review of our issue. Review Matt C gave us an 8/10 and said that "the whole thing sets the pulse racing through pure excitement as the denouement appears upon the horizon."
Perhaps our most loyal reviewer and interview, ComicBookDaily's Andrew Ardizzi, posted another very positive take on our series, stating, "The series has been tremendously well done up to this issue and barring an unfathomable gaffe in the final installment I would dare call it a comic book masterpiece."And finally, we love to shine the spotlight on new blogs and writers. One of which is Shaun Daniels of Horror Haven Reviews. He posted his first review of our series and stated that he really enjoyed it, stating, "Put down The Merchant of Venice or A Midsummer’s Dream and pick up Kill Shakespeare…it is Shakespeare for the 21st century."
Issue #11 is released!
Our penultimate Issue #11 (Once More Unto the Breach) is released today in comic book stores in North America (the UK and foreign locales will get their copies tomorrow)!
We're really happy with this issue as is really drives the story forward towards our final issue (of this arc), which will be released in late July/early August. The early reviews are really positive, including a great review at Newsarama.So if you'd like to purchase a copy, swing by a local comic book store (you can find the closest to you at this link) - and let us know what you think!
All Over Toronto This Weekend
After last weekend's appearance in Boston, we will be making a number of appearances in Toronto this weekend (May 7th and 8th).Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, an initiative in which most comic book stores in North America distribute free copies of various books to anyone coming into the store. We will be at the Silver Snail (367 Queen Street West) from 10am - 1pm to sign copies of books and give away a few free copies. It's also the Snail's 35th anniversary so it should be a good time.
We will also be at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) both Saturday and Sunday. One of our favourite conventions/festivals, TCAF has a very indie flavour to it and features some cool guests (including Darwyn Cooke). We will be there Saturday from 9 - 5 and Sunday from 11 - 5, hanging out in the Transmission-X area (you can find a map of the show here). The show is at the Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street) and is free for everyone.
Retailer Profile: Million Year Picnic (Boston)
One of the great things about beginning our trek on the convention scene is that it gives us not only a chance to visit different cities and meet existing/new readers and fans, it gives us the opportunity to check out some great retailers that are at the forefront of influencing readers about our title.This past weekend Andy B and I were in Boston. I had spoken to Dave Kender from the Boston Comics Roundtable and one of his first suggestions for us was to check out Million Year Comics, located right in the middle of Harvard Square. It's a cool shop located on the lower level of the building and reminds me a lot of our excellent The Beguiling shop here in Toronto.
Million Year Picnic is run by Tony Davis, a really cool cat (a jazz term, influenced by the music he was playing that day) that's been at the story for over fifteen years. He watches over a store that has an excellent range of product - everything from the latest Marvel and D.C. titles to indie fare like our title, and even rare stuff like Matt Groening's Life in Hell books, which Groening had come in and signed himself years ago.
I then saw Tony (as well as Sergio Leon, who was also at the store when I stopped by) all weekend at the Comic Con. He's a true comic fan and someone who really puts together a great store in the area. If you're in the Boston area and would like to read some cool stuff, go visit the store!
Kill Shakespeare Creators Appear at Boston Comic Con 2011
Andy Belanger and I are driving down to Boston tomorrow (along with friend and entrepreneur Clement Wan) to take part in this weekend's Boston Comic Con. We're really looking forward to the event and meeting some of our readers, making new fans, and trying some New England Clam Chowder (a MUST for Andy). If you're in the Boston area and would like to check out the Con, swing by the Hynes Convention Centre and visit us at our booth. We'd love to meet and chat with everyone.
Here is the official press release that went out earlier today:
Canadians Extend Shakespeare’s Birth/Death Celebrations in Boston!
Fresh from celebrating the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth and death with the first-ever theatrical presentation of their story, the creators of the IDW Publishing Kill Shakespeare comic book series appear at the 2011 Boston Comic Con this weekend to introduce details of their upcoming issues, recently-secured film development financing, and an exclusive digital promotion. Co-creators Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery worked with Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre to present the first-ever live reading of Kill Shakespeare this past Saturday, April 23rd. Soulpepper, one of the top classic theatre companies in North America, elected to present the work on the 23rd as that day serves as the anniversary of both Shakespeare’s birth and death. “It was incredible to see Kill Shakespeare come alive through the performance of Soulpepper’s exceptional actors,” says co-creator Anthony Del Col. “We have had numerous theatres in the U.S. express interest in doing a stage production of our epic tale and we were glad that it could happen on the Bard’s birth/death day.” In addition, co-creators Del Col and McCreery also received notice late last week that they have received script development funding from The Harold Greenberg Fund. The Fund, which assists Canadian writers in the development of screenplays, is a very prestigious organization that has provided support to filmmakers such as David Cronenberg (The Fly, A History of Violence), Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter) and Vincenzo Natali (Splice) in past rounds. The project has received a great deal of interest from American and international film companies since the debut of its first issue last April. The first ten issues of the series, described by the New York Times as “gripping, violent and dark fun”, have been released to much acclaim and attention. The first trade paperback, released last November, is now in its second printing and Issue #10 was released April 20th. Co-created and co-written by McCreery and Del Col, the artwork is overseen by Andy Belanger. “It’s an exciting time for our series and I’m excited to appear at the Boston Comic Con this weekend,” says Del Col. “With the theatrical and film initiatives, our story is expanding into new mediums and more people are getting excited about our take on Shakespeare.” Del Col will be at the Comic Con all weekend along with series artist Andy Belanger.About the series: Kill Shakespeare is an adventure story that pits all of Shakespeare’s greatest heroes (including Hamlet, Juliet, Falstaff, Othello, Puck) against the Bard’s most menacing villains (including Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Iago) in a quest to track down and kill – or save – a reclusive wizard by the name of William Shakespeare. Called by Aint it Cool News as, “A great read”, the series has been profiled by The New York Times, NPR, BBC, Wired.com, The Globe and Mail and The Washington Post. It also created controversy last year when Shakespearean scholar (and girlfriend of comics legend Frank Miller) Kimberly Cox railed against the title on popular U.K. comic blog BleedingCool.com, while others – such as Des McAnuff (Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Jersey Boys) are fans of it. Both Del Col and Belanger will be available for interviews during Boston Comic Con. More information about the series can be found at www.killshakespeare.com.
The comic cover contest imbroligio
First of all let me apologize, and take responsibility, for the ill-will being felt here. I was the one who set up the contest and I was the one who screwed up.I need to make a mea culpa as we had two posts on our site that said opposite things. As several of you have pointed out in the original post we did say the comic cover contest would be "decided by the vote of the fans".In the post that accompanied the announcement of the five finalists (BEFORE VOTING OPENED) the language was changed to: "and we want you, the fan, to HELP us choose who gets the coveted win."I get why you guys and gals are pissed - if you vote for something and feel your vote doesn't matter then "why on earth did these a$$wipes hold a vote?"It didn't occur to me (and I wish it had) to set up a SEPARATE POST to make sure people saw the contest rules had changed BEFORE VOTING OPENED. At least then you could have chosen not to vote if you felt the voting system was unfair.So again, I made a mistake, and I want to apologize.Now I want to explain WHY the change was made - it was for two reasons:1) Because our social marketing advisor told us that, sadly, FB and Twitter contests are often "gamed". Instead of the contest being decided by a group of critical feedback it becomes about spamming, bots or other tactics.This held a lot of weight with us because we feel we LOST a contest like this (to get tens of thousands in financing from a Canadian entrepreneurship foundation) after a rival's vote totals soared by a couple of thousand in just a minute or so. Clearly bots were involved and while the award was given, the organizers had told us they were going to be scrapping the format.Now, I'm not saying that is what happened here, I think we had a fair contest, I don't think we saw any bots being used or anything like that -- but we were worried we might.2) The SECOND reason was more business concerned. Our publisher wanted a say in what went on the front of the cover. They didn't make the final decision, but they wanted to have their input.I realize had I made sure this was explained earlier none of this would have happened. So, again, my apologies.We did make sure that the vote was weighted towards the votes (and in fact the two covers that had the most support finished 1-2). As I mentioned on FB once I saw this huge gap between two of the covers and the remaining three I asked IDW if we could perhaps do TWO alternate covers and declare the contest a tie. But, because retailers had already made their orders on a two-cover issue IDW said no.I do want to remind everyone that ALL the work will be published in issue #11. I have also contacted our runner-up, Allyssa Pirone, about a future cover or pin-up when the second series is launched.Again, I want to apologize if this contest left fans of Kill Shakespeare and Allyssa feeling disempowered and/or lied to.Conor(And just to show that this wasn't a "What the creators say, went" decision - I organized the contest and the cover I voted for finished a distant third.)
Issue #10 Released Today
Just in time for Shakespeare's birth/death anniversary later this week (Saturday, April 23rd), we are releasing the latest chapter in our series. Issue #10 (What's Past is Prologue) is released in comic book stores in North America (and Europe tomorrow).
The summary for Issue #10 is: All that live must die! As a desperate Hamlet struggles to free himself from Lady Macbeth’s magical trap, the hopelessly outnumbered Prodigals confront the brute strength of Richard III in a battle that will find some of its main players exit the stage… forever!You can access a PDF preview of the issue at this link.You can also check out a preview review of the issue at PDX Comic Geek here.
Heading to Boston Comic-Con!
Andy Belanger and I will be heading down to Boston in just under two weeks to take part in the Boston Comic-Con. We haven't attended the event before but have heard good things and they have a very impressive roster of artists. Unlike some Cons, this seems like a strictly comic affairs, which should be great. We look forward to meeting with new readers and fan and if you're in the area, come by and visit us!
Toronto Comic-Con this weekend!
The Kill Shakespeare team will be making another Toronto appearance this upcoming weekend (April 9-10th) at the Toronto Comic-Con Fan Appreciation event. The con will be running on Saturday (11am - 6pm) and Sunday (11am - 5pm) at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre (south building).
Come and visit us - we'll be selling copies of our issues and trade, doing signings, and Andy will be doing sketching.
Happy Birthday to our Bill Murray!
March 30th marks an important day in art history. Yes, Vincent Van Gogh was born on this date but so is the next biggest artist in the comic book industry - Andy Belanger! Today is his birthday so if you know him make sure to send him a HUGE birthday greeting.
Conor and I are extremely lucky to have been able to work with Andy on this project. Not only is his art fantastic but he's a great guy to hang out with, travel with, laugh with, pull pranks on, drink with, and work with. Andy is a true professional and really knows what it takes to succeed in this industry. I look forward to continuing to work with him for years and years.And yes, he also looks a bit like Bill Murray. Though I personally think he looks more like Joe Pesci...
Consider us for a Harvey Award nomination!
Today is the deadline for the Harvey Awards, the North American comic book awards driven exclusively through comic professionals. Unlike other awards, like the Shusters or Eisners, which are committee-based, nominations and awards are voted on by only comic professionals.
If you are a comic book professional - or know one - please consider us for the following categories:BEST NEW SERIES: KILL SHAKESPEARE (IDW PUBLISHING)BEST PROMISING NEW TALENT: ANDY BELANGER (KILL SHAKESPEARE)BEST COLORIST: IAN HERRING (KILL SHAKESPEARE)BEST COVER ARTIST: KAGAN McLEOD (KILL SHAKESPEARE)BEST ARTIST: ANDY BELANGER (KILL SHAKESPEARE)BEST WRITER: CONOR McCREERY, ANTHONY DEL COL (KILL SHAKESPEARE)You can vote at the Harvey Awards website or by clicking on the image.
The finalists have been chosen
By now I hope most of you have heard of the cover contest we are running for issue #11. Since Anthony and I are newbies to the world of comics we wanted to give someone else a chance to break in.So we opened up a cover-design contest across North America and the entries flowed in. We've now narrowed down our five favourites - and we want you, the fan, to help us choose who gets the coveted win.So cruise on over to our FB page and vote by "liking" the cover (or covers) you think deserve the crown.Below our some more of the finalists (though not all, we want to keep SOME suspense) as well as our favourite "honourable mention").
Riffing on Kill Shakespeare in the Washington Post
One of the top mainstream comic journalists is Michael Cavna, who writes the Comic Riffs section at the esteemed Washington Post. Last month while in Washington for our talk at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Conor and I sat down with Michael for an interview. Michael is a fan of the series and we had a great time chatting with him about comics, Shakespeare, music, and acting talent (and non-talent).
The final article appeared yesterday, and it's one of the best we've had published thus far! You can read the article by clicking on Michael's self-portrait above.As a fan of journalism, and aware of the prestige of the Washington Post, this is one of the media hits that I'm most excited about thus far!
Caption Contest
Below is an image from our recently-released Issue #9 (Is That a Dagger I See Before Me?). It is the grand entrance of Shakespeare, after months of waiting.We are giving away signed copies of Issue #9 to those that come up with the best caption for this image. Please enter a caption below, on our Facebook page, or our Twitter site.And here is the image...
Shakespeare Lives! Issue #9 Released Today!
Issue #9 ("Is That a Dagger I See Before Me?) is released at comic book stores in North America today (U.K. tomorrow)! After a nearly two-month lay-off, Hamlet continues his adventure and finally make the final trek to meet Mr. Shakespeare himself. See what happens by picking up the issue.You can access a small preview of the issue by clicking on the image, and you can find the closest comic book store to you at ComicShopLocator.
Kill Shakespeare wants you to get your first break in comics!
Anthony and I are often a little humbled by how friendly the comic world has been to us - two neophytes.Whether it's the incomparable Arvid Nelson giving us story tips, the brilliant Mike Carey, John Layman or Bryan Glass writing us great blurbs or Ty Templeton and Darwyn Cooke serving as mentors we have constantly been made to feel "just as worthy" as the men and women who have been doing this MUCH longer than we have.And so we want to pay it forward.We want YOU to get your first break in comics!It's the FIRST KILL SHAKESPEARE COVER CONTEST! 
WHAT: We want YOUR ART to grace the cover of Kill Shakespeare #11. And we're teaming up with some of the greatest comic shops in North America to make it happen.The winner's design will be the alternate cover for Kill Shakespeare #11, while four runners-up will be featured in print. All other finalists will get some on-line love.WHO: Anyone who does not already have a professional comic credit can win (although anyone can enter).WHEN: What we need from you is a completed cover design by the "Ides of March" (March 15th) by 9:00 PM EST (6:00 PM PST).WHERE & HOW: You can enter at any of the following awesome comic shops.
The Silver Snail (Toronto)Paradise Comics (Toronto)Midtown Comics (New York - Times Square location)Forbidden Planet (New York)Isotope - The Comic Book Lounge (San Francisco)Mission Comics and Art (San Francisco)Atomic City Comics (Philadelphia)Brave New Worlds (Philadelphia)Fat Jack's Comicrypt (Philadelphia)Golden Apple Comics (L.A.)Meltdown Comics (L.A.)Enter in person by giving them a copy of your work or by sending them your work (but please DO NOT mail, or e-mail your work without getting the o.k. from the store first). While you can submit a physical copy, the winners will need to have the designs digitally as high-res (300 DPI) JPEG's as well.But for submission purposes a low-res JPEG is fine as well.The store that submits the winner will also get their logo on the cover. So make sure you represent for your fave city, state, country, or store!WHAT DO I DRAW?: Here is the PREVIEW blurb for issue #11 to give you some inspiration.
With one trusted friend dead and the Prodigal army in pieces, Hamlet must plunge back into the Globe Woods. But even if he survives this second trip into the mouth of madness, can Shakespeare’s fabled quill stop the horrific combined might of Richard III, the Black Guard, and Lady Macbeth’s foul magic?
SOME OTHER RULES STUFF:
- The Contest ends at 9 PM EST March 15th, 2011.
- No purchase is required to enter.
- Only entrants without professional comic credits are eligible to win the contest.
- Each store will select up to three finalists.
- The final five finalists will be decided by the Kill Shakespeare creative team.
- The winner will be decided by a poll of Kill Shakespeare fans.
- The winner needs to be able to provide their design as a 300 DPI quality JPEG.
- All entries are property of Kill Shakespeare Entertainment.
- The sky is the limit. We'll be judging entries by how well they tell a story on the cover, how well the cover captures the "feel" of Kill Shakespeare and by how innovative and interesting the design is.
Good luck, and happy designing and drawing -- if you have any questions about how to enter drop me a line at muachado@killshakespeare.com