Recommended comic: Conan The Barbarian
This past Saturday Conor and I swung by Paradise Comics in mid-town Toronto to visit the signing by acclaimed artist Becky Cloonan of the first issue of her run on Dark Horse Comics' Conan the Barbarian: Queen of the Black Coast. Becky is a good friend of ours - and especially artist Andy Belanger - and it's great to see her work get so much mainstream comics attention.
I'm about to dive into the first issue and I'm looking forward to it - the illustrations are amazing!
AintItCool News @$$IE Awards: Best Writer!
We've received a number of positive reviews for our series on AintItCool News, which is still one of the top comic review websites. But yesterday we received a further plaudit from them: Conor and I were listed as one of the top comic writers of 2011 in their 8th annual @$$ie Awards!
It's a very distinguished list that includes fellow Canadians Jeff Lemire (Animal Man) and Ray Fawkes (One Soul), as well as industry stalwarts like Scott Snyder (American Vampire) and Mark Waid (Daredevil). We're honoured to be included with these other talents, and for the recognition for the series!You can read the write-up on us by Lyz "Lizard" Reblin by clicking on the trophy image above or clicking here.
Congrats to Toronto's newest Comic Book Store!
These days it seems as though many comic book shops are closing down, whether it's because owners are moving on, decreasing sales, or lower margins. So it's refreshing when new comic shops open up - and there's one in our very own backyard of Toronto.Two weeks ago The Dragon Lady, a top comic shop that our artist Andy Belanger visits every Wednesday, closed down. In its ashes a new store - and gallery - has risen. Run by the uber-busy Kevin Boyd and Joe Kilmartin (the manager of the Dragon Lady), the two (along with Toronto Cartoonists' Workshop owner Sean Menard) have teamed up to start up the Comic Book Lounge & Gallery, located a block away from the old Dragon Lady location. They had a "soft launch" last night and I swung by to visit. It's a cool spot that perhaps we can even use for future launch parties.You can check out their website here.
Congrats to Kevin, Joe and Sean - and everyone else involved - for following their passion and making things happen (did I just quote from the theme song of Flashdance?...)!
What character(s) should we add?
We are currently investigating the possibility of continuing our series based on feedback and support. While we do so, we'd like to pose a question to our followers/fans/readers - what character(s) would you like to see in a continued or future series? We've thrown this question out into the social network sphere but would also like your opinion here. Would it be the wizard Prospero? The battling sweethearts Beatrice and Benedick? A little-known character? A well-known character? We're all ears...
What's the best beer to drink while reading Kill Shakespeare?
It's generally not my policy to post every review we find on Kill Shakespeare - there simply wouldn't be enough space and time for me to post everything. However, there was one posted yesterday that I thought quite funny...
The great iFanboy site has a regular column called Comic Shots. They describe is as such: Each week the iFanStaff passes along a tasty drink recipe and an even tastier comic book recommendation. The cocktail (or beer, or wine, or booze) and the comic can both be enjoyed independently, but they have a common theme and when served together they can make for the perfect reading experience.And this week it was Kill Shakespeare.And the drink? Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout by Rogue.Reviewer Ryan Haupt describes the drink and then gives it a good review. As for the book? As he says, "it... serves as a fine example of what can be accomplished with basic ingredients used in the right way."I'll let you enjoy the article - and perhaps the drink sometime...(Click on the image to read the review of the book and drink.)
Convention Schedule - First Half of 2012
It seems as though the fall convention season just ended... And here we are planning for the spring convention season to begin already!
We will post more information closer to the dates, but we are currently looking at attending a fair number of conventions over the next six months. Some we will be returning to, others will be our first time setting up. In all cases we're excited to be attending these conventions. I've said this in many interview but perhaps the best part of Kill Shakespeare is attending conventions and talking to readers, fans, those that like Shakespeare, those that hate Shakespeare, and everyone else.Look for us at the following shows (yes, it is a busy March & April for us):Mar 10-11 - FanExpo Toronto Comic-Con (Toronto)Mar 16-18 - WonderCon (Anaheim - normally held in San Francisco)Mar 30 - Apr 1 - Emerald City Comic-Con (Seattle)Apr 5 - 7 - Shakespeare Association of America Annual Conference (Boston)Apr 13 - 15 - C2E2 - Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (Chicago)Apr 14 - 15 - Toronto Wizard Comic-Con (Toronto)Apr 21 - 22 - Boston Comic-Con (Boston)Apr 21 - 22 - Vancouver FanExpo (Vancouver) - not confirmed yetApr 27 - 29 - Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo (Calgary) - not confirmed yetMay 5 - 6 - Toronto Comics Arts Festival - TCAF (Toronto)May 19 - 20 - Kapow! Comic Convention (London, UK) - not confirmed yetWe are also exploring other shows to attend so if you have any suggestions please let us know!
IFC says "Adapt Kill Shakespeare!"
As Conor and I are deeply immersed in the screenwriting of the film version of Kill Shakespeare, it's always great when independent sources (fans, readers, media) talk to us about adapting our project for the screen. It's great to talk about casting possibilities, changes to the story, the hard process of adapting your own work, etc.
One media source that also is looking forward to an adaptation is Rick Marshall from IFC.com. He runs a weekly column looking at comics that would make great screen adaptations and this week he turns his eye to us (two weeks ago it was KS cover artist Kagan McLeod's Infinite Kung Fu). And this week? It's Kill Shakespeare!An interesting quote from the analysis:"Given the size of the world in Kill Shakespeare and the epic nature of the characters' quest, television seems like the right medium to tell McCreery and Del Col's story - especially since there's little need for complicated special effects. The popularity of current shows like "Grimm" and "Once Upon A Time" make it easy to see the possibilities of a "Kill Shakespeare" television series, and if the project receives the sort of nurturing that one of the cable networks like SyFy can provide, the sky's the limit."What do you think?
ONE BIZARRE LIFE
One thing we like to do when we get a chance here in the Kill Shakespeare estates (and by estates we mean two painfully small apartment-y type things in the city of Toronto) is to pass on weird, wonderful and interesting work that people share with us at conventions.
Well, earlier this month, (last month by the time most of you see it) we were in Halifax and I struck up a fun conversation with an artist named Bruce Delo. Bruce asked if he could show me his comics and I said 'yes' (being the generally kind and generous soul that I am).So he passed me this bizarre little strip called Life Comix which I flipped through and it was really, really random.And I mean that mostly in a good way. Life Comix seems to be about a group of stoner friends who get up to all sorts of adventures, well they don't get up to a heck of a lot (they ARE stoners), but there is definitely a sweet undercurrent to everything in the strip which appealed to me (as did some of the most random moments like the centipede buddy or the "face-hands" that make apocalyptic predictions).So I told Bruce I'd toss it on our site and that hopefully he and I wouldn't be the only ones with the same odd sense of humour.Life Comix -- it may not be for everyone, but I think there's the seed of something here so I hope you check out his work, and Bruce I hope you keep at it!Enjoy!
PW loves ANDY B.
Publishers Weekly has long been a big supporter of Kill Shakespeare so it is a real pleasure to see them review the second trade collection - THE BLAST OF WAR.The review isn't a stroke job by any measure, but it does single out Andy B. for the fantastic work he put into the trade.Click here to read it.So cheers to Andy B. as he continues to receive the recognition he deserves!
Next generation of artists!
One of the great things attending conventions and also doing talks at schools and libraries is meeting youngsters interested in getting into comics. They range from as young as 4 up to, well, our age (we sometime lump ourselves into that category).At the New York Comic-Con last month we were fortunate to meet a very talented up-and-coming 9-year-old artist by the name of Shea Stevenson. Shea was a little shy but after a bit of prodding we discovered that he had a lot of talent and after the convention he was able to send me some of his work. Two of the illustrations are below. Shea's got a lot of promise and we look forward to seeing him develop into a full-time comic book artist in the next decade.Shea: Make sure to keep working. Draw every day as much as possible. Read and study as many comics and pieces of art as possible. And, whatever you do, don't lose your enthusiasm for it!
First Kill Shakespeare Cosplayers!
Andy, Conor and I returned from Halifax on Monday after taking part in the fantastic Hal-Con 2011. I'll have more to post on that later this week (photos!) but in the meantime, I wanted to share a very special moment for us...Our first Kill Shakespeare cosplayers!
Ken and Alicia Robichaud, huge fans of the series, went out of their way to put together elaborate costumes of Richard III and Lady Macbeth to wear to this year's Con. The costumes are amazing but more importantly than that, it was very touching. I couldn't help but reflect upon the fact that a mere two-plus years ago this entire concept was just an idea that Conor and I had, and now not only does our dream fill the pages of comic book issues, will come alive with the stage show at Young Centre for the Performing Arts (and Soulpepper) next week (Nov 26 - 27th) but now we have fans who love the series enough to dress up as their favourite characters.
It's what makes all of the work and long hours worth it.Thanks to Ken and Alicia for brightening our day and putting huge smiles on our faces!
East Coast Bound!
Conor, Andy and I will be heading to Halifax, Nova Scotia this weekend to take part in Hal-Con 2011. We're really excited to serve as special guests for the event and look forward to use the opportunity to use it as the first Canadian premiere of Volume 2: The Blast of War (collecting issues 7 - 12). Conor attended Hal-Con last year and had an absolute blast so they decided to bring all of us in this year.
In addition to having Volumes 1 and 2 available for signing, we will also be doing a number of presentations, which will include:- Sat, Nov 12 - Comic Panel 11AM - 12PM Main Stage - 200 Level- Sun, Nov 13 - “Pitching” Workshop 11AM - 12PM Workshop Room 3 - 200 Level- Sun, Nov 13 - Kill Shakespeare Panel 5PM - 6PM Main Stage - 200 LevelIf you're in the Halifax or East Coast area we'd love to meet you and spend time chatting at the show!
Night Flight Comics: One of the best retailers in the U.S.!
Conor and I attended the Sundance New Frontier Story Lab last week and I'll post a lot of content from our time in the next couple of days. But before we took part in the lab, we arranged to fly into Salt Lake City a day early so that we could do some signings at Night Flight Comics (Sat, Oct 22nd).We met Mimi Cruz, the manager/owner of the store back at WonderCon in April, 2010. She was so much fun to hang out with and chat that we immediately wanted to call her up and hang out at her store, if only for some great conversation and laughter with her.Mimi and her co-owner/husband Alan are two of the coolest people you'll ever meet but also quite astute to the comics world and retailing industry. They run two locations in Salt Lake and both do quite well and have a strong customer base. They were so kind to us - picking us up at the airport, taking us on a tour of the city, showing us where Bob Redford eats when he's in town. They've been fans of our series since Day #1 and we really appreciate it.Below are some photos of our signings at the store:
We're LIVE on Comixology!
KILL SHAKESPEARE was launched on Comixology earlier today! You can download all twelve issues on the site for iPhone/iPad as well as your desktop computer (at a price of $0.99).If you haven't checked out the issues but would like to check out the digital versions click on the Comixology image and it'll direct you to the site.
Signing at Lucky's Comics in Vancouver
I will be swinging through Vancouver, BC later this month after attending the Sundance Institute's New Frontier Story Lab. While in the fair city (which I've never been to), I'm excited to do a signing at Lucky's Comics, one of the top comic book stores in Western Canada. I've never visited the store before but here incredible things about it.If you're in the Vancouver area, swing by Lucky's on Saturday, October 29th between the hours of 2-5pm. I will be signing individual issues, copies of our first graphic novel, and also (but can't guarantee it) have special advanced copies of our second graphic novel to sign.
Appearance in Salt Lake City this Weekend
Conor and I will be appearing at Night Flight Comics in Salt Lake City this upcoming Saturday (October 22nd). Coming early into Utah to take part in the Sundance Institute's New Frontier Story Lab, we're excited to appear at the two store locations and hang out with Mimi and everyone else.
We will be having a signing/reception at the Library Square location (210 East 400 South) from 1:30 - 3:00 and then the main store (6222 South State Street) from 5:00 - 7:30.If you're in the Salt Lake City area please swing by - we'll love to see you there!
Sneak peak at Volume 2!
Conor and I just finished Preview Night at the New York Comic-Con and two hours before the show we received a very important package... a few boxes bearing a total of 100 copies of Kill Shakespeare Volume 2! We are selling these copies as a NYCC exclusive this weekend and they're already starting to fly off the shelf...Here is a quick photo taken at our booth.
The official release date has also been set - November 16, 2011. More details to come in the next couple of days.
SOME ART FOR YOUR LONG WEEKEND - WELL, FOR CANADIANS ANYWAY (the long weekend, not the art).
It has been a big couple of days here in Kill Shakespeare land.Not only do we have the big Sundance news but I have some great art to share with you from the next generation of Canadian comic talent. AND, here in Canada, it's TURKEY day this weekend -- yep Canadian Thanksgiving is here! Gobble, gobble!(Alright, before I fall into a tryptophan induced coma, I want to share with you some REALLY cool stuff.)The pieces below were sent to us by the awesome comic club at the Ontario College of Art and Design. These lovely ladies and men are all enrolled in one sort of graphic art or another at OCAD, but they still find time to meet twice a month (usually the second Thursday) and share their comic creations as well as talk about the medium we all love.Andy and the ever-talented Ramon Perez went with me to chat with the club last year and in return they sent us their amazing work.Enjoy (click on the images to see them in all their full-sized glory).
Kill Shakespeare in the Big Apple (NYCC 2011)
The New York Comic-Con will always hold a special place in my heart. Yes, it's the largest show on the East Coast. Yes, it gives me a chance to visit my favourite city (and some friends, including the great K.S. friend Vanessa King). Yes, we've made a lot of fans there in the past. However, the biggest reason it holds a special place is that it was at NYCC almost three years ago where we first went to pitch Kill Shakespeare and walked away with a lot of interest and buzz on the project.
We are returning this year and since IDW Publishing doesn't have a booth we will having our own. We will be located in the small press publishing area, BOOTH 2844. Conor, myself and Andy will be there the entire weekend, signing copies of our issues and our first graphic novel, selling original artwork, selling our merchandise (t-shirts, pins). Also, there is a chance we may have a SPECIAL PRODUCT that will be available at the show (we'll know more in the next week or so if that will be the case).So make plans to come and visit us at the show - it should be a great one!
WORD!
The sun was shining, fans of the written word were laughing and comparing notes on their favourite authors, exotic meats and vegetables were grilling... it was definitely a great Sunday to be at Word on the Street.
And so the Kill Shakespeare team braved this paradise (though we somehow forgot to grab any Tiny Tom donuts -- for shame, what we're we thinking?) to do our second presentation at WOTS - which is a huge honour for us. We love getting the chance to mingle with so many readers and we especially appreciate the chance to try to open people's eyes to the humble comic book.In fact for next year I'm hoping to convince WOTS to give us and a few other creators a panel with some sort of provocative title ("You're dumb if you're not reading comics" ?) in order to really shake up the notion that comics are for kids.But that's enough of my little sideline passion.This post is really about thanking Nicola at WOTS for organizing the event and getting the K.S. boys a panel. And it is about thanking the people who came to hear us speak (standing room only!), and it is about appreciating the passion and energy the entire festival brought to the day. For those of you have not been to a WOTS it is getting bigger and bigger all the time, and the one in Toronto was easily the busiest I'd ever seen. And you don't even have to be in Toronto to enjoy the fun. The Toronto WOTS is held in conjunction with events across the country, including one in Halifax where our dear friend Chris Benjamin was a guest of honour.
It's a great venue for hearing readings, picking up cool books, getting discounted magazine subscriptions (as my fiancee may have done) and mingling. It's also a great venue for kids so we invite all our fans to come down next year to join the party at Queen's Park - and come support the "comics are literature too" movement we'll be trying to drum up.As for the panel itself? Well, first off, we were scheduled to present at the "This is Not the Shakespeare Stage" -- perhaps the greatest literary omen since the 'Ides of March' (although I think our day worked out a LITTLE better than Caesar's). Once we got there we were greeted by a large and enthusiastic crowd and received a wonderful intro from the festival organizers.Then Anthony and I spent an hour going through the "ins and outs" of writing and drawing comics (poor Andy was in NYC and couldn't join us) and providing tips about how to become a creative entrepreneur. As I mentioned above the crowd was fantastic, especially Scott who graciously volunteered to be a guinea pig and talk through a comic book he was working on that had stalled.
We also found time to plug the excellent Kate Beaton and her work Hark, A Vagrant!, to do a little high-fashion runway modelling, and to be COMPLETELY charmed by two adorable moppets in the front row who answered more questions than all the adults in the tent combined.At the end there was nothing left to do but treat the crowd to a brief sneak-preview of "Kill Shakespeare: The Musical" (starring the Bear from 'A Winter's Tale', naturally). We were told it was the first time that someone had ended a WOTS presentation with a soft-shoe routine.We hope that all of you who attended ended up gaining some value from our presentation, and please we'd love to hear feedback so that we can continue to improve our talks. We'd be honoured if something we said or did inspired your own creative spirits.All the best, and thanks again Toronto for the best Word on the Street yet!A smattering of the many photos the lovely Crystal Luxmore, the aforementioned fiancee, took of the day are below.
- Anthony preparing to launch into "Kill Shakespeare: The Musical"
