Press Release: Autumn by Tommy Kovac

"Autumn came turgid and sullen,
The wind in her wake a lament,
Nobody knew where she came from,
And nobody knew where she went."

Fate and dark magic come to an isolated village in the form of a mysterious and powerful girl named Autumn and a shape-shifting squirrel named Widdershinn in Autumn, a new SLG Publishing comic book series full of moody textures and mystical atmosphere. Autumn and Widdershinn befriend Splinter, a recluse who lives in a house set high in a tree. Meanwhile, a monstrous being watches from the demon-choked boughs of the Black Wood.... With his new series Autumn, Tommy Kovac, creator of Stitch and Skelebunnies, weaves a tale of betrayal and redemption, and the search to discover secrets buried deep inside.

An exile who carries powerful magic in her right hand, Autumn arrives at the Nameless Village, where frightened people wear masks to hide their human faces and call each other by public names to hide their true selves. But Autumn is not one for hiding. She is determined to keep her true face and name, and to discover the reason she has come to this strange place. In the eight issues of Autumn, love will blossom, blood will flow and secrets will be revealed.

From the delicate, detailed artwork reminiscent of Gothic-revival architecture to the character Autumn herself, to the very inspiration for the story, Autumn reveals Kovac's fascination with the beauty and romance of decadence. "Autumn is a bottle rocket of angst-fueled wild magic, leaving nothing unchanged behind her," Kovac said of his creation. "She is partially inspired by unintentionally destructive yet exciting friends in my past. The mood and tone of Autumn is informed by the sights and smells of the season itself -- the promise in the air of decay and impending storms."

Even in creating Autumn Kovac is giving a nod to the decadent. "Autumn is so self-indulgent for me," he said. "I built in all the quirks I love most -- squirrels, a prickly nonconformist girl, angst, tragedy, guys with cool hair, acorns and leaves."

Issue one of Autumn is scheduled for release in July 2004 and will be published thrice-yearly. A preview of Autumn is available at the SLG Publishing website, www.slavelabor.com.

Established in 1986, SLG Publishing is a San Jose, CA-based publisher of comics books and graphic novels. Operating under its imprints Slave Labor Graphics and Amaze Ink, SLG Publishing has distributed the work of such notable cartoonists as Jhonen Vasquez, Roman Dirge, Evan Dorkin and Andi Watson. More information about the company can be found at its website at </a>www.slavelabor.com