We've gotten up four more issues of Pirate Club by Derek Hunter at Eyemelt.com, so now you can download issues one through six for only $0.69 each! Pirate Club tells the tale of mayhem and mischief that a group of kids convinced that they're pirates get into as they face off against rival kids' clubs.

I'll tell you a story about Derek, too. He called the other day and didn't recognize my voice when I answered the phone.

"It's because I was using my receptionist voice," I told him.

He replied that I should answer the phone in my regular sassy girl-editor voice.

"Yeah, I should just pick up the phone and say, 'What the fuck do you want?'" I said.

Except Derek only heard the last part of what I said and thought I was just saying it to him. "I just thought I would make some chit-chat," he said, sounding really small.

Abashed, I had to explain that I wasn't asking Derek what the fuck he wanted. I was just acting in a hypothetical situation. I felt like a jerk for some reason, as if I really had asked him what the fuck he wanted. I'm a terrible person.

Derek Hunter, creator of the SLG series Pirate Club, is interviewed at Pulse for Talk Like a Pirate Day. (The quaint earnestness of the first comment on the interview touches my heart. Really, it does. I've never thought about how killing people in comic books isn't funny! I need to rethink my life in general now.)

Volume Two of Pirate Club is in stores now, and issues one is available for download at the SLG webstore ! Go out and get 'em.

Mateys.

(By the way, I apologize for the shitty layout on the journal right now if you're not looking at it on our friends list or in syndication. Seems LiveJournal is having a problem with journals changing format on them, but they warn not to make any changes, as the affected journales might revert back to their customized form on their own. So we'll just have to live with this for a few days while they figure out what's happening.)

Today is Wednesday, September 13, and we have a new trade paperback in stores today!

Pirate Club Volume Two by Derek Hunter
152-page trade paperback, $12.95

After defeating the rival clubs around Syacamore Valley, stakes are raised as the Pirate Club must battle tougher clubs, gruesome monsters of their nightmares, and perhaps...each other. No one is safe as the Pirate Club makes ready for a battle against the most evil of villains...Santa Claus!

Here's another ITW story, an introduction to the SLG comic Pirate Club by Derek Hunter

Pirates. Unrestricted peeing. Ninjas. Nudie magazines with “biscuit” in the title.

This is the the unbridled mischief of elementary school clubs gone terribly wrong, or hecka-cool-awesome right, depending on your viewpoint and slang tolerance. This is Pirate Club, creator Derek Hunter’s pseudo-autobiographical account of the childhoodhe never had but alwaysdreamed about, with more adventure, booty-kicking, and lunch money stealing thanyou can fit in a Trapper Keeper.

John: swashbuckler

“But what is this mysterious Pirate Club, and how can I learn to emulate their hilarious antics?” you might say. Excellent question. Fortunately, I have this secret dossier detailing Pirate Club’s iconic heroes that can be yours for a nominal fee:

John: Captain of the Pirate Club, swashbuckler, and avid fan of all things piratey. Has grand dreams of pillaging that border on delusion. Enjoys swash, buckles, eyepatches, the open sea and giving orders. Dislikes having his authority usurped, being shot at and clubs without pirate themes.

Bearclaw: Second in command to John. Believes he is a bear, and occasionally flies into a rage of slashing claws. Eats salmon. May or may not be secretly in love with Bat (see below). Also may or may not be secretly in love with butt-kicking.

Mike: Recent inductee into the Pirate Club. Can’t swim, but good at kicking the crap out of ninjas. He is the voice of reason, and has a good head on his shoulders. Also seems to be the only one who wonders how a river can have tidal waves. His secret shame: he once spent an afternoon hiding in agiant cow turd.

Bat: knows how to make boys cry

Bat: Toughest girl scout ever. Deplores displays of stereotypical femininity like picking flowers or not using the middle finger. Knows how to sail, fight, and steal like a professional, making her well-suited to a life of piracy. Her superpower: She knows how to make boys cry. Its only limitation: that all girls have this superpower.

But what good would having a Pirate Club be without the constant threat of rival clubs overtaking all of that hard-won booty? Brace yourself and behold the mysterious innerworkings of Blackhawk Delta’s other prominent clubs:

Bat and Bearclaw get out of a sticky situation

The Bully Club: Composed primarily of athletes from the Brookside Lion’s after-school sports program. Callous, overbearing, and full of desire to throw things in a sporty fashion. Impervious to crotch damage.

The A3s: The only club not worth beating up. No agenda. No motivation. But they do have a plethora of information at their disposal, and they know how to elude the police. Easily plied into cooperating if you have beer, cigarettes or pictures of naked people.

The Dirty Faced Kids: Also known as the Dirtheads or Dirty Face Club. Second only to Pirate Club in terms of ruthlessness and intimidation. They’ve been losing territory in recent months due to an influx of activity from a mysterious new club. Their faces aren’t really that dirty. Don’t tell anybody, yo.

The Nomad Club: A mysterious new club. So shrouded in so much mystery that its very mysteriousness is an enigma wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in delicious bacon. Serious. Mmm. Bacon. They never play outside, and have no muscles, which only fuels the Pirate Club’s hatred of them even more.

Alas, we can only tell you so much, but now, armed with knowledge of cow poop and salmon, you are finally prepared to pack the massive excitement and adventure of Pirate Club snugly in your brainhole!

Or if you find that last sentence too disturbing you can also just go to your local comic book retailer and purchase every issue of Pirate Club, a rip-roarin’ ongoing series by the swashingest buckler we know, SLG’s Derek Hunter.

Issues 1 through 9 and Pirate Club Volume One: Brainwash Escape Victims are available now at the SLG webstore and Amazon.com.

Yeah, my awesomeness caused me once again to forget to announce new comics yesterday. Here they are, late by a day once again:



Pirate Club #9 by Derek Hunter
24-page comic book, $2.95

The gravity of their situation hits full force after the Pirate Club arrives at the North Pole for a "fight to the death" brawl with Santa Claus. Tensions run high as imminent death looms around every turn. The Pirate Club is bound to survive this ordeal in one piece, right...?




Rex Libris #3 by James Turner
32-page comic book, $2.95

Rex performs his first leap from orbit, only to find that he has gone from the frying pan into the fire. Hostile aliens on the surface of Benzine V attack our hero as soon as he lands, and a desperate fight for survival breaks out. Back at the library, Circe and Hypatia get to know each other over a plate of fresh, home baked cookies. The tranquility is interrupted by a wave of hysterical patrons fleeing from the Montgomery reading room. It has been overrun by unknown hostile forces, and only Circe can bring the situation under control and prevent the chaos from spilling over into the rest of the library.

Just one SLG comic in stores this week, so we're gonna make it count by totally going to the North Pole to help Phil kill Santa!



Pirate Club #8 by Derek Hunter
24-page comic book, $2.95

In this issue, the Nomad Club is the least of the Pirate Clubs worries. This Issue, the Pirate Club will finally embark on the adventure that the whole series has been building up to! Folks...this issue: The cat is out of the bag!

There was a book in stores last week that I had thought would be out this week and neglected to put on the list. So, behold:


Pirate Club Volume One: Brainwash Escape Victims
152-page trade paperback, $12.95

Once you can cram as much awesome into each day as the Pirate Club does, you'll be ready for this action packed collection! Chronicling the adventures of John, Bearclaw, Mike, and Bat, you will experience murder, pirates, ninjas, narrow escapes, and vengeful convenience store clerks. And let's not forget about the merciless beatings of nerds, cops, jocks, bible vendors and MORE!

In their search for high sea adventure, John, Bearclaw, Mike, and Bat are ready for anything: ninjas, narrow escapes, vengeful convenience store clerks and merciless beatings of rival clubs. Volume 1 collects issues 1-5 of the series and some other goodies too. Consider this volume as Pirate Club’s gift to humanity.

Sometimes, we really like violence around here in SLG -- you know, the fictional kind. And the paint-ball-related kind. But especially the pirate kind and the futuristic criminal kind.

That's why we publish Pirate Club by Derek Hunter and Vaistron by Boussourir and Andrew Dabb. And we are rewarded for our deviance with enthusiastic reviews!

Scroll down to the pellet reviews in the Best Shots column at Newsarama to read a review of Pirate Club #7, where Caleb writes, "Last issue was a trip for anyone who’s ever wasted a significant portion of their life on a Super Mario Brothers game, and an upcoming trade will collect the first five issues, so one trip to the comic book store should be enough to get you all caught up and awaiting the next issue as eagerly as I."

I take issue with the assertion that time spent playing a Super Mario Bros. game is ever wasted time!

There's a review of Vaistron #1 at Comixfan. James Groves writes, "Andrew Dabb manages to hit the reader hard and fast by embracing extreme themes and taboo issues in a wonderful departure from the norm here in Vaistron #1, and together with Boussourir's hyper-stylised artwork, we get a debut issue of Vaistron that reminds me of 2000AD in its pomp, and a comic book that leaves me eager to read the second instalment as soon as possible."

I think there are more new SLG comics this week than there have ever been any week I've been paying attention. It's a wonder no one went crazy. Here they are, available at fine comic stores now:



GloomCookie #24 by Serena Valentino & Vincent Batignole
32-page comic book, $2.95

In the wake of The Carnival Wars, Sebastian suffers guilt for killing Marguerite, and making everyone in his life disappear. Moon Raven tells Vermilion she has The Power of the Nosferatu and it was she who made all the GloomCookies vanish, catching Vermilion’s extreme interest. Meanwhile Sebastian struggles with the responsibility of his actions and the enormous powers he has at his command.

French artist, Vincent Batignole makes his comic debut, bringing a style and grace to the series that blends beautifully with Valentino’s storytelling.




Next Exit #5 by Christy Lijewski
24-page comic book, $2.95

What relation does Cara have to Markesh? Who was the strange man Mary-Alice was talking about? And just what exactly is Mary-Alice anyway? Questions abound as Retrab and Markesh spend their final night in the city, each hoping to find their own answers before heading back on their journey. What they don’t expect however, is the heavy price those answers will come at.




Pirate Club #7 by Derek Hunter
24-page comic book, $2.95

Just when John thinks things couldn't get any stranger, mutiny is declared amongst the ranks of the Pirate Club. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, as they have come under heavy attack by Ninjas, Nomads, and all the other clubs they've ever faced. Plus, JJ's origin nearly revealed.




Rex Libris #1 by James Turner
32-page comic book, $2.95

The astonishing story of the incomparable Rex Libris, Head Librarian at Middleton Public Library, and his unending struggle against the forces of ignorance and darkness. With the aid of an ancient god who lives beneath the library branch, Rex travels to the farthest reaches of the galaxy in search of overdue books. He must confront incredible foes, such as powerful alien warlords who refuse to pay their late fees. Wearing his super thick bottle glasses, and armed with an arsenal of high technology weapons, he strikes fear into recalcitrant borrowers, and can take on virtually any foe from zombies to renegade public domain literary characters with aplomb.




The Super-Scary Monster Show featuring Little Gloomy #1 by Landry Walker and Eric Jones
24-page comic book, $2.95

Little Gloomy and her horrible friends return to Frightsylvania in this all-new bi-monthly series! THRILL to Little Gloomy co-creator Eric Jones’ stunning new art style! FEAR the mysterious invasion from the murky depths of space! DREAD the impending zombie attack!! WITNESS the inter-dimensional terror that is Carl Cthulhu’s grandmother!!! You cannot escape the nightmare that is the SUPER SCARY MONSTER SHOW!!!! Do not even try! Through the awesome power that is Disney Adventures Magazine, millions of innocent children have already succumbed to the unspeakable TERROR that is LITTLE GLOOMY! You cannot resist!!! You will not resist!!!

Blair Marnell, writer of the All the Rage column at Silver Bullet Comic Books, had a chat with SLG Prez Dan Vado, and tells you some of what he found out. You have to scroll down a bit to find it, but you know you want to know the juicy details.

Also at Silver Bullet Comic Books is Jim Kingman's Comic Effects column, where he writes of discovering Autumn by Tommy Kovac and Pirate Club by Derek Hunter at Comic-Con. That's what I really love about conventions -- finding great work that I might have overlooked or not heard about. I get really annoyed with the people who stand in line for an autograph and don't look at all the books in front of them along the way. It speaks to a real lack of creative and intellectual curiosity, I think. And in some cases, a real lack of critical thinking skills: "Have you read any other SLG comics?" "No. I don't like any other ones." "Have you ever even looked at them?" "No." "Then how do you know?" "I just do." Sigh. It's too bad for some people that they are so fixated on a goal that they can't enjoy themselves on the way or discover something new.

Well, onto other things, and speaking of creative and intellectual curiosity: James Turner gives you an extensive (and completely true! we swear!) history of librarians and a glimspe into his upcoming comic Rex Libris at Comics Readers. Rex Libris #1 is due out in stores on August 17th, and it's full of demon samurai and lost love and underground chambers and literary references that you don't have to get to enjoy the story but make you feel so clever if you do get them.

Toodles for the weekend kids. Don't party too hardy.

JdG