I didn't want to announce this until it was a sure thing, and now that the book is at the printer, I feel safe: Garogyles: Clan-Building Volume Two will be in stores in July 2009!

Volume Two features the published issues seven and eight, plus the never-before-seen issues nine through twelve. Written by series creator Greg Weisman and with art by David Hedgecock, Greg Guler, David Hutchison, Benn Dunn and colors by Robby Bevard, Gargoyles: Clan-Building Volume Two concludes the Clan-Building storyline as the history of the Stone of Destiny unfolds and Brooklyn travels to the past to secure his clan‘s future.

The book's 160 pages and full color and will retail for $19.99. You can pre-order it now at comic book stores with the Diamond code MAY090629. The ISBN is 978-1-59362-167-4. Be sure to let your retailer know you want Gargoyles!

And here is trailer for Gargoyles Volume Two. A high-quality version is available if you click through to YouTube.

Wonderland #4 by Tommy Kovac and Sonny LIew
24-page full color comic, $3.50

Mary Ann and the White Rabbit, along with the King and Queen of Spades, have escaped the treacle well with the help of The Butterfly. The disparate companions crash the Mad Tea Party (literally), and are welcomed by the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, until it is revealed that the White Rabbit is wanted by the Queen of Hearts for treason. Tensions and scrub brushes bristle, personalities and patterns clash, and the Queen of Spades whisks her charges off to Sir Edward the Tailor. A nicer dress and a few giant moths later, Mary Ann finds herself sneaking into Looking-Glass House, to try and get a glimpse of the “Alice Monster.”

Yesterday, I reminded you that Evan Dorkin and I were up for a couple of awards, and now I'm here to remind you that Sonny Liew has been nominated for an Eisner for his work on Wonderland, in the "Best Penciller/Inker" category, a category that I think diminishes all the gorgeous stuff Sonny does in his illustrations for the book. Not only does he draw it, but he colors it, too -- digitally paints it, really. But Sonny deserves the recognition, and comics professionals can confirm this by voting for him!

Recently, he did some sketches of characters appearing in future issues Wonderland, and I just couldn't keep them to myself. Click to see larger versions!

Wonderland #4 will be in stores soon. It's approved and at the printer.



Various critters from Lewis Carroll's poems. Tommy Kovac declares he does not like The Walrus and the Carpenter. They eat all those little oysters! Sawdust restaurants with oyster shells...

And the poor Mock Turtle and the Gryphon (the illustrations on the site I link to used to be so much clearer! It's a shame) -- I always found it grotesque that someone would make mock turtle soup.

Hey, whaddaya know, it's another review of Wonderland #1! This one is at Playback: stl, which appears to be a pop culture magazine based in St. Louis, Missouri. The verdict? Tommy Kovac's "dialogue is engaging, and the story moves at a brisk pace" and "Sonny Liew knocks it out of the park with a style that is cartoony yet quirky."

There are reviews of both Wonderland #1 and Tron #1 at Land of Frost Reviews at PopThought. (Scroll down a bit.) Alex Ness's verdict on Wonderland: "...fans of the original as well as anyone with an appreciation for fantasy without elves or dragons or dwarves will find this to be a quality and important addition to the library of works considering Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass." And on Tron: "This work is more than simple nostalgia, it is a long awaited development of the ideas found in the original work."

There are surprisingly few reviews of Gargoyles #1, considering its first printing flew off stores shelves faster than anything we've published before. Here's one at Captain Comics, and another in Spanish at Comics Verso (scroll down a bit). I can read the first sentence, which has to be tweaked a little to have the same impact: "Ahhhh! It's the return of the villain Lex Luthor wishes he could be... David Xanatos." And then there's some stuff about having watched the show on TV as a kid... and then my head got tired from trying to pull out a bunch of Spanish from its data archives.

SLG Publishing enthusiastically announced that the 10,000 copy first  printing of Gargoyles #1, one of four properties published under the Disney licensing agreement, had all but sold out. "We are going to be  shipping our last copies to Diamond immediately, but sadly there will not be enough to satisfy all of the reorders being placed," said SLG  Publishing president Dan Vado.

Comic books stores scrambled to keep Gargoyles #1 on shelves after its release on June 21, but it soon became clear that supply of the eagerly-anticipated comic book could not keep up with the demand of Gargoyles fans. So SLG Publishing is stepping in by re-printing Gargoyles #1, written by the Gargoyles animated series creator Greg Weisman, drawn by David Hedgecock, and colored by Will Terrell.

 Gargoyles is the saga of "The Clan"--gargoyles who were formerly warriors in Medieval Scotland who have been awakened from a curse in modern-day Manhattan. Faced with the growing fear and suspicion of Manhattan's residents, the Gargoyles must convince the world to trust them or retreat to live a life in the shadows. The original animated series ended ten years ago, but its fanbase has remained strong and active; there is even a well-attended Gargoyles convention, Gathering of the Gargoyles, every year. SLG attended this year and watched copies of Gargoyles #1 fly off the shelf.

That enthusiasm has been matched in comic book stores throughout the country as Gargoyles #1 sold out in a matter of weeks. Supplies of the comic will be replenished by August.

SLG's Dan Vado pointed out that he felt that the first issue was severely under-ordered by retailers. "We over-printed by almost 40% of our initial orders," he added. "I would highly advise retailers who  are carrying the comic to check their orders for Gargoyles #2."

Returning the enthusiasm of his fans, creator Greg Weisman is supporting the return of Gargoyles with convention appearances, and he will be a special guest at San Diego Comic-Con International, which takes place from July 20 to July 23.

Gargoyles is one of four Disney-licensed comics being produced by SLG Publishing. For information about Gargoyles, Haunted Mansion, Wonderland  and Tron, as well as SLG's creator-owned titles, visit their website at www.slgpublishing.com.

Hey! Wonderland reviews! Reviewers are quite rightfully noticing this charming new series by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew. Let's notice their reviews in return! It's the polite thing to do, after all.

Adam White at ComicCritique.com gives Wonderland #1 five out of five stars. Tommy gets kudos for writing a smart book for kids and Sonny's art is called "wonderful."

Las Vegas Weekly calls Wonderland "wonderful," too, and notes that it has both "the official stamp and indie street cred."

Matt Kamen postively reviews Wonderland at FractalMatter.com, but one cannot expect one such as myself not to reply to his musing "I have to wonder how much involvement Disney have actually had with this and forthcoming licensed titles from Slave Labor." He writes that "Disney's influence is clear" in "the choice of language," noting that while the word "execution" is used, "kill" or "die" are not.

Here's the inside story: I may be wrong or incomplete in my recollections, but I remember that the editor at Disney did ask for one change, and it did not involve any changes to the language. It was a change to a pretty grim visual that was amusing and creepy at the same time to us grown-up types people but probably wouldn't fly so well with part of the audience we're aiming for with Wonderland. Let's just note that in any editorial relationship, the artist takes those suggestions from the edtior that are reasonable and will improve the work and stands his or her ground on those that are not. The existence of such a relationship does not mean that the art or story is compromised, especially if both editor and artist are good at their respective crafts.

In any case, I can't really find a place in Wonderland #1 where the words "kill" or "die" would be elegant choices: their absence is easily interpreted as a matter of good writing (for instance, what fits better--the White Rabbit saying of the Queen of Hearts, "I'd never dream of being late. Or sh-sh-she'd have my head!" or "Or sh-she'd kill me!"?), not of some sort self-censorship.

Also -- Quick! Who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass?

We've found a couple of reviews for Wonderland #1, and they are in agreement: It's fun, beautiful, and everything else a comic book successor to the Lewis Carroll novels and Disney movie should be.

Marc at Unattended Baggage writes that "Wonderland #1 does exactly what Slave Labor’s new line of Disney-licensed comics should do" and calls Sonny Liew "the perfect artist for this story." He gives the comic a four out of five.

I have to point out, though, since the reviewer was not as impressed with Tommy Kovac's writing as with the art, that many people who read comics do not realize how much direction writers give to artists. It varies from writer to writer and project to project, of course, but having read Tommy's script, I can tell you that while Sonny's art is of course the (absolutely gorgeous) realization of this world and characters, their creation was a collaborative effort. Sonny is, as we all know, insanely talented, and the little details he adds give the comic that extra joy that comics should have. In the first panel of the first page, for example, he adds little whimsical creatures hiding in the shrubbery of what Tommy describes in the script as "a pastoral Wonderland setting, with big trees, mushrooms, almost prehistoric-looking curlicue plants, butterflies, etc."

This is something Graig Kent at Chud.com (scroll down a bit) picks up on when he gives Wonderland #1 a five out of five Vikings! He writes of Sonny's art, "the most impressive thing about this book is in his interpretation and flourishes." Of Tommy's writing, he writes: " His clear affinity for both Carroll’s novels and the Disney interpretation shine through in his structure of the story, the portrayal of the characters, and its delightful sense of humor. Kovac manages to successfully expand upon the old while giving it the face and fun of something new."

I'd like to add an apology for forgetting to include in the credits Wonderland's letterer, David Hedgecock. Besides drawing Gargoyles, David is also handling lettering duties for all of our Disney-licensed comics, and doing a wonderful job. He was especially keen to capture the unnique feel of Wonderland. We will, of course, remember to include him in the credits in upcoming issues!

There's nothing like Tron to get the reviews a-buzzin'. People have fond memories of the movie that introduced THE COMPUTER WORLD! to our mundane lives, and there are a fair number of devotees of the video game as well. We have three more reviews to tell you about today:

Graig Kent at Chud.com (scroll down a bit, as always) wasn't familiar with Landry Walker's and Eric Jones's comic book work, but he was pleased with his first exposure to it: "I was unsure what unknown-to-me names could come up with for a beloved childhood (and adulthood) concept, but they’ve absolutely grasped the ethereal techno feel of the movie, and have come up with an intriguing, if not immediately exciting, premise for this 6-part “Ghost In The Machine” storyline."

Dan Head at Paperbackreader.com Scroll past the part about China's economy... unless you want to read it, of course--China is a fascinating place that I will be visiting soon. Note that while the article is labeled "Did you notice that comic prices are going up?" my quick scan of the paragraphs found nothing having to do with comics prices. It does have this gem, however: "You didn’t know this, but Chinese women’s breasts have grown by about a cup size over the past decade due to improved nutrition. That’s big news.". Um, anyhow, he was impressed with Louie De Martinis's art: "Whereas much of the real world is drawn looking indistinct and hazy, the machine world is crisp and clear. Its bold colors and sharp figure work contrast powerfully with the real world’s darkness and seeming unreality."

Finally, Guy LeCharles Gonzalez (whom do you have to kill to get a name like that?) at Buzzscope weighs in on Tron. He's not familiar with the movie or the comic, but he still enjoyed the comic: "They had me at hello, and Louie De Martinis’ shadowy, Matrix-esque visuals ensure I’ll be staying logged on." He gives it a three and a half out of five.

Paperbackreader.com gets my props for not using the oft-repeated, "Boy, isn't it weird that SLG is working with Disney?" line of comments, but if the perceived weirdness gets people to take a look at Haunted Mansion, Tron, Wonderland and Gargoyles, I guess they can think it's as weird as they like.

These reviews bring up something to wonder about, too. Well, a couple of things--the first being how 25 pages of full-color art, all of it story, and no ads makes a comic a "no-frills effort." Do people want ads or letters columns instead of pages of story? Anyway... The main thing comes from Kent's and Head's comments that the first issue isn't all that action-packed. Which is true 'nuff. As Kent wrote, it's "intriguing, if not immediately exiting."

The concept of "the hook" is present in all types of writings, be it journalism, prose fiction or comic books. But does a hook necessarily mean action in a comic book? This is something I've been thinking about, especially as I read submissions, which have to "hook" me in the first few pages if I'm going to be interested in reading on. In these situations too much narrative text is DEATH for a poor submission (especially if it's not that well written), as is too much expository dialogue.

However, I thought Landry and Eric handles the backstory in a way that's most appropriate--in an introduction, not through clunky narrative boxes or "as you know dialogue" (more on those coming in an upcoming post). The dialogue that does convey exposition is not in a situation where two people equally knowledgeable about the present situation are discussing it as if they were educating each other about what they already know. But then there's the matter of excitement... How exciting does an opening have to be? Mass popular fiction is big on action-based openings (think of your Dan Browns, your Dean Koontzes, your Tom Clancys, your ... um, I dunno... that guy who writes all those legal thrillers), but is that how comics should be written as well? Or is there room for other kinds of storytelling, even in a science fiction comic? The reviewers may have cited the lack of action, but they both say they'll be back for more, so maybe the storytelling is more effective than not.

Do you truly comprehend the awesomeness that is THE COMPUTER WORLD!? Do you?

No, you cannot possibly, for THE COMPUTER WORLD!, being a world formed by all of humanity's technological ingenuity and activity, is beyond any single human's comprehension. But if you put together a few humans to decipher the puzzle of THE COMPUTER WORLD!... maybe three humans... and they happen to be Landry Walker, Eric Jones and Louie De Martinis, then perhaps THE COMPUTER WORLD! will become understandable to the rest of us if we read their work, Tron: The Ghost in the Machine. Or maybe trying to understand THE COMPUTER WORLD! will send us into a vortex of inevitable madness and despair. That's what Jet Bradley thought. But, THE COMPUTER WORLD! has plans for him.

All right, I'll stop typing "the computer world" in all caps like that. I know it's annoying. What I want to tell you is that the Tron FAQ blog weighs in on the first issue of Tron. The reviewer's verdict: "This first issue of the TRON comic is utterly fantastic. If you don't have it, run out to the store and buy it now!"

In response to a couple of the production-side nitpicks, just so y'all can get a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of a comic book company: We don't put Canadian prices on our books because several Canadian retailers have told us they prefer to set the prices according to current exchange rates. And I think you'll find that most comic books don't have page numbers in them.

THE COMPUTER WORLD!

More Pulse previews!

There is a preview of Wonderland #1 (featuring pages that are not on the SLG website preview), as well as a great interview with Wonderland's writer, Tommy Kovac. If anyone needed to write this series, it was Tommy.

Wonderland #1 by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew will be in stores on May 17.

--
An aside: There's an interesting thing I've noticed in the few comments on these articles. It seems as if a lot of comics fans cannot compliment something without putting something else down at the same time. What is with that? I think it stinks. Cut it out, comics fans. If you like something, say you like it. It's irrelevent if you don't like something else.

Well, it took me a little longer to come through on this one, but the preview for Wonderland is now up on the SLG website!

Written by Tommy Kovac (Autumn, Skelebunnies, Stitch) and drawn by Sonny Liew (Malinky Robot, My Faith in Frankie), Wonderland shows you the tizzy that Wonderland is in after a certain young blonde miss leaves. The Queen of Hearts is enraged, the White Rabbit is nervous, and a little girl named Mary Ann just wants to keep everything nice and neat.

I'm pretty sure this comic book defines the word charming. I feel bad that you have to wait until May to read it! But believe me, it will be worth the wait.

artwork © Disney

When I say something's gonna happen, it's gonna happen! For the most part, anyway. And did you know that "trustworthiness, for the most part" is the number two attribute comic book fans look for in an independent comic book editor-in-chief? It is. And you can mostly trust me on that. The number one attribute, for the record, is "hotness--if the editor's a chick." You and I might think that hotness is irrelevent to what editors do, but just try to tell that to some of the idiots who post at Newsarama!

Anyway, the thing that I said was going to happen is the good news for Gargoyles fans. Greg Weisman is interviewed at Comic Book Resources. Greg talks about what's in store for the Gargoyles and his work in animation--and CBR has also posted some pages of Gargoyles #1!

Speaking of Greg Weisman, he is one of SLG's guests at Wizard World Los Angeles, going on this weekend! Also attending are David Hedgecock, the series penciller, and Tommy Kovac, writer of Wonderland.

And, yes, we will be showing you more of Wonderland soon.

Sorry for the prolonged, spooky silence. You see, we've been busy, coming away from Wondercon and on our way to New York Comic-Con, not to mention finally letting the reality of the schedule for July sink in. Eleven comics! And me being shipped to China when they need to be sent to the printer! Tune in for what will no doubt be hilarious going-crazy posts on this journal! So, yeah, busy.

Publishers Weekly gets that we're busy, and Chris Arrant has written an article for PW letting the world know about the this busy-ness, "Slave Labor Goes Disney." A couple of corrections: Roman Dirge is not working on Tron (sorry, Roman, but Disney just didn't go for the "Cute Little Dead Girl Sucked Into the Computer World" concept art... but that would be funny... heh)*, and the title of Landry Walker's and Eric Jones's comic book is The Super-Scary Monster Show.

There are a couple of reviews of James Turner's comics out there, too. Graig at Chud.com names Nil: A Land Beyond Belief one of his favorite books of 2005: "Nil delivers smart, savvy, and hilarious Pythonesque humour about a hapless protagonist framed for murder and on the run in a nihilistic society in this highly inventive original graphic novel. Turner’s amazing black and white, computer generated vector graphic illustrations are visually stimulating and iconic." And Chad Boudreau at Comic Readers gives Rex Libris #3 a four out of five.

And Marlene keeps on proving that nekkid-ness and nooky is just fine and dandy! If they're part of "horror-mysteries featuring complex characters," that is. Michael May at Comic World News encourages you to read all the way to Marlene's "satisfying, but unsettling, end." Hey, just like sex with a succubus! Satisfying, but unsettling.


*Just in case: No, Roman was never going to do art for Tron. I was makin' da lame-o joke. I know that probably seems obvious, but there are people out there, who... man, they just lose their heads over stuff like this and are willing to believe even stupid jokes.

All right, kids: It's TRON time. The first issue of the second of SLG's Disney-licensed comics (is that confusing enough?) will be in stores in April and #1 is available for pre-order at comic stores now.

The press release is at Newsarama and Pulse for the discussion-inclined and we have a preview up at the SLG website. Here's the press release. You can discuss here, too, of course. And to see some art previewed and writers Landry Walker and Eric Jones discuss the comic, check out the Tron trailer here.

New Tron Comic Plumbs the Depths of Human Psyche
Tron: The Ghost in the Machine Debuts from SLG in April

Jet Bradley has escaped from the computer world after being kidnapped and digitized to defeat a nefarious virus. But after his ordeal, Jet can't seem to adjust to the real world. Beset by insomnia and paranoia, he avoids technology as much as possible, leaving him completely unable to function in the modern world. And now something in the computer world wants him back.

SLG Publishing and Disney bring a thrilling new chapter to the Tron story with Tron: The Ghost in the Machine, a comic book written by Landry Walker and Eric Jones (Little Gloomy, X-Ray Comics) and drawn by Louie De Martinis. Tron: The Ghost in the Machine picks up where the critically-acclaimed video game Tron 2.0 leaves off, bringing you the same thrilling action, as well as an exploration of the effects of the cyberworld on the human psyche.

Like many, writers Landry Walker and Eric Jones got their first view of the computer world in Disney's 1982 cult hit movie, Tron. "I've loved Tron since I first saw the movie as a kid," said Jones. "The whole concept is so exciting, since it involves more than 'good versus evil' and allows for some pretty good twists and turns."

Walker stresses that Tron: The Ghost in the Machine will be true to its cinematic and video game roots by not only being an action story but also delving into the mental trauma protagonist Jet Bradley suffers by being forced into the computer world. "Jet is not a hero," Walker said. "He's just an average person thrust into exceptional, and somewhat horrible circumstances. The story is more about the psychological challenges Jet faces when he's disintegrated and reduced to pure information -- that shift in reality is really going to screw with your head."

The sophisticated treatment of technology's effects on the human mind in Tron: The Ghost in the Machine is an element of what Walker calls "pure science fiction." "The comic is an exploration of a different universe, the unknown," he said, "from the perspective of someone completely out of his depth."

"We're really exploring the limits of the possibilities of the Tron concept," Jones added. "It's a thriller, it's got action, it's smart, it's fun, and I think this is a comic that will surprise people."

The story of Tron: The Ghost in the Machine is matched with the art of comics newcomer, Louie De Martinis. Using his experience as an animator, De Martinis renders expressive and dynamic characters and Tron's brilliantly-colored computer world. Fans of the original movie and the popular video game will appreciate his take on the world of Tron, which is true to the original while matching Walker and Jones's storytelling with innovations of its own.

Tron: The Ghost in the Machine will be an ongoing, FULL COLOR comic book. Each issue will have a suggested retail price $3.50. Issue one is scheduled for April 2006. The comic will be available at comic book stores, Amazon.com and direct from the publisher at www.slgpublishing.com.

Tron: The Ghost in the Machine is the second of four Disney-inspired comic books from SLG Publishing. The first, Haunted Mansion debuted in October. Two more comic book series, Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew and Gargoyles by Greg Weisman and David Hedgecock are scheduled for release in 2006.

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

People have been buzzing about how SLG "announced" our deal with Disney to do Disney-themed comic books, but in truth there has been no official announcement. SLG's Prez Dan Vado merely mentioned it in passing to three people at BookExpo last weekend who were observant enough to notice the Haunted Mansion poster at our booth, and word got around. Heidi McDonald was the first to break the story, at her her column The Beat. A few intrepid comic books journalists asked Dan some questions about the deal recently, and here are the fruits of their curiosity:

ICV2 gives you the bare-bones facts.

Matt Brady did the unthinkable for comic books journalists -- he called the office and asked questions! GASP! His article is up at Newsarama.