More Things I Love: Chad Crawford Kinkle's Harpe

No buy it now link for this one, as it's just now available for pre-order in the direct comic market. Harpe: America's First Serial Killers is quite possibly one of the most mature, sophisticated, and down-right beautiful debuts of a graphic novelist I've ever been privy to. First, about Chad. I met Chad at Comic-Con a few years ago when some of my buddies brought him around to talk about his proposal for a graphic novel. When I heard the concept I fell in love. When I got to spend time talking with Chad about the project, breaking into comics, and what to do next, I knew that I'd just met an exciting new talent who was going to rock the shit out of this industry.

The book, in case the title didn't clue you in, is about a couple of brothers in the early 19th century who went on a killing spree through the South. They're like Bonnie and Clyde is just barely post-revolutionary war times. It's a delicate mix of history and horror with the feel of good Western Noir, that's engaging and beautifully executed by Chad and artist Adam Shaw.

The thing about Chad, much like the aforementioned Joshua Dysart, is that he does something I just can't do. He takes history and makes it flesh. The book is thoroughly researched, pain-stakingly replicating the events, locales, and characters of this most definitely untold story in a way that defies it's period setting and gory subject matter. He creates a portrait of some sick individuals that you still manage to have feelings for. Considering the atrocities these guys committed, that's an amazing feat. They're not just monsters, they're human, and very, very real.

Do yourself a favor and head to your local retailer, and have them order this book. Tell them it's available using Diamond Order Number SEP090728. You'll be glad you did.

More info, including a five page preview available here: http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=9d17c9217240226bbc79d6750&id=6f9b04e3e1&e=

Unknown Soldier Vol. 1

I'm fortunate to call Josh Dysart a friend. I've known him for almost my entire career in comics, which is closing in on a decade now. He has a lot of tools in his toolbox as a writer that I'm incredibly envious of. He handles huge ideas in digestable ways, and creates world that are both painfully realistic, and bendable to his whims. If you don't believe check out his pitch perfect pulp work on Penny Farthing's Captain Gravity, him following in the footsteps of the greatest writer in comics and going toe to toe with him on Swamp Thing, or, crafting one of the most socially responsible comics about a crazy guy with a gun in the history of the medium, as he's done in Unknown Soldier.

The book is dark. Really dark. Achingly, painfully, nightmare inducing dark. And yet... it's not a nightmare to get through, as you'd expect. Instead, it's a delicate piece of true art that both forwards the medium of comics and manages to be a page turning semi-superhero style action piece. It crafts the perfect balance of information dump and character, that makes the world seem ultra-real, extremely foreign, yet simple and understandable.

There truly are few writers in Josh's league these days, and I'm thrilled to see someone so talented succeeding in such a grand sense. And in case it matters, he's also a sensationally sweet guy who can charm the pants off of you. Literally. I've seen it.

Do yourself a favor, and check out the book, and, I recommend seeing Josh's extensive notes, behind the scenes diary posts, and more over at http://www.joshuadysart.com

Wifey Hits Los Angeles Magazine

There she is, my cool-ass wife showin' up in Los Angeles magazine, profiled for her love of Ann Dvorak.  It's the current issue on stands today, featuring Kate Winslet on the cover.

I couldn't be prouder of her.

The Wife Gets Interviewed!

Ann Dvorak: Q&A with Biographer/Collector Christina Rice - Alternative Film Guide

The name Ann Dvorak wouldn’t ring even a faint bell for most people around at the beginning of the 21st century. Most people, I said — but definitely not everyone.

A few days ago, author James Robert Parish heard a loud gong when I told him during lunch at a West Hollywood restaurant that I was working on a q&a with collector-turned-biographer Christina Rice, who’s currently writing Ann Dvorak’s life story.

"I love Ann Dvorak! I still remember her in I Was an American Spy, when the Japanese villains stick a hose down her throat. I never forgot that!"

Straight Outta Des Moines - Photo Parade

Help Josh Medors -- Update

Hey gang,More info on what you can do to help is up here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16161

Please check it out and pass it on.

Heading Out

Bright and (way too) early tomorrow morning, Christina and I are heading out for New York City, the New York Comic Con, and a weekend filled with seeing old friends, running from meeting to meeting, and generally wearing myself out. Thanks to the joys of Twitter, it's felt a little less isolated getting ready, as everybody heading to the show seemed to simultaneously hit 'Oh Fuck' Mode at the same time, and everybody's there cheering everyone else on. Or making mean jokes.

Mostly mean jokes.

So, till next week, very little posting, very little twittering. Please stop by Top Cow, Harris, or the Comics Experience panel to say Hi.

See you on the other side.

j.

Los Angeles Public Library in Crisis

Hey gang,This may seem to not apply to those of you outside of Los Angeles, but, as our economy worsens, the same situation is going to be popping up all over the country.

Rumors have been swirling around since LA announced it's budget crisis that our Public Library system will be one of the hardest hit. Rumors from a 'transfer fee' for books, staff layoffs, removal of valuable databases, and cancellation of subscriptions to magazines abound. In fact, the library has had a buying freeze since February, meaning they haven't ordered any new books at all.

A few concerned citizens set up a website about the crisis, and you can check that out here: http://savelapl.org/

On that site you can send a letter to the mayor of Los Angeles, and the other elected officials of import to let them know your disdain for their attempts to dismantle one of the best resources offered by the city.

Here's what I wrote them...

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Dear Mayor Villaraigosa, City Librarian Holmes and Library Commissioners,

I write to express my great concern about the proposal to begin charging a $1 fee for all inter-branch book loans at the Los Angeles Public Library after July 1st. The public library needs to be free for all citizens of Los Angeles, and I urge you to find some other way to generate funds that doesn't place the burden onto the people who can least afford it. I also encourage you to seek creative solutions to generate income that can be used to restore the book buying budget. These might include hosting special events or a fundraising auction, or following the successful lead of the New York Public Library by selling reproductions of images in the collection or offering fee-based reference assistance.

Our libraries are more than just a public resource, it's the gift of education. As a professional writer, many of my fondest memories that inspired me to follow my dreams were of my time at my hometown libraries. Having all of the knowledge at my fingertips gave me a perspective on the wealth of knowledge, philosophy, art, and history that was so easily attained through a public service.

Just like with our troubled school system, the solution is NOT to cut services, but to expand them. To use the resources at hand, including the passionate staff, amazing collection, and wealth of cultural history to generate revenue that's already inherent to what they do. Chasing insignifcant fees, cutting staff, and defacing one of the truly great sanctums of knowledge in our city is not the way to accomplish that.

Our mayor made a commitment to improve education, and, to make sure that every citizen, be they child or adult, have access to the treasures contained in the public library system is an important part of that promise. In times like these, hard nosed, short sighted politicking is not the solution. Instead, it's time for our local government to prove that they're the visionary, foreward thinking individuals we elected.

Sincerely,

Joshua Hale Fialkov

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So, please, go to the website, check out the situation, and participate. Activism will make a difference, and it won't take too much of your time.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to forward this to anyone who may find this interesting.

j.

Joshua Hale Fialkov www.thefialkov.com

Christina Blogs Los Angeles History

Right here you can read my beloved's wife contribution to a blog devoted to the history of Bunker Hill. In case you aren't aware, Bunker Hill was the huge neighborhood of victorian mansions in Downtown Los Angeles that got bulldozed to make way for sky rises. It's the setting of many a film noir, so, if you dig that stuff, you'll like the site. Enjoy.

Tony Lee interviews me and a bunch of other folk...

about how to make it in the comic business.

 1. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PITCH?

JHF: It's important. I think having a good relationship where your editor (or the publisher) trusts you to actually execute on that pitch is probably more important. Having a great idea is easy, executing a great idea is the hard part.

2. WHAT DO YOUR PITCHES CONSIST OF / EDITORS - WHAT DO YOU WANT IN A PITCH?

JHF: If it's for a creator owned property, I tend to do a one sheet with the basic concept, the format, and any imperative information, along with some art. Then I'll try and put together a few pages of art (ten is probably best), and include a three or four page synopsis of the whole story.

And so on.

Saul goes Burt

Weird Things Created by My Childhood Friend

Headhoods

Fialkov & Fleecs Meet Romero

THE LIST: Outlaw Kid, Punks, Supermarket, and TheFialkov.com

12-10-07

Hey gang,
As the year draws to a close, I’ve got a couple of books squeaking in before the roles are closed on the old year, and a few quick updates.

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First, this week sees my very first (of what will hopefully be many) Marvel work in the form of an Outlaw Kid story in Marvel Comics Presents #4. The art is by the amazing Chris Moeller and looks LIKE THIS:

Click the image for an interview with me about the book.

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Secondly, the Punks Christacular we’re hoping/praying/oodling should be in stores either next week, or the week following. I’ll send out another update when we know for sure. It’s been super-sized up to 56 pages (at no additional cost to you!) and contains a ton of bonus material, including an interview with the ever-charming kitsch king Charles Phoenix, a few words from Captain Marvel/The Circle/Ms. Marvel writer Brian Reed, a review of a Bob Mould ‘event’ by blogging sensation Ian Brill, plus not one but TWO bonus comics, including the all but impossible to get Free Comic Book Day short, and one that has cool stuff like THIS in it...

As always, more info on that at PunksTheComic.com

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Also of note, the old blog’s gone away, and a new blog has replaced it. The new site is up at http://www.thefialkov.com.

I’ve been updating it much more regularly, and hopefully will continue to.

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This weekend Tony Fleecs and I will be appearing at Supermarket L.A. at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood. Hopefully, I will have the aforementioned Punks Christacular in hand, as well as some surprises. More info on that here: http://www.myspace.com/supermarketla.

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And finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t plug my beautiful wife’s newly redesigned (by me) website over at http://www.anndvorak.com. She’s got an amazing collection of photos, and I’ve even managed to convince her to blog a bit about her collection, Ann’s movies, and things of that sort. There’ll probably eventually be pictures of the wedding over there, too, so, go check it out.

Happy Holidays and all that,

j.

And these are the days in our lives...

I've been closing out my gmail account for the past few days now.  I've had it since their first open beta however many years ago.  I love the service, but, have had a few issues with it as of late, including mail not getting through, massive amounts of incoming spam, and general unreliability.  I'm also really not a fan of the new interface (even knowing you can switch to the 'classic view' I have a bad feeling about how long that'll stick around...).  Add to that I've had a .Mac account for a while now that aside from being paid for, is also about a thousand times more reliable... Anyways... what's been interesting is spending the time going through my life of the past four or so years, in e-mail.  Watching the evolution of my career, friendships, loves, and all the rest.   There's the obvious 'first e-mail with' Wheaton, Dauberman, Fleecs, James Patrick, J-Rod, and all of the guys who've become an essential part of my life, creatively, socially, and spiritually.  There's the first awkward e-mailing between Christina and I, where I try desperately to impress someone who was clearly the coolest chick I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

There's the first few attempts to get work for hire, followed by the slightly more successful attempts, followed by the "Hey, I'm actually hired," style attempts.  Getting to watch the whole Speakeasy debacle from the first "This is a good thing" through the "Oh right, these guys are obviously clueless and shouldn't be in the business..." winding up at the "Hooray for Random House!"

Through many leaps, stumbles, wins, losses, and all shades of gray in between, it's been a helluva a few years.  Thanks to all of you for being along for the ride.

Go Buy Brian Reed’s Books

On Sale This Week is Brian Reed's very first Creator Owned book, called The Circle, from Image. I go to check out some of the early pitch materials, and they were outstanding. There's nothing more irritating then a guy who comes into your business and does what you do a thousand times better right off the bat. That guy's name is Brian Reed.

He's also a sock puppet of satan.

TheList for 10-17-07

Hey Gang, Just a quick word as the week of my nuptials bears down on me. We get married this weekend in Encino, and lots of friends and family are flying in, so I'm about to do a nice disappearing act for all of those not in the flesh for the next few days. Before I do, here's a quick look at what's going on.

First off, on the wedding kick, we made a comic book as a hand out for our guests, and got an amazing bunch of guys to contribute. Elk's Run's Noel Tuazon did an amazing job on the bulk of the pages, with a quick section of my Postcards collaborator Micah Farritor's work, and good friend Tony Fleecs put the thing together. Add to that it's wrapped in the above beautiful cover by Phil Hester. Keep checking the blog, as we're doing a giveaway of a few copies of this extremely limited comic. It's like if Elk's Run wasn't a miserable adventure in death and family.

Next up, over at Newsarama.com, John Siuntres's Word Balloon podcast has been posted, and it's the first of two parts of the Library Panel with myself, Mark Waid, Kazu Kibuishi, Christos Gage, Ross Richie, and Tony Fleecs. The panel was great, and relistening to it makes me feel pretty confident that it was a worthwhile endeavor for all involved. Special thanks to Dan Dupill from the LAPL for helping to set the whole thing up. Here's the full story.

Also, this week in stores, from IDW Gene Simmons House of Horrors #2 featuring a story by me drawn by the inimitable Andy Kuhn. I saw his original pages back at Comic Con, and they were absolutely amazing. Do yourself (and us) a favor and pick up a copy.

Finally, in somewhat bizarre news, a movie I wrote is actually on its way from Mark's and my pens (through some unknown Canadian rewrite guys) to the small screen. The movie's gone from being called They're Among Us to The Hatching (which I mistook for The Hutching, assuming it had something to do with vertical storage) and seems to possibly have at least something to do with what Mark and I originally wrote so many months ago. Best of all, it stars Isabella Rossellini and Judd Nelson. (I hope there's a walking away/fist pump/freeze frame at the end, but I doubt I'm that lucky.) God knows how the thing'll turn out, but, at the very least, I'm proud to cause each of you pain on a Saturday night in the near future. Here's the PR on the movie.

That'll do it for me. Thanks for reading, and see y'all in a week or two. Keep checking the blog and the Twitter if you'd like to watch my descent into insanity during my final week of pre-marital bliss.

Cheers,

j.

Somebody’s Getting Married

by Phil Hester, Colors and design by Tony Fleecs.

This weekend comes that day of days, my wedding. From all corners of the globe (Australia! Canada! Glendora!) come my family and friends. For those who don't know, my wife-to-be, aside from being totally and completely awesome, is also a memorabilia collector, specifically for one actress, Ann Dvorak. She's been the webmistress of http://www.anndvorak.com for years, and is in the process of writing an in depth biography of her, ten years of research driving it all. So, it's a huge treat for her that we're getting married in Ann's backyard.

The only house Ann ever really called home is the site of the wedding, the current owners kindly allowing us to bring 150 of our closest friends and relatives (although, predominantly relatives) to the beatuiful secluded property hidden away in Encino.

So, keep us in your thoughts this weekend, and forgive my week long disappearance.

When I return, I'll be a different (and better) man.

Cheers.

j.

Download Fanboy Radio

Here. The show was lots of fun, with lots of guest callers like James Patrick, Rob Levin, and Troy Wall.  Listen, download, enjoy.

Signing Next Wednesday

Signing Next Wednesday, originally uploaded by Joshua Hale Fialkov.