A 64-page lover letter to dark, quirky crime dramas like FARGO and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN from the Ringo Award-winning creator of Action Lab's ABERRANT & BANJAX.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
New Add-on! The 2019 SDCC Exclusive BANJAX #1 Cover!
over 3 years ago
– Tue, Nov 03, 2020 at 11:52:01 AM
Hey all,
Just a heads up that I put another UBER-limited Variant in the add-on shop! This is the 2019 San Diego Comic Con-Exclusive GREMLINS Homage Variant of BANJAX #1:
I assume you all remember the iconic scene we're sending up here (click the pic to watch)...
Anyway, this one is about as rare as they come. It was a print run of only 50. It was only available for three days in San Diego during the con. I only have a precious few of these left, so get them while you can. $20 each. They'll come signed by me unless you prefer otherwise.
Hope all is well out there! Stay Safe!
Rylend
P.S. - Some friends of mine have some WONDERFUL campaigns going right now and I wanted to take a minute to highlight them...
The Sketchy Bug Group is a nationwide collective of comic book creators, animators, filmmakers, and cosplayers dedicated to the creation and celebration of the comic book medium, founded in 2012 at the comic bug shop in Manhattan Beach, CA.
This is their “Greatest Hits” anthology and it is INCREDIBLE! Get your coins ready! The arcade it open!
JUST FOUR DAYS LEFT ON THIS ONE! CHECK IT OUT HERE!
Spectress & Sabanion is a supernatural horror story about Aneksi, the ghost of Cleopatra's top assassin. Aneksi has lived as a ghost for centuries and has learned to rejoin the world of the living. She is at the cusp of finding purpose in her unlife in the modern world of the living. She is, however, bound by an ancient curse to a demon named Sabanion. As Aneksi pushes more into the world of the living, she must drag Sabanion with her.
Issue #2 continues the story of Spectress and her demon partner, Sabanion, and their bloody escape from Containment Facility-4.
A Cold, Dark Universe? It's anything but. What it is, however, is the first graphic novel project from Black Hole Comics and Entertainment. An anthology of original sci-fi comic stories. A full color 112 page anthology with 16 creators telling 8 amazing stories that dive into the feelings we’ve all been feeling during the year. Hopeful stories that highlight the best and worst in humanity, all while showing you innovative things you haven't seen before. Science-fiction comics at their best. You’ll find love stories, war stories, stories of betrayal, and more! This anthology has a bit of everything, no matter your taste.
This comic is a collection of stories in journal format from Scarlet's point of view as she travels around the world encountering and tracking cryptids and discovering other creatures while attempting to track werewolves and continuing to search for answers in her mother's death. The book collects stories and eyewitness accounts of 30 cryptids and creatures and artwork from a variety of our friends and Sean Forney. The book is laid out in journal format with beautiful full color illustrations and sketches done in pencil, ink, and other media.
Movie News! And the $10K print reveal!
over 3 years ago
– Tue, Nov 03, 2020 at 11:46:45 AM
Hey all,
I hope you're hanging in there on this election's eve. I actually got some great news this morning amid all this craziness... COVID fought hard, COVID fought fierce, but Emile Hirsch and company are FINALLY shooting STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS - the mind-bending sci-fi film I wrote - in Italy.
Big day today. Gotta celebrate those wins.
$10K PRINT REVEAL
Speaking of wins! We are a mere $98 away from our $10K stretch goal on THE PEACEKEEPERS! Once we hit $10K every backer will receive an incredible print from Artist Davi Leon Dias and Colorist Iwan Joko Triyono (that's in addition to the dozen-plus books you're getting in our $7K BONUS DIGITAL EXTRAVAGANZA).
Anyway, it's about time for a revel, no? Here you go...
Great effort from those guys... our "elevator pitch" brought to life: The Peacekeepers is a dark, quirky crime drama in the vein of Fargo or No Country for Old Men. It’s a love letter to case-a-season police dramas like True Detective and The Wire, to Elmore Leonard novels, and to comic masterpieces like Criminal and 100 Bullets.
The piece reminds me of a quote from Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mix Tape:
“The times you lived through, the people you shared those times with — nothing brings it all to life like an old mix tape. It does a better job of storing up memories than actual brain tissue can do. Every mix tape tells a story. Put them together, and they can add up to the story of a life.”
Anyway, food for thought... and the print is yours the moment we hit $10K.
NOTE: Digital backers will receive a digital version of the print.
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT
Before I let you go here, I wanted to tell you about another project here on Kickstarter that I was very quick to back. It's brought to you by Scout Comics Co-Publisher David Byrne...
In a mid-18th American tavern, a simple game of one-upmanship sends the rumor of monsters in the New World up the eastern seaboard and across the Atlantic.
In a world where vampires are real, but still hidden, there is a global network in place to ensure the secret remains hidden.
Jessamy is an old vampire (don’t ask how old, it’s impolite) whose job is to keep the secret world of vampires hidden from humanity. When an ally in the New World sends word of rumors of a plantation with monsters eating their slaves, Jessamy is dispatched to investigate and, if necessary, eliminate the threat to the balance between man and vampire.
Join Jessamy as she travels to the New World and investigates the rumors as she makes her way to the Chateau de Sang et des Fleurs.
Set in the world of Stake, but 250 years before Angel “Stake” Beltran Stinson was even born, see Jessamy in action in Stake Presents: Jessamy!
This one looks like TONS of fun. I was there day 1. You should CHECK IT OUT, TOO... RIGHT HERE!
Stay safe out their guys! And one way or another, MAKE SURE YOU VOTE, huh?!
Talk soon!
Rylend
The Writer's Block & Billy Dee Williams
over 3 years ago
– Sun, Nov 01, 2020 at 06:58:27 PM
Hey all,
So, there were a couple of hiccups with my update yesterday. I teased the WRITERS BLOCK episode with Matt Fraction & Stan Saki in the title, but never actually posted the video in the body of the message... and then I posted about the Banjax Demon in a Bottle variant and failed to include something very cool there.
Ugh. This is what life in quarantine with a four-year-old looks like. Pray for me, if you do that sort of thing. HA!
Anyway, let me fix those gaffs, huh?
THE WRITERS BLOCK
So, I do this little podcast with my dear friend David Avallone (writer of Elvira, Betty Page, & Drawing blood with Kevin Eastman). It's a weekly post-con-style round table romp with some of the most outspoken (yet still employed) creators in comics. Show biz war stories. State of the comic union. Furious debates over ‘80s televisions shows. Great lobster bisque recipes. You know, something for everybody... Well, this weekend we broadcast from Baltimore Comic Con Live and had a chance to discuss Ringo Award nominations with some perennial comics all stars... Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), David Pepose (Spencer & Locke), Troy Litte (Rick and Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons), Drew Edwards (Halloween Man), & IDW Editor Scott Dunbier.
This was an absolutley EPIC broadcast. Well worth a watch or a listen if you're a comics gal/guy.
As I alluded to above, when I promoed the BANJAX #1 PopCultHQ Exclusive "Demon in a Bottle" Cover yesterday, I left out one of the coolest parts of that whole enterprise... once we were nominated for the four Ringos, our friends at PopCultHQ had BILLY DEE WILLIAMS himself cook up a congratulatory message for us in which he actually utters the phrase "Banjax works every time!" I'm still speechless. Click the pick for a peek:
Anyway, if it's good enough for Billy Dee, it's probably worth checking out, no? There are just a few of those signed Demon in a Bottle variants left, so if you want one, grab one as an add-on while you still can.
Just a few left...
I'll check in tomorrow! Stay safe out there!
Rylend
P.S. - Some friends of mine have some WONDERFUL campaigns going right now and I wanted to take a minute to highlight them..
A comic about a world where gunpowder reigns and a warrior who must unite her kin against a primeval force awoken by imperial invaders. The Lord of the Rings meets The Three Musketeers in this 44 page flintlock fantasy comic written by John J. Pérez and illustrated by Goran Gligović.
Taking place in a world resembling 18th century North America, this first issue in an eight-issue mini-series will explore new frontiers in the fantasy genre while also confronting the bloody legacy of colonialism.
There's lots to do before a war: we have kids getting lost in the woods, legionary best pals, sibling bonding, Druids, interdimensional mastiffs, mouthless goddesses of death, historians in training, the introduction of cats to Britannia, and plenty of tall tales.
Andraste is a 12-issue indie comic series about what war does to a family, with liberal smatterings of Celtic mythology, alternate planes of reality, and legionary hijinks.
AndrasteVolume 1 collects the first three issue story arc of the series: "Call it Peace," "The Mapmakers," and "Leylines," in a full-color, 88-page trade paperback!Andraste is written by Honor Vincent, illustrated by Abel Cicero and Unai Ortiz de Zarate, colored by DC Alonso, and lettered by Micah Myers. If you love comics like Conan the Barbarian and Red Sonja, Conquest, Sláine, and Sara, and historical retellings like Circe and The Song of Achilles, you'll love Andraste.
Josiah Black has been many things in his life: farmhand, cowpoke, sheriff, rebel outlaw, killer, and now drifter. Approached by an enigmatic woman asking for his help he reluctantly agrees, setting him off on a trail of murder, mayhem and monsters that will change his life forever.
The world he lives in is not what it seems.
Hell-spawn critters roam the land, masquerading as ordinary folk, preying on the innocent. The job of putting an end to them falls on Josiah and his trusty six-gun.
What if Santa saved children every Christmas instead of delivering presents? Santa is known to bring joy to children all over the planet, but what about those children who have no one to look out for them? Those that have nothing to look forward to? Those that aren't safe?
That's where Sal comes in. Sal's job as the Children's Saviour Santa is to fly around the globe every Christmas eve saving children who need something more for Christmas than a present... safety. His methods aren't the most jolly but he always gets the job done.
A new Add-on Reveal! And The Writer's Block with Matt Fraction, Stan Sakai, et al!
over 3 years ago
– Sun, Nov 01, 2020 at 06:58:22 PM
Hey friends,
Good day yesterday! We are inching closer and closer to that $10K milestone. Print reveal coming soon! And I've got some FUN here for you today...
NEW ADD-ON
As promised, let the uber rare/exclusive variant party begin!
Today, I've made available as an Add-on, the PopCultHQ- Exclusive BANJAX #1 Ringo Awards/Demon in a Bottle homage variant!
Banjax, of course, was nominated for BEST SERIES at this year's Ringo Awards (along side Bitter Root, Black Hammer, and Something's Killing the Children). Well, this year’s nominees for Best Cover Artist (Fabio Alves), Best Colorist (Edson Ferreira), and Best Letterer (HdE) put this little variant together to celebrate. It pays homage to the iconic IRON MAN #128 – “Demon in a Bottle” cover created by Bob Layton. It was a run of just 250. There are precious few of these left. You can snag one here as an add-on for just $15, just click that ADJUST PLEDGE button and make the necessary changes.
These will come SIGNED by me (unless you prefer otherwise)! This will be the first time I've ever signed thiscover... so, we got that going for us.
Let me know if you have questions! More to come!
I'll be back here with more craziness tomorrow. Until then... Stay safe!
Rylend
P.S. - Some friends of mine have some WONDERFUL campaigns going right now and I wanted to take a minute to highlight them...
Damsel tells the story of Bec - Abandoned as a child by her adventurer father, she has fought her way up through the ranks of the kingdoms premier espionage agency to become their top operative. When a Dwarven princess goes missing, it’s up to Bec to overcome the ghosts of her family’s past and to save the day!
As Bec's mission progresses, she is faced with revelations about her family history and is sent on a journey of discovery to answer questions she never knew she had! Along the way we meet colourful characters that would feel at home in any one of your favourite fantasy stories, albeit with a very modern twist!
Boondoggle is an original 100+ page graphic novel by writer Nick Arganbright (The Radio-Play series It’s All Been Done Radio Hour and podcast Opposing Rolls) and Artist Nil Carmona. With Logo by Lucas Gattoni (Ithaqa and Action Lab Comics’ Twin Worlds) and a cover/posters colored by Courtland Brugger (Image’s Savage Dragon/IDW’s TMNT Urban Legends)
Presented in a soft trade paperback book, this first chapter of an epic fantasy adventure tells the tale of a young quixotic humanoid turtle venturing out in a treacherous, cynical world so he can save the family farm.
War rises. America falls. As the wreckage of Air Force One burns, the city of Las Vegas is torn asunder by its own. The President’s child journeys underground to find his father, but unknowingly draws closer to the TOMB OF THE RED HORSE.
Something evil pulses below the streets of Sin City. A son, a father, and the man sworn to protect them both find themselves inside a beating heart of greed & power. The only thing more horrifying than what lies inside THE TOMB... is what someone would sacrifice to open it.
TOMB OF THE RED HORSE is a 28-page full color comic that is both a standalone story and the second part of a four part horror series.
This story can best be described as an action adventure/horror story set in the historical timeframe of 1945, centered around the events at the end of World War II, combining real life historical figures such as Prime Minister Winston Churchill, President Franklin Roosevelt, Vice-President (and later President) Harry Truman, along with fantastical characters such as Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster, setting them on an epic collision course that will determine the fate of all mankind.
The story will focus on the collision course between the heroes of our story, Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster, against the most evil monster from human history, Adolf Hitler.
150+ backers! And some fun with Comics Bookcase!
over 3 years ago
– Sun, Nov 01, 2020 at 06:58:16 PM
Hey Backer-types!
We crossed the 150 backer threshold last night and the campaign is cruising! I've been swamped with a TV Pilot this week, so I'm a bit behind on making available those rare Aberrant/Banjax variants, but sit tight... I'll have them in the add-on shop later this week. Watch this space!
INTERVIEW TIME
I did Peacekeepers deep dive with Zack Quaintance that dropped this morning over at the Comics Bookcase. He asked some damn good questions in this interview. We got into thematic and matters of inception. It's a pretty good read. Check it out HERE.
A SHOUT OUT
I wanted to share another project making waves Kickstarter right now. It’s brought to you by Rich Douek, Joe Mulvey and the fine folks at ComixTribe. Now, I write action/sci-fi movies for a living and so, I tend to be really hard on this stuff... but I dig the hell out of this book and I think you will too.
If you haven’t heard of WAILING BLADE, here’s the high-level pitch of this dark sci-fi fantasy series:
Wailing Blade is high-adrenaline fantasy adventure, set in the dark future of mankind. When his father is sentenced to death at the hands of the legendary Headtaker, bandit prince Tychon must find a way to save him, or fall to the Wailing Blade himself.
Basically, if you took a blender and mixed up Masters of the Universe with Mad Max, tossed in a little Conan and lots of Heavy Metal, that’s what’s in store for you in the pages of WAILING BLADE.
And for this Kickstarter launch, the ComixTribe crew is unsheathing one of the coolest foil-enhanced die-cut hardcovers I’ve ever seen.
With super detailed, gorgeous art from Joe Mulvey and a razor sharp script from the writer of Road of Bones, Rich Douek, you really can’t go wrong with this fully loaded collection.
As an added bonus, the ComixTribe crew is contributing the first issue of WAILING BLADE to our BONUS DIGITAL EXTRAVAGANZA, which was unlocked when we hit 100% funded!
