Samples Pages from 24: NIGHTFALL #1

Samples of Jean Diaz's pages from 24: Nightfall #1, the first issue of our new six-issue mini-series.

More DEAD INSPECTOR Concept Sketches

More of Filip's concept work for Dead Inspector!

COMIC STRIPS ADDED!

At the bottom of the main page I've added four daily comic strips. Here's the line-up:

THE CHELATION KID by Robert Tinnell and Craig Taillefer.
All-new series. Really passionate, powerful stuff from Bob Tinnell.

AMERICA, JR. by Todd Livingston, Nick Capetanakis and Brendon & Brian Fraim.
A great new comedy with art by my Antiques: The Comic Strip collaborators!

CRYPTOZOO CREW by Allan Gross and Jerry Carr.
I think this strip is in re-runs, but it's still fun. NBM has issued two trade paperbacks of this light-hearted series. Check them out!

DOCTOR CYBORG by Allan Gross, Mike Avon Oeming and John Staton.
In re-runs, but Allan has packed so much conspiracy theory into it that it takes a couple times through to catch most of it...

Just scroll all the way down to check them out.

Comic-Con Follow-Up: GEMSTONE PUBLISHING

The last I saw, they hadn't posted the final attendance totals, but the speculation was running toward 120,000 for Comic-Con. That, my friends, is what even Ed Sullivan would have called a really big show.

Anyhow, it was an interesting time.

The first copy of the EC Picto-Fiction set, the final installment of The Complete EC Library format, was incredbily well received, as was the announcement of the new EC Archives line.

For some odd reason, people seemed to notice that the cover for Shock SuspenStories - Volume 1 read "Foreword by Steven Spielberg," and they likewise noticed that Weird Science - Volume 1 read "Foreword by George Lucas." It's as if someone has heard of these guys!

Seriously, it was a great reaction. Couldn't have asked for much more. Had a nice interview with a Los Angeles NPR affiliate, and did several podcasts, too. Also talked to a couple of industry websites and tried to set up some more coverage for the books.

There were also many questions about Don Rosa's incredible Life & Times Companion, the follow-on trade paperback to Life & Tims of Scrooge McDuck, easily the most asked about trade paperback in our Disney line to date.

Duck Tales - Volume 1 sold briskly, and the few samples of Duck Tales - Volume 2 that the printer shipped us disappeared very quickly, too.

The reaction to the pencils for Mark Sparacio's upcoming cover for The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #37 were as good as I expected them to be.

It was also clear from talking with people that stopped by that Scoop is a huge success, which we sort of already knew. It's alwasy nice to hear it, though.

ANTIQUES - Week 7

The seventh installment of ANTIQUES - THE COMIC STRIP runs in Wednesday's Antique Trader. We've had great reactions so far, and AT even produced a giveaway t-shirt for the National Auctioneers Association convention... and it was a big hit!

DEAD INSPECTOR

Dead Inspector is an idea I've had in my head for quite a while. Now it's in someone else's head, too! Filip Sablik has done these character sketches for the series, which will appear sometime in coming months in the form of an online, daily strip.

It's a bit early to start talking about the details, but it's a vampire story for people who don't believe in vampires and who are tired of vampire stories.


He's good at a lot of the things that a comic book or comic strip artist should be good at, but what impresses me most (aside from being a good guy), is that Filip is a really solid storyteller, an art that is all too often lost in the world of incredible computer coloring.

If you'd like to check out more of his work, visit http://www.filipsablik.blogspot.com/ -- I think you'll like his stuff, too.

Comic-Con Follow-Up: A REALLY COOL DINNER

As a writer of the 24 comic book and a big fan of the series, Saturday night at Comic-Con in San Diego turned out to be really cool for me personally.

Greg Itzin, the Emmy-nominated actor (for Best Supporting Actor in this year's Emmy awards) known for his startling work as President Charles Logan in Season 4 and Season 5, joined us for dinner. The "us" included in his lovely wife, Judie, and Robert Tinnell (Eisner-nomiated writer of Feast of the Seven Fishes), Shannon Tinnell (Bob's incredibly cool wife), the great Alex Saviuk (Amazing Spider-Man daily and Sunday strips, among many other projects), Bob's Sight Unseen collaborator (and another great artist) Bo Hampton, the incredibly cool Gloria Fan from Mosiac Media Group, my 24 co-writer Mark Haynes, and me.

We went to the tres trendy Osetra (The Fishhouse) restaurant in the Gaslamp district (or at least near it) and had a superb meal, wonderful conversation and an all-around good time.

It's really cool to meet good people, and it's even better when you arleady like their work.

And there was this weird contraption that allowed a lady there to fly up the two-story tall wine rack... and grab bottles and come down safely. Neat, but also an odd surprise the first time she "took off" while we were seated at the bar, waiting for our table.

Great place to eat. The food was excellent, so check it out if you're so inclined.

Comic-Con Follow-Up: TRADING CARDS for 24

The trading cards for 24 just got a lot more interesting... Artbox Entertainment just picked up the license to Jack Bauer's adventures, and the writing team from IDW's 24 comics just signed up to write them (that would be Mark Haynes and me, just in case you weren't sure).

The cards sound like they actually will be incredible. We met with the designer and we're looking forward to the amazing specialty cards he's already dreamed up.

More on this as the details firm up.

Comic-Con Follow-Up: MORE 24 COMICS

24: NIGHTFALL is the first comic book mini-series based on the hit Fox TV show. Following the success of the three one-shot graphic novels, this new series is the first one in the standard 32-page regular comic book format (monthly, $3.99).

It's written by Mark L. Haynes (Mindfield) and yours truly, and we're really excited to have lots of space to tell what we think is a really solid, cool story in the world of Jack Bauer.

24: Nightfall #1 is set for the September 2006 PREVIEWS, and on sale in November. If you're a retailer, please remember this isn't the old 48-page format and you should increase your orders correspondingly. If you're a fan or a friend, please remember to tell your retailer to order this book for you.

Thanks!