Get Ready for Comics and Art
Issue 2 of The CloakRoom about to head your way, and a new reward for issue 3... plus I'm reading a Supergirl story and Redneck.
Got an exciting update from our printer in Florida:
That’s 8 boxes of The CloakRoom #2 showing up at my place tomorrow! A lot of you supported this project, so this means I can start sending your packages out on Wednesday/Thursday this week.
I promised Veronica (my partner on the project) that I would send the Canadian orders out first this time. So those of you North of the border should expect an email with a tracking number in the next 72 hours.
If you missed out of issue 2, you can still pick it up in the current campaign RIGHT HERE AT THIS LINK. Issue 3 is a holiday issue, which you probably already know at this point as voracious readers of my newsletter.
REMINDER: You get $4 off shipping as a subscriber. You’ll see this discount after the campaign ends in the survey stage.
What you might not know is that we added a new reward tier today! If you’re a fan of our C Cover by Alex Schumacher, and you like original art, and you like supporting indie creators, now you can get a reward package that includes his art on the cover of the book in BOTH trade and virgin dress, as well as a custom art commission from Alex! Here are the details in a sexy little GFX:
SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW
I got into comics later in life, so I’ve never been in the habit of keeping up with a series every month, and I’m often not aware of a new series until it’s been on the shelves for a while. I find stuff in comic shops the way that most people find stuff on the internet - I have to see it like 3-4 times before I fully know that it exists. So I miss a lot of stuff and get to play catch up.
My partner on The CloakRoom, kind Canadian Veronica Howell, who sometimes gets grumpy and fires off unkind emails and then has to backtrack because her Canadian wiring kicks in, recommended this series to me. Written by Tom King and drawn by Bilquis Evely (which my auto correct really wants to be “Bisques Every” as if that makes any sense), this is a story about a young girl who tries to hire Supergirl to help her get vengeance on the evil ginger that murdered her family. Deep shades of True Grit, including that she finds Supergirl in a bar trying to drink something away. I’m only 2.5 issues in, so I don’t have many details yet. But I’m really digging the storytelling mechanism of using the young girl to tell us about this version of Supergirl. From the CW/DC Arrowverse version of Supergirl, you’d think she was supposed to be cute and sweet and in the shadow of her famous cousin. But this Supergirl has some serious regrets about something, and seems like an old western gunslinger who knows her time is over so she’s just trying to drink away the memories of all the battles already fought. Anyway… it’s fun and funny and sweet, if a little verbose. And I enjoy someone with a yellow S on their chest just kind of being a dick sometimes. I’m a New Yorker and they say we are kind but not nice. Seems this Supergirl grew up here. Or somewhere a lot like here.
I’m enjoying it. Will report back when I’m done.
REDNECK BY DONNY CATES
More catching up on homework for me. Donny joined a Scott Snyder class last year and I really enjoyed the conversation so I made a list of his non-Marvel stuff to consume, and I’m only just now getting around to it. I wanted to start with God Country, but something about Redneck sucked me in. I’m one volume deep now. Sort of a Hatfields/McCoys vibe, plus vampires. I dig it. He does something a few times that most writers struggle with. The expression “kill your darlings” is about writers having to be willing to kill of characters they created. It’s hard. You go through a lot to bring a character to life. Or a location or just any dynamic that you really thought through an wrote out and described in detail to an artist. And then you’re supposed to just kill it one day when you’re in control of your own story? Seems like BS.
Except it isn’t BS. You can get really lazy with your own writing when you keep people or places around past when they’re interesting. Playing it safe… no bueno. Donny doesn’t seem to struggle with that at all. He sets up this whole crazy history between these two families and then by a couple of issues in, completely upends it all. It’s fantastic and gorgeous and filled with totally believable hillbilly vampires. Highly recommended. There are 5 volumes. Not sure if more are coming.
THANKS
Our campaign for The CloakRoom #3 hit 50% and is nearing 100 backers just a few days in. The few of the creators featured in the issue reached out to say they were surprised at the growth. I said I think it’s because a lot of backers from issues 1-2 came back, and my stats from Kickstarter back that up. So we must be doing something right… right?
Please check it out when you can. If you’re on the fence, just click “follow” the campaign so that Kickstarter automatically reminds you when we’re winding down.
Grazie.