So, if everything goes according to plan and there's no problems with the distribution side of things, Babble should be available to buy from all good and disreputable comic shops in the UK from today (it'll be hitting US shelves at the end of the month)...
It feels kind of weird typing that, if I'm being honest. Babble's been a story that I've carried in my head in one form or another for a long time, and to finally be done with it, to have it completed and out there in the wild is...well, it's a pretty big deal. For me, anyway. There's a lot of people out there who see this kind of thing happen almost weekly. But, hey, it's the first graphic novel I've written, and the first "full length" comic script I've managed to get into print - that is, a script that's longer than ten pages. I'm finally saying goodbye to that small cast of characters that have been kicking around my head for what seems like the last century and a half, characters I've loved and loathed in equal measure over the time it's taken to do all this.
But now, it's done. It's out there in the wild, waiting to be bought and read and - even though it's picked up some jaw droppingly great reviews - probably criticised for not being scary enough, or not being original enough, or being too boring, or not having enough tits in it, or simply not being a superhero book.
I don't want to dwell on the book's murky past because it's done and dusted (and I think both myself and Bryan have pretty much covered that), but I will say that it was an invaluable experience, just not one I can recommend... However, I'm glad we landed on our feet signing with Com.X. The guys have been a joy to work with; they were firm handed with us when they needed to keep us on track, but they also allowed us the freedom to tell the story we wanted to tell, the way we wanted to tell it, which is something I'll always be grateful for. To top that off, they've gone above and beyond on the PR front, pushing the book to websites and magazines we never would've been able to get to if we'd done it on our own.
More importantly - for me, anyway - they've give us the opportunity to take our first, tentative steps out of the small press and into the indie world; we've been able to get a look into the direct market of "mainstream" US comics in a way we've never been able to before (and realise how difficult it is to get anyone to even take notice of a non-Marvel or DC book, or one that doesn't have the backing of one of the bigger indie publishers).
Special praise has to go to my friend and collaborator on Babble, Bryan Coyle. I've talked - and will talk - at length about my love and admiration of his work and work ethic, and how much of a joy it is to, er, work with him. He brought so much to the table when we started this, and not just with the visuals. From story and thematic ideas to dialogue tweaks, he was there at every step of the process with something to contribute. I could sit here and gush about him and his work, and how much it's constantly and consistently getting better, but, frankly, his ego's big enough all ready, so I'll just say that you should seriously expect to see his star rise steadily over the next few years.
As for me... Well, let's just wait and see what happens, eh?
And now for the shameless plug...
If you didn't pre-order Babble, you can still use the code OCT120971 to order yourself a copy from your local comic shop, or, if you prefer, you can get it/pre-order it from these on-line retailers:
It'll be hitting US shores on the 30th of January, but if you Americans can't wait, it's available digitally now:
It feels kind of weird typing that, if I'm being honest. Babble's been a story that I've carried in my head in one form or another for a long time, and to finally be done with it, to have it completed and out there in the wild is...well, it's a pretty big deal. For me, anyway. There's a lot of people out there who see this kind of thing happen almost weekly. But, hey, it's the first graphic novel I've written, and the first "full length" comic script I've managed to get into print - that is, a script that's longer than ten pages. I'm finally saying goodbye to that small cast of characters that have been kicking around my head for what seems like the last century and a half, characters I've loved and loathed in equal measure over the time it's taken to do all this.
But now, it's done. It's out there in the wild, waiting to be bought and read and - even though it's picked up some jaw droppingly great reviews - probably criticised for not being scary enough, or not being original enough, or being too boring, or not having enough tits in it, or simply not being a superhero book.
I don't want to dwell on the book's murky past because it's done and dusted (and I think both myself and Bryan have pretty much covered that), but I will say that it was an invaluable experience, just not one I can recommend... However, I'm glad we landed on our feet signing with Com.X. The guys have been a joy to work with; they were firm handed with us when they needed to keep us on track, but they also allowed us the freedom to tell the story we wanted to tell, the way we wanted to tell it, which is something I'll always be grateful for. To top that off, they've gone above and beyond on the PR front, pushing the book to websites and magazines we never would've been able to get to if we'd done it on our own.
More importantly - for me, anyway - they've give us the opportunity to take our first, tentative steps out of the small press and into the indie world; we've been able to get a look into the direct market of "mainstream" US comics in a way we've never been able to before (and realise how difficult it is to get anyone to even take notice of a non-Marvel or DC book, or one that doesn't have the backing of one of the bigger indie publishers).
Special praise has to go to my friend and collaborator on Babble, Bryan Coyle. I've talked - and will talk - at length about my love and admiration of his work and work ethic, and how much of a joy it is to, er, work with him. He brought so much to the table when we started this, and not just with the visuals. From story and thematic ideas to dialogue tweaks, he was there at every step of the process with something to contribute. I could sit here and gush about him and his work, and how much it's constantly and consistently getting better, but, frankly, his ego's big enough all ready, so I'll just say that you should seriously expect to see his star rise steadily over the next few years.
As for me... Well, let's just wait and see what happens, eh?
And now for the shameless plug...
If you didn't pre-order Babble, you can still use the code OCT120971 to order yourself a copy from your local comic shop, or, if you prefer, you can get it/pre-order it from these on-line retailers:
 |   |
| Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon US |
 |  |
| Buy from Forbidden Planet | Buy from Things From Another World |
It'll be hitting US shores on the 30th of January, but if you Americans can't wait, it's available digitally now:
 |  |
| Buy from Comics Plus | Buy from Comixology |
Babble is on the shelves NOW!
Reviewed by Unknown
on
10:15 am
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
10:15 am
Rating:
