And so it goes... POD, HC, and DF

POD

Comixpress, one of the first comic-specific POD services, will shortly be closing it's doors.

Following a 9 year run, which garnered mixed reviews from users and readers alike, Comixpress' demise sees another POD service gone from an already fairly short list.

POD is a tough one. Cost tends to keep usability low - good for conventions and on-line owner-store use - and with quality of product pretty standard, it really tends to fall into user friendliness as to which service users choose.

For myself, and for those still active, I have tended to use Ka-Blam (cost is about the best, but the ad that they ask you to run to keep costs low has become so ubiquitous at shows, for me it diminishes from the individuality of the product) and RA Comics Direct (speed and customer service are unbeaten. Cost is a little more, but worth it).

I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I do miss ICGeeks!

So is POD dying, or just a shrinking market? Has digital eaten into this apple harder than the DMarket, or are we seeing a shift back towards off-set printing, a shift to more bespoke comics?

We shall see.

Hero Code

Following from my last post, and from some nice comments from you guys, the issue of the issue numbering for Hero Code is pretty much resolved. We will be adopting a system similar to the Hell Boy and BPRD models - a master numbering, with story arcs having their own numbering. At the moment it will look something like this;

1 - Hero Code Special: Coming of the Occultist - art by Agustin Calcagno (master number 1 - art is half finished)
1-4 - Hero Code: Theatre of War - art by Gary Lister (master numbers 2-5 - issue one is half way finished)
1 - Hero Code "When the Time Comes" - art by David Brame (master number 6 - completed, originally released as issue 2)
1-5 - Hero Code: Menace of the Mannuquin - art by Jonathan Rector (master number 7-11 - issue one is finished, released as issue 1)

I'll release more info on the two arcs after this at a later date.

Fate

A while back, G. Brett Williams was talking about doing a project similar to Project Rooftops but for writers - a place to run pitches as practices.

It didn't pan out, but I did do a pitch for DC Comics Dr Fate - here's the document for those of you interested;

Quick Question, who is Dr Fateʼs arch-enemy? Another one, who currently wears the Helmet of Nabu?

For me, Dr Fate suffers from an over-converluted history and the most common crime of supernatural-powered super-heroes - he is a deus ex machina, muddily defined, and prone to facing unclear threats. In team books, he is the character who gets bound up by some unknown magic at the start, removing him from the roster as quickly as possible in order to make sure that he canʼt just fire some conjoured magic the way of the villain.

I propose a complete overhaul of the character, giving the Helmet and powers over to a new wearer, but adding a new layer to the use of their powers and their role in the new DC Universe.

Opening five years in the future, the current Dr Fate spear-heads the final push of the Lords of Order as they over-throw the Lords of Chaos. Magic has destroyed the most powerful of super-heroes, and those that are left can only watch on as these mystical, timeless forces battle it out. Fate wins in the name of his lords, destroying the last Magician of Chaos, and unbalancing the natural order of the universe.

In one final act, the Helmet of Nabu is sent back in time by John Constantine and Zatana, imbued with the balance of chaos and order, in the hope of finding someone to ensure that the imbalance is never created.

The helmet selects Louise Thompson, a teenage girl, who would then have to work in secret - aided by Kent Nelson and Batman - to learn how to use the magic she now wields and how to remain hidden whilst using it. These two would try to keep her hidden from the current Dr Fate, and hope that she can maintain the balance of the two battling Orders which provide her powers.

I would also work on building up a proper Rogues Gallery for the character. Wotan, Dr Fateʼs arch-enemy, is guilty of the same convoluted history as the current Dr Fate, and so I would avoid bringing that character into play. Besides, no one really cares about Wotan, right?

Using the conflict of hidden powers, a constant question mark over the source of those powers and the element of secrecy from the current super-hero community would help to fuel the story line, especially when coupled with the idea of a time-line to oblivion.

Hero Code - What to do, what to do...

Hero Code is a near and dear series for me, something I have been working on for a very long time - perhaps all my comic reading life.

When issue one was launched with a successful Kickstarter, I really did think I would be putting out issues at the very least quarterly. I wrote ahead, plotted ahead, planned ahead, and kept going with grand ideas of an on-going indie superhero series, collected trades, phone book sized deluxe collections, the world was my oyster!

Sadly, life got in the way of that idea.

Jonathan Rector, the Hero Code artist, was tied up with other commitments, which slowed production.

Issue two came out as a fill-in, stand alone issue, with David Brame producing a great issue, something which stands alone, and works incredibly well within the bigger story.

I moved away from producing more fill-in issues, because of my own worries about the gap between issue one of Jonathan's first arc and the second part being too big.

I worked on some other projects. Sometimes my eyes got too big for my comic making stomach. Sometimes I wondered if my heart was really in the whole thing. And then real life was always there, and the amount of time I could use to write diminished.

I'm still ahead, but some days I feel like I've fallen behind.

So what should I do?

I have a Hero Code special half way done, featuring the art of Agustin Calcagno;

which leads into a separate mini-series by Gary Lister;

Which should run for 4 issues in total (part of the falling behind has been in writing this - I have it plotted fully, but only scripted to two issues).

Should I run these issues as Special, then 1-4, and then relaunch Hero Code, starting with David Brame's issue, and then into Jonathan Rector's run? 

That would make sense in a chronological sense. I could continue to have single issues available at shows until I have completed runs available as trades, and then run the stories on-line or as digital books.

I have Department O having been accepted on the Comixology Submit platform, and coming soon - so perhaps this will allow me to get the other MPS books onto the service.

Do I just keep going, and keep the numbering as is, with the mini-series being put out as it's own series?

We shall see.

Basically, Hero Code is still going, it's just taking longer than originally planned. All part of indie comic book publishing, I guess...

Pay What You Like - week 2

This weeks book is Issue One of The Black Wraith

By G. Brett Williams, M Lee Harris, Heather Breckel and Frank Cvetkovic.

You can name your price and enjoy a digital download of the issue by clicking on the cover now!

Pay What You Like Month

May is Pay What You Like Month on MPS - I'll be running a series of digital books through Gumroad across the month where people will be able to download a pdf of the book and name their own price.

You can download the book for zero or a million dollars if you're so inclined - you decide!

Each book will be available for a week, before a uniform minimum price will be established.

First up is Department O, by Andrew MacLean, Heather Breckel and myself.

click the cover to be taken to Gumroad

You can name your price and download a copy of the book now from here.

Be sure to come back every Tuesday in May to see which book is available.

Page Previews - state of things to come

I wanted to share a few things with everyone, show off some art previews and all that.

First up - The Black Wraith, issue 2 (by Williams, Harris, Breckel and Cvetkovic);

Black Wraith #2 cover - art by M Lee Harris

Line art is finished, and the lettering is nearly there. Just awaiting colours, and then we are ready to go!

The Hero Code - Theatre of War (1 of 4 - by Gambell, Lister, Breckel and Cvetkovic);

art by Gary Lister

The Hero Code - Coming of the Occultist (one shot by Gambell, Calcagno, Breckel and Cvetkovic);

Art by Agustin Calcagno

These two stories will be released as digital first books, before being collected in print for conventions only.

There is also a back up story, written by Rich Lovatt, with art by M Lee Harris, colours by Heather Breckel and letters by Frank Cvetkovic -

This should be appearing in the back of Hero Code issue 3, which will continue the Menace of the Mannequin storyline.

Jonathan is nearly done with his Standard commitments, so should be back on the main book soon, and issue 2 of Department O, as mentioned in the previous post, is ready for Andrew.

Hope you dig these!

Climbing the writers wall

Last week I finished the script for issue two of Department O.

It's a little late.

No big deal, It's an indie book, there isn't a set deadline, I have a day job etc.

I had originally wanted the script done and over to Andrew for November of last year, but I encountered something I hadn't encountered before; I could not write past a block in the middle section of the issue, no matter how many times I tried.

I would write, delete, write, re-write, delete panels again and again and again.

But now it is done. The block is over-come, the script is finished and with the artist.

It also opened up another hurdle on another script for the Hero Code.

Good sign, right?

A wee update

Just wanted to write down a quick projects update, partly for my own head, but also to let people know where I'm at for comic book stuff in 2013.

Department O (with Andrew MacLean) - we've submitted issue one to Comixology, and await their response. I am about half way done with the script for issue 2, and Andrew is ready to draw once it is complete. I've had a middle section of the script prove to be a sticking point for me (the front and end are taken care of, but one moment just doesn't hold together). Once that is taken care of, it shouldn't take too long to finish this off.

Hero Code (with Jonathan Rector) - I have the scripts up until issue eight or nine completed, ready and waiting for Jonathan to start on, as soon as he finishes up his The Standard commitments.

Hero Code: The Coming of the Occultist (with Agustin Calcagno) - a one shot precursor to The Theatre of War. Working on the first five pages of this 22 page story now.

Hero Code: Theatre of War (with Gary Lister) - first three pages of art are finished, next four pages are thumbed and being worked on now. Gary is onboard for the first issue in this 4 issue mini, and then hopefully he will be able to finish it up.

Resident Aliens (with Calmplex) - finishing off the first introductory chapter in this mini series.

Into the Darkness Mini - I've plotted out a small chunk of the mini comic for a challenge. Once I have the opening worked out, I'll get to drawing it.

Intranauts (with TBA) - first part of the first arc plotted, working on the rest now.

There are a few other things, which I won't be announcing just yet, but which will probably be ready a little later into the year.

For now, I need sleep. I have a five year old's birthday party to attend tomorrow!

Have a great weekend, everyone.