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Signing: “Death Head” creators Zack and Nick Keller at Dr. Comics

deathhead“I heard he lures kids into the tunnel… then chokes them till their necks snap!”

Dr. Comics and Mr. Games is hosting a signing for Nick and Zack Keller as they celebrate the release of their new series Death Head. The series was announced in March by Dark Horse Comics at Emerald City Comicon. The first issue will finally hit shelves on July 15 and the Nick and Zack will be holding court at the Piedmont neighborhood comic shop on July 18 at 3 p.m.

After the Burton family discovers an ancient mask fashioned in the style of those worn by plague doctors in the 17th Century they’re soon targeted by the mask’s owner. In an interview with CraveOnline, Zack explained “there are many haunted locations, but only one Plague Doctor. Like an urban legend, everyone knows about the creature wearing the white beaked mask. However, no one truly knows what it wants, where it comes from or why it so often takes the victim’s head. These locations—the cemetery sewer, an abandoned town in the redwoods—are real places near where we grew up that have scared us since childhood. By writing this story we’re exorcising our demons and passing them on to you.”

The story is especially relevant to those of us who call Oakland home. The graffiti sewer tunnel in Mountain View Cemetery serves as inspiration for a similar tunnel which makes several appearances in the series. It might be a fun place to set up camp and read the first issue. Or not, because plague doctors.

Find Death Head on Tumblr and Facebook.
Creator Website: Zack Keller
Creator Website: Nick Keller

What: Death Head signing with Nick and Zack Keller
Where: Dr. Comics and Mr. Games
4014 Piedmont Street
Oakland, CA
When: July 15, 3 p.m.

The Advocate names “Stripling Warrior” creator Brian Andersen one of top 15 queers to watch in 2015

Stripling_Warrior_Issue_One_Page_1-374x559Hat tip to Whatever…, 548 Castro Street, for catching that Advocate named San Francisco’s comic creator Brian Andersen one of the top 15 “Queers and Allies to Watch in 2015.” Andersen has most recently been writing the series Stripling Warrior which features the world’s first gay Mormon superhero. According to Advocate “the series tells the tale of Sam Shepard, a happily out and newly married gay man whose life is changed forever after he is visited by an angel from heaven on his wedding night and is summoned to be the Hand of God on Earth.” If you’ve been looking for a title to break the superhero mold it’s quite possible you’ve unknowingly been waiting for Stripling Warrior. The title’s available online at Andersen’s website or, if you’re local to the Bay Area, at a number of our fine local comic shoppes including the aforementioned Whatever…

Isotope to host APE Aftermath parties with Paul Pope and Ed Piskor

Two weekends for the publishing of this post the Alternative Press Expo will be taking over the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. While APE itself is always a great time for fans of indie comics the excitement doesn’t end when you exit the expo. Isotope – The Comic Book Lounge, 326 Fell Street, will be hosting a two-night “APE Aftermath” event featuring creators Ed Piskor and Paul Pope. Event descriptions below are from Isotope’s website:

October 4: Ed Piskor
8 p.m. until midnight
21+

Known for his historical graphic novel explorations like the fictional look at the early world of computer hacking WIZZYWIG and also THE BEATS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY with comics legend Harvey Pekar, Piskor’s most recent works are exploding in popularity and also his most funky-fresh in the flesh boks to date… HIP HOP FAMILY TREE, documenting the birth and history of the early rap scene.

In honor of Mister Piskor we will be throwing a truly old school themed bash with SF’s own DJ Grandmaster Bearzbub getting the party jumping with the best pre-1986 bodyrocking beats and Mixologist Kirsten Baldock serving up her unique maxin’ and relaxin’ libations based on Piskor’s latest works. For your uprocking needs, be sure to prepare your crew with this great resource. And don’t be shy about to breaking out your freshest gear… we suggest your furry Kangol buckets, your favorite Puma track-suit, your Carrera Porsche 5620 shades, and your Adidas shell-toes. See you then, b-boys and b-girls!

October 5: Paul Pope
8 p.m. until midnight
21+

By the most popular or popular requests, the Isotope is proud to bring Alternative Press Expo 2014 weekend to a true climax with our second-of-two APE Aftermath bashes… with the multiple Eisner Award winning cartoonist, painter, multi-media artist, fashion designer, DJ, and true America icon Paul Pope!

Pope exploded on the scene with the new comics energy indie hit THB here in the states and the crazy-cool SUPER*TROUBLE in Japan. His work also includes the stunning BATMAN YEAR 100, HEAVY LIQUID, ESCAPO, 100%, and of course, the book we will be celebrating… BATTLING BOY and the released-that-very-week BATTLING BOY: THE RISE OF AURORA WEST.

Sure to be the talk of the weekend (who wouldn’t want to party with Paul Pope?!), our event features San Francisco’s famed spinner of tunes DJ Bearzbub and bespoke cocktails based on Paul’s comics by Kirsten Baldock. This is going to be a good one!

Signing: Charles Soule at Comix Experience on October 1

When I read that Charles Soule would be hosted for a signing at Comix Experience, 305 Divisadero Street in San Francisco, it was difficult to believe. Soule is, as the Comix Experience flyer touts, on of the hardest working writers in the comic book industry. At times he’s carried eight books a month, so it’s hard to imagine he’d find time to untether from the his writing implement of choice for a signing tour. Perusing the shelves at your local comic book store you’ll find Soule’s name on Red Lanterns, Swamp Thing, She-Hulk, Inhuman, Superman/Wonder Woman, Letter 44, and The Death of Wolverine. Is Comix Experience planning to fool us with a clone?

Charles Soule flyerDoing some intense investigative digging (going to Soule’s website and reading his blog) I learned that Soule is currently embarking on a new journey and starting to wind down his DC work. Soule writes “Writing eight titles a month (which I’ve been doing for quite a while now) is no joke. It’s a constant tightrope walk, requiring serious focus and discipline. I’ve proven to myself that I can do it, but now that I have, it’s time for a different challenge – I want to know what I can accomplish with a smaller slate, where I can really dive in. I’ve accomplished breadth, now I want to see about depth.”

While he’ll be wrapping up his DC work over the next few months Soule assures readers that the fantastic Letter 44 (Oni Press) will continue. “I’m on that one until it’s done, which won’t be for a while yet,” Soule wrote.

So there you have it, no clones.

The October 1 visit to Comix Experience will take place from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

If you haven’t read Soule’s Letter 44 the entire first issue is available for free on i09.

APE 2014: The creator spotlights

Alternative Press ExpoAlternative Press Expo 2014 is just around the corner featuring two days highlighting comic indie publishing. On September 19 the programming schedule was published revealing the time slots for creator spotlights.

October 4
1 p.m. Bob Fingerman

Meet APE special guest Bob Fingerman, the creator of such acclaimed graphic novels as White Like She, From the Ashes, Recess Pieces, and his best-known series, Minimum Wage (currently enjoying its return with all-new issues after a 15-year hiatus), as well the novels Bottomfeeder and Pariah.

3:30 p.m. Faith Erin Hicks

APE special guest Faith Erin Hicks is the Eisner Award-winning cartoonist of The Adventures of Superhero Girl, Friends with Boys, The War at Ellsmere, and Zombies Calling. She is also the artist and co-writer of The Last of Us: American Dreams and the artist of the Bigfoot Boy series (with J. Torres), and Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong (with Prudence Shen). She started drawing comics years ago “for fun” and remains surprised that writing and drawing is her career. If you would like to know how this astonishing event occurred, Faith would be happy to talk about it at this panel.

4:15 p.m. Jason Shiga

APE special guest Jason Shiga is best known for his mathematically rigorous graphic novels Fleep, Bookhunter, and Meanwhile. But did you know the vast majority of his comics are hand assembled interactive minicomics? Jason will demonstrate some of his unpublished and rarely seen interactive comic creations, including the only known comic with movable parts. He will discuss past, present, and future projects, including an exclusive peek at his latest comic, Demon.

5 p.m. Robert Williams

APE special guest Robert Williams (painter, cartoonist, The Lowbrow Art of Robert Williams) and Gary Groth (publisher of Fantagraphics Books) will discuss Williams’s career, from underground comix legend, co-producing Zap Comix in the 1960s, to co-founding Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine in the 1990s.

October 5
12:45 p.m. C. Spike Trotman

APE special guest C. Spike Trotman is responsible for Kickstarter juggernaut Smut Peddler, along with The Sleep of Reason, Poorcraft, and the webcomic Templar, Arizona. Running the one-woman Iron Circus Comics out of Chicago, she’s a font of DIY comics knowhow, vanguarding the indie comic renaissance and spotlighting underrepresented genres and themes in the work she creates and publishes alike. Drop in to hear her plans for new projects and candid advice for go-it-alone types!

2:15 p.m. Paul Pope

Hot on the heels of his #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel Battling Boy, APE special guest Paul Pope is debuting his new graphic novel The Rise of Aurora West at APE! Paul will give you the inside scoop on his creative, artistic, and storytelling process, as well as providing an inside look at the world of Battling Boy and Aurora West. Moderated by CBLDF executive director Charles Brownstein.

 

Signing: Gene Luen Yang at Mission – August 16

Mission: Comics and Art, 3520 20th Street in San Francisco, will be hosting Gene Luen Yang for a signing of The Shadow Hero. Yang’s title reaches into the Golden Age of comics and shines a spotlight on the often overlooked Asian-American hero the Green Turtle. Although the Green Turtle only made it to five issues of Blazing Stories Yang saw it as an opportunity to tell the back story of this long lost hero. Featuring beautiful art from Sonny Liew the comic was initially released digitally, but dropped as a collected paperback in July. You can read more about the title here and watch a trailer here. The signing starts at 6 p.m. on August 16.

The Shadow Hero

Signing: Josh Hale Fialkov at Isotope – August 6

The Bunker Issue 4Josh Hale Fialkov’s The Bunker was one of those rare comics that was a hit before it even landed on the racks. The comic, which originally launched as a successful digital title, was picked up by Oni Press in 2013 with the first issue dropping in February of 2014. In November, it was announced that Lionsgate would be adapting the comic for television. Thanks to that announcement the first few issues of The Bunker sold out before many readers could get their paws on it. This month the first four issues will be collected in graphic novel format and Fialkov will be visiting Isotope: The Comic Book Lounge, 326 Fell Street in San Francisco, on August 6 to celebrate the release. You can find the creator at the shop signing copies between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. More on the event pasted from the Isotope website:

THE BUNKER is a psych horror science fiction tale like no other. “When a group of friends discover a military survival bunker what they find will change their lives forever” is about all that can be said about the actual plot without spoiling the many surprises within. It’s a great exploration of the juxtaposition between pre-determined fate and freedom of choice, hapless young people in way over their heads, and of course a voyeuristic peek into the end of the world itself. No surprise this book has been so popular among comic fans.

Fialkov’s resume of awesome comics runs deep. From his new creator owned hit THE LIFE AFTER to his breakouts ELK’S RUN and ECHOES, to his latest Marvel work on ULTIMATE FF, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and CATACALYSM (starring the grandest planet-eater of all Galactus) to his acclaimed DC work on ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN and the sleeper star of the New52 I. VAMPIRE, to the madcap cutup humor of PUNKS with Kody Chamberlain and one of our favorite crime noir graphic novels ever, TUMOR… the man just keeps putting out fantastic reads!

We here at the Isotope are absolutely thrilled to get to have him in. We’ve known Josh for a long time, back when that mighty resume was just a mad twinkle in his eye, either 2002 or 2003 when we were buying up armloads of his hilarious POORLY DRAWN ANIMALS mini-comics at the Alternative Press Expo. Watching his career explode since then has been nothing short of glorious.

What better creator to continue our Year of In-Store Amazement with?

.

Justice League vs. the Color Stealing Man

Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman.

Who sucked all of the color out of the DC Universe? Everything is so drab. I’m really hoping the Justice League film will be Justice League vs. Instagram Color Filter Man.

In this context Wonder Woman looks more bad ass than Bats and Supes. Batman looks like a stuffed sausage who fights crime by bear hugging evildoers into compliance. I’d be okay with skipping the Justice League film and going straight to a Wonder Woman origin film (if it isn’t completely sepia tone).

And whats with all of the glowing eyes? Was Batman all like “Oh, you have glowing eyes? Well check this out!” *pushes button on utility belt* “BATGLOW!” *stare* What color do you think Wonder Woman’s eyes will glow?

BATGLOW!

Mission: Today, we are all Batman

Today is Batman Day. This DC promotion encourages visitors to slip into their best Batman gear and go visit a participating local comic book shop. If you do you’ll be able to pick-up a copy of the new Detective Comics #27 which features Brad Meltzer’s re-imagining of the original Bob Kane and Bill Finger story. Flipping through the various facebook pages, twitter feeds, and websites of our Bay Area stores only turns up one, Mission: Comics and Art, actively promoting an event. From noon until 8 p.m. you can stop in at Mission dressed like Batman and take part in contests, have a chance to win various Bat-themed things, join a scavenger hunt, have your face painted (like Batman?), and more. Mission is located at 3520 20th Street in San Francisco.

It’s new comic day, so you’ll likely be going to your LCS anyway, but if you specifically want to know if your store is taking part in this 75th Anniversary event I’d suggest calling in advance. We have a handy list of phone numbers.

Singing: Steve Lafler at Mission today and Dr. Comics tomorrow

laflerSteve Lafler is kicking off the release of his new mini-series Death in Oaxaca at two Bay Area comic retailers this weekend. Today the cartoonist and illustrator will be at Mission: Comics and Art, 3520 20th Street in San Francisco, from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. and tomorrow at Dr. Comics and Mr Games, 4101 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
About the title:

The mundane, the sublime and the bizarre show up in their best party attire in the new comic book series from the creator of Dog Boy and Bughouse.Two expats move to remote Oaxaca, the fabled highland city in southern Mexico. Rex, earnest yet duplicitous, flees from mid-life crisis and fear of death. Beautiful Gertie, cynical but honest, is just plain bored and craves adventure. They contend with Lucha Libre wrestlers and an ancient vampire who prefers chicken, and enjoy the best fresh corn tortillas on the planet.

The title is being published by Alternative Comics. The first issue cover layout is below.

lafleroaxaca