Smash Pages Q&A | Sarah Byam on ‘Billi 99’

The writer of one of Tim Sale’s first comics projects talks about the new hardcover being crowdfunded by Clover Press.

Before Long Halloween, Superman for All Seasons or the various shades of Marvel miniseries like Hulk: Gray and Daredevil: Yellow came Billi 99, the first major comics work of Tim Sale.

The legendary artist teamed with writer Sarah Byam on the project, which was first published in black and white by Dark Horse back in 1991. The four-issue miniseries told the story of a teen vigilante, Billi Chadam, who took up her father’s sword to battle corporate greed and a corrupt government.

And now, more than 30 years later, Billi 99 is back. Clover Press is currently crowdfunding a hardcover collecting the almost 200-page story, with added color by José Villarrubia. The project has surpassed its goal by a landslide, and offers several editions and add ons in addition to the hardcover.

I spoke with Byam about the project, the addition of color, and what it means to see her and Sale’s vision for Billi 99 realized.

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Check out Chrissie Zullo’s variant cover for ‘Armored’ #2 [Exclusive]

The Kickstarter for the five-issue miniseries from Clover Press is now live.

Screenwriter Michael Schwartz is making his comic book writing debut with a five-issue miniseries called Armored, which is about a boy and his new best friend, a haunted suit of armor. Schwartz has teamed up with artist Ismael Hernandez and letterer Ferran Delgado on the project, which publisher Clover Press is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter.

“A few years ago, my entire comic book collection was stolen,” said Schwartz, who penned the screenplay for Gnome Alone. “After that I started to re-collect and revisit the thousands of books I loved — from Silver Age classics to modern era epics — and realized the potential comic books offered me for telling this ambitious and personal tale. Working with Clover has been a real pleasure as they truly understood the scope of the story and how Ismael Hernandez and I wanted this narrative to unfold for the reader.”

Each issue will feature covers and variants by different artists, and we’re pleased to debut Chrissie Zullo‘s variant cover for Armored #2, which you can see below. Her trademark whimsical style has been featured on covers for Archie Comics, the various Fables titles, Star Wars and many more, and it’s great to see it here:

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Marvel + Clover Press will crowdfund a series of fine art books

‘The Marvel Art Of David Mack’ and ‘The Marvel Art Of Alex Maleev’ will be available via Kickstarter.

Marvel and Clover Press have announced plans to release a series of art books showcasing different artists, starting with David Mack and Alex Maleev.

The Marvel Art Of David Mack and The Marvel Art Of Alex Maleev are described as “prestige coffee table books” that will feature “iconic images alongside rare and never-before-seen artwork.” Clover Press, which is no stranger to crowdfunding, will use Kickstarter to raise funds for both volumes — which might be the first time we’ve seen an official Marvel project on the platform.

“Since its launch in 2019, Clover Press has established a reputation as an eclectic publisher whose books celebrate the arts and the creative process,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “The Marvel Art Of David Mack and The Marvel Art Of Alex Maleev are a testament to the vision of two awesome artists whose storytelling helped define the look and feel of today’s Marvel Universe. We’re working very closely with the artists on the design and contents of the book to create stunning art books that you will not want to miss.”

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Fund Me Friday: Quarantine Comix, Tinto Press and more

Support projects by Gabriel Rodriguez, Ryan K. Lindsay, Chris Panda, the ‘Ice Cream Man’ crew and more.

As crowdfunding continues to serve as a viable method for creators to fund their creative endeavors, comic-related projects flourish on sites like Kickstarter, Patreon and IndieGoGo. The internet also allows creators to sell their creations direct to fans, through sites like Gumroad, Etsy and of course their own websites. If you’re looking to buy something from or support a creator directly, you’ve come to the right place. And that’ a good thing to do, now more than ever.

Send any suggestions of your own to jkparkin@yahoo.com.

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Matt Bors’ ‘We Should Improve Society Somewhat’ available for preorder

New collection by the man behind The Nib comes out next March.

Although probably best known as the mastermind behind the award-winning editorial cartoon site The Nib, Matt Bors is also a brilliant cartoonist in his own right. After crowdfunding his first collection of comics in 2012, he’s back taking pre-orders for the next one.

“This will be a collection of my best work from the Trump era, a 184 page collection with some additional commentary from me and an introduction by Tom Tomorrow,” Bors said in his email newsletter. “The book takes its name from what has become my most well-known comic and will hit shelves in March 2020. I’m doing a pre-order now through The Nib where you can order it with a sketch, get a tote bag, stickers and some other merch. Print still rules and I’m glad the people at Clover Press reached out to collect this era of my work.”

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IDW announces new publishing venture, Clover Press

IDW Publishing co-founders Ted Adams and Robbie Robbins will run the boutique publisher.

IDW Publishing co-founders Ted Adams and Robbie Robbins will lead a new publishing venture, Clover Press, focused on “on the book market and direct-to-consumer prestige format publications as a new, progressive, eclectic, boutique publisher.”

“Growing IDW Publishing with Robbie – from where it was 20 years ago to where it is today – has been an incredible ride,” says Adams. “Now with the company in excellent hands, it’s time to focus our attention on new projects. Our small team at Clover Press will be working on outside of the box projects that we are excited about, and we look forward to exploring new markets and getting more beautiful books out into the world.”

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