Vault will publish music-inspired graphic novels through their Headshell imprint

Pete Wentz, Def Leppard, Metallica and more will rock their way into comics via the new imprint.

Vault Comics will team with several musicians for a new line of graphic novels called Headshell. Songwriter and producer Richard Rudolph, who has worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder to 2Pac, will “guide strategy and artist relations” for the new imprint.

According to the press release, Headshell will launch with Dying Inside from Fall Out Boy co-founder Pete Wentz, co-writer Hannah Klein and Witchblood artist Lisa Sterle. Alternative Press has a first look at the artwork.

“Creating a new graphic novel with Vault and one of my favorite writers, Hannah Klein, has been an insane experience–in the best possible way,” Wentz said. “Between her perspective, honesty, and super dark sense of humor and Vault’s creative support throughout the entire process, I’m excited to share it with the world soon.”

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Comedian Chris Farley’s childhood will be explored in ‘Growing Up Farley’

The new graphic novel from Z2 Comics will be co-written by Kevin Farley, Chris’s brother.

Before becoming a standout among the cast of Saturday Night Live and starring in films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, comedian Chris Farley performed in places like the Red Arrow Camp, the Arc Theatre in Wisconsin and The Second City in Chicago. Those early adventures with his brother Kevin will be explored in a new graphic novel Growing Up Farley, coming next fall from Z2 Comics.

“Laughter was always a big part of growing up Farley,” Kevin Farley said in the press release. “I’m excited to partner with the team at Z2 Comics to share all the humor and humanity of growing up with my brother, Chris, in 1970s Madison, Wisconsin and the huge influence our Dad had on our decision to go into comedy.”

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Titan confirms their new Conan creative team

Jim Zub, Roberto De La Torre and José Villarrubia will tell new stories about what is best in life.

Titan Comics have confirmed via press release what we learned earlier this year — Jim Zub will write their upcoming Conan title. He’ll be joined by artist Roberto De La Torre, who drew the preview art that was revealed this summer, while José Villarrubia will provide colors.

All three creators have worked on Conan before. Zub’s written many issues of the title for Marvel over the last few years, while Torre has done a couple of short stories featuring the character. Villarrubia probably has the most Conan on his resume, having worked on the character for multiple publishers, as well as doing illustrations for Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of, a role-playing game released a few years back.

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Marvel’s 2023 Free Comic Book Day offerings will feature X-Men, Spider-Man, Venom and more

‘Summer of Symbiotes,’ ‘Fall of X’ and more will be previewed by Marvel next May.

Marvel has announced their plans for next year’s Free Comic Book Day event, as the publisher will release four free comics on that day.

Just like they did this year, Marvel will use FCBD to promote several of their upcoming events, like Summer of Symbiotes and Fall of X. They’ll also have another Marvel’s Voices issue, and will round things out with a title aimed at the younger set — Spidey & His Amazing Friends, which will adapt the Disney Junior TV show.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | Deadpool wades back into the deep end

Check out new comics and graphic novels this week by Marc Silvestri, Brian Michael Bendis, Jacob Edgar, Ryan North, Nick Robles, Jess Ruliffson and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.

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Winners announced for the 2022 Ringo Awards

The winners were announced in a ceremony held at the Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend.

The winners for the 2022 Ringo Awards were announced last night at the Baltimore Comic-Con, making this the sixth year for the awards program named for artist Mike Wieringo, who passed away in 2007.

Nominees were chosen by fans, along with a panel of judges that included artist Jim Calafiore, Finder creator Carla Speed McNeil, writer Jarrett Melendez, retailer Joe Murray and author/comics professor Qiana Whitted.

Besides the Ringo Award themselves, a few other awards were given out during the ceremony:

  • Mike Wieringo Spirit Award: Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, Oni Press
  • Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year Award: Scott Dunbier
  • Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award: Steve Geppi

And here are the winners, in bold:

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Smash Pages Q&A | Rich Koslowski on ‘F.A.R.M. System’

The creator of ‘Three Fingers’ and ‘The King’ returns with a new graphic novel from Top Shelf in November.

Rich Koslowski is best known by some as the creator of Three Fingers, The List and The King, three graphic novels released in the 2000s that showed off not only his creativity and wit, but also his skill as an artist. Others know him as the creator of The 3 Geeks, which later became Geeksville and was published by Image Comics. And still others likely know him from his long-running work at Archie Comics, where he has drawn or inked everyone from Jughead to Sonic the Hedgehog to the rock band KISS, among many others.

It’s been several years now since we’ve seen him write and draw an original graphic novel, but he’s back at Top Shelf with a new project, F.A.R.M. System, which arrives in stores Nov. 8. Like Three Fingers and The King, it’s a satire that mashes together the world of superheroes with baseball farm teams, as new heroes vie for spots in the Big Leagues.

Koslowski was kind enough to answer some questions about the project, his love of baseball and what else he has in the works.

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The Power Pets make their triumphant return in ‘World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest’ #124

Check out an exclusive preview of a new story coming in next week’s digest from Archie Comics.

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to present a preview of World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #124, which comes out Oct. 26.

This digest will include two brand-new stories, in addition to a selection of classic Archie material. Our preview today includes pages from “The Power Pets Return!” by Tom DeFalco, Pat & Tim Kennedy, Jim Amash, Glenn Whitmore and Jack Morelli. As Evilheart, Reggie’s alter ego, tries to ruin Archie’s date with Veronica, the Power Pets step in to save the day.

Check out the preview and solicitation information below.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | Miracleman enters ‘The Silver Age’

See what new comics and graphic novels arrive this week from Neil Gaiman, Mark Buckingham, Mike Mignola, John Ridley, Tom Gauld, Gabrielle Bell, Nadia Shammas, Marie Enger and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.

Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | Miracleman enters ‘The Silver Age’”

‘Crash & Troy’ reaches its explosive conclusion in December [Exclusive Preview]

Check out an exclusive preview of ‘Crash & Troy’ #4 by writer Jarred Luján and artist Kyler Clodfelter.

A Wave Blue World’s classic sci-fi buddy miniseries comes to a close in December, as writer Jarred Luján and artist Kyler Clodfelter bring the banter-filled adventures of Crash & Troy to their climatic, explosive conclusion with issue #4.

The fourth and final issue finds the super-strong Crash and their handler Delphi in jail, with Troy 3.0 seemingly dead. But can you really kill a sentient software arts aficionado?

“Issue #4 is my favorite of the series,” Luján told Smash Pages. “Writing the action was a blast, especially because we finally got to unveil what Troy, in all his irreverence, is capable of doing as a mercenary in a way only Troy could think of. Best of all, it ties everything together so well and we cap it off with some of the funnest, most explosive moments yet—but there’s another layer here. I think folks are going to be surprised with how emotional this issue is and how intensely it lays out what Crash & Troy is all about.”

This issue also brings a scene that Clodfelter has been itching to draw for awhile.

“Drawing issue 4 was extremely liberating for me because I finally got to let loose and draw some imagery that I’ve had swirling in my head for years. Jarred and I have always worked really well together, but there’s this cool thing I wanted to happen in the story that Jarred was game for and it was probably my favorite scene to draw in the entire issue. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it surprisingly doesn’t even have anything to do with fists or that Jarred asked me to tell him what my favorite fight scenes of all time were. But I mean, those things should also inform you of what you’re in for!” Clodfelter said. “I think ultimately, we’re just thrilled that everyone has finally had a chance to read the book, and I hope people have had as much fun reading it as we did making it.”

Courtesy of A Wave Blue World, we’re pleased to present an exclusive preview of the fourth and final issue of Crash & Troy. Check out the cover, preview and solicitation text below:

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Tynion + Blanco’s new horror series ‘Worldtr33’ explores ‘the secret architecture beneath the internet’

The new series launches next spring, with a preview appearing in the ‘Image! 30th anniversary anthology next month.

Image Comics has announced W0rldtr33, a new series that will spin out of next month’s Image! Anthology #8. James Tynion IV and his Razorblades collaborator Fernando Blanco will venture into the “secret architecture beneath the internet,” which turns out to be a place filled with unimaginable horrors, kind of like the real internet at times.

Tynion and Blanco will be joined by colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Aditya Bidikar for the ongoing series, which Tynion said he hopes will run for several years.

“W0rldtr33 is a horror epic that’s been festering in the back of my brain for the better part of five years. I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this story to life at Image Comics,” said Tynion IV. “I can’t wait to show the world what Fernando, Jordie, Aditya, and I have been building for you.”

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Bendis launches new content + a new comic on Jinxworld on Substack

The creator has added paid tiers to his newsletter and will offer a new ‘Fortune and Glory’ story and comics classes through it.

Although he’s had a free newsletter on Substack for awhile now, writer (and comics instructor) Brian Michael Bendis has announced plans to offer paid tiers with additional content through the platform.

That additional content will includes an educational series of videos titled Creation: The Series that will serve as a multimedia sequel to his Words for Pictures book that offers instructions on writing for comics. He’s also planning a series of videos with artist Taki Soma called Masterclass that will “pass on some of the very best and hardest lessons learned” during their time in the comics field. And if you’re looking for comics, Bendis has you covered — he plans to syndicate the sequel to Fortune and Glory through Substack, which is titled Fortune and Glory: The Musical.

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