The Avatar Press convention season is in full swing! As we speak, our worker bees and talented creators are preparing for some of the biggest comic shows across the country. Where will you be when Avatar comes to town?
After last week’s appearance at WonderCon alongside superstar writer Max Brooks, Avatar is turning its attention to Seattle. That’s right, we’re headed to the Pacific Northwest’s most spectacular pop culture event, Emerald City Comic-Con (3/30 – 4/1)! We’re shipping out two top-level talents to represent the company: Mike Wolfer and Jacen Burrows! Sure, you know all about these two… but we’re going to tell you about them anyway! Jacen is best known as the atmospheric illustrator of Neonomicon and Crossed: Badlands. Mike is the creative powerhouse behind a string of Avatar titles (like Stitched, Gravel, and Night of the Living Dead), as well as a key creative force at sister company Boundless Comics!? Get ready to talk about great comics, because these guys are known for their great fan service.
Want to learn more about our appearance at Emerald City? Check out our ECCC convention page for show details and our list of exclusive merchandise, and feel free to explore the wonders of our special Avatar Emerald City 2012 V.I.P. Set!
Two weeks after Emerald City, we return to that city we know so well: Chi-Town! Yes, the boys are back in town, as Avatar Press sets up in its own backyard at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, otherwise known as C2E2 (4/13 – 4/15)! Jacen Burrows will make an appearance at the show, ready and willing to chat with dedicated fans and curious newcomers about his vast body of Avatar work. Also, we’re proud to announce that painter Michael DiPascale will be on-hand to show off his stellar cover illustrations (Crossed, Lady Death, War Goddess), some amazing pieces that will quicken your heartbeat.
For full disclosure on C2E2, including info on our exclusive merchandise, check out this link. Also, explore our Avatar C2E2 2012 V.I.P. Set, a huge amount of swag for a thrilling value price!
So we asked ourselves, should we show off the interiors of Dan the Unharmable #1? Well, it couldn’t hurt. Get it? “Couldn’t hurt?” “Unharmable?”
Okay, so that wasn’t the most inspired bit of humor ever (puns rarely are). But if you do want solid storytelling, fascinating characters, and the kinds of unpredictable plot twists that only David Lapham can deliver, you should check out the Dan the Unharmable preview below!
Avatar Press will offer different cover editions of each Dan the Unharmable issue, providing fans and retailers with freedom of choice. All cover artwork for issue #1 will be provided by series artist Rafael Ortiz.
DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 Regular Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: MAR120783
DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 Wraparound Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: MAR120784
A lot of people think that the Avatar crew have horror rattling around their brains every day of the week.? It’s not true.? We like science fiction and fantasy, crime and Westerns.? Some days, our staff even gets in touch with their feelings by gathering for chick flicks and rom-coms.? …Ah, who are we kidding?? Avatar is the new home for horror, and Wednesdays are our day to unleash new terrors on the world!? If you like werewolves that tear people to itty bitty pieces, or weaponized zombies animated by black magic, then you’ll want to visit your local comic shop and ask for the following fine products!
FERALS #1 Auxiliary Edition
FERALS #1 Auxiliary Edition
Retail: $3.99, Cover by Gabriel Andrade
Diamond Item Code: FEB120802
Gabriel Andrade (Lady Death) has been tearing up (literally) the Ferals series, his artwork creating a believable yet unpredictable landscape for terror in David Lapham’s werewolf epic.? Here, Gabriel shows us just how bad-ass Dale Chesnutt is!? Our hero, morally ambiguous and ready to fight… the lady in his life, a victim of a morning mauling… and the creature who stalks and vindictively kills the citizens of Cypress.? If you haven’t ready Ferals yet, here’s another chance for you to begin Lapham and Andrade’s monster-piece.? And if you’ve read it before, then the Auxiliary Edition may just be a cool new cover for your Avatar collection!
STITCHED #3 Auxiliary Edition
STITCHED #3 Auxiliary Edition
Retail: $3.99, Cover by Mike Wolfer
Diamond Item Code: FEB120797
We’ve said it before: Mike Wolfer is a master of modern horror.? From his work with combat magicians on Gravel, to his creepy contributions to the original zombie epic Night of the Living Dead, to the dark fantasy and macabre majesty of Lady Death, he’s a writer and artist steeped in spine-tingling storytelling.? Stitched, his artistic collaboration with Garth Ennis (Crossed: Badlands), is just the latest in a long line of horror successes for Mr. Wolfer!? In this issue, readers discover more secrets to the black magic that animates the dead in Afghanistan… and how these corpses-turned-undead-weapons may be scattered throughout the desert, ready to strike at the whim of sadistic slave traders!
It’s the day you’ve all been waiting for.? Crossed: Badlands!? Crossed: Wish You Were Here!? Crossed: Get Infected!? Crossed EVERYTHING!
The cornerstone of today’s global celebration of extreme horror is the much-anticipated in-store release of Crossed: Badlands #1, a bi-weekly series written by creator Garth Ennis (Preacher, Hellblazer, Stitched) and illustrated by his original creative partner on the Crossed series, Jacen Burrows (Neonomicon). The first three-issue story arc sees the first reunion of these two superstar creators in the Crossed universe since the end of their original series back in 2009 (which can be read in the collected Crossed Volume 1 graphic novel). Their new tale is moody, atmospheric, and emotionally heart-wrenching, described by Ennis as taking place at a time “when the tricks and risks of survival become second nature, and people are starting to wonder what they?re surviving for.” The main character, Ian, roams the Scottish Highlands with a small band of survivors, avoiding roving Crossed berserkers and wrestling with the memories of his wife’s tragic death.? There’s a beautiful balance to the storytelling, with subtle and simmering dramatic tension interspersed with short bursts of the violence and action you’ve come to know and love from Crossed. Enjoy the following preview, and then strike out to your local comic shop to pick up the issue!
Building upon today’s C-Day release of of Badlands #1, Avatar Press has proudly debuted the first-ever episode of Crossed: Wish You Were Here, the new ongoing webcomic written by comic writer and novelist Simon Spurrier, with artwork by Javier Barreno (who returns to the Crossed universe for the first time since his work on Crossed Volume 2: Family Values).? The first episode of Wish You Were Here went live this morning at the website CrossedComic.com, and new episodes will be posted online every Thursday for years to come!? It’s the first-ever “long form” Crossed epic, introducing a wide cast of characters who are tired of running from maniacs and masochists.? They’ve made a sanctuary on the remote island of Cava, cautiously watching for roaming predators and finding themselves often at odds with one another. “Apart from the random and sporadic attacks by roving packs of insane nutbag human predators,” explains Spurrier, “these guys have a lot of time to think, to fret, to freak-out. There?s the eternal danger of daydreaming. The danger of losing hope. The danger of getting bored (and the attendant danger of looking for trouble). There?s just the horizon, and the terrifying things lurking just beyond it.”
Want to check out Wish You Were Here from its very start? Click on the below graphic, and the internet will take you right to it!
If you’re a Crossed fan, you might remember a little diddy that Avatar published last year called Crossed: Psychopath, written by David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Ferals) and illustrated by Raulo Caceres (Captain Swing).? In keeping with the running theme of all-around awesomeness for March 14th, Avatar is proudly releasing the third volume in its graphic novel series with Crossed Volume 3: Psychopath, collecting the seven-issue miniseries in its entirety.? Psychopath is truly disturbing tale of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a deranged man who infiltrates a tight-knit group of survivors, fooling them into thinking he’s like them.? But Harold Lorre is not like them.? He’s not even like the Crossed.? He’s something so much worse.? Horror fans will be amazed at how deep inside a killer’s mind they will travel, as they learn each of Harold’s perverse pleasures and vengeful schemes.? Care to give it a try?? We’ve included a preview of it below!
As if that wasn’t enough, here’s a quick rundown of our other Crossed happenings for today’s C-Day celebration!
Crossed: Get Infected, a special sampler comic, introduces new readers to the Crossed universe by re-printing the original Crossed first chapter from 2008! Written by Garth Ennis with art by Jacen Burrows, Get Infected will be available worldwide at retail locations today!
Hundreds of retailers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have stocked the Crossed Survival Kit for today, an assortment of Crossed promotional items designed to maximize comic fan awareness and drive sales for area retailers. Your local comic shop may very well be handing out cool little giveaway items like buttons, temporary tattoos, and face masks!
Over two dozen comic retailers have entered Avatar’s C-Day Retailer Contest!? These stores will be celebrating the launch of Crossed: Badlands #1 in their own unique ways, vying for the position of World’s Greatest Crossed Promoter!? If you live near to any of the below store locations, you really should visit their stores today and enjoy the festivities, which may include costume and art contests, outrageous displays and decorations, and even grotesque (but delicious) baked goods!? (Events vary by location!)? The list of participating retailers is below, and you can find full store contact information and addresses by clicking on our Bleeding Cool link here.
Vigilante Press (Chicago, IL)
Third Eye Comics (Annapolis, MD)
Samurai Comics – Central Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)
Samurai Comics – West Valley (Phoenix, AZ)
Samurai Comics – East Valley (Mesa, AZ)
Runch Comics (Vienna, Austria)
Rubber Chicken Comics (Bellingham, MA)
Larry’s Comics, Inc. (Lowell, MA)
Jetpack Comics LLC (Rochester, NH)
MaximuM Comics (Las Vegas, NV)
MaximuM Comics (Henderson, NV)
Quest Comic Shop (Carrollton, GA)
DCBS – Discount Comic Book Service (Fort Wayne, IN)
Giant Robot Comics (Dartmouth, NS)
Cup o’ Kryptonite (Des Moines, IA)
Comic Oasis (Las Vegas, NV)
Pittsburgh Comics (McMurray, PA)
Alternate Worlds Comics & Games (Cockeysville, MD)
OK Comics (Briggate, Leeds)
Collectors Corner (Baltimore, MD)
Velvet Underground Comics (Las Vegas, NV)
Darktower Comics & Collectibles (Chicago, IL)
Black Cat Comics (Salt Lake City, UT)
Orbital Comics & Collectibles (London, UK)
Inter-Comics (Online)
A Comic Shop (Winter Park, FL)
All in all, it’s a huge day to be a Crossed fan!? If you love horror, if you love terror-filled tales that are uncompromising in their content, if you love brilliant creators like Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, then join Avatar Press and thousands of retail shops worldwide in the glorious celebration of C-Day!
Talk about an aggressive convention schedule!? Avatar Press will be setting up at tons of shows across the United States and Canada in 2012, and we?re kicking off the year next week with a trip to sunny California for WonderCon (March 16-18 at the Anaheim Convention Center).
Conventions can be pretty overwhelming at times, with thousands of comic fans pouring into the hall like zombies in a Romero flick.? At WonderCon, it?ll be a good thing that Avatar will be bringing Max Brooks, the author of the best-selling books The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, to face the hordes!
Max Brooks will be signing at the Avatar booth during the weekend (Friday at 12:00pm-2:00pm, and Sunday at 11:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-2:00pm).? Those time slots will be great opportunities to pick up a variety of ZSG and WWZ merchandise, enjoy adding his hilarious personalized messages to your autograph collection, and pick his brains about the upcoming World War Z major motion picture starring Brad Pitt (although we?d advise against the ?picking his brains? part literally, since he is highly skilled at killing the undead).? Also, Max will bring his fan-favorite Zombie Survival lecture to WonderCon on Sunday, March 18th, starting at noon in Room 204. ?Come prepared with questions? and prepared for awesomeness!
Avatar Press will also be offering a handful of variant comics exclusive to the show.? First, from David Lapham and Gabriel Andrade, Avatar presents the WonderCon exclusive edition of the chilling werewolf epic: Ferals #1 WonderCon Edition.? Also, from their sister company Boundless Comics, they will offer the Lady Death #14 WonderCon Daily Event series: individual Friday, Saturday, and Sunday editions, each with a unique cover design, plus a complete set of all five covers (the three daily variants, plus the rare VIP and Retailer Bonus editions).
For more information on Avatar?s plans for WonderCon, please visit our WonderCon page.?? We have also posted information online regarding our other upcoming convention appearances, including Emerald City, C2E2, Calgary, Phoenix, and more.? Visit our convention page to discover our guest list, convention exclusives, and V.I.P. admission ticket-with-merchandise packages.
Prepare to leave your local comic shop today with a huge score of Avatar Press comics! This week’s new comic releases include DICKS COLOR EDITION #2 by Garth Ennis and John McCrea, FERALS #3 by David Lapham and Gabriel Andrade, and STITCHED #3 by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer.
DICKS COLOR EDITION #2 by Garth Ennis & John McCrea
DICKS COLOR EDITION #2
Retail: $3.99, Covers by John McCrea
Diamond Item Code: JAN120889 (Regular), JAN120890 (Offensive)
You will not believe what Garth Ennis and John McCrea have in store for you with their second, wild issue of the newly-colored, totally re-mastered DICKS series!? Behold the outrageous antics as Ivor gets another visitation from the angry ghost? of his dear, departed Uncle Shuggie, Dougie discovers a terrible truth about his foul-mouthed infant son, a shadowy sniper tries his best to assassinate the pair of would-be investigators, and our boys from Belfast come into a box full of bouncing powder (that’s cocaine, folks)! Plus, our illustrious hosts Ennis and McCrea present a lost tale of young Dougie and Ivor, as they were just wee, obscene lads dodging the bully named Big Billy on the playground!? It’s an origin story with the same attitude, the same violent behavior, the same level of glorious, crude humor… only shorter characters!
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FERALS #3 by David Lapham & Gabriel Andrade
FERALS #3
Retail: $3.99, Covers by Gabriel Andrade
Diamond Item Code: JAN120896 (Regular), JAN120897 (Gore), JAN120898 (Wraparound)
David Lapham continues his vicious re-defining of the werewolf genre!? As the existence of the Ferals is slowly uncovered, Officer Dale Chesnutt discovers that evisceration and disembowelment has become the new status quo in his quiet town of Cypress… and finding a way to keep the internal organs inside his chest is turning out to be a lot harder than he thought!? Lapham and Andrade have developed an incredible survival horror series that brings the reader to a new place full of blood and gore.? Available with a by series artist Gabriel Andrade.
STITCHED #3 by Garth Ennis & Mike Wolfer
STITCHED #3
Retail: $3.99, Covers by Mike Wolfer
Diamond Item Code: DEC110864 (Regular), DEC110865 (Gore), DEC110866 (Wraparound)
The crew of a downed American Blackhawk and the SAS team who they were charged with extracting begin their long walk through enemy territory. But no soldiers have ever faced adversaries quite like the ones who wait in the Afghanistan desert, twisted remnants of tortured human corpses reanimated by black magic and intent of murdering every living thing within their grasp. As the mystery of the Stitched deepens and their attacks come more unexpectedly, a few tantalizing clues to their creation begin to unfold, but it?s a truth that?s almost too unbearable to believe.
This just in! The judges of the Ghastly Awards, which honor excellence in horror comics, have announced the 2011 nominees as chosen by writers, artists, and other creators in the comic book industry. This year’s nominations include the terrifying CROSSED 3D graphic novel, as well as artist extraordinaire Jacen Burrows (Crossed: Badlands, Neonomicon).
CROSSED 3D, by writer David Lapham (Ferals, the upcoming Dan the Unharmable) and artist Gianluca Pagliarani (Wolfskin: Hundredth Dream, Ignition City), has been nominated in the category of “Best Original Graphic Novel.”
Ghastly Award 2011 Nominees for Best Original Graphic Novel
Crossed 3D(Avatar) Flesh & Blood(Monsterverse) Black Fire(Archaia) Deadworld: Last Siesta(IDW Publishing) Dear Creature(Tor)
Meanwhile, Jacen Burrows has been nominated for “Best Artist” specifically for his work on last year’s NEONOMICON miniseries. As fans can attest, Jacen’s phenomenal talents have been developing by leaps and bounds for every project that he tackles, as evidenced by his huge stack of Avatar Press work (including the original Crossed series, Chronicles of Wormwood, 303, Scars, and many more).
Ghastly Award 2011 Nominees for Best Artist
Jacen Burrows – Neonomicon (Avatar) Gabriel Rodriguez – Locke & Key (IDW) Riley Rossmo – Green Wake (Image) Neil Vokes – Flesh and Blood (Monsterverse) Garrie Gastonny – The Vault (Image)
The 2011 judging panel consists of Decapitated Dan, Lonnie Nadler, Steve Banes, Mike Howlet, and Mykal Banta, all of whom are leaders in online horror media. The Ghastly Awards are named for acclaimed comics creator “Ghastly” Graham Ingles, with 2011 marking the first year for the awards. The winners will be announced on Saturday, March 31st, 2012.
Avatar Press is proud that its publications have been considered and nominated by the full breadth of creators in this industry, and are happy its nominees are among such good company in the categories. We congratulate David Lapham, Gianluca Pagliarani, and Jacen Burrows for the industry’s recognition of their exceptional talent, and wish them luck!
It’s Wednesday, and one of our favorite projects sees a brand new cover edition hitting store shelves everywhere!
STITCHED #2 Auxiliary Edition
STITCHED #2 Auxiliary Edition
Retail: $3.99, Cover by Mike Wolfer
Diamond Item Code: JAN120900
Mike Wolfer (Gravel, Night of the Living Dead) shows us why he’s the master of horror in this subtle but unnerving illustration. What is the supernatural power behind the Stitched, the key to their reanimated evil? Having survived their first encounter with the unstoppable enemy, our soldiers must endure until a rescue can be attempted. But the desert is a cruel and uncaring enemy. This new on-going series is certain to appeal to Ennis’ legions of fans as it pushes the envelope of horror beyond the boundaries of sanity… and into fresh nightmares.
It’s finally here! Beginning on March 14th, 2012, the much-anticipated CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE webcomic will debut right here at CrossedComic.com. A weekly series written by Si Spurrier and illustrated by Javier Barreno, WISH YOU WERE HERE will launch to coincide with the worldwide “C-Day” celebration of all things CROSSED.
CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE follows two dozen human survivors who survived the Crossed plague, a worldwide outbreak that transformed a percentage of the populace into violent, insatiable murderers. While other CROSSED tales follow people who are constantly on the move and trying to avoid detection by bloodthirsty hordes, Spurrier and Barreno’s tale sees a group determined to hold their own, to convert an island into a defensible stronghold.
Of the concept, Simon Spurrier says, ?In the real world, folks who are practically-minded, the farmers and fishers and builders and butchers, are rarely the ones making the Big Decisions, right? So what happens when everything goes arse-over-tit? When the class system gets 69?d? When the minimum wage guy who knows how to tune an outboard motor (or can make cheese, or clean a whelk, or set a trap) is suddenly more important, more indispensable, than a millionaire or a politician? What does a writer do in a world where the one thing he?s any good at, the only skill he?s ever used to judge his self-worth, suddenly means precisely Dick?
?WISH YOU WERE HERE is a story about a fixed community on one of the bleak little rocks off the coast of Scotland. It?s about monsters who look like people, and people who act like monsters. It?s about how a changed world changes its inhabitants. It?s about class and violence and dignity and love. It?s about twenty-four doomed souls, each with their own story, trying to find a reason to Stay Alive. It?s about resources and strategy and survival. It?s about faith and art and misery. And in Episode #3, a cow shits out a grenade and explodes.”
The online launch of CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE on March 14th, 2012, coincides with the in-store “C-Day” launch of CROSSED: BADLANDS #1, an ongoing, bi-weekly printed comic book series with a first story arc by the original CROSSED creative team of Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows. March 14th also sees the release of David Lapham’s chilling CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH miniseries as a collected trade paperback, as well as a worldwide retailer contest for most elaborate CROSSED in-store promotion.
CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE, at home right here at CrossedComic.com. C-Day Launch Date: March 14th, 2012. A day that will live in infamy!
Avatar Press proudly announces the upcoming May 2012 launch of DAN THE UNHARMABLE, an ongoing comic book series written by David Lapham, most easily recognized for his critically acclaimed and self-published STRAY BULLETS series. Illustrated by Rafael Ortiz, DAN THE UNHARMABLE follows carefree amnesiac whose happily low standard of living is supported by dangerous odd jobs ? a type he?s uniquely suited for, since he cannot be injured or feel pain. The new series returns David Lapham to his crime noir roots, as the invulnerable protagonist is drawn into a modern Hollywood murder mystery involving an old flame and their orphaned kids.
?I had this idea about a guy who just couldn?t be hurt. Bullets, fire, drowning, whatever? nothing can hurt him. But what if that extended to the psychological? Dan doesn?t get riled up if you call him any horrible thing that you can imagine,? says Lapham. ?So extending from that, I entered a situation that Dan can?t ignore. Four orphaned kids, their mother brutally murdered in the style of a classic Hollywood murder ? even the most hardened man couldn?t ignore this.?
For the past two years, Avatar Press has happily been the home to David Lapham?s horror tales, including the currently ongoing FERALS werewolf reinvention, the CALIGULA series set in antiquity, and his contributions to the runaway success franchise CROSSED (including miniseries CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES and CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH, plus the record-setting bestseller CROSSED 3D), wherein the world is overrun by madmen.
As a departure from his Avatar horror projects, Lapham attests that the direction of the new series ?keeps things fresh.? He adds, ?Like those other books, comic book fans can look forward to DAN THE UNHARMABLE as being no-holds barred. It?ll push the envelope. It can and will get brutal.?
As with many of their comic books, Avatar Press will offer different cover editions of each DAN THE UNHARMABLE issue, providing fans and retailers with freedom of choice. All cover artwork for issue #1 will be provided by series artist Ortiz.
DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 Regular Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: MAR120783
DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 Wraparound Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: MAR120784
After last week’s appearance at WonderCon alongside superstar writer Max Brooks, Avatar is turning its attention to Seattle. That’s right, we’re headed to the Pacific Northwest’s most spectacular pop culture event, Emerald City Comic-Con (3/30 – 4/1)! We’re shipping out two top-level talents to represent the company: Mike Wolfer and Jacen Burrows! Sure, you know all about these two… but we’re going to tell you about them anyway! Jacen is best known as the atmospheric illustrator of Neonomicon and Crossed: Badlands. Mike is the creative powerhouse behind a string of Avatar titles (like Stitched, Gravel, and Night of the Living Dead), as well as a key creative force at sister company Boundless Comics!? Get ready to talk about great comics, because these guys are known for their great fan service.
Two weeks after Emerald City, we return to that city we know so well: Chi-Town! Yes, the boys are back in town, as Avatar Press sets up in its own backyard at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, otherwise known as C2E2 (4/13 – 4/15)! Jacen Burrows will make an appearance at the show, ready and willing to chat with dedicated fans and curious newcomers about his vast body of Avatar work. Also, we’re proud to announce that painter Michael DiPascale will be on-hand to show off his stellar cover illustrations (Crossed, Lady Death, War Goddess), some amazing pieces that will quicken your heartbeat.
