Eric Shanower's Blog, page 9

New Casper Comic Book Series

Casper the Friendy Ghost stars in a brand new comic book series. The first issue of Casper's Spooksville is already on sale wherever comic books are sold.

In the tradition of Casper's space adventures from years ago when Casper accompanied Apollo 16 to the moon, Casper's Spooksville presents a space-faring odyssey. "Sneak Thieves from Outer Space" stars Casper, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost, and Hot Stuff the Little Devil. This story, written by Mike Wolfer and drawn by me, continues through the first four issues of Casper's Spooksville.

That's not all--I'm also drawing a second Mike Wolfer-written story in each issue. Issue #1 features Hot Stuff and the return of the mischievous Spook-Cats in "One Bad Apple." More stories by others are also included.

Look for the cover on the right. I love the tv screens featuring the main characters, just like the designs on the vintage Casper comic books published last century by Harvey Comics.

Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

San Diego Comic-Con

San Diego Comic-Con opens next Wednesday evening, July 17, at the San Diego Convention Center on Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego. I'll be exhibiting at table BB-01 in Artists' Alley in the main exhibit hall.

I'll have the new color edition of Age of Bronze: A Thousand Ships, the beginning of the Trojan War written and drawn by me and in full color by John Dallaire. I'll have printed copies of Age of Bronze issue #34, a convention exclusive. A sampling of other publications I've drawn, written, or otherwise contributed to--Oz and otherwise--will also be available. And I'll be drawing sketches.

So if you're attending this year's SDCC, the 50th annual one, come by my table to say hello.

Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Pour me a Pint

Pint o' Comics, a radio program on WESU in Middletown, CT, just broadcast a live interview with me. I chatted with Jon Johnson and Mitch Hallock, mostly about Age of Bronze, but we also covered other projects and aspects of my career. Fun was had by all.

You can listen to the interview streaming. It's available through the two weeks following today, Sunday, June 16. So just click here:

https://wesu.streamrewind.com/bookmar...

Meet Me at the Fair

The Wizard of Oz is the theme of this year's San Diego County Fair. I lived in San Diego, California, for many years and enjoyed attending the fair each summer. But I don't live there anymore and won't be attending this year, even though I'd like to see how the Oz theme is celebrated.

I still have lots of friends and acquaintances in San Diego. A couple of them noticed that in an Oz display at the San Diego County Fair this year, the cover of one of my graphic novels is featured: The Ice King of Oz. Thank you, Wendy and Marcia, for letting me know and sending me photos.

I don't know how Ice King ended up being the example chosen for the display. The funny thing is that for two years at the fair I participated in a program of authors reading their works to kids on afternoons in the Children's Tent. And both years I chose to read The Ice King of Oz. So for me, that title already had an association with the San Diego County Fair. Did the person who planned the Oz display remember my reading this graphic novel? Or was it just chance?


Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower.Photos copyright © 2019 Marcia Berneger.All rights reserved.

Casper's Spooksville

Tomorrow, May 4, is Free Comic Book Day across North America. Comic book shops everywhere will be hosting events and signings.

Comic book publishers traditionally offer special comic book issues available for free. This year American Mythology offers a free issue of Casper's Spooksville, with a cover drawn by me.

So find your local comic book shop participating in Free Comic Book Day, grab your friends and family, and head there tomorrow to pick up your free copy of Casper's Spooksville and other special Free Comic Book Day comics.

Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

At Long Last: Age of Bronze #34

Finally! It's published. Yesterday the long-awaited new issue of Age of Bronze went on sale. Age of Bronze issue #34 contains the episode of Achilles and Helen meeting on the highest peak of Mount Ida. Here's the link to the issue.

In the original tradition, Helen was carried to Mount Ida by the goddess Aphrodite, so for Age of Bronze, which eschews the supernatural, I had to do a lot of behind-the-scenes manipulation to get Helen out of Troy and to that mountain peak in a natural manner. I planted early seeds for the solution way back in issue #24, pulling threads from other Trojan War episodes and weaving them together with as few knots and puckers as possible.

Achilles was a little easier to place on Mount Ida, but even for him I had to design the route using bits of the Trojan War tradition that had never to my knowledge been strung together in the way I chose.

Issue #34 of Age of Bronze also features the (I hope) unexpected return of a character unseen since issue #3. This won't be the last we see of that character, nor of the new character introduced in the same scene.

Also featured are short appearances by Troilus, Cressida, Hektor, Priam, Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Palamedes. One panel features a shot of most of the Trojan royal family. Keeping all those characters and their likenesses consistent is a painstaking but pleasant task. And now that Age of Bronze is in full-color and John Dallaire, Age of Bronze colorist, has assigned specific colors to all the characters in that scene, there's another level of consistency to maintain.

Click here to read Age of Bronze #34 on Comixology. Only $1.99!

Click here for a three page preview of Age of Bronze #34.

ADDENDUM - The Official Word on Age of Bronze Publication FormatsI'd assumed that anyone who follows this blog already knows that new Age of Bronze single issues are going digital with this current issue. But clearly there are readers who haven't read previous posts. So for everyone's benefit, here's the skinny again:

All Age of Bronze single issues will be published only in digital format for the foreseeable future.

The exception to that is a small number of print copies I'm privately printing for Age of Bronze subscribers. No new subscriptions are being accepted. When all current subscriptions run out, I'll stop these small print runs. Don't contact me asking how to get a copy if you're not an Age of Bronze subscriber.

Age of Bronze graphic novel collections will continue to be published in print form. So if you don't want to read electronic comics on a screen, all you have to do is wait for the graphic novel collection. As in the past, forthcoming Age of Bronze graphic novels will collect all the story pages from several issues, along with extra material such as maps, pronunciation guide, and bibliography.

In addition to print, Age of Bronze graphic novel collections will be published in digital form.

All new Age of Bronze comics—that means digital comic books, print graphic novels, and digital graphic novels—will be in full color.

All old Age of Bronze graphic novels are being reprinted in full color. A Thousand Ships (book 1) was published last fall. Sacrifice (book 2) will be published in 2019.

Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.
Age of Bronze and all character likenesses are trademarks of Eric Shanower.

Age of Bronze #34 Coming Soon!

Now for an Age of Bronze update!

A couple weeks ago I turned in Age of Bronze #34 to the publisher Image Comics. So it will be released soon. With this issue the comic books series goes digital only. You'll be able to read Age of Bronze #34 on your choice of digital screen--monitor, pad, or phone--and in a full range of hues by colorist John Dallaire. Comixology is the online delivery service that will be offering Age of Bronze.

I'll post an announcement here when issue #34 is available for you to purchase online. And, although I've said it before, I'll say it again to re-assure everyone: future Age of Bronze graphic novel collections will continue to be published in print. The single issues are going digital-only, not the graphic novels.

[A note to subscribers: I've printed a small number of actual hard copy issues of Age of Bronze #34 in order to fulfill subscriptions, so you'll be getting exactly what you expected when you originally subscribed--except that now Age of Bronze is in full color! I'll be offering to switch any subscriber over to digital if preferred.]

To whet your appetite, here's a three-page preview of Age of Bronze #34. Click on each page to see it larger:




Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower. Age of Bronze color copyright © 2019 John Dallaire.All rights reserved.
Age of Bronze and all character likenesses are trademarks of Eric Shanower.

Casper's Ghostland #2

On sale now from your favorite comics dealer, both real world and online, is the second issue of Casper's Ghostland. It features several stories of Casper and his friends, Hot Stuff, Spooky, and Wendy.

I drew a ten-page story written by Mike Wolfer. "Jokers Are Wild" stars Spooky and Hot Stuff in an encounter with the prankster Spook-Cats. The Spook-Cats appeared in one story decades ago when Harvey Comics was publishing the Casper characters. Now the mischievous ghost felines, Cyril and Claude, are back to torture our heroes. That's them in the lower left corner of the front cover, also drawn by me.

I hope you'll enjoy the Spook-Cats, 'cause they'll be back soon!

Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.

Age of Bronze #34 Cover

Today is the final day of January 2019. In a few places I've announced that Age of Bronze #34 would be published in January 2019. But it wasn't. In other places I've announced that Age of Bronze #34 will be published in early 2019. That's still happening.

Colorist John Dallaire and I are still working on the color for Age of Bronze #34. As soon as that's finished, the issue will be off to publisher Image Comics for digital publication through Comixology.

So we've still got a few weeks to go. Believe me, I'll announce publication as soon as it happens. I've been waiting for this issue as long as anyone.

In the meantime, here's a look at the cover for issue #34. It features Achilles and Helen meeting on the summit of Mount Ida, south of Troy.

Copyright © 2019 Eric Shanower. All right reserved.

Returning to Key West

Left to right: Meg Cabot, Danielle Paige, Eric Shanower, and Victor LaValle.I had a stupendous time at the Key West Literary Seminar in Key West, Florida, earlier this month. I gave a presentation on Age of Bronze that, by all counts, was well received. I also babbled away about comics and my career in a public conversation with Meg Cabot (author of The Princess Diaries), Danielle Paige (author of Dorothy Must Die), and Victor LaValle (author of The Changeling), who have all recently written graphic novels in addition to their prose works. I met a lot of fascinating people, loved listening to the other presentations, and had a terrific time seeing Key West, where I was born but had never previously been back to.

As the first invited cartoonist at this 37-year-old literary event, which through the decades has boasted a roster of some of the best writers of our time, I wanted to present a positive and insightful face of comics and graphic novels for both the audience and the organizers. I think I was mostly successful, so I hope some of my fellow cartoonists will be appearing on the Key West stage in future years.

Here's the link to an article about my presentation at the Key West Literary Seminar. If you're interested in attending next year's seminar, here's the link for tickets, which go on sale February 5. But be prepared; tickets for the Key West Literary Seminar sell out as quickly as those for the San Diego Comic-Con--like lightning.