Brandon Graham's Blog, page 143

What was the decision to digitally letter King City? Been curious the last couple years about it since 99% of your other work is hand lettered. Also, you and Farel are right up there with Eisner with hand lettering (in my opinion).

That was something the original publisher insisted on to make it easier to translate into other languages. . one of the reasons I started playing around with sound effects in other languages and sounds that aren’t real words was to get them off of my back about them changing the sounds in other language editions.

I worked with a letterer on KC and was a tyrant to work with, I had layers in photoshop that showed where I needed the exact placement of each balloon. and near the end of the series I even hand lettered certain pages- that were too important to me that they read right. 

I did notice that it changed my writing to have a whole issue that I could rework text on for lettering. I still work with letterers on the books that I write and don’t draw. It’s a mixed bag for me, I like working the text into the art but it also takes longer and it forces you to stick with what you wrote at the time– which could be a good or bad thing/.

(also thanks for the nice words) 

grimwilkins:I just launched the Kickstarter for my new comic,...

grimwilkins:

I just launched the Kickstarter for my new comic, Mirenda #2

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/947826833/mirenda-2

Stix from Perverts of the Unknown looks like Sakhmet from your wicdiv issue

similar haircuts yeah.

Are you allowed to put your short comics like what you did for dhp into collections of your work? Will there be any trade paperbacks collecting all the odds and ends you've made over the years like your porn or just short one shot stuff?

yeah, I’m real sure these days to own print rights to all the comics I write and draw mahself. 

I have a couple collected books I wanna put together.I’m working on one now 

You like to hold up Image as this company that the likes of IDW or Vertigo can't even touch, but I think you're wrong except for a few minor exceptions like Island. When I go to the image homepage the slider (which lists writers before artists) has two(!!)

When I was talking about that I meant on a sales level, which I don’t think any other publishers dealing with creator owned books on the monthly shelves can compete with right now.. 

I’ve been pretty open about not being into a lot (most?) of the books Image publishes. and realllly I don’t expect to be. My pride for working at Image, comes from the level of freedom given to creators. also the % of sales given to creators, which 

the likes of IDW or Vertigo realllly look like a joke next to.

My point was that I think the ways those companies could compete with Image was in really making the great books they push more of a priority with more thought put into quality design with no ads. . I think the reason Image is doing so well right now is because they had a resurgence with books like Saga, Sex Criminals, Pretty Deadly, Wik Div etc. I feel like those are all books by creators whose ideas are bigger than mainstream superhero comics. so when given freedom to do whatever they wanted they made something new. My problem with a lot of current Image books is that they keep pulling too much from DC and Marvel, but with creators who seem to have no voices of their own to really make singular work. so you get books that just feel like Vertigo comics from 2010. 

I really want Image to have some real market competition. on a sales of mainstream creator owned books level. and right now they just don’t. DH & IDW are playing too much of a licensed comics game & not pushing the quality books they have. (Empowered, Harrow County, Sabertooth Swordsman at DH– IDW has Stokoe and Campbell & the new Gibson book– so 2 great creators out of 3 doing licensed) 

I wish Image pushed Island more while we’re on the subject.I think the trades will shine. (Emma’s I.D. is our first ISLAND trade)  I wish Grant Morrison’s Heavy metal was real competition and not such a phoned in– same as it ever was– of the long drawn out death of Metal Hurlant. I wish more comic shops made real choices about what books to backed & didn’t just push what already sold. (the shops that do already are amazing) 

You like to hold up Image as this company that the likes of IDW or Vertigo can't even touch, but I think you're wrong except for a few minor exceptions like Island. When I go to the image homepage the slider (which lists writers before artists) has two(!!)

When I was talking about that I meant on a sales level, which I don’t think any other publishers dealing with creator owned books on the monthly shelves can compete with right now.. 

I’ve been pretty open about not being into a lot (most?) of the books Image publishes. and realllly I don’t expect to be. My pride for working at Image, comes from the level of freedom given to creators. also the % of sales given to creators, which 

the likes of IDW or Vertigo realllly look like a joke next to.

My point was that I think the ways those companies could compete with Image was in really making the great books they push more of a priority with more thought put into quality design with no ads. . I think the reason Image is doing so well right now is because they had a resurgence with books like Saga, Sex Criminals, Pretty Deadly, Wik Div etc. I feel like those are all books by creators whose ideas are bigger than mainstream superhero comics. so when given freedom to do whatever they wanted they made something new. My problem with a lot of current Image books is that they keep pulling too much from DC and Marvel, but with creators who seem to have no voices of their own to really make singular work. so you get books that just feel like Vertigo comics from 2010. 

I really want Image to have some real market competition. on a sales of mainstream creator owned books level. and right now they just don’t. DH & IDW are playing too much of a licensed comics game & not pushing the quality books they have. (Empowered, Harrow County, Sabertooth Swordsman at DH– IDW has Stokoe and Campbell & the new Gibson book– so 2 great creators out of 3 doing licensed) 

I wish Image pushed Island more while we’re on the subject.I think the trades will shine. (Emma’s I.D. is our first ISLAND trade)  I wish Grant Morrison’s Heavy metal was real competition and not such a phoned in– same as it ever was– of the long drawn out death of Metal Hurlant. I wish more comic shops made real choices about what books to backed & didn’t just push what already sold. (the shops that do already are amazing) 

You like to hold up Image as this company that the likes of IDW or Vertigo can't even touch, but I think you're wrong except for a few minor exceptions like Island. When I go to the image homepage the slider (which lists writers before artists) has two(!!)

When I was talking about that I meant on a sales level, which I don’t think any other publishers dealing with creator owned books on the monthly shelves can compete with right now.. 

I’ve been pretty open about not being into a lot (most?) of the books Image publishes. and realllly I don’t expect to be. My pride for working at Image, comes from the level of freedom given to creators. also the % of sales given to creators, which 

the likes of IDW or Vertigo realllly look like a joke next to.

My point was that I think the ways those companies could compete with Image was in really making the great books they push more of a priority with more thought put into quality design with no ads. . I think the reason Image is doing so well right now is because they had a resurgence with books like Saga, Sex Criminals, Pretty Deadly, Wik Div etc. I feel like those are all books by creators whose ideas are bigger than mainstream superhero comics. so when given freedom to do whatever they wanted they made something new. My problem with a lot of current Image books is that they keep pulling too much from DC and Marvel, but with creators who seem to have no voices of their own to really make singular work. so you get books that just feel like Vertigo comics from 2010. 

I really want Image to have some real market competition. on a sales of mainstream creator owned books level. and right now they just don’t. DH & IDW are playing too much of a licensed comics game & not pushing the quality books they have. (Empowered, Harrow County, Sabertooth Swordsman at DH– IDW has Stokoe and Campbell & the new Gibson book– so 2 great creators out of 3 doing licensed) 

I wish Image pushed Island more while we’re on the subject.I think the trades will shine. (Emma’s I.D. is our first ISLAND trade)  I wish Grant Morrison’s Heavy metal was real competition and not such a phoned in– same as it ever was– of the long drawn out death of Metal Hurlant. I wish more comic shops made real choices about what books to backed & didn’t just push what already sold. (the shops that do already are amazing) 

You like to hold up Image as this company that the likes of IDW or Vertigo can't even touch, but I think you're wrong except for a few minor exceptions like Island. When I go to the image homepage the slider (which lists writers before artists) has two(!!)

When I was talking about that I meant on a sales level, which I don’t think any other publishers dealing with creator owned books on the monthly shelves can compete with right now.. 

I’ve been pretty open about not being into a lot (most?) of the books Image publishes. and realllly I don’t expect to be. My pride for working at Image, comes from the level of freedom given to creators. also the % of sales given to creators, which 

the likes of IDW or Vertigo realllly look like a joke next to.

My point was that I think the ways those companies could compete with Image was in really making the great books they push more of a priority with more thought put into quality design with no ads. . I think the reason Image is doing so well right now is because they had a resurgence with books like Saga, Sex Criminals, Pretty Deadly, Wik Div etc. I feel like those are all books by creators whose ideas are bigger than mainstream superhero comics. so when given freedom to do whatever they wanted they made something new. My problem with a lot of current Image books is that they keep pulling too much from DC and Marvel, but with creators who seem to have no voices of their own to really make singular work. so you get books that just feel like Vertigo comics from 2010. 

I really want Image to have some real market competition. on a sales of mainstream creator owned books level. and right now they just don’t. DH & IDW are playing too much of a licensed comics game & not pushing the quality books they have. (Empowered, Harrow County, Sabertooth Swordsman at DH– IDW has Stokoe and Campbell & the new Gibson book– so 2 great creators out of 3 doing licensed) 

I wish Image pushed Island more while we’re on the subject.I think the trades will shine. (Emma’s I.D. is our first ISLAND trade)  I wish Grant Morrison’s Heavy metal was real competition and not such a phoned in– same as it ever was– of the long drawn out death of Metal Hurlant. I wish more comic shops made real choices about what books to backed & didn’t just push what already sold. (the shops that do already are amazing) 

I’m really into the colors on this Artoupan &...

I’m really into the colors on this 

Artoupan & Labrémure Mahârâja book

you can see the whole thing up here.  (fixed the link)

The homie Marian Churchland’s placeholder cover for ISLAND 12....

The homie Marian Churchland’s placeholder cover for ISLAND 12. She’s gonna do something else for the final print issue.