The SiP Omnibus—Coming In June—Please Support With Pre-Orders!

There is no question that the ultimate Strangers In Paradise collection is the Omnibus Edition. To make that edition, I carefully went over every page and corrected art, spelling, errors, removed all censorship (words and images) and I rearranged some scenes to put them in perfect chronological order. No other tpb or pocket edition got this final edit. The story reads perfectly. The Omnibus is my final version.

Five years ago 1,250 hardcover edition box sets were offered and sold out immediately. It was grossly underprinted due to low pre-orders. (Pre-orders paid for the printing and that was all we could print.)

Now, finally, we are making an affordable, softcover version. The Strangers In Paradise Softcover Omnibus box set includes the same two 1200 page books containing every page, every story ever printed relating to SiP! The price for this 2400 page collection in a boxed slipcase? $100.

I can’t make it any more affordable than that, folks. That’s 4 cents a page for a labor of love I spent 14 years making.

Why has it taken 6 years since the end of SiP to make this softcover Omnibus? The answer is simple: it is very expensive to print and the printing must be paid before the book ships. This means, I have to pay for everything before the industry can help with purchases. The cost of printing the softcover Omnibus is shockingly high. But after 5 years Robyn and I have decided it will never happen if we don’t go out on a limb and take the risk. So we are printing the book at great personal risk, because we believe the fans and retailers will support us and buy the book once it is available. I’ve always believed in SiP. Now I’m putting my money where my mouth is. But I need your support.

We will be taking pre-orders soon. As a thank you, a new, exclusive print will be included with every pre-ordered Omnibus!

Note that I am also including a print for all retailer orders through Diamond, but that will be a different image, and the retailer can decide for themselves if they want to include the print in their book sale. That’s up to the retailer to decide. I suspect most of them will reward their customers by giving them the print with the purchase. Retailers love their loyal customers and so do I. I’ll show you both print images here when they’re drawn.

So, to recap…  YES! We’re finally printing the SiP Omnibus again! This is a huge deal for us!

Two softcover books, 2400 pages total, in a slipcase. Price will be $100.

The print run will be 5,000. We have committed to this. We hope it’s enough.

All pre-orders will also get an exclusive print—one print per Omnibus. All retailers will get a print with their orders, too—one print per Omnibus ordered— but it will be a different one.

When? June/July. I just solicited for the Diamond April Previews for June product. We’re basing our San Diego Comic Con in July around the Omnibus.

I really need fan support on this! Please, pre-order from us or put serious, persistent pressure on your comic shop—they have so many other books to think about. You have to DEMAND this book from your retailers in advance or you’re going to be left empty-handed. If they won’t order it, don’t argue—many shops only order from the Top 100 list— just order direct from us or a SiP friendly retailer on-line. There are many to choose from!

It’s VERY important we sell this book. We’re financially committed and can’t back out. Even if retailers/Diamond order only 10 copies, Robyn and I will still print this book, because we believe in our fans. But if orders and sales are low, this will be our Hindenberg.

Please, if you love Francine and Katchoo’s story, make your voice heard. Exert your power for them. Blog, tweet and tumblr the hell out of the Omnibus news repeatedly because no matter how many time you say it, most people missed it. You have the collective power to make SiP more than a cult classic. Tell the world to read this story and this is the book to buy. They will listen to you! I’m betting everything on it.

The Diamond ad: