Drawing Blood: The Story Behind The Stories

Drawing Blood: The Story Behind the Stories #1-4

by Kevin Eastman, David Avallone (Story/Script), Ben Bishop (Artwork)

A washed-up comic book writer must scrape together enough cash to pay off Lithuanian mobsters in this totally fictional true story that’s perfect for fans of;Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Once upon a time, he and his brother birthed a worldwide phenomenon, self-publishing a crazy indie comic about crime-fighting cat-girls. Now…Books is hitting his forties (hard), the money all gone, artistic inspiration tapped out, beset on all sides…and trying to recover from his catastrophic encounter with the hit-and-run driver called early success.;DRAWING BLOOD follows a cartoonist whose real life has become more absurd and action-packed than any comic book story he could dream up! This trade collects all four issues of the first volume of DRAWING BLOOD, and as an added bonus, the origin issue of Books' creation, the RADICALLY REARRANGED RONIN RAGDOLLS! Straight from 1992, it's the first adventure of America's favorite ferocious felines! 122 pages of comic stories, plus additional behind-the-scenes extras showing the evolution of the project. From the bestselling mind of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator KEVIN EASTMAN comes the totally fictional true story of comics creator SHANE BOOKS BOOKMAN, a cartoonist on the skids.

Co-created by EASTMAN and DAVID AVALLONE (Elvira, Batwheels), scripts by AVALLONE, art by BEN BISHOP (The Aggregate, TMNT The Last Ronin), TROY LITTLE (Rick and Morty), and KEVIN EASTMAN.
Featuring additional content by DAVE ACOSTA, AMANDA DEIBERT, SKYLAR PATRIDGE, and ELLIE WRIGHT. Collects DRAWING BLOOD #1-4 plus the 32-page RADICALLY REARRANGED RONIN RAGDOLLS origin comic. Select praise for DRAWING Parallels to EASTMAN's life are as bombastically drawn as his own Ninja Turtles, which coincidentally rocketed from a self-published zine to blockbuster franchise almost overnight. Bishop's dynamic art emphasizes the pathos and humor in Bookman's tale of depravity and redemption. (The real first issue of the Ragdolls' comics, drawn by Rick ; Morty animator Troy Little, is a fun bonus.) Diehard Ninja Turtle fans will appreciate the Easter eggs from Eastman's notorious biography, while casual readers will be drawn in by a saga that's equal parts aspirational and cautionary. It's a wild ride in the weird world of comics. —Publishers Weekly Takes turns that readers won’t expect, delivering a fast-paced, sometimes funny, and fearlessly crafted portrait about the pitfalls of fame. In all honesty, this book makes the perfect parallel to CHIP ZDARSKY’s PUBLIC DOMAIN, especially in terms of subject matter. —AIPT

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2024

About the author

Kevin B. Eastman is an American comic book artist, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unpleasant story about an unpleasant man in unpleasant circumstances.

Shane Arthur "Books" Bookman, much like Kevin Eastman, created a world-wide pop cultural phenomenon decades ago. He sold the properties for millions, but it has since gone on to earn billions in revenue, while his momentary fortune has been frittered away on drugs and very expensive dream projects, like a boutique comic book publishing company and a Broadway musical based on the 1927 silent film Metropolis. Now his personal creative hero has committed suicide after embezzling from him and leaving him with a debt to Lithuanian mobsters. His Broadway show is short of money and widely perceived as a failure before the casting is even complete. And fans are outraged about changes being made to his breakthrough IP by the slick and sleazy director of the newest film over which Bookman has no control or input. Bookman consumes large quantities of drugs and alcohol and he trips his way through all his problems.

I've no sympathy for the charmless main character, and the half-cooked side characters are thrown into the mix faster than I can keep track of. I was bored and disconnected throughout the first four chapters of this twelve-chapter story, so I just cannot see myself picking up the concluding volume.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:

Drawing Blood / Kevin Eastman and David Avallone, story; David Avallone, script; Ben Bishop, main artist; Kevin Eastman, flashback finished art; Troy Little, hallucination finished art
• Foreward [sic] by Shane Bookman
• Chapter One. Blood Drawn
• Chapter Two. Metropolis & All That Jazz
• Chapter Three. The Show Must Go On
• Chapter Four. The Wrath of Con!

Comics from the World of Drawing Blood
• The Night Avenger by Frank Forrest / David Avallone, writer; Dave Acosta, artist
• GTFO Girl by Amanda Cavallina / Amanda Deibert, writer; Skylar Patridge, illustrator
• Shane and Paul Bookman's Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls / Kevin Eastman and David Avallone, story; David Avallone, script; Kevin Eastman, layouts; Troy Little, finished art

Behind the Scenes
• The Story Behind the Stories Behind the Story / David Avallone, writer
• Character Designs: Drawing Drawing Blood / Ben Bishop, Kevin Eastman, Brittany Peer, Troy Little, illustrators
• Cover Gallery: Drawing Blood / Ben Bishop, Kevin Eastman, Ken Mitchroney, Troy Little, Simon Bisley, Mateus Santolouco, illustrators
• Cover Gallery: Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls / Ben Bishop, Kevin Eastman, Freddie Williams III, Stan Sakai, illustrators
• Team Drawing Blood

[Rodney Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a TMNT comic in disguise... you know it is.

[Alex Sarll]

Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and founder of indie publisher Tundra, co-creates the tale of Shane Bookman, co-creator of the Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls and founder of indie publisher Siberia. The hall of mirrors is obviously a big part of the effect, but I'm pretty sure this is more thoroughly fictional than some similar projects such as Chaykin's Hey Kids! Comics!; I don't know all the ins and outs of the real story, but while I can believe the booze, drugs, fans irate about the new film, and complicated love life, I very much hope the gruesome mentor suicide and entanglement with the Lithuanian mob are invented. The most important thing, though, is that I was entertained, albeit maybe less so by the slightly excessive volume of in-world comics at the back. Mind you, the funniest bit of all might be that, in coming up with an Oliver Putnam-style Broadway fiasco for most of Bookman's remaining substance to be tied up in, they've plumped for a musical take on Fritz Lang's Metropolis, clearly unaware that one already exists (Brian Blessed was in the original London run, and I saw the belated Walthamstow revival).

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked immediately with the meta nature of the story. The art was always lovely to look at. I just wish Books was a better person or learned to be better more quickly. Still, a very intriguing story that I'd like to know more about.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like soups of many varieties

[Karrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Literally couldn’t finish. This is the last thing I want to read in a comic.

[Ronnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The other reviews talk about being bored with this or how it's a fanboy story. Well, I eat that up. As an author wannabe with so many works in progress, it is nice to see the question asked "What happens when you make it big?" I enjoyed seeing Books trying to reconnect with his roots, mourn his mentor, see this thing he created so young actually hit it big and the consequences of that. The idea of writers as people, I dig that stuff. Eastman is one of those names in the business people know for a reason. The Lithuanian mob bits were interesting, but ironically not even the most interesting part of the story for me.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretentious personal story about privilege and ignorance that is not very good, but well written. .....maybe.

Also, My fault, I didn't read the synopsis. I rarely ever do, and if i had i would have known that this is a fanboy book.
Unfortunately i don't have whatever chemical in my brain that allows building fictional relationships with famous people or any person i don't actually know.

2.9

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found myself kind of bored, honestly. I expected something cooler! The concept of an author finding himself more involved in the crimes he fictionally portrayed is cool and all, but that isn't exactly the case here. Dude draws a comic, gets pressured by the mob, and we sit around for the rest of the volume. Other books have said done more with less.