Cthulhu Calling

Out in stores now is Cthulhu Tales #4, which contains th 11 page story "There Will Be Blood". You can see the two cover variations above.

For those of you wondering who, or what "Cthulhu" pronounced ka-THOO-loo, he's an enormous, evil, tenacled god created by H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft is one of the most important horror writers of the 20th century, crafting an entire mythos around Cthulhu and The Necronomicon, a mystical tome that drove men mad. His stories were both vivid and extremely bleak.

Cthulhu tales is BOOM!'s anthology series giving modern writers a chance to offer their own takes on Lovecraftian horror. My story is set in present day Iraq, and is one of the more politically charged stories I've ever written. But don't worry. It's full of madness, tentacles and people dying in awful, awful ways. (Actually, that doesn't sound too far off from Iraq today...minus the tentacles).

This is my first work for BOOM! Studios (but definitely not my last). They published one of my favorite espionage books, Chip Mosher's Left on Mission, and two of GROUNDED artist Paul Azaceta's books, Talent and Potter's Field. The latter was written by Mark Waid, their new editor-in-chief.

Waid, who is probably best known for "Kingdom Come" with Alex Ross and his run on "The Flash" (although my favorite Waid work is Empire and Fantastic Four), is a living legend, and the main reason I'm working with BOOM! Not only is he one of the most accomplished writers in comics, he's also the best editor I've ever worked with. His notes on just this short story alone were like a master class in comics writing. And to top it all off, he's a hell of a guy. It's truly an honor to have my name on a book with his (he wrote the other story in this issue).

It was also a great pleasure to work with artist Sergio Carrera, who illustrated "There Will Be Blood". His style is simple but evocative, and I have no doubt you're going to be seeing a lot of work from this rising star very soon.

Still not recovered from Comic-Con yet, but nevertheless, I'm headed to Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles tonight, Friday August 1st at 6PM to sign copies of Tori Amos' Comic Book Tattoo anthology (along with Cyborg, Two-Face and anything else if people ask). I got to meet Tori at Comic-Con, and she was extremely gracious. She talked about how much the song "Upside Down", which I adapted with Salgood Sam, meant to her. Of our story, she said "how brave", and I think the fact she picked it to promote the book on MySpace Comics (click the link to read our story FREE, in its entirety) is testament to how happy she was with it.

From my end, it was a blast to work with Max (aka Salgood), a true collaboration in the best sense of the word. It was an honor to not only work with Tori but to be included with contributors of such talent. And most of all to work with Editor Rantz Hoseley, who killed himself to make what I think is one of the most impressive comic anthologies in the history of the medium.

Again, while you can read my story for free by clicking on the MySpace link above, I encourage you to buy it. Whether in hard or softcover...this book is something to be seen. 12x12 (LP size) and I don't know how many inches thick, this book is a tome, and you're not likely to see art presented this way for such a reasonable price.

Cyborg #3 out Wednesday

Just back from San Diego, and still too exhausted to post about it. But I wanted to let you all know that the third issue of my mini-series DC Special: Cyborg is out this Wednesday. For those of you who have been reading, a certain someone long thought dead is back as Vic Stone's cyborg enemy. This issue will reveal how he was saved from certain death, became a cyborg, and why he's been attacking S.T.A.R. Labs facilities. There will also be lots of cyborg on cyborg fighting, plus more action from the Titans, teen and otherwise.

This issue is also the debut of Carlos Magno on the book, who is replacing the great Ken Lashley as penciller for the duration of the series (issues 3-6). I think Carlo's work is great, and since the inker is still Jonathan Glapion, there shouldn't be too much of a transition.

One thing I will say about San Diego is that I got to meet Bill Walko. He runs a website, http://www.titanstower.com, that's the place to go for all things Cyborg and Teen Titans on the web. His site served as a tremendous resource for me (as it does for a number of DC creators and editors), and if I could have given him a thank you in the book, I would have. It's good to know he's a great guy in person as well as a dedicated Titans fan.

In Two-Face: Year One news, the response has been great so far. Please check it out, it's still on the stands (which you may have missed if you were at or headed to San Diego last Wednesday).

Two-Face: Year One out this Wednesday, my dad, and where I'll be in San Diego

Above is Mark Chiarello's awesome cover to the first issue of Two-Face: Year One, which is finally out in stores this Wednesday. It's 48 pages, prestige format, with art by Jesus Saiz and Jeremey Haun, inks by Jimmie Palmiotti and lettering by my friend, and great comic creator in his own right, Sal Cipriano. It's a deeper exploration of Harvey Dent (for those of you who don't read comics, Aaron Eckhart's character in the wonderful Dark Knight), as much a hard boiled crime story as a Batman superhero tale. And I'm more proud of the writing on this as just about anything I've ever done.

It occurs to me as I write this, that despite the many interviews I've done for this book, I don't think I've talked about how much my dad was an influence on this project. Like Harvey Dent, my father is a former prosecutor (Federal, not state), and a lifelong civil servant who remained honest despite the sea of corruption that often categorized the REAL Gotham, New York City. Unlike Harvey, my father never crossed over to the dark side, but he did provide me with a plethora of stories about cops, lawyers and mobsters that found their way into this project. When you read the joke about a cop being assigned a two-thousand year old murder case, that's my dad and his humor right there. Although I may not have followed in his footsteps (I have ga law degree but have never practiced law), he's still my hero.

***

As for San Diego, I'll be at Comic-Con this whole weekend. I'll be at the Image table, primarily, either signing my own books - Grounded, Fearless and Hazed, or signing Comic Book Tattoo with my fellow contributors to that Tori Amos anthology. Of course, I'm happy to sign Two-Face, Cyborg and Supergirl, my DC projects to date, or the award-nominated Image anthologies Popgun and 24/7 Volume 2.

(note - if you're reading this, and are looking for a particular issue of Grounded or Fearless, let me know and I can make sure to bring it).

EDIT: Signing (and sketching) with me will be Grounded's Paul Azaceta, Hazed's Robbi Rodriguez, and Fearless co-writer Dave Roth (Dave probably won't sketch).

Also, evidently there is a special edition Heroes comic for the con that features my two-part Suresh story from last year. Not only will I be happy to sign that, but if anyone can snag me a copy I'll happy to pay you for one and throw in some free stuff as well.

Midget Westerns, and why I'm an award magnet

Since my days at Howard Stern, where I got to work with the late, great Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf and Beetlejuice (although sadly, not Eric the Midget, er, Eric the Actor), I've dreamed of bringing the midget experience to the page. More specifically, the untold stories of the midgets who tamed the west. My first (but hopefully, not last), midget Western, "They Shoot Ponies, Don't They?" (illustrated by Rob Guilroy), was published in Image's Popgun anthology. Not only was "Ponies" groundbreaking work, it's now being recognized for it's brilliance.

So far I've been published in two comic book anthologies (not including Comic Book Tattoo, the Tori Amos project out soon). And so far, both have been nominated for major awards. 24/7 Volume 2, edited by Ivan Brandon, is nominated for an Eisner.

Now, Popgun Volume 1, edited by Mark Andrew Smith and Joe Keatinge, is nominated for a Harvey. Coincidence? Let's just say if you're putting together an anothology, I might just be your good luck charm.

Seriously, I was flattered to be in both anthologies. Ivan, writer of Cross Bronx and NYC Mech, helped me on all my creator owned projects, whether he's been credited or not, and helped me get Grounded to Image, launching my career. Mark, the writer of Amazing Joy Buzzards, Aqua Leung and Kill All Parents was one of the first pros I've met, and is both exceedingly talented and down to earth. And Joe, now marketing director at Image, has been my behind the scenes champion there, promoting my work, making sure it gets out on time, and handling the thousands of crises that pop up when you trying to get a comic out on time.

So I'd be remiss not just to thank these guys publically, or encourage you to buy their books, but in the case of Popgun, to vote for it so it's not just a Harvey nominee, but a Harvey award winner. You can do so here.

Coming soon, word on where and when I'll be during San Diego Comic-Con, word about Two-Face: Year One (out next week!) and my new creator-owned project.

Read my Comic Book Tattoo (Tori Amos Anthology) story for free on MySpace Comics

Back in December, comic book creator and all around great guy Rantz Hoseley, who I met on Ivan Brandon's message board, asked me to contribute to a top secret comic book anthology. All it took were two words to get me to say yes in two seconds - Tori Amos. Aside from being a phenomenal singer songwriter, she's the inspiration for Delerium in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, my all time favorite work in any medium.

After I said yes, I realized I was coiming in late in the process. It looked like all the cool songs were taken, as well as the good artists. My initial excitement quickly turned to panic. Luckily, I was wrong on both fronts. The song Upside Down proved incredibly inspiring, and I got paired with artist Salgood Sam (aka Max Douglas), of Therefore Repent and Sea of Red Fame. You can see a page of his art from the story we adapted from Upside Down above.

Aside from the fact that that Tori Amos is involved (and by involved, she didn't just stick her name on it, she treated this like one of her albums), this is a special anthology for many more reasons. It's a a limited edition hardcover, 12" x 12". Despite the fact that (or perhaps, because) Tori is a gifted storyteller those of us involved were told not to do literal adaptations, but let the songs be jumping off points, and the resulting diversity is amazing. Add to that an all-star list of creators...this is one of the greatest projects I've had the privilege of being involved in.

That honor became even more flattering when Tori decided to pick a story that best represented the book for MySpace Comics. She chose Upside Down, and as a result, you can read our story in its entirety FOR FREE here.

CYBORG #2 out Wednesday, #5 available for pre-order

The second issue of my six issue Cyborg series, is out this Wednesday, June 18th. For long time Titans fans, it's got a hell of a twist at the end. Between this, Two-Face: Year One, my Tori Amos/ Comic Book Tattoo anthology story and a Cthulhu Tales anthology for BOOM! Studios, I should have at least one comic out every month from now until October. Hopefully there will be some more announcements soon.

The fifth issue of Cyborg is now available for pre-order (That's the cover to #5 above, not #2). Here's the solicit info:

DC SPECIAL: CYBORG #5

Written by Mark Sable, Art by Carlos Magno & Jonathan Glapion, Cover by Mike McKone

Meet The Phantom Limbs, an elite team of wounded soldiers saved by Cyborg's technology. The catch? The only way they can keep their new limbs is by killing for the mercenary Mr. Orr. Will Vic be able to save them from this Faustian bargain – or will they kill him first? On sale September 17 • 5 of 6, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US.