Awakening
First Look At Volume Two? Free Prints? Awakening Halloween Excitement!
Sep 28th
OUR TOP STORY…
I love that we’re finally rolling into October this week – I think my whole year is a build-up to this month. Leaves are changing, it’s cooler out, and the spooks and shadows are creeping to life, peering around corners and following you down lonely streets. Speaking of…
We’ve got some exciting happenings coming in October, courtesy of the Awakening Halloween Signing Tour! For anyone who missed it, let’s run this badboy down one more time because there’s something exclusive and awesome for everybody who’s reading this blog:
1 – Do you already own a copy of Awakening Volume One but can’t make it to one of our four signing stops? Then hurry up and send a picture of you with the book to AwakeningComic@gmail.com by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009!
2 – Are you waiting to try out the book but can’t make it to one of our four signing stops? Do you want to see some of what comes next so the wait for Volume Two isn’t as excruciating? Pick up the book at your local comic shop (and promote them by taking your photo with the book in front of the shop) or, if you can’t get it there for some reason (and shame on them for not ordering it for you!), go ahead and grab it at Amazon.com (Awakening Volume One on Amazon). Same deal, email a pic of you with the book to AwakeningComic@gmail.com by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009.
Everyone who emails a picture in by 11:59pm EST on 10/30/2009 is going to get an email from us at 12am, Halloween morning with an exclusive link and login info to read the entire first chapter of Volume Two!
3 – Now, let’s say you’re near one of the four signing stops listed below. If you come by and pick up a copy of the book, or bring your copy to be signed, not only will we take down your email so you get a link to the exclusive preview, but you’ll also get an exclusive, signed print created by Alex just for this Halloween tour! Mark these dates on your calenders:
Oct. 10, 10 a.m. -6 p.m.; Oct-11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Artist Alley Table #60, Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(Separate admission fee required for entry into Baltimore Comic-Con)
Oct. 17, 1-5 p.m. [Nick Tapalansky only]
Upstate Comics
Freedom Business Center
1097 Route 55
LaGrangeville, NY 12540
(845) 432- 3320
Oct. 24, 12-4 p.m.
Brave New Worlds Comics
45 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 925-6525
Oct. 28, 4-7 p.m.
Jim Hanley’s Universe
4 West 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 268-7088
I wish we could branch out further but, for now, we’re limited in our travel distance – sorry Mid-West, South, and West! If this tour is as big as I think we’re going to make it though, we should be able to go much wider for Volume Two next year!
Hope to see a ton of people at these stops – maybe some folks dressed as Derrick or Cynthia? Zombies, anybody?
AWAKENING IN THE NEWS…
Lot’s of interviews and reviews abound, so hold on to your pants:
First, we catch up with Kris over at Broken Frontier about the launch of the book and what comes next – Zombie Awakening - Lowdown
Jill Pantozzi aka The Nerdy Bird says of Awakening, “Forget Zombies for Dummies. This is Zombies for Intellectuals.” – Read the whole review here and then check out an amazing interview for GEN where Jill and I talk about zombie survival, Alex’s anatomy, and Mexican brothels! - GEN Interview -
Speaking of reviews, here’s one in its entirety from Ain’t It Cool News (link!) that made Alex and I blush heartily:
“Too many zombie comics start with the outbreak and move right into an examination of the human condition when faced with the end of civilization as we know it. We’ve seen it a million times. And frankly, I’m pretty sick of reading that story. While AWAKENING focuses on the beginnings of what looks to be the zombie apocalypse, this isn’t your usual stow a bunch of random people in a house/mall/army bunker/prison/whatever and see them tear each other apart story. At its core, AWAKENING is a detective story, where one private dick is investigating what at first seems like a missing persons case, but soon turns into something a whole lot more diabolical and dire. Detective Peters is a bit jaded, as all good detectives are, but he’s good at his job. When the town crazy woman starts spouting stories of zombies, everyone (including Peters) thinks she’s just nuts. But then some crazy things start happening and unlike most outbreak stories, this one takes its sweet old time. Literally months pass in this story before anyone even believes there may be a zombie outbreak occurring. It’s an extended version of the initial outbreak scenes in SHAUN OF THE DEAD where the dead are walking, but no one is noticing. A very cool statement about the apathetic world we live in and there’s no better backdrop than the jaded world of detective noir for this scenario to play out on. Unlike most zombie books that mix genres, this one isn’t winking at the reader. This is an all too serious look at one man who is opening his eyes and noticing that there’s a problem going on right under everyone’s noses that will most definitely get out of hand soon. I love the tension that permeates from every page. Nick Tapalansky has more patience that I’ve ever seen a writer have, doling out tiny bits of info to disbelieving characters making those who know what’s coming chomp at their own bits in anticipation. Artist Alex Eckman-Lawn literally evolves as an artist as you turn through all five issues collected in this novel. His style starts out blocky and overly dark, but shifts almost seamlessly to a more softy, cloudy tone by the end of the book. But in every page, this looks like a detective/horror book with stark blacks with hints of colors peeking through the scribbles. This is a phenomenal achievement in writing and artistry and proof that when done well even when utilizing the most worn out of genres there still can exist something special.”
Another fun interview, this one with Gavin over at The 4th Letter – if you’ve ever wondered what characters I’d want to write at the big two, or how I’d tackle Johnny Storm’s pal Wingfoot, this is the interview to read. - The 4th Letter -
FOLLOW AWAKENING…
…on the interweb:
Follow Awakening on Twitter: http://twitter.com/awakeningcomic
Trailer for Awakening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0
Nick Tapalansky’s website: http://www.nicktapalansky.com/
Alex Eckman-Lawn’s website: http://www.alexeckmanlawn.com/
Keep it locked here for updates as we blow through the best month of the year. First stop: BALTIMORE!
- Nick
Wicked October Plans Part 1
Sep 1st
First of all, a big thanks to everybody who’s been helping out the book by sharing our “Open Letter to Comic Shops.” The letter is still being retweeted on Twitter (Are YOU following @AwakeningComic yet?!) and finding it’s way onto new blogs every day thanks to you, and Alex and I can’t thank you all enough. All the emails I’ve been getting back from shops have been really excited about Awakening and they’re glad to have been able to check out the book before ordering it just to stock it (i.e., without a customer request).
Those of you who read the letter might’ve noticed a little mention about a big October event… The details are still being finalized BUT part of it includes a few comic shop stops for signings and we want to know where YOU want us to go. We have to keep it to the east coast for now, I’m afraid, but we can get as far south as Baltimore pretty easily, depending on how we schedule things. Here’s how we’re shaping up so far:
Baltimore Comic-Con: 10/10 – 10/11
Brave New Worlds – Philly Fresh, PA – 10/24
??? (It’s a secret to everybody) – 10/28
If you want us to pop in to your shop to hang out, sign books, and nerd out, drop me an email at Nick.Tapalansky@gmail.com and we’ll see what we can do!
Some quick hits:
New interview and Making Of feature with Mr. Alex Eckman-Lawn over at Graphic Novel Reporter!
Great review of Awakening Volume One over at View From Heaven!
A fun interview with yours truly, conducted by Bryn Colvin, writer of the forthcoming Hopeless webcomic (watch this space for details!)
A very kind review over at Comixology
Titanium Rain’s first hardcover is now available for pre-order at your local comic shop! Hop in there and demand it!
Places on the interweb you should be:
SpookyChan.com has gone live! Check out the work and news of Chandra Free, creator of Archaia’s upcoming The God Machine.
Shadowgirls written by Starkweather: Immortal creator, Dave Rodriguez – awesome webcomic, the #1 Horror Webcomic, in fact, last I’d heard…
Yon Kuma is another sweet webcomic written by another Archaia writer, Josh Hechinger, writer of the very-nearly-released Grave Doug Freshley!
MooreReppion.com, the interweb lair of the wiley and talented John Reppion and Leah Moore, authors of a multitude of great sequential fiction including The Complete Dracula and The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, not to mention Raise the Dead.
Off to fix myself a plate of spaghetti and dive into some ::gasp:: WRITING! With Awakening Volume Two already written and a few other bits already done, what’s a guy to work on next? Mystery, Adventure, or Horror? Hmmm…
We love you.
Awakening Release Countdown: Zero Hour!
Jul 20th
Just a short one today, folks. Making some last minute preparations for San Diego (leavin’ tomorrow!) but I wanted to make sure you all heard the news…
GET TO YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP WEDNESDAY TO GET YOUR COPY OF AWAKENING VOLUME ONE!!
The countdown is OVER and we’ve FINALLY arrived. Thanks so much to everyone for sticking with us through the roller-coaster getting here. I’m pretty confident it’ll go much smoother from here on out.
Be sure to come by booth #2635 and say hello to myself and Alex as well as the rest of the Archaia crew. We’ll have Awakening Volume One on hand for you to check out and Alex and I will be happily signing all week (Alex gets in on Friday for all you folks who want to touch true greatness).
Alex and I are also participating on a panel on Saturday, 7/25 with the amazing Chandra Free (The God Machine), Matz (The Killer) and… SPOCK?!
5:30-6:30 Archaia: New Titles— Come hear about the great titles Archaia has in store, including Awakening (with writer Nick Tapalansky and artist Alex Eckman-Lawn), The Killer (with writer Matz), and The God Machine (with creator Chandra Free). Then: You’ve watched him for three seasons on NBC’s Heroes playing Sylar and on the big screen as Spock in the new Star Trek movie, but what do actor Zachary Quinto and his colleagues at media production company Before the Door Pictures have to do with Archaia? Find out exclusively at this panel, which will feature Quinto, Corey Moosa and Neal Dodson of Before the Door Pictures, plus appearances by top-secret special guests with additional announcements! Room 5AB
See you on the left coast, me scallawags. More release news, signings, and all that fun stuff next week.
We love you.
- Nick
www.NickTapalansky.com
Awakening Volume One Trailer!
Jul 1st
So, Blogspot was being unhelpful yesterday… Let’s try posting this here again.
And, failing that, you can always get your existential horror fix on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJQB68NkP0
Now then, on with the show:
Watch. Love. Pre-order.
Advance Copies of Awakening Volume One at WW Philly
Jun 18th
That’s right. Limited number of advance copies available starting tomorrow. We’re at tables 53/54 in Artist Alley.
BE THERE!
Don’t forget the Return of Archaia panel from 12pm – 1pm on Saturday too.
Wrrrrd.
Awakening Pre-Order Initiative: Week Three
Apr 17th
OUR TOP STORY…
Wondering what the EXCLUSIVE FREE SIGNED PRINT is that comes with every DCBS order?
Bam.
Don’t forget to get those orders in to secure your copy of AWAKENING VOLUME ONE AT DCBS FOR ONLY$10.97 INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE PRINT!!
http://www.dcbservice.com/product.aspx?id=303661#dt
AWAKENING ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERWEB…
Jonathan Pilley over at Omnicomic has been spreading the word around town like the dedicated Awakened he is. Below is the Omnicomic advance review of Awakening Volume One. Below that is a link to a sweet interview we did with him this past week.
Ok folks. Today I am bringing to you my review of Awakening Volume 1, published by Archaia Studios Press and written by Nick Tapalansky, illustrated by Alex Eckman-lawn and lettered by Thomas Mauer. Now with this title you can come to different conclusions as to what this series might be about, but after reading it came to the conclusion that I applaud how the work was done and the direction they took.
It all boils down to zombies. Yes I said it: zombies. But in a new way. Were this your typical zombie comic there would be tons of flesh-eating action and mindless violence. No my friend this zombie story was written with suspense and mystery in mind, letting the story slowly unfold for you in a small town where mysterious murders start to happen and the bodies are savaged in a manner that has the local police baffled. Thus enters our protagonist, a private investigator named Derrick, who has his own sort of mystery about who he is and what happened to him that makes him a private investigator.
With only one witness to work with, Derrick begins the long journey to figure out what is going on in his small town that has large implications. Recently, a pharmaceutical company came to town and then just up and left, firing everyone and leaving their building abandoned and questions as well. What sort of things did they work on there? Could they be the cause of this zombie madness?
Soon enough an outside source is sent by the government to help the local police solve the baffling murders in the form of Doctor Daniel Howe. Eventually Derrick and Doctor Howe team up at the behest of the chief of police, as Derrick used to be the best man on the force until something happened that made him a civilian. Slowly the two begin to work out the mystery of the missing drug company and what is driving these vicious attacks. How the story is laid out is done in a manner that lets you piece together things slowly and not reveal too much at once so that you can’t really anticipate what’s gonna happen next. I know while I was reading it there were some things I didn’t expect to happen, but they did and now it has me hankering for the next volume.
The style of drawing also helps inspire the sense of mystery and danger with appropriately placed foreboding shading in certain panels. The zombies are drawn magnificently as they aren’t drawn as your run of the mill, half-eaten, “blood all over me” type zombie. Rather, they look almost human with a touch of feralness. Another part of the whole package that was done well is that they don’t rely on zombies to be the shock factor or constant gore to move the story. Following our protagonist propels the story most of the way, with a bit of inner monologue and notes at the beginning of each new chapter to recap what’s been said and occurred. This format really helps keep you involved in the story.
Overall it was not what I expected, and that’s a good thing. I was surprised greatly in reading it and want more, especially with the cliffhanger ending you are left with at the end of the Volume 1. The style of writing and artistic approach are both a welcome change to the usual graphic novels and comic book genre. Hopefully more artists will go in this direction when completing mystery and horror style comics. I am sorry I missed this series when it first came out back in 2007, but now I’ve (and you’ve) been given a second chance to pick this volume up with a special coupon to order it.”
Next up was a fun interview Alex and I did with these guys – the thing is pretty long, so I’m only going to post a link (plus I want to make sure you guys check the site out too!)
Nick and Alex talk Awakening Volume One with Omnicomic!
I also want to give a big shoutout to his royal evil, Lord Shaper, for spreading the word like a madman about the pre-order coupon and DCBS discount. He’s been all over the web with it, including his own site, Kryptographik, and going so far as to give us a great send up on the Comic Book Page April Previews podcast. Be sure to check out both his site and the podcast by hitting up the links below:
Comic Book Page – April Previews Podcast (Talk of Archaia relaunch begins at 54.05 while the coverage of Awakening begins at 58.34)
Damian a.k.a Lord Shaper on Twitter!
IN OTHER NEWS….
It’s occured to me that I don’t think I’ve mentioned much here about one of the loveliest ladies we know, Chandra Free. She’s the creator of the upcoming The God Machine comic being published by Archaia (preview due this July at SDCC, first volume TBA). She’s an amazing artist, a great friend, and a lover of Venture Bros. What’s not to love?
Find her on deviantArt and MySpace and friend the shit out of her.
In other Archaia family news, Josh and Kat of Titanium Rain fame have posted up a pretty cool trailer for their upcoming July release. Check it out below!
What’s that you say? You want MORE previews from inside Awakening Volume One? Didn’t I put something up just last week? Alright, alright, settle down. Hmmm… How about a pin-up by fellow Archaia creator Patrick McEvoy of Starkweather: Immortal fame?
We love you.
