Class Trip, by Emmanuel Carrere
Books: 23/52
Making the Split Lip TPB
As you know by now, Split Lip Vol. 1 is on sale to anyone with an Internet connection and credit card or PayPal account. But I’m not just selling Split Lip Vol. 1, I’m also writing about the process of its creation in a series called I’ll Do It Myself for Indy Comics News.
I’ll Do It Myself chronicles my attempts to find a publisher for Split Lip and the decision to self publish, how I created the book, and how I’m marketing it. If you’re interested not just in the sausage, but also how it gets made, check the series out and leave some comments at Indy Comics News. I hope you enjoy the behind-the-scenes info.
Split Lip’s 2009 Convention Appearances
I’m going to be at a few conventions this year getting the word out about Split Lip, selling the print versions of the comics, and generally doing the meet and greet thing. This is the first time I’ve been to comics conventions to sell Split Lip and I’m excited to see how it goes, meet other folks whose work I like, and hopefully meet some Split Lip readers, too.
So, if you’re going to be at any of these shows, please stop by and say hi.
I’ll definitely be at:
- Maine Comics Arts Festival, Portland, ME, May 17
- SPX, Bethesda, MD, Sept. 26 and 27
Though not yet confirmed, I’m also hoping to attend:
- BangPop, Bangor, ME, Sept.
- Boston Comicon, Boston, MA, Oct.
and maybe one or two more. See you there!
Sneak Peak: Termites in Your Smile
Another sneak peak at some art from an upcoming Split Lip story I’m excited about. These are two character designs for Termites in Your Smile by artist Doug Draper.
The first is Rafe, the hero or villain of the story, depending on your perspective. The second is his friend Dan.
As you can see, Doug’s got a great line and a great knack for capturing character. I’m eager to show you some of his pencils and will do so soon.
On the Importance of Copy Editing, Part 2
Another installment of the occasional series on the necessity of good copy editing and the use of spellcheck.
I came across this sign in an alley in Providence recently. It’s not an alley that many would walk down and I didn’t even know this organization was there previously. At least not many people will see the spelling error. I wonder if the sign went up in this alley because of it?
Update: Upcoming Stories at Split Lip
In Mid-March, I gave you a glimpse into the stories coming up over the next few months at Split Lip.
At the time, there were three stories without artists listed and a fourth that wasn’t yet on the list. Now I’ve got artists for three of them and want to update you.
The Cousin of Death will be drawn by Gary Crutchley, who did Straw Men and Long Live the King at Split Lip.
Beyond the Campfire Light is going to be handled by Jason Ho, who previously drew Ingress & Egress at Split Lip.
Look Carefully, a story not on the previous list, will be handled by Sami Makkonen, who’s previously done The Harvestmen and Mujer for Split Lip.
Departing for the Third Heaven still needs an artist. I hope to rectify that soon, but if you’re a horror artist who can draw cats, drop me a line.
I’ve got a trio of shorts in development now and am starting to think about two longer pieces – in the 100-page range – so the future keep looking bright for Split Lip.
Scout Vol. 2, by Timothy Truman
Books: 22/52
Sneak Peak: The Pieces of Meat
I was so excited to see the first two pages of the upcoming Split Lip story “The Pieces of Meat” that I felt compelled to share one of them with you. Here’s the first page of the story, drawn by Dirk Shearer. You’ll probably get to see another page or two before the thing goes live, but I don’t want to give it all away.
Pluto Vol. 2, by Naoki Urasawa
Books: 21/52
Split Lip Volume 1 On Sale Now
I’m pleased to announce that the first-ever U.S. Split Lip tradepaperback is now available for purchase. Split Lip volume 1 features 11 Split Lip stories totaling 158 pages of great horror comics. It’s available for just $15 and contains the following stories:
- Straw Men, by Sam Costello and Gary Crutchley
- Headin’ South, by Sam Costello and Kyle Strahm
- Not Sleeping Well, by Sam Costello and Ayhan Hayrula
- The Consequences of a Little Alone Time, by Sam Costello and Diego Candia
- The Executioner is a Lonely Man, by Sam Costello and Brian A. Laframboise
- Fish Drink, by Sam Costello and Iain Laurie
- The Tree of Remembrance, by Sam Costello and Nelson Evergreen
- School Supplies, by Sam Costello and Brian McGleenon
- The Railroad Boy, by Sam Costello and Felipe Sobreiro
- Mujer, by Sam Costello and Sami Makkonen
- Fitcher’s Bird, by Sam Costello and John Bivens
What I Did in March 2009
Another installment in my regular series of posts detailing, in brief terms, my professional life for the previous month. Last month, I spent my work time doing the following:
For Schwadesign:
- BioProcess - project management
- Highlander Charter School - writing website content
- PASA – writing/editing website content
- Providence the Creative Capital – website strategy and content development
- Brown Political Theory Project – information architecture and sitemap development
- Proposal writing for a number of clients; prospect meetings
- Process improvement meetings and actions
The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics
Nearly 500 pages of crime comics, ranging from the 50s to the present. Some boring stuff, some classics, some great short tales by Neil Gaiman and a touching auto-bio piece by Alan Moore to finish up. Biggest revelation: that both Mickey Spillane and Dashiell Hammett wrote newspaper comics for quite a while.
Buy The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics at Amazon
Books: 20/52
Childhood and Other Neighborhoods, by Stuart Dybek
Buy Childhood and Other Neighborhoods at Amazon
Books: 19/52
