Archaia launched a new YouTube video project where we select upcoming titles to give you, the reader, a preview of what’s to come! We aim to give you a feeling of what picking up and viewing the book would be like.
Here are some examples of the flip-thru previews:
Check out our playlist on YouTube for the full selection of flip-thru titles thus far. Let us know what you think and of titles you might like to see!
The second chapter of Spera: Volume I is now available digitally on comiXology! This chapter features the art of Hwei, aka lalage.
Edward R. Pressman announced his optioning of Archaia’s Feeding Ground! For more information, see Archaia’s press release here.
If you haven’t picked it up yet, Feeding Ground is the story of Diego Busqueda as he attempts to smuggle his family across the relentless stretch of desert known as the “Devil’s Highway” from Mexico to Arizona. Escaping to safety turns into a battle for survival when clashes with the US Border Patrol collide with a re-imagining of werewolf mythology, plaguing the desert for generations and leaving the Busqueda family to fight for their lives against unimaginable evil.
We’re glad to have a film optioned as Feeding Ground will leave you howling for more!
View the graphic novel trailer for Feeding Ground below.
Check out these pages from the book:
And here’s Kyla with the absolute best part of TCAF: Little Pira!
Siegfried - North American Debut Trailer
Despite the release date being pushed back several times, it looks like the English translation of Alex Alice’s Siegfried will for sure be released this June by Archaia.
We also finally have confirmation that the animated film is back in production:
ARCHAIA ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF ANIMATED ‘SIEGFRIED’ TRAILER
Feature-Quality Animation Heralds Release of Alex Alice’s Epic Graphic Novel ‘Siegfried’
LOS ANGELES, CA (May 4th, 2012) – Eisner Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment is proud to announce the online premiere of the English-language trailer for their upcoming release of Alex Alice’s SIEGFRIED, the first volume in an epic trilogy of graphic novels inspired by the Richard Wagner operatic cycle, “The Ring of the Nibelung.”
Based on the medieval Germanic mythology of the Nibelungenlied, SIEGFRIED tells the story of a child discovered in the woods by a dwarf-goblin who raises the boy in protective secrecy. As he grows older, however, the boy discovers that he is more than just a lost orphan—he has a destiny planned by Odin, the father of the Norse gods, to fight the dragon Fafnir, guardian of the forbidden Rheingold. This beloved tale of high fantasy and epic heroic discovery is known to have inspired countless well-known classics, including J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
To introduce the series to a North American audience, Archaia has released a feature-quality animated trailer created by Pendragon Imageforge and directed by series author and artist Alex Alice. Originally created as a stylistic proof-of-concept for an animated feature film, plans for the full production are set to resume now that Alice has completed the trilogy of graphic novels.
Volume 1 of the SIEGFRIED graphic novel will release in June, with the second and third volumes to follow in 2013.
For more information, visit http://www.archaia.com/archaia-titles/siegfried/.
What does it mean to be an “editor”?
To me, being an editor means being a creator’s first reader and biggest fan. It’s an editor’s job to figure out exactly what story the creator is trying to tell and to make sure that that’s the same story that the readers end up reading. They’re the ambassador between a creator’s imagination and a reader’s.
How did you become interested in editing? Background? Influences?
I come from a writing background; I studied Creative Writing in college. I love writing, but I also always enjoyed getting to discuss my fellow students’ work. I liked getting to play around in other people’s worlds, helping them to explore new ideas. It’s the closest to playing pretend I’ve been able to find as an adult.
What is your favorite part about being an Editor?
My favorite part of being an editor is getting to work with creative people all day long. Especially in comics, not only are people extremely creative, but they’re also intensely passionate about what they do. That’s such a wonderful environment to work in every day.
What is it that draws you into a story the most?
Character, conflict, and world are the most important tent poles of a story for me, probably in that order. However, each of those depends on the other. A great character may not be able to show their true complexity without an interesting conflict to navigate, just as an intriguing conflict may fall flat if it’s not embedded in a tangible and fresh world.
How does being an editor affect the way you read?
I think it’s actually the other way around. How I read has an effect on how I edit. I’m a huge comic fan, always have been, but comics aren’t the only thing I read. I try and stuff myself with as many different kinds of writing and storytelling as possible: prose, plays, television, poetry. The more different kinds of storytelling you get ingrained into your psyche as a editor, the better your perspective is with any project in any medium.
What is your favorite part about working for Archaia?
I started out as an intern here and simply never left. The team of people at Archaia are so unbelievably passionate about the books that we put out, it’s a magnetic atmosphere to be around. There’s a level of trust among the employees, a faith that we have in each others’ commitment to our product, our stories, and our creators, that gives each person the freedom to really bring their own unique strengths and vision to the table. For a book lover and a comic fan, there’s truly no better place to work.
What are some upcoming Archaia titles that you are really excited about?
We have so many great new books coming out this year! I always get most excited about our creator-owned books. IRON, by Shane-Michael Vidaurri is going to be absolutely phenomenal. It’s the perfect example of those three factors I mentioned before—character, conflict, and world—coming together in a beautiful way. The art is also fantastically gorgeous. The second volume of RUST by Royden Lepp will also be out later this year, and it’s even better than the first!
What advice would you offer for artists and writers trying to get their comics published?
If you’re ready to actually submit to publishers, put together a pitch packet. Each company is different, but the basics you’ll need are: a cover letter, a one-page synopsis, and 5-10 pages of completed sequential interior art. Make sure you have your pitch package available in an easily sharable PDF file; comics is a world of computers, so make sure you’re tech savvy enough to easily share your material digitally. Definitely go to conventions, but spend your time networking with other artists rather than pitching at publisher’s booths. Those relationships will be invaluable to you as move forward. Another great form of exposure is putting up your material as a webcomic. It’s a great way to gain a fan base and to continue to grow as a creator.
BONUS ROUND:
Which book do you wish you had written?
Anything by Michael Chabon.
Who is your favorite Television character?
Now that Nightwing is on Young Justice, I have to say him, because he is my favorite no matter the medium. Otherwise, probably Raylan Givens on Justified.
Which character from an Archaia title is most like you?
Not sure, but I aspire to be more like Boober Fraggle.
If you could change the ending of one story (book, movie, tv show, etc), which one would it be?
Harry Potter. Like everyone else in the world, I’d take an axe to that epilogue.
If you were trapped on a desert island with ONE superhero, which one would it be?
See answer #2.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
The power to manipulate reality!
Today we released our very first iPad app, Royden Lepp’s Rust. It currently includes a layered preview of Rust Vol. 1: Visitor in the Field (where you can look at pages and remove layers of the art, such as pencil roughs, inks and colors, and dialogue, to see the creation process), a video introduction from Royden, and a game of concentration. Future updates will include even more videos, games, and exclusive Rust content!
Best part? It’s FREE!
So click here and check it out!
It’s #EarthDay! How can you help? Some suggestions from our eco-friendly graphic novel, I’m Not a Plastic Bag, written and illustrated by Rachel Hope Allison, published in association with JeffCorwinConnect.
GENETIKS, by Richard Marazano and Jean-Michel Ponzio, hit stores last week! If you haven’t gotten a chance to see it yet, here are some images to pique your curiosity:
Want to learn more? You can preview the book here.
So Archaia is launching ‘Digital First’ Additions of some of their comics! They’ve started with The Grand Duke and another book called Hopeless Maine by Nimue and Tom Brown; which I’m absolutely enthralled with. Check it out…
Trapped on an island off the coast of Maine, the people of Hopeless find life a little darker and more dangerous with every day that passes. The number of orphans rises continually, but who can say what happens to their parents? Plenty of the bodies are never found. This is not the stuff of happy, careless childhoods, it is instead fertile ground for personal demons. In Hopeless, the demons are not always abstract concepts. Some of them have very real teeth, and very real horns. The island has been isolated for a very long time. Partly because of being small and forgotten, partly because the rocks and currents do not encourage visitors, Hopeless is surrounded by fog and overrun with nightmarish creatures, from small things with tentacles to demons and vampires. It’s a peculiar place. Here, almost anything can happen, from the weird and unsettling to the darkly funny. With a cast of freaks, nutters and the odd power crazed psychopath, life in Hopeless is seldom dull. Hopeless is also about who you choose to be. The tale is a protest against apathy, and against the small evils that everyone takes for granted. The worst monsters frequently aren’t the ones with the obvious teeth – who are merely dangerous by nature – but the apparently ordinary people who choose to do hideous things.
The art style for Cow Boy is an endearing mix of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts and the grittiness of a Clint Eastwood western. How did you go about choosing the look of Cow Boy, and what are a few of your influences?
CHRIS: Actually, the look sort of chose me. I was playing around thinking I might try coloring the book in crayon, but that didn’t turn out so well. Then I just started playing with textures to give it that earth-worn feel and it just seemed right. It was all trial and error.
What’s your favorite part of making a comic?
CHRIS: My favorite part is when everything is put together and I can look at it as a whole. After I first read the entire script, my focus shifts down to page and panel with the whole story in the back of my mind. And when I see it all together I get a real kick.
Were you a troublemaker growing up?
CHRIS: I was always the good kid. Always did what I was told, obeyed my parents, ate my broccoli and did my homework. It’s kinda nice to live the adventures through Boyd on paper these days.
Did you ever want to be a cowboy when you were a kid?
CHRIS: I loved the Lone Ranger as a kid. I used to watch the old TV show over and over again. Thought he was so cool.
Get more info and a preview for Cow Boy here.
Advance copies are on sale this weekend at C2E2!
FOUR reasons (2 Cs and 2 Es) you NEED to check out Archaia in Chicago this weekend:
1. Cow Boy debuts!
Cow Boy, written by Nate Cosby and drawn by Chris Eliopoulos, is the story of a young bounty hunter determined to send his entire outlaw family to jail. He travels the Old West on a horse that ain’t his, and won’t stop til every one’a his kin’s in the clink.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, a limited number of copies of Cow Boy will be on sale! Wrangle one of them up before they run out!
2. Creators, Creators, Creators!
Andrew E.C. Gaska, writer, Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, Critical Millennium, Space: 1999: Aftershock and Awe (forthcoming)
Andrew Rostan, writer, An Elegy for Amelia Johnson
Ben Templesmith, artist, Bleedout, Immortals: Gods and Heroes
Brandon Thomas, The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury
Brent Schoonover, artist, Mr. Murder Is Dead
Chad Michael Murray, writer, Everlast
Chandra Free, writer/artist, The God Machine, Fraggle Rock
Charles Soule, writer, Strange Attractors (forthcoming)
David Petersen, writer/artist, Mouse Guard
David Rodriguez, writer, Starkweather: Immortal
Dennis Calero, artist, Immortals: Gods and Heroes, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller
Gene Ha, artist, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard
Janet Lee, artist, Return of the Dapper Men, The Wonderland Alphabet: Alice’s Adventures Through the ABC’s and What She Found There (forthcoming)
Jeremy Bastian, writer/artist, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, Cursed Pirate Girl (forthcoming)
Jim McCann, writer, Return of the Dapper Men
J.K. Woodward, artist, Everlast
Joanna Estep, artist, Fraggle Rock
Joe LeFavi, writer, Fraggle Rock
Katie Cook, writer/artist, Fraggle Rock, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard
Mike Kennedy, writer, Bleedout
Nate Cosby, writer, Cow Boy, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller
Phil Hester, writer, Days Missing; artist, Immortals: Gods and Heroes
Ramón K. Pérez, artist, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand
Royden Lepp, writer/artist, Rust
Sam Humphries, writer, Fraggle Rock
Sean Rubin, artist, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard; writer/artist, Bolivar (forthcoming)
Tom Pinchuk, writer, Hybrid Bastards!
Yehudi Mercado, writer/artist, Pantalones, TX (forthcoming)
Visit the Archaia booth to find out when they are signing!
3. Excellent panels!
Friday, April 13
Archaia Presents: Coming Soon from Archaia Entertainment…
Room: S401abc
Time: Friday, 2:45-3:45 p.m.
The publisher behind Mouse Guard, The Killer, Return of the Dapper Men, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, and other great titlesis gearing up for another spectacular year, and here’s where you get to hear all about it! Get the inside scoop on upcoming titles, new projects, and exclusive announcements as Archaia sets its sights on the rest of 2012 and beyond. Join Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy, Nate Cosby (Cow Boy), Andrew E. C. Gaska (Space: 1999: Aftershock and Awe), Joe LeFavi (Hawken), Janet Lee (The Wonderland Alphabet),Royden Lepp (Rust Vol. 2: Secrets of the Cell), Jim McCann (Time of the Dapper Men),David Petersen (Mouse Guard Vol. 3: The Black Axe, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Vol. 2), and Charles Soule (Strange Attractors) as they give you a sneak peek of what’s to come!
Sunday, April 15
Archaia Presents: How to Tell a Better Story Through World-Building
Room: N427bc
Time: 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Are you an aspiring storyteller? Want to know the keys to world-building and telling a good story? David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl), and Sean Rubin (Redwall, the upcoming Bolivar), three accomplished storytellers that have published or are publishing books through Archaia, present an informative, entertaining panel to see how world-building can help you write and/or draw a better story.
4. Editor Tay!
Most of the brilliant Archaia staff is headed to C2E2, including Editor Tay! If you see her hanging around the booth, be sure to say “hi” and give her a huge, enthusiastic “high-five” for us interns.
We hope to see you there!
Bonus points if you know what “C2E2” actually stands for!
The rain couldn’t dampen our spirits as we made our way up to Seattle, Washington for Archaia’s first experience at Emerald City Comicon, and it certainly didn’t stop waves of indie comic fans from pouring in to greet us!
We might not have had the enormous display that debuted at WonderCon, but we certainly garnered a lot of attention from our pals in the Pacific Northwest! Tons of people stopped by to compliment our beautiful books and walked away with armfuls of new titles to enjoy. We were pleasantly surprised to meet a whole slew of Gunnerkrigg Court fans from all over the country, and our line of Jim Henson titles attracted nostalgic fans who were eager to revisit their childhood favorites and introduce a new generation to dance their cares away, Fraggle-style!
David Petersen was happy to stop by the booth each day to greet fans and sign copies of his popular Mouse Guard series.
In fact, there was always a line of people waiting for him to arrive! Plenty of long-time fans stopped by and lots of new fans were made as we completely sold out of all of our Mouse Guard books. We even spotted a Kenzie cosplayer in the crowd!
Archaia’s panel on “How to Create a Great Graphic Novel” had a fantastic audience, and many people stopped by the booth to pick up our new titles such as Royden Lepp’s Rust: Visitor in the Field and Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, the lost screenplay illustrated by Ramón K. Pérez. They were also thrilled to get them signed by these creators, as well as many others!
With a cavalcade of creators signing and an unanticipated number of attendees, Emerald City Comicon was definitely a huge success! Many thanks to everyone who stopped by!
Are you planning on attending C2E2 this year? Archaia certainly will! Swing on by and say hello this weekend, April 13-15, Booth 529! More details to come!
We are honored to announce that Jim Henson’s TALE OF SAND, a lost screenplay by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl and adapted by Ramón K. Pérez, has been nominated for 5 Eisner Awards! The book has been nominated in the following categories: Best Graphic Album-New, Best Penciller/Inker, Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design.
To celebrate the occasion, the interns have collected a few of their favorite pages from the book:
A huge congratulations to everyone who was involved with the project: Ramón K. Pérez, Ian Herring, Deron Bennett, Eric Skillman, Chris Robinson, Jordie Bellaire, Kalman Andrasofszky, Cameron Stewart, the Jim Henson Company, Stephen Christy, and other talented contributors!
You can read more about the book here.
Meteor Entertainment and Eisner Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment have teamed up to produce and publish a hardcover graphic novel for HAWKEN, Meteor’s upcoming First-Person-Shooter (FPS). HAWKEN is already generating major online buzz as a fan-favored underdog within the gaming community. Produced by Adhesive Games, an independent game studio based in Pasadena, HAWKEN has been praised for groundbreaking gameplay and visuals that rival most AAA console titles. HAWKEN is the first title from indie publisher Meteor Entertainment.
