NBM at SPX: The Broadcast premieres.
September 1, 2010 by NBM
The weekend following Labor Day is when the next SPX show happens in Bethesda, MD, in the Washington DC area. As every year, we’ll have our tables and a few of our artists appearing including a premiere!
Here’s who you can meet, at tables H7 and 8, Sept. 11 and 12:
ERIC HOBBS premiering The Broadcast which is just shipping as we speak! The buzz on this has been excellent, the book an engrossing noir thriller with the Orson Welles famous War of the Worlds broadcast as a backdrop.
BROOKE A. ALLEN signing her irresisitible A Home for Mr. Easter. Remember: we’ve got a Twitter contest going until the end of this month.
GREG HOUSTON signing his Elephant Man just out as well as Vatican Hustle. He’s a native Baltimorean, not from far away.
TED RALL, fresh back from Afghanistan, if he’s still alive. Always a popular guest at this show.
And then this year, NBM publisher Terry Nantier will be there as well.
COME AND SAY HI, GET OUR LATEST!
Boneyard, Axe-Man of New Orleans, A Home for Mr. Easter news.
September 1, 2010 by NBM
“Written with charm and wit, as well as action and passion, Boneyard vol.7 will not disappoint fans of the series yet is also a sufficiently accessible and self-contained story as to be a serviceable jumping-on point for new readers. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!”
The Midwest Book Review
& Richard Moore is interviewed by Newsarama about this volume and his coming plans.
The Onion’s AV club on Rick Geary’s The Axe-Man of New Orleans:
“Outstanding! A-”
..and they give very few A’s…
On this same title, here’s what Andrew ‘Capt. Comics’ Smith had to say over at Scripps Howard Papers including The Minneapolis Star Tribune where it appeared:
“His stories are illustrated in his attractive faux-woodcut style, which suggests a bygone time, with stiff people wearing rictus grins, standing with perfect posture in impeccable clothing, covered in blood. It’s great fun.”
“A Home for Mr. Easter is defined by its chaos. Tesana feels attacked on all sides, and then she actually is. The plot follows the logic of a dreamer, so magical things are suddenly allowed. The laws of the real world are stretched and twisted.
The range of emotion is powerful, taking one through disbelief, righteous anger, fear, and pathos. Allen is clearly talented and confident in her craft.”
More on the outrageous Elephant Man!
August 27, 2010 by NBM
The latest on Greg Houston’s recent GN Elephant Man comes from Sequential Tart:
“As a broad parody of Superman, I thought this first issue was spot on. I thought the humor in Elephant Man was great, the writing is definitely the comic’s strongest asset. The over-the-top dialogue was outstanding, particularly the rants of Handsome Dirk. All the characters are ludicrously drawn and really matched well with the humor. My favorite side characters were the Big Hair Tough Girls.”
Grade: 7 out of 10.
The Gutter Geek blog at The Comics Journal says:
“In the end, the book is little more than an extended Kurtzman-and-Elder-era-Mad magazine spoof on superhero comics, but who needs more than that. And Houston’s line work, which crackles with just a little bit of genuine crazy on top of the rigorously enforced wackiness, is a frenetic and occasionally grotesque delight. Houston suggests on the cover that this might well be the first in a series. I suspect he is joking, but I will confess I am kind of hoping he means it.”
Rob Clough, elsewhere at The Comics Journal said:
“There isn’t much that’s subtle about Greg Houston’s new comic from NBM, Elephant Man #1, and I don’t think the artist would have it any other way.”
But he regretted that: “I would have preferred more time being spent on the oddities of Baltimore, like The Big Hair Tough Girls. These ass-kicking donut shop workers are exactly the sort of thing Houston does best: a loving caricature of something ridiculous and unpleasant. The Ralph Steadman/Bill Plympton/Mort Drucker qualities to his line remained in full effect, as the reader was rewarded on page after page with funny & gross drawings. This is a comic to be looked at more than to be read, other than for conceptual context.”
Ted Rall is in Afghanistan, risking his neck.
August 26, 2010 by Terry
…and he’s tweeting and blogging about it.
It’s quite fascinating as he goes back to where he went at the start of the Afghan War back in 2001. He reported on that in one of our bestselling books To Afghanistan & Back. This hybrid of comics and articles that he wrote for the Village Voice was also the first ‘instant graphic novel’ as we rushed it out to print within months beginning 2002. It’s gone on to sell over 20,000 copies.
Ted just had to see for himself what was really going on, especially with our country frantically waving our flags at the time and blood-thristy for revenge. What he brought back was sobering. He predicted clearly back then that this was far from over. I knew this would make a great bit of comics journalism and had Ted bring it into comics.
Well, he’s back at it again and tweeting about it as well as blogging. Live from the middle of Taliban hell. The guy’s nuts. But count on him to tell you a different point of view. Subscribe to it.
Also, this time he got a miraculous amount of funding for it through the amazing Kickstarter site (link here goes straight to Ted’s page there). No paper or magazine would pay for this highly dangerous assignment in these nobody-has-money-internet-days, so quite a few people contributed to it through Kickstarter…
Literally, the internet taketh away and then giveth back.
Well, on this one at least…
Alternative Views on ‘Networked’
August 25, 2010 by NBM
From ComicMix, picked up by the big site IMDb:
“Privacy Activism is a non-profit company designed to make people aware and give them knowledge and tools to determine how much they want to share or to protect. To educate the younger masses, they created Carabella, a hip, blue-skinned college-aged woman and have used her in several outreach programs. For her third appearance, she has been turned over to master graphic novelists, Gerard Jones and Mark Badger, for Networked: Carabella on the Run.
There are some strong messages here and plenty of food for thought. Presenting this information embedded within an entertaining graphic novel was a great approach. With luck, we’ll be seeing Carabella again.”School Library Journal was not so complimentary, calling it possibly heavy-handed but did allow: “For classes that are exploring the topic of privacy, Carabella and her college-age buddies can offer students a valuable lesson. A Teachers’ Guide is offered at PrivacyActivism to assist.”
LINK: Joe Shuster Awards on The Broadcast
August 25, 2010 by Eric Hobbs
Robert Haines had some very nice things to say about THE BROADCAST over at the Joe Shuster Awards website yesterday. While not a review, he did say that, “Noel has created moody, evocative pages which capture the spirit of the story.” I couldn’t agree more. I keep telling people his art in THE BROADCAST is like an old black-and-white movie on the page. In fact, I’m thinking Noel should be a shoe-in for next year’s Shuster Award. I’m a little biased, of course, but you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who’s doing better work than Noel has done on this book…
Also, and perhaps most importantly, Haines reminded readers that comic shops are ordering indie books less and less, but that readers CAN order the book from their local shop and have it in just a few weeks. Of course, you can also pre-order it through the NBM site and have it delivered to your doorstep.
Horror Author Bob Freeman Reviews The Broadcast
August 24, 2010 by Eric Hobbs
My friend and fellow Indiana-based writer Bob Freeman had some very nice things to say in his review of THE BROADCAST this morning, saying “This is what you hope for when you dip into the indie market. Smart. Riveting. Complex. Compelling, First and foremost, The Broadcast is a solid literary work…..this should be an instant classic.”
Click here to read the entire review.
Our first Twitter contest: A Home for Mr. Easter!
August 23, 2010 by NBM
Starting today and running through September 30th we’re going to be running our first promotional campaign on Twitter, to celebrate cartoonist Brooke A. Allen‘s A HOME FOR MR. EASTER.
To participate, please tweet about this book @NBMPUB, and be sure to use the Hash Tag #READMREASTER
And if for some reason you haven’t read A HOME FOR MR. EASTER yet, now is your chance to get it at 20% off at the NBM site through August 31st (or call us at 800-886-1223, M-F 9-6 ET, mention code EAS for the discount)
The contest is simple, the top three people promoting the book will each win a copy of a NBM published book of their choice and the person who promotes the book in the most interesting way (including reviews, blog entries, etc.) will win an original sketch from Brooke.
Viva la comics!
Stefan Blitz, social media publicist
Elephant Man: “Come for the art, stay for the derangement”
August 23, 2010 by NBM
What they’re saying of Elephant Man , Greg Houston’s latest:
“Come for the art, stay for the derangement, and release most notions of “plotting.”
“Cheerfully grotesque. Has its sweetly offensive moments.”
Bill Sherman, Blogcritics and picked up by the Seattle Post Intelligencer.
And this one just in!
“I can see it now: “I am not an animal! I am a superhero!”
You’d think turning John Merrick — aka the severely deformed, so-called Elephant Man — into a comic-book character would be tasteless. And in Greg Houston’s ELEPHANT MAN, it certainly is. But it’s also fairly hilarious, so consider some slack cut.”
Rod Lott, Bookgasm
The story is-
August 20, 2010 by markgerry
It’s in the plot really
Mark of mark & Gerry
THE BROADCAST: Anatomy of a Scene, Part 5
August 17, 2010 by Eric Hobbs
So we’ve gone through all the motions. Script, layouts, artwork, a new script. After all that, this is what the final result looks like:
For me this moment is always somewhat bittersweet.
There’s nothing better than seeing your story come together. At the same time, this is when I have to lock it in and move on to the next scene. No more scripting, no more notes for Noel. This is the point where I have to let go and be happy with the work we’ve done. Probably the most difficult step of all.
Wall Street Journal , hurmmmm
August 16, 2010 by markgerry
So I’d rather read an adventure story which is what Networked is, but it has some “issues” in it. If you’d like to see what the issues are check out the Wall Street Journal. Me I’m having issues with all the talk of issues…
The Mark half
Welcome to our updated look!
August 16, 2010 by Terry
We’ve updated our look as you can see, much bolder and using space better than it used to. What do you think? Suggestions on anything missing are welcome.
Thanks to Jerrold Shiroma who helps us with this and the Papercutz blog (still being worked on)!
Booklist on Networked
August 16, 2010 by NBM
“This cautionary tale—a project of PrivacyActivism, a group dedicated to online privacy education—outstrips simple purposefulness to provide a rip-roaring good story. Offers much for casual readers as well as book groups and curriculum designers.”
Booklist On Networked, Carabella on the Run, at your store now, and from us.
2 for Mr Easter: Midwest Book Review and VOYA
August 13, 2010 by NBM
“Allen‘s quirky book with its unconventional heroine may not be for everyone, but any teen who has rooted for the underdog, likes fantasy, and doesn’t need a heroine who is shapely and beautiful, will enjoy it a lot.”
Kat Kan in VOYA, both of which are influential amongst libraries.
“Vivid and action-packed, keeps the story moving at a breathless pace. Witty and fun to read.”
Midwest Book Review
NETWORKED: No Escape from Comics
August 13, 2010 by markgerry
The Gerry half of Markgerry writing this time…
They say once you get comics in your blood you can never get them out. I wrote a lot of comics from the late ‘80s well into the ‘90s, then started shifting toward nonfiction books and screenplays. After the Pokemon newspaper strip in 2000 I stopped writing comics entirely. But ten years later, here I am again.
In my case, what pulled me back was a bit more substantial than just something in my blood. The mistake I made when I left comics was not severing all my social ties with them. I kept talking to Mark Badger, one of my favorite collaborators from my DC days, thinking it was safe to talk about innocuous subjects like kids and politics and our respective careers.
Mark was mostly teaching and coding then, but he fiddled with comics occasionally, some for small publishers and some for political groups. For a couple of years I was writing a book about comics called Men of Tomorrow, so of course we talked about the old medium. We’d even say occasionally it would be fun to play with some of our old ideas, like that Haunted Man thing we did for Dark Horse, although that usually felt like just one of those nostalgic things old friends say.
Then Mark started doing work for a nonprofit group called Privacy Activism. First they hired him to do the art on an interactive game on their website, and after he impressed them with that they started talking about a web comic to encourage high school kids to start thinking about issues like online privacy in their own lives. But Mark didn’t feel like writing it himself, so he asked me if I’d like to play. The work would be light, he said. Just an ongoing comic strip, nothing ambitious.
But as soon as I started thinking in panels and balloons, the old fever kicked in. The story got longer, the characters got more interesting. “Hey, we could turn this into a graphic novel,” we said. And suddenly there’s no staying out anymore.
THE BROADCAST: Anatomy of a Scene, Part 4
August 12, 2010 by Eric Hobbs
Once Noel’s finished his work on a scene it’s time for me to go in and give the dialogue one final polish (I’m something of a perfectionist). Sometimes I don’t need to make changes at all. Usually, however, I do.
For instance, this scene saw the addition of one or two panels on each page. Obviously this means I need to review the dialogue’s placement, making sure it’s still appropriate given the page’s new layout.
From there I want to make sure the dialogue compliments the art. Sometimes Noel’s work isn’t exactly what I pictured in my head. Sometimes it will say enough that I can delete some dialogue. Other times, I need to add a line or two for clarity.
This scene saw a few minor tweaks. The biggest came on page 66. You may remember that initially there was no dialogue in the first panel. When I saw it, however, I didn’t think reader’s would understand the old man was coming out of his desk because he was angry and felt the addition of a line or two was called for.
Once I’ve finished tweaking everything I send a “lettering script” to my letterer with the art. He takes it from there.
Here’s a look at what one of these shortened scripts looks like…
****
PAGE SIXTY-FIVE
PANEL THREE:
Dawson (standing): PLEASE, TIM. YOURS IS THE ONLY HOUSE WITH A STORM SHELTER FOR TWENTY MILES.
TOM (on left): THE CHURCH IN TOWN HAS A CELLAR.
JACOB (far right): AN’ IT’S FILLED TEN TIMES OVER BY NOW.
PANEL FOUR:
TOM: I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU TWO WANT, I DO. BUT UNTIL MY DAUGHTER IS SAVE NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO BE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
PANEL FIVE:
JACOB: BUT MY DAUGHTER’S HERE.
TOM (off panel): I KNOW THAT, JACOB.
PANEL SIX:
DAWSON: CAN YOU LET US DOWN FOR NOW? AS SOON AS KIM SHOWS, WE’LL–
TOM (off panel): IT’S NOT GOING TO BE THAT EASY.
PANEL SEVEN:
JACOB: GODDAMNIT, SHARDER!
PAGE SIXTY-SIX
PANEL ONE:
TOM: YOU KNOW? I THINK I’VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS!
PANEL TWO:
KIM (off panel): DAD!
PANEL THREE:
TOM (far right): OH, THANK GOD.
PANEL FOUR:
KIM: IF I’D KNOWN…
TOM: I KNOW, SWEETHEART.
PANEL SEVEN:
JACOB: YOU TWO JUST REMEMBER WHO WAS HERE FIRST.
****
Don’t forget to pre-order. Also, ELK’S RUN, the book Noel did with Random House, is available for just $10 in the NBM store. Definitely worth a look.
NBM in October: Miss Don’t Touch Me is back!
August 12, 2010 by NBM
Here’s what we’ve got coming in October and being solicited for now at your comic bookstore:
MISS DON’T TOUCH ME, Vol. 2
Hubert & Kerascoet
Blanche tries to leave the Pompadour, the high class house of call-girls, but their hooks are in deep. Nevertheless she encounters what could be her ticket out: a very handsome and very respectful young rich man, Antoine. She also reunites with her long-lost mother. It all seems rather idyllic but Antoine may be a little too respectful and how come her mother suddenly reappears?
61/2 x 9, 96pp., full color trade pb.: $14.99, ISBN 978-1-56163-592-4
See the previews.
Here’s what they said of the 1st one which is presently sold out, back to press for October as well:
“Would make a heck of a movie. Hubert’s writing is first-rate, Kerascoet’s storytelling and character designs are vibrant, and the overall look of the book is delightful. That’s why Miss Don’t Touch Me earns the full five out five Tonys.”
-Tony Isabella, Comics Buyers Guide
“A more orthodox piquancy infuses Miss Don’t Touch Me, a charming, Gallic twist on the murder mystery… and anything but prudish.” -Carlo Wolff, Boston Globe
“Call me twisted, but this book is, in fact, charming. Kerascoet moves the story forward breathlessly, and his disarming simplicity keeps “MIss Don’t Touch Me” feeling like a light-hearted bedroom farce when it could easily veer into into horror or soft-core porn.”
-Andrew “Capt. Comics” Smith, Scripps Howard News Service
Miss Don’t Touch Me is really nothing more than a murder mystery and period piece, but it sure is a good one—so good, in fact, that you may find yourself needing to be reminded how un-ambitious an unpretentious it actually is.”
Newsarama
A BOOKLIST TOP TEN GRAPHIC NOVEL 2009.
New From Eurotica:
The Diary of Molly Fredrickson:
PEANUT BUTTER, Vol. 4
Cornnell CLARKE
Molly’s back in San Diego studying, falling into amazing orgies with the basketball team for one, including some seriously hot women but boy is she missing her hot latina bff Erica… Clarke’s fully painted art just keeps improving to amazing new levels!
81/2 x 11, 48pp., full color trade pb.: $11.99, ISBN 978-1-56163-595-5
See previews in Coming Up in Eurotica.
——————————————————————————–
Meanwhile, over at Papercutz, the Hardy Boys have an all-new look and new great writer, Gerry Conway:
THE HARDY BOYS THE NEW CASE FILES #1 “Crawling with Zombies”
By Gerry Conway
Paulo Henrique, artist
In an all-new harder edged series and new format featuring legendary writer Gerry Conway! Frank and Joe go undercover as the Living Dead to infiltrate a “Zombie Crawl” that has acquired a notorious reputation for potentially deadly accidents. Will the Undercover Brothers and Agents of A.T.A.C. become the next victims? As if this weren’t enough – there’s something dark and sinister happening while everyone’s distracted by zombie madness! Could this be linked to the eerie events also occurring in River Heights, home of Nancy Drew?
6×9, 64pp., full color paperback: $6.99
ISBN: 978-1-59707-219-9
PLUS: a new Geronimo vol.6 and a boxed set of the 1st 3.
All available through your comics bookstore now! Or you can order the NBM books online here or all these books via our 800 886 1223 number (M-F 9-6 ET).
Graphic novel sale
August 12, 2010 by NBM
A reminder that, besides our $3 sale on many fine NBM and Eurotica graphic novels, we also have a 50% sale going on on graphic novels from Pantheon, First Second and others!
These include CHRIS WARE, EDDIE CAMPBELL, HARVEY PEKAR, FLIGHT, BEN KATCHOR, ART SPIEGELMAN!
Some great books at truly fantastic prices. Quantities are very limited.
And our $3 sale has seen books sell out but we still have graphic novels by MATTOTTI, KUPER, SCHUITEN, PRADO… besides plenty of goodies in Eurotica…
get ‘em before they sell out!
THE BROADCAST: Anatomy of a Scene, Part 3
August 11, 2010 by Eric Hobbs
This one doesn’t require much explanation. Once Noel and I are both happy with the layouts, he goes to work. A few weeks later, I end up with something like this waiting in my inbox…
I know, I know. Someone shouldn’t get to work with an artist THIS talented on their first book. But hey, someone has to be the exception that proves the rule. Might as well be me. 
Be sure to pre-order your copy of THE BROADCAST today. Time is running out!
