I'll be at New York Comic-Con this week!
Hello fans!Things have been busy here in Kill Shakespeare Land with lots of work and deadlines of late. Many things to announce in the coming months...But first, I want to announce that I'll be attending New York Comic-Con this upcoming week in my adopted city!I'l be at Table 1249 the entire weekend, along with some helpers at the table. I'll have copies of all Kill Shakespeare volumes, our board game, our ShakesGear t-shirts, and copies of Assassin's Creed (Volume 1 and issues 6-12) and Sherlock Holmes vs Harry Houdini. And you'll be able to find out more about our future projects as well!
I'll also be attending a few panels and signings. These include:Dynamite Comics' Panel - Thu, Oct 6 @ 7:45pm (Room 1A02)How to Self-Publish - Fri, Oct 7 @ 11am (Room 1A02)Assassin's Creed Signing - Sun, Oct 9 from 12 noon - 1pm (Titan Comics' Booth)So come by and visit me - it's gonna be a great show!
Assassin's Creed Released to Great Acclaim!
Thanks SO MUCH to everyone in the last week that has purchased, read, reviewed, enjoyed, commented on ASSASSIN'S CREED #1, released last Wednesday. We were so happy to hear about how great the pre-orders were and the early reviews. Some reviews are here, here and here. We, along with Ubisoft and Titan Comics are thrilled with the response. Thanks so much!
We have some great story coming up for you so keep following us and keep reading Assassin's Creed!If you haven't read it yet, you can find a preview of the first issue here.
New Yorkers, learn how to write comics!
Now back from my West Coast mini-vacation with my uber-lovely wife, I'm hitting the ground running. For those curious, we are not attending San Diego Comic-Con this week but in our absence expect one or two announcements about forthcoming projects (no hints - yet)!And once all of that is done, I'm happy to announce that I'm putting together a comic book writing workshop in New York City next week! The Screenwriters' Collective has asked me to come in and do a seminar on how to turn your idea into a comic book. The details are:GRAPHIC NOVEL WRITING SEMINAR & NETWORKING HOUR BAM! POW! BOOM! HOW TO TURN YOUR IDEA INTO A COMIC BOOK The NYC Screenwriters Collective is happy to present Graphic Novel Writing with Anthony Del Col. With the success of the Marvel Studios films and TV series like The Walking Dead blazing trails in pop culture, comic books have never been bigger. And comics are not just superheroes these days - it’s everything from historical drama to romance. But what does it take to write a comic book series? Acclaimed comic book creator Anthony Del Col (IDW Publishing’s "Kill Shakespeare") teaches this seminar on how to turn your ideas into a comic book. He will address the process behind the creation of a comic, how to write a comic book (it’s not just word balloons!), how to navigate the industry, and everything in between.
WHEN: Thursday JULY 16th -- Seminar 6:30p-8:00p, Networking 8:00-10:00pmWHERE: At the People's Improv Theater at 123 E 24th Street.Price: $25 discounted to $15 with NYCSC promo code. FREE NETWORKING EVENT. If you can't make the workshop, please attend our free Monthly Networking Evening 8pm-10pm...cash bar… located in the bar at the People's Improve Theater. Partnered with the M/E/T. Tickets can be purchased here. This is a non-profit venture - all funds go towards covering costs for the venue and event.So come on out!
August FanExpo County
Well, it's been just over a week since FanExpo ended and things have been quite busy. But I've finally(!) been able to go through some of the photos from the weekend and here they are!But first, thanks to everyone who made it an incredible weekend - our established fans, the new ones, the people that came to our Live Graphic Novel impromptu reading on Saturday night, the volunteers from the crowd that served as our "FanExpo Kingsman Players", our friends, the people that tabled beside us and were forced to hear our pitches every days, etc...And look for us at shows this fall - everywhere from Montreal, Portland, Edmonton, New York, London and Miami.
Rose City, here we come!
It's going to be a busy September for us as between Conor and I we attend three comic conventions. Conor is attending Montreal (Sept 12-14) and Edmonton (Sept 26-28) and he'll be posting information about those shows soon... And for me? I get to make Kill Shakespeare's first attendance at a show... The Rose City Comic-Con in Portland (Sept 20-21)!
(Yes, cue jokes about Portlandia...)I'm quite excited to check out the show. I've heard great things about Portland and have a few friends/colleagues in the city so it'll be great to catch up with them. I've heard amazing things about the comic scene in the city so am looking forward to tap into that while visiting.I will be at Table V-12 (you can find a map here). Come to the show and say hello!
First Pages of The Mask of Night #2
With only a couple days before the release of The Mask of Night #2, here are the first three pages for your reading pleasure...
Our New Project!
Though we tend to blog almost exclusively on our Kill Shakespeare ventures, I figured that I would put a mention here of an upcoming comic book series that Conor and I are working on - and has just been announced this morning!Conor and I will be working with Dynamite Comics on SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. HARRY HOUDINI, a new five-issue series debuting this October in comic shops around the world!Looks like BleedingCool.com got the scoop on the series and posted the press release here. It appears as though they have my name wrong (I guess I'm now Spanish...?) but other than that it's great to see the news become public.And here is one of the covers - really cool!
Both Conor and I are quite excited about the series (I'm a big fan of the BBC Sherlock of recent years) and I can't wait for everyone to read it when it comes out!
The Mask of Night is revealed tomorrow!
Conor and I are currently in LA for meetings but being here will also give us a chance to celebrate the release of our new series, THE MASK OF NIGHT!The award winning series returns with a high seas tale of pirate battles, vengeance and lost love. Hamlet, Juliet, Othello and Shakespeare become pawns in a deadly game of survival between the legendary masked pirate Captain Cessario, his first mate Viola, and the new terror on the water, Titus Andronicus’ forbidding war ship The Lavinia.
Look for it in comic shops across North America tomorrow - Wednesday, June 18th!
Our new series is around the horizon!
"Though know'st the mask of night is on my face..."Yes, it's been a while since I've posted an update on our new upcoming series but that's because I've been quite busy (working from New York) and we've got a lot on the go. The thing I'm most excited about, though, is our brand new comic mini-series, KILL SHAKESPEARE: THE MASK OF NIGHT. And great news - the series debuts this month!I'll be posting art from the first issue over the next two weeks but the current release date of the first issue is Wednesday, June 18th! Yes, in just over two weeks from today!And here is a look at our first cover of the series, by series artist Andy Belanger (the B cover is by J.K. Woodward, based upon art from our upcoming board game). One of the central characters, the pirate Captain Cesario, is defined by his mask, which appears on Andy's first cover.So keep checking for more information - we'll be posting quite a bit in the next couple of weeks!
Pre-Order Your Copy of The Mask of Night #1!
We're two months away from the release of the first issue of our new mini-series The Mask of Night, and that means... It's now available in Previews magazine at comic book shops for pre-ordering!If you're super-excited about the new mini-series please head to a comic book shop (you can find your closest one here) and pre-order your copy (or copies, of course) of the issue. It's going to be a great one - we're really enjoying playing with our two new characters (Captain Cesario and Viola) and Andy B's art (combined with Shari H's colouring) is so incredible!
You have until the end of the month to pre-order your copy but don't wait - pick it up now! Just order it directly from your retailer (or give them the order code of APR140389.
Hamlet embarks to the Emerald City!
I returned from attending the Emerald City Comic-Con Monday night but have been swamped with work and a major IT issue the last two days. So I'm only now posting these pics and update.Emerald City this year was one of my favourite shows to attend from two years ago and returning (Conor attended last year) made it even better. It was great to meet up with fans who saw our stage show at the con last year, as well as people that I met two years. Thanks to everyone who came by the table to pick up a book, get a book signed, say hello, tell me how much they love the series, or anything else.Thanks also go out to those that attended by How to Market Your Indie Comic to the Masses on Sunday. And a big thanks to Stephanie Cooke, Bryan JL Glass David Petersen and Sean E. Williams for conducting a panel on Are Literary Comics the New Superhero on the Saturday.I should also thank Ben Hsu and Elaine Tipping (ET!) of Tiny Blue Dragon Studio (based in Portland) who helped out over the course of the weekend with our sales. Check out their really cool Licensed Heroes series.Here are a collection of pics from this weekend!
It's Official! A Brand New Mini-series Is On Its way!
It's official! Hamlet, Juliet, Shakespeare and our characters are coming back for more!IDW Publishing has officially announced this morning the release of Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night. Set to launch in June of this year, it is a four-issue series that continues our adventures but also allows us to introduce some new players to our stage. Oh, and there's pirates as well. The official summary of the series is:Hamlet, Juliet, Othello and Shakespeare become pawns in a deadly game between the infamous pirate Captain Cesario, his lover (and second mate) Viola, and the new terror on the seas, Titus Andronicus’ massive dreadnaught The Lavinia. Featuring pirate battles, action, violence, love, strong female heroines, comedy, death and an exploration of the power of myth, The Mask of Night continues the tales of Hamlet and Juliet from The Tide of Blood and also introduces new players (some of which will be featured in the board game) and mythologies.Yes, we are introducing Viola (from Twelfth Night) into our story. She is one of the most requested Shakespeare characters and we're excited to bring her into our story in a very unique take on her.Coming back to the series is its bedrock, Andy Belanger as artist for both interiors and covers. As he says, "Shari Chankhamma (colorist) and I have sharpened our pencils, made black our brushes and are ready to paint the high seas red in this next chapter of Kill Shakespeare! Get ready for BLOOD!"Conor and I are back on writing duties, and Shari is the colourist. Assisting us on our side is our amazing editorial assistant Keith Morris and we're excited to be working again with the team at IDW, from our editor Tom Waltz to designer Chris Mowry to everyone else (Chris Ryall, Ted Adams, Greg Goldstein, Dirk Wood, Rosalind Morehead, Kahlil Sweitzer, Alan Payne, Robbie Robbins and everyone else).Look for more updates in the coming months - we're excited about this!
Kill Shakespeare returns to Kitchener-Waterloo!
It's been a while since any of the Kill Shakespeare have done a signing in the Kitchener-Waterloo area so this weekend provides us a chance to return.While Conor attends the Miami Book Fair (such a rough life he leads...), Anthony will be attending the G33K Art Show in Kitchener, ON this Friday and Saturday.
Friday night will feature the Gala Opening of the show, at which KILL SHAKESPEARE: REINVENTED will be making its debut. Featuring voice actors, animation and (most importantly) circus performers (with fire), it should be the most inventive take on our story. The show is at 8pm and info about tickets can be purchased here, being held at Kitchener City Hall. Check out this video for a preview:And on Saturday I will be exhibiting at the show throughout the entire day (11a - 8p) and also conducting two workshops: "How to Pitch and Market Your Comic" from 1-2pm and then "What Goes Through Your Head? – A Panel about Art, Industry and More" with myself and good friend Scott Chantler.So if you're in the K-W area come out and say hello, pick up a book, tshirt or anything else - it'll be great to see you!
England loves Kill Shakespeare!
I just returned to Toronto last night after an amazing 10 days in England and I'm still on a bit of a high. Those that know me know that I love the city of London. And after three trips there in the last 18 months I love it even more - and have been discovering that the country is starting to love Kill Shakespeare as well!I've already posted photos from my appearance at the Lakes International Comic Arts Festival and then my talk/stage walk at Shakespeare's Globe.Concluding my trip, I attended the MCM London Comic-Con at the ExCel Centre on London's southeast. I had attended the May version and, having enjoyed it, returned for some more. It was a great weekend - we sold completely out of books, sold most of our tshirts (again, apologies for those that really wanted our Shakespeare Fighter shirt, which sold out immediately), I hung out with some amazing people, did a great talk (and very well-attended) on How to Pitch and Market Your Indie Comic Book, and had a lot of fun.I have so many people to thank for this past weekend. First off, the organizers of the London Comic-Con, especially Gary Howe, for making my stay possible. Thanks to Emma Vieceli (and Andrew Ruddick) for also helping to coordinate my appearance and the talk. Thanks to the witty and fun Serena Obhrai for serving as hostess through the week (and make sure to check out her new comic series Elysia, available early next year!). Thanks to the boys at Traveling Man for helping to get my books to me. Thanks to Mike Holman, Scott Hatfill, Ben Cornish and everyone at Diamond for coordinating everything on the distribution side. And thanks to everyone who swung by the table (and my talk) to say hello, learn about KS, and chat! I love London!Here are a selection of photos from the weekend:
Swimming with fun at Lakes!
I've forgotten how much of British culture revolves around the pubs... I'm currently sitting in the only place with WiFi in Kendal city centre, a pub where I'm picking up northern British slang indirectly...I just finished the Lakes International Comic Arts Festival earlier today. The first (hopefully annual), it was a fun event in the beautiful Lakes district that brought some of comics' top talents (Ed Brubacher, Charlie Adlard, etc.). I was fortunate to be a last-second addition to the Clock Tower stable of talent for the weekend.Thanks to everyone that came out to the event - those from Kendal and those around the district. Thanks to Julie and Jenny, the chief organizers, who added me to the roster. Thanks to Owen and Emma for introducing me to the show. And thanks to Mike Holman at Diamond Comics UK who helped arrange for books to come (and Jon Harrison from Forbidden Planet who brought them).Here are a selection of photos from the weekend... Enjoy!
Kill Shakespeare in England!
One trip ends, another begins...After a hugely successful New York Comic-Con I'm heading to England for a week-and-a-bit to take part in some fun events over there.First off is the 1st ever Lakes International Comic Arts Festival in Kendal (northern England). It's a brand new initiative and I was added as a last-minute artist guest. I will be in the Comics Clock Tower all weekend (Sat, Oct 19-Sun, Oct 20), a cool spot at the show. I'm looking forward to seeing how the show is this year - and I've heard such amazing things about that part of the country!
I will then return to England to do a talk at Shakespeare's Globe for Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper's class (and other guests). I'm pretty chuffed (British term, I believe...) for this one - I was in awe when on tour of the Globe last year (my first visit) and this should be a great time.
Finally, I will be appearing at the London Comic-Con on Fri, Oct 25 - Sun, Oct 27th. I attended the show back in May and it was a great time with great sales, so I'm really looking forward to attending again.
As you may or may not be able to tell, I really like England and am looking forward to the trek again. It'll be great to see friends like Emma Vieceli, Andrew Tunney, Yishan Li and others - at either show. I'm also really chuffed to see Punchdrunk's latest production, The Drowned Man (attending on Wednesday).
Hopefully I'll see my British fellows while I'm there!
The Long Wait is Over - final Tide hits stores on August 28th
After what seemed like FOREVER, the final issue of Kill Shakespeare, The Tide of Blood is steaming its way from the printers in Korea to YOUR local comic book shop!(o.k., it probably isn't STEAMING its way here, since this isn't 1910, but "dieseling" doesn't have the same romance now, does it?)The issue will finally run aground at your LCS on the 28th of August. We apologize for the big gap between issues #4 and 5 -- there were some script issues we had to iron out and Andy hit a crazy busy patch in his work and personal life and it all conspired to see us JUST miss our July deadline.But that is the past, and the future is....... well, one HECK of an amazing end to the latest series! Issue #5 is a wild, break-neck race across the island you've grown to fear.This puppy will wrap up the increasingly jagged love triangle between Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, will result in a wild three-way between Prospero, Shakespeare and Lady M (a WIZARD BATTLE you sicko, get your mind out of the gutter), and we'll get a better sense of just what Sycorax has in store for our heroes as well.I might even say it all ends on a "high tide"?(No? No, I shouldn't? In fact I should never try that pun again?Fair enough...)"Groaners" aside, because we're generous guys, below is a sneak preview of the VERY first page. I don't know how many other special peeks we can give you, every page is a spoiler in this 28-page juggernaut, but we can at least get you licking your chops for some Shakespearean action!Thanks for being patient, and for being the best fans in the world! (and for those of you who may have missed it, I'm also including the cover here as well)
CONOR
Anthony in London this weekend (UK)!
I will be traveling to the home country of Mr. Shakespeare himself this week. Departing tomorrow, I will be attending the MCM London Comic-Con this upcoming weekend (May 24 - 26) in London this weekend. I will be in the Comics Village the entire weekend so if you - or anyone that you know - will be attending swing by to say hello and pick up a book or issue (or two).
I will then be heading over to Oxford to teach a Shakespeare class and take in some other meetings.I'm looking forward to revisiting England. Last year's trip was amazing - attending the Bristol and Kapow! shows, visiting Oxford and, of course, Stratford-upon-Avon. And it'll be great to reconnect with friends from last year's show - and make new ones.Check out the video that Conor and I shot at Shakespeare's Birthplace last year...
Cover for Issue #3 (to be released next Wednesday)!
We have just received word from IDW Publishing (our publisher, obviously) and Diamond Comics (our distributor) that Issue #3 of The Tide of Blood (titled "Darkness Which the Blind Do See") is being released next Wednesday (the 24th of April). It's a fitting release day as it's the day after the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth/death (April 23rd).Here is the cover for Issue #3, created by our series artist Andy Belanger:
The write-up for Previews magazine for the issue is the following:"With Hamlet in the clutches of Lady Macbeth, Juliet and Romeo grapple with the island’s powers - and their past - to save him and themselves. But another, even greater, threat has entered the stage: Prospero, the mad wizard whose dominion over the island promises a deadly end for our heroes."Look for it next week at all comic book shops and online!
Trailer for The Tide of Blood released!
With the launch of the Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood in just under two weeks (February 20th!) we're quite happy to release our official teaser trailer.Designed by young filmmaker Adrien Benson, and produced by our amazing marketing intern Keith Morris, the trailer is a nice teaser of the journey that our characters embark upon in this series. The music is a piece entitled "Moon Interpretation" by Jeremy Gulino.Check it out - and spread the word by sharing it on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere!