The Year of Shakespeare!
To post, or not to post...I'm back after a two-week sojourn into the colds of Canada... Actually, I took two weeks with Lisa to celebrate the holidays and am now back to the grindstone, plugging away at scripts for projects already announced or soon-to-be-announced. The last year (2015) was a great one, and it's looking like 2016 will be even better.Not only that, it's also the Year of Shakespeare around the world. Why? Well, it's the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death (he died on his birthday, April 23, 1616). Shakespeare organizations from around the world will be celebrating and acknowledging this with a great deal of pomp and circumstance. 
And for us? Well, we have a few things up our sleeves but nothing to announce quite yet but stay tuned - there are at least two big things we'll be involved with this year that are Kill Shakespeare-related.
Appearing at London's MCM Show this weekend!
Just got back from a whirlwind two weeks in Europe - and now I'm going back there!In addition to my Inspired By: Shakespeare talk at the Globe Theatre this Thursday evening at 7pm, I will be attending the London MCM Comic-Con this weekend (Fri, May 22 - Sun, May 24) at the ExCel Centre in Southwest London. I am located in the Comics Village section, Table #CB1 (map can be found here).
It'll be my fourth time appearing at the show and I'm excited to return to what is always an amazing show. And this year I'll have our new hardcover Kill Shakespeare book and some other special things.So if you're in London this weekend - or know anyone that is - come by and visit me!
Killing Shakespeare in his own city!
I returned just over 24 hours ago from a whirlwind trip to London where I took part in the London Comic-Con (the weekend of Oct 24-26th). This was my third time over the pond for a show and I'm growing more and more attached to the city. In addition to the show I swung by the Sherlock Holmes Museum and the Globe Theatre. Both incredibly inspiring spots.Here are some pics from this weekend.
- Shocked by the content of Holmes vs. Houdini!
The winds blowing back from Chicago!
I know that it's been two weeks since I've posted anything on the site and I profusely apologize. I've been quite busy with a number of personal things (including moving!) and I am only now catching up on correspondence and follow-up on events of the last few weeks.Three weeks ago I attended C2E2 in Chicago and it was - as usual - a great time. Chicago is a great theatre town and it's great to see the amount of knowledge and enthusiasm about Shakespeare, the arts, theatre and everything else. We sold out of all of our book early on Sunday and almost out of tshirts as well.Thanks to everyone that attended - you made it a great show for me. I've been to Chicago at least once a year and I really like the city and look forward to visiting it again sometime soon.Here are some pictures from the weekend:
Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks in the Windy City
After a great weekend at WonderCon (more on that in the next day or two - with photos!) Conor and I have returned to Toronto for a brief stopover before heading out this weekend. While Conor heads to Calgary (he'll post more on that) I'm heading to Chicago to take part in what has quickly emerged as one of the top comic conventions in the world, C2E2.
This will be the third year in a row that we've attended the show and it's one of our best shows. Chicago, being the theatre-centric town that it is, has really embraced our series and at last year's show Strawdog Theatre mounted a small production of their acclaimed Kill Shakespeare theatre show.
This year I'll be at Booth 126 (close to Marvel and the other comic publishers) and will be selling/signing books and our ShakesGeare all weekend. So swing by to say hello and find out more about our upcoming projects, including the board game, the new The Mask of Night series, and everything else!
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.
Pre-Order a Copy of our Board Game on Kickstarter!
Today is a big day. Launching just a few hours ago was a Kickstarter campaign for pre-sales and purchase of additional items and features for our forthcoming Kill Shakespeare Board Game.IDW Games, with Nate Murray and Jerry Bennington running point, has done a strong job putting the game together and now this campaign is the next step. Games will be retailing for about $60 upon release but the first 250 people that purchase the game online can get it at a price of $40. Also included are other features such as original art from the game, a collector's edition carrying game, dice, etc.You can check out the Kickstarter campaign here.
Spread the word - let everyone know! This isn't a game just for those that have read the books but any game fan, comics fan or Shakespeare fan.A few hours in and we've already made it to over 20% of our funding goal of $25K but beyond that we have a lot more, including special surprise rewards. So keep checking back and promoting the game and the campaign.We'll post updates as the next 25 days go on.
The Kill Shakespeare Stage Show Is Going to New York!
Last year our KILL SHAKESPEARE: LIVE GRAPHIC NOVEL played in a number of cities (and internationally in Dubai) so we figured that it would be tough to top that year in terms of shows and performances. Well, 2014 is getting off to a great start for the show as it will be making its official New York City debut in March of this year!The creative Gideon Productions will be putting on the stage show for five performances from March 1 - 5th as part of the HERE: Coop's Sublet Series. The production will be directed by artistic director Jordana Williams (one of NYTheatre.com's 2012 People of the Year) and feature a great cast of equity and non-equity actors.
Yes, you may recall that Gideon put on the production at the 2012 New York Comic-Con but that was an abridged version of the tale. This will be a full production and, knowing the cast and crew, one that will really make the visuals and story fly.Tickets are not available for sale yet but once they are we will keep you updated.
Ophelia's Letter to Santa... (McSweeney's)
As I celebrate the holidays here in Canada with loved ones I figured I should post something quite funny my sister just showed me... Letters to Santa from Shakespeare Characters, created by McSweeney's a few years ago. You can check them all out here.
My favourite, from Ophelia:Dear Santa:How does my lord? I am fine. I believe ’tis possible you did not receive my wish list last year, or that it fell into unsavory hands and was rudely tampered with before reaching you, as all you brought me was a chastity belt and some granny underpants. I pray that this one flies to you untainted since this year hath really sucked. I wish for the following:— He’s Just Not That Into You (book and DVD)— “All About Me” Lock and Key Diary— National Geographic Flower and Leaf Pressing Kit— Coastal Deluxe Automatic Inflatable Life VestFingers crossed, Ophelia
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:
All the World's the Globe Stage!
It has been an amazing time here in England and one of the highlights was my experience last night (Tue, Oct 22).I was invited by Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper to speak to her Shakespeare adaptation class about Kill Shakespeare, our interpretation of the characters, our next steps, etc. It was a great chat and we discussed everything from feminism to Game of Thrones.Thanks to all the students who came out to the class.And then afterwards Dr. Karim-Cooper offered me the opportunity to hop on stage. The stage wasn't in use that evening so they turned on the lights and let me walk the boards. It was a simply amazing experience and one that I will never regret! I couldn't hide my glee and felt better when Dr. Karim-Cooper mentioned that Dr. Stephen Greenblatt, one of the world's top Shakespeare academics, had a similar reaction.I am still on a high from this, 24 hours after the fact.Here are some photos from the day:
It's Official: Kill Shakespeare board game to be released in 2014!
We are proud to announce that we have signed a deal with the newly-formed IDW Games and Pandasaurus Games to develop a Kill Shakespeare board game, which is slated for release in late-spring 2014!
IDW approached us a few months ago with the idea of our title being one of the first board games under their new division, which will feature games based on some of their best-selling properties. We immediately jumped at the opportunity - a good number of our fans have been suggesting this to us over the last little while and the timing is going to work out perfectly for us.There are still many details to be worked out but we will keep you updated over the next 6-8 months as we further develop the game and may be looking for people to give us suggestions and feedback on what we can do. So stay tuned!The official press release: IDW Opens New Division: Introducing IDW Games! IDW Publishing Partners With Pandasaurus Games To Launch IDW Games San Diego, CA (October5, 2013) – As IDW Publishing looks forward to celebrating its 15th year as a leader in the comic-book industry, they are proud to announce a partnership with board-game giant, Pandasaurus Games, for the launch of a new division, IDW Games. “We’re well known for diversity at IDW, in the world of entertainment and comics,” said CEO &PublisherTedAdams.“With all of the great properties we publish, it seemed natural that a lot of them would make fantastic games. We’ve found the perfect partner in Pandasaurus Games to help us make that happen.” “We at Pandasaurus Games are thrilled to be working with the talented team at IDW to develop incredible games built on the amazing worlds of their comics. The wealth of creative talent that IDW has worked with is unmatched.More than that, their comic books create living breathing worlds that drip theme and beg readers to dive into headfirst. We can't wait to help bring these worlds to life for gamers everywhere. Pandasaurus and IDW are committed to working hand in hand with world class designers and artists to build original experiences from the ground up based on the living worlds created in the pages of IDW comics," said PandasaurusPresident/Founder Nathan McNair. IDW Games will specialize in high-quality big-box games developed around several of IDW’s key properties, beginning in the late spring of 2014 with Kill Shakespeare and 30 Days of Night. Readers and gamers alike will now be given the chance to battle the Bard or the vampires of Barrow, Alaska in these tabletop games developed by the same game designers that brought us the critically acclaimed fan-favorite,Yedo. “We're incredibly excited to move into tabletop gaming and give fans a way to spend even more time with their favorite titles. This is a very strong pair of games to launch right out of the gate, and over the next few months we'll be making more major announcements that should have the gaming community buzzing,” said IDW New Business Development Director Jerry Bennington. IDW is home to many exciting titles so look forward to the release of more details in the coming months, including new game announcements that are sure to excite both fans of IDW titles and tabletop gaming.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLIAM!
“It is my birthday. I had thought t' have held it poor”
- Antony and Cleopatra
Act 3, Scene 13
“Today is your birthday. It’s my birthday too, yeah”
- The Beatles
Yep, today is Willy Shakes birthday and the Bard is still going strong. In fact, our favourite, self-doubting, quill-wielding creator turns 449 today!
It's been a long run for Shakespeare and we're proud to say that this also is an anniversary of sorts for us. Way back on April 14th of 2010, just before Shakespeare's birthday, so we could maximize publicity - natch, we released the first issue of the first series of our little baby.
We weren't really sure what to expect. We'd sold our investors and families on the fact that we had this BIG idea, but who really knew what we had? After all of you made that first issue sold out and then we went into a second printing and you guys made sure THAT sold out too we had an inkling that we might actually have that BIG idea.
Since then, 13 more issues have hit the stands (with #14, the third issue of The Tide of Blood, hitting stores tomorrow), we've developed a stage show with one of Toronto's top theatre companies, Soulpepper, and seen that show tour across Canada, the U.S. and now Dubai, we've made t-shirts and buttons and all manner of ShakesGeare that people seem to like, we've been developing a mobile game and an enhanced graphic novel that we hope will take sequential storytelling to the next step, and we've been courted - quite feverently at times - by the world of Hollywood to make K.S. into T.V. or film...
So, while today is REALLY about the man who inspired us, and upon whose works all our ideas rest, we're still pretty proud of the little space we occupy for people who are excited that William Shakespeare was ever born.
Here's hoping for another 449 years from Shakespeare, and at least another 49 for Kill Shakespeare! And here's a HUGE thank-you to all of you, the fans, supporters, and Bardolaters who have taken our little idea and made it into the BIG one we hoped we had.
Conor
Kill Shakespeare is coming to HalCon and the stage!
Halifax has ALWAYS been one of our, if not our absolute, favourite shows on the schedule.
The combination of excellent organizers, a lively and interested crowd, and the hospitality Atlantic Canada is famous for makes it a winner in our books.This year we're going to be doing even more at HalCon than usual -- we're bringing the Kill Shakespeare stageshow!On Saturday at 3:45 PM Kill Shakespeare will be presented by the amazing Lion's Den Theatre in association with Vile Passeist. The two groups have banded together and have been rehearsing the show for almost a month.
Yes, a MONTH. And it isn't JUST because they'll be putting the show on at HalCon.Nope.No siree.You see THIS time around, Kill Shakespeare is going to step beyond the convention scene for THE FIRST TIME EVER.That's right, Kill Shakespeare is hitting the stage in downtown Halifax.
Kill Shakespeare at Bus Stop Theatre (2203 Gottingen Street, Halifax):
Tickets $20, $15 for students and anyone with their HalCon pass.
October 30th - 8 PM. Opening Night: stay for drinks and snacks with the cast, director and co-writer!October 31st - 8 PM Halloween Madness: Costumed guests pay student rate. Free lootbags! November 1st - 8 PMNovember 2nd - 8 PMNovember 3rd – 8 PMNovember 4th – 2 PM Matinee, 8 PM Closing Night/Trivia: Free K.S. swag for winners!We hope all of our East Coast friends will be at HalCon and can catch the free show. We'd also love it if you tweet and post about the Bus Stop theatre run.Better yet, come out with your HalCon pass and get a $5 discount and bring a friend who missed HalCon to the show.This is our chance to prove that comic culture and Shakespeare mix like chocolate and peanut butter!See you soon!Conor
The KS Live Stage Reading plays in Tucson next month!
We are proud to announce that our Kill Shakespeare: Live Stage Reading is playing next month in Tucson, AZ. The Arizona Theatre Company on Saturday, September 8th will be putting on our show as part of their Cafe Bohemia series. The show will be at 8pm and tickets go for $5. I will be in attendance at the show and am looking forward to checking it out!
This will be our first opportunity to put on the show in the U.S. (more dates to be announced) and it will also serve as a workshop reading on our revised script. I'm interested in seeing what the reaction will be.I'm also looking to set up a signing or two at a local comic shop whilst in the city so more details will be announced.I'm also looking forward to working with the team at ATC - associate artistic director Stephen Wrentmore, marketing guru Jennifer Spencer, manger Robyn Lambert, as well as local dramturg Carrie Cole. And a BIG thanks to Toby Malone for being the first person to mention our show to ATC - Toby is the best!
Blogging Shakespeare!
One of the highlights of our trip to England for two weeks this month was meeting with some of the world's top minds on Shakespeare. One such individual is Dr. Rev. Paul Edmondson, who is currently the Head of Research and Knowledge of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Dr. Edmondson is also the General Editor for Blogging Shakespeare, which is the top website devoted to Shakespeare in the world.
We sat down with Dr. Edmondson to record a short interview which went live on the site. You can listen to it by clicking on the photo of us with Dr. Edmondson below.
Vloging from Stratford-upon-Avon
Conor and I visited Stratford-upon-Avon earlier today and had some great meetings with a number of top Shakespearean scholars, movers and shakers. The rain-and-then-sunny-then-rain-again couldn't keep our spirits down as the day began with a trip to the Shakespeare Birthplace - the house that the Bard was born and raised in (and then took over and converted into a pub when he returned to Stratford as a successful playwright).Here is a brief video that I took while there... and look for a cameo from Conor (along with an educational insight)...
Heading to the U.K.!
Conor and I are in the midst of final preparation for our trip to the home country of the Bard himself, Great Britain! We fly out tomorrow to London so before we go we'd like to make official our signing dates whilst in the country!
They are:Sat, May 12 - Sun, May 13 - Bristol Comic ExpoWed, May 15 - Travelling Man ManchesterThu, May 16 - Travelling Man LeedsFri, May 17 - Forbidden Planet London MegastoreSat, May 19 - Sun, May 20 - Kapow! Comic Convention (London)For the shows in Bristol, Manchester and Leeds it will be Anthony and Conor signing, while for Forbidden Planet and Kapow! it will be all three creatives (Andy joins us for these shows!).We will, of course, be meeting with many Shakespeare scholars and actors while in the city so we're quite chuffed to spread the word overseas.Spread the word - we're bringing the Bard back to his home country!
C2E2 Camera Connection!
I know that it's been two weeks since C2E2 in Chicago but I'm only now getting around to posting some photos from the trip. I apologize for this - the last two weeks have been quite busy with the Middle East Film & Comic-Con trip, then catching up on everything. I'll also post the Dubai photos later this week.My trip to Chicago was fantastic. It's a great theatre town so obviously there were already a lot of Kill Shakespeare fans there - and we were able to make so many more! My only regret is that our book stock is pretty low so we sold out early Sunday morning.I have a LOT of people to thank for making Chicago so great. I'd like to thank my booth helper for Saturday and Sunday - the fantastic Sarah Hunter. I'd also like to thank Christina Hall and Diego, who helped out for a few hours on Friday evening. I'd like to thank the amazing team at the ALA - especially Tina Coleman - for including us in their scavenger hunt (I'll see you in June at the conference in Anaheim!). Lys Fulda for helping me out with accomodations in the city (go Chinatown!). Jenny and Chris from ReedPop who helped us secure our spot at the show. Everyone who came out to my STANDING ROOM ONLY workshop on pitching and marketing your comic. And finally, the amazing Kate Kotler for helping out through the weekend and serving as a city tour guide (from a remote distance - she was 'M' to my James Bond through the city)...Next year will be even better! I look forward to visiting the city again.Here are some pictures:
Blowing winds take us to C2E2 this weekend!
The past few weeks have been an absolute blur - and blast - which have found me in Anaheim/LA (WonderCon and meetings), Seattle (Emerald City), Boston (SAA) and, in a few days, Chicago. Which, of course, will be very promptly followed by Dubai (but more on that tomorrow...).
I'm heading to Chicago later this week to take part in C2E2, one of the largest (and fastest growing) cons in the U.S. It should be a great time - it's a city with a great theatre crowd and I know that we've sold well in Chi-town stores. I look forward to meeting with existing readers, convincing more to check us out, and hanging out in the city (it's my first time there). Amongst other things I'll be checking out the Improvised Shakespeare Company on Friday night - they are a talented troupe the improvises a Shakespeare production on the spot - should be a good time.If you're in the Chicago and surrounding area (or a surrounding state) come by and check us out! I'll be located at Booth 703 the entire weekend. Also helping me out with be the amazing Sarah Hunter as well as Christina Hall.