ComixTribe

• Hard to believe it’s been half a year since ComixTribe launched already.  Where does the time go?

• ComixTribe continues to slowly grow in terms of both traffic and reputation.  The Proving Grounds continues to get rave reviews, as it should, for providing a genuine service to comic writers not found elsewhere.  I think we’re meeting our mission statement, and I’m excited about some of the articles, interviews, and features we have in the pipeline.  Good stuff coming!

• We’ve added a great asset to the ‘Tribe in the form of writer John Lees.  His reviews of independent comics in the Creator Owned Zone are some of the most thoughtful and constructive on the internet.  John has been a tireless supporter of ComixTribe, and we’re thrilled to have his contributions to the site.

• And speaking of John, we’re excited to have launched The Standard #1 under the ComixTribe banner. The Standard is a project John’s poured a lot of blood, sweat and tears into over the past few years, under the editorial guidance of Steven Forbes.  It was a no brainer for us to want to bring John into the ComixTribe fold from a publishing standpoint. And with strong reviews like this and this and this, it was clearly a smart move on our part!  Keep tabs with all things The Standard at it’s official blog, and if you haven’t read issue #1 yet, you can do so right here, thanks to Graphic.ly:

• And speaking of, we’re very excited about the strong work being done over at Graphic.ly, and are thrilled with their revamped publisher pages.  If you haven’t checked out the new and improved ComixTribe publishers page at Graphic.ly, please check it out.  We have a catalog of 10 titles and counting, with more to come soon.

 

Tears of the Dragon

• Tears of the Dragon – Volume 1 is now on sale at Amazon.com.  (Getting a book on Amazon, the world’s largest book seller, is a bit of a milestone.  check that one off!)

• The stories that comprise volume one have been split up and sold in issue form via a number of distribution channels.  In particular, I find the Graphic.ly panel to panel transition mode to be a great way to experience the story.  (Especially on the iPad.)  I’ll share those here:

 

• On the webcomic side, we’ve finished posting the second chapter, Torvuld’s Plight, at TOTDcomic.com earlier this month.  We’re currently on hiatus until August 1, when Chapter 3: The Assassin, begins.  In some regards, this chapter is where the story really begins, and everything previous, merely a preamble.  We open with a huge battle scene, introduce a number of colorful new characters, and meet Princess Yordania, age 19.  If you’ve been a TOTD fan from the beginning, things start paying off this August.

EPIC

• EPIC production continues, though not at the pace Matt or I would ideally like.  Unfortunately, life has a way of interfering with making comics.  Matt and I (and the rest of the incredible creative team) are firmly committed to the project, it’s just taking longer than expected.  Right now, we’re about 40% done with the first bonus-sized 32 page first issue.  Trust us, though…it’ll be worth the wait.

• In the meantime, however, I’m pleased to report that the EPIC/Dynagirl Free Comic Book Day digital offering we put out across a number of platforms has been viewed or downloaded by more than 7,500 people and counting.  If you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favor and enjoy:

The Red Ten

• The Red Ten #1 production is well-underway.  Cesar Feliciano is a good seven pages in on pencils, and is producing strong work.  Cesar’s pal Jimmy Tournas is inking this project, and we’re expecting inked pages to start coming in shortly.  I’ve been doing some preliminary lettering tests, to establish a style and template for the series.  All in all, things are looking good.

• The Red Ten is an ambitious project.  It’s a 10-issue mini-series, a murder mystery, with a large cast of characters.  (Of course, that cast gets cut down one by one with each issue…)  Still, it’s a large ensemble, and juggling all of the characters has been a challenge.  The series is plotted out in broad strokes, and I recently completed the script on issue #2.  My goal is to have at least the first three issues scripted by the time Cesar finishes pencils on issue #1.

• Readers will be able to get their first taste of The Red Ten at this year’s ComiCONN in August, where we’ll be debuting a sketch cover ashcan preview of issue #1.  Cesar and I actually met at ComiCONN last year, and this year we will be tabling next to each other.  It only seemed fitting we debut this collaborative project at the second annual show.

Conventions & Appearances

• This summer convention schedule is actually quite light, as I’m spending the bulk of the summer focusing on producing new material, rather than selling it.
• Unfortunately, I will not be going to the Baltimore Comic Con this year.  While I love the Baltimore show, and Baltimore area fans have been great to me in past years, I just could not justify it this year.  That said, I plan on making a big return to the BCC in 2012.
• I may try to do a local event or in-store appearance this summer…still working out the details.
• As for the conventions I will be attending, here’s how the rest of the year looks:

August 27, 2011
ComiCONN, New Stamford, CT
September 10, 2011
“Faster than a Speeding Bullet: An Exploration of Funnies, Superheroes and Comic Book Art”, Stamford, CT
September 17-18, 2011
New England Comic Con, Boston, MA
October 14-16, 2011
New York Comic Con, New York, NY

And that’ll about do it for the comics update.  Believe it or not, this is only a fraction of what I have going on in life as a whole.  Crazy times, but crazy in a good way.  Thanks for checking in!

Creator Owned Publishers Join Forces to Release Free Digital Crossover Comic.

To celebrate this weekend’s Free Comic Book Day event, creator-owned publishers ComixTribe and Red Handed Studios have joined forces to digitally release a crossover between their flagship titles. What happens when a teenage superhero whose only weakness is his libido teams up with America’s hottest supermom? Find out as EPIC joins forces with DYNAGIRL to take on the incomparable threat of INDESTRUCTOTRON! In addition to this never before seen crossover, the FREE 54-page comic also includes:

• A Dynagirl solo story by Cary Kelley and Harold Edge.
• An 8-page inked preview of EPIC #1 by Tyler James, Matt Zolman and Vic Moya.
• A preview of The Standard by John Lees and Jonathan Rector.
• A preview of Runners by Steven Forbes and Mac Radwanski.
• Additional pin-ups, previews, and more!

Download a free PDF version of the ComixTribe/Red Handed Studios Free Comic Book Day release here!

Or read it online right here:

Thanks for reading and if you like the book please share!

About ComixTribe ComixTribe is a new publisher of creator-owned comics, including EPIC, Tears of the Dragon, and The Standard, with several new titles debuting this fall.  In addition to being a publishing imprint, ComixTribe is also an online community, with the mission statement: Creators helping creators make better comics.  Visit ComixTribe.com or email publisher Tyler James (tyler.james@comixtribe.com) to learn more. About Red Handed Studios Red Handed Studios has been an independent publisher of comics and graphic novels since 2009.  Its titles include the hit mini-series Fallen Justice and the ongoing superhero series Dynagirl, with several new titles debuting soon.  Visit the Red Handed Studios website to learn more, or contact publisher Cary Kelley (info@redhandedstudios.com) to learn more. About Free Comic Book Day Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops.  This year, Free Comic Book Day is May 7, 2011.  To find out more about Free Comic Book Day, or to find a participating comic shop in your area, head to the official FCBD website. Please support your local retailers!

Great news! The SOLD OUT EPIC #0, a smash hit at cons across the country this fall, is NOW AVAILABLE for digital download from Graphic.ly for just $0.99, a whopping $4 less than the print version. (Take that Marvel and DC!) Graphic.ly is an exciting new platform for comics content: there’s a desktop application, a web-browsing app, and apps for iPhone, iPad, and Windows 7 phones.

You can find EPIC #0 in the independent publishing section, under the new imprint COMIXTRIBE, which you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the very near future. Download the Graphic.ly app to your preferred device for free. Or, if you’d like to download it from the web app, go here directly!

EPIC is written by Tyler James, drawn by Matt Zolman, and colored by Ty Tyner.

About EPIC

After a freak accident gives teenager Eric Ardor incredible abilities, he enthusiastically joins the ranks of the superpowered set as the masked crusader EPIC. He quickly learns he’s one of the most powerful heroes around: super strength, speed, flight, invulnerability. You name it, he’s got it. Unfortunately, he’s also just discovered his only weakness…beautiful girls! Eric’s powers are inexplicably linked to the attraction and arousal center of his brain. While other boys his age lose their cool around hot chicks, EPIC loses his powers! Living in Miami, home to the zaniest super-villians AND the most beautiful women in America, it’s gonna be a problem…

For a closer look at EPIC, check out the Digital Ashcan Preview to the right, in the featured comic section of this website.

Artist Matt Zolman and I are thrilled to present a sneak peek of EPIC, the new superteen comic we are co-creating which will be making its debut this summer at the Baltimore Comic Con this summer.  This is a project we started work on last December, and we’re excited to start sharing it with the world.

Check Out the Digital Ashcan Preview Below! (Read in full-screen mode for best viewing.)