Giving away some signed comics!
Plus, come hang out with BKV & Niko Henrichon!
Hey, what are you up to this Friday?
Brian here, and if you’re anywhere near the Los Angeles area, I hope you’ll join me at the world-famous Skylight Books at 7pm this Friday, October 3rd.
Please note that this is a ticketed event, but a copy of Spectators is included with your purchase, and yes, you can definitely bring along a couple of extra items for me to sign.
Plus, if you mention that you’re a subscriber to Exploding Giraffe when we meet, I’ll also have a cool bonus gift for you, while supplies last!
(That’s in addition to the prizes I’ll bring with me exclusively for you loyal members of The Tower who still remember your old secret password.)
After I’m finished with this tour in support of Spectators, I’ll be going back into hiding for a while, so this will probably be my fellow Californians’ last chance to see me for the foreseeable future (unless you happen to spot my dog Milkshake and me ambling around the Valley some night).
Anyway, I’m really looking forward to this one, so thanks very much for coming by to hang for a bit.
And for those of you who’ve been dying to meet the true talent behind Spectators, good news, my creative better half Niko Henrichon will be joining me at New York Comic Con next week!
Sorry that his commission list is fully booked, but never fear, you’ll have other opportunities to score a Henrichon original at the show.
Here’s an update from the legend himself:
Hey friends and Tower members, I don’t often make it over to your side of the pond, but I’ll be in New York City for Comic Con!
If you’d like to meet up and maybe get your copy of Spectators signed, I’ll be at Artist Alley, booth D22, with the Essential Sequential team.
What can you get from me? Well, it’s quite simple: I’ve included examples of the types of sketches I can create. For the show, I’m offering a few affordable options:
A simple remarque for $50 (like the Val and Sam sketches)
A nice drawing for $100 (similar to the Val piece next to Batman)
A super-nice drawing for $200 (like the Batman sketch)
I can draw characters from Spectators (no nudity, please, since it’s a family-friendly show) or, if preferred, a favorite character from comics, movies, or other well-known stories. Sketches can be done directly inside your book or on a separate sheet.
Also, I will have, via Essential Sequential, a set of signed prints made for the occasion representing Spectators, Pride of Baghdad, Superman/Krypto, Hulk/Wolverine, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Looking forward to seeing you there and finally meeting a few Tower members in real life.
Thanks, mon ami.
Niko and I will also be doing a panel together on Saturday, October 11th:
Image Comics – Let’s Talk Comics LIVE: Brian K. Vaughan & Niko Henrichon
Join us for an in-depth conversation with master storytellers Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon as they share details about their new graphic novel Spectators, as well as their past, present and future work in comics.Sat, Oct 11, 2025 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Javits-Room 1C03
If the Essential Sequential folks don’t mind me crashing, I’ll also try to swing by their booth to sign copies of Spectators, etc. Follow my dumb Instagram for more updates, won’t you?
And if you weren’t able to get tickets to NYCC, don’t despair!
At 7pm on Thursday, October 9th, Niko and I will also be signing at one of my favorite bookstores in the world, The Strand!
Sorry, I know that ad just features my smug mug, but I promise that my equal co-author on Spectators will also be in attendance at this ticketed event, which is open to everyone, and includes a gorgeous hardcover copy of our filthy graphic novel.
Santa says that Spectators is the perfect holiday gift to give your naughty friends, so if you’ve already purchased a copy for yourself, why not take care of all your seasonal shopping needs by picking up an autographed edition or two for your perverted pals?
In our next installment of Exploding Giraffe, I’ll tell you more about my upcoming signings in Annapolis and Baltimore, as well as the European leg of this excursion with Niko, but if you won’t be able to visit any of those locales, and if your friendly neighborhood comic/book retailer has already sold out of Spectators, you can still order copies from places like:
And I’ve extended our final giveaway of signed bookplates (still available exclusively in select comic shops!) until one week from today, so if you’d like a shot at winning one, or maybe even being selected to receive this original Niko Henrichon sketch of Val…
…please just share a photo of you holding up your hard copy of Spectators to social media, tag Niko and/or yours truly in the image, and you’ll be automatically entered in our final drawing.
The team and I have been moved by all of the thoughtful reviews for our book from diverse outlets including The Lewiston Tribune…
…CBR…
…and Comic Book Club…
…but I don’t think any review has helped move units quite as well as this unintentional endorsement from a reader at Amazon:
Might use that blurb on our next printing.
Seriously, I’m enormously proud of the years of hard labor that Niko and Fonografiks invested in Spectators, and grateful for those of you who’ve taken the time to read our work and share your thoughts — scandalized or otherwise.
Finally, who wants some free shit?!
The good folks at Rebellion just sent me my comp copies of Battle Action Volume Three, the latest hardcover collection featuring classic British comic characters in brand-new stories from some of the best creators in the medium (and this dirty Yank).
I collaborated on a nasty little standalone tale set in the world of Kids Rule OK (about a plague that kills off all the adults on the planet) with genius artist Chris Burnham, and I’m positively chuffed with how it turned out.
This volume is in finer comic shops around the world RIGHT NOW, and even if you’re not familiar with a lick of the original source material, I promise you’re still going to love every page of this collection, which happens to feature work from some of my favorite writers/pub mates, including Rob Williams, who just sent me this trailer for a fantastic-looking new indie film that he wrote the screenplay for, and which will be in theaters next month:
Speaking of killer cinema, what are the best films YOU’VE seen so far this year?
I haven’t been to the movies as much as I’d like in 2025 (too busy watching baseball; go Guards!), but I did love Black Bag, Friendship, One Battle After Another, and especially Weapons.
Let us know your favorites in the comments, and our semi-fictional intern Genesis the Exploded Giraffe will once again come out of retirement to randomly select a couple of you cinephiles to receive an autographed copy of Battle Action.
For now, it’s back to the ol’ writing cave to work on more comics (my script for the first issue of this mysterious new ongoing series is 50 fuckin’ pages long!), but I hope to see you out in the real world soon.
Peace,
BKV
Superman was truly wonderful - I can't imagine anyone on here didn't see and love it.
Sinners was incredibly well done... that musical flashback through history scene is pure genius and blew my mind.
The Naked Gun made me laugh and laugh and laugh... which wasn't the case for the four elderly women a few rows in front of me.
I'm not sure I would call it "high art", but the new Naked Gun film was the kind of silly fun that the world desperately needs right now. It deftly balanced paying homage to, and maintaining the sensibilities of, the original films while modernizing the concept for contemporary audiences.