How the fuck is it already Monday again??
Brian here, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a jam-packed week of pressing deadlines ahead of me, so let’s get right to our next installment of Spectators from my dear friends and constant collaborators Fonografiks and Niko Henrichon (who fought through a bad cold to finish coloring today’s gorgeous pages; thanks, pal!):
Wait, how the hell does an old VHS clamshell of Terminator fit into all this?
We may be 86 ridiculously detailed pages deep, but Val and Sam’s story has only just begun. More free Spectators in one short week…
Being allowed to help make comics for a living is already the greatest existence imaginable, so it’s totally unfair that spoiled creators like me ALSO get so many other cool perks and amazing opportunities courtesy wonderful readers like you.
A few months ago, a wildly talented Saga reader named Mark C. Eshleman reached out to introduce himself as the Creative and Content Director for Twenty One Pilots, who just so happen to be my son’s all-time favorite band.
Cut to this past weekend, where Mark not only got my entire family in to see the duo’s breathtaking concert in Anaheim, but also gave us a crazy backstage tour where we all got to meet legendary drummer/Ohio icon Josh Dun AND his kind, hilarious and talented wife Debby Ryan, an actress my daughter happens to adore.
A+ show, and an unforgettable evening.
For maybe the first time ever, my kids were almost on the cusp of being somewhat vaguely impressed with their old man (whose singing/dancing/communicating nevertheless continues to bring them deep shame), so I’ll never be able to thank Mark and the entire Twenty One Pilots family enough.
Okay, enough boasting about my charmed life, let’s give away some more shit!
Thanks to all of you generous paid subscribers in The Tower who participated in our chat over the weekend about favorite cameos by real people in imaginary comics. While Superman vs. Muhammad Ali was frequently sighted, there was a stunning amount of affection for Dark Horse’s Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley comics.
Anyway, we randomly selected three of you commenters to receive an advance copy of Saga Volume 10 (at your friendly neighborhood comic shop October 5th):
Brett Bates
Jenny Hernandez
Flaaws
Congrats, and our intern Genesis the Exploded Giraffe will be reaching out for your mailing addresses right after they finish finally mailing out those A.N.D.G. prizes from our last contest. Sorry, all of a sudden, we’re Publishers Fucking Clearing House…
If you’re looking to hide from work and escape into more comics this afternoon, infuriatingly talented creator Matthew Rosenberg—writer of excellent books like What’s The Furthest Place From Here?, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, and We Can Never Go Home—is collaborating with a bunch of incredible artists on some extremely intriguing new projects.
Matthew’s been doing a lot of great work for Marvel and DC, but I particularly love his creator-owned stuff, and I’m always happy to help support the creation of more original comics, so this one was an insta-subscribe for me.
Sorry, I know this is last-minute, but is anyone going to be at New York Comic Con this October 6-9?
Unfortunately, I’m NOT able to attend the show itself this year, but there’s some small chance I might suddenly be in NYC earlier that week (in part to support the October 5th release of the new Saga trade), so I just wanted to see if any of you might also be in the New York City area around then?
If so, please let me know in the comments (open to everyone today), and I’ll keep you in the loop in the off-chance I might be able to put together a quick signing or something just for you loyal Exploding Giraffe readers.
Stay tuned,
BKV
You are too kind, as always. Thanks Brian!
I will be in New York for NYCC. That would be awesome Brian please keep us posted.