SPECTATORS - Part Twenty-one
Plus, updates on SAGA and PAPER GIRLS, and Niko tackles STAR WARS!
Hey, you.
Look, I know almost everything in the world seems to be rapidly worsening, and it is, but for the next few minutes, at least you’ve got some new Spectators from artist/co-creator Niko Henrichon and acclaimed letterer/designer of Saga Fonografiks.
And it’s still free! A tiny oasis of comfort amidst the vast desert of end-stage capitalism…
Next Monday, we’ll be releasing our second lengthy collection of Spectators, this one containing pages 31-60, the perfect companion to our first 30-page “collected edition,” and an opportunity for you and your oddball friends to get caught up on our serialized erotic/horror/supernatural/comedy/sci-fi/drama graphic novel.
On that Fourth of July, in lieu of more original pages (which Niko is already hard at work banking), we’ll instead be offering some of our coolest prizes yet, so we hope you’ll take a break from your holiday barbecuing and/or regular workday to join us.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this past weekend’s fascinating chat concerning sentience and artificial intelligence, inspired by this Exploding Giraffe post about A.I.-generated artwork, which included surreal attempts by Fiona Staples to reverse-engineer her design of Lying Cat using MidJounrey:
Anyway, congrats to these three randomly selected paid subscribers from The Tower, who’ll be receiving some sweet Saga swag, including my last few Fiona Staples-signed prints:
Jose Gomez
“Burtzor”
Jason Hart
Congrats again, and if our intern Genesis the Exploded Giraffe doesn’t already have your mailing address, they’ll be in touch for it soon.
If you follow Niko Henrichon on Instagram, you’ve already seen that—in between creating these jaw-dropping pages of Spectators—he’s also been hard at work on another big batch of full-color sketches for our wildly generous Founders.
We’re still getting these Exploding Giraffe Prize Packages (which also contain a valuable back issue from my personal collection and an exclusive signed script to Saga #1) out to Founders who signed up during our first few weeks, but we hope to mail out the rest to everyone throughout the summer, so thanks again for your kind patience. Niko is really going to town on this original art, and we’ll be covering your shipping costs to anywhere in the world, so I hope that makes the waiting a little easier.
Regardless, we’ll only be offering this particular Founder tier through the end of July, so if you want to upgrade your subscription, now’s the time!
And if you’re a Founder who hasn’t yet heard from us, please first check your sp@m folder for a message from explodinggiraffesubstack@gmail.com, but if there’s nothing there, feel free to reach out directly to our helpful mascot Genesis at that address anytime.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to share this yet, but fuck it, check out this rad spy photo from Cool San Diego Sights of one the trolleys some of you will be seeing and/or riding at Comic-Con in just a few weeks:
Co-creator Cliff Chiang and I will have some more Paper Girls news to share soon, but for now, our friends at Image Comics have already announced two Comic-Con signings that we’ll be doing with our beloved Paper Girls collaborators colorist Matt Wilson and letterer Jared Fletcher at Booth #1915:
Thursday, July 21 - 4pm – 5pm – Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, Jared Fletcher (Paper Girls) [TICKETED]
Saturday, July 23 - 4pm – 5pm – Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, Jared Fletcher (Paper Girls) [TICKETED]
According to Image, “Signings marked [TICKETED] will require a wristband. Wristbands will be given out at the booth as soon as the convention floor opens on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets will be available for attendee, retailer, and professional badge-types only, unless otherwise stated, no exhibitors. There will be a limit of 3 items per person for ticketed signings unless otherwise noted. All items presented for signing are subject to review and denial by staff. No CGC, CBCS, or other witnessing/grading.”
Sounds like wristbands for those particular signings will be tough to score, but I’m trying my damndest to find a way to do something additional just for you paid Exploding Giraffe subscribers who might make it to San Diego, so please stay tuned.
Still have some time to kill this afternoon?
I had a really fun time speaking with podcaster, social activist, and Wah Lum Kung Fu instructor (she was the model for Disney’s Mulan!), Mimi Chan, whose excellent show was first recommended to me by Greg Rucka.
Thanks again for the very thoughtful conversation, Mimi!
Finally, an update for you strong-willed trade-waiters of Saga:
Our next collection will finally be in stores everywhere this October 5th. Fiona, Image and I decided to hold off releasing this one just a little longer than usual, in hopes that some of you might decide to instead join us for our individual monthly issues and support the local comic shops that carry them.
But we love you no matter how you decide to read our series! Regardless, because of a small scheduling hiccup, Chapter Sixty (which was originally going to be on shelves this week) will now be out next Wednesday, July 6th.
If you’re terrified of spoilers, I strongly suggest reading it the second you can get your hands on it…
To Be Continued, the letter column at the back of every issue, will also have details about our schedule moving forward, but don’t worry, Saga will never again disappear for as long as we had to during our midpoint intermission.
And speaking of To Be Continued, this Friday, you paid subscribers to Exploding Giraffe will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at exactly how we put together Saga’s long-running “analog” letter column featuring the greatest readers in comics. Plus, my embarrassing personal answers to the long-awaited Saga Reader Survey!
For now, I was curious if you’re planning to escape your stale quarantine bubble and do any traveling this summer? If so, please let us know in the chat where you hope to head!
On the road again,
Brian
I kindly request you overnighting next week's SAGA to me this week as I will be out of town next week. This means I will have to make sure my LCS holds the issue for me AND I will have to avoid spoilers for a week and a half?? That seems like cruel and unusual punishment. So again, please go ahead and send me an advance copy. Genesis has my address. Thank you. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
Sentences like this; “If you’re terrified of spoilers, I strongly suggest reading it the second you can get your hands on it…” really stress me out Brian.