That DUNE: PART THREE Trailer, Comics, Art...
…and more from your long-lost pals BKV & Niko Henrichon!
How many times have YOU watched it?
Brian here, and it was an enormous honor to be a small part of director Denis Villeneuve’s next cinematic masterpiece, his bold and brilliant adaptation of Frank Herbert’s most important novel.
I’m sure I’ll have more to share closer to the film’s release on December 18, but if I were you, I’d pitch your stilltent outside the nearest IMAX today.
Thanks for all of your very kind words, especially those of you who also snapped a pic of this surreal card at the end of the Dune trailer (which is currently playing before Project Hail Mary, an instant classic featuring an annoyingly ingenious screenplay by my old chum Drew Goddard):
There were a few inevitable “So THIS is why Saga hasn’t been coming out!” comments, but obviously, I did most of my Dune work ages ago, and I’ve always happily balanced Hollywood stuff with my comics responsibilities.
So where the hell IS Saga? I’ll have a bigger update in next month’s newsletter (cue wailing and gnashing of teeth), but rest assured that our series WILL return, and co-creator Fiona Staples and I remain 100% committed to completing Hazel’s 108-chapter journey.
For now, I hope you’ve already reserved your copy of Saga: Book Four, which features a stunning new cover from Fiona and dozens of pages of amazing extras, including pin-ups from some of the coolest creators in comics.
This deluxe hardcover will initially be available EXCLUSIVELY IN COMIC SHOPS ON APRIL 15, so thanks for supporting your friendly neighborhood store!
To be continued…
If this is your first time visiting Exploding Giraffe, thanks for being here! Shared with legendary artist/frequent collaborator/dear pal Niko Henrichon, this semi-irregular newsletter-thing covers our past, present, and future creative endeavors.
“Exploding Giraffe” refers to a memorable moment from our first graphic novel, Pride of Baghdad, which will be returning to stands this September (though you can reserve a copy with your favorite comics retailer TODAY!) in a special 20th Anniversary Edition from our good friends at Image Comics, featuring never-before-seen bonus content and this magnificent new cover from Niko:
Two decades later, I’m as proud of this book as I am depressed by how relevant it remains.
My latest collaboration with Niko is Spectators, a 344-page, self-contained original graphic novel about a voyeuristic ghost from our present day and a gun-toting specter from the past haunting a future New York City on the brink of Armageddon. For adult readers only, Spectators is an extremely graphic story about the different ways we obsessively watch sex and/or violence.
Our preference is always that you please support your local comic/bookshop, but if that’s not an option where you live, the Spectators hardcover is currently available at an absurd discount from Amazon.
(Which I reluctantly mention only because most U.S. brick-and-mortar stores, including all of the ones where Niko and I signed extra stock, appear to be sold out of their copies.)
Getting to serialize Spectators here for all of you from 2021-2024 was one of the happiest experiences of my career, but I’m so grateful that everyone can now enjoy this epic story as we always intended, in one beautiful and complete collection that you can hold in your hands, and hopefully devour in a single night or two.
And thanks to all of the readers and reviewers out there who included our filthy book in their “Best of 2025” lists, including The Hollywood Reporter, Big Shiny Robot, ScreenRant, Capes & Tights, and superstar creator Jim Rugg:
In our previous installment, I was about to join Niko for the European leg of our Spectators tour, and I’m pleased to report that we survived all five trains, six planes, and several thousand espressos.
I’ll post some more photos and anecdotes from our international adventures in the next installment of Exploding Giraffe, but now it’s my pleasure to turn the controls over to Monsieur Henrichon for some thrilling news exclusively for you.
Hi, everyone! Long time no see. I thought it was about time I shared a few updates on what I’ve been up to since finishing Spectators.
First off, I worked on another book—this one for the French market—with American writer Joe Kelly. You’ve probably heard me mention it before: it’s Fang, and I recently wrapped up Volume Two. It’s actually been out for about as long as Spectators. Many of you have asked about an English edition, and while I can’t make an official announcement yet, I’ve been told that things are moving in that direction… so stay tuned!
Over the past months, I’ve also been keeping busy with a variety of smaller projects: illustrations, commissions, and comic book covers. You can see (or soon will be able to see) everything on my Instagram.
One project that’s taken up more time than expected is my Lord of the Rings sketchbook. What started as a simple drawing exercise has turned into a collection of small, detailed paintings. I’m hoping to finish it in the next few months—and I’m even planning to engrave something in gold on the cover. Work in progress! Here’s a sneak peek at how it’s looking so far:
Speaking of paintings, I’m thrilled to announce my upcoming solo exhibition in Paris at Galerie Napoléon, which also represents my work in the European and French markets. The exhibition will take place at the end of April and will mainly feature pieces from Spectators and Fang, as well as artwork from other projects.
For those of you who can’t make it to Paris, you can still purchase artwork remotely! This post gives you a bit of a head start if you’d like to reserve pieces. While prices are still being finalized, you can contact the gallery directly at contact@galerienapoleon.com for details or to make a reservation.
There’s a large selection available—over 80 pages and illustrations—including both smaller, affordable works and larger, more elaborate pieces like double-page spreads from Spectators.
For the exhibition, I also created a trio of giant Star Wars paintings. Along with Lord of the Rings, Star Wars played a huge role in shaping my early love for drawing.
Here’s a look at those three paintings—and a preview of the rest of the artwork that will be available at the show!
Sorry for the tiny resolution of these pictures. The gallery will be able to provide better images if needed. It might not be apparent in most of these pictures, but every art piece is of course signed.
Thanks for reading, and please stay tuned for news about an upcoming very cool new comics project!
-Niko