Newses and Newses
Short one this time, mainly with a bunch of news and stuff for you folks to do if you so feel.
First, The Fables of Erlking Wood, the acclaimed original graphic novel by Juni Ba and myself, is back on Kickstarter for a crispy new softcover edition. If you’ve missed the news on this, Erlking was originally published as a deluxe hardcover via a stunningly successful Kickstarter campaign, and proceeded to be nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album, and helped net Juni a nomination for Best Writer/Artist.
The first print run has sold out, and this is the perfect chance to get in on a more affordable version of the book. This is a book that I’m incredibly proud of, and I can’t wait for you folks to read it in this new form.
(By the time I got around to posting this, we were already fully funded, so this is definitely happening.)
In Your Skin #3 came out two weeks ago – 24th June. I missed marking it here, because I was in a bit of a hectic period at work, which is now thankfully over. There’s only one more issue to go, which brings it all together. Issue 4 will be out on 29th July.
On issue 3, AIPT said:
In Your Skin #3 explores the corrupting influence of fame and how it shapes someone’s identity as the horror series races toward its end. The creators of this comic have crafted a gruesome yet compelling tale, and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
And Nerd Initiative continues to rate us 10/10 while saying:
Issue after issue, Bidikar continues to prove he’s a master of horror, whether he realizes it or not. Paired with the expertly nauseating work of Pal and Segala, In Your Skin is continuing to be one of the best of this generation.
As part of their Pride Month, League of Comic Geeks asked me what comics I’ve been reading recently. These are all books that are either currently serialising, or just wrapped up and are waiting to be collected. They’re all good comics, Bront.
Finally, in terms of news, The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba, Chris O’Halloran and myself, edited by Chris Conroy, won the American Library Association’s inaugural award for Outstanding Comics (Young Adult).
As I said above, things have finally calmed down after a hectic few months (hectic semester, honestly). I’ve got work on my plate, but nothing that’s due this week. I finally feel like I’m settling into the new place. It feels weird, after eight years in one house, but I’m finding things I like here, such as sitting in the balcony with my coffee and looking at the greenery outside, which there was little of in the old place.
I’m finally able to think, and to shut off the computer for long periods of time, and go for walks.
I’m still contemplating next steps. Nothing too far into the future – I don’t think it’s yet time to make any kind of long-term commitments. I’m trying to see what I’d like to do for the next couple of months.
I’m still trying to figure out how to prioritise my health. I’ve learnt, over the years, how to do difficult things – things that require willpower, which need effort in the short term but pay off in the long term. But taking care of my health is something I’m still finding difficult. Things aren’t as bad as they were in 2020-22, but I’d still like to be fitter than I am at the moment. A few weeks spent on this would be useful, I think.
On the writing front, I’m weighing up a few options for what the next thing should be. In Your Skin was one of those books where, if you’d told me I could only make one book in my life, this was it. So once that’s done, what do you do next? There are various considerations – do I continue in the weird/grimy vein, do I write something a bit more fun/poppy, what should the format be, figuring out potential costs and returns. In the end, I’ll listen to my heart – I just want to lay all these things out for consideration.
In the meantime, I’m writing a few short comic scripts to cleanse my palette. I don’t know if I’ll do anything with these – it feels worth it to write them and then set them aside for a bit. We’ll see.
Right now, K’s back in town after traveling for a bit. I’m looking forward to spending some time with her, reading some books and some comics. It’s a nice life.