The studio formerly known as XOXOs (Hugs & Kisses) is now Hypothetical Island! XOXOs has had a shakeup of its members over the last year and now with the recent addition of Reilly Brown (Cable & Deadpool, The Incredible Hercules, Prince of Power) we all decided on a fresh start. In honor of George O’Connor‘s relentless hypothetical deserted island questions, we all agreed that the name, Hypothetical Island seemed appropriate. And so, on behalf of Reilly Brown, Becky Cloonan, Jason Little, George O’Connor and Kat Roberts I’d like to announce the formation of Hypothetical Island! Huzzah!

Like the man says, it’s time. Over the last while I’ve been working on my next book project for First Second called Marathon. The book, written by Boaz Yakin tells the story of the first Persian invasion of Greece at Marathon in 490BC. It’s a sweeping action epic focusing on Eucles, the messenger whose run from Athens to Sparta to Marathon and back to Athens again is instrumental in the shaping of Western civilization.

Pictured above is General Miltiades, the Athenian military genius famous for this historic tactical victory over the Persian invading force.

The book is scheduled for release the summer 2012.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the FPNYC signing last night! I had a great time meeting all the fine folks and friends of Pood both new and old. Over at the Pood blog are a number of photos from the signing. Most of them have me buried in a Pood doing a doodle. Here’s a couple for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks also to fellow Pood creators, Henrik Rehr, Bishakh Som, Mark Sunshine, Andrés Vera Martínez, Kevin Mutch, Adam McGovern and Alex for a wonderful evening!

As the poster says, I’ll be appearing at Forbidden Planet in NYC with Pood creators, Adam McGovern, Andrés Vera Martínez, Kevin Mutch, Henrik Rehr, Bishakh Som and Mark Sunshine on Thursday August 5th at 6pm to sign and doodle in copies of Pood #1! Please come out and support this exciting project (Pood #2 will be coming soon!) and this wonderful comics shop, Forbidden Planet!

Forbidden Planet
840 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
United States

Phone: 212.473.1576

Member of Facebook!? Join the Pood Facebook group and RSVP to this signing at the Facebook Event Listing!

The fine folks at 11 O’Clock Comics Podcast, VinceB, Chris Neseman, David Price, and Jason Wood talk Pood #1 in their 117th Episode. And the consensus is they love it! YAY! Special nods go out to USApe by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca and Rammy & Soupy (seen above) by yours truly!

Thanks, 11 O’Clock Comics Podcast!

This year the Harvey’s have nominated a website (!) in the Best Anthology Category–www.act-i-vate.com! This seems to reflect a significant acknowledgment of the role digital/web comics play in our current comics landscape. Among creators (who are responsible for the nominations), it’s clear that comics in digital form are comics like any other. Congratulations are in order to all the wonderful and talented creators with whom I have the privilege of being a peer at Act-i-vate. Huzzah!

Well, I stand corrected. After some investigation, it turns out that Act-i-vate.com is not nominated but the Act-i-vate publication, The Act-i-vate Primer is. So much for my proselytizing about the Harvey Awards embracing digital comics. Well, they did it by supporting the Act-i-vate Primer. Congratulations again to all who participated in that book! Huzzah!

Sorry for any confusion, folks!

Featuring: Joe Infurnari, Jim Rugg, Sara Edward Corbett, Chris Capuozzo, Connor Willumsen, Hans Rickheit, Bishakh Som, Adam McGovern, Paolo Leandri, Lance Hansen, Mark Sunshine, Tobias Tak, Andrew Vera Martinez, Fintan Taite, Henrik Rehr, Kevin Mutch, Geoff Grogan.

Pood is a larger, broadsheet-style comics anthology in the manner of DC Comics’ Wednesday Comics, featuring 16 of today’s most exciting alternative comics creators. Celebrating the variety and style of Sunday comics sections of the pre-World War II-era, each creator has a full page to display their dynamic talents in strips of comedy, adventure, parody, and science fiction.

All this for the great price of only $4! How could you go wrong!? You can’t. Here are some samplings of reviews of Pood #1:

“One of the Best Comics from the 2010 MoCCA Art Festival”
New York Daily News

“The most interesting release – the most “buzzworthy” release of the entire (MoCCA 2010) show, really, was pood #1, from Big If Comics. pood is an oversized newsprint anthology, with plenty of great-looking artists featured inside.”
Timothy Callahan
comicbookresources

“Pood pushes the envelope so far that it becomes a promise of what comics can be and an always-welcome reminder that there is no limit to the kinds of stories comics can be used to tell.”
Louis Vitela
ComicCritique

“Truly an awesome comics experience, both to hold and to read… an incredibly entertaining read. It’s an experience you won’t find easily matched in today’s comics…. something that you won’t want to miss!”
Tyler Chin-Tanner
Broken Frontier

If your local comics shop doesn’t stock it, please ask for it using Diamond Order code: MAY100817. If you are need of finding your local comics shop, visit www. comicshoplocator.com.]

Please pardon the mess while I transition the blog into a new look. Thanks!

There’s a new Slush Pile installment available at SlushPileFunnies.com. This one’s called, “The Happiness of Wonder Toe”. Enjoy!

I’ll admit things have been quiet here for a while. Besides the very long graphic novel I’ve been illustrating, I’ve been squeezing in some time for another side project, Slush Pile Funnies. Slush Pile Funnies is a gallery of some of my worst ideas become a reality. I’m really stretching the alchemical model here, folks. Here’s the blurb from the About page:

Every artist has ideas that we reject. We call them ‘bad ideas’ for any number of reasons and choose to focus our efforts on the ‘good ideas’. What if we did the opposite? What if we forced ourselves to entertain these denizens of our cerebral Salon des Refusés? How would you develop them and what form would they take? Would you still think they were ‘bad’ when you were finished? Can this mental base matter be transmuted into some kind of gold? If so, would you still believe in the existence of ‘bad’ ideas? Maybe the ultimate question is, “are there any bad ideas for art?” I don’t know but these questions are certainly a good place to start and they are the genesis of Slush Pile Funnies!

This site will be an online anthology of story ideas for graphic novels and comics that have been developed into various stages. Some will be transformed into covers while others will  have one-page synopses, excerpts etc. Most will be the product of my own warped imagination but as the site builds steam, I hope to have more contributions coming from guest creators and readers.

So there you have it. Take a look and if you’re moved to do so, please leave a comment. In the coming weeks, I expect I’ll send out official press releases and try to drum up some exposure. In the meantime, enjoy!