Big moves with comics

Hey everyone!

I’m writing to you now from my new apartment in New York City. This is exciting, obviously, but also, holy cow was moving here A LOT of work. I’ve made five moves between cities as an adult, and NYC was easily the most stressful, from the cost to finding a place to preparing the dog for a new environment. Simply put, this was an ordeal.

But we made it! And my entire book collection is shelved behind me as I type (see photo below).

Moving is uniquely stressful for comics people, I think. We tend to own an unusual amount of rare and delicate (and quite heavy) books, and we also tend to treat those books (on some level) as investments that need to be pristine to retain value. I’m less concerned about that last bit, as I hate the process of re-selling comics enough to never ever do it. Still, putting comics hardcovers in a box wrong can ding a dust jacket or bend an out-of-print paperback. And that offends me on a base level in (unhealthy) ways I can’t explain. It’s rough.

But again, we made it. And now I can also breath easier and get back to working full-time on my comics projects, in an environment that better lends itself to creative stimulation and comics community building (hopefully). More on both those things below

But first…

Thing 1: The art

This month’s commission is by Carson Thorn (Bsky; Patreon), and it features the lead character from the forthcoming series, Macabre Valley, written by me, illustrated by the great Anna Readman, colored by Brad Simpson, and lettered by Becca Carey. The book is currently in production, after an 8-page preview appeared in Death of Comics Bookcase Vol. 1, under the title, The Werewolf Priest.

Typically when I contact an artist about doing one of these pieces, I first share Death of Comics Bookcase to see if they want to do one of the characters within. If they’re game, I offer them the choice of any character in the book (some do like guidance, but, selfishly, it’s fun for me to offer and be surprised by the choice).

I was absolutely thrilled that Carson choose the unnamed protagonist from this story. The Werewolf Priest monster character has perhaps been the most popular selection in the months we’ve been doing this, and I was very pleased to get some variety. Carson’s grounded, noir-leaning style also lent itself beautifully to the character, as you can se below…

Just great stuff. And if you’re interested, Carson is currently open for new digital commissions now — don’t miss out!

Meanwhile, work continues on Macabre Valley #1, and we’re taking our time, staying patient, and making sure we do the book right. I really think this comic has the potential to be a great series. Anna is doing amazing things with the script…oh hey, maybe in a couple months there will be a Kickstarter pre-launch page for it, and I’ll be showing off some of the inks here. Maybe.

You never know!

Thing 2: My BICS recap

About a month ago, I tabled at the Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase, an excellent show that grew to two full days this year. This was the second time I tabled with Death of Comics Bookcase (which is coming up on its one-year anniversary), and it was a lot of fun.

To be totally candid, pitching an anthology where the stories are different genres with certain shared creative through lines is kind of tough. I don’t have a pithy one line hook to grab people with. I have six different pithy one-liners (one for each story), but that’s a lot to throw at a kind person who has stopped to chat.

But what the book does have, I think, is excellent art, and that’s what I find sells the book in person. People pick it up, see the character designs and colors, and that’s generally what draws them in, more than me telling people it’s my personal love letter to comics genres I like, told with a self-deprecating wink and a framing device inspired by a defunct comics blog I used to run.

I love doing it though, and what was great about BICS is it brought a steady stream of folks who were actively looking for new, weird, indie comics. Here I am on Day 2, EXHAUSTED…

One of the things I liked most about the show as meeting so many other creators local to the exact place I was moving. It was great, and I can’t wait to do/attend more events like this one.

When I have another show appearance to announce, you all will be the first to know!

Thing 3: A comics road trip with Brad Gullickson from Comic Book Couples Counseling

This whole move thing happened pretty fast — we found out we’d be moving in February, and by May it’s been settled — but I did have a window to do exactly one DMV (District-Maryland-Virginia) activity that I’d wanted to do for years — visit the iconic comic shop, Four Color Fantasies, about two hours outside the city in Winchester, Virginia.

I’d actually been seeing the shop online for years. It’s a super memorable spot, a comic book store in a small blue house. And when I say blue, I mean blue. And it’s got a sign that’s evocative of Pink Floyd. It’s really a singular, and very cool spot. And I worried that if I moved without making the trip out, I’d never have a chance to come back and see it.

At the same time, I wanted to also hang out with my pals Brad and Lisa Gullickson, the couple from my favorite comics podcast, Comic Book Couples Counseling. I’ve known Brad and Lisa for a good while, and Lisa even contributed to my old site, Comics Bookcase as far back as 2020 or so.

And while Lisa wasn’t available within the small windows I had between my tight moving schedule, Brad was kind enough to make the two-hour roundtrip drive out to Four Color Fantasies with me. And it was such a great time, talking comics, comics press, movies, and whatever else.

And Four Color Fantasies did not disappoint either. One of the things I love about certain comic shops is the sense of community they foster. The right shop can feel welcoming the first time you stop in there, and that was certainly the case here. We quickly fell into conversation with Erik Jones, who runs the shop, and Brandon Bloxdorf, of Apollo City Comics, who was just hanging out (wildly, Brandon works closely with my pal, Alex Batts, who ALSO WROTE FOR COMICS BOOKCASE! the comics community is small and excellent).

Anyway, if you’re ever anywhere close to it — or even if you’re not — this is a shop you should check out and see. It’s been around since the 1980s, and you’ll leave feeling excited about comics all over again.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Brad and Lisa have an OFFICIAL Comic Book Couples Counseling Road Trip they’ll be undertaking this summer, visiting shops and comics landmarks nationwide as they make their way to San Diego Comic Con 2025, culminating in a special live podcast with THE Daniel Warren Johnson.

Thing 4: The Beat nabs an Eisner nom

Speaking of San Diego Comic Con 2025…turns out I’ll be attending again this year! I really hadn’t planned on it, but the coolest thing happened — for the first time in its 20-plus-year history, The Beat has earned an Eisner nomination for best comics journalism.

If you don’t know, The Eisners are essentially the Oscars of comics, and they are doled out via a ceremony each year on the last night of San Diego Comic Con. I’ve attended several times, sitting way in the back and playing around on my phone while the evening proceeds.

It’ll be fun this year to attend with a major rooting interest. If you don’t know, I volunteer my services as the Reviews Editor at The Beat overseeing 7-10 posts every week. Here’s a list:

It’s a lot of work doing all this between my day job and my own creative work, but I love it. And with the media under economic assault currently from all sides, it feels important these days to help websites that cover niche industries continue to survive.

Plus, I think it’s a way of paying dues and contributing to comics, which I think is important for people who want to get things back from comics (in my case, I want people to buy and read my books).

Anyway! I’ll be going again this year, and if you have a vote in the Eisners, I’d strongly urge you to vote for The Beat, the last great comic book news/review site still standing.

Thing 5: A new Sparks album

Finally, my favorite band of all time, Sparks, released a new album this month. It’s called Mad!, and it’s the band’s staggering 28th album, an incredible feat by any measure. What makes it all the more impressive to me is that the two principal musicians in the band — Ron and Russell Mael — are 79 and 76, respectively.

I’ve listened to Mad! a few times though already, and it’s as catchy as any Sparks album, melodically. My favorite thing about the band, however, is the humor in their song writing. And that remains intact here as well. Sparks are serious musicians, make no mistake, absolute masters of pop art. But through the years as songwriters they’ve always maintained a sense of levity within their work, and I find inspirational.

I think any self-aware artist who puts the necessary amount of time into their craft will at a certain point start to see it as ridiculous. To me, making art is inherently ridiculous. You have to take your ideas and feelings so seriously, and at a certain point, that seriousness compels you to laugh. I feel it making my comics. I get so into many of my premises, that I start to poke fun at those same premises, or at least to try to turn them on their head.

And I think I gleaned that sensibility and playfulness in part from all the time I’ve spent listening to Sparks.

Anyway, if you’re familiar with the band, I’m certain you’ll like this year’s new album. If you’re new to Sparks, however, there are probably better places to start. I’d probably recommend starting out with No. 1 In Heaven, playing that into the ground, and then jumping to Angst In My Pants from there. That’s my recommended gateway into Sparks.

Conclusion

That does it for this month folks. I will, of course, be back in June. Now, I’m off to continue training my miniature dachshund, Rodolfo, to have positive associations with his new home, mostly through feeding him hunks of boiled chicken from a small baggie out of my pocket whenever there’s a stressor in the environment.

Here’s a photo of him on one of our lunch walks, enjoying Prospect Park.

Cheers, be well, and please forgive any and all typos above!

-Zack Q.