Paul Tobin (Dot) Net

Bandette Hardcover… THIS week!!!

Okay, so the Bandette Hardcover was supposed to be out last week, but there was a bit of an irritating snafu at the distributors. That’s okay… I’ve had some VERY wise people calm me with their wisdom.

So please look in your favorite comic store, bookstore, or alternative dimension for the Eisner award winning, Bandette, available for the first time in print! I’m pretty confident it will be there THIS time.

And… as always, let us know what you think. I’m very proud of this book, as is Colleen Coover, MonkeyBrain Comics, and Dark Horse Comics… and I thank everyone for coming together to make it a reality.

Plants Vs. Zombies signing!

Hey! If you’re in the Portland area, I’ll be doing a signing tomorrow, November 9th, for my Plants Vs. Zombies: Lawnmageddon hardcover! Artist Ron Chan and colorist Matthew Rainwater will be there as well. And a zombie. And you can play the game, and gobble free food and drinks, and win prizes, and TRAVEL THROUGH TIME, but only forward, one minute at a time, you know… in the usual way.

Bandette Vol. 1: Out this Wednesday! Presto!

I know… it’s been a long wait… but the day is nearly here! But… when will it happen?

Volume One of the Eisner-winning Bandette comes out THIS VERY WEDNESDAY. There is no longer any need to continue staring at your computer screens, waiting for news.

Colleen Coover and I, in conjunction with Monkeybrain, and Dark Horse Comics, are quite pleased to release a hardcover print edition of Bandette, and all for the low price of $14.99. At that price for a hardcover, you will feel… fittingly… like a thief, all while reading the adventures of the world’s greatest of thieves, her adventures with the urchins, the police, and of course… chocolate bars.

Because, yes… IT IS TIME.

Colder vol. 1 Collected Trade: TODAY

Juan Ferreyra and I, along with the fine folks at Dark Horse, are pleased to present the collected volume of Colder. Horror comics at their most unsettling! All the beautiful goodness from the series and…

... a couple new surprises as well.

So… pick up the collected trade TODAY at all fine comic stores, and then read it on the bus and other public places, starting interesting conversations with total strangers concerning the cover.

Hello. Would you like to talk to me?

Jack Kirby: Super Suave

Couple more historical images from the whooshing years of Marvel Comics. These images come from the excellent work of Sean Howe. Here’s his twitter, and his tumblr.

And here’s Sean’s write-up for the image, which I find fascinating.

Jack Kirby Photographed in the Marvel Offices, 1966

Along with this other shot, the above photograph of Kirby is a rare glimpse of the Marvel offices of the 1960s. It includes many Marvel Comics (or cover proofs of about-to-be-published Marvel Comics) cover-dated in June and July 1966. (Again, the cover dates of comics at the time were roughly three months ahead of the publication date.)

It’s possible that the other photograph, of Kirby with original art for Tales of Suspense #76 (cover date April 1966) was taken at a later date than that prop would suggest, and that he’s simply pretending, for the camera, to work on a finished-long-ago inventory page. (Why would he be coming into the office in a suit to touch up the inks on a cover?)

Maybe they were taken on the same day?

Stan the Man: two photos

I really love these two images of Stan Lee. They have such history to them, with all the books he / Marvel was publishing at the time. You can see in the first image that “Marvel” as we know it hadn’t sprung from the fertile minds of Jack and Stan, yet. And then in the second image it’s full swing. Also… clear and indisputable evidence that publishing great comics grows your hair back!

Prepare To Die!… out in trade edition!

So, for those of you who were waiting for the trade / softcover edition of my superbly-and-gratifyingly acclaimed Prepare To Die! novel, it is time. Read it in bed. Read it on the beach. Read it at the park. On the toilet. On the train. On the train toilet. Read it at cafes and ignore the cute barista trying to get your attention because you’re far too into the book. Just… read it. Thank you.

You can get the book… here at Amazon.

Or here at Barnes & Noble.

Or at any proper bookstore, and many other places you might find. Let me know where you grab copies from. That sort of thing interests me.

The Stork dropped off a big box of these babies at my apartment. And I'm going to sell them. I guess I'm a horrible person. But a good author!

and then… ANOTHER free Bandette story: With Erika Moen!

It’s time for a decidedly different style of Urchin Story, the short (2 or 3 page) stories that focus on side characters from the Eisner-winning Bandette universe. This time, it’s the newest and youngest urchin of them all… Belda, introduced in the 5th installment of Bandette! And, this installment is illustrated by the splendid Erika Moen! Erika is currently working on a fun-loving online guide to sex toys, called Oh Joy, Sex Toy!… so I thank her VERY MUCH for taking the time to add to the Bandette universe. We’ve had this comic ready to go for a few months, but had to wait until Belda actually premiered in the comic. SO happy to have it finally out in the world.

HERE’S THE LINK TO THE STORY!

See? I told you it was a decidedly different Bandette story.

AND… if you haven’t read the other free Urchin Stories… all of them written by me and illustrated by pals… they’re right here!

Let’s begin with… the free Matadori story by Mitch Gerads

Here’s… the free Monsieur story by Alberto Alburquerque

And… the free Monsieur story by Rich Ellis

Plus… the free Pimento story by Jennifer Meyer

Also… the free B.D. Belgique story illustrated by Steve Lieber

And then… the free story on Manon, Adalind and Kiyomi (the 3 Ballerinas) by Jonathan Case

Don’t forget… the free Heloise story by Tina Kim

BANDETTE # 5 is HERE! Plus… bonus new FREE story

So, it’s time for BANDETTE # 5, with the intro of a rather horrible new villain, and the final (?) fate of Matadori, and Bandette’s lesson on folly! But that’s not the only new Bandette today! Artist Mitch Gerads and I have teamed up on a brand new, FREE story about Matadori, everyone’s favorite teenage sword-wielding assassin. That’s right… TWO new Bandette stories!

TWO new Bandette stories? How will you choose?

YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE! You can get both!

CLICK HERE FOR BANDETTE ON COMIXOLOGY.

AND THE NEW FREE STORY IS HERE!

AND… if you haven’t read the other free Urchin Stories, they’re right here!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE MONSIEUR STORY by Alberto Alburquerque

And… the free Monsieur story by Rich Ellis

And… the free Pimento story by Jennifer Meyer

And… the free B.D. Belgique story illustrated by Steve Lieber

And… the free story on Manon, Adalind and Kiyomi (the 3 Ballerinas) by Jonathan Case

And… the free Heloise story by Tina Kim

New FREE Bandette “Urchin Story” by Rich Ellis

YES! It’s once again time for a brand new FREE Bandette story! Why do we keep putting out FREE Bandette stories? One simple reason. Colleen Coover and I want everyone on Earth to have the same joy of life that Johnny Cash had whenever he was eating cake.

Just LOOK at that guy.

This time, I’ve teamed up with artist Rich Ellis, who you might remember as the artist for Memorial over at IDW, or you might remember him for the years he spent as Jet Jaguar, protecting Japan from giant monsters.

Artist Rich Ellis

If you’re unfamiliar with the Urchin Stories, it’s where I team up up with artist friends to delve into the stories of some of the characters in BANDETTE who deserve a bit more screen time. This time, Rich and I have teamed up for a brand new three page Monsieur story, which you can read by clicking RIGHT HERE.