a comics day most high
herba vobiscum
Those strange Monday transmissions keep coming through…keep your receivers open. We don’t always have to understand a message for it to mean something.
Happy Wednesday, my friends. Today is a High Holy Day in some parts of the world, so if you enjoy and partake, please do so safely, responsibly, and with enough snacks. My god, don’t find yourself without snacks.
Wanna take a sec today to shout out the Last Prisoner Project, an amazing nonprofit who works tirelessly to free the overwhelmingly Black and POC population of incarcerated people spending their 4-20 behind bars for marijuana-related offenses while overwhelmingly white cannabis professionals rake in money.
I live in California, and we still have plenty of work to do ourselves on this front.
If you’re headed to the comic shop today and need a fix, THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE WAR ON WEED is my recommendation. Gerry Duggan, Scott Koblish, and Brian Posehn (of Deadpool legend) have put together a one-shot that’s pure 80’s stupid action in the best and funniest way, a real gravity bong rip of a comic that donates $1 per issue to the Last Prisoner Project and doesn’t shy away from the truth about the War on Drugs from panel one. Doesn’t let up off their necks. Hell yeah.
CATWOMAN 42 came out yesterday, so if you’re catching up on your Wednesday comics, don’t forget to include us. It’s the fourth part in our opening story, a tail of women who go unseen and unheard - except by one another. Selina has always been the defender of those kind of people to me, and it’s a big part of her new friendship with Dario. It’s easy to defend the ‘innocent’ but harder to defend the complicated.
It’s been important to me, as a queer person, to walk a certain a line telling this story. It can be tempting to give into the ‘beating up violent homophobes’ fantasy, but what’s important to me is to write people like me who interact with their world in ways that others might not see, or think of, ways that are imperfect and oft messy. Ways that don’t always meet people’s standards of ‘positive representation.’ Characters like Selina, Eiko, and Dario are all openly queer, and also criminals - and their world includes a lot of people who are not like them. It gives them a sense of fellowship I relate to - the wordless relaxation that comes with being around your people.
And that kind of fellowship can lead to powerful, powerful action. Important stuff to remember, lately.
CATWOMAN 43 brings us high-octane grindhouse-style madness via our guest artist, the incredible BENGAL - holy shit - and back to bring some of the wildest colors I’ve ever seen her do - Jordie Bellaire! This issue turned out phenomenal, you guys. A short weekend road trip to give Selina some fun with fellow Gotham Siren and known Hot Bestie Harley Quinn. I’m a little obsessed - I made them roller skate.
One last bit of exciting DC news - You may have seen the Table of Contents for the upcoming DC PRIDE issue get released the other day! You did indeed spot me there, alongside Evan Cagle. Evan and I put together a fun, bisexual noir story that gives Jo Mullein what she sorely needs after watching Blade Runner one too many times. If you’re not familiar with Jo, for heaven’s sakes go read Far Sector.
Evan was cool enough to brainstorm the approach with me, and we settled on beautiful blacks and greys with an illuminative spot color in green that is just - chef’s kiss. Jo looks so damn good! I want to show you the tiniest part of it…maybe next week!
On the Marvel front, I missed posting it here, but the Excalibur vol. 4 TPB came out on March 2nd, meaning you can now have a complete collection of paperbacks of our 26-issue run! Those Excalibur hardcovers are gonna look so good on either side of your X OF SWORDS books, wow.
If you got one of our beautiful hardcovers of issues 1-12, there is, I believe, a vol. 2 of that on the way as well.
If you’re waiting for more from me on the X-front…
KNIGHTS OF X IS OUT FROM ME AND BOB QUINN APRIL 27TH! TELL YOUR ENTIRE LOCAL ROUND TABLE TO ASK FOR A COPY BY NAME.
Seriously, printing is a nightmare right now, and pre-orders have never been more important. And while you’re thinking about Knights #1, pre-order KNIGHTS OF X #2, or just ask your local shopkeep for it. They should be able to help you out. And it is vitally, crucially important that you do.
Busy day around here so I’m going to pop off for now, and I’ll have some extra recommendations and good stuff for you to enjoy next week. Enjoy rotting your brains today with comics and drugs.
Stay weird! Talk soon. Ciao~
TH 4.20.22 12.17PM