Since I seem to be getting an odd spike in pageviews for no apparent reason, thought it was high time I posted a (front-page) journal flogging my current project, the upcoming one-shot comic Empowered: Hell Bent or Heaven Sent! The latest installment of my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series Empowered, this "floppy"-format 32pp book is due out on Dec. 19th and can be pre-ordered right now from your Local Comics Retailer; its Diamond Previews ordering code is OCT120041, if that helps.  Alternatively, you can pre-order the one-shot from Dark Horse's retail website here: [link]

Anyhoo, I'm writing the entire book, plus drawing 6-8 B&W pages myself. Howeva, the majority of the one-shot's artwork—for a bold, brassy total of 30 story pages—will be drawn and rendered in luxurious full color by Talented Guest Artist ~RyanKinnaird, as seen on the cover art here:



Here's Empowered: Hell Bent or Heaven Sent's scintillating solicitation copy:

This time around, the "sexy superhero comedy" ensues when costumed crimefighter Empowered makes an ill-fated visit to a top-secret dumping ground for ultra-tech "superdebris" and wrecked "villainware" left over from cape-on-cape battle. Can our heroine and her hapless teammate, cyborg-with-a-secret Mechanismo, possibly hope to survive when the junkyard begins nano-spawning an apocalyptic cheesecake plague of flirty but lethal "cyber-angels" and sensual but savage "devil mecha"?



But wait, here's even more text that I wasn't able to fit in the solicitation copy:

Hell Bent or Heaven Sent also includes: Literally superhot genderswapping! Fire-breathing jealousy and piercing blue eyes as more than just figures of speech! Jet-propelled mecha body-boarding! Grotesque mastication by 100-foot-tall giants! Hot angel-on-ladycape action! Desperate navigation of a hellishly unhelpful help menu! Emp suffers the agony of high heels! The imminent threat of searing, fiery extinction looms nigh! All this, plus something very, very gross is none-too-subtly hinted at!

And here's an oddly cool-looking, flat-color, preliminary version of the above page:



And here's one of the issue's B&W pages, as drawn by me:



And finally, a few of my scribbled thumbnail roughs for Ryan's pages:



Again, this "floppy"-format installment of Empowered is due out Dec. 19th from Dark Horse Comics: [link] If you're an Emp fan, I respectfully urge you to let your  Local Comics Retailer know that you want a copy, as the success or failure of this latest effort will affect whether or not other projects like this one ever see print.

Wellp, if you have any questions about Hell Bent or Heaven Sent or other Empowered wackiness, lemme know. In the meantime, back to the drawing board... or to the PC, technically, as I'm working on a script tonight.

                                                       -AW


P.S.: In the interests of further floggery, I might as well mention the current Emp product on the shelves:



This is Empowered Deluxe Edition Vol. 2, which collects volumes 4 through 6 of the series in a big, bold, brawny, 656-page $59.99 hardcover printed on pretty, pretty paper (and including a fair chunk of bonus material): [link]

This weighty new tome's already on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer, and should be be available in conventional bookstores shortly. Alternatively, you can order it from Dark Horse's online retail site here (for 20% off): [link]

Note that Empowered Deluxe Edition Vol. 1, which collects volumes 1-3, as seen below:



...is already on sale at your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, in theory at least, or can be ordered online from Dark Horse: [link] or Amazon: [link]

In closing, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery: Print copies of Empowered's first seven volumes (and a pair of one-shots in comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .

All the existing Empowered books can be purchased rather more cheaply in digital form as well, via the Dark Horse Digital store: [link] Note, however, that these Empowered Deluxe Editions will remain a "print-only" proposition, alas.

After having a remarkably good time at this May's Toronto Comics Art Festival, I decided to double down on the "summer 2012 Toronto experience" by signing up to be a guest* at this week's Fan Expo Canada, August 23-26: [link] I'll have a table—well, half of one—and will be attending all four days of the show, where I will be happy** to say "hi", sign some books, draw some sketches, talk about Empowered, or perform whatever other guest-artist-y services might be required.

UPDATE: Just figured out that I'll be located at table P33B (against the west-side wall), as seen on the floor plan here: [link] (Next door to Skullkickers creator and all-around badass *Zubby, unless the map deceives me.)

I'll probably be dragging along a bunch of recently produced artwork to flog, such as these beauties (and more!):

Note that I'll also bring along further original artwork from Empowered, Dirty Pair, Gen13, Bubblegum Crisis and the like, along perhaps with some copies of my Empowered: Extra Sketchiness sketchbook. I'll very likely be doing commissioned sketches in some form or another, but haven't yet decided on format or parameters or prices; look me up at the show, and I'll let you know how things are shaping up. (Signing a book or three with a quick headshot illo remains free of charge, of course.)

Anyhoo, if you're hitting up the show—which will certainly be a new experience for me, as I've never attended a ginormous-scale Canadian convention before—feel free to drop by and say hello, yo.

                                                                                        -AW

<sub>*Okay, maybe I'm just a lesser "Also Appearing" guest, but what the heck...

**Though I might not appear all that happy at first glance, thanks to the massive, soul-deadening sleep deficit I always seem to incur at conventions, you may rest assured that I'm nonetheless happy on the inside.</sub>

A startling two weeks earlier than originally scheduled(!), this very day sees the release of Empowered Deluxe Edition Vol. 2, which collects volumes 4 through 6 of of my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series Empowered in a big, bold, brawny, 656-page $59.99 hardcover printed on pretty, pretty paper (and including a goodly chunk of bonus material): [link]



Say, here's a thumbnail for an Empowered Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 page—

—in which the inimitable Caged Demonwolf introduces the book's bountiful "Mega Extras" bonus section, which does indeed feature a whole bunch of Emp-related work that few have ever seen, not even the folks on the nigh-legendary Top-Secret Emp E-mailing List. (That is, sketches, unpublished stories, design roughs, layout pages, work stages, color guides, page-by-page annotations, etc.)

A major bonus for this honkin' big collection, in my eyes, would be the fact that it represents the first time you'll get to see Empowered vol. 6's artwork—

—reproduced to my full satisfaction. The first editions of vol. 6 ran afoul of printing difficulties, alas, and wound up repro'ing my pencils much, much darker than originally intended. Later printings toned this problematic issue down a good bit, but the version of the book included in Empowered Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 looks even better, to the point that I was a more than little bit stunned when I first leafed through a comp copy of the hardcover.

As mentioned earlier, this weighty new tome will hit the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer August 15th, and be available in conventional bookstores some time after that. Alternatively, you can order it right now from Dark Horses's online retail site here (for 20% off): [link] ...or you can preorder it from Amazon, though it won't ship until the end of August: [link]

Note that Empowered Deluxe Edition Vol. 1, which collects volumes 1-3, as seen below:



...is already on sale at your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, in theory at least, or can be ordered online from Dark Horse: [link] or Amazon: [link]

Also, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery: Print copies of Empowered's first seven volumes (and a pair of one-shots in comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .

All the existing Empowered books can be purchased rather more cheaply in digital form as well, via the Dark Horse Digital store: [link] Note, however, that these Empowered Deluxe Editions will remain a "print-only" proposition, alas.

In closing, on a far more serious topic: R.I.P. Joe Kubert, the much-loved comics-art icon and founder of the namesake Kubert School, where he simultaneously managed to be both the most intimidating and the most approachable of all my teachers. In my mind's eye, I can still see him rubbing his beard contemplatively, breezily dashing off a perfectly inked gorilla head—without any pencils!—on scrap paper for a demonstration, chucking and telling ~TomRaney, "Tom, you do love to draw," or delivering his patented bone-crushing handshake. Gotta admit, in my Narrative Art assignments for Joe, I nursed a somewhat twisted ambition: I wanted to do such a badass job on my comics pages that Joe would have nothing to point out about 'em during his critique. (ProTip: Scheming specifically to not get feedback from your ultra-knowledgeable comics-vet teacher is a rather counterproductive use of your time as an art student.) That rarely happened, of course—which was certainly for the best, given that I always learned a great deal from Joe's critiques**. Still, it's amusingly odd to consider that, in effect, he posed both an indirect and a direct influence on my work, which is the sort of art-related paradox that only an comics titan like Joe could embody; makes me kinda glad, recalling that my art-school diploma has a Kubert-inked illo of Tor the caveman on it.***

                                                                                                 -AW


<sub>*I'm told that the book shipped in an unusually speedy fashion from the printer overseas, which conjures forth unlikely images of Empowered Deluxe-laden cigarette boats tearing across the Pacific at high speeds.

**Here's an odd anecdote from one Joe critique: Well into my (ongoing!) phase of manga-influenced artwork, I drew a faux cover illo for an assignment. Looking it over, Joe suggested, "Your composition needs more tension." (Contemplative beard rub.) "What if, say, you drew a tentacle reaching in from off-camera and grabbing your heroine's wrist?" Needless to say, in those innocent, naive days of the carefree 80s, neither Joe nor I had any idea that the words "manga" and "tentacle" would one day take on a very different and entirely more ominous implication....

***Along with Ernie the lizard, of course.</sub>

UPDATE: Whoops, forgot to mention that you should check my Twitter feed for updates during the show as to where I'll be set up for unscheduled signings and the like: [link]

Wednesday, I'll be winging my way hence to the San Diego Comic-Con.* Yayyyy! For once, I'll be attending all four days of the show, but will be without a fixed table space. However, thanks to the kind folks at UDON, I'm slated to sign at their booth (#5307) every day, usually during the 9:30-11:30 AM shift (UPDATE: NOT the 11:30-2:00 shift, as previously reported), though not on Saturday; on that day, as well as Thursday, I'll be rocking the 4:30-7 UDON shift. Wheee!

My sole (but very important!) Dark Horse signing will be on Friday at 4:00 PM (booth #2615); be sure to swing on by, so as to give DH the impression that Empowered has a fan following! Beyond that, I might try to briefly snag table space from my buddies at Antarctic Press (booth #2307) if possible, but given how busy their booth tends to be, that might not prove to be possible at all.

I'll be dragging along a bunch of recently produced Empowered artwork to sell, such as these fresh-off-the-drawing-board beauties (and more!):

Note that I'll also be bringing along further original artwork from Empowered, Dirty Pair, Gen13, Bubblegum Crisis and the like.  I'll probably be doing commissioned sketches in some form or another, but haven't yet decided on format or parameters or prices; look me up at the show, and I'll let you know how things are shaping up. (Signing a book or three with a quick headshot illo remains free of charge, of course.)  

Finally: For the first time in foreva, I'll be on two, yes, two SDCC panels:

Friday, July 13
7:30-8:30 Making a Living in Manga— Now that Japanese comics have been available in English for over 30 years, several generations of artists inspired by manga are trying to live the Bakuman dream of being full-time comics creators. But in the superhero-centric North American comics market, are they fighting the odds? Comics creators Adam Warren (Empowered), Becky Cloonan (Demo, Conan the Barbarian), Fred Gallagher (Megatokyo), and Audra Furuichi (Nemu-Nemu), along with industry pros Christopher Butcher (blogger, Comics212.net; director, Toronto Comic Arts Festival), JuYoun Lee (senior editor, Yen Press), Erik Ko (editor-in-chief, UDON Entertainment), and moderator Deb Aoki (Manga editor, About.com), explain the ins and outs and ups and downs of making a living as a manga creator in North America. Room 8

Saturday, July 14
Mon, Jul 02, 04:51PM 12:00-1:00 Comic-Con How-To: Supercharge Your deviantART Profile Like the Masters— This superstar lineup of comic, manga, and animators all have something in common besides ridiculous amounts of talent: they are all part of the deviantART community. Over the years they have learned a thing or two about getting the most out of the website, and in this panel they will share their tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your deviantART experience. The panelists are Adam Warren, one of the first manga-influenced artists to go pro back in 1988 (The Dirty Pair, Empowered); Chris Sanders, Lilo & Stich creator (Disney), How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks); Dave Elliott, comics industry veteran, writer and editor of over 10,000 comics projects; Jim Zubkavich, CEO, Udon Entertainment; Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Mark Brooks, Marvel Comics; Yuumei Yan, digital artist, cyber-activist; and panel moderator Angelo Sotira, CEO and co-founder, deviantART.com. Room 2

See you at the show! *wheeze*

                                                              -AW

_{*The *wheeeze* part of the title above refers to the fact that I was sick like unto a dog during all of last week. I'm much better now, but still have very little energy and a raspy, wheeze-tastic excuse for a voice; so, please bear in mind in mind that I may not wind up being the peppiest, most animated freelancer you'll encounter in San Diego.}

Thought I'd post a journal for any deviantART readers wanting to weigh in on Empowered vol. 7, the latest installment of my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series published by Dark Horse Comics, on sale as of today. More info here: [link]

Anyhoo, feel free to post your opinion here in the comments, which will hereafter be SPOILER ALERT Central for anyone who's not yet read the book; beware, virgin readers! (No, wait, that sounds bad...)  

Side note: Despite an exhaustive corrections process, several maddening typos still snuck their way into Empowered vol. 7's 224 pages (just like the ninja who are the books' subjects, come to think of it). Example: My apologies in advance for the inexplicable, uh, "misspelling" of the Japanese kana for "Ikuzo—!" during one of the two times it appears in the book.   

And now, the mandatory floggery:  Empowered vol. 7 can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer (or bookstore, possibly), or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] . Note that links for ordering the previous six books (and two "floppy" comics-format one-shots) can also be found at those sites... Hint, hint.



And here's Empowered vol. 7's solicitation copy:

While costumed crimefighter Empowered makes a startling discovery regarding her unfortunate status as an all-too-frequent "damsel in distress," her hard-drinking best friend Ninjette confronts her own sordid past, violent present and frighteningly uncertain future as she fights a desperate, single-handed battle against a entire clan of supernaturally durable ninja warriors. Can our two hard-luck heroines also withstand the further perils posed by supervillainous minivans, dueling sets of "daddy issues," doomed-but-still-hot boyfriends, undead karaoke party-crashers, and even "spoiler alerts from hell itself" voiced  by diabolically omniscient demonspawn?

In closing, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery: Print copies of Empowered's first six volumes (and a pair of one-shots in comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .  All the existing Empowered books can be purchased rather more cheaply in digital form as well, via the Dark Horse Digital store: [link]

As I've frequently mentioned on previous art posts, May 30th sees the release of Empowered vol. 7, the latest installment of my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series published by Dark Horse Comics. More info here: [link]

In a flailing, desperate attempt to help promote the book's release, I'm about to draw a short comic story—between 4-6 pages long, probably—in which a character from the Empowered cast answers questions from the audience. Here are a few pages from my previous (2010) stab at such metatextual shenanigans, with protagonist Emp fielding questions supplied by deviantART members:



Well, once again, I'm soliciting your questions for an Empowered cast member, this time for Ninjette, aka Kozue Kaburagi, who plays an especially important role in vol. 7. Dunno how many questions she'll be able to answer in only 4-6pp, but I'll try my best.



You can either A) post your questions in the comments section below or B) ask 'em on Twitter, using the hashtag #AskNinjette. I might even reply to some few of 'em directly, via my twitter page: [link]

Then, next week (I hope), I'll crank out an Empowered short in which everyone's favorite Empverse kunoichi attempts to salve your burning curiosity.

And now, the floggery:  Empowered vol. 7 hits the shelves on May 30th, 2012. Next week, the book can be found at your Local Comics Retailer (or bookstore, possibly), or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] . Note that links for ordering the previous six books (and two "floppy" comics-format one-shots) can also be found at those sites... Hint, hint.



And here's Empowered vol. 7's solicitation copy:

While costumed crimefighter Empowered makes a startling discovery regarding her unfortunate status as an all-too-frequent "damsel in distress," her hard-drinking best friend Ninjette confronts her own sordid past, violent present and frighteningly uncertain future as she fights a desperate, single-handed battle against a entire clan of supernaturally durable ninja warriors. Can our two hard-luck heroines also withstand the further perils posed by supervillainous minivans, dueling sets of "daddy issues," doomed-but-still-hot boyfriends, undead karaoke party-crashers, and even "spoiler alerts from hell itself" voiced  by diabolically omniscient demonspawn?

In closing, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery: Print copies of Empowered's first six volumes (and a pair of one-shots in comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .  All the existing Empowered books can be purchased rather more cheaply in digital form as well, via the Dark Horse Digital store: [link]

At the Toronto Comic Arts Festival last weekend, ace photographer (and karaoke-er*) Paul Hillier was kind  enough to drop off some prints of a seriously badass Empowered cosplay shoot he had arranged. He took the concept of Emp cosplay to a whole 'nother level, via an exciting new frontier in costuming: painted-on latex! Not only is this arguably the ideal cosplay medium to approximate Emp's unearthly supersuit, it's definitely the best medium to depict the tearing of the suit's membrane (as seen in a photo emulating an Empowered cover, complete with logo).

Without further ado, I draw your attention here: [link]

(Note: At the very least, the YouTube clip of model Christine getting body-painted is NSFW. Your Mileage May Vary as to how Safe For Work the other images might be...)  

_{*I had no idea that the lyrics to "Paradise City" were so bizarre and abstruse, to the point that Captain America(!) gets name-checked. WTF, Axel? Stumbling over the enigmatic lyric captions, I had to default to just banshee-shrieking "TAKE ME HOME!" over and over again.}

Tomorrow, I'll be winging my way north to attend the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this weekend, on May 5th and 6th: [link] (Admission is free, by the way. Wheeeee!)

I'll be set up on the second floor, table 212, signing and sketching and whatnot. [link] The kind folks from host retailer The Beguiling will have a heaping supply of Empowered books on hand, in case you're missing anything.

I'm slated for two panels on Sunday. The first one's at the Marriott Bloor Yorkville's High Park Ballroom [link] :

11:30 – 12:30 – Making Manga in North America

The manga aesthetic has permeated American comics culture, with creators like Becky Cloonan, Bryan Lee O'Malley, and Adam Warren using manga storytelling and art techniques to tell their own American or Canadian stories.  How does manga affect their writing and drawing process?  With Bryan Lee O'Malley, Adam Warren, and Becky Cloonan.

...and the next one's on the second floor of the Pilot Tavern [link] :

2:00 – 3:15 – Making Comics: The Process

Creators discuss how they make comics: what's the process of writing and drawing that they go through to create individual creative projects?  When a comic varies from only writing to nonfiction journalism to fantasy, how does the process change? With Mike Dawson, Adam Warren, Cecil Castellucci, and Kagan McLeod. Moderator: Tina Coleman

Anyhoo, if'n you're attending, swing by and say hi!

                                                                                       -AW

Tomorrow, I'll be winging my way westward to attend Emerald City Comic-Con [link] , my first (non-SDCC) left-coast convention appearance in at least a decade or so (I think).  

Got a Dark Horse creator-owned panel on Saturday, then what should be a very cool panel with on Sunday with the greatly awesome Brandon Graham and the awesomely great Brian Lee O'Malley: [link] The rest of the time, I'll be set up at table D-20 (AD&D alert!) to say hello, sign whatever books are brought to me, and put forth a nigh-superhuman effort to appear marginally sociable! (I'm a bit of a recluse, honestly, so I have to burn a helluva lotta calories—almost literally—in order to falteringly interact with my fellow humans; hope you'll cut me some slack if I start twitching too noticeably.)

I'll be hauling along a goodly number of copies of my very first "sketchbook" in a very long time: Empowered: Extra Sketchiness, which debuted at San Diego Comic-Con last year. It's a B&W, 28pp, 8.25" x 10.5" dealie collecting a bunch of Emp-related commissioned sketches and even a pair of short stories (sorta), a number of which have already appeared in my gallery here:



If you won't be attending the show, you can order a copy of Empowered: Extra Sketchiness here: [link]

Beyond that, I'll also be bringing a grab-bag portfolio of original art to sell, a selection of pieces both old and new, such as these recently posted dealies:


...and an assortment of comics pages from Empowered, Dirty Pair, Gen13, Bubblegum Crisis and so on. I'll prolly tote along a few (cheaper) roughs and layouts from miscellaneous projects, as well.

I usually crank out quick "head-shot" sketches for free, but beyond that, I might take on some commissioned pieces at the show, preferably of an Emp-related fashion; prolly not too many, as I'm rarely all that productive at a convention. I might possibly do some Emp-related mail-order commissions to be rolled out after the show, but I can't say right now* how likely that is. Anyhoo, look me up at table D-20, and I should have some idea what's going on by then.

Actually, I'll have to periodically flee from my table and awkwardly say hello to some of the bazillion amazing folks** on ECCC's thoroughly badass guest list: [link] I'll be back sooner or later. As I'm flying in the day before the show and red-eying it back East late Sunday night, I'll be in attendance for all three days of the convention (I'm already exhausted, thinking about it).

Anyhoo: See you at the show!

                                                          -AW


<sub>*At present, I'm frantically cranking away on an Empowered  one-shot's script and layouts, which I'm likely to still be working on at the convention.

**Note that several of the Secret Guest Artists for possible upcoming Empowered one-shots will be in attendance; in fact, I'll be looking up a few who prolly have no idea I'm eying 'em for potential  Emp shenanigans.</sub>

(UPDATE: Hey, kids, it's an interview with Emp herself! [link])

Feb. 29, 2012 sees the release of Empowered Deluxe Edition Vol. 1, collecting the first three volumes of my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series in a big, bold, 712-page $59.99 hardcover printed on pretty, pretty paper and including 40-odd pages of bonus material. Mo' info here: [link]



Well, Dark Horse is holding a contest in honor of this ginormous book's imminent release: Tell 'em who's your favorite Empowered character, and why they're your favorite, and you could win your very own copy of Emp Deluxe! Just pop in the comments section here [link] , let your fave be known, and you might just win!

HOWEVER: It is my sad duty to report that the Dark Horse contest is only open to folks in the US and Canada. So, I've worked up a consolation prize open to Empowered readers from outside North America: Let me know your favorite Empverse character—and why you like 'em—in the Comments thread after this journal. At the end of the month, from all of the entries in the Comments, I'll choose one (or maybe more), draw up an all-new sketch* of the character, and post it on deviantART in the winner's honor. Kinda weak-sauce, I admit, compared to getting a $60 hardcover for free, but what the heck... (Speaking of "what the heck": US & Canadian readers can feel free to weigh in on their fave characters here, too, though I'm gonna pick a non-North American DAer for the winning sketch-post dealie.)

Anyhoo, to repeat, here's the Dark Horse contest site: [link]



In closing, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery: Print copies of Empowered's first six volumes (and a pair of one-shots in comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .

All the existing Empowered books can be purchased rather more cheaply in digital form as well, via the Dark Horse Digital store: [link] Note, however, that the upcoming Empowered Deluxe Edition will remain a "print-only" proposition.



_{*Or maybe an all-new comics page about the character, as I'm crazy (Cray?) like that.}

And now, some quick floggery of Empowered, my "sexy superhero comedy" series published by Dark Horse Comics.



Megabundle Ahoy: Now through 12 AM on Wednesday, Sept. 28, a "digital megabundle" collecting of all of Empowered published so far—that's all six volumes and a pair of one-shot comics, for a monumental total of 1353 pages—is on sale from Dark Horse's Digital Store for only $34.99!*  Even if you already have all the books, feel free to tell anyone you know who might be on the fence about checking out Empowered, as this is as cheap a deal as they're ever likely to find.** Anyhoo, here's the link for more info on this impressive but short-lived sale: [link]



Empowered: Extra Sketchiness: As mentioned previously, this summer saw the publication of my first "sketchbook" in a very long time: Empowered: Extra Sketchiness! It's a B&W, 28pp, 8.25" x 10.5" dealie collecting a bunch of Emp-related commissioned sketches and even a pair of short stories (sorta), a number of which have already appeared in my dA gallery, such as the one below:



Extra Sketchiness even featured the first look ever at the front and back cover art for next year's Empowered vol. 7! Anyhoo, after initially going on sale at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con,  the book is now available for mail-order through Stuart Ng Books, at the price of only $15 (with my signature included, if you care about such things): [link]



Empowered Deluxe Edition, Vol.1: This is quite a bit further down the road, but... For the serious Empowered fan, February 2012 sees the publication of a limited-edition hardcover that collects the first three Emp volumes (along with 40-odd pages of heretofore unseen bonus material) on high(er)-quality paper for a brawny, 712-page, $59.99 deluxe package.  More details to follow in the next few months; in the meantime, here's the official link for the upcoming book: [link]



In closing, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery: Print copies of Empowered's first six volumes (and the aforementioned pair of one-shots in comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .


<sub>*Normal list price for all the Empowered material included in the bundle is $52, incidentally.

**Well, "as cheap a deal as they'll find" that actually contributes towards the continued survival of the series, that is.</sub>

First off: Now through July 20th only, the one-shot comic Empowered: The Wench with a Million Sighs is now on sale for only $.99 (a supposedly magical price point, according to some) in digital form from Dark Horse: [link] better cheap, bite-sized portion of the ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series exists, so feel free to check it out, or tell anyone you know who might be on the fence about reading Empowered; hey, let's knock 'em right off that fence!



On to San Diego Comic-Con news: Barring utter disaster, I should be at the show (very) late Thursday, Friday, Saturday and a bit of Sunday. I'll be dragging along some original art to sell, and possibly taking on a few commissions (though not cheaply, and preferably Empowered-related) as well as signing and (when possible) doing some quick sketches. Formal signing times:

Friday, July 22nd:  I'll be signing at booth #5019 (Flesk Publications) from #3:30-5:00, then booth #5037 (UDON) from 5:00-6:30.

Saturday, July 23rd: From 12:00-1:00PM, I'll have my big Dark Horse (booth #2615) signing at the same time as the group Whedonverse signing, so be sure to drop by and make me feel less insignificant! (Note: If you're missing any Empowered volumes, the Dark Horse booth's retail section may well have 'em available!) Then, once again, I'm signing at booth #5019 (Flesk Publications) from #3:30-5:00 and booth #5037 (UDON) from 5:00-6:30.

The rest of the time, I'll be floating about hither and yon, and mayhap sitting down with my buds at Antarctic Press (#2307) if/when space is  available. I might just have some big ol' color prints available (fingers: crossed), possibly including the badass color version of the upcoming Empowered vol. 7 cover, as so beautifully rendered by the great . Behold the luxuriously colored majesty with thine own eyes, folks!

Beyond that, the big news is that SDCC will (fingers: crossed, again) see the publication of my first "sketchbook" in a very long time: Empowered: Extra Sketchiness! It's a B&W, 28pp, 8.25" x 10.5" dealie collecting a bunch of Emp-related commissioned sketches and even a pair of short stories* (sorta), a number of which have already appeared in my gallery here...



Extra Sketchiness willl even feature the first look ever** at the front and back cover art for next year's Empowered vol. 7! Huzzah! At any time throughout the con, you can find it for sale at Stuart Ng Books, booth #5012, for $15 (if I recall the price correctly); I'll prolly be toting a few copies around myself, for that matter.



Anyhoo, if'n you're attending, I'll see you at the show! (Well, maybe, given the con's vast spaces and teeming crowds...)

In closing, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery... Empowered's first six volumes (and a pair of one-shots in "floppy" comics format*) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .



And, as I just mentioned, if you're looking for an even cheaper option, vols. 1-5 (and the aforementioned one-shot) are available for a mere $5.99 apiece (or $.99, for the one-shot) as downloads in Dark Horse's new Digital store here: [link] Note that we're talking about $5.99 for 208-248 pages of sexy superhero comedy, which is a helluva lot more content (for less price) than you'll find with most digital-form comics....

                                                                                                             -AW

<sub>*And yes, Damsel In Distress fans, one of the story excerpts is an unused portion of Empowered vol. 6's "My Advice For Struggling Superheroines", wherein Emp expounds on one of the many drawbacks of being a bondage-prone superheroine: Namely, the sheer, grinding, mind-numbing boredom.  Bonus: An "old-timey" page, none-too-subtly homaging The Onion's still-awesome Our Dumb Century!

**Er, unless you saw the aforementioned color print already...</sub>

Yeahp,  today sees the release of the brand-new comic Empowered: Ten Questions for the Maidman [link] , the newest installment in my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy"* series published by Dark Horse Comics. Feel free to use this journal's comments section to give your opinion of the book, if you're feeling so generous as to go pick it up at your Local Comics Retailer. (Note that, if said LCS neglected to stock it, the book can also be ordered from Dark Horse's online retail store here: [link] )

Featuring 14 pages of luxurious color artwork by Special Guest Artist, the awesomely talented , Ten Questions for the Maidman is a one-shot in "floppy" conventional-comics form. I wrote the whole thing and pencil 15 B&W story pages framing and occasionally interrupting Emily Warren's main story, which (I repeat) will be depicted in eyepopping FULL COLOR;  I'd insert a rainbow graphic here, if only I knew how!



You can see a 7-page preview here: [link] ...and here's the issue's solicitation copy:

Badass, broom-swinging vigilante Maidman, the "cross-dressing crusader," is interviewed by the super-phony "celebricape" TV host of an ill-fated talk show. Alas, the confab soon degenerates from happy chatter to cape-on-cape violence! Meanwhile, costumed crimefighter Empowered exploits Maidman's fearsome reputation not only to victimize hapless supervillains, but also to get the upper hand on her recalcitrant boyfriend!**



Note also that, as a bonus, this issue will feature an Exclusive First Look/ Preview Dealie from the upcoming  Empowered vol. 7, due out (sadly) in 2012. Too bad I didn't think of mentioning this in the solicitation copy... Oh, well. Won't be a huge preview, as the one-shot's barrage of 29 story pages leaves us only a few free pages to play around with, but what the heck.



In closing, I must of course paste in the requisite general-purpose Emp-related floggery... Empowered's first six volumes (and a previous one-shot in "floppy" comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .

And if you're looking for an even cheaper option*, vols. 1-4 (and the aforementioned one-shot) are available for a mere $5.99 apiece (or $1.99, for the one-shot) as downloads in Dark Horse's new Digital store here: [link] Note that we're talking about $5.99 for 208-248 pages of sexy superhero comedy, which is a helluva lot more content (for less price) than you'll find with most digital-form comics....



Anyhoo, back to the drawing board, now; hope you enjoy the one-shot!                                                                     


                                                                             -AW


_{*Well, an even cheaper option that contributes towards the survival of the franchise, as opposed to the cheaper options that do not.}

As of this week, the long-awaited Dark Horse Digital Comics Store is online and open for business [link] , and I'm happy to say that  my "sexy superhero comedy*" series Empowered is well-represented on the store's virtual shelves! Huzzah!

Quoting from David Brothers' recent overview of the program at Comics Alliance: [link]

"There are two ways to access Dark Horse Digital. You can access it on your iOS device -- iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch -- via a free app, or on your computer through your web browser. An Android app is due soon, but at a currently unannounced date. I tested the web interface on my Nexus One smartphone and found that Dark Horse Digital has a fully functional mobile version of its website. Bravo! This is something that is lacking in our app-driven digital comics ecosystem. It's low maintenance, doesn't require any installation, and works great for browsing."

Here's a link to the aforementioned free app for Dark Horse Digital, BTW: [link]

As you can see in my little niche of the DH site [link] ...the first four volumes of Empowered are now on sale for a mere $5.99 each, which is far cheaper than even Amazon offers the print editions. (Also keep in mind that we're talkin' about 210-250 pages per volume here, which is waaaaay more pagecount than you'll see with most other collected comics.)

Also available is the one-shot comic Empowered: The Wench with a Million Sighs, featuring 32pp for the admittedly less jawdropping price of $1.99... but, hey, it's a good place to start if you're leery of investing a full $5.99 for a regular Emp volume: [link]



Anyhoo, this is kind of a big frickin' deal. If you enjoyed Empowered in print form, I strongly encourage you to check out the series in digital form as well. If nothing else, you'll be making a strong contribution towards the survival of the franchise, as this is gonna be one hell of a lean year for Empowered otherwise, given that vol. 7 won't hit the shelves until 2012. (Note that, if the first bunch of books sell okay through DH Digital, volumes 5 and 6 will be added to the selection.)

If, say, you might have torrented the books for free and feel like contributing a little somethin' somethin' to actually helping the series continue, take a look at the DH Emp store, my friend. Heck, even if you're averse to buying the books again, I urge you to pass the word along to others who might be interested. That's right, I'm saying, "Put the word on the street about Empowered digital, Huggy Bear(s)."

Side note: Empowered vol. 4's full-color story "Who Da Ubermensch?", which has tended to print a tad too dark in the "dead-tree" versions of the book, looks frickin' beautiful on a monitor's screen.



If you're looking for the printed editions instead, worry not, as we're more than happy to sell 'em to you: Empowered's first six volumes (and the aforementioned one-shot in "floppy" comics format) can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] .

Finally, in other "How YOU can keep Empowered afloat" news:



...don't forget that the new one-shot comic Empowered: Ten Questions for the Maidman is slated to hit the shelves of your Local Comics Store on June 8th! (Click on the thumbnail fo' mo' info.)

                                                                                -AW


*Except when it isn't.

After staggering back from a harrowing brush with jury duty, thought I'd post a quick journal regarding current events...

First off, this week saw the release of a Marvel book featuring a full-length* story written by me: Iron Man: Titanium #1, a brawny, 64-page-strong anthology collection of IM material [link] . My story, "Railguns, Power Ties And Titanium Men" (yeahp, they're plural), features art by the very cool Salvador Espin, who skillfully illustrates a very fast-paced, tech-slathered romp wherein Tony Stark and Pepper Potts attend a seemingly mundane corporate presentation that goes very, very wrong indeed. Thrill to dueling smartphone apps, geniuses with Sexy Librarian eyeglasses, crappy modern art sinisterly repurposed, and exciting new uses for both corporate lawyers and railguns! The ultratechiness, here, might not be quite as advanced as the riffs in my earlier project Iron Man: Hypervelocity, but this new story might be even faster-paced, believe it or not... Anyhoo, feel free to drop a comment after this journal entry if you've read this puppy.

On the Empowered front, a few new(ish) Emp-related interviews are now online, from a brand-new Newsarama piece [link] to this slightly older Comic Book Resources piece: [link] . Also, odds are good that another Emp one-shot will be rolling out next year, possibly along with another Emp-related product (ooh, mysterious!), to bridge the gap until vol. 7 "drops" sometime late in the year... or early 2012, worst case. Yay!

Now, time out for Emp-related floggery: Empowered vol. 6 can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore*, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] . Note that links for ordering the previous five books (and the "floppy" comics-format one-shot, "The Wench with a Million Sighs,") can also be found at those sites... Hint, hint.



Finally, if'n you're in New England sometime during the next few months, you might check out the new show "SugiPOP!: Anime, Manga, Comics and Their Influence on Contemporary Art," running now through January 16, 2011 at the Portsmouth Museum of Art in lovely Portsmouth, New Hampshire [link] . I have a few pieces of original Dirty Pair and Empowered artwork on display as part of said show; 'twas quite an honor to be asked to participate, needless to say.

                                                     -AW

_{* That's "full-length" as in 22 pages, as opposed to, I dunno, a mere 20 pages... But I kid, DC's new cost-cutting initiatives! Then again, for most of my early career I was rocking 24-page issues (if not much longer, on occasion), so even 22 pages has often felt rather anemic; at times, trying to cram multifarious story elements into such limited pagecount feels like I'm trying to shove my head into a storm grate. (Note: This is one reason that I don't entirely mind cranking out Empowered in 208-page installments...)}

A few weeks ago, I solicited questions from the readership of Empowered (my "sexy superhero comedy" published by Dark Horse) in a journal entry: [link] And lo, many fine and insightful questions were indeed posed by the book's readers, as the 120 or so comments replying to said journal entry can attest.

Now, our heroine Empowered has answered a handful (though only a mere handful, as space was sadly limited) of these queries in a highly "meta" fashion with a six-page story that's just gone online via Dark Horse's website, at: [link]

Read and enjoy, folks, and thanks verra much for the questions! (I'll probably have her answer more of 'em in a future installment of this feature, BTW.) Meanwhile, if you care to register an opinion on Empowered vol. 6, the latest book in the series, you can leave a comment here: [link]

And now, the floggery: Empowered vol. 6 can be found on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore*, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] . Note that links for ordering the previous five books (and the "floppy" comics-format one-shot, "The Wench with a Million Sighs,") can also be found at those sites... Hint, hint.



Here's the book's back-cover copy:

After a fiery disaster claims the lives of several teammates, costumed crimefighter “Empowered” stumbles upon an ugly little secret of the masks-and-tights business: a growing number of ill-fated superheroes have found out the hard way that, while their bodies are still mortal, their superpowers are not... Now, only our downtrodden but doggedly determined heroine can rescue the (semi-)living superdead from a quite genuine “fate worse than death,” while simultaneously grappling with the challenges of phallospear harassment, car-trunk carpetburn, superhero fantasy leagues, excessive bedroom chatter, and deals with the devil both figurative and literal! All this, plus Empowered’s not-so-secret origin is revealed at last!

You can check out a 10-page preview from the book here: [link] A bazillion more images, illos and comics pages from Empowered can be found in this gallery folder: [link]

_{*Though not, of course, at my local bookstore, which has stubbornly refused to stock Empowered ever since they sold the grand total of two copies of vol. 1 they deigned to order back in 2007. "Not that I am bitter," as Dave Barry often said.}

Happy to report that Empowered vol. 6, the latest installment in my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series published by Dark Horse Comics, should now be on the shelves of your Local Comics Retailer (and subsequently, I hope, on the shelves of your local bookstore* at some point).

Anyhoo, just thought I'd post this journal as a place to proffer your opinion if'n you felt like commenting on the book... Needless to say, this comment thread will therefore pose a major SPOILER ALERT for anyone who's not yet read the book.

I have to say that Empowered vol. 6 is a slightly unusual installment, in that it features a tad less humor-related pagecount than previous volumes, due mainly to the very long action scenes that open and close the volume. (Then again, these sequences are relatively modest compared to the epic, grueling and brutal 200-Page Action Scene taking place about five or six volumes in the future; that one's really not very funny.) Also, the rest of the main cast has a slightly reduced role, in favor of a more "Emp-centric" focus for the book; rest assured, vol. 7's strong emphasis on Ninjette will make up for this neglect. Finally, I also have to admit that the book printed somewhat more darkly and with a wee bit higher contrast than I would've liked; this comes with the territory, alas, when you work solely in pencil, which is a medium strongly affected by the vagaries of printing. Live by the grayscale, die by the grayscale...   

Side note: For those who have indeed picked up Empowered vol. 6, just thought I'd ask: Any pages in particular from the book that you think I should post here on dA? Have to admit, I really haven't given the matter as much thought as it deserves.

Speaking of asking questions, I'm wrapping up work on a 6-page promotional story wherein our heroine Empowered answers questions (in a rather "meta" fashion) posed by dAers here: [link] The completed story's slated to run on Dark Horse's website next week; stay tuned for a link to the finished piece.      
  
And now, the floggery: Empowered vol. 6 hits the shelves on Sept. 15, 2010. The book can be preordered at your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] . Note that links for ordering the previous five books (and the "floppy" comics-format one-shot, "The Wench with a Million Sighs,") can also be found at those sites... Hint, hint.



Here's the book's back-cover copy:

After a fiery disaster claims the lives of several teammates, costumed crimefighter "Empowered" stumbles upon an ugly little secret of the masks-and-tights business: a growing number of ill-fated superheroes have found out the hard way that, while their bodies are still mortal, their superpowers are not... Now, only our downtrodden but doggedly determined heroine can rescue the (semi-)living superdead from a quite genuine "fate worse than death," while simultaneously grappling with the challenges of phallospear harassment, car-trunk carpetburn, superhero fantasy leagues, excessive bedroom chatter, and deals with the devil both figurative and literal! All this, plus Empowered's not-so-secret origin is revealed at last!

You can check out a 10-page preview from the book here: [link] A bazillion more images, illos and comics pages from Empowered can be found in this gallery folder: [link]

_{*Though not, of course, at my local bookstore, which has stubbornly refused to stock Empowered ever since they sold the grand total of two copies of vol. 1 they deigned to order back in 2007. "Not that I am bitter," as Dave Barry often said.}

As I've frequently noted on previous posts, next week sees the release of Empowered vol. 6, the latest installment in my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" series published by Dark Horse Comics.

In a flailing attempt to help promote the book, I'm about to draw up an "interview with Empowered" story for Dark Horse's website. Like the one I did a few years ago, which wound up being reprinted in Empowered vol. 4...



...this would be a very "meta" affair, in which our plucky heroine answers questions directly from the (unseen) audience. While I'm slated to receive a list o' questions from Dark Horse, I thought I'd throw it out to you, the Empowered readership, as well: Got a question for Empowered herself to answer? I can't guarantee that she'll be able to reply to very many of 'em—space is rather limited, I'm afraid—but she'll try her best, as always.

_{Side note: Don't bother asking about the whole "camel-toe" issue, as she can't answer that one, alas.}    

And now, the floggery: Empowered vol. 6 hits the shelves on Sept. 15, 2010. The book can be preordered at your Local Comics Retailer or bookstore, or online at Dark Horse's retail website [link] or on Amazon.com [link] . Note that links for ordering the previous five books (and the "floppy" comics-format one-shot, "The Wench with a Million Sighs,") can also be found at those sites... Hint, hint.



Here's the book's back-cover copy:

After a fiery disaster claims the lives of several teammates, costumed crimefighter “Empowered” stumbles upon an ugly little secret of the masks-and-tights business: a growing number of ill-fated superheroes have found out the hard way that, while their bodies are still mortal, their superpowers are not... Now, only our downtrodden but doggedly determined heroine can rescue the (semi-)living superdead from a quite genuine “fate worse than death,” while simultaneously grappling with the challenges of phallospear harassment, car-trunk carpetburn, superhero fantasy leagues, excessive bedroom chatter, and deals with the devil both figurative and literal! All this, plus Empowered’s not-so-secret origin is revealed at last!

You can check out a 10-page preview from the book here: [link] A bazillion more images, illos and comics pages from Empowered can be found in this gallery folder: [link]

It is my sad duty to report that volume 6 of Empowered, my ongoing "sexy superhero comedy" published by Dark Horse Comics, has run afoul of technical problems at the printer and will be shipping a week later than originally scheduled... So, look for this newest installment to hit the shelves at your Local Comics Retailer* on Sept. 15, 2010, rather than Sept. 8. Uh, sorry about that.  

On the other hand, though, a 10-page excerpt from the volume's first story, "The What-the-F**kiest Five Minutes of My Career So Far," just went online over at Comics Alliance: [link]
..wherein we find that one of the "capes" who perished at the end of volume 5 turns out to be not quite as perished as originally thought. Plus: Phallospear harassment, aka "the shame of the superheroic workplace."



Here's the book's back-cover copy:

After a fiery disaster claims the lives of several teammates, costumed crimefighter “Empowered” stumbles upon an ugly little secret of the masks-and-tights business: a growing number of ill-fated superheroes have found out the hard way that, while their bodies are still mortal, their superpowers are not... Now, only our downtrodden but doggedly determined heroine can rescue the (semi-)living superdead from a quite genuine “fate worse than death,” while simultaneously grappling with the challenges of phallospear harassment, car-trunk carpetburn, superhero fantasy leagues, excessive bedroom chatter, and deals with the devil both figurative and literal! All this, plus Empowered’s not-so-secret origin is revealed at last!

Side note: The book's new Sept. 15 ship date is a rather cruel coincidence for me, since that's when my latest quarterly tax payment to the IRS is due... Ouch. Oh, the joys of self-employment. Then again, this is pretty mild compared to the looming disaster of 2012, when yours truly and many, many other small-business owners (including quite of few of you reading this) will be required to file a whole new paperwork blizzard of 1099-Misc tax forms, courtesy of an odious new mandate in the health-care reform law: [link] Enjoy, freelancers!  

                             -AW

<sub>*And, eventually, your local bookstore... though not my local bookstore**, which doggedly refuses to stock the book, even though Empowered easily outsells many of the other comics titles they blithely (over)order. (Sigh.)  

**In fact, in my entire state, no store from this chain stocks Empowered. To quote Emp herself: "Yay, me!"</sub>

A quick news-update journal, here... First off, I'll be attending the Dallas Comic-Con August 28-29 [link] , which will mark my first appearance at a convention other than San Diego since, jeez, 2001 or so (which is about when I stopped getting invited to Otakon, IIRC)... Hence the "rare appearance" tag in the accompanying bio piece.* Drop by and say "hi," if'n you happen to be hitting up the con.

Next up: I wrote a 22-page story in the upcoming Marvel book Iron Man: Titanium #1 [link] , a brawny, 64-page-strong anthology collection of IM material due out on October 6, 2010. My story, "Railguns, Power Ties And Titanium Men" (yeahp, they're plural), features art by the very cool Salvador Espin, who skillfully illustrates a very fast-paced, tech-slathered romp wherein Tony Stark and Pepper Potts attend a seemingly mundane corporate presentation that goes very, very wrong indeed. Thrill to duelling smartphone apps, geniuses with Sexy Librarian eyeglasses, crappy modern art sinisterly repurposed, and exciting new uses for both corporate lawyers and railguns**! Wheeeeeee!

Finally: The movie Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World doth surely rock big-time; I give it my strongest recommendation, despite a few minor flaws here and there.*** If you like Empowered, I find it utterly inconceivable that you would not enjoy the hell outta this excellent adaptation of Brian Lee O-Malley's beloved graphic-novel series. If for nothing else, you have to see the movie's startling and unexpected depiction of Empowered's black-box speech censoring, depicted in real time over a rant by the film's shockingly entertaining version of the abrasive Julie...

                                                      -AW

<sub>*Hope you'll pardon my entirely hideous headshot visible at said link... Ouch! And yes, I hasten to clarify that I am by no stretch of the imagination the "First American comic artist to use the 'Manga' style", as the bio generously overstates. (Not that noting this reality is mere modesty on my part; I'm understandably less than eager to acknowledge that I've been doing this stuff for a very, very long time...)

**Well, "mass drivers," technically.

***Needs more Kim Pine! Needs more Kim Pine!</sub>