New York, NY (September 28, 2021) – By popular demand Artist, Writer, and Artisans (AWA Studios) announces the return of the original creative team John Lees (MOUNTAINHEAD, SINK), Dalibor Talajic (CASUAL FLING, SHANG CHI) and Lee Loughridge (BAD MOTHER, NOT ALL ROBOTS), and Sal Cipriano (WONDER WOMAN, THE RESISTANCE), to bring fans a second volume of the hit horror series, HOTELL. Described as a modern-day TWILIGHT ZONE with a twist, the series depicts a roadside motel off of Route 66 where a wide array of heroes and antiheroes make their last stand with the demons that haunt them. Some check out. Most don’t. This series will be in stores monthly on December 1st, 2021, with two covers by Keron Grant and Mike Deodato Jr. before being collected in trade paperback in 2022. 


John Lees says “The response from readers to the first volume of HOTELL was incredible. All the people who bought this comic and talked about it, and who messaged asking if there would be more…it’s thanks to you that we get to make a return visit to Pierrot Courts! I’m so happy to reunite with such talented team for another volume of scary tales. And now that we’re all more familiar with each other and have built up a rapport, we’ve been more emboldened to try some out-there, ambitious stuff!”


In fact, artist Dalibor Talajic stated, “HOTELL is quite demanding artistically. But it's a familiar world, a world we created. And, I'm much braver now than when we started it all a few years ago. I hope the fans will feel our mutual love for Pierrot Courts...while we scare the living daylight out of them.”


For AWA Studios’ CCO Axel Alonso, “It was important to us, as a publisher of creator-owned comics, to give our talent the freedom to focus on the creative while our experienced team focuses on bringing these amazing stories to the world in and beyond comics.”


Though readers have seen various iterations of THE TWILIGHT ZONE over the years, Lees added that “With HOTELL VOL. 2, I didn’t want to do just more of the same. This second volume is bigger, bolder and scarier. There are new threats to be confronted, and more to be learned about this mysterious hotel and its inhabitants.”


Horror fans are encouraged to subscribe to their newsletter to get exclusive updates, contests, and more as they countdown to launch.


For more information about AWA Studios and HOTELL VOL. 2 #1, visit AWAStudios.net.


HOTELL VOL. 2 #1 debuts on December 1st, 2021. Below, Keron Grant and Mike Deodato Jr.’s Covers for issue #1, as well as preview pages by Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge, and Sal Cipriano and official solicitation.

Missoula, MT (9/24/2021): Vault is thrilled to announce END AFTER END, a wild, fast-paced fantasy series series co-created by writers Tim Daniel (The Plot, Fissure) and David Andry (Resonant), with artist Sunando C. 

The End After End never ends...

“Like many people over the past eighteen months, I’ll freely admit that I ran aground--drained and unfocused by everything swirling around (us all) and last March," said Tim Daniel. "I was thoroughly, creatively exhausted. I found myself casting about for a source of inspiration. I discovered it was standing right in front of me for nearly a decade in the person of my good friend and Resonant writer David 'DB' Andry.

"All it took was one call and five hours later we had mapped out the entirety of a war-fantasy tale that was then entitled, At The Moment of Your Death. Strangely enough, a couple of weeks into the project, my eight-year-old daughter Olivia handed me a sketch, and at the top of the page she'd written End After End...now look, the universe can point you in a direction, and all you really must do is open yourself up to the possibilities...

"The End After End is just that, and Walt Willem has a second chance to open himself up to what he can be and not what he once was nor what he thinks he should be--and how many of us have the endurance to push through the doorway of life's many endings to discover who we really are and not allow ourselves to be defined by them?"

"Walt, our main protagonist, wants to make a difference, to be a hero, to be remembered," added David Andry. "He didn’t get the chance to do so in the real world, but maybe he can in the End After End? Walt is dumped right into the middle of an endless war, a foot-soldier with no special skills or abilities. A cog in a great, grinding wheel. What kind of difference can this type of man make?
"Tim and I are really channelling ourselves through Walt, our feelings of struggling against impossible odds, minor players in the grand scheme of things, just trying to make a difference in this world. We both want to make our mark on the industry. Not necessarily with sales or awards, but by impacting people with our stories."
“When Tim and I first started talking about what I wanted to do at Vault, I told him that I really wanted to work on something with a lot of world-building and design, something huge and epic in scale," said Sunando C. "With END AFTER END, DB and Tim really delivered. I couldn't be more excited about all the demands of this story, creating the titular End after End from the ground up and while we're still working on the art for the first issue, there are things in the scripts for issues 2, 3, 4, 5 and beyond that I can't wait to get to.”

END AFTER END #1 will hit store shelves in January 2022. The entire series will feature variant covers by Liana Kangas (She Said Destroy, Trvue Kvlt). 

TODD MCFARLANE's GUNSLINGER SPAWN # 1 Sets Comic Book Sales Record
Biggest Superhero Monthly Launch for a New Character in 25 Years!
McFarlane's Third Record-Setting Title in under Five Months


Tempe, Ariz. September 24, 2021 –"The Year of Spawn" continues with Todd McFarlane's new titles from the Spawn mythology, setting three record-breaking sales in less than five months. 

The latest record to fall was set by Gunslinger Spawn #1 when it became the biggest launch of a NEW SUPERHERO MONTHLY title in the comic industry (all companies included) in the past 25 years with the first printing of 393,000 copies.

Gunslinger Spawn #1 total sales are bigger than Marvel's Spider-Gwen launch in 2015, and there hasn't been another new character comic close to that number 20 years prior to that.

McFarlane's Spawn titles also hold the following records: Spawn's Universe #1 (June 2021) was Image Comics' top-selling first issue of the 21st Century with a print run of 226,000 (and has since had to additional printings).
 
Then King Spawn #1 (August 2021) sales demolished The Avengers record, becoming the comic industry's highest ordered monthly superhero launch in the 21st Century with a print run currently over 520,000.
 
The Scorched #1 release in December is slated to break another industry record for a new superhero team book. After 30 years of mostly just a single monthly Spawn book, The Scorched will gather some of the most popular characters from the past three decades and put them together in one title.
 
In addition to these records, the Spawn character was first introduced in 1992 to a record-setting of 1.7 million copies that still stands today as the highest-selling, creator-owned comic issue of all time. Published by Image Comics (the third largest comic publisher in North America), the Spawn character also set a record as the longest-running, creator-owned comic on the planet when issue #301 was published in 2019.

Gunslinger Spawn #1 will be available at comic book shops (48 pages, full color, rated: Teen+, $5.99, premium 10 pt. cover stock) and on digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, October 20.



 ABOUT SPAWN, LEGENDARY ARTISTS AND SPAWN CREATOR AND IMAGE COMICS PRESIDENT, TODD MCFARLANE
 
Todd McFarlane's Spawn is one of the world's best-selling and longest-running monthly comic books, with several hundred million copies sold worldwide in more than 120 countries.  McFarlane's new title, SPAWN'S UNIVERSE #1, is Image Comics' top-selling first issue of the 21st Century.   IMAGE COMICS is one of the largest comics publishers in North American, and McFarlane is the co-founder and president. In August 2021, the newest Spawn Universe title King Spawn #1 sales numbers demolished The Avenger's record and became a 25-year record-breaking new superhero monthly title launch.
 
McFarlane's Spawn made history with the release of the historic Spawn #300, and Spawn #301 has earned the Guinness World Records title for the longest-running creator-owned superhero comic book series in the world. The road to McFarlane's history-making comic run began in 1992 when he co-founded Image Comics and the released Spawn #1, still the single-best-selling issue all-time for any creator-owned comic.
 
The comic became an Emmy Award-winning animated series on HBO and a live-action feature film grossing more than $100 million. In addition, McFarlane became a true comic book superstar for his record-setting work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise and held the world's record for most sales of a superhero book written and drawn by the same person, with Spider-Man #1 published by Marvel in the '90s.  He co-created Marvel's top villain Venom, appearing in multiple titles and a successful movie for Sony's film division.
 
After garnishing prominent success in the comic industry, McFarlane founded the international award-winning McFarlane Toys, one of America's top action figure manufacturers. In 2020, the new release of a Spawn figure on Kickstarter set a new Kickstarter record, in its category, for raising just under $3.5 million in 30 days.
 
Spawn and all related characters and elements © & ™ TMP

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

(W) Michael Fleizach, Todd Hunt
(A) David Mak Mims (L) Zack Turner 

SEP. 24, 2021, (SEATTLE, WA) — Don't miss the exciting conclusion of Darling from playwrights Michael Fleizach and Todd Hunt! 


The lovely Delilah makes her entrance. Before Francis and Finch walk into every bad neighborhood your mother warned you about, they stop for a little firepower. What better place to grab a haunted revolver than "Darby's Sushi & Pawn"? While Darby tries to dissuade Francis from purchasing a cursed colt named Delilah, his silent sidekick loads up like it's a goddamn biblical do-over (this may not be Finch's first rodeo). Dance floors will be bloodied before the night is over.

"I don’t know where this story is going, but it’s getting better with each issue, and that’s a rarity these days." - Comical Opinions

"The boys are doing a bang up job in bringing this heavy heady tale to life with its amazing writing, dynamic characterization and super solid interiors." - Reading with a Flight Ring
​

Darling #4 is slated for release next Wednesday, Sep. 29. Michael and Todd will be in attendance at New York Comic Con Oct. 7-10. ​

PORTLAND, Ore. 09/24/2021 — Superstars Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s new series--Primordial—launched with a shower of enthusiasm across the industry and sold out completely at the distributor level. The issue is being rushed back to print in order to keep up with customer demand. 

"We are incredibly flattered and excited about the reaction to Primordial! Andrea and I put our hearts into this one and we can honestly say that the story gets better and better as our little space animals get further from home," said Lemire. "Thanks for coming along the journey with us!"
Primordial reveals to readers that In 1957, the USSR launched the dog, Laika, into Earth's orbit. Two years later, the USA responded with two monkeys, Able and Baker. These animals never returned. But, unbeknownst to everyone, they did not die in orbit…they were taken. And now they are coming home.

This six issue miniseries is the most recent collaboration from the creative team who brought readers the Eisner Award winning, critically lauded Gideon Falls.

Primordial #1, second printing (Diamond Code AUG218388) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, October 20. 

Primordial will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Select praise for Primordial:

“Brings ambitious and innovative comics storytelling from artist Andrea Sorrentino and writer Jeff Lemire in a story that's as much about the present as the past in its examination of humanity's place on Earth and amongst all living things.” --ComicBook.com

“All in all, sci-fi fans, Lemire fans, Sorrentino fans, Image fans, this is a must buy. This is an incredible start to a series and will be one that you'll want to start and stay current with.” --Black Nerd Problems

“A classic Cold War thriller in the making. But it's also far more ambitious than that, with a sci-fi storyline at its heart and visuals evoking 2001: A Space Odyssey. Primordial #1 is one part John le Carré and another part Arthur C. Clarke.” --Comicon.com

“For a creative team this brilliant, it really means something to say that they are at the top of their game. But sure enough, Primordial #1 sees Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart and Steve Wands doing some of their best work!” --Monkeys Fighting Robots

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

SEP. 24, 2021 (SEATTLE, WA) — The brand-new indie comic book publisher, Lesser Known Comics, is teaming up with Dizzy Doom Media to release the Digital Lizards of Doom series, new series spin-offs, and other exciting graphic novels!

Digital Lizards of Doom, previously with Clover Press, has already made a racket within the industry. Creator Gabriel Valentin realized he was looking for a company with an entirely new outlook on the comic book business—Enter Lesser Known Comics! 

In November 2020, Mark Bernal started Lesser Known Comics with the goal of changing industry standards and how artists are treated.  The company creates and publishes original content while also publishing independent creator-owned comics. They are committed to putting art before profit, honing some of the most favorable contracts in the industry that focus on giving Lesser Known Comics the largest amount of creative freedom, best work/life balance, and the strongest collective bargaining rights. The company has grown exponentially with its comic creators since; creating 13 comic books to date and working to publish 14 more by the end of 2021.

“We are stoked to add Digital Lizards of Doom to our catalog,” said Mark Bernal. “Gabe already has an amazing thing going and we feel honored just to be able to share these books with as many new readers as possible.” 

“I had been chatting with Mark (founder of LKC) for a while through social media and I was always impressed with who they were working with and the incredible talent they brought in,” said Gabriel Valentin. “After seeing his commitment to the artists and the indie comic scene, I knew I wanted Lesser Known Comics to be the new home of Digital Lizards of Doom!”

Digital Lizards of Doom Level 2: Commander E.K.O. is set to hit stores this fall, with production for Digital Lizards of Doom Level 3: Dana Deathly wrapping production in December.

Today, Lesser Known Comics launched a Kickstarter campaign for “Lesser Known Comics Batch #3”, their newest release of comics, mini-comics, art prints, and collectibles from indie comic creators all over the US, Spain, Italy, and Argentina, and features collector’s edition of Digital Lizards of Doom Level 1: Dizzy Doom.

PORTLAND, Ore. 09/24/2021 — The bestselling creative team behind the Eisner Award nominated Middlewest—Skottie Young and Jorge Corona—have another hit with the buzzworthy, The Me You Love in the Dark. This seductive debut issue has sold out yet again at the distributor level and is being rushed back to print in order to keep up with escalating reorder activity.


In this chilling five issue miniseries, an artist named Ro retreats from the grind of the city to an isolated old house to find solace and inspiration—but the muse within is not quite what she expected. Fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman will enjoy this disturbing story of discovery, love, and terror.

The Me You Love In The Dark #1, third printing (Diamond Code AUG218387) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, October 20. 

The Me You Love in the Dark #2, second printing will be available at local comic shops on Wednesday, October 13:

• Cover A by Jorge Corona - Diamond Code JUL219741
• Cover B 1:20 copy incentive - Diamond Code JUL219742

The Me You Love in the Dark #3 (Diamond Code AUG210251) will be available at comic book shops on
​ Wednesday, October 6.

The Me You Love In The Dark is also available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Select praise for The Me You Love in the Dark:

“A fantastic start to what promises to be a rich, dark, and vibrant tale.” --ComicBook.com

“For a book about an artist, this comic lives up to the quality of an expert painter through color and linework.” --AIPT


“A brilliant and balanced beginning.” --The GWW

“A classic haunted house story with a modern twist.” --Geek’d Out

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

AWA Studios’ imprint Upshot Studios has unveiled its much-anticipated horror series OUT #1 retailer exclusive variants. THE GREAT ESCAPE meets THE THING in this new series by Rob Williams (JUDGE DREDD, OLD HAUNTS), Will Conrad (WOLVERINE, RED BORDER), and Marco Lesko (CHARIOT, RAT QUEENS) is to hit stores this October 6th, 2021.


In response to the variants, OUT creator Rob Williams said, “It’s hugely, horribly exciting to see how different artists are portraying our World War II monster for the variant covers for OUT #1. Giving the undead new blood-sucking life!”


Since the launch of AWA Studios’ variant program October 2020, the program has accomplished exactly what CCO Axel Alonso’s goal of creating a program that “focuses on quality over quantity to bring a truly special experience for our retailer partners and readers while supporting our top talent relationships.” The program is spearheaded by comic book veteran Lisa Y. Wu, Marketing, Sales, & PR Consultant.


“We’re really impressed with what Lisa Y. Wu is doing, heading up the variant program at AWA Studios. She’s creating a bridge that allows retailers to participate more intimately with the story we created...At the end of the day, we want as many people as possible to pick up OUT and this is helping people to do just that,” said Williams.


Said Wu, “Our variant program is truly unique in that we incorporate our retailers in the creative process. Retailers get to work directly with the artist, our editorial team, and production team and, once the artwork is revealed, we continue to engage with retailers in supporting their sales and promote the variant artists with the creators of the book. When retailers and artists work with AWA Studios, it isn’t one and done. We are with them - They become part of our family.”


“With these OUT variants,” Wu continued, “this incredible list of cover artists truly captures the terror that the POWs come face to face with in the world that Rob, Will, and Marco created.”


Here’s some of the things that retailers had to say about OUT #1, AWA Studios’ variant program, and their exclusive art:


“We always love to work with new publishers, and AWA has to be close to the top for professionalism, efficiency and overall FUN! We look forward to our future collaborations!"- David McKean, Linebreakers - Exclusive by Bjorn Barends