GRINDHOUSE graphic novel out this week

This Wednesday, 29th July, Dark Horse Books are publishing a Grindhouse graphic novel which collects Slay Ride and Blood Lagoon from the current mini-series.

Both stories are written by Alex de Campi. The trade paperback is designed as a flip book; with Slay Ride (with art by R.M. Guéra) taking up one half of the book, then turn it over to read Blood Lagoon (illustrated by Chris Peterson).

Slay Ride is described as "Yuletide exploitation" and a brutal holiday tale of revenge and supernatural horror. Here's a couple of preview pages...

Blood Lagoon brings back Deputy Garcia from last year's Bee Vixens from Mars (in the previous Grindhouse series) to face the threat mutated giant cow-eating ticks! Here's a preview page...

It's all good, over-the-top horror comics fun and the book even features fake blood splatters on the cover flap. Er... at least I think it's fake...

Why am I promoting an American comic on a blog about UK comics? Well, vested interest declared, the book also contains two pages that I did; exclusive one-off creations Kung-Fu Cheesecake and Snowmanic! Here's a preview of a panel from each story...

(Yep, I censored the Snowmanic panel for this family-friendly blog. See the uncensored version in the book!)

The graphic novel also contains bonus items such as excellent fake movie posters, dark humour strips by Rick Parker and Dean Haspiel, cover roughs, and how some pages looked in their penciled stage.

Grindhouse: Doors Open At Midnight Double Feature Volume 3 goes on sale in comic speciality stores in the UK and USA from tomorrow, 29th July. The U.S. price is $17.99. Mature readers only!

Also available that day will be the latest issue of the Grindhouse monthly comic (No.7), - but not in Canada. (See here for more details about that!)

I know many comic readers are getting weary of superhero comics lurching from one revamp to the next, but there's more to American comics than capes and crossovers. There are loads of comics out there in any well stocked comics shop! Try Grindhouse and the many other titles from Dark Horse and other publishers for refreshing alternatives.

Some adults are still scared of adult comics

Rich Johnston's Bleeding Cool website is reporting that the next issue of Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out will not be available in Canada due to concerns over its sexual content.

The eight issue mini-series, which runs new stories split over two issues, wraps up with Nebulina in issues 7 and 8. Written by Alex De Campi and illustrated by John Lucas and Ryan Hill the story will no doubt be fun, provocative, with a good dose of horror. It'll also be labeled for Adult Readers and will be polybagged to prevent innocent eyes beholding its content. 

However, even those precautions are not enough for Canada apparently, and the comic will not be on sale in the country. Canadian readers will still be able to download the digital edition from the Dark Horse app, or, presumably, buy it from eBay or other online sellers.

Some days it's hard to believe we live in the 21st Century when one hears of such prudish attitudes. What exactly is the danger of Canadian adults seeing drawings of consenting adults doing what consenting adults do? Obviously such material won't be to everyone's taste and that's fine; just don't buy it. But to stop everyone else from buying it is just censorship. 

As an aside, I was commissioned to produce a back up humour page for that issue and, knowing the comic would have a sexual theme, I created Sex Pest, the misogynistic pubic louse. However, to solve a scheduling problem the strip appeared an issue earlier instead, in Grindhouse No.6, which is available in Canada. In yer face, censors! (Er, not literally. That'd be messy.)

Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out No.7 featuring Nebulina will be on sale in comic stores (except Canada) next Wednesday, 29th July. To see some preview pages, visit the Bleeding Cool site here:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/07/23/exactly-why-grindhouse-was-banned-from-being-sold-in-canada/

My next strip for the comic will appear in issue 8.

New Grindhouse, new character

American publisher Dark Horse have just published Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out No.6, and on the back page you'll find my newest creation, Sex Pest! - a story about pubic lice. (Sorry kids, it's adults only!) Don't worry, the obnoxious misogynist gets his just desserts, and to find out how, pick up an issue from your nearest comics speciality store or buy the digital edition from the Dark Horse app.  

Sex Pest! is only the back up strip. The main feature in the comic is part two of Lady Danger: Agent of B.O.O.T.I. by Alex de Campi and Mulele Jarvis. You can read a preview of a few pages over on the CBR website:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/grindhouse-drive-in-bleed-out-6-dark-horse-comics-2015

It's Grindhouse day!

Today at a comic speciality store near you the first issue of Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out goes on sale. As with the first Grindhouse mini-series, the eight issues will consist of 4 two-part stories. Issue one is Slay Ride Part One by Alex de Campi and R.M. Guera. You can read a preview of the first six pages here:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=24144

The comic's creator and writer, Alex de Campi will be on board throughout the run, with a different artist for each two part story evoking the twisted extremes of Grindhouse movies. 

But wait. Fine comic though it is, Grindhouse is an American publication, so why am I plugging it on a blog dedicated to British comics? Well, a) I do occasionally promote comics outside of the UK, and b) admittedly I have a vested interest in this one. On the back page of issue 1 you'll find a brand new full page strip I created for the comic. Kung-Fu Cheesecake is her name, and vengeance is her game. It's Grindhouse cinema meets Looney Tunes.

Catch Kung-Fu Cheesecake while you can, because next month in issue 2 there'll be a different strip by me, and two more in issues 7 and 8. I'll reveal more about those at a later date.  

Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out No.1, $3.99, mature readers only. Published by Dark Horse Comics. On sale from today from comic shops such as Forbidden Planet, Nostalgia and Comics, Gosh!, etc. 

GRINDHOUSE!

Remember I mentioned that I was working on strips for a U.S. publisher? This is the comic. Alex de Campi's Grindhouse returns for a new 8 issue run next month, and I'm over the moon to announce that Alex commissioned me to produce single-page humour strips as back up funnies for some of the issues. 

Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out is an eight issue series published by Dark Horse Comics which will feature four two-part stories across the run. No.1 features Slay Ride written by Alex de Campi and illustrated by R.M. Guéra. On her website, Alex describes says "It gets down to business really fast. This is a very brutal, uncomfortable, and spare / silent story"

...and on the back page will be my humour strip as part of the Li'l House of Grind concept that Alex came up with. My brief was for something like the old trashy grindhouse horror/exploitation movies. The result: Kung-Fu Cheesecake, with script, art, lettering by myself.

I've been commissioned to produce four single page complete strips for the comic, which will appear in issues 1,2,7 and 8. Brand new twisted characters for a mature readership. Kung-Fu Cheesecake is one of the weirdest characters I've created. I'm drawing the page for issue 2 this week which features another new comic-horror creation. Really enjoying this!

Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out No.1 is scheduled for publication on Wednesday November 12th, priced $3.99. Available in comic stores in the USA and UK but to make sure of your copy, place an order today! Mature Readers rating.

To read a preview of Slay Ride, the main strip by Alex de Campi and R.M. Guera, see Comic Book Resources here:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=24144

To visit Alex's website, where you can learn more about her great comics and see a finished preview of R.M. Guéra's striking cover for issue 1, click here:
http://www.alexdecampi.com/