News!
Huge News!!!
HOLY $#!* I HOPE YOU'RE SITTING DOWN NEWS!!!!!
I...I can't even...I'll let the little grey bastard tell ya:
We are thrilled to announce our first publication!
THE STRANGE DEATH OF ALEX RAYMOND, The Legendary Graphic Novel, Arrives, At Long Last—
SAN DIEGO, California 3-30-2021 — Living the Line is proud to present their debut graphic novel publication, the long-awaited The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, written and drawn by legendary comics creator Dave Sim, joined by his co-illustrator and co-writer, award-winning painter Carson Grubaugh. The book will be distributed to comic stores through Diamond Comics in July, and to book stores through Diamond Book Distributors, August 3rd 2021.
Legendary creator Dave Sim is renowned world-wide for his groundbreaking Cerebus the Aardvark. Now, in The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, Sim brings to life the history of comics' greatest creators, using their own techniques. Equal parts Understanding Comics and From Hell, Strange Death is a head-on collision of ink drawing and spiritual intrigue, pulp comics and movies, history and fiction. The story traces the lives and techniques of Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon, Rip Kirby), Stan Drake (Juliet Jones), Hal Foster (Prince Valiant), and more, dissecting their methods through recreations of their artwork, and highlighting the metatextual resonances that bind them together.
The project has its origins in the pages of Sim's post-Cerebus comic glamourpuss (2008-2012), but when Sim began Strange Death the graphic novel, almost none of that earlier work was retained. Sim completed approximately 180 pages of this 320-page volume by himself, between 2012 and 2015, before being struck with a potentially career-ending wrist malady. Fellow photorealist Carson Grubaugh was brought on by Sim shortly thereafter to continue the work, which he did over the next few years.
In 2020, Sim announced his intentions to cease work on the project, and gave Grubaugh permission to publish the entirety of the work, with a newly-created conclusion by Grubaugh. “SDOAR is the work of an apex-level-creator doing the best work he has ever done, an absolute master-class in the potential of the medium.,” says Grubaugh. “The thought that it might never see the light of day tortured me. That I somehow get to be the guy to wrap it up and bring it to the market is totally baffling. “
The Strange Death of Alex Raymond (ISBN: 978-1-7368605-0-2) will be available as a deluxe oversized hardback, utilizing state-of-the-art sheetfed offset printers and cutting-edge prepress techniques to bring an unparalleled level of detail to the printed page.
“Possibly the most creative and imaginative piece of cartooning by one of the best cartoonists of all time.”
— Jimmy Gownley,
author of Amelia Rules! and 7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up
“The Strange Death of Alex Raymond is one of the most spectacular comics I have ever read or seen. I can't recommend it enough, although you may hate it. Bizarre and beautiful and completely unique. “
— Jim Rugg,
Cartoonist Kayfabe, Street Angel, The P.L.A.I.N. Janes
“This is a master work. I’m honoured to have even laid eyes on it.”
— E.S. Glenn, Unsmooth, cartoonist for The New Yorker
"A must-read for anyone interested in the history and craft of comics"
— Brandon Graham, King City, Multiple Warheads, Prophet, Rain Like Hammers
“With Strange Death of Alex Raymond, Sim and Grubaugh crafted a must-read masterpiece on the beauty and tragedy of comics.”
— Joseph Keatinge, Shutter, Ringside
“Grubaugh provides a brilliant and fitting conclusion to what would have otherwise been one of the most notable unfinished works of recent times. I for one am excited at holding the completed Strange Death of Alex Raymond in my hands.”
— Gary Spencer Millidge,
Strangehaven, Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman
(You're gonna wanna make with the clicky...)
Hey, speaking of the Stan Drake:
Dave's Weekly Update:
Order Sword of Cerebus in Hell? Volume 3 too!
I got 31 entries for my Insult me on the Internet! Win fun prizes! from 6 entrants. With 4 slots for winners. So, I've decided everybody's getting a painting, two guys are getting smaller ones. Which one gets the BIG Prize will be revealed tomorrow.
Hemingway in Comics: https://www.booktable.net/ https://www.centuriesandsleuths.com/
Heritage has some interesting "Dave Sim" bits Including Original Art:
The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe is on sale:
Up to 35% off site-wide:
April 7 – 8
April 14 – 16
April 22 – 24
Up to 30% off site-wide:
April 28 – 29
Tell your fans! Remind them that everything will be up to 35% off -- that means $13 tees, $20 phone cases, $30 hoodies, and way more!
Next Time: Dave and I talked for two hours, four minutes, and twenty-nine seconds. So, that...
7 comments:
Congratulations to both Living the Line and Carson for the solicitation.
Good Thing that the "Final Orders are due DEC 31, 2039" for SDOAR. That'll give me some more time to save up for the book.
So does this volume include the material from last year's Kickstarter edition, or does it pick up where that one left off?
Tony,
This volume does indeed include the content of the previously published Fundraiser Edition Volume 1. Along with contents Volume 2, and what Dave had done for volume 3 finished by Carson, and then Carson's ending that wraps up the story from Carson's point of view.
I believe this volume is SMALLER in page size than the FE, but is "complete" (unless Dave gets the funds to finish volumes 3-5, and gets somebody to draw it.)
Manly
Not to gift horse a mouth in the look (or something like that), but is the only way to get this edition to have your LCS order through Diamond for you? In other words, it's not available directly from the publisher or via another online retailer (say, Amazon)?
Thanks, Brian!
Michael,
Sean says Diamond has that cut off date on all of their ads. Some in joke about the anniversary of Detective comics, or something.
Tony,
Matt is correct. V1, V2, what Dave mocked up of V3 and my ending. Plus an introduction by Eddie Campbell (WHOA!) and an essay by Sean to cap it all off!
Dave,
Available for pre-order now on Amazon! We will also be crowdfunding a signed and numbered edition with an illustrated bookplate, to be signed by Dave and myself.
Thanks, Carson! While I'd prefer to support my LCS, I'm honestly not sure if they'll be with Diamond by the time this is released (given the recent DC news). Ordered via (sigh) Amazon. Really, really looking forward to this, and thank you for persisting!
Post a Comment