One More Con
Baltimore is Coming! Plus: What's In-Store for '24?
I’ve honestly never been to SDCC in any capacity. One day I’ll remedy that… it’s not for lack of want, but often a lack of $$$.
BUT, I will be at Baltimore Comic-con again this year!! For the first time in my life I’ll be attending BCC as a Guest, not in Artists Alley. This show is always one of my best, and I’m really looking forward to being there, seeing friends and compatriots, and visiting with readers & fans! If you haven’t read it, yet, they did a press announcement featuring Dean Haspiel, Peter Rostovsky, and me for their newsletter. Check it out:
So, stop by our booth and visit! Plus, you’ll be amongst the first to see the Baltimore Comic-con EXCLUSIVE cover to the Spider-Squirrel & Trash Panda Titan-Sized Special (SSTPTSS) by D.C. Stuelpner!
New Campaign is LIVE!!
If you’ve been living under a rock, or just busy with life, you may have missed the fact that WE LAUNCHED A NEW KICKSTARTER!!
That’s right, we delivered The Complete Spider-Squirrel Volume One Ultimate Edition and immediately launched this next “issue” that’s really a bridge between volumes one and two. Spider-Squirrel volume two will begin late ‘23/early ‘24 starting with Spider-Squirrel #4.
More to come on that…!
In-Store for ‘24
Plans are heavily underway for a series of new titles coming in 2024. We’ll continue to produce Spider-Squirrel and GodQuest: Milestone books (GD:MS is a planned 6-issue mini-series), and we’ll soon add Bluechip & The New Teen Force 5 mini-series (5-issues), plus a series of “Pilots” from Xion Studios. Each Pilot is a one-shot highlighting a new character from across the Xion Universe, and after the first three are released (a full “season”) we’ll run a series of polls across our various social media, plus review sales & campaign performances to determine which title is the next to get a series/mini-series from us!
The power is in your hands!
Upcoming pilots (mentioned in previous newsletters, but here again):
Rook: Return To Sender — a street-level crime drama that happens to feature supervillains but is less of a superhero story and more a personal journey of a disgraced police officer looking to clear his name and return to his family and a normal life. Part detective work, part revenge story, part heroic journey, and a load of entertainment. Brought to you by Dan Faust, Dexter Wee, and Full Court Press.
Alpha-Elite: Social Media Super-Influencer - imagine a jerkier Booster Gold with the power of Apollo (The Authority) and then give him a social media account… you get the idea. Fun, funny, but also introspective and thoughtful, this book will ask the question, “what makes one a hero…?” Is Alpha-Elite a hero, or does his presence make things worse? This isn’t a deconstruction of heroes, but a commentary on how social media might impact a superhero’s life and action. Or, maybe this guy’s just a putz… Brought to you by Daniel Kalban, Jochem van der Steen, Vito Delsante, Davide Tinto, POW Rodrix, Paul Michael Walcott, Ross Hughes, Omi Remalante, Saul Shavanas, and Full Court Press.
The Fundamentals: Family Matters - a cosmic love letter to the Fantastic Four, but more of a love letter to family. Scott Fogg (Nightcare) & I are both adoptive parents and this story is about what makes a family as much as it is a cosmic adventure — perhaps more so. I’m really proud of these characters and what the creative team is bringing to the book. I cannot wait for you to read this one! Brought to you by Scott Fogg, Craig Shepard, Ross Hughes, and Ringo-award winner Micah Myers!
Early cover dress test — we’ve changed a few things, but the art is still the same! Cover art by Craig Shepard & Elmer Santos. OGNs OTW!
Three original graphic novels are in various stages of completion or planning already, at least two of which to be launched in 2024 (or 2025). All of which I’m extremely excited about bringing to you:
I Invested in a Corporation and Went from MMA Championship-Level Fighter to Becoming the First-Ever American Yakuza Overnight, Literally… — the title is the premise, and we have already completed the initial drafts of the first act. Art to begin as early as this month! Written by Anthony Stokes (Decay, Intrusive Thoughts) & Chris Moses (CTRL+Z, The Saturn Effect), this will be Xion Studios’ first Mature Audiences title, but one that we know you will thoroughly enjoy (possibly for years to come). I’m personally SUPER-PUMPED about this one!! If you see me at Baltimore, you will be able to buy a HIGHLY-LIMITED EDITION (200) “death marker” coin with special access to a fan-focused behind-the-scenes website. Limited to one per person!
Eternis Requiem: The Death of Faith - I’ve been wanting to tell a story of this sort since 1998. I originally created the main character, Asa, back in 1997 and even had five pages drawn before my entire art team got hired by Crossgen Comics (if you’re old enough to remember them before Marvel Comics bought the rights). So, I sat on it. Sean Izaakse (Green Arrow) did a redesign of Asa for me almost 10yrs ago, but we’re finally bringing this guy to light! Travis Gibb (Granite State Punk) is crafting a powerful story that spans millennia and deals with some weighty matters such as faith, fate, life, purpose, and how these things intersect. It’s gonna be SO good!!
Hyperion & The Expatriates (final title TBD) - this one is in early planning stages, but will take us deep into the outer reaches of the Xion Universe — even further than where we go with GodQuest! The ramifications of this OGN will reverberate across the XU and will be a prelude to The Last Spider-Squirrel Story… oh, boy. 👀 👀 👀 This book will appeal to fans of The Guardians of the Galaxy (both movies and comics), among other cool cosmic team books. Coming in 2024/2025 from Travis Hill (Thorn)!
BACK THESE BOOKS!!
I’m a backer, fan, and friend to these campaigns, so please give them some love!!
TAP OR DIE #1 - A Brutal Wrestling Comic
After getting screwed over by the commissioner of his pro wrestling league, Domino will stop at nothing to get his revenge.
Tap or Die by Anthony Stokes is a fantastic new entry into indiecomics, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading! Give it a look, a like, and a back today! (NSFW )
URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/decay/tap-or-die-1-a-sexy-wrestling-comic
BILLY DOGMA
A psycho-sexual Dean Haspiel deep cut!
Dean is an incredible talent and a dope human! If you’ve read any of Dean’s works, you know the quality contained herein, so I don’t need to tell you. For those unfamiliar with Dino’s stuff, he has a terrific, quirky vibe to his work that is both classic and fresh. His art is incredible, but his storytelling is just masterful — you should definitely read his Red Hook or The Fox (with Mark Waid) or, Billy Dogma: Fear, My Dear!
URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deanhaspiel/billy-dogma
So, there you have it. Two Kickstarters to back (plus mine, so THREE…) from my friends and collaborators. Enjoy!
Best to you always,
Charlie