Mike talks Gravel, Streets of Glory, and more. Don’t miss the brief BelleChere as Anna Mercury appearance at the beginning.

William GRAVEL’s ongoing adventures are ready to begin their full-size, monthly run a little over month from now, following the original 6 miniseries which have been collected in trades and GRAVEL #0 which launched the new series a month ago.  Created and written by Warren Ellis and with script assist from Mike Wolfer, GRAVEL features the full-color artwork of CRECY artist Raulo Caceres. 

Haven’t read the first issue of the ongoing series?  Check out these reviews from fellow fans and bloggers. 

• AComicADay.blogspot
• ComicPants.com
• AdventurousInk.blogspot
• Comic News Insider podcast GRAVEL #0 is the first of the reviews, featured about 22 minutes into the podcast.

Ask your local comic shop about GRAVEL #0 and the upcoming release of #1 in March.  If you cannot find this title locally check out the online store for previews and cover images.

• GRAVEL #0, Wraparound, Black Magic Ed.
• GRAVEL #1, Wraparound, Black Magic Ed., Signed Poster Ed.
• GRAVEL #2, Wraparound, Black Magic Ed.
• GRAVEL shot glass
• GRAVEL hoodie Large, XL, XXL

Comic Book Resources has a few lettered interior pages from the saga of Combat Magician William Gravel in GRAVEL #0.  Find out more about the new series, then hit your local retailer and pick it up — Gravel #0 is in stores now.

The upcoming Gravel series has gotten a lot of coverage around the industry lately, including this Mike Wolfer interview at Diamond Comics Distributors, and this Warren Ellis interview at Newsarama.

Gravel #0 should hit comic stores next week.

The talented Mr. Mike Wolfer lends his time to avatarpress.com to talk about GRAVEL, his upcoming series with Warren Ellis and Crecy artist Raulo Caceres. Based on William Gravel, the lead character from Ellis’ Strange Killings epic with Avatar Press, this ongoing series launches with the specially priced GRAVEL #0 in January available for only $1.99. Both #0 and the full-size monthly, which begins in March, feature the talents of creator Warren Ellis and co-writer Mike Wolfer, and the artwork of Raulo Caceres (Crecy, 2001 Maniacs.)

Here’s Mike with more details:

William Gravel was originally the lead character in a one-shot mini-series, STRANGE KISS. To tell the horrific tale of a bizarre Elder God and its intended domination of the Earth, the story’s “villain” needed a worthy foil, thus, the Combat Magician, William Gravel was born. It was a tale of irony, hidden agendas and paranoia, a quick-and-dirty little shocker. But Gravel himself became a lightning rod of fan interest; he was far too intriguing to be disposed of after only three issues. Over the course of five years, Gravel continued to sporadically appear on store shelves, each time bringing with him new and disturbing adventures, but even so, we still know very little about the man. I suppose that is part of his allure, so we won’t be exposing everything about him in the GRAVEL ongoing series, just providing tantalizing new details and new mysteries on a more consistent shipping schedule.

It seemed like a natural evolution, launching an ongoing monthly GRAVEL series, based on the incredible response the character’s previous tales generated with both fans and critical reviewers. Maybe it was all about timing, a proper alignment of the stars, or available breathing room in all of our schedules… Or maybe it was Garth Ennis’ suggestion. Whatever the impetus, everything fell into place with surprising ease. William Gravel has been around for years, and has generated quite a following of die-hard fans, who have eagerly awaited the next disturbing chapter in the STRANGE KISS/KISSES/KILLINGS series. They have been loyal, and quite vocal and at last Warren Ellis, Raulo Caceres and I are able to deliver what the fans have asked for, for the first time in full color and with no punches pulled. This is the Gravel we all know, the same lovable bastard, only delivered in monthly installments.

I’m thrilled to once again be working with Warren Ellis, to assist with the refinement of Gravel’s tales. As co-writer, I take Warren’s 7 to 8-page, detailed plot breakdowns that include key passages of dialog and expand upon that, fleshing it out for artist Raulo Caceres. It’s an exhilarating experience, to receive these incredible story pitches and add my own artistic sense of visual pacing, to take what Warren has provided and polish it into a finished product with Raulo’s help. It’s a unique co-mingling of creative energies that results in stories that take the best of what each of us can provide; we build on each other’s strengths to produce a unique comic that, in my opinion, stands apart from everything else on the shelves.

I don’t think we could have chosen a better replacement for me than Raulo Caceres. His attention to detail is extraordinary and it is that sort of immersive environment that I tried to instill in my art when I was working on the previous series. I have to admit: I’m a bit protective of William Gravel when it comes to his visual representation, as until now I have been the only artist to draw him on covers or interiors. But Raulo’s got the goods and he draws an excellent Gravel, full of the same grimness that is his trademark and the heaviness of Raulo’s inking provides the perfect, dark mood that has pervaded Gravel’s adventures through all of the various mini-series.

In the past, we’ve concentrated on showing how William Gravel interacts with the world around him, utilizing his Combat Magic to bring about desired results that, at the end of the day, usually only benefits himself. In the GRAVEL ongoing monthly, we’re going to more closely examine that world of magic of which we’ve only seen glimpses in previous mini-series. We know what Gravel can do, but we don’t necessarily know why or how he does it. Although GRAVEL #0 is not the beginning of some drawn-out origin story, it is the starting point of a new perspective, a side of Gravel that has remained hidden since his first appearance in STRANGE KISS.

For more information about Strange Kiss and other collections featuring William Gravel, the new ongoing series, and the creative team behind GRAVEL follow the links below:

A talk with series artist Raulo Caceres.

GRAVEL Gallery.

GRAVEL Press Release.

Original Strange Killings epic (6 TPBs.)

Local comic retailers are now preparing their orders for GRAVEL #0 and Avatar’s January 2008 releases. When visiting your store this week please use our handy checklist to let your retailer know of what Avatar comics you are interested in purchasing.

Warren Ellis’ next ongoing series will launch in January with GRAVEL #0 published by Avatar Press. GRAVEL features the combat magician Sgt. Major William Gravel in his own monthly series, beginning with the specially priced #0 issue which is available for only $1.99. Like the launch of Ellis’ hugely popular Black Summer series, Gravel #0 is not a preview, but is actually the opening part of this new Gravel saga. The full-size regular series will follow with issue #1 in March. Mike Wolfer (Streets of Glory) will co-write the title with Ellis, and the full-color first issue and regular series will feature interiors from the artist of Ellis’ critically-acclaimed graphic novel Crecy and Doktor Sleepless wraparound covers, Raulo Caceres.

“Black ops, blacker magic, cold-blooded slaughter and ruthless betrayal: the ongoing adventures of Warren Ellis’ biggest bastard to date,” says fellow creator Garth Ennis, who has been a fan of Gravel’s early saga in the Strange Kiss/Kisses/Killings series. “It’s like someone made a comic just for me.”

“Every time the weird bastard steps into the daylight, people come out to see what he’s up to for some reason,” says GRAVEL creator Warren Ellis. “It’s funny how a character created for a single story, STRANGE KISS, has hung around. I’m creating a whole new mythology and Occult Cosmology for GRAVEL, the series. And also having some fun with The Sigsand Manuscript, the preferred Ancient Occult Text of Thomas Carnacki, the supernatural detective created by William Hope Hodgson (who was a great influence on Lovecraft — go on, google them all).”

“William Gravel has generated quite a following of die-hard fans, who have eagerly awaited the next disturbing chapter in the STRANGE KISS/KISSES/KILLINGS series,” notes series co-writer Mike Wolfer, “They have been loyal and quite vocal, and at last Warren Ellis, Raulo Caceres and I are able to deliver what the fans have asked for, for the first time in full color and with no punches pulled.” Sgt. Major Gravel first appeared in Ellis’ mini-series Strange Kiss in late 1999, and the combat magician working deniable-op’s would later be the focus of six collected editions. Gravel’s missions, and the occasional cash-in-hand work, bring him to toe-to-toe with the most profane and brutal depths of the criminal world. Thank Britain this military trained sorcerer is ready to blast the hell out of the blokes. All 6 original TPB’s are in print, they are: Strange Kiss, Stranger Kisses, Strange Killings, Strange Killings: Body Orchard, Strange Killings: Strong Medicine, and Strange Killings: Necromancer. Wolfer promises readers, “This is the Gravel we all know, the same lovable bastard, only (now) delivered in monthly installments.”

Creator Warren Ellis launched the first Gravel saga, Strange Kiss, at Avatar almost a decade ago as his first project with the publisher. Since then, Avatar has published several other of his properties including Black Summer, Doktor Sleepless, and multiple titles under his Apparat imprint. Now back by popular demand, this landmark creator-owned character is making his return in a full-color, ongoing series.

Artist and collaborator from the original run Mike Wolfer will be assisting Ellis in co-writing this ongoing monthly, relinquishing the artistic responsibilities to a revolving art team. “Mike Wolfer is a great professional,” says artist Raulo Caceres. “He is one of those designers that know that to make comics is more than to just draw well… I value his perspective, the collaboration of the minds, and their (Ellis and Wolfer’s) talented visual language.”

Wolfer admits, “I’m a bit protective of William Gravel when it comes to his visual representation, as until now I have been the only artist to draw him on covers or interiors. But Raulo’s got the goods and he draws an excellent Gravel, full of the same grimness that is his trademark, and the heaviness of Raulo’s inking provides the perfect, dark mood that has pervaded Gravel’s adventures through all of the various mini-series.” Artist Raulo Caceres will draw #0 and the start of the full-size regular series. Caceres is best known for his work on Ellis’ immensely popular Apparat graphic novel, Crecy, and his wraparound covers for the ongoing series Doktor Sleepless.

GRAVEL launches its full-color ongoing run with #0 in January, specially priced at only $1.99. The full-size monthly begins in March and will be available for $3.99. Written by creator Warren Ellis and co-writer Mike Wolfer, GRAVEL revives a must-read indy character, and will be drawn by Crecy artist Raulo Caceres.

Avatar Press is a comic book publisher that continues to push the boundaries between mainstream and independent with current and upcoming work from creators such as Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Brian Pulido, George A. Romero, George R.R. Martin, Joe R. Lansdale, John Russo, Mike Wolfer, Juan Jose Ryp, Jacen Burrows, and numerous others. The company has published a wide range of comic books including creator-owned titles like Warren Ellis Black Summer, Garth Ennis’ 303 and Brian Pulido’s Lady Death, company-owned comics such as Pandora and The Ravening, licensed hits like Frank Miller’s Robocop and George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, and numerous other titles. A publisher that has established itself as one of the cornerstones of the American indy comic book scene over the past decade, Avatar has published some 500 comic books since 1997.

For additional information, any interview requests or general press requests, please contact David Marks. For Gravel artwork, check out www.avatarpress.net/v/gravel/.

Rich has the scoop on a new ongoing monthly from Warren Ellis called Gravel, a full color comic featuring combat magician William Gravel of Strange Kiss fame. Story by Warren Ellis & Mike Wolfer, art by Raulo Caceres (best known for his artwork on Crecy and the Doktor Sleepless wraparound covers). Many more details on this project soon.

Creator talk is one of Avatar Press’ newest online exclusives, featuring the real life experiences of a wide range of comic book professionals. Artist of the upcoming Garth Ennis series, Streets of Glory, indy creator, and frequent colaborator with Warren Ellis and John Russo, Mike Wolfer participates in the debut of this all new feature on avatarpress.com. Mike has gone as far as successfully publishing his own comic book to then cement a relationship with a promising, new independent publisher, Avatar Press. Find out about how Mike came to collaborating with some of the most famous creators of the past half century, and work on a few of the most iconic horror franchises. Visit Creator Talk to read the first four installments.

HOW AVATAR PRESS SAVED MY LIFE, Part 5: Strange Killings On Friday The 13th

By Mike Wolfer
And so it began, in the summer of 1999, my long and memorable collaboration with Warren Ellis at Avatar Press. The incredibly high-concept character of Combat Magician William Gravel and his bizarre, and often times perverse adventures afforded me the opportunity to grow incredibly as a storyteller. No matter what Warren threw at me in the script, I was prepared to make him proud, transforming his written words into a gray-toned, two-dimensional reality.

STRANGE KISS begat STRANGER KISSES, then a string of STRANGE KILLINGS assaulted readers’ sensibilities, always pushing the boundaries of what is the acceptable behavior of a hero. But despite the horrific violence, the ritualistic mutilations, and the sexually-depraved zombies, Warren never let us forget that it’s all about Gravel. As Garth Ennis professes, “No matter what, you can always depend on Gravel to be a cunt.”

It came as a surprise and an incredible compliment when I learned that Warren and William Christensen would allow me to assist with the scripting of STRANGE KILLINGS. Warren’s confidence with my ability as a writer was something that had never even crossed my mind, nor would it have been something that I would ever have contemplated. After all, he made the characters speak; all I did was draw pretty pictures. But in reviewing my work, Warren felt that I could flex my creative muscles in a way that would not conflict with his own vision and somehow, the experiment flowed seamlessly. Again, William Christensen opened a door for me, helping me to widen the scope of my resume and strengthen my talent in ways that I had never thought possible.

Always on the lookout, William had a new offer for me as Warren and I wrapped up the finale of the six-issue STRANGE KILLINGS epic, NECROMANCER. Avatar had secured the licensing rights to several New Line Cinema properties and seeing as I was an “old school” horror film fan, the FRIDAY THE 13TH comic series seemed like a natural choice for me to illustrate. It didn’t hurt that Brian Pulido would be writing, since he and I go way back to the “Indy” days when I contributed to several of his Chaos! Comics LADY DEATH pin-up books.

Chronicling the undying rampage of Jason Voorhees was a blast for me, as I had always been a huge fan of the franchise, so when the opportunity arose for me to take over the writing of the series, I was already prepared to finally make sense out of 10 movies-worth of continuity and thematic errors. Oh, the plans that I had, the characters that would return from the films, the situations and locales that we would revisit. I had a grand scheme that would extend over at least two mini-series and even tie-in to the JASON X comic, which I would also be scripting.

My first crack at the property was the “they said it couldn’t be done” JASON VS. JASON X, which I also illustrated. That one turned out to be an incredible crowd-pleaser, with its unexpectedly poignant ending taking quite a few reviewers by surprise. But that’s always been my tactic as a horror writer: Give them what they want, and just when they become comfortable, give them something that hits them emotionally.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands dirty on the regular FRIDAY series, on which I could cut loose with everything I had. My first issue was the FRIDAY THE 13TH FEARBOOK, wherein I tidied-up the carnage created in Brian Pulido’s four-issue run… And then New Line pulled the plug, shifting the book over to Wildstorm to keep it “in house”. The less said here, the better. Let’s just say, I was supremely pissed.

But right around the corner, the zombies were lurking in the form of the screenplay for John Russo’s yet-to-be-produced ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD. John had co-written the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with George Romero and had written this direct sequel that falls somewhere between NIGHT and DAWN OF THE DEAD. Once again, William had put a project into my hands that I could not believe and it was my pleasurable duty to transcribe the screenplay into a five-issue comic book series, juggling scenes, tweaking dialogue and reworking it into a format that held four cliffhanger endings. Not an easy job, to be sure, but a complete joy. It was only a matter of time before George Romero, noting the success we had with ESCAPE decided to officially license NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to Avatar as well. To keep a consistent feel between the series, I was asked by William to be the writer of NIGHT as well, and had the supreme honor of serving as scripter of the official prequel to the first film, the three-issue NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: THE BEGINNING. An ESCAPE spin-off, PLAGUE OF THE LIVING DEAD is now also in my hands. It’s true, I am surrounded by zombies and that’s a heavy burden that could easily burn out any writer if a little diversity isn’t thrown into the mix once in a while.

As if on cue, in rides Garth Ennis, the orange sun sinking below the horizon behind him. And in his hands, a script that reads, STREETS OF GLORY.
To be continued…

Last Wednesday Comic News & Reviews talked with artist/writer Mike Wolfer at SDCC about zombies, Garth Ennis project Streets of Glory, and more. Check it out:

The way of the gun in the wild west may be a reality long gone, but no one’s told Joe Dunn that. Garth Ennis’ newest creator-owned series Streets of Glory will hit the trails this October, as Avatar Press begins shipping the 6-part monthly series which will be available for $3.99 an issue. Featuring the full-color art of Mike Wolfer, issue #1 is the beginning of the full-size regular series, a tale which is flooded with the blood of lesser men.

In the past fifteen years, Joseph Dunn hasn’t seen much of the little civilization Montana had to offer in 1899, but his absence along with the death of a generation has rendered the atmosphere unrecognizable. Dunn is the last of the drifters that independently roamed the western frontier of the United States in the 19th century. These were men who fought with nobility, wits, and an easily un-holstered gun at their side. The body count will rise when Dunn’s trigger finger is forced to settle new problems with the only solution he knows.

“At first glance, Joe Dunn does appear to be an icon, or a gunslinger, or a lone vigilante,” notes series artist Mike Wolfer. “But as we move through the lingering gun smoke and step across blood, puddled on dry earth, Garth is going to show us the true worth of this man, set against the backdrop of the wildest and most dangerous era of American history. Joe Dunn is a hero for the ages, and by God, I’m sure glad that he and Garth are our guides.”

“I’ve loved westerns since I was old enough to breathe,” says Ennis. “‘Streets of Glory’ is my taken on the genre; romantic and epic, tragic and melancholy, bad and bloody. Considering the last two in particular, where else could I tell a story like this but Avatar?” Garth Ennis adds to his already impressive career as he sets out to re-define the western genre in comic books. Streets of Glory delivers the biting dialogue and powerful story-telling with the brutal violence you’d anticipate from a series by Ennis. Streets of Glory follows critically acclaimed series 303 and Chronicles of Wormood by Ennis from Avatar Press.

This is the first time the creator is working with popular Avatar artist Mike Wolfer, collaborator on the Strange Killings saga with Warren Ellis, and with John Russo on the Night of the Living Dead and Plague of the Living Dead series. Ennis says of Wolfer, “I’ve been wanting to work with Mike since I saw his art on Warren Ellis’ splendidly deranged ‘Strange Killings’ series. Great storytelling and attention to detail, brilliant sense of character, excellent faces. Just what I need.”

“From the standpoint of a creator, Avatar Press’ editorial policy of having no editorial policies helps to create an enthusiasm that I think is unrivaled by any other publisher,” says Wolfer. “It’s a win-win situation for all involved. With total creative freedom, Garth’s unrestrained vision naturally spills over into my territory as a visual storyteller; his enthusiasm is like an electric spark and has jump-started my own creative abilities as an artist, resulting in what I feel is probably the best work in my career.” Wolfer will be at the San Diego Comic Con as a guest of Avatar Press to support the fall release of Streets of Glory #1.

Garth Ennis’ Streets of Glory begins this Fall with the release of issue #1 in October. Each part of the 6-issue series is in full-color and priced at $3.99. Garth Ennis and artist Mike Wolfer team up for the first time to create one of 2007′s most exciting new series, and Avatar Press is pleased to be promoting this talent-packed new series at the biggest convention of the year along with other upcoming appearances and interviews from the creative team.

Avatar Press is a comic book publisher that continues to push the boundaries between mainstream and independent with current and upcoming work from creators such as Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Brian Pulido, George A. Romero, George R.R. Martin, Joe R. Lansdale, John Russo, Mike Wolfer, Juan Jose Ryp, Jacen Burrows, and numerous others. The company has published a wide range of comic books including creator-owned titles like Garth Ennis’ 303 and Brian Pulido’s Lady Death, company-owned comics such as Pandora and The Ravening, licensed hits like Frank Miller’s Robocop and George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, and numerous other titles. A publisher that has established itself as one of the cornerstones of the American indy comic book scene over the past decade, Avatar has published some 500 comic books since 1997.

Creator Talk is one of Avatar Press’ newest online exclusives, featuring the real life experiences of a wide range of comic book professionals. Artist of the upcoming Garth Ennis series, Streets of Glory, indy creator, and frequent colaborator with Warren Ellis and John Russo, Mike Wolfer participates in the debut of this all new feature on avatarpress.com. In the first three segments, he’s plotted the many twists in his career as an artist, writer, creator, and publisher. Wolfer now goes into his work with Avatar Press, a relationship spanning most of the decade Avatar Press has been established. (See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.)

HOW AVATAR PRESS SAVED MY LIFE, Part 4: Reconstruction
By Mike Wolfer

It was a time of great unrest. Nineteen Ninety-Six. The comic book industry was littered with the corpses of idealistic indy publishers, struck down before their prime by the ravaging, black vacuum created by the rapid retreat of comic book speculators abandoning the market.
William Christensen knew that it was the perfect time to launch Avatar Press. And I believed him.
With my own sales floundering but still strong enough to maintain interest, William offered to publish WIDOW, in a “safety in numbers” tactic. With his extensive knowledge of the industry, garnered from his years as head of Comic Cavalcade and his association with WIZARD MAGAZINE, William began collecting a solid core of creative allies, bringing with them established properties and reputations. I gladly got on board.
The question was, “What do we do with WIDOW?” The series had gone through several transformations since its inception, between color and black and white, “mature readers” and “all ages.” How to make a smooth transition from Ground Zero Comics to Avatar Press was an interesting conundrum as well, as we did not want to confuse older readers or disorient new ones.
After a bit of brainstorming, we decided to give the fans what they wanted… And then some.
Exploitation or not, WIDOW had always been known as a no-holds-barred, erotic horror tale and as evidenced by the reaction to the all-ages WIDOW: METAL GYPSIES, the readers wanted their Emma to be a nude one. First things first: Recap everything that had gone before and wrap up all old storylines in WIDOW #0, a tale originally slated as a FANGS OF THE WIDOW ANNUAL at Ground Zero. Next came the three-issue WIDOW: THE ORIGIN, a revamping and continuation of the tale first presented in the WIDOW CINEGRAPHIC SPECIAL. Avatar’s company-owned, flagship character PANDORA met WIDOW in two cross-overs, after which our favorite spider-girl met, teamed-up with or killed former London Night Studios characters Razor, Poizon and Lethal Stryke in a tale serialized in six issues of THRESHOLD.
But the most controversial (and most anticipated) incarnation of the tale of WIDOW was set to take readers totally off guard. With several new pages of art per book, Avatar reprinted every issue of WIDOW to date in a shocking, X-Rated format, not surprisingly titled WIDOW X. New characters and subplots were interwoven into the existing stories, expansions made to certain fondly-remembered scenes and previously concealed secrets exposed. It was the WIDOW that Emma’s fans had been secretly hoping for since her first appearance in 1992, appearing in scenes previously only possible by placing the WIDOW Collectible Figure produced by Bolt Entertainment in impossible positions.
It wasn’t just about WIDOW, however. William had other plans for me, an agenda that he envisioned from the outset of our working relationship. Somewhere, he got the notion that he could groom me for other projects, attaching me to increasingly higher-profile series. Finally, someone was steering my career in the right direction, with advice that was always sound. It was about time. But what exactly did William have planned for me?
“How would you like to work with Warren Ellis?” he asked.
I think I may have replied, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Although Warren was planning on writing a different series for Avatar, after examining my work and analyzing my strengths, he retooled a SATANA script previously rejected by Marvel Comics. Apparently, the story’s concept was just too graphic for their delicate readership. But Warren knew that at Avatar Press, anything goes.
And STRANGE KISS was born, like a lizard screaming and clawing its way out of the bloody anus of a hospitalized old man. Oh, wait… That was actually in the story…

To be continued…

Creator Talk is the one of Avatar Press’ newest online exclusives featuring real life stories from creators we work with at Avatar. Here is our third post from writer/artist Mike Wolfer, the creator of Widow, Warren Ellis’ collaborator on the William Gravel saga in Strange Kiss (Stranger Kisses, Strange Killings), and artist on the upcoming Garth Ennis Western title Streets of Glory. In the first two parts of this series, the indy veteran talked about his first steps into the world of self-publishing and his successes and setbacks. The latest installment in the series talks about Mike’s narrow escape from the indy implosion of the mid 1990′s, and a chance opportunity with an old industry acquaintance. (See Part 1, Part 2)

HOW AVATAR PRESS SAVED MY LIFE, Part 3: Spiders And Sex

By Mike Wolfer

The idea was simple: Take everything that I loved about exploitation horror movies, add copious amounts of gore, sex, nudity and monsters, stir in some sexually-transmitted disease social commentary and offer it all to adult readers of black and white indy comics.

And kill the heroine at the end of the three-issue mini-series.

But the fans of WIDOW: FLESH AND BLOOD had become so attached to Emma, even before they knew that she could transform into a spider-legged, flesh-eating creature, that her imminent death was hastily rewritten.

Sales of WIDOW exceeded my wildest expectations, so when the final issue of the initial series premiered in the Spring of 1993, I was already at work on a sequel, WIDOW: KILL ME AGAIN. At that time, I had no way of knowing that WIDOW was at the forefront of a wave of wildly popular and eventually vehemently despised comic book characters called… Gulp… “Bad Girls.” I was doing what I liked, and the continued strong sales gave every indication that I was on to something bigger than I had envisioned. There was something about the raven-haired beauty that struck a chord with fans hungry to see a woman have sex with, then later eviscerate and consume her mate.

After the completion of WIDOW: KILL ME AGAIN, I repackaged the first two series into trade paperbacks and in February of 1995, I presented FANGS OF THE WIDOW, an all-ages reprinting of the very first issue. I realized that, after three years of attending conventions around the country, there was a huge comic readership that was being excluded from enjoying the adventures of the sexy arachnid princess by the “Mature Readers” label. As I strove for as strong a literary content as possible, I noted that several other companies were unveiling their own horror heroines, each pushing farther and farther away from thought-provoking content into the realm of cheesecake, pin-up porn. But that wasn’t my concern. I had my own solid reputation for delivering a story along with the sex and blood. There couldn’t possibly be any guilt by association, right?

It was at the New York Comic Book Spectacular in February 1995 that I met the head of London Night Studios, a company intent on getting their hands on WIDOW. “Bad Girls” were everywhere: RAZOR, LADY DEATH, CRY FOR DAWN, all of which did better than WIDOW on the sales charts, so it only made sense to me to join forces with another stronger company. Let someone else handle the myriad back-breaking chores associated with publishing while I concentrated solely on writing and drawing. It sounded good at the time and the deal that we eventually struck for London Night’s right to print FANGS OF THE WIDOW and a new, full-color series titled WIDOW: METAL GYPSIES was too good to pass up. WIDOW in full color! It was a step that I could not financially or creatively have performed myself. I signed on the dotted line.

The all-ages, first issue of WIDOW: METAL GYPSIES broke into Diamond Comic Distributor’s August 1995 Top 100 sellers, but the absence of WIDOW’s previously-established adult content was sorely missed by fans. Regardless, the 5-figure check that London Night handed me for that first issue made the story-telling concession worthwhile, or so I had justified it to myself. Oh, the things I would do with that sweet, sweet money…

To this day, I’m still unsure why I received the call from London Night Studios, four months later, telling me to “cancel Christmas.” That’s right: After two issues of METAL GYPSIES and four issues of FANGS, they were pulling the plug. Sales were slightly down, but still strong enough to justify the continuation of publication. Over the years, others in the comic industry have theorized that it was killing London Night to write those big checks, knowing that such huge chunks of money were flying right through their fingers. I just don’t know.

Fine. Fuck it.

I immediately picked up the reins, shifting WIDOW back to Ground Zero, where I published the third and final issue of METAL GYPSIES and resumed the reprint book, FANGS OF THE WIDOW. Next on my agenda was a five-issue series, WIDOW: BOUND BY BLOOD, featuring a new supporting character, Brandi Five-One.

It was 1996, the year all indy publishers fondly remember as the Year Of The Implosion.

Hundreds of publishers, hundreds of “Bad Girls,” hundreds of variant and gimmick covers and hundreds of “Issue #1′s” soon made it apparent to the multiple thousands of speculators who had artificially inflated sales that there was no longer any investment potential to be had in comics. So they fled, in droves, collapsing the market and driving scores of publishers, and even comic book stores and distributors out of business, including the juggernaut Capital City Distribution. But with my low overhead and myself as the only employee of Ground Zero Comics, I survived. After three issues, I shifted the conclusion of the BOUND BY BLOOD storyline over to the pages of FANGS OF THE WIDOW as a cost-cutting measure, while testing the waters by putting WIDOW: PROGENY and the WIDOW CINEGRAPHIC SPECIAL on the market. I even produced the elusive WIDOW Trading Card Set for those hardcore collectors. I was barely above water, but I could still breathe while others perished.

And then an interesting thing happened. An associate who I had met at various conventions and who had financed several variant cover versions of WIDOW books for his gigantic mail order company was starting his own publishing venture at a time when so many others were dropping like flies. We had done business through the entire London Night fiasco and he assured me that if I were to bring WIDOW over to his new company, the same would never again happen to me.

That man was William Christensen,

His new company was called Avatar Press.
To be continued…

Creator Talk is the beginning of a series of blog posts, articles, and other missives direct from creators we work with at Avatar. Here is our second post from writer/artist Mike Wolfer, the creator of Widow, Warren Ellis’ collaborator on the William Gravel saga in Strange Kiss (Stranger Kisses, Strange Killings), and artist on the upcoming Garth Ennis Western title Streets of Glory. Mike’s talking about his history as a creator (and publisher) in the beginning of his Comic Talk series, and in the second part of this Avatar Press exclusive, he depicts his first steps into the world of self-publishing. (Read Part 1)

HOW AVATAR PRESS SAVED MY LIFE, Part 2: The Execution

By Mike Wolfer

It was in January, 1987 that I received the advance sales figures for my first self-published effort, DAIKAZU #1. After months of preparation, setting up Ground Zero Comics, lining-up distributors and generally working myself to death, I had hoped that I would sell enough books to at least cover my start-up and advertising expenses and hopefully pay for the printing of that first issue.

I was shocked that, when tallying the orders from my various distributors, my sales reached nearly 4,000.

I did the math, over and over. I was still shocked by the profit that I would be making. And I began to realize that perhaps my aspiration of one day working for Marvel Comics might not be as fulfilling as I had originally envisioned. At least, it couldn’t be as profitable as self-publishing. All I had to do now was get the thing printed, shipped and onto the store shelves.

I wrote, pencilled, inked and hand lettered DAIKAZU #1, cut the amberlith overlays for the black and green cover and even shot, stripped and opaqued the film from which the book would be printed. The newsprint interior of the comic would be run-off in the printing plant where I was employed, with the cover and bindery work completed by a small company in Maryland who had never produced a comic, but assured me that they could do it professionally. What did I know… It was my first comic and I was envisioning a vibrant, slick, crisp presentation that would rival the packaging of the major companies’ products. After the interiors were printed, I loaded the guts of the entire 4,000 print run into my Chevette and delivered them and the cover negatives to the Maryland printer, set the print run and sat back and waited.

And waited.

When I finally managed to reach the printer on the phone after many unsuccessful attempts, I was told that there were problems getting the covers to print, something about humidity, but they would figure out a way to make it work. Now I was worried. The printing of the glossy covers was taking weeks, but it seemed like forever, my unease increasing with each passing day. Eventually the call came: The covers were printed, the books stapled and trimmed. They were done. Come and get ‘em.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised that when I at last held my first professional work in my hands, it looked like shit. Because of the “humidity” problem, the covers wouldn’t dry when printed, so to prevent them from sticking to each other they were sprayed with some form of magical, white powder. Not only did this powder render the color and black inks feeble and dull, but the powder itself could be wiped off of the front of the book like dust. The overall ambience of the cover of DAIKAZU #1 was that of a sun-bleached comic that had been taped in a store window for five years.

I was crushed. With money as tight as it was, reprinting was not an option and even if it was, the end result would likely be the same. I’d have to suck it up, ship the book and hope that readers would overlook the shoddy cover printing and embrace the interior with open arms.

Luckily, that’s exactly what happened, and over the next 4 years, DAIKAZU enjoyed a successful 8-issue run and spawned a three-issue mini-series, DAIKAZU VS. GUGORON. Fan letters poured in from all over the world, critical reaction was generally warm and sales were surprisingly solid, enough so that I was able to spring for black and TWO colors on the covers, now handled by a more professional printing establishment.

But the physical labor involved was unwavering. Back in those good old days, each distributor that handled my comics had several different warehouses, all of which ordered a varying number of copies which I hand counted, packaged and personally shipped via UPS. Back issue sales were brisk, requiring uncountable trips to the Post Office and answering fan mail and hand-typing the DAIKAZU fan letters page was eating up more and more time, but God, was it worth it. I had made a connection with fans the world over, readers who couldn’t seem to get enough of Daikazu and his other giant kaiju co-stars. That demand prompted me to brainstorm another mini-series, REVENGE OF THE GIANT MUTANTS and a new title, WAR MONSTERS, but before moving forward on those projects, I needed a break.

I decided to switch gears for a few months and work on a totally new title, a simple, three-issue, stand-alone story of erotic horror. The giant monster books that I had all intention of publishing never saw the light of day, supplanted by the phenomenon of that new, throw-away horror series.

The series was called WIDOW: FLESH AND BLOOD.

To be continued…

Here we have the beginning of a series of contributions to this blog from creators we work with at Avatar. Up first is our debut post from writer/artist Mike Wolfer, the creator of Widow, Warren Ellis’ collaborator on the William Gravel saga in Strange Kiss (Stranger Kisses, Strange Killings), and artist on the upcoming Garth Ennis Western title Streets of Glory.

HOW AVATAR PRESS SAVED MY LIFE, Part 1: The Start-Up
By Mike Wolfer

Okay, so that’s an exaggeration, to be sure, but my life as a comic book creator sure has changed radically since my beginnings as a self-publisher way back in 1987.

Aspiring artists and writers often ask how to break into the business, how do you publish your own comic book and what does it take to “make it”? I suppose there’s someone out there who walked up to a submissions editor at a convention and was hired on the spot; I’d like to meet that person, if only to ask them how THEY did it.

I was fresh out of the Joe Kubert School (a time which was chock-full of interesting and sordid stories, but those are tales for another blog) when I decided to enter the burgeoning independent comic book publishing business. It was the late 1980′s, Eastman and Laird were blazing, Brian Pulido was shocking mainstream readers and the floodgates were opened by Diamond, Capital City, Friendly Frank’s, Heroes World and a slew of other American and Canadian comic book distributors who all realized that there was money to be made from all of those little, “indy” publishers who were clawing their way into the market.

Mirage, Eclipse, Chaos and so many other publishers proved that it could be done, that success could be achieved without the might of a giant, corporate entity behind them, and more importantly, they exposed the little-known reality that there were tens of thousands of comic book readers out there who were not superhero comic book readers. Therein lay the strength of the independent comic book publisher: Diversity.

Knowing that my own creative proficiency was not up to par with the standards of the “majors”, self-publishing was the perfect outlet for me to begin building a fan-base and make some cash on the side, all the while honing my abilities in the hopes of achieving my childhood dream of one day working for one of the “Big Two”. It would be simple: Draw comic, publish comic, show comic to large company editor, sign contract to draw Marvel Team-Up. It could happen, right?

By the Fall of 1986, my first comic, DAIKAZU, was ready to roll and after a nerve-wracking, sit-down meeting with Diamond in Baltimore, I was accepted for distribution. With the world’s largest comic book distributor behind me, others soon followed suit in agreeing to carry my book. Acceptance itself did not mean that I had a run-away hit on my hands; the public hadn’t even seen the book yet, but a green light from distributors was enough to give me the confidence that I might be the next “big thing.” You’re right. I was young and idealistic.

I was ready… Or so I thought.

Forget for a moment the roughly 200 hours I spent actually writing and drawing that first book; the business aspect of self-publishing was a whole other animal that had to be tamed. The real work then began, as time, money and effort began to wing its way out the window and my “To Do” list began to grow exponentially. I needed to set up a Post Office box, design a Ground Zero Comics company logo and get stationary, envelopes and business cards printed. I found the most inexpensive, local printer that I could (who had never printed a comic book, but assured me that they could). I researched and gathered names, addresses and phone numbers of every comic convention organizer in the Tri-State area so that I could promote the book on the road. I scraped-up every cent I could to run ads in the distributor catalogs and the Comics Buyer’s Guide. I did direct mailings to the largest comics retail outlets around the country to alert them to the impending release of DAIKAZU #1. And on and on and on. Have I mentioned that I did all of this by myself, with no assistants or business partners? Right. That’s why it’s called “self-publishing.” Oh, yeah, by the way, I was also working a full-time job at a printing company. And gigging about 8 times a month in the band Crash Tokyo.

Drive and the ambition can go a long way, but I still don’t know how I did it all.

After a lot of sweating and months of anticipation, the distributor “numbers” came in, publisher’s slang for the total number of copies of DAIKAZU #1 advance ordered from comic book retailers around the globe. It was the moment of truth, when I would find out if my year or so of dreams and hard labor would bear fruit, and if anyone out there gave a damn about me, my work or a giant, Japanese monster.

If I thought that I had worked my ass off up to that point as an up-and-coming indy publisher, I hadn’t seen anything yet…

To be continued…

I was just going though some old Avatar PR and material from the “old” version of the site to see what needed to be integrated here, and I spotted something which must not go unnoticed. If I’ve got my facts right, 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of regular Avatar writer/artist and creative force Mike Wolfer’s entry into comics with giant-monster title Daikazu under his own Ground Zero banner in 1987.

Of course, Mike has been a vital part of Avatar since almost the beginning, first with his creator-owned title Widow and in more recent times as frequent collaborator to Warren Ellis (Strange Kiss, Stranger Kisses, Strange Killings) and John (Night of the Living Dead) Russo, and numerous other projects. In fact, we have another big project which Mike will be involved with which we will be previewing in May solicits.

Twenty years of doing indy comics is an absolutely monumental achievement. What Mike did with Ground Zero, along with what others did, such David Quinn and Tim Vigil with Rebel Studios, helped lay the groundwork for the kind of indy scene that Avatar entered a decade later in 1997. Mike continues to play an indispensable role in shaping the company with his creative contributions to this day.

I still remember seeing Widow for the first time around 1991-92 and being bowled over by it. Great writing, great art, and never pulled any punches. Those characteristics have been hallmarks of Mike’s work ever since. Thanks, Mike. Here’s to another 20 years.