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Small Mix-Up in DEADBEATS ONLINE!

Richard Howell — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:39:39 +0000

It’s probably been inevitable, since the day we began our online DEADBEATS series, that at one time or another, the sequencing would get away from us. Lo, it has now come to pass. The 6/13 episode of DEADBEATS ONLINE, in which Kirby is visited by a vision of his perhaps-lost love Jo–poignant as we intended it to be–was presented a bit too early. Yep, there’s a bit more to Buddy’s story and dollop more of set-up for this particular spirit visitation, which will appear, next Wednesday, two episodes further on (#177), in its proper place.

For anyone out there who’s interested in how this sort of thing can be allowed to happen on the otherwise-tight ship known as claypoolcomics.com, it was due to a combination of circumstances (unlikely to be repeated) including a late restructuring in the narrative, and the necessary renumbering of some episodes. Thom and Richard were operating on finishing the episodes, but sometimes with different numberings on them. Ultimately, things got confused enough so that last Friday’s episode, which–when it was sent to Thom–was intended for that day. With the restructuring, though, it had been displaced two episodes into the future. Now, everything’s been straightened out, the corrected sequence is in place, and the narrative should flow smoothly. Our apologies for the glitch and we promise to do our best to prevent this from happening again. In the meantime, enjoy the story!

A Bite of the Big Apple

Richard Howell — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:16:42 +0000

Sorry for the short notice, but for any Claypool fans who might be in the NYC area this upcoming weekend (June 7 and 8, 2008), we’ll have a table at New York’s own Big Apple Convention, held at the Penn Plaza Pavilion. The hotel is directly across 7th Avenue from Penn Station, at 33rd Street, and is highly accessible by train (Penn Station), buses (Port Authority is a few blocks away), taxis, and by foot. The Big Apple Cons are always a blast and this one features some star power: Malcolm McDowell and Richard Dreyfuss are scheduled to attend, as is DARK SHADOWS’ Kathryn Leigh Scott. For Claypool loyalists, however, the big news is that our publisher, Ed Via, is–as of today–committed to make a rare convention appearance. If you’ve ever enjoyed a Claypool Comic (and/or are following our DEADBEATS ONLINE strip), come shake Ed’s hand. We couldn’t have come this far without him!

October Update

Richard Howell — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:49:30 +0000

10/2
Another hearty hello to each and every stalwart seeker of all things Claypool. It’s been a while since our last check-in, and–somewhat sadly–it’s because things have been going so well in general; no rocking of the boat nor upsetting of the applecart. The DEADBEATS Internet comic strip is rollicking along, with new thrills and suspenseful situations with every episode (including “will it get posted on the right day?” and “at what point will Richard lose track of all the new characters?”) You, the reader, may be experiencing the most recent episode that titanic Thom Zahler has lettered and uploaded (more than likely #64 or #65) right now, but Richard’s scripted up through #74 (as of last weekend), and was–last night–finishing up the pencils on episodes #121 and #122. The ultra-reliable Ricardo Villagran has embellished up through episode #92, and there seems to be no end in sight to the aforementioned thrills and suspenseful situations–with the possible exception of “when’s the first deadline that they miss?” From the looks of things, that isn’t going to happen.
I wish very much that I had an update on the plans to relaunch part of the Claypool Comics line, but at present there’s just no news. Everyone involved wants very much for it to happen, but arrangements have to be finalized and some papers have to get signed before anything official can be announced. That part of the project is in progress, so expect some word…SOON!
Beyond that, let’s see: Does anyone out there have an interest in original comics art? It’s fairly common knowledge that I, Claypool editor Richard Howell, have been very involved in that hobby for many years now, and recently–with the intercession of friends like Peter Sanderson and Jim Salicrip–I’ve become a resource for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in Manhattan. Their recently-concluded Salute to Stan Lee show featured almost twenty examples of art from the Legendary Howell/Kalish Collection, and we’re currently in talks (it seems as if there’s a lot of talking going on here–how about a listening tour, just for variety?) to contribute a few choice pieces to MoCCA’s upcoming “Monsters in the Comics” mounting. Naturally, that topic is right up the alley of someone who’s not only an art collector, but also the editor of approximately sixteen years of horror-oriented comics (there were the few pre-Claypool years while I–along with art director Jesse Reyes–was editing the VAMPIRELLA/CREEPY/EERIE revival at Harris Comics), I’ve had access to oversee–and, in some cases, make arrangements to acquire–many choice monsteriffic pages. I’m hoping that this show will be as successful as the Stan Lee outing, and also that anyone in the Tri-State Area will consider attending and supporting the MoCCA. They’ve got a website: www.moccany.org, with lots of information about the shows and the Museum in general.
Also, it looks pretty good that I’ll be able to arrange to make a personal appearance at the upcoming Big Apple Con, also in Manhattan, this coming November. I’ll be doing sketches, accepting commissions, and flogging the DEADBEATS INTERNET strip, and selling FEAR CITY comics (no ELVIRAs, remember?). There’s no substitute for personal contact, so if anyone’s nearby and feels like saying “hello” to a slightly under-employed Comic Book Editor, please feel encouraged to do so.
That’s it for now. I hope to hear from more of you. Let me know how you’re doing, how you’re enjoying the DEADBEATS INTERNET strip, and whatever else is on your minds.
Happy Autumn, everyone!

The Lowdown on the Webcomic

Richard Howell — Wed, 02 May 2007 02:03:22 +0000

A couple of inquiries have come in (off-site) about the format of the DEADBEATS Internet webcomic, and what readers can expect. Obviously, the story picks up from the end of the final issue (#82) of the published series (a few moments before, actually) and carries the saga forward, as Kirby Collier is returned to Mystic Grove and finds it in ruins, the prophecized destruction having occurred in his absence. From that point, Kirby will face a dark, desolate version of his beloved hometown and will undertake to salvage as much as he can of the tragic situation. This will take him through many surprises and shocks, as long-time “Deadbeats” readers may expect. (New readers are in for a treat.)
As for the format: The half-page format is optimal to maximize the image area on the average computer screen, and will enable the story to move along at a good clip. We’ve got the allotments scheduled out so that we’ll be posting a new one three days a week, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This’ll be a whole different animal, pacing-wise, than the bi-monthly 24-page chunks, but we predict that once our readers get into the swing of the story beats, you’ll experience a different, perhaps equally involving level of expectation and suspense. That’s most assuredly what we’re aiming for.
This Wednesday (not long from now, as I write this), the reality of the Fall of Fear City hits Kirby; on Friday, he begins to encounter some survivors. There’ll be something worth checking in for with every new chapter, so we strongly recommend bookmarking claypoolcomics.com and making it a regular beachhead on your websurfing (but if it’s impossible, once or twice, rest assured that the webcomic installments will be archived).

Those are the basics. If there are any questions, this is the place to ask them.

Welcome

Richard Howell — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:30:23 +0000

Hello and our most meaningful greetings to everyone reading these words. If you’re here, it means that either you’re one of those wonderful Claypool readers, who’ve been following and supporting our published comics while they were still extant (1993-2007) or that you’ve heard enough about the Claypool approach to comics storytelling that you wanted to investigate what was available–and found our website. (Of course, you could just be web-surfing and hit a keyword like “intense”?or “intelligent” or “polysyllabic,” right?)
Anyway, welcome to the new, upgraded Claypool Comics website. This is the place to be for anyone who’d like to complete collections, chat about content, or–perhaps most importantly–the site for the continuation of the sole (for now) original material from the Claypool Comics line, the Internet presentation of the “Deadbeats”?saga on a three-times-per-week basis.
This’ll be the place for anyone who’s been, who’s newly become, or who’s ever been interested in or intrigued by the Claypool Comics output to post, to sound off, or to ask questions. What’s on your mind??We won’t know unless you tell us, so consider this an ongoing invitation to do that very thing.