Rebecca and I had a super busy week and the weekend was no walk in the park, either. But, hey, self-publishing is totally worth it. We have invested our blood, sweat, tears, time, money, and hearts into HP Comics, and I hope our love and dedication shines brightly in every story we tell.
Thank you for your continued support, friends. We couldn’t do this without our amazing patrons and readers!
-Dwight
Free Comic Book Day is a wonderful opportunity to not only get some awesome free comics, but also to show your support for your local comic shop. I like to pick up some free comics, but I also make a point of buying a few because no one has been hit harder by the “comic book recession” than our beloved brick and mortar stores.
Today I had the pleasure of meeting Coliseum of Comics owner, Edward Uvanni, a great guy who was very complimentary and eager to meet up later. He was excited to learn that Hocus Pocus Comics is a local business, and we look forward to plotting world domination together in the near future.
Dwight
Behold Inktober Day 5’s horrible sketch: Sponge Carl!
Yeah. I have no idea.
In other news, please be sure to like my Facebook page where we are giving away some really cool rare books.
Also, Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom is now on iTunes and just about every other retail source on the planet. Here’s the TRAILER, and here’s a screen capture from the movie credits…
Pretty cool, eh?
See you tomorrow!
-Dwight
Sadly, the next stop is not Willoughby! Editing for the third Howard Lovecraft book is nearly completed. We tie it up neatly, folks, and you will not be disappointed!
Great news in our inbox this morning! David Barnett of the Guardian UK gives Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom a glowing review! And we’ve been alerted that there may be a Howard Lovecraft sighting in The Independent this weekend, so we’ll certainly keep our eyes peeled.
In the meantime, please be sure to pre-order your copies and thanks again for your support!
Rebecca
2/15/12: UPDATED WITH WORKING LINK!
Welcome to the blog, dear reader. I hope you had a happy, safe, and refreshing holiday season. Things were a little hectic here at MacPherson Manor, but they were also pretty wonderful. Rebecca and I had a terrific time with our sons and family, but it was over far too soon, and we are once again buried to our cephalopodic necks (yes, Cthulhoids have necks) in writing projects. But that is a good thing.
Tweet of Truth
Yesterday whilst reading my timeline on Twitter (don’t judge me), one of my friends Re-Tweeted this interesting bit of information from mainstream comic writer Ed Brubaker:
@brubaker If my Fatale promoting tweets bugs you, you probably don’t understand how hard it is to sell an indie comic.
If a writer who has seen considerable commercial success is having difficulty selling his creator-owned book, perhaps you can begin to appreciate how nearly impossible onerous and frustrating it is for the rest of us. Indie comic creators make comics out of a deep love for the medium, and we rarely see a dime for our efforts. And, to add insult to injury, we often find that some mouth-breathing dunderhead(s) is/are scanning and pirating our books on the internet.
So… with this in mind, I have decided to make the first chapter of Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom available for free download.
The Fine Print
All I ask (and I realize this is a lot to ask) is that if you enjoy this special preview, please pre-order the book and tell your friends and family about it. If you have a blog, Facebook or Twitter page, share a link to this blog post.
You can pre-order Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom from your friendly neighborhood comic shop with the Diamond Order Code JAN12 0814. Or, if you prefer, you can pre-order from your favorite local bookstore or any online comic or bookseller.
I would also mention that the critically-acclaimed first book, Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom, is available from the aforementioned outlets.
FREE DOWNLOAD
To get your copy, simply click the wickedly-cool cover image below. When you get to the download page, click the bubble next to Download Files to my Computer and then click the Download button. Too easy.
Thank You For Your Continued Support
I mean that. I really do. Without each and every one of you, I would not be able to do what I love. You have my deepest and most sincere gratitude. Thank you.
I’ll write more later, but now I must dive back in. *glub*
-D
The year is quickly winding down, and 2011 will soon be gone! We are moving into our busy social time, so you will probably not hear from us until well into the new year. This is usually the time when people start reflecting on their lives – where they are, where they have been, and where they want to go. For us, it has been an incredible year – full of new projects, traveling, and family bonding. You know how New Year’s Eve goes: out with the old and in with the new. We are looking forward to 2012 and all it has to bring, including several exciting new projects!
We wish you a safe, blessed, and Merry Christmas!
As our special gift to you, just click the image below and get ready for some cozy KRAMPUS Christmastime love (okay, maybe not).
Signed Books
Don’t forget: if you still want to order signed copies of Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom, drop us an email (howardlovecraft(dot)comic(at)gmail.com). They have gone quickly, and we only have a few books left.
The Lovecraft Anthology
SelfMade Hero has announced the March release of The Lovecraft Anthology: Volume II, which features an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation by Dwight and sensational artist Paul Peart-Smith. Check out this amazing cover by our dear friend Francesco Francavilla, and click on the image to find out more about the book.
“Jack! But they said you were dead. You must be… DOUBLE DEAD!”
-The Nightmare Before Christmas
Warm regards,
Dwight and Rebecca and Krampus
PS – You can certainly tell which parts Dwight added! Hahaha!
In anticipation of the February 28th release of Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom, I have decided to make an exclusive offer to YOU, my dear readers and friends.
BLOG EXCLUSIVE
For the month of December, I am offering signed copies of Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom at the special rate of $15 each (which includes shipping and handling) for readers in the Continental United States, and $20 for international orders. If you order two copies, you will only pay $5 for the second copy, and everyone who orders two copies gets a FREE third copy–all signed and delivered right to your door by a flesh-eating shoggoth (they can change their appearance, you know).
Rebecca and I have three wonderful sons, ages 15, 13 and 11. When I received the box of books in the post, each of them asked for their own copy. So trust me: this is the perfect gift for the young people or the young at heart on your Christmas list!
What The (Grown-Up Type) People Have Said
Julia Keller of the Chicago Tribune said that Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom is a “splendid new graphic novel,” and called it a “sumptuously illustrated, cleverly written and deeply haunting novel.”
Publisher’s Weekly said the book will, “appeal to younger readers, who should find the plot’s twists and turns and the young protagonist appealing.”
Booklist said: “Grumps… will not be comforted by the modern plot arc and the constant quipping, but even they will appreciate the upsetting twist ending and the haunting final panel.”
Shroud Magazine gave Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom 5 stars and said that the book “shows us a NEW vision of Howard Lovecraft: precocious, whimsical, witty – maybe even a bit snotty – and hopeful, relatively untainted by the inevitable burden of ‘awful, unknowable things.'”
You can also check out a preview of the book HERE.
After visiting his father in Arkham Sanitarium, young Howard Lovecraft ignores his father’s warning and uses the legendary Necronomicon to open a portal to a strange frozen world filled with horrifying creatures and grave danger!
TO ORDER
Simply send an e-mail with your mailing address and the number of copies you would like to order to howardlovecraft(dot)comic(at)gmail.com and we will take it from there. I should also say that supplies are extremely limited, so it will be first come first served.
Ho Ho FHTAGN!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS from me and my family to you and yours, my friends! And be sure to keep an eye out for those flesh-eating, mail-delivering shoggoths (and Krampus, too)!
-D-
Firstly, a big thank you to my lovely wife Rebecca for posting in my absence. She is such an amazing woman! I am truly blessed to have her. I hope you’ve enjoyed her warm and personal perspective.
Secondly, I am happy and proud (and a bit relieved) to announce that I have finished writing my first YA novel, and, to be quite honest, I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written! I cannot wait to share it with you.
So… the manuscript has been sent to my agent, and I am seated at my desk in the dungeon finally writing an update for my blog and beginning to put my thoughts onto paper for the second book. I have the story plotted in my head, so it’s just a matter of typing it out. That’s an “epic win,” as my 15-year-old son would say.
All I can say about the novel thus far is that it is primarily a work of dark fantasy. And if you are not necessarily a fan of dark fiction, fear not, I can assure you that you will still find something to like about the book.
I’ve learned quite a bit during the undertaking, and I will be sharing my thoughts about the entire process in future blog posts. I think you’ll find them quite interesting, informative–and perhaps even mildly entertaining.
As you know by now, I’ll pull no punches.
Pre-Order Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom NOW
Thirdly, I am happy to announce that Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom is now available for pre-order in the US and the UK! I co-wrote this book with my good friend Bruce Brown, and I think you will agree that I have brought my considerable knowledge of all-things-Lovecraft to bear. This exciting second volume greatly expands young Howard’s world, building upon what Bruce has established in the first book.
This second installment in the Howard Lovecraft series also includes a foreword by personal friend and author of the New York Times Bestselling Immortal Nicholas Flamel series: Michael Scott! How cool is that?!
Amazon seems to have jumbled the synopsis, so here is the cover by superstar artist Erik Fokkens and the correct text as it was given to our publisher:
Howard Lovecraft is back in a new tentacled tale of terror! At last, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom which the Chicago Tribune called a “sumptuously illustrated, cleverly written and deeply haunting novel.” Join Howard as he travels to the planet Yuggoth, where he must face an all-powerful god and an army of monsters to rescue his family and Spot before he becomes a mindless Fishman. All he has to do is surrender his dad’s Book… which would result in the destruction of all mankind.
End Notes
That’s all that I can share at the moment, but I will be sharing my “Novel Concept” blog posts after the holiday. And, speaking of the holiday, be sure to tell your loved ones just how thankful you are to have them in your life. You are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Warm Regards,
Dwight
Good Friday morning, my friends! As usual, I am buried beneath a ton of work, hanging precariously above the abyss of derangement by the tips of my tentacles. But I wanted to pause for a moment and share the cover of the highly-anticipated sequel to Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom.
So here it is…
This amazing piece was illustrated by the ridiculously-talented Erik Fokkens, and I think it is breathtaking. (Get it? He’s underwater. Glub, glub.)
Well, the Old Ones are protesting that I am not holding up my end of the bargain and the Earth is looking more and more delectable with every passing moment I am away, so I must sign off for now. Thank you for reading, and I’ll share some exciting news with you very soon. (Okay… I’m coming! Take your bloody tentacles off Pohnpei!)
-D
