All Star FUBAR!

There's a new volume of FUBAR coming your way soon! All Star FUBAR is scheduled to arrive in comic shops around the end of the month. Did you know this series made it on the New York Times bestsellers list? Have I mentioned that before? I will bring it up until I die, I imagine. Until I die and come back as a terrifying zombie, still talking about that NY Times mention.

This new volume features a knockout cover by Matt Smith, as you can see above. I'm happy to once again be the story editor on this 200-page collection.

In addition to lettering a handful of the stories in this book, I got to write one about Gilgamesh, which is the oldest known surviving story on the planet. The original story has threads in it about the search for life after death, so it wasn't too much of a stretch to add a little horror to the concept. This story has some art from Kurt Belcher.

The volume also publishes a few stories that haven't been collected before, including one of my favorites, "Takin' Care of Business", with art by Rob Croonenborghs.

It also collects, for the first time, "Eat It", my "Weird Al" Yankovic tribute, with art by Jim McMunn and Jeff McComsey.

All Star FUBAR brings back a lot of the creators you've come to expect under McComsey's wing, such as Eric Esquivel, Jennie Wood, Shawn Aldridge, plus some new contributors like fellow Tick friends Benito Cereno and Tony Sedani. You can find copies at your local comic shop starting April 25th, and soon after online directly from Alterna here:

https://www.alternacomics.com/product-page/fubar-all-star

...and from Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/FUBAR-All-Star-Jeff-McComsey/dp/1945762144

"Weird Al" Yankovic in "Eat It", a FUBAR comic by McClelland, McMunn and McComsey

Read the story for free here!

I've been involved with FUBAR for about five years now, and there are a lot of stories that I'm proud of and enjoyed working on. A while ago, I wrote a story featuring Elvis Presley and the many conspiracies surrounding his death. It ran much longer than I had planned, so it was eventually decided that it could support its own single-issue book, which soon grew to a full 32-page issue to be filled out with a few backups. These backups would all focus on musical artists. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life (possibly) by not putting two and two together and writing one of the stories about "Weird Al" Yankovic. But soon enough I came to the obvious conclusion and the eight-page short "Eat It" was born.

The story itself might just be the easiest thing I've ever written in my entire life, as the inspiration was of course there. I tried to add in as many references as I could and sent the script off. Jeff McComsey provided the pencil roughs before sending it off to Jim McMunn for the finished art. I lettered the final product, which I'm very happy to see completed. McComsey and I decided to show the entire "Eat It" story online, and you can read the whole dang thing for free here: http://imgur.com/gallery/17maB/new

The entire issue, titled "All the King's Corpses" and featuring an Elvis cover by Danny Cruz and Paul Little, while be solicited in Previews soon. In addition to the Elvis and Weird Al stories by me, there's a Jim Morrison story by Michael McDermott and Will Perkins, a Waylon Jennings tale by your friend (and mine) Larry Franks and Kelly Williams, and a new Combat Quiz by Jennie Wood and Williams.

When I was at the Baltimore Comic-Con a few months ago, Jeff McComsey surprised me with the eight pencil roughs, all framed up and looking great. I was really taken back. This is hanging up right behind my computer, actually, so I'm looking right at it as I type this.

Not only that, but soon after, Jim McMunn was kind enough to send me the original page art for the story. Here are a few images of that.

Jim finished all of the artwork digitally, so the physical pages are in different states of completion. They look just fantastic and I'm absolutely thrilled to have them in my possession. This was a passion project that will hopefully have some appeal for others as well. I'm so glad that I finally got to write a Weird Al story. I'm even more grateful that some friends helped out and that it turned out as good as it did. I hope you all enjoy it as well!

Addendum: Sometimes I think, "what can I title this post that might make it show up earlier in search results?" Or, "if someone sees an image from this post on a Google search, how can I try to make sure he or she knows that I had something to do with this?" (this usually occurs when I am shouting into the void). And then, a title like the one at the top of this post is born. Carry on.

The Haul, 2013

Christmas was, as always, good to me...in more ways than just what I got, but what I got is a very visual thing, and it's easy to display, and this is a comic book blog, and...here's what I got.  Yes.

I got quite a few comic related items this year and I'm happy to add 'em to the giant pile of things that I've got to read.  Case in point: the fifth volume of the lavishly packaged Hellboy library editions.  These oversized giants present Hellboy in a deluxe setting and they are obviously put together with care.  I've only got one more edition to get until I'm all caught up on these.

Gutters is a webcomic that spoofs mainstream comics and the industry in general with one-page parody comics.  This is the first volume of the hefty collections that they put out and I'm excited to crack it open.  Jeff McComsey, Steve Becker and Jim McMunn (all of FUBAR fame) each have a  page in this book, which makes it a good find.

The newest piece of Weird Al merchandise is this Royal Bobbles bobblehead, and I'm glad that I was able to snag it for Christmas.  It's labeled as part of a limited edition, but who knows what that means. In any case, it's pretty much a must-have for fans.

I bought a portable charger to take with me to Comic-Con this past summer, and it was really helpful...except that it didn't hold much of a charge.  This guy here is just about the best you can get right now.  It's a bit bulky (like carrying around a second phone), but it's supposed to have nearly three full charges in it.  It's definitely coming with me to San Diego the next time I go.

Christmas isn't complete without a new item commemorating the history and success of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  This DVD set collects the "America's Game" productions about the Steelers' six Super Bowl championships.

Your friend (and mine) Larry got me this awesome Star Trek shirt.  I think my wife already stole it.

And lastly, check out this monster of a collection.  It's Neil Gaiman's Sandman omnibus, volume one!  This collects half of the much revered Gaiman run and man, is it thick and heavy.  Sandman is one of the classics that I've yet to read, so I'm glad to finally get on board.

I got a few other things, but these are the highlights for sure.  I had a nice time spending the day with family and friends, and I hope that you, faithful readers, had a lovely holiday as well.  I hope you enjoy seeing some of my stuff.

FUBAR: By the Sword #1 on sale now!

If you make it out to the comic shop this week, be sure to keep an eye out for FUBAR: By the Sword #1, the first issue of a two-part mini-series featuring medieval zombies in fantastic FUBAR fashion!  This issue is 44 pages and runs for only $2.99, which is, if I can say, a great deal.  Steve Becker outdid himself on the eerie cover that you see directly above.

I did some editing and production work for the book, and I also wrote one of the stories, featuring a guy who gets a bite taken out of his ass, apparently.  Actually, it's a zombified version of "The Miller's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales...so yes, I managed to embarrass myself by trying to adapt one of the most beloved literary works in human history, in case you were wondering.  But the ass biting thing has a little more context now.

Art on my story was provided by the extremely talented Rob Croonenborghs, who really outdid himself in bringing it to life...and afterlife, I guess.

The issue also has stories from FUBAR stalwarts like Jeff McComsey, Chuck Dixon, Jim McMunn, Michael McDermott and Julie Shelton, to name a few, plus some new faces to the FUBAR scene, including a special "Barbarian Lord" story from the always impressive Matt Smith!

By the Sword #2 is available for pre-order now and should be in shops in late September or early October.  It also sports a cover by Steve Becker and moves thematically from medieval times to feudal Japan!  The FUBAR machine keeps on rolling.

FUBAR: Summer Special out today! Signing at Pittsburgh Comics!

I've had a few comics published in the past several years, but FUBAR: Summer Special, which is out in stores today, is the first to get mentioned (and pictured) on Diamond's Previews website.  The above image is a screenshot, one that was pretty neat to see when I checked to confirm the release date.

I'm pretty excited about this book - not only does having a new book feed my ceaselessly growing ego, but the Summer Special also features work from talented folks who, unlike me, you might actually recognize and admire, such as Chuck Dixon, Tim Truman, Jeff McComsey, Steve Becker, Lonny Chant, Jim McMunn and Leonardo Pietro.  I've read Chuck's story and it's really just fantastic.

I'll be at Pittsburgh Comics in McMurray, PA tonight from around 5:00-7:00 to sign copies in anyone is interested, or to just stand around and stare intently as people walk in the door.  I'll have a few copies of the anthologies for sale, and I'll bring the new issue of the Magic Bullet with me!  If you buy anything FUBAR related, you get the Magic Bullet, too.  What a great deal!  Trust me.

Pre-orders were solid on this book.  I'm hoping we get the chance to make more.

FUBAR 2 Q&A with Jeff McComsey

FUBAR: Empire of the Rising Dead hits comic book stores next month, at which point everyone can stop listening to me rail on and on incessantly about this World War II zombie anthology and go buy a copy for themselves, afterwards I will probably begin railing incessantly about the quickly developing volume three.  One thing at a time, though.

I recently chatted with FUBAR Commander-in-Chief Jeff McComsey, the brains behind this undead operation, and below are the results of this session, interspersed with preview pages from the new collection of stories from writers and artists from around the world.  In this interview, McComsey announces that while the book ships from Diamond to stores in mid-December, there will be a nationwide signing event taking place on January 7th, 2012.  As I mentioned a little bit earlier, I'll be signing copies of this book at Pittsburgh Comics on this day, a Saturday.

McClelland: Even though I got involved with FUBAR at the tail end of volume 1, it's still been interesting for me to see the notable growth of the concept between then (early 2010) and now with volume 2.  How has the concept of FUBAR changed between its inception and what it is now?

McComsey: The concept as far as it being a World War 2 zombie anthology has stayed pretty much the same. What has changed is its size. We went from roughly 17 contributors in volume one to roughly 40 creators for volume two. The scale of the project has been for me an immense source of pride for me. Through this monster I've gotten to work with a veritable army of Small-Press Commandos. I think we were all waiting for a project and FUBAR just happened to be it.

McClelland: What's been the reaction to FUBAR so far, and how has that reaction shaped the development of FUBAR in its current state?

McComsey: The creators involved have been consistently gung ho about helping finish and promoting this project.  We do a lot of conventions with this book and the reaction has been phenomenal, [especially] after doing the handful of cons that FUBAR attends and seeing that we have some legitimate fans. I always say this will be the last volume until we get the book out for sale and the reaction always has me immediately planning the next.

McClelland: We're dealing with a fictional universe filled with zombies - on the surface, anyway, this isn't something that hasn't been been done before.  How do you find a way to craft stories that make the tried-and-true idea of the dead come back to life fresh and vital again?  Is there a formula for success when it comes to zombie stories?

McComsey: There are, for me, two types of stories we do in FUBAR. First, there are the stories that are meticulously researched and carry the seriousness and respect due the grim subject matter of World War 2. The second are completely bat-shit crazy seat-of-your-pants style WW2 zombie bashing tales, reminiscent of "Inglorious Basterds". If submitted stories fall anywhere in those two neighborhood, I’m a happy camper.

McClelland: For the most part, the stories in volume 1 seem to be contained within their own pages - that is, I didn't get the idea that these stories shared the same "space".  The first story in volume 2, though, seems to imply at least a basic cohesion, or at least a link between volumes.  Do the stories of FUBAR vol. 2 share the same "universe" as that of vol. 1?  Should they?  Are these stores best considered as individual pieces or part of a larger whole?

McComsey: I wrote the first story as a kind of bridge between the two volumes, but overall, the stories all exist in their own universes. In the first volume we had a rough timeline for the outbreak, but with the nature of the Pacific Theater of WW2, a timeline would have been problematic, so we opened the entire conflict to the writers.

McClelland: What are some of your favorite stories from volume two, and what should readers look forward to when they pick up the book in December?

McComsey: It’s hard to say for me. I’m very proud of the short that Jorge [Vega] and I did called “Wild Blue”.  Jim McMunn illustrated not one, but three shorts in this volume. Those are some of my favorites. The thing that fans of the first volume will dig is that this book has over 100 more pages than the first volume. This second volume is absurdly huge.

McClelland: FUBAR has made a number of convention stops in the past months.  What appeals to you about setting up at a con?

McComsey: I love doing conventions. We go all out for the booth set up, and watching it draw people in is always amazing to see. That combined with the sketches we do in the front of the books for the people who buy them makes my FUBAR con experiences very memorable.

McClelland: You've put out word of a big signing event at various points around the country when the book is released.  What stores are you planning on visiting when this book goes on sale?

Yes, we are organizing a large signing event for January 7^th at several shops across the country. I will be at "Comic Book Jones" on Staten Island holding it down with my partners in crime, Dominic [Vivona] and Steve [Becker].

McClelland: Lastly, here's a random question that nevertheless demands and answer: who was/is your favorite Ninja Turtle and why?  WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE OOZE?!?

McComsey: That’s a toughie. I clearly remember being a Raphael fan. His weapons were the worst but he was a smartass and somehow as a kid that endeared him to me. The secret of the ooze is that while it looked awesome in the JC Penny’s catalog, your parents were way too smart to give you a pile of viscous neon green snot substance for Christmas.

Many thanks to Jeff for putting up with some of my more asinine questions for the second time.  To learn more about FUBAR: Empire of the Rising Dead, go here: http://zombiefubar.wordpress.com/