I just wanted to take a moment and announce that I have been hired on to illustrate a comic book version of an original Leslie Charteris story featuring his Robin Hood of Crime, The Saint. Very excited about this. Novelist Mel Odom is reworking the prose short-story into something that can be done as a one-shot comic. I’m a huge fan both of the books and TV show, so this is a real honor for me.
Here’s the first draft of the cover artwork.
We’re now coming off our biggest month EVER since we began this little adventure we call Arctos Comics. We’re still in exactly the same situation most publishers are in, trying to scrape together a few shekels. It can be a little discouraging at times, trying to convince our readership to click a couple of ads, or hit the donate button to the tune of even a dollar or two. Not seeing that response, not getting many comments. It can be hard to find the motivation at times.
Here’s the thing — we’re now at the point where we have a greater monthly readership than many so-called “real” comics. Including print-published comics from major companies. Take a look at the list below to get an idea of some of the comics we “outsold” in January (according to Diamond’s sales figures). Now, I’m not doing this to rub it in. I just want to point out that webcomics are building an audience that rivals print comics. Even print comics from publishers like IDW, Image, Dark Horse, Marvel and DC. Also, for those who tend to focus on pricing ($3.99 vs. $2.99) I’d like to point out that many of the comics listed below ARE priced at $2.99. Also, look at the number of licensed properties here. The Simpsons, True Blood, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Farscape, Torchwood, and Resident Evil are all represented here. As well as perennial heavy-weights like Savage Dragon and Wildcats.
| Comic-book Title | Issue | Price | Publisher |
| Marineman | 1 | $3.99 | Image |
| Authority | 29 | $2.99 | DC |
| Night of theLiving Dead Holiday Special |
1 | $3.99 | Avatar |
| Bart Simpson Comics | 57 | $2.99 | Bongo |
| Night of theLiving Dead | 2 | $3.99 | Avatar |
| Lone Ranger & Tonto | 4 | $4.99 | Dynamic |
| Gft Inferno | 5 | $2.99 | Zenescope |
| Occultist | 1 | $3.50 | Dark Horse |
| Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers | 1 | $3.99 | Boom |
| Avengers Vs Pet Avengers | 3 | $2.99 | Marvel |
| Velocity | 3 | $3.99 | Image |
| Victorian Undead II Holmes Vs Dracula | 2 | $3.99 | DC |
| Transformers Sector 7 | 4 | $3.99 | IDW |
| Spider-Man | 9 | $2.99 | Marvel |
| Super Hero Squad | 12 | $2.99 | Marvel |
| Wildcats | 30 | $2.99 | DC |
| Red Eyes Only | 1 | $4.99 | DC |
| Torchwood | 5 | $3.99 | Titan |
| Mystery Society | 5 | $3.99 | IDW |
| G.I. Joe Future Noir Sp | 2 | $7.99 | IDW |
| Mighty Crusaders | 6 | $3.99 | DC |
| Off Handbook Marvel Universe A To Z | 5 | $3.99 | Marvel |
| Scooby Doo Where Are You | 4 | $2.99 | DC |
| Savage Dragon | 167 | $3.50 | Image |
| Gears of War | 15 | $3.99 | DC |
| Usagi Yojimbo | 134 | $3.50 | Dark Horse |
| Robert Jordan Wheel of Time Eye of the World | 7 | $3.99 | Dynamic |
| Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep | 18 | $3.99 | Boom |
| Skullkickers | 4 | $2.99 | Image |
| Dc Comics Presents Batman Beyond | 1 | $7.99 | DC |
| Mice Templar Vol. 3 | 1 | $3.99 | Image |
| Iron Man Thor | 3 | $3.99 | Marvel |
| Tank Girl Bad Wind Rising | 1 | $3.99 | Titan |
| True Blood | 5 | $3.99 | IDW |
| Farscape Ongoing | 14 | $3.99 | Boom |
| Gen 13 | 39 | DC | |
| Resident Evil | 6 | $3.99 | DC |
There has been a lot of positive play on the announcement by DC Comics this week that they are dropping their comic prices from $3.99 to $2.99. Marvel’s “me too” announcement has been greeted with similar fanfare.
But is this new pricing really advantageous to the consumer? I’d argue that it isn’t, at least not in the long run. ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
ArctosComics.com, home of the popular Orion the Hunter webcomic, is adding a new ongoing webcomic title beginning October 5th. Belter will be updating weekly on Tuesdays at 3PM EST, taking over that time slot from Orion the Hunter. Orion will be moving to Thursdays at 3PM EST, giving the site a twice weekly release schedule. ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Back when we were living in Ferndale, I discovered that we were actually close to Larry Stroman. I’m a huge fan of Alien Legion. Right from it’s earliest days. When I started buying comics again the first things I bought were a trio of trade paperbacks of the early comics. So I contacted Mr. Stroman and arranged to meet him in person to negotiate a deal for a pin-up for Arctos Comics.
This was in February. We met and I plead poverty and Detroit solidarity and he agreed to cut his normal $300 fee in half and take $150 for the piece. I felt given that he was cutting his fee, I should pre-pay him for the work. So I gave him a check then and there for the full amount — $150.
Now let’s be clear on this. I didn’t commission a sketch, or a fan piece. As editor/publisher of Arctos Comics, I commissioned a professional artist to produce a piece for publication. I never intended or expected to get the original artwork. Just the publication rights. It was a professional transaction and I was very clear about how and where the work would be used.
That was the last successful communications I’ve had with Mr. Stroman. He took my check and has seemingly ignored every overture since. ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Back in May, Dad (Cliff to you guys) and I attended a small convention in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Summit City Comic Con was a pretty laidback affair, couple thousand people I think moved through the con as the day went by. Not so many costumes, but still enough to amuse and surprise. Our Orion the Hunter table was situated between a fellow who’s name I forgot (he didn’t talk to us much), and a comic book rock band by the name of Wednesday Heroes.
That’s right, a comic book rock band. It is certainly a very specific genre niche; we spent the day listening to songs like “The Call of the Green”, a song about Green heroes, and the full version of the Firefly theme song, “Ballad of Serenity”. We of course got to talking with them (Cliff is very verbose), and after a couple of hours we made an exchange. They got one of those gorgeous (hint hint) printed editions of Orion the Hunter, and we got their debut album “Slight Advantage”. They loved Orion so much that they offered to make us an Orion the Hunter theme song. We thought this was a brilliant idea.
After several weeks of back and forth, we have finally received the final edition of the theme song, which you can listen to right here!
Orion the Hunter by Wednesday Heroes
Also feel free to visit the Wednesday Heroes’ website where you can listen to more of their music and perhaps even buy one of their CDs. Nerds gotta stick together!
- Caitlin
This actually started over on FaceBook as an answer to a fan who mentioned having his local comic shop order his copy of Orion the Hunter Part 1. Since it’s apparently not clear, let me make it so. with the exception of a handful of comic shops that are purchasing directly from us, you are about as likely to see Orion the Hunter or any of our future products in a comic shop as you are likely to see Elvis (the real Elvis — the dead one) there.
So let me get this out there, right off the bat. I love comic shops. My friend Brian Kelly runs a terrific shop in Detroit, and we have a great one called FanFare here in Kalamazoo. I frequent comic shops, I buy most of my comics in comic shops. I LOVE comic shops.
So why aren’t my books going to comic shops? ↓ Read the rest of this entry…
Orion the Hunter’s Facebook fans page just passed 1000. To celebrate this milestone, we’re giving a few things away.
David Alexander McDonald, our 1000 fan wins a black & white & red all over t-shirt with free shipping and a cameo appearance in an upcoming episode with lines.
Raymond Jacob, Scott Schlazer, and Sean Woods all win t-shirts.
Sketch Maven has a fairly long interview with me on my background and on Orion the Hunter. There’s a profile and cover feature on Orion in the next issue of Self-Publisher Magazine and we’ve got a couple of other interviews and a possible podcast coming up. Keep watching here on on Facebook to see what we’re up to.
Its going to be a busy month round the ol’ homestead.
Here’s hopping we get some new readers off’a it.
I got laid off today.
↓ Read the rest of this entry…
