Tales of Syzpense

As the calendar turns from June to July, it’s that special time of year when general awareness of Comic-Con next month turns into a panicky scramble to arrange my schedule, finalize panel presentations, try to avoid double-booking too many meetings, and generally realizing that I won’t relax again until August 1 or so. (At which time I’ll start prepping for a convention in Virginia the following weekend but that’s next month’s problem).

In 2010, Sony Pictures, by way of Platinum Dunes (Michael Bay’s prodco), acquired Zombies vs Robots, created 20 years ago this year by me and artist Ashley Wood. And so started the long development process, with various screenwriters tackling various drafts of the story and seeing what could happen. Screenwriter JT Petty was the first one attached, I believe. And he crafted a version of the story that was considerably different.

Previews of July's Dread the Halls, assorted Marvel books being released in June and beyond, and a Spinner Rack of Byrne victims in honor of the June release of X-Men Elsewhen As I type this, I just received initial edits on a manuscript I submitted for the book that will be my follow-up to the Marvel Calendar Book. This one, another Abrams ComicArts production with Charlie Kochman as my editor, is a book I’ve wanted to do for years.

I subscribe to a few newsletters that are updated daily, and I’ve found that by the fourth day in a row of getting that daily newsletter, I need a long break from it. But, while being wary of not giving people any easy reasons to want to take a long break from this newsletter, I didn’t intend to let an entire month go by since the last one. So it goes some months.

It’s been a week full of advance solicitations and advance copies, so let’s jump into it all. The overlapping deadlines have been a lot to keep up with but the end result of a flurry of work over the past few months is that a handful of great-looking books I’ve been involved with are heading your way soon. First up, just announced today, is the return of Dread the Hall H this July.

Sam Kieth’s greatest creation, The Maxx, and Julie Sam Kieth (January 1963 - March 2026) I wasn’t ready to write about Sam after I got confirmation of his passing last week. I’m still not ready. But he’s been in my thoughts. I’ve tried not to think about how terrible it was to lose Sam, at only age 63, to something as awful as Lewy Body Dementia. I’ve tried to focus on the times we had, making comics and talking comics, and that mostly worked in my head.

Before I worked in comics, I loved Dark Horse. I got to know them the right way: through their comics. I’d read a fair amount of licensed comics as a kid and I knew what worked and what didn’t (and many of them didn’t). But Dark Horse’s Aliens series sure did. The comic was a beautiful thing to look at: gorgeously detailed black and white art by Mark A. Nelson, and the stories by Mark Verheiden felt like a perfect extension of the films. This was licensed comics done right.

The inaugural Jack and Roz Kirby Awards kicked off this past weekend at the Original Art Expo (OAX) in Orlando, Florida. And, you know, those awards laid down a nice blueprint that wouldn’t hurt other awards shows to adopt. Don’t get me wrong: I’m one of those who has long said that I wish the Eisner Awards ran longer, not shorter (lack of easily available bathrooms aside, I mean). I love every minute of being in that ballroom every July.

Black Comix Day Weekend Con season for the year is just starting to get under way now. But luckily enough, one of the shows I enjoy every year took place in town here this past weekend. The show is organized by Keithan Jones, among others. Keithan, who did such a great job on our Dread the Halls story in the issue we released this past December, always fills the World Beat Cultural Center in San Diego with a great group of creators, vendors, and, this year, Olympian Jordan Chiles, too.

There’s never much good about losing a meaningful comic creator, like we all experienced with Sal Buscema’s passing at 89 recently, but it is always a welcome and comforting thing to see all the tributes that share so many different pieces of his art.