Pre-order Free Planet #2
A sell out, a second printing, reviews, signings, fanart, podcasts, the brand-new Atlantis still sunk chat and more!
This week:
Join the Atlantis still sunk chat
The first piece of Free Planet fanart
Free Planet signings and famous attendees
More incredible Free Planet reviews
My latest podcast appearances
But first…
THANK YOU
Last week, overcome with the biggest release of my career, running from signings to interviews and back again, I realize now that I made a humongous misstep: I failed to properly express gratitude. All of this – the incredible sales numbers, the instant sell-out, the fantastic sales, the second printing and the instant sell-out that necessitated it – none of it would be possible without you and your support.
Some people reading this have been subscribing to various incarnations of my newsletter for more than a decade, while a not insignificant number of you are much newer, having joined amid the Free Planet promo blitz. Whenever you subscribed, you’re part of something absolutely essential: A foundation. In the current internet ecosystem, it’s utterly essential that creators have a base to build upon and I couldn’t ask for a better, more thoughtful, more engaged one.
Free Planet is an ongoing series and we have a ton of story to tell. If we’re going to get to all of it, we need to not only maintain high single issue sales but bring new readers onboard as well; keeping issues available are why additional printings are so important, especially with the type of buzz Free Planet has. But second printings are imperfect solutions that only arrive later. This is why I recommend you set up a subscription with your local comic shop: You make sure to never miss an issue while leaving the shelf copies for new readers!
Even if you normally read your comics in collected, graphic novel format, I still strongly recommend picking up the Free Planet single issues. First and foremost, it’s the format the book was designed for, both in terms of how it uses the page as well as its density and richness; a month to mull over an issue of Free Planet seems about right. And on top of that, single issues sales are the bedrock of any successful ongoing series, as they’re essential to funding consistent production without exceedingly long gaps.
If you see a copy of our sold-out Free Planet #1 first printing in the wild, pick it up for a friend. Word of mouth – especially in real life with a gift – is the most effective tool we have to get the word out about the Shape of Comics to Come!
Join the Atlantis still sunk chat!
There are a million social media sites these days but, if you’re like me, none of them are really scratching you where you itch. That’s why I’m going the other direction, with something more focused: A dedicated subscriber chat! While we already have a couple active threads going, I recognize that a chat is only as good as its participants, which is why I hope you’ll join us!
Feel free to start your own threads, discussing Free Planet, other comics, history reading reccos or any other thing. I have only two rules: 1) Don’t do anything that would necessitate any additional rules or moderation, and 2) Email all questions about Lutherian history directly to Dr. Aldous Foyroushi, in order that they can be answered in an upcoming issue of Free Planet.
Our first Free Planet fanart!
Check out that Keen Surroko, would you? It was done almost immediately upon release by the amazing Alec Bezzina!
The entire Free Planet creative team put an immense amount into this book. We’ve lived with these characters for years, thinking about them on a near-constant basis, and, in the process, forging profoundly deep connections with them. That’s why seeing fanart start to come in is so gratifying: It means you’re already starting to feel as passionately about these characters as we do.
If you’re making Free Planet artwork, we want to see it. Post Free Planet fanart on social media, tagging me or just reply to this email with it!
Signing report
This past week, Jed and I did three distinct signings. First, our release day event at Collector’s Paradise’s North Hollywood location, with special guest Chris Moreno. The launch party was a rousing success, with a steady crowd of people snatching copies of Free Planet, Jed and my Savage Hearts, and Chris and my Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling, as well as sketches from both guys.
Then, this past Saturday, Jed and I returned to Collector’s Paradise NoHo, where there were still more people waiting to get signed copies of the Shape of Comics to Come. Even Tool guitarist Adam Jones stopped by; he was so impressed by Free Planet that, in addition to the first issue, he also bought Jed’s original cover art! And yes, of course, we talked wrestling, including our shared nights in the gone but never forgotten Reseda American Legion hall.
Then, Jed and I went directly from Collector’s Paradise to Things From Another World at Universal CityWalk. Signing at TFAW Universal CityWalk was amazing, reminding me of some of my favorite conventions; what made the event so special was its proximity to Universal Studios and the number of people who just wandered in.
While I could see this being intimidating to some comics pros, not me; I absolutely love selling comics to non-comics fans. I was also incredibly thrilled to see how positively everyone reacted to the idea of a comic that needs to be read carefully, something that rewards people willing to spend time with it. We sent a lot of vacationing people home with copies of Free Planet along with directions on how to find their local shop and set up a subscription.
Free Planet reviews
I’ve never had a book received as well as Free Planet has been. The project was a big swing for all of us, so I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to find out that there are so many people not just open to, but who have been craving a richer, more complex comics experience. The Shape of Comics to Come continues to garner praise through countless social media posts and videos as well as written reviews:
More podcasts
Free Planet is a different type of comic, one with a lot of potential appeal among folks whose primary interests revolve around politics, economics, anthropology, sociology and philosophy. That’s why I’ve been making a particular effort to branch out, most recently appearing on Emmet Penney’s energy-focused Nuclear Barbarians. Not only did Emmet ask thoughtful, engaging questions about the book’s broader themes and the struggles of democracy but I was incredibly impressed by his comics literacy.
And, of course, if it’s more comics-centric chitchat you’re looking for, I’ve got you covered there as well, with Jed and my recent appearance on Bif! Bam! Pow!, hosted by Gianni Palumbo. Gianni really did his homework for this one, showing up ready to dig into Jed and my process and theory of comics.
NEXT WEEK: It’s time, once again, for you to weigh in…
Aubrey