29th August 2006 / Wasteland / Novels / Queen & Country / Stealing Life
Hmmm, been a while. I’m knee-deep in deadlines, so here’s a quick rundown:
- I finished the script for WASTELAND #7 today. Look out for an announcement concerning that issue in the next week or two - should be interesting to see the reaction…
- I’m about to hand in the final manuscript of STEALING LIFE. It’s been fun, if exhausting (never write two novels at the same time…) and, glutton that I am, I already have an idea for a sequel: STEALING ICE. I should have a cover to show you soon.
- The new book to write I mentioned previously will be from Image, it’ll be specifically for kids and teens, and will launch early next year. We have a team, a story and a schedule; what we don’t have is anything to actually show yet, which is why that’s all I’m saying for now. Full announcement soon.
- Merchandise time: we returned from San Diego with a few limited edition WASTELAND T-shirts left. Here’s one (no, I’m not the model):
We have L, XL and XXL, but only a few of each. They’re available exclusively from the Oni Press online store for $22 US. And for a limited period they’re giving away #1 of my QUEEN & COUNTRY DECLASSIFIED series, as drawn by WASTELAND artist Chris Mitten, with every T-shirt. Bargain!
24th April 2006 / Queen & Country / On Sale
I’m told the collection of QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED, VOL. III has kicked down the door and tear gassed its way onto comic store shelves. Some stores received their copies last week, the rest should receive theirs this week. Go go go!
16th November 2005 / Wasteland / Alex Rider / Queen & Country / Three Days In Europe / Rosemary's Backpack / Translations / Appearances
The STORMBREAKER script is finally done and in to Walker Books. It would have been finished a couple of weeks ago but for some last-minute revisions to the screenplay which had to be reflected in the GN version. I’ve already seen roughs of the art for the first 50-odd pages, and it’s going to be a great-looking book. I don’t have an exact release date yet, but when I do I’ll let you know.
The whole process has been remarkably smooth, especially considering the speed it had to be written by, and the number of people (including Anthony Horowitz himself) who needed to approve it. I’m hoping to work with Walker again in the future, though whether it would be on another GN or a prose novel, it’s too early to say.
Serendipitously - given that it’s one of the books that got me the STORMBREAKER job - work is also now underway on a new edition of ROSEMARY’S BACKPACK, to be published by Speakeasy Comics in conjunction with original publisher Cyberosia. This will be a completely revised edition, with an entirely new design, new cover, new lettering, even a new logo. It’s planned for release in Spring next year…
As is the collection of my QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED series, I’m told. That’ll also have a brand new cover, drawn by series artist Christopher Mitten…
Who is of course also the artist for WASTELAND, which will launch shortly after the Q&C collection. So it seems Spring ‘06 is where it’s all happening for me.
(And WASTELAND’s going well - at this rate, I should have the first six issues completely scripted before Chris even starts pencilling. We’re also planning something interesting with a sort of “permanent guest artist” for the series. More about that closer to the time.)
Also, as a follow-up to the last entry, the French edition of THREE DAYS IN EUROPE is underway, to be published by 13 Étrange - guess when? That’s right, sometime next year…
In the rather more immediate future, I’m going to the Brighton Comic Expo this weekend. I’ll only be there for one day - Saturday - but I’m looking forward to what little time I’ll have. Apart from anything else, I haven’t been to Brighton in over five years.
20th August 2005 / Queen & Country / On Sale
Heads-up: there’s a lettering error in issue #3 of QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED III, which is on sale this week. It’s only one panel, and it’s too late to stop the book from hitting stores, but it could be very confusing if you’re not aware of it when you come to read the issue.
On Page 19, Panel 2, the single dialogue balloon (which starts with “AND HOW THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW ANYWAY, EH?”) should be coming from off-panel. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but when you see it, I promise you’ll realise why that’s important.
Anyway, we all hope you enjoy the issue, and the series - we’re all very proud of it.
(And we also hope you’ll join Chris and I again next spring for the start of WASTELAND…)
26th July 2005 / Queen & Country / On Sale
Quick heads-up: issue #2 of QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED is on sale this week at all good comic stores.
30th June 2005 / Queen & Country
The buzz keeps, well, buzzing:
“Johnston definitely steps to the plate in Rucka’s stead. He brings conviction to the military jargon, the paranoia of the terrorists, and the coarse camaraderie of the SAS.”
- Dave Farabee is surprised anyone besides Garth Ennis can write about Ireland over at Ain’t It Cool News.
29th June 2005 / Queen & Country
“Johnston seems to be following Rucka’s pattern of setting up the pieces with precision and foresight in order to knock them down more effectively… [He] has maintained the high standards the book has set.”
- Ryan Day gives QUEEN & COUNTRY a big thumbs-up over at Comixfan.
28th June 2005 / Queen & Country
A couple of very nice capsule reviews for QUEEN & COUNTRY #1:
“Terrific stuff […] really rose to the challenge, and gave me an EXCELLENT read.”
- That’s from Brian Hibbs’ Savage Critic, which never pulls its punches, so I’m very happy about that one. Brian also gives Q&C his Pick Of The Week, which makes me doubly happy.
“For the first time in Queen & Country, Greg Rucka isn’t writing. Instead, it’s Oni mainstay Antony Johnston. Not that the difference is noticeable, which has to be a good thing […] Worthwhile in its own right.”
- From Paul O’Brien’s X-Axis, where Paul gives the book a grade of A.
24th June 2005 / Queen & Country
“Johnston brings the same sort of genuine tone to an extreme side of the world most of us never see [as] Rucka has done in the past.”
- Don MacPherson reviews QUEEN & COUNTRY #1 at The Fourth Rail, awarding it 9/10 and Best Of The Week to boot.
22nd June 2005 / Queen & Country / On Sale
Issue #1 of my QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED series goes on sale today. There’s a preview of the first six pages up at Newsarama, where you can see stuff like this:
…only bigger. Click away.
Archives
RSS Feed
