I have a little Golem, I made it out of clay...

Our managing director, ahem, Galactitron (Do I really need to call you that, Alex?) wanted me to let you know that we got some good stuff coming out in January. 

One of our new years books will be Golem, the story of a big hunk of animated clay that kicks ass. Of course, I'm generalizing slightly. It's actually a really hip update of a old Jewish legend about a guy who crafts a slave monster out of clay and brings it to life to do his bidding. In our version, penned by Scott Barkman & Jeff Le and drawn by Mark Louie Vuycankiat, the Golem comes to life in war-torn 1992 Sarajevo. He's a smart-mouthed bad-ass with an agenda of his own. Think Frankenstein's Monster crossed with Bruce Willis. 

And if you don't believe me, here's what Ain't It Cool News had to say...

There are a lot of cool elements going into Studio 407’s GOLEM. Writers Scott Barkman and Jeff Lee do a nice job of making this story of a man in trouble giving life to a lump of clay different than any Golem tale before it.

Sounds cooler by the minute, no? If you want to beat the rush, reserve your copy online at Heavy Ink.

Or look for it on the racks at the start of 2009. That's it for now, geek buddies. Next time I'll tell you a little about our new horror anthology, Shadow Chronicles.

Another Positive Hybrid Review

Pair-A-Dice Hobbies has included a review of Hybrid in their newest video. It's a cool review because they actually show pages of the book while they're talking about it, and a good review because they love it! And owing to certain preconceptions, they weren't expecting to. The two reviewers preface their review by saying that they don't generally dig indie comics, "but oh my God, when you read it..." says one reviewer, "It was a very good comic!" his cohort excitedly finishes. That's great to hear, because at Studio 407 we strive to make our books stand out with the highest quality art and storytelling. Be sure to watch the whole thing and listen to these guys praise Peter Kwong's excellent book!

Rave Reviews!

Comics Bulletin calls Pablo Churin's Hybrid artwork "first rate" and says Peter Kwong's script is "paced perfectly!" They conclude: "If you’re a fan of old school, creature feature movies and like a little more monster in your horror, then this is a good book for you." Couldn't have said it better myself!

And Aintitcool's Ambush Bug feels that Night & Fog #1 has "the right ingredients for a pretty kick @$$ story!" He goes on to say that writers Alex Leung and Matthew Bradford "set a nice foreboding mood for the book. This book is touting itself as a 'Hammer film meets ALIENS' which is a high standard to live up to, but the set-up looks very promising and the gritty art by Roberto Castro definitely delivers in tension and thrills. I’m going to keep my eye on this one to see if it lives up its hype. So far so good, though."

Making Headlines

Now that our press release is out for Night & Fog, and the book is in Previews, coverage is starting to pop up all over the web. I've gotta say, it's kind of a thrill to see something I've been a part of creating getting mentioned on some of my favorite websites! Here's a sampling so far:

InOut Star

Bloody Disgusting

Oh My Gore

Previews (Review)

I'll post some more mentions as I see them. But I won't find out about all of them. If you've given any of our comics any coverage on your site and want it linked, I'd love to hear from you!

A Staff Pick In Previews!

Our first official* Studio 407 comic book, Night & Fog, is solicited in the current issue of Previews... and they made it a staff pick! We couldn't be more thrilled. In a beautiful quarter-page box on page 4, staffer Shelly says:

Okay, where is Night & Fog issue #2? I can't wait to read it! There is so much going on in this comic, and there are so many small stories building up into something huge, that I literally could not stop reading it! And then guess what? It wasn't over! I have to wait for
the next issue to have my questions answered! This book has left me in a state of frenzy because I yearn to read more about these characters and their predicaments!

Shelly later concludes her review with some of the kindest
words we could hope for:

Night & Fog is an excellent first offering by newcomers (to Previews, anyway) Studio 407. The writing is amazing, as is the artwork. Take a chance with someone new and give Night & Fog a try - you won't be sorry.

Well, as one of the writers on the book, all I can say is... Aw, shucks. Thanks, Shelly! I do hope readers take her advice and give the book a try. I'm blown away by Roberto Castro's artwork, and though I may be biased, I can't help but agree with Shelly that the book makes a damn good read. Read her whole review here.

*Tiger & Crane was published by Bluewater