Night & Fog #2 In Stores Today!

That's right, issue 2 hits comic shops around the country and online today. Be sure to pick it up today to discover the terrifying secret of Serum 37B, and find out if the survivor's of issue 1's catastrophe can somehow make it off the doomed military base alive!

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."

HYBRID Out Today!

The second official Studio 407 title hits comic shops today (a Thursday instead of a Wednesday thanks to the holiday last week)!

Hybrid is a four-issue miniseries that plums the depths of ecological terror off the coast of Cancun. Four friends charter a boat for a relaxing vacation, only to sail headlong into an unfathomable nightmare. As they cast off, they learn that just a day earlier a diver disappeared in the same waters they're cruising. The further out they sail, the more they find biological irregularities in the local marine life, a sea darkened with mass quantities of a mysterious ink, the looming threat of modern-day pirates, and a towering whaling trawler adrift in the open water. When they spot a frightened little girl waving at them from the bow of the derelict ship, they have no choice but to investigate. But when they reach the ship, they realize she may not be alone...

Hybrid is written by Peter Kwong. Artist Pablo Churin and the talented colorists at Shipeng Lee Studio provide the atmospheric visuals. Editor Chad Jones rounds out the creative team.

Hybrid #1 (of 4) carries a cover price of $2.75 and is suggested for mature readers.

Meet Chad Jones

This week, Studio 407's Editor-in-Chief Chad Jones contributes a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming comic Netherworld. Here's Chad:

My name is Chad Jones and I work in funny books. There's a lot I'm excited about at Studio 407. I mean a lot. A lot a lot. When the Managing Director, Alex Leung, asked me to join as Creative Director and Editor-In-Chief, the question was barely out of his mouth when I said, "I'm in." All in. You see, my background is advertising. I've written commercials for lawnmowers, generators, healthcare, blah, blah blah. And the opportunity to tell stories in a medium I love instead of selling products in 30 seconds... Seriously? Robots, monsters, ninjas, vampires, capes, cowls and everything in between? For a living? Of course, I'm in.

So, the first thing I'm going to tell you about is totally self-serving. I mean, I could go on about how Tiger & Crane and Hybrid are unfolding, or drop hints about the upcoming twists and turns in Night & Fog, but... this blog is about me, so here we go. I want to tell you about a little upcoming project called Netherworld. First off, I loves me some science fiction. And I've been writing genre for as long as I can remember. So, I was kicking around a novel idea and was trying to describe the creature concept in the story to a friend and made the off-hand comment, "well it's not like they're alien zombies or anything..."

And I stopped. And I thought, hmm.... that would be kind of awesome. Alien zombies. Hell, I gotta write that! And what came out is an all-out, action-packed gorefest with nods to old-school, sci-fi from the fifties. When I started the project, the first thing I had to do was design the aliens themselves. I knew I didn't want anything humanoid with a bumply forehead. I knew I wanted them to be monstrous and I knew I wanted them on page one. So phase one, design super-cool alien. And what our artist came up with is some kind of reptilian insect or an insectile reptile (I can't really decide which), treading on three legs with a single, mantis-like claw. Meet the Thanati, an alien race locked in an interstellar Cold War with humanity.

The pencils for Issue One are complete and we're about to get ramped up for Issue Two. I can't wait for you guys to see it. Should be a lot of fun. A lot a lot.

I'll keep you posted. By posting blogs.

Talk to you soon.

Thanks,

Chad

In Stores This Week: Tiger & Crane #2

by Leung, Zamcheck & Vuycankiat

The plot thickens as we are introduced to master spy, Foster Dulles, and the nefarious Japanese agents of Force 777 who have been tasked with stopping him at all costs. Meanwhile, the paths of Agent Dulles and the Black Tiger converge as they search for the legendary Staff of the Monkey King!"

Co-published with Bluewater Productions

Night & Fog Signing In L.A.

Today's the big day... Night & Fog #1 is in stores today! And if you're in the Los Angeles area, you can swing by Golden Apple Comics on Melrose and La Brea from 6-8 tonight and Alex and I will sign it for you! (And believe me, signing your comic would be a huge thrill for us.) Angelenos, hope to see you there tonight!

Shipping In August: Hybrid #2

By Peter Kwong & Pablo Churin

Trapped on a derelict ship adrift in the ocean, four friends are stalked by a mysterious killer. Miles away from shore, they fight for survival onboard a ship that looks as if it has been pulled from the bottom of the ocean. As the killer closes in, they realize he may be something other than human!"

Night & Fog #1 Hits June 11

Well, our initial release date of May 28 came and went as we learned another frustrating lesson of comic book publishing. Our books got held up in customs on their way from the printer overseas, delaying the premiere issue by two weeks. Now, Night & Fog #1 will be in stores on Wednesday, June 11. Ask for it by name at your local comic book retailer!

Shipping In July: Night & Fog #2

By Leung, Bradford, Castro & Aira

With the lid ripped off of Pandora's Box, the 'Frankenstein virus' Serum 37B has now mutated into deadly fog, infecting most of the personnel on the base and transforming them into terrifying preternatural creatures. Gathering together the remaining survivors, Lieutenant Christopher must now find an escape route off the secret military installation as the rampaging creatures close in on him!"

HYBRID: Building The Beast

If you're reading this, then somehow, some way, you know that a comic book named "Hybrid" is debuting on June 27, that a feature film is scheduled to be made from it through Myriad Pictures, and you're intrigued to learn more. You've also probably guessed that I am the friendly, neighborhood writer responsible for it, so if you're expecting this blog to be critical and clear eyed, then you should just keep moving. Nothing to see here.

You see, I'm in love. Creature love. Have been ever since I was a kid and spent many a Saturday afternoon watching any number of Ray Harryhausen movies. Ever since those damn flying monkeys in "Wizard of Oz". And, yeah, ever since Luke Skywalker walked into a dive bar in Mos Eisley. When writing "Hybrid", as both comic book and screenplay, I reached back to those kinds of stories that originally fired my imagination: the creature feature. These monsters didn't just take up screen space, but seemed to be lifted from the dreams of every child who was ever afraid of the dark. The great monsters were primal, sensual, and yeah, not unlike us. They had needs as deep as any Shakespearean character. Would King Kong be as memorable if he weren't in love (or lust)? Frankenstein didn't just destroy, it hungered for human connection. And Godzilla didn't just destroy Tokyo, it was taking revenge on those whose power lust for weapons of mass destruction messed up his nap time.

The creature in "Hybrid" was conceived in this spirit. Is it a killing machine? You bet. But it's also a whole lot more. It thinks. It hides. It learns. And, as is apparent early on, it's not too crazy with those of us who litter, don't recycle, and drive SUV's. Are you going to see it in issue one? Better. You'll feel it, in every panel, every page. The dread, I hope, will be unnerving. And when you do see it, you'll think twice the next time someone invites you out for an afternoon of smooth sailing.

My other approach was to write the kind of horror story that had been MIA for some time. As a fan of the genre, I feel disenfranchised by the current, and ugly, obsession with "torture porn". Social commentary readings aside, there hasn't been anything particularly frightening about this sub genre. Since when does gore and bodily mutilation equal scary? For me, it's a lazy plot device, and I'm glad it appears to be playing itself out. No. "Hybrid" is classic monster movie stuff. It was done in the great spirit of other maritime adventures like "Jaws", "Dead Calm", and even "Knife In The Water". These movies all taught me the same lesson: Atmosphere, character, suspense, action, gore, and sincere humor can all fit into one movie, even one scene, and even onto one small, claustrophobic schooner, adrift and lost at sea, with no help in sight.

So come aboard. Dramamine to your left, life jackets to the right. Don't play with the spear gun if you've been drinking. Still, it should be fun. Just don't expect to see anyone tortured.