Joe Keatinge's Comics & Stories

INTERVIEW ABOUT EVERYTHING

Earlier this morning Comic Book Resources posted an interview with me spotlighting Hell Yeah and Glory, wherein I debuted Hell Yeah’s new series cover artist, Ricken, and discuss building toward the ending of Glory. I also get into my thoughts on Dave Sim’s Cerebus and even drop a few announcements.

A few things have changed since this interview was conducted:

1) Obviously, my Marvel work got announced - an issue of Amazing Spider-Man, leading into writing an ongoing Morbius: The Living Vampire series. 

2) The Madman/Hell Yeah crossover illustrated by Michael Allred/Madman isn’t going to make it in the CBLDF Liberty Comics anthology, but will happen after he gets ahead on his Marvel work. That being said, I do have a NEW story with another artist I’ve long admired. More on that soon.

IN EXISTENCE NOW: GLORY VOL. 1 TPB + HELL YEAH #5

Holy crap it’s a big week for stuff I write.

FIRST UP:

LOOK OUT! It’s the first collection of my run on GLORY, with collaborator/illustrator, Ross Campbell. This thing collects our first six issues and includes every single cover, as well as a sketch gallery! Best of all? It’s only $9.99. What a fine deal!

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!

LOOK OUT AGAIN! It’s the last issue of HELL YEAH’s first arc! BONUS: It’s the first issue with the series’ new inker, Fabio Redivo, and editor, iFanboy’s Ron Richards! A lot of shit goes down in this issue, setting up the book’s very different direction starting with #6.

STOKED.

Lemme know what y’all think.

A BUNCH OF FREE COMICS. FOREVER.

Image Comics just made a ton of their 2012-launching first issues totally free - forever - on Comixology, including GLORY #23 (my first issue) and HELL YEAH #1.  Just load up your iWhatever or download ‘em directly to your computer. If you dig HELL YEAH and GLORY, ask your local funnybook shop to order you a copy of the tradepaperbacks, coming real soon at the introductory price of only $9.99 a piece.

Here’s their full announcement:

Berkeley, CA - August 24, 2012 — The first issues of many of the new series launched in the first half Image Comics’ iconic twentieth anniversary year are now free at the digital distributor comiXology. The issues will remain free permanently, starting on August 24.

The free issues include the first issues of some of 2012’s best-selling comics, including SAGA #1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, FATALE #1 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra, THIEF OF THIEVES #1 by Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer, and Shawn Martinbrough, AMERICA’S GOT POWERS Jonathan Ross and Bryan Hitch, and MIND THE GAP #1 by Jim McCann, Rodin Esquejo, and Sonia Oback.

The other free first issues are ALPHA GIRL #1, CREATOR-OWNED HEROES #1, DANCER #1, DANGER CLUB #1, EPIC KILL #1, GLORY #23 (first issue of the relaunch), GRIM LEAPER #1, HELL YEAH #1, HOAX HUNTERS #1, NO PLACE LIKE HOME #1, PETER PANZERFAUST #1, PLANETOID #1, PROPHET #21 (first issue of the relaunch), and SECRET #1.

Many of these titles have been or will soon be collected into trade paperbacks, making the free issues the perfect way for readers to sample new Image Comics titles before purchasing collections.

STUFF I WROTE: November 2012

Solicitations are out once again!

This month we’re soliciting yet another fine issue of GLORY, but I do want to stress there WILL be an issue of HELL YEAH out this month as well. We’re just not soliciting again until we’re caught up. More on that later.

ANYWAY…

GLORY #30
story JOE KEATINGE
art ROSS CAMPBELL & ROMAN MURADOV
cover KRIS ANKA
NOVEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T+ 
$3.99
“BLOODSHADOW,” Part Two 
A battle over one hundred years in the making - sister vs. sister! No one gets out unscathed! Not every bodily limb survives! PLUS: In 1920s Paris, Glory teams up with Ernest Hemingway to take down the greatest villain the city has ever known, illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist ROMAN MURADOV!

———

The art from this issue is already completely done and I can’t stress enough that it’s easily the most brutally violent issue yet. GO TEAM!

Speaking of art, it also features a segment illustrated by the very brilliant Roman Muradov.

I’m pretty damn excited by Roman’s contribution. So much so here’s an EXCLUSIVE, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN sneak peek of Roman’s Hemingway in action!!

Who’s he shooting at? Find out this November!

STUFF I WROTE: October 2012

October 2012 solicits are out and OH, MAN this month’s gonna be big!

For those of you wondering where THANOS: SON OF TITAN #1 is, well - this pretty much says it all. Don’t worry - in the end, I’m a very happy dude. More news on me doing stuff at Marvel coming very soon.

MEANWHILE, OVER AT IMAGE COMICS…

In addition to HELL YEAH & GLORY I’ve got a story in…

CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2012
story HOWARD CHAYKIN, ANDY DIGGLE, WARREN ELLIS, CHRIS GIARRUSSO, KIERON GILLEN, BRANDON GRAHAM, DAVID HINE, JOE KEATINGE, ROBERT KIRKMAN, JIM McCANN, TERRY MOORE, CHRIS ROBERSON, JAMES ROBINSON, JONATHAN ROSS, STEVEN T. SEAGLE, RICHARD STARKINGS & ERIC STEPHENSON
art CHARLIE ADLARD, MIKE ALLRED, NATE BELLEGARDE, J. BONE, DOUG BRAITHWAITE, IAN CHURCHILL, MARCO CINELLO, CHYNNA CLUGSTON-FLORES, CHRIS GIARRUSSO, SINA GRACE, BRANDON GRAHAM, ROGER LANDRIDGE, JANET LEE, JOHN PAUL LEON, TERRY MOORE & BEN TEMPLESMITH
cover A GABRIEL BA
cover B TERRY DODSON
OCTOBER 10
48 PAGES / FC / M
$4.99
A COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND BENEFIT BOOK!
“IT’S GOOD TO BE FREE!”
CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL returns! This year’s installment is edited by Image Comics Publisher ERIC STEPHENSON, who has recruited an all-star line-up of writers and artists to make ALL-NEW stories about the positive qualities of freedom! All proceeds from this book benefit the important First Amendment work of the COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, who’ve been fighting censorship in comics for over 25 years!
All proceeds from CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2012 will benefit the important First Amendment legal work of the COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians and readers.

—-

I really love these CBLDF Liberty Comics anthologies. In addition to going to a really good cause, the talent line up is always insane. I’m very humbled to be in this lineup. 

I’m thrilled to say that I’m reteaming with my STARDUST THE SUPER WIZARD collaborator Michael Allred on a story I can’t believe is being done. Mum’s the word on just what that story is, but we’ll be telling you soon.

AND THEN…!

GLORY #29
story JOE KEATINGE
art / cover  ROSS CAMPBELL
OCTOBER 17
32 PAGES / FC / T+ 
$2.99
“BLOODSHADOW,” Part One
There is only one warrior Glory has ever feared; only one who’s more dangerous than her, only one she knows can stop her. Get ready for the coming of Nanaja, Glory’s little sister.

——

When #25 - the ‘500 Years Later. Mars.’ issue - came out I talked a lot about how it was a big leap forward for the book from my perspective (and Ross’). It was us stretching the book to its limits and seeing how something new and different from what came before resulted from it. #29 is a similar big leap (an the first issue after the TPB!). I’m really stoked about this one.

AND FINALLY….!!!

HELL YEAH #7
story JOE KEATINGE
art / cover  ANDRE SZYMANOWICZ
OCTOBER 10
32 PAGES / FC / T+ 
$2.99
“EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS RIGHT,” Part Two
HELL YEAH’s shocking new direction continues as the battle of the century arrives: Ben Day vs. Getting His Ass Handed To Him!

—-

Speaking of Big Issues, September brought HELL YEAH #6, the first issue of “EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS RIGHT,” the first issue after the first trade. I’m being vague on just what’s so damn big about this new direction, but when the reach of #5, you’ll get it.

ADVERTISED

Image Comics is running a couple of ads now for the GLORY and HELL YEAH TPBs.

Here’s the GLORY one:

It’s a mish mash of the cover of #28 and the cover of the TPB, which is this:

Then there’s HELL YEAH.

Look familiar? It’s a new take on the original #1 cover, re-penciled by Andre and this time inked by our new series inker, Fabio Redivo and colored by interior (and now exterior) colorist Jason Lewis. No one’s seen this before.

Here’s a version without all the copy:

and here’s the back cover:

DOPE.

IN EXISTENCE NOW: Glory #28

LOOK OUT! Glory #28 is out today.

It’s probably the only comic book of all-time to feature this:

Spoilers, I guess, but it’s on page two/three. Our first double page spread in the series.

It’s a big issue in a lot of ways. It wraps up our second story arc, DESTROYER, paving the way for six issues of total pay off for everything we’ve set up so far, including two issues all about the character introduced in #28’s epilogue.

Preview up here on CBR.

DIG IT.

HOLY CRAP COMIC CON (2012)

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!!!

This year I’m tabling throughout the show at a table in the Image Comics Creator Emporium, located at 2729.

There I’m going to have quite a few things for you to pick up including:

EXCLUSIVE SIGNED & NUMBERED 11x17” PRINTS!

LIMITED TO ONLY 20 PER DESIGN! Only available at SDCC 2012! 

$20/print

GLORY PRINT:

HELL YEAH PRINT:

EXCLUSIVE READER SETS!

Glory #23-27 or Hell Yeah #1-4

This is the last show I’ll be selling these single issues!

$10/set

EXCLUSIVE eBAYER SETS!

LIMITED TO ONLY 10 SETS TOTAL!

Hell Yeah #1 Retailer Edition (only 1000 in existence) +

Hell Yeah #1 Misprinted Ashcan (only a couple dozen in existence)

This is also the last show I’ll be selling this set!

$20/set

I’ll happily sign whatever you bring, in whatever quantity, at absolutely no charge, but there is a $5/signature fee for anything with a CGC Signature Series Witness.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

On Thursday, I’ll be one of the Image Comics creators hanging around the CBLDF’s Comic-Con Welcome Party at the Westgate Hotel, 1055 Second Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 from 8 PM to 11 PM! This party is FREE for CBLDF Members. Non-Members, suggested $10 – $20 donation at the door, please. More details here.

On Friday at 7 PM in Room 4, I’ll be on the Monkeybrain Comics panel. Yeah, THAT Monkey Brain Comics - the digital initative headed by Chris Roberson & Allison Baker that made a gigantic splash last week. They announced a number of series they’re doing. They also announced I’m on their panel. Since one of the series announced wasn’t by me does that mean they’ll announce one that is at the panel?! FIND OUT, TRUE BELIEVERS! 

See ya there!

IN EXISTENCE NOW: Glory #27

LOOK OUT, EVERYBODY! THERE’S A NEW ISSUE OF GLORY IN-STORES TODAY!

This is a big one, featuring a cover by none other than KRIS ANKA! Isn’t he amazing? The correct answer is: yes, he is.

The insides are still all drawn by Ross Campbell. DO NOT PANIC.

GLORY #27 is part two of our three part DESTROYER arc. Last issue things got pretty damn hairy as Glory and Company’s location was discovered by Silverfall’s forces. This issue? Everything goes to Hell.

There’s a preview over at Comic Book Resources. Don’t read the last page. It’s a spoiler.

Also, if you wanna hear Ross and me jabber on about all sorts of comics for over two hours, Comic Book Revolution can hook you up.

Finally, I wanted to give a special mention to the back up comics in this issue. Image has provided us with a big ole preview of Michael Allred’s IT GIRL! AND THE ATOMICS, written by Jamie S. Rich and illustrated by Mike Norton. Those are all great people. Check out the preview and preorder the comic. I will!