SIXGUN SAMURAI #1

[MattBrady]

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/Alias/SixGun/sixgun01.jpg" width="175" height="268" border="0" align="right"><i>From Alias Entertainment</i>

After selling out almost instantly at the ALIAS booth at the 2005 Wizard World Chicago Convention, ALIAS Comics’ upcoming SIXGUN SAMURAI received rave reviews from retailers and fans who returned throughout the weekend to praise the book and chat with series writer Sean J. Jordan.

“We received a lot of positive response from people about several ALIAS titles,” said Jordan. “But many of those who had a chance to pick up SIXGUN SAMURAI made a point of stopping back by to congratulate us on what we’d done. Readers are already debating twists that will occur in the upcoming issues, and several people asked what other books they can find with work by series artist Harold Edge, though the answer, sadly, is nothing yet … but we’re planning to get him on another ALIAS title soon!”

SIXGUN SAMURAI #1 hits stores in mid August at the introductory price of 75 cents. Retailers who sell out can order additional copies from Diamond Distributors.

About the series:

WRITER: Sean J. Jordan
ARTIST: Harold Edge
CREATED BY: Mike S. Miller

The idea of fusing the Wild West with the martial arts is not a new idea, to be certain; since THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN retold the story of Akira Kurosawa's THE SEVEN SAMURAI, the West and the East have come together several times to produce some excellent stories.

But none of them have been quite like SIXGUN SAMURAI.

The setup is simple – a young boy raised in a Wild West Show in the late 1800s sets out to find his last living relative. His mother was a sharpshooter who taught him everything there is to know about shooting. And his mentor was a samurai living in exile who traveled with the show as an animal caretaker.

"The title's a little quirky, I know," laughed Sean J. Jordan, writer for SIXGUN SAMURAI. "But in the context of the story, it does make sense. The Sixgun Samurai is like a lot of kids who have grown up in a traveling show – he has an odd assortment of skills that he's picked up from the people he's known. That his skills allow him to be doubly deadly makes him interesting, but what really drives him is the fact that he's searching for his father, who abandoned him and his mother when he was still a baby."

"Of course, there's a lot more to the story than that," hinted Jordan. "SIXGUN SAMURAI has quite a few fun little plot twists, and the script's designed to keep the reader guessing what will happen next."

For more information about SIXGUN SAMURAI and other ALIAS titles, please visit http://www.aliascomics.net

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[viperkid]

Looks promisning

[EmeraldGuy32]

Looks pretty cool. I'll give it a shot.

[VinnyPic]

I just got won over.

[NightRiver]

Looks good and with a price of 75 cents, its worth a try.

[Dragavon]

Reminds me of that old PS1 game, Rising Zan the Samurai Gunman

[NightRiver]

Originally posted by Dragavon
Reminds me of that old PS1 game, Rising Zan the Samurai Gunman

Never heard of that game. But it reminded me of Samurai Western for the PS2.

http://www.atlus.com/samurai_western/

[aylw]

ehh.....

Writing, doesn't grab me, art, don't really like, but at 75 cents, I'm willing to give it a shot.

Maybe it'll grow on me.

Plus, the name kicks.

[Mike S Miller]

LOL...

I actually came up with the name first, and built a story around it.

[SeanJJordan]

Samurai Western was an odd coincidence, as was Geoff Darrow's Shaolin Cowboy. Mike came up with the idea before either was on our radar. And I'm a pretty hardcore gamer, but I've never heard of that PS1 title. Oh well.

Samurai and the Wild West are easily connected; look at The Seven Samurai / The Magnificent Seven, or that episode of Cowboy Bebop with the wannabe cowboy... the idea of combining the two isn't such a unique concept.

But there was just something about the title, "SIXGUN SAMURAI," that sounded like a lot of fun to me. And what we're doing (working the story into an historical backdrop) should be pretty fresh. I think people will like this book for two reasons:

1) It's very different from most of the comics you'll find on the shelves!
2) The second half of the first issue is a lot more fun once you learn how the kid becomes the SIXGUN SAMURAI.

But let me know what you think, guys. We crave feedback.

-Sean @ ALIAS
http://www.aliascomics.net
http://www.sean-jordan.com

[Dragavon]

Originally posted by SeanJJordan
And I'm a pretty hardcore gamer, but I've never heard of that PS1 title. Oh well.

Rising Zan the Samurai Gunman (http://www.agetec.com/products.asp?MyView=Action+Adventure&ProductID=17&ProductName=Rising+Zan+%2D+The+Samurai+G unman)

[Mike S Miller]

Wow.

Oh well, I guess we won't be selling it as a video game. lol.

[Ectocooler]

looks great, i'm on board

[OcCaM]

Well, since I'll be buying the comic anyway not sure why I read this preview.

Didn't grab me, but that's just because the preacher annoyed the heck out of me.

Hoping the origin of the kid can grab me a bit more. :)

[Dougie02]

Looks good. at .75, I might even be able to afford it.

Interestingly enough, I have been working on a cyberpunk superhero/pulp story for a nearly a year. The main character i s a ninja cowboy.

[jmarshall]

Looks a little amateurish, no?

[Mike S Miller]

If by 'amateur', you mean it doesn't look like Alex Ross drew it, then yeah.

Harold is an incredibly talented guy who still has some things to learn. But everyone has things to learn, myself included. This is his first book. And he gets better with each issue! So I would ask that you give it a try, and maybe even pick up issue 2 and watch the progression.

[jmarshall]

Well, I usually like it better when the artist improves & progresses on his own time, and then I buy his/her work when they're up to a certain professional level. But that's just me...

[Dougie02]

sucks for you.

[MadLoveShogun]

Damn.


I gotta get my hands on a copy of this.

[nenad]

It doesn't look that good... and I am never buying something just because it's 75c.
Perhaps it improves in future issues, certainly I'll be waiting to hear feedback from reviewers and readers once the issue is out.

[wraith]

Originally posted by Mike S Miller
If by 'amateur', you mean it doesn't look like Alex Ross drew it, then yeah.

Harold is an incredibly talented guy who still has some things to learn. But everyone has things to learn, myself included. This is his first book. And he gets better with each issue! So I would ask that you give it a try, and maybe even pick up issue 2 and watch the progression.

Harold is also a heck of a nice guy. He's a customer of ours (Comic Book Heaven) and he has always treated us (and our customers) with respect. He is also one heck of a great artist. We have been promoting this book at our store (by telling our customers about it) in order to get them to pick it up.

Hey Mike, while the idea behind Sixgun Samurai may not be original and has been done before in video games. This type of story has yet to be done as an animated american cartoon (it may have been done as an anime in Japan). So you guys should try to pitch this concept as an animated series to either Cartoon Network or Nikelodeon. I know Harold would like to eventually get into animation, and what better way for him to break into that field then by working on a Sixgun Samurai animated series with you guys. In fact, the more I think about it, MOST of the books published by Alias would make excellent animated series. You guys should really consider getting into the animation game.

[SeanJJordan]

In response to a few private messages I've received (and for everyone else's info), the book should be in stores by 8/17.

If your retailer has not yet ordered a copy, the order code is MAY052425, so get those pre-orders in now!

-SJJ

[agent_of_noh]

Who's art is the first picture of Sixgun samurai preview? It looks like a cover image. I have added Sixgun samurai to my monthly comic book list since I liked the basic story I read when it was first listed in Previews.I do that with all my books. Artwork of a book is always low on the list of why I try new books. The preview looks nice though. I am glad I'm getting it.

[SeanJJordan]

That cover is by Mike S. Miller. But the cover for the 75 cent issue is by Harold Edge, the artist on the book.

-SJJ

[DCJosh]

what? no mention of the sexy colorist ;)

[soulless_one]

Well I just discovered Alias comics a month ago and I'm completely won over. I haven't seen anything yet that I haven't really liked(especially deal with the devil) which sucks because right now I'm following DC's countdown to Infinate Crisis so how the hell am I gonna have the money to get those and all the kick ass comics alias is putting out? Well Sean, Mike, you guys keep at it. Your stuff is great, really, alias is going somewhere in the next few years. I'll be sure to pick up sixgun samurai next time in at a comic shop. peace.

[shaderhacker]

I just got this book yesterday off the stands by the sheer look of the cover. Awesome artwork!! I like very much! I haven't read the issue yet, but knowing how much I LOVE samurai and the cowboy hat on the character, I'm definitely going to collect to at least issue #10.

One thing I'd like to know however, is this a monthly ongoing series?

Thanks and good luck with this. I hope it becomes a hit! ;)


-M

P.S. Did you guys sell with a different conver for #1 at the Chicago Convention? The one on this thread and the issue I have are different. Also, why is there no information on alias' website concerning Sixgun Samurai? I looked under products and couldn't find anything.

[Mike S Miller]

The cover on this thread is actually for issue 5.

It's been solicited as an ongoing, but we're going to make it a 6 issue mini.

We're rectifying the issue on the projects page soon. Thanks.

-m

[shaderhacker]

Originally posted by Mike S Miller
The cover on this thread is actually for issue 5.

It's been solicited as an ongoing, but we're going to make it a 6 issue mini.

We're rectifying the issue on the projects page soon. Thanks.

-m

Crap - only 6 issues? Why?

Where there various covers for #1 or just one cover?

Thanks for the fast reply.

-M

[Mike S Miller]

Well, the original story has a beginning, middle and end. That happens to coincide with 6 issues. I haven't had the time to even THINK about what to do after issue 6, I've been so swamped. So we're going to get the first 'mini' out, and if Sean and I come up with something really worth doing after that, we'll either continue or just do another mini. I love the character, so I'd love to move on, but I just don't have something worth investing into yet.

There is only one cover for issue 1. You've got it. :)

[shaderhacker]

Originally posted by Mike S Miller
Well, the original story has a beginning, middle and end. That happens to coincide with 6 issues. I haven't had the time to even THINK about what to do after issue 6, I've been so swamped. So we're going to get the first 'mini' out, and if Sean and I come up with something really worth doing after that, we'll either continue or just do another mini. I love the character, so I'd love to move on, but I just don't have something worth investing into yet.

There is only one cover for issue 1. You've got it. :)

Thanks. And Good Luck!

-M