SDCC '07: SLG PANEL REPORT

[MattBrady]

by JK Parkin

Frigus Quam Vos, or “Cooler Than You,” is the theme this year for SLG Publishing, Dan Vado announced at the SLG Publishing panel Saturday at SDCC. But that still didn’t stop a fan from asking how a normal-looking guy like Vado could publish such weird and twisted material.

“If you saw me walking down the street, or at the 7-11 or whatever, would you pick me out as the guy who publishes Johnny the Homicidal Maniac?” Vado said. “I look like an accountant or a fry cook.”

Despite his self-deprecating humor throughout the panel, Vado’s influence and longevity in the comic industry were honored when David Glanzer with Comic Con International awarded Vado an Inkpot Award at the beginning of the panel. Vado, a 25-year veteran of Comic-Con, gave Glanzer a hug as he accepted his award.

Vado shared their upcoming publishing plans, along with artwork and their booth video, during the panel. Greg Weisman, creator of the Gargoyles, joined him midway through the panel to talk about Gargoyles-related projects.

“Issue six will be out when it’s supposed to be,” Vado said. The book is due in September.

Weisman added that the series was back on schedule, and would be joined by a spin-off miniseries called Gargoyles: Bad Guys in October. Weisman said it “features five of the toughest villains from the Gargoyles universe, recruited a la the Dirty Dozen, to the side of the angels.”

Weisman added that if all goes well, “we’ll follow up with a Pendragon mini-series and a Time Dancer mini-series.” Weisman said he plans to keep doing Gargoyles “until Dan cancels the book or we die.” Issues of the series will be collected into trade paperback format as well.

In terms of their other Disney properties, Vado said they have cloth-bound hardcover of the first six issues of the Haunted Mansion coming out soon.

Vado also showed artwork from Whistles, a book about a clown that “falls into cannibalism and prostitution,” Vado said. “If you like Johnny or Lenore, this is right up your alley, because this is just sick.” It’s available now. He also showed artwork from Byron, another book that started out on Eyemelt.com and will be released as a trade paperback in August.

Speaking of Lenore, Vado said in celebration of 10 years of publishing the book, it would get a twice a year schedule – “instead of once every whenever” and would be in full color. He also plugged Lenore creator Roman Dirge’s other book, Peter the Pirate Squid, which he said was out now at their booth.

Chickenhare creator Chris Ryan is working on a sequel to the SLG book The Trouble with Igor. The sequel, called Igor, Fixed by Frankensteins, is due in October.

“This is about a little guy who is a hunchback and a mute, because that’s a great market segment to appeal to,” Vado said.

SLG also has two zombie books coming out; the first, called Eating Steve: A Love Story, is about a woman who suddenly develops a taste for human brains. After going to several support groups, she finds out that she’s a zombie. The book is by J. Marsh Smith. “The strength of this guy’s work is the writing, and it’s really an interesting take on zombies,” Vado said.

The second is Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks, who Vado said is a talent to watch. “It’s Shaun of the Dead with Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” he said. It’s set in Canada, where guns aren’t readily available to fight the undead.”

Vado said one of his favorite recent projects is Chumble Spuzz, the first issue of which is available on EyeMelt.com. It’s about two characters, Gunther and Klem, who win a pig at a state fair that’s possessed by Satan. “It’s just completely over the top,” Vado said. “ I like anything that makes me laugh. That’s why most of the stuff we publish is funny.”

The collection comes out in January. He also said the creator, Ethan Nicolle, has a web comic that SLG will hopefully start publishing on their site before the end of the year called Code of Leviathan.

He said to expect a lot from James Smart next year. “2008 will be his year with us,” Vado said. One of three books they’ll be publishing is Ubu bubu. “It’s Bear times ten .. .toilet humor, weird animals, like everything you’d expect in a British humor magazine.”

A fan asked how sales in comic stores compare to internet sales. “We could do a lot better on the internet than we do, on our own website,” Vado said. SLG could offer material at 50% off and still make money, but he said he doesn’t want to undercut the retailers who do sell their stuff.

He said Amazon is becoming a viable channel for sales. “We actually sell comics on Amazon, and will sell more,” he said. “Amazon reorders outsell reorders from the entire Direct Market.”

He also talked about the Hot Topic relationship, where 200 stores in the clothing chain used to sell their comics. He said those shops “were selling more of our comics than the entire Direct Market for several years … now they don’t carry our comics at all. A lot of people depended on going to Hot Topic to get our comics.”

He said he uses Google Analytics to track traffic on their website, which offers a map of where traffic comes from. The majority of their traffic comes from the East and West Coast. “Nevada to Maryland are blank.”

He also said that their online site, Eyemelt.com, will only sell comics in the .pdf format in the future. “As inefficient as a pdf file is, it works on every system,” he said.

Newsarama's Comic-Con International '07 coverage is brought to you by Witchblade – The Anime Series. Available on DVD September 25th. Click here to view trailer.

[Barry Strange]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

He said he uses Google Analytics to track traffic on their website, which offers a map of where traffic comes from. The majority of their traffic comes from the East and West Coast. “Nevada to Maryland are blank.”

Nothing from north central? I would have thought you'd get some hits in Minnesota...

[ShinAkuma666]

I dont have much comics by SLG but just ordered Whistles based on the premise and also Story of Steve, its by the same guy who did Egg story, and I really liked that one, it was cute and sad at the same time.

Any other titles, availlable in tpb someone could recommend me from SLG ?

[skaly]

Originally Posted by ShinAkuma666

Any other titles, availlable in tpb someone could recommend me from SLG ?

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, from the creator of Invader Zim. Everything you'd expect from a book with that kind of title.

[The_Adventurer]

No chance of a Vaistron sequel? That was one of the best series of last year.

[HNutz]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Weisman added that the series was back on schedule, and would be joined by a spin-off miniseries called Gargoyles: Bad Guys in October. Weisman said it “features five of the toughest villains from the Gargoyles universe, recruited a la the Dirty Dozen, to the side of the angels.”

Weisman added that if all goes well, “we’ll follow up with a Pendragon mini-series and a Time Dancer mini-series.” Weisman said he plans to keep doing Gargoyles “until Dan cancels the book or we die.” Issues of the series will be collected into trade paperback format as well.

NIce! Looking forward to "Bad Guys... wonder who'll be in it?

[Gregx]

Originally Posted by HNutz

NIce! Looking forward to "Bad Guys... wonder who'll be in it?

Here's the solicit from Previews:

GARGOYLES: BAD GUYS #1
by Greg Weisman & Karine Charlebois
Take five of the toughest villains in the Gargoyles Universe - Hunter, Scottish gargoyle-slayer; Dingo, Australian mercenary; Matrix, nanotech hive-mind; Yama, Japanese gargoyle; and Fang, mutate - and force them to work on the side of the angels. It may be hard to believe, but these Bad Guys are the best hope we've got! Bad Guys: time to fight fire with fire!

I think it's going to be really good.

[kevinmellon]

Chickenhare creator Chris Ryan

It's actually Chris Grine.

He's someone to look out for. Chickenhare was nominated in this years Eisner's, and Igor will simultaneously blow your mind and gross you out and make you think "aw, that's so sweet" at the same time.

-mellon

[Justin M. Campbell]

Hm. Death masks. Not a good omen.

Also: Dingo & Fang? Pack reunion?

[Kent Horton]

Originally Posted by HNutz

NIce! Looking forward to "Bad Guys... wonder who'll be in it?

If you're real curious, and don't mind potential spoilers, look at the Gargoyles' wiki entry. Go down to the "Planned Cannonical Spinoffs" section - it discusses all the original concepts for the spinoffs, including Bad Guys, Pendragon, and Timedancer. There were at least 6, all stemming from the World Tour arc.

Originally Posted by Justin M. Campbell

Hm. Death masks. Not a good omen.

Also: Dingo & Fang? Pack reunion?

Fang is a Mutate, not one of the Pack.

[Gregx]

For further information on the characters who will be in "Bad Guys":

http://gargoyles.dracandros.com/Robyn_Canmore
http://gargoyles.dracandros.com/Dingo
http://gargoyles.dracandros.com/Matrix
http://gargoyles.dracandros.com/Yama
http://gargoyles.dracandros.com/Fang

[Lex]

I love Gargoyles. I'm very happy that SLG is publishing that comic and now giving us some spin-offs. With all this, plus the DVDs, it's a great time to be a Gargoyles fan.

[avengingtitan]

No Tron news????

[LunarDaydreamer]

"He said to expect a lot from James Smart next year. “2008 will be his year with us,” Vado said. One of three books they’ll be publishing is Ubu bubu. “It’s Bear times ten .. .toilet humor, weird animals, like everything you’d expect in a British humor magazine.”

This makes me feel a mahoosive degree of yay, woot and fwip-ding.

[panicbxmb]

Originally Posted by LunarDaydreamer

"He said to expect a lot from James Smart next year. “2008 will be his year with us,” Vado said. One of three books they’ll be publishing is Ubu bubu. “It’s Bear times ten .. .toilet humor, weird animals, like everything you’d expect in a British humor magazine.”

This makes me feel a mahoosive degree of yay, woot and fwip-ding.

haha, i couldn't have said it any better!

[metalface13]

Originally Posted by ShinAkuma666

I dont have much comics by SLG but just ordered Whistles based on the premise and also Story of Steve, its by the same guy who did Egg story, and I really liked that one, it was cute and sad at the same time.

Any other titles, availlable in tpb someone could recommend me from SLG ?

Awesome that you ordered Whistles. It's done by my friend's cousin. I've read them all when he had them up on his website www.teamspecialolympics.com. You are indeed in for a hoot.