Making changes!
Red Handed Studios Announces A New Addition
Indy publisher expands with key property acquisition
Red Handed Studios announced today that in addition to their already popular Fallen Justice and forthcoming Dynagirl titles, they’ve added another exciting book to the stable in the form of the Small Press Idol 2007 winning title ‘Talon’.
Careful observers will note that Scottie Ray Watson was added to the Red Handed Studios family back in March of 2009 as he and RHS founder Cary Kelley embarked on ‘Seppuku Blues’, their collaborative title about a futuristic ronin’s fight to stay alive long enough to save the life of a child she barely knows.
“We discussed Talon at the time,” Kelley recalls, “but because of obligations on both sides there were a lot of things left hanging, and Talon was one of them. Now that some of those things have resolved themselves, we’re very pleased to bring Talon under the Red Handed banner and we’re extremely excited about the chance to work with Scottie and the rest of the team on this incredible project.”
Watson and company are already hard at work on the forthcoming Talon graphic novel after having completed the origin story from Small Press Idol 2007. “We’ve been through the ringer,” Watson explains, “So many times we thought Talon wasn’t going to happen because of life issues and setbacks. It was a rough time all around, but we pushed through it and came out the other side stronger for the experience. Now we’re firing on all cylinders and ready to show the world what Talon is all about. Being a part of Red Handed Studios and seeing the energy there, I couldn’t imagine a better fit for what we want to accomplish. We’re having a blast!”
Currently the release schedule is still in revision as Kelley and his group put things in order for the coming year and what looks to be an exciting convention season.
“Right now, we’re focusing on the two things Red Handed Studios has always been known for: quality and honesty. First and foremost, RHS books have to be good, balanced books giving the fans top-notch art with the very best story we can bring to the table. Next, we release the books when we say we will, meaning if it’s solicited from Red Handed, you know it’s going to be there.” From what Kelley and Watson can discuss, it also appears that Talon will have access to a wide variety of options through it’s association with Red Handed Studios, only increasing exposure even further.
“At this point, the sky’s the limit.” Kelley confirms, “Talon is a full fledged Red Handed title, with everything that implies. It will get the same treatment as any other book, including listings in Haven, porting to digital media devices, the works. You’ll see Talon everywhere you see Fallen Justice or Dynagirl, and in some places you might never expect.”
Kelley is also very clear on the past as he discusses Talon‘s Small Press Idol history. “Make no mistake this move does not remove Talon from association with Dimestore Productions in any way. What it does do is give Talon and Scottie the home they’ve been looking for in terms of collaboration and camaraderie. Red Handed Studios has an excellent relationship with Dimestore Productions and we fully intend to continue that relationship, making it stronger going forward.”
Talon #0 is currently available in a 24 page black and white format through Dimestore Productions and in the Red Handed store directly. While fans wait for the forthcoming graphic novel, they will soon be able to get the original story in full color when Red Handed releases an as yet untitled compilation book in the summer of 2010, showcasing the wide variety of talent and stories available from Red Handed Studios.
The rumors of my demise…
are less false than I’d like to admit! Well, not demise really, but I have been working my ass off and that’s kept me from updating here, writing on my blog, or doing anything but the absolute necessary work on my comics. Which sucks, because I really enjoy posting fairly regularly. I’ll try my very best to do better!
So, news wise we’ve had issue #3 hit the streets! That’s right, Fallen Justice #3 is out and available through all the normal outlets, either Indyplanet, Haven, or right here in our very own Red Handed Store! And in keeping with the new release, we’ve also had our newest issue reviewed by Comic Related! Check out Bill Gladman’s review as he continues to show us an incredible amount of love. I will say that he got one thing wrong. We are NOT putting out a book monthly. Fallen Justice is and has always been a bi-monthly book. We couple probably do a monthly…but there would be a lot of give for not a lot of receive. My take on this is, we have a good thing going, so why mess with it? Could I hire an outside inker and speed things up by half? Sure. Could I hire a flatter, and another colorist to speed things even further? Certainly. But it’s not all about speed. To me, it’s about putting the book out on the schedule we promised we’d hit, which we have. And it’s about making this book the highest quality product we possibly can. I think we’ve done that too. So all in all, I’m stoked about this series. We hope you guys are digging it too!
Honestly, there’s a lot more to tell. We’ve got superheroes, supervillains, IPhone apps, new graphic novels, Samurai and all manner of other things to show you in the coming weeks and months so rest assured, there’s going to be some great things coming down the line! Hang in there and we’ll get you up to speed.
Short skirts and utility belts!
You know, I’ve pretty much always been a comic book fan. I have memories prior to turning 2 years old, but they’re fuzzy things, incoherent and clipped. So pretty much ever since I can remember with any clarity, meaning the age of 4, I’ve loved comics. And it wasn’t long after I fell in love with comics that I wanted to make my own. Started out with little doodles, school projects and the like, and that’s taken me through a twisted path of starts stops and restarts to the point where I’m now making my own comics. But it always goes back to the beginnings. Always. Any good story does, really.
I have a point, trust me. I’ll get there. Let the writer write would ya? Sheesh.
Anyway, in my making comics adventure, I’ve made it a point to surround myself with some of the most talented people out there. At the same time, mostly by pure luck, I’ve also found that those same people are lifelong comic book fans just like me! Some of them not dating back to the stone age of comics necessarily, but still. They dig comics and pay homage to what’s come before without a doubt. You can see it in so many places in Fallen Justice. From the characters, to some of the scenes, even in the colors and the Easter eggs Ross leaves you…we’re comic lovers making comics. And I think that’s important. First off, if I didn’t love comics, I wouldn’t bother. Second, the people who read the book get it in so many subtle ways. It resonates with comic book fans almost unconsciously. To me, that’s the ultimate reward, to know we connect like that. Brings huge smiles to my face! But I’m also cognizant of the huge responsibility we have as creators to stay true to the work, honor the story, and tell the truth. That might sound funny when you consider we’re telling fictional comic book stories, but there’s a truth there regardless and if you aren’t telling it, it shows.
So this week marks a lot of changes or advancements rather at RHS. First off, if you haven’t read the previous post get down there and read it silly! We’re announcing all manner of convention appearances this summer so that should kick off some fantastic fun for the whole team! Now in addition to the Seppuku Blues news (honestly, not rhyme intending here!) we’ve got some exciting Dynagirl news! Harold Edge, who you know already from the Fallen Justice series, and I have begun principle production work on the Dynagirl series. The scripts are written through issue #8, and now we’re working up character designs for some of the new characters you’re going to be spending time with!
Now I’ll tell you a couple of things about this new series while I have the chance. It’s going to feature Dyangirl of course, but it’s also going to have a lot more in way of supporting cast than a single hero book might normally show you. Why? Well because I dig team dynamics first off, and so does Dynagirl. That doesn’t mean she’ll get lost in the shuffle by any means, it just means she’ll have plenty of backup when it comes time to kick some ass!
Also, Harold will be flexing his artistic muscles a little with this book. Like he hasn’t already, right? But see while you’ve been out there reading the books, Harold has been in school working his hindparts off getting better every day. And I can tell you without a doubt, it shows. For someone who was terrified when he mentioned changing his style…I have to say you’ll be blown away when you see the results. He’s taking things to a whole new dimension.
Ready to tie it all together yet? I told you before the whole team is made up of long time comic book fans, right? So Harold sends me some sketches the other day of two of the new heroes that will be teamed up with Dynagirl in the new book. Mindfire and the Knight. Those paying close attention will see them cameo in issue #7 of Fallen Justice, but we’ve refined them for the new series, grown them up a little bit, which makes sense as the series starts five years later. I could give you a breakdown on powers and such, but I won’t. I’ll let you see for yourself. But what I will do is show them to you, because in doing that I can show you what I mean by long time comic book fans. Check out Mindfire. (click the thumbnail to see it full sized)
Hot. Yes. WAY hot. She as that innocent look going on, but she’s also mentally hard. There’s nothing of the soft naïve kid in there. Plus I dig the short skirt. Makes me think back to the 70s Neal Adams stuff where Marvel Girl barely covered herself up in that green costume. (That’s still one of my all time favorite looks by the way, goofy yellow mask and all.) There’s just something about this design that immediately screamed ‘hell yeah!’ to me. You’ll also see a couple of Ms. Anarchy elements in there as well, which makes good sense as Mindfire is her oldest daughter.
On the Knight, we’ve got something else entirely. He’s got even more edge than his wife (yep, another husband and wife team. Think that will end badly?) and he’s just dynamic as hell. We wrestled back and forth with the whole cape/no cape thing, but in the end it was the cool jumping off the building thing that sold me. I’m a sucker for capes, Incredibles be damned. But the cape was so far down the list of things to mention when I saw the pouches. Now anyone who knows me knows I’m a lifelong Batman fan, and I make no apologies for that. In fact, I’ve got a Batman script in the drawer waiting for the day when those DC guys call and ask me to pitch something! But one of the things I always wondered was how he got all that cool stuff in that little bitty utility belt! The Knight won’t be having that problem. Way I see it he could be carrying the kitchen sink in that thing! So stay tuned because if you think you’ve seen cool gadgets…you ain’t seen nothing yet.
So there you go. Some cool as hell sketches, an update of sorts, and a little behind the scenes peek into the mind of madness.
Oh and I’m making a movie. But more on that later.
And to wrap it up, check out the AWESOME review/coverage we got over at Comic Related today! Huge shout out to Bill Gladman, Brant Fowler and Chuck Moore for treating us not only with a huge amount of respect but making us feel like part of the family. Can’t say enough good things about this group of folks. Comics needs more places like Comic Related.
Till next time folks!
Wicked update!
Wow. What a difference a few days makes! I’ve told you about the new book we’re doing here soon called Seppuku Blues, right? Well let me tell ya some more. First off, the team consists of Scottie Ray Watson on pencils, RD Hall and myself (Cary Kelley) on writing chores, Peter Palmiotti on inks, and Jeff Balke on colors. I’ll be wrapping things up with the letters and we’ll be out the door. But that’s not the cool part. The cool part is a big part of the team will be attending the Chicago Comic Con this summer! Woo! Scottie and I are sharing a table in artists alley, an d RD will be out on the main floor, where we’ll be doing some special signings and showing off this phenomenal book for all to see! What we plan to have is at least a 12 page primer to the series fully completed and ready to rock. We may even do a WW Chicago exclusive if we can get it ready in time. So there you go. all the news that’s fit to print! You got it here first! And here’s a taste!
Growing!
Last time I mentioned we’d expanded a bit I alluded to an inker being onboard. I didn’t mention him by name as we hadn’t talked about it completely and I didn’t want to jump the gun. Well that was then, and now Peter Palmiotti is here in force! Peter has been working in comics for years and is one hell of a nice guy besides being a really dynamic inker. He’s got projects with both Highburn studios and Dark Elf Designs, and we’re proud to have him as a member here at Red Handed now as well. So welcome Peter!
Otherwise, we’re just about recovered from the massive road trip we undertook after STAPLE. Whew. The older I get the rougher the road seems to treat me! But we’re back at mission control looking at ways to make things cooler as we continue moving forward, so stay tuned cause there’s still lots we have to show you.
And in case you’re wondering what we have on tap here right this minute, we’re doing colors and letters on Fallen Justice issue 6, writing the scripts for Dynagirl #4-8, doing pre-production on Seppuku Blues and The Kansas Hit, and looking at yet another project I won’t mention right now for early development. So yeah, we’ve got some stuff to show you! In keeping with that, here’s a shot from issue #7 of Fallen Justice that just immediately grabs you when you turn to that page. I got the originals in the mail right before STAPLE but only just got to scan them in yesterday, so I’m understandably giddy still.
That’s my girl!
Before I forget, the store is newly updated! We’ve added status to each item to show you exactly where it’s at and when you can expect it to ship to your house. We’ve also tossed in some new additions! We had a great response to the prints we worked up for STAPLE and we’ve decided to offer these great looking pieces through the store on a more permanent basis. And we’ll be adding more shortly so keep checking back!
I also added the “Comics” tab to the userbar at the top and have begun putting things in order to add in the new projects we’ve fired up over the course of the last few months! I like the way it looks right now, but wow what a job I didn’t want! lol
And last but not least today we want to send out our appreciation again to everyone who came by to see us at STAPLE, talked with us and decided to take a chance on the book. STAPLE isn’t what you’d call the average comic convention. There were a lot more non-superhero books there than superhero titles, but we had a steady stream of interest and a great response to the book. So thanks for making it fun!
Check out the Red Handed Podcast!
Chuck Moore over at Comic Related was kind enough to spend over an hour talking about not only Fallen Justice but pretty much everything Red Handed! We also shoot the bull about comics in general, my day job, and the works! Check it out: Comic Related Podcast #82
Looking for Fallen Justice?
A couple of people have asked me about getting this book, specifically where to get it and how they go about it. It’s EASY! First off, you can get it right here on this site! Hit the store and go to work, either for single issues or take advantage of the great subscription deal. Either way you score!
If you’d rather go a different route, check out Haven Distributors, where our books will be available starting right now and for as long as we’re publishing.
Next, if that doesn’t work for you, go to Indy Planet and have them print you up an issue or three and send em right out. Indy Planet is a great way to get the book in case we’re currently out of stock, so if nothing else works, go for it!
You can’t beat that for availability!
Ugh. My phone lit up today non stop with people calling trying to sell me credit card service. I found out it was in connection with my having signed up for a Tax ID number last week. Evidently the State gives out your phone number to these vultures! Nice! But I think I’ve dissuaded them, at least for the moment. But like always, tomorrow is another day!
Getting fired up for the show this weekend! STAPLE is gonna be a blast! We’ve already got our Watchmen tickets for the afternoon show on Friday, so we’ll be seeing that to kick off the weekend! Then we’re planning to hit the pre-STAPLE party before heading to bed. It’ll be a full day. After the show we also have a post party to attend, and then we’ll be on the road Sunday driving back home for a much needed rest! Come on out if you possibly can, we’d love to see you!
Also got some cool mail today! Three more sets of prints showed up and they of course look awesome! I’ll be posting these up in the store for sale once I get back and get things settled next week.
And I think we have a name for our secret project! It’s called “Seppuku Blues” and I’ll let that stand for now, so you can infer what you want from the title. Suffice it to say…you won’t be disappointed.
