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Wolf's Head Issue 9 on Kindle

This issue stars a bounty killer! What?! Yes! And is, in some ways, the most action issue of WOLF’S HEAD yet! Action can be tricky to do well; while it’s such a staple of super hero comics, so much of it rings pretty false to me. Why? Well, the classic stereotype goes something like this: hero is minding their own business with ye olde villain decides to act. The hero, often just wandering by, decides to intervene. And lo! A fistfight is the result.

Can this be fun? Sure. Is it fun when it happens over and over again? For me? Nope. Now, the big question is why? I can only give you answer that works for me; as always with art, how one feels about this is pretty unique and can change with both experience and time. I think the problem with the stereotype is that it makes the villain active and not the hero. Often, the hero just wants to be left alone. This is not a recipe for an engaging story, especially if the villain is of the “one-and-done” variety (i.e.: the villain makes one appearance and then disappears, typically to jail or maybe to their seeming death, only to reappear a year or so down the road).

The big problem is that pesky notion of being “active.” We want — or rather, I want — an active hero. A hero that is trying to do something, something that is clear to the reader. When that’s lacking, when the hero just wants to be left alone, there’s a problem. So, in other words, an active hero combines with an active villain, each with clear goals. And one of the stronger resolutions, not always possible in fiction, is when resolving the problem the villain presents also resolves other issues the hero is facing.

This doesn’t mean that the goals have to be external. Often the best struggles are internal to the hero. Yeah, yeah, a hero could be scrounging up money to by a car and are actively trying to solve that problem. It’s often funner — at least to me — when the hero wants something intrinsic to their character; a simple example could be a fear or phobia.

Does this always have to be the case? Of course not. Sometimes the hero really is just minding their own business, perfectly happy, when the villain appears. If that’s always the situation, however, then I’d argue there’s a problem. One of the things I work very hard on with WOLF’S HEAD is to keep Lauren active. It’s a challenge, but man oh man is it ever rewarding when it works well. I think it did here, though you’ll have to let me know what you think!

The ol’ Elevator Pitch: “With the villains who have been pursuing Lauren Greene and the Artificial Intelligence she’s befriended in the hospital after an abortive attempt to steal it, Lauren feels like she has some breathing room to figure out her next steps… but she hasn’t counted on the anger and racism from one of the villains, Frank McRossiter, who has a personal vendetta against her. Unable to kill her himself, McRossiter hires a bounty killer (!) to do the job for him. And when that bounty killer lands in town and shows up at Lauren’s apartment armed with a gun and an electronic magnetic pulse weapon to deal with the AI, things start to go very badly very quickly. Also in this issue: Can Super Bob Sanchez repair ‘Old Bess’ (his truck!) and get back on the road before police find him?”

Here are the usual links:

Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
United States of America: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B38GV68
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08B38GV68
United Kingdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08B38GV68
France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B08B38GV68
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08B38GV68
Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B08B38GV68
And so on!

Wolf's Head Issue 8 on Kindle

WOLF’S HEAD is the first time in the series that I’ve tried something a little bit different. This issue is a “split” book. What’s that? Well, it’s an issue with two different stories with two different main characters. In this case, Lauren Greene is the star of the first story and Super Bob Sanchez is the star of the second!

“Split” books fascinate me; back in the 1960s, Marvel Comics faced a unique situation. Due to their distribution arrangement with Independent News Co., Marvel could only distribute a certain amount of titles per month. Why? Because Independent New Co. was owned by National Periodical Publications, the company that owned DC Comics. As Stan Lee noted in an interview, Marvel’s output was “eight or 12 books a month, which was all Independent News Distributors would accept from us.” “Split” books were one solution to the problem this distribution restriction represented. By having two stars rather than one, I presume that Marvel hoped they could gain more sales. Eventually, Marvel grew so strong that they could avoid these restrictions. Characters that rubbed shoulders with one another in the “split” books now could star in their very own titles.

I have a soft spot for a lot of the “split” books, though. Primarily STRANGE TALES, but also TALES TO ASTONISH and TALES OF SUSPENSE. Part of the idea with this issue of WOLF’S HEAD was to celebrate these titles. However, I also faced a practical problem that was tricky to solve. With WOLF’S HEAD, I wear all the hats. I knew I needed to introduce Super Bob into the story, but I wanted his story to run separately to Lauren’s. Well, I could have launched a second title. Yikes! Even if I wanted to launch a second title, I simply don’t have enough time to do it. So what to do? One solution was to “cross-cut” their narratives, basically using parallel editing. While I’ve done that before, this was not my preferred solution this time. Trying to brainstorm a solution, I remembered these ol’ “split” books. And that’s the way I decided to go!

Why did I want to dedicate so much space for Super Bob, a character that Lauren hasn’t even met yet? The answer to that, he says cryptically, will become apparent next issue and even more so in issue 10! So stick around; it’s going to be a great deal of fun!

With that out of the way, here’s the ol’ Elevator Pitch: “Lauren Greene is a young Detroit woman whose life is turned upside down after her mom saves a newborn life-form, a kind of Artificial Intelligence (AI), from a secretive corporation that intended to use the powerful baby for war. When her mom dies, Lauren is left alone to figure out what to do with the new life-form… while also trying to make ends meet in her real life. Desperate for help, she has reached out to ex-scientist, Jack Dhillon, who has a very personal hatred for the AI’s creator. Lauren hopes that Dhillon will teach her to work with the AI, but can she convince him to help? This issue also introduces a new character, Super Bob Sanchez, a truck driver who is not (under any circumstance!) a hero.”

Here are the usual links:

Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
United States of America: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089Y4PMP2
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089Y4PMP2
United Kingdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089Y4PMP2
France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B089Y4PMP2
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B089Y4PMP2
Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B089Y4PMP2
And so on!

Wolf's Head Issue 7 on Kindle

In some ways, this is the most important comic I’ve ever written. Wait? Does something world-shaking happen in it? Actually, no, but it still means it’s probably the most important comic I’ve written. Why? Well, to answer this requires a step back to look at WOLF’S HEAD broadly.

Previous to WOLF’S HEAD, I’ve primarily written either stand-alone graphic novels or stand-alone short stories. In other words, stories of variable length that have a definitive beginning, middle, and end. The closest I had come previous to this was my abortive series METAL GODS; while that series did give me some valuable practical experience, it only lasted four issues. And, critically, I had a lot of it mapped out in advance.

The same was true for the first six issues of WOLF’S HEAD. While I didn’t every single issue written before I started drawing issue one, I did have the overall arc in mind that I wanted to do. After that? Well, I had some loose brainstorming ideas… and not much else. Since issue six also resolved a number of storylines, the sky was the limit with issue seven. I could go in any direction. Did I want to keep the story grounded in Detroit? Or did I want to move it to some other location? With Jeremy Hamilton, the main antagonist over the first six issues, sidelined with horrific injuries, who would be the antagonist going forward? Should their even be one? And what about Lauren, the main protagonist? She had faced the death of her mom, the adoption of her mom’s dog Sankō, and the embracing of the young artificial intelligence that her mom had befriended, but where was she going to go from there?

On top of all that, WOLF’S HEAD is an ongoing series. That’s the key word: ongoing. Where do I go from the end of issue six? Figuring that out took some doing and it challenged me in some unexpected ways. That was both fun and a little scary, but I’m extremely pleased with how it turned out. Why? ‘Cuz I think it builds on what came before in logical ways. Lauren continues to grow and change; she’s not the same character as she was back in issue one. That’s exciting to me. I dearly hope it’s exciting to you, too!

Okay, so here’s the Elevator Pitch: “Lauren Greene has begun working with the young artificial intelligence (AI) she's encountered, but is having a difficult time creating a bond. The AI, similar to a child, either does not understand or simply cannot comprehend everything that Lauren is asking it to do. Frustrated, Lauren realizes that she needs help and begins seeking it out as best she can. At the same time, Lauren realizes that her friends are in danger simply for knowing her and she decides to protect them as best she can… with difficult results.”

Here are the usual links:

Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
United States of America: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089YCM4PJ/
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089YCM4PJ/
United Kingdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089YCM4PJ/
France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B089YCM4PJ/
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B089YCM4PJ
Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B089YCM4PJ/
And so on!

And don’t forget that the series page can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MTGCS49; and you can just change the “dot com” part of the url with your specific top-level domain. In Germany, changing the “dot com” to “dot de” means that the series can be found at https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08MTGCS49. See? Easy!

Lastly, the first six issues of WOLF’S HEAD form one helluva story arc, full of fascinating characters, loads of change, and a great deal of fun… plus a little heartache, too. If you love the series and know someone who likes great comics, please consider sharing that love along!

Teaser image for the first story arc of Wolf's Head on Kindle

Wolf's Head 7, 8, 9, and 10 on Kindle

Teaser featuring issues 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Wolf's Head on Kindle

Kindle has just released issues 7, 8, 9, and 10 of my ongoing comic book series WOLF'S HEAD! Not only is this a significant release for the series (matching last week's release of issues 1 through 6), but it also brings the series right up to date. In other words, I'm currently drawing issue 11. What a journey its been! Whew! And don't forget that there's a dedicated website for WOLF'S HEAD at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com (with previews, a press kit, links to the documentary film I'm in, and more!).

I should add that these issues also represent two complete story arcs (the first is told in issues 1 through 6 and the second is told in issues 7 through 10). That said, one of my main storytelling goals for the series has been to make sure that each issue could be read on its own. In other words, each issue works individually, but when taken together a much larger world is built. And, of course, when the two story arcs are read together, I think they tell one helluva story.

These latter issues also introduce one of my favourite new characters, Super Bob Sanchez. He is a great deal of fun and adds a very different element to the world of WOLF'S HEAD. He cameos in issue 7 and then has a back-up story in issue 8 and 9 before guest-starring in issue 10. One of the things I love about adding new characters to an ongoing series are the questions they allow. For example, can Lauren trust him? Should she? What are the consequences to both Lauren and those she loves if she takes the chance? And, of course, what happens next?

The links to each issue can be found below:

Issue 7: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089YCM4PJ
Issue 8: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089Y4PMP2
Issue 9: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B38GV68
Issue 10: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B3CP3M24

I'm not quite sure when issue 11 will be released, but it should not be too long.

Lastly, doing a full colour independent series is both fun and a major challenge. Aside from supporting the series directly by buying it (and each issue is very affordable), please spread the word and share the love. The only way for a series like WOLF'S HEAD to survive is if readers tell their friends about it. So please, do just that. Shout it from the rooftops!

Wolf's Head Issue 6 on Kindle

Issue 6! A huge milestone in the life of Lauren and the characters around her, but also a milestone in the series so far. Why? Issue 6 represents the ending of a number of storylines that have been building since the very first issue. A number of things that were set-up quite early on payoff here and that, I think, is pretty damn exciting.

I have a philosophy about ongoing comics that is fairly different than a lot of what I see in the contemporary comics publishing scene. I’m a big believer in what’s called “episodic closure.” It’s a bit of a fancy form for a pretty simple concept: the “piece” of entertainment in front of you (a comic book, a TV show, a story, etc…) should be complete in and of itself. It shouldn’t string you along, completely open-ended. A lot of contemporary entertainment does just that; you watch an episode, and it starts in the middle of something and nothing resolves in that same episode. Is that “bad”? Of course not. We’re talking art here and there are no rules to art. All we have are tools to try and create stronger storytelling (however one might define that), a history of what’s come before us, and our own sensibilities on what works and why.

On the opposite end of all this is the kind of storytelling that did have episodic closure, but the closure was so tight that there was no growth or change at all. Think of a TV show prior to the 1980s, especially but not exclusively sitcoms. Many of them could be watched in any order (even switching the seasons up!) because, from the show’s point of view, there’s no change or growth at all. It’s just stasis; a constancy that prevents real change and real growth. That doesn’t mean there can’t be excellent writing, performances, and top-notch direction and cinematography in these types of TV shows. There often is. It just means that the characters, from the first episode to the finale, don’t change much. They often don’t change at all.

The trick with episodic closure, at least with how I approach my work, is to accomplish episodic closure while, at the same time, constantly building deeper and more nuanced characters, the world they live in, and the stories themselves. With WOLF’S HEAD, I think each issue stands on its own. But when you read them in sequential order, something deeper appears. That depth has a name: real change.

Lauren, the main character from Von Allan's Wolf's Head, pitches the series

So, why am I talking about this here? Well, the first six issues of WOLF’S HEAD are full of real change. Lauren, the main character, is not in the same position by the end of issue 6 that she was when the series first started. She’s experienced growth, loss, heartache, and great joy. She’s seen the death of her mom and learned to cope with that loss. Even the dates of the story reflect this; the series starts in September 2017. Issue 6 ends on November 1, 2017. In other words, time moves on and that plays a big part of the story.

Taken together, issues 1 through 6 form a complete arc. Each issue of this arc, however, has its own episodic closure (well, except the very first issue, which ended on a cliffhanger). That’s the kind of storytelling I love. Combining real change with episodic closure. Building story arcs that work collectively, but each “piece” still works on its own. I find that thrilling and it is so exciting to do. I hope you think so, too!

With that said, here’s this issue’s Elevator Pitch: “Just as things are appearing to get back to some degree of normalcy after the death of her mom, Lauren Greene is confronted by the corporate forces who created the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and are attempting to hunt it down. Forced to defend the AI, Lauren’s life and the lives of those she loves are very much in the balance as Jeremy Hamilton and his henchmen will not stop until the AI is theirs once again.”

And, of course, here are the usual links: