Wolf’s Head Volume 8 in trade paperback format Worldwide (first-time ever)!
This a milestone! Due to more challenges than I can shake a stick at,1 the long-awaited Volume 8 of WOLF’S HEAD is now finally available! This volume features one of the most emotional twists I’ve done in the series so far, but one I think makes perfect sense.
As I previously noted, the first seven WOLF’S HEAD trade paperbacks are back in print in new editions, but with today’s release of Volume 8 (collecting issues 15 and 16 of the ongoing digital series) we are on brand new ground! As always, this is a full colour edition and is 60 pages in length. Haunted by loss, Lauren Greene and her loyal dog Sankō embark on a perilous road trip from Alaska to Detroit, outwitting ruthless corporate agents to protect a sentient AI child. Hunted at every turn, Lauren risks everything to keep the extraordinary life-form from becoming a weapon—and to safeguard the future of a new kind of intelligence.
- Amazon.com
- Amazon.ca
- Canadian Independent Bookstores (via BookManager)
- Amazon.co.uk
- Barnes & Noble
- Bookshop.org (and IndieBound)
- And on and on! Germany? You bet! What about Waterstones? Definitely! Again, you may need to ask your local bookstore and comic shop, but it is easily available everywhere!
As always, remember that I can’t control exactly when and where this volume will become available, but hopefully the above links are a good start. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask your retailer for help! Volume 9 will be released shortly, either at the tail-end of 2025 or early 2026.
There is a dedicated website for WOLF’S HEAD at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-landing-page.html with all kinds of additional information!
The Elevator Pitch
Lauren Greene’s world is turned upside down when her mother rescues a newborn artificial intelligence from the powerful and secretive Advanced Research Projects Corporation (ARPC) — a shadowy organization determined to weaponize the sentient life-form. After her mother’s sudden death, Lauren is left alone, struggling to survive and protect the extraordinary AI now in her care.
Desperate to escape ARPC’s relentless pursuit, Lauren flees her home of Detroit and disappears into the wilds of Alaska with her loyal dog, Sankō, and the young and vulnerable AI. She soon realizes, however, that running away won’t solve her problems. Determined to take control of her fate, Lauren sets out on a perilous road trip back to Detroit, hoping to find a way to secure the AI’s safety once and for all.
On the long journey home, Lauren and her companions are relentlessly hunted by ARPC agents, forcing her to risk everything to keep the AI from becoming a weapon. Outmatched and outnumbered, Lauren must summon all her courage, outwit her pursuers, and teach her unlikely companion what it means to fight for survival. If she fails, she risks losing not just her own life, but the future of a new kind of intelligence.
The WOLF'S HEAD Trade Paperback Series
Below is a listing of all the volumes of the series so far! If you click on the cover, it will bring you to a dedicated page for that volume on the WOLF’S HEAD subdomain. Again, most online retailers regularly stock and carry WOLF'S HEAD. However, occassionaly there are hiccups with this from time to time (typically because the retailer has had a little rush on sales!). So, if you were shopping on Amazon (for example) and discovered that a particular volume is out of stock, there are many alternatives. These include Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Indigo, McNally Robinson, The American Book Center, Waterstones, and so on.
Read for Free
As many of you know, I’ve also begun serializing the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive (https://www.archive.org) as part of my “Pirate Von” initiative. As I mentioned above, WOLF’S HEAD Volume 8 consists of issues 15 and 16 of the ongoing series. While you can find the links to both on the Internet Archive as well as the “Pirate Von” section of this very website, to make it easier the links to both issues 15 and 16 are below.Remember! If you enjoy them and would like a physical copy, you can purchase Volume 8 in stores — both online and off — around the world!
TEASER FOR WOLF’S HEAD Volume 8
And here’s a little teaser image to help cement the idea. Two digital comics inside one trade paperback volume!
Other Links
- Overview of my Comics: http://www.vonallan.com/p/comics.html
- Wolf’s Head (My Ongoing Comic Book Series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-landing-page.html
- Von Allan Studio Shop Page: http://www.vonallan.com/p/von-allan-studio-shop.html
- RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Von_Allan_Homepage
- An explanation for why you never saw WOLF’S HEAD in Diamond's PREVIEWS: https://www.vonallan.com/2025/01/Diamond-Comic-Distributors-Wolfs-Head-and-Me.html
1 But what the hell! Let’s enumerate! Here goes: The pandemic (well, duh), Diamond Comic Distributors and their intransigence, Amazon’s decision to end ComiXology as a separate platform, rolling it into Kindle platform instead, the death of a dear beloved friend, health scares from other loved ones (and family drama), the utter collapse of Diamond and the resulting upheavels in the so-called Direct Market, Ingram Content Group’s apparent difficulties with “EDI” or Electronic Data Interchange and various retailers, not to mention the normal day-to-day challenges of life. Whew!
Von Allan at the Vanier Artisans Christmas Market
In what has become a Christmas tradition, I’ll be one of the artists at the Vanier Artisans 2025 Christmas Market! For those in the know, I’ve been doing these for the past number of years and they are always a tremendous experience with a diverse group of artists and craftspeople. And since I live in the community (Vanier Strong!) and I also did the art for the poster, I can honestly say it’s my favourite market of the year.
This is the first time that we’re doing the event at a new venue! St. Margaret’s Anglican Church was kind enough to collaborate with the Vanier Artisans and host the event this year. It’s a truly lovely venue, in the heart of Vanier, and will have a nice Christmas vibe to it. It was actually built way back in 1887, so it’s architectural design is pretty unique. And it’s in a great location, at the corner of Montreal Road and Cody Avenue on a major bus route and with easy access to parking in the back.
As the City of Ottawa notes on it’s website, “The cornerstone of this solid limestone heritage building lined with brick, often described as Vanier’s oldest building, was laid by Lady Agnes Macdonald, wife of Sir John A., in 1887. Its belltower is in the old English style. Initially a mission of St. Bartholomew’s Church in New Edinburgh, it functioned as a “chapel-of-ease” on the main dirt road from Ottawa to Montreal, in an area that became the community of Janeville. By 1915, it began providing regular services in English to its membership of mostly poor immigrant families.”
As always, I’ll have everything on my “shop” page, so that includes a full compliment of WOLF’S HEAD graphic novels, plus other comics and graphic novels (including SHEBA THE GREAT!, LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION, and STARGAZER), as well as Christmas cards, art prints, and so on! Some photos are at the end of this post!
Here are the details! A formal press release is at the end of this post, too!
Date: November 29, 2025Public washrooms
Accessible access
Free parking
Metered/paid parking
Family friendly
OC Transpo nearby
Here are some Photos of What I’ll Have Available!
And there will be a few surprises, too!
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shop Local, Give Handmade: The Vanier Artisans Christmas Market Returns in a New Festive Space!
Ottawa, Ontario – November 25, 2025 — The holiday spirit is shining brighter than ever in Vanier. This year’s Vanier Artisans Christmas Market returns with fresh energy, a stunning new venue, and a warm invitation to shop local and bring home something truly special.
Now hosted at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church (206 Montreal Road), this community favorite Christmas Market celebrates local talent and craftsmanship. Each purchase directly supports Ottawa’s makers and helps keep Vanier’s creative traditions thriving.
Organized by Charlotte Taylor and a passionate team of volunteers, the market features an exciting range of handcrafted goods, from preserves, candles, soap, and baked treats to art and photography prints, knitted and crocheted items, jewelry, and comics and graphic novels. Many items are made in small batches, so visitors are encouraged to shop early and secure their favorites before they’re gone.
“We’re so excited about our new home at St. Margaret’s,” shared organizer Charlotte Taylor. “It’s the perfect place to bring people together to celebrate the season and support our local artists. Every purchase makes a difference and keeps creativity alive in our community.”
Event Details
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025
Time: 3:00- 8:00pm
Location: St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, 206 Montreal Road, Vanier, ON K1L 6C9
Admission: Free
Questions: VanierArtisans@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/share/1D4EKgjH6d/
About the Vanier Artisans Christmas Market
The Vanier Artisans Christmas Market is a cherished, community led event that showcases the heart and talent of Ottawa’s local makers. It’s a celebration of community, creativity, and the joy of giving handmade, one meaningful gift at a time.
Von Allan at the Square Lemon Winter Wonders Craft Market in Ottawa
Hot on the heels of the Ritchie’s Feed & Seed Christmas Bazaar, I’ll be one of the exhibitors at this year’s Square Lemon Winter Wonders Market! Last week I was in Richmond, Ontario and this week I’ll be in The Glebe, in the heart of downtown Ottawa! This Market will be held at the Glebe Community Centre, a really neat venue that started off as a church (the St. James Methodist Church) before being converted into a community centre in the mid-1970s (I think! I included a nice 2005 photo so you can get a sense of the exterior). It’s gorgeous inside and makes for a lovely experience, both for vendors like myself as well as for attendees. In other words, I think everyone will have a great time!
It’s actually going to be a smidgen odd for me. Why? Well, I actually grew up in this neighbourhood and attended various local schools (including Mutchmor Public School, Glashan Public School (junior high school), and then Glebe Collegiate Institute (high school for your normal folks out there!). My mom sure as hell could not afford to live in the Glebe, so we were “Glebe adjacent.” I walked by the Glebe Community Centre pretty regularly as a kid, but I haven’t been in the neighbourhood since my friend Dave died. He lived only a few blocks away. It will be bittersweet experience to say the least, but hopefully a very positive one.
What will I be selling? Well, a full compliment of WOLF’S HEAD graphic novels, plus other comics and graphic novels (including SHEBA THE GREAT!, LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION, and STARGAZER), as well as Christmas cards, art prints, and so on! Some photos are at the end of this post!
Here are all the details!
Date: November 23, 2025
Time: 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: The Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Ave, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 2K2
Cost: Free admission (donations to Square Lemon are welcome)!
Vendors: Over 50!
Facebook: Square Lemon Ottawa Facebook Page
Glebe Community Centre (GCC) Visitor Tips:
The event is held on the second floor, up a set of stairs. There is an accessible elevator for those who need it. Volunteers are also available to help you.
WIFI is not available on site for use during the event.
Bathrooms are available for both vendors and attendees.
The GCC is accessible including disabled parking spots, an elevator (to be used mainly for people with mobility restrictions) and accessible washrooms.
If you require any assistance during the event feel free to ask a volunteer and they will try their best to accommodate your needs.
Here are some Photos of What I’ll Have Available!
And there will be a few surprises, too!
The Glebe Community Centre
Von Allan at the 2025 Ritchie Feed & Seed Christmas Bazaar
I am one of the vendors participating in this year’s Christmas Bazaar, hosted by Ritchie Feed & Seed, in Richmond, Ontario, just south of Ottawa proper but still part of the National Capital Region. This is a pretty neat event; Ritchie’s converts a greenhouse into a Christmas-themed venue and that allows well over one hundred artisans to showcase their work for the holiday season. It’s a great opportunity to support local artists (like me!) and find some awesome presents, too.
Now, while the event is over TWO days (Saturday November 15th and Sunday November 16th), I’ll only be there for ONE day (Sunday).
What will I be selling? Well, a full compliment of WOLF’S HEAD graphic novels, plus other comics and graphic novels (including SHEBA THE GREAT!, LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION, and STARGAZER), Christmas cards, art prints, and so on!
Over on Instagram, Ritchie’s has put up a “reel” of last year’s event. If you’d like to get a sense of what it looks like, take a peek at https://www.instagram.com/ritchiefeedinc/reel/DCh8ZcHRZhq/
Here are all the details!
Date: November 16, 2025 (Von Allan only; remember that the full show is on November 15th and 16th)
Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: 5901 Ottawa St., Richmond, ON, K0A 2Z0
Cost: Free admission!
Facebook: The Christmas Bazaar Event Page
Visitor Tips:
Space inside is limited — no carts or buggies
Strollers & wheelchairs welcome (main aisle only)
Bring reusable bags (and small bills for cash vendors!)
The greenhouse is heated, so dress in layers
Map of the Venue: I’m at Table 2A, sharing it with Enchanted Crochet Creations and Lynne McHardy (unfortunately I can’t spot their website). To help further, here is a map of the venue!
Other Links
- Overview of my Comics: http://www.vonallan.com/p/comics.html
- Wolf’s Head (My Ongoing Comic Book Series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
- Von Allan Studio Shop Page: http://www.vonallan.com/p/von-allan-studio-shop.html
- RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Von_Allan_Homepage
Wolf’s Head Volume 5 in trade paperback format Worldwide!
As I previously noted, the WOLF’S HEAD trade paperbacks are back in print in brand new editions! Today features the release of Volume 5, collecting issues 9 and 10 of the ongoing digital series. This is a full colour series and is 60 pages in length. This is also one of my favourite volumes of the series so far!
As always with my work, these are available in better bookstores and comic shops worldwide (and for why I say “better,” please read this commentary). Volume 5’s ISBN is 978-1-989885-27-7. If you don’t see it at your local store, then you can easily order it using that ISBN. Additionally, it is already starting to show up at various online retailers, too. For example:
Please remember that I can’t control exactly when and where this volume will become available, but hopefully the above links are a good start. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask your retailer for help! Volume 6 will be released shortly, with subsequent volumes appearing throughout 2025.
And, of course, there is a dedicated website for WOLF’S HEAD at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-landing-page.html with all kinds of additional information!
The Elevator Pitch
When grieving Detroit native Lauren Greene becomes guardian to a childlike AI—engineered for war but who hates violence and loves humanity—a vengeful ex-operative, defying his corporate masters, kidnaps her best friend to draw her out. With the AI wounded and time running out, Lauren races to protect a fragile new hope for humanity.
This volume also introduces a new character, Super Bob Sanchez, a truck driver who is not (under any circumstance!) a hero.
Read for Free
As many of you know, I’ve also begun serializing the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive (https://www.archive.org) as part of my “Pirate Von” initiative. As I mentioned above, WOLF’S HEAD Volume 5 consists of issues 9 and 10 of the ongoing series. While you can find the links to both on the Internet Archive as well as the “Pirate Von” section of this very website, to make it easier the links to both issues 9 and 10 are below.Oh, and please remember! If you enjoy them and would like a physical copy, you can purchase Volume 5 in stores — both online and off — around the world!
TEASER FOR WOLF’S HEAD VOLUME 5
And here’s a little teaser image to help cement the idea. Two digital comics inside one trade paperback volume!
Other Links
- Overview of my Comics: http://www.vonallan.com/p/comics.html
- Wolf’s Head (My Ongoing Comic Book Series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
- Von Allan Studio Shop Page: http://www.vonallan.com/p/von-allan-studio-shop.html
- RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Von_Allan_Homepage
- An explanation for why you never saw WOLF’S HEAD in PREVIEWS: https://www.vonallan.com/2025/01/Diamond-Comic-Distributors-Wolfs-Head-and-Me.html
Wolf’s Head Volume 4 in trade paperback format Worldwide!
As I previously noted, the WOLF’S HEAD trade paperbacks are back in print in brand new editions! Today features the release of Volume 4, collecting issues 7 and 8 of the ongoing digital series. This is a full colour series and is 60 pages in length. This volume was a great deal of fun to do and represents a narrative change as we see Lauren, after dealing with the losses she experienced over the past two volumes, start to take control of her life.
Please remember that I can’t control exactly when and where this volume will become available, but hopefully the above links are a good start. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask your retailer for help! Volume 5 is now available, too. Subsequent volumes appearing throughout 2025.
And, of course, there is a dedicated website for WOLF’S HEAD at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-landing-page.html with all kinds of additional information!
The Elevator Pitch
Lauren Greene begins working with the young AI, 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. Desperate for help, Lauren reaches out to an 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? 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.
This volume also introduces a new character, Super Bob Sanchez, a truck driver who is not (under any circumstance!) a hero.
Read for Free
As many of you know, I’ve also begun serializing the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive (https://www.archive.org) as part of my “Pirate Von” initiative. As I mentioned above, WOLF’S HEAD Volume 4 consists of issues 7 and 8 of the ongoing series. While you can find the links to both on the Internet Archive as well as the “Pirate Von” section of this very website, to make it easier the links to both issues 7 and 8 are below.Oh, and please remember! If you enjoy them and would like a physical copy, you can purchase Volume 4 in stores — both online and off — around the world!
TEASER FOR WOLF’S HEAD VOLUME 4
And here’s a little teaser image to help cement the idea. Two digital comics inside one trade paperback volume!
Other Links
- Overview of my Comics: http://www.vonallan.com/p/comics.html
- Wolf’s Head (My Ongoing Comic Book Series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
- Von Allan Studio Shop Page: http://www.vonallan.com/p/von-allan-studio-shop.html
- RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Von_Allan_Homepage
Diamond Comic Distributors, Wolf's Head, and Me
As those of you who follow the Direct Market know, Diamond Comic Distributors has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Long time watchers of the comic book industry will understand just how surprising of a development this is. For those that don’t, I’ll try and explain.
Once upon a time, Diamond was the distributor for comics in North America and the United Kingdom. That was after the distribution market consolidated around Diamond in the 1980s; prior to that, there was a great deal of regional distribution with comics. Distributors such as Sea Gate, Pacific Comics (both as a publisher and a distributor), Capital City, and — here in Canada — Styx, Andromeda, and Multi-Book among others. Even when Diamond had a quasi-monopoly (and they were actually investigated back in 2000!), other distributors still tried to come and go. My personal favourite was Cold Cut, who I ordered from pretty regularly back in my bookstore days. Another was FM International. Both Cold Cut and FM International were pretty quirky, distributing indy and small press titles that Diamond either didn’t distribute or tended to disappear in their cavernous catalogues. And both are long gone now.
Due to Diamond’s Chapter 11 situation, a number of writers have written extensively on what Diamond was and what the changes in Direct Market distribution since June 2020 have wrought with the company. I don’t want to retread that ground. Instead, I wanted to discuss my own experiences with Diamond, partially because I think it shows some of the problems that Diamond had with small accounts and partially because some of these issues go back prior to 2020.
As a publisher, I have an account with Diamond and have had one since 2010. My Purchasing Brand Manager at that time was Jay Spence. Jay was awesome and quite supportive; with his help I was able to get my two-book graphic novel series, STARGAZER, into Diamond’s catalogue Previews. (Book 1 in the November 2010 issue with item code NOV101057 and Book 2 in the August 2011 issue with item code AUG111259).
While these two books were admittedly pretty rough, though not quite as rough as first graphic novel “the road to god knows…” was, Jay’s encouragement and Diamond’s support led to decent sales for my little black and white graphic novel series. And STARGAZER is still in print and continues to sell to this day, something I’m always a little surprised about.
It would have been ideal to follow-up STARGAZER with something else lickety-split, but I knew that I needed to become stronger. And life sometimes takes us in odd and surprising directions, and some of that happened to. At any rate, time passed and when I was finally ready to approach Diamond again, this time in 2018 with my ongoing series full colour series WOLF’S HEAD, I ran into problems.
The first is that Jay had left Diamond to join Dynamite. All well and good. What was less good was that I was having trouble reaching folks at Diamond. Any folks. Emails went unanswered. I actually wound up tracking Jay down at Dynamite and he managed to connect me with the right person. That person was Leigh Tyberg and this is where things get interesting.
I’ve saved my email correspondence with Leigh, because the emails are a great example about how Diamond and their Purchasing Brand Managers worked. Or, in this case, failed to work, something you’ll see in a moment. To be very clear, the Purchasing Brand Manager acts as a Gate Keeper; they’re the ones who — presumably with discussion with other folks in the Purchasing Department — decide whether or not to carry a title. As I noted above, Jay Spence was incredibly supportive of both myself and STARGAZER, something I’m grateful for to this day. Leigh? Well, you’ll see.
When it came to presenting WOLF’S HEAD to Diamond for distribution, I had high hopes. I had grown a lot as both an artist and a writer and I thought the plan I presented to Diamond was fairly strong; WOLF’S HEAD would be published in 60 page graphic novel volumes, each volume having an ISBN and a spine. The inspiration for this approach, by the by, was actually a title from Dark Horse Comics, a retelling of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON by Art Adams. At 52 pages, it was “meatier” then a normal saddle-stitched comic but still affordable. And I liked the format of that book quite a bit.
My decision was also influenced by how Diamond worked. Very quickly, comics and graphic novels distributed by Diamond have to meet a minimum sales threshold. This threshold, called the Purchase Order Benchmark, was originally set at $1,500.00 US but was raised to $2,500.00 US in 2009. Note that was not at retail price but at wholesale. As George Gene Gustines at the New York Times pointed out at the time, “a $2.95 comic book would have to receive a minimum order of 2,100 copies” (2,100 × $2.95 = $6,195.00; since Diamond takes a 60% cut of the retail price, 40% of $6,195.00 is $2,478.00, very close to the Purchase Order Benchmark). This sent shock waves through the industry (hell, so much so that the New York Times commented on it!). Part of the reason this was so monumental was that it marked a significant change from how the benchmark used to work. As Diamond noted back in 2007, “Diamond’s benchmark for comic books solicited through Previews is $2,500 retail.” The new benchmark was actually $6,250 (!) retail, because $6,250 × 40% = (you guessed it) $2,500! That’s a 150% increase, the main reason that small press publishers of saddle-stitched comics at the time were freaking out.
WOLF’S HEAD, as a trade paperback with a higher price point, would have to sell less copies per volume then a normal saddle-stitched comic to reach Diamond’s Purchase Order Benchmark. And having an ISBN for each volume would allow me to access online retailers like Amazon as well as “brick and mortar” bookstores. More venues matter. As it turns out, the online retailers have been a huge part of why I’ve managed to continue publishing WOLF’S HEAD to this day.
It’s important to remember that Direct Market retailers (aka “comic book shops”) have to buy their titles non-returnably. So they are always rolling the dice on small press titles, especially small press titles from unknown — or even lesser known — creators. That makes them understandably gun-shy, especially when they own their mistakes — literally. Unlike bookstores, they can’t return their titles for credit (and while there have been some changes in this regard more recently, this was the case I faced with both STARGAZER and WOLF’S HEAD). So comic shops are, broadly speaking, pretty reticent to buy small press titles, though obviously there are many individual exceptions to this. While it may seem that a lower price point helps here, it actually doesn’t. If a supportive retailer is going to purchase a title, they are probably only going to purchase it in low quantities regardless of what the price point is. They might waffle; maybe they’d buy four or five copies of a $2.99 US title and only two copies of a $9.99 US title, but it’s likely to be around that (obviously this is anecdotal, but I’m partially basing it on my own purchasing habits when I was buyer at the bookstore I managed).
At any rate, this is the situation I faced when I initially reached out to Leigh and Diamond. You can see my initial email to Jay below. Since his reply was from his Dynamite email address, prudence dictates that I probably shouldn’t replicate it here (that or redact it heavily!). The key point is that he did manage to connect me to the correct person, as you will see in a moment. Oh, and as always I should add that Von Allan is my pen name; Eric is my real name. So when you see those references, you’ll know who is being spoken of.
What follows is my correspondence with Leigh Tyberg, my Purchasing Brand Manager. I’ll let that speak for itself. The only thing I’ll add is please note the dates of the various emails.
And that’s where it ended. Leigh (and Diamond) ghosted me. The key thing that’s amazing about this is that Leigh and Diamond never formally rejected WOLF’S HEAD. Obviously they never accepted it, either. Ghosting can be destructive behaviour when one experiences it personally. But when a business does it? When a business that has a stranglehold on the Direct Market — which Diamond had at the time — does it? Well, at least with a rejection you know where you stand. I’ve been rejected boatloads of times. It ain’t fun, but you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. But the waiting, wondering if you’ll hear back? Wondering if the ghosting is just something else? That’s awful.
To this day I don’t know what happened. I debated pestering Leigh and Diamond again, but eventually COVID started and the distribution side of the industry exploded. And like many folks with COVID, I experienced a personal loss that put the brakes on a lot of things.
That said, I also don’t hold any animosity towards Leigh or even Diamond, though I’d be lying if I said that the experience wasn’t frustrating. Ghosting isn’t fun, but life goes on. I’m disappointed that Diamond — apparently — had no interest in distributing WOLF’S HEAD, but I’m also pleased that I’m in no way affected by their recent Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing. Despite it all, Leigh is still listed at Diamond as a Purchasing Brand Manager.
The funny thing about the whole experience was that, in the intervening years, I kept working on WOLF’S HEAD and I kept growing. That led to receiving two separate $4,000.00 grants from the City of Ottawa for my work on the series, being shortlisted for a Peter Honeywell award for my work on it, and finding an audience despite the lack of access by Diamond. Despite it all, WOLF’S HEAD still continues and I’m having a helluva good time doing it.
Who knows, perhaps Diamond will rise like a phoenix and be reborn into something new. Or perhaps after consolidating so much of the distribution side of the Direct Market, they won’t rebound at all. If so, perhaps their fall will be a cautionary tale of what can happen when a company with so much going for it forgets that, at the end of the day, it’s human beings that make a difference. And it’s human beings, both inside Diamond and out, that matter.
Other Links
- Overview of my Comics: http://www.vonallan.com/p/comics.html
- Wolf’s Head (My Ongoing Comic Book Series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
- Von Allan Studio Shop Page: http://www.vonallan.com/p/von-allan-studio-shop.html
- RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Von_Allan_Homepage
- Mailing List Sign-Up: https://vonallan.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f6d06612e90503db886a31a24&id=7642c19478
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