Wolf’s Head Issue 16 On Kindle

WOLF’S HEAD #16 is now available on the ol’ ComiXology/Kindle platform. With the recent changes to ComiXology, “discovery” is a little trickier than it used to be, so the easiest way to find it is by using this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MSPS66V. As always, if you aren’t living in the US and use a different version of Amazon, all you need to do is change the “dot com” to your domain. For example, I’m in Canada so that means I typically use Amazon.ca. Therefore, issue 16 can be found at https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09MSPS66V. In France it would be Amazon.fr and thus https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B09MSPS66V. Easy, right?

So, what’s this issue about? Well, here goes: “An increasingly desperate Lauren Greene has realized that the young artificial intelligence she’s befriended is in mortal danger from the powerful corporation that created it and wants it back. On the run again, Lauren must outsmart corporate agents on her tail, keep herself and her dog alive, and teach the reluctant AI to defend itself… or risk losing everything!”

It’s one of the more emotional stories I’ve done with WOLF’S HEAD. And given what’s happened in the series so far, that’s saying something! Lauren is continuing her road trip south from Alaska into Alberta, but is dogged every step of the way by a “tail” that she just can’t shake. That creates a great deal of pressure… and that pressure eventually blows in a way that hopefully will catch readers by surprise. I hope so, anyway!

Creating a series like this is very rewarding, but also difficult, especially from the point of view of “getting the word out to people who’ve never heard of it!” So, if you’ve been enjoying WOLF’S HEAD, please tell your friends and family about it. And if you’ve somehow stumbled across the series, then please give it a try. I’ve worked very hard to make sure that each and every issue is “new” reader friendly. There isn’t any one particular “jumping on” point; they all are! At the same time, a deeper and larger story is being told. Where Lauren was at the start of the first issue is a very different place than where she is now. That’s part of the fun of comics! And part of the fun of WOLF’S HEAD!

Oh! The full series page on Kindle is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MTGCS49. And the official homepage for the series at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/.

Love, Laughter, and Loss Wraparound Cover

I've been meaning to post this for a little while. While the front cover of my latest hardcover LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION is readily "discoverable" online (and, of course, on this very website), the wraparound cover isn't. Let's remedy that!

I really like how this one turned out! And it looks great as a physical copy, too! For more photos of the actual graphic novel as well as links to all of the stories contained in this volume, please visit https://www.vonallan.com/2021/05/Love-Laughter-Loss-Comics-Collection-by-Von-Allan.html

Oh, and I should add that Frank Plowright over at The Slings and Arrows Graphic Novel Guide did a fantastic review of the graphic novel. It's up at https://theslingsandarrows.com/love-laughter-and-loss-a-comic-collection/

WOLF'S HEAD on Kindle with Guided View

As many of you probably know, ComiXology announced their recent decision to discontinue their ComiXology Submit program. As of September 15th, 2021, publishers are no longer allowed to publish their titles through ComiXology Submit. As I write this, titles published prior to September 15th are still available, but my understanding is that the ability to purchase any of these titles will eventually be “turned off” sometime during the fall. Exactly when that will occur is anyone’s guess.

For me, this was an unfortunate but not unexpected turn of events. One of the problems with ComiXology Submit is that titles available on that platform are not “discoverable” on Amazon. In other words, readers already keen on comics and already using ComiXology were fine. Other readers— perhaps not diehard comic book fans but those who still read comics — would not be able to easily find digital comics. In a sense, ComiXology was a “closed ecosystem,” appealing to current fans but not proactively cultivating new readers. Maybe.

There was always a bit of a weird schism between fans of digital reading in general (often using Amazon’s various Kindle devices and/or using Amazon’s Kindle app) and fans of digital reading through ComiXology. In my experience (and it’s just that: my experience), digital readers struggled to find comics on Amazon’s main website. Using my own digital comics as an example, if you searched for “Von Allan” or “Von Allan Studio” on Amazon prior to 2020, you would only find my print comics and graphic novels. None of my digital comics would be found at all. Based on that — as well as some conversations with my wife — I made the decision in late 2019 to begin jointly publishing my digital comics on Kindle as well as ComiXology, via Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform.

At the time, I was using Amazon’s KDP software “Kindle Comic Creator” to create the Kindle versions of my comics. This was inferior to ComiXology’s versions, mainly because the KDP software required a lower maximum resolution. And, of course, with comics the art does matter. It was frustrating, but at the time I wasn’t aware of any workarounds.

Fast-forwarding to today and given ComiXology’s decision to end their Submit program, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks reformatting all of my digital comics using the newer KDP software “Kindle Create.” This new software matches ComiXology — at least the files I had submitted to ComiXology —  and are also set up for Guided View. In other words, the Kindle versions of my work look just as sharp as those on ComiXology, something I’ve wanted for quite some time.

Since ComiXology Submit will eventually disappear, the Kindle versions of my work will be the only digital versions available through Amazon. As ComiXology themselves noted, “In the coming months, the Kindle Store will replace www.comixology.com as the primary avenue for fans to purchase new comic content.” Not knowing exactly when this will occur is frustrating and was a big part of why I decided to go ahead and make the changes now. I suspect other publishers are doing the same thing.

So, if you’re a fan of independent digital comics (“indy digital”? “indydigy”?!), Kindle is a great way to go. And with that in mind, here are links to all of the current issues of WOLF’S HEAD on Kindle. I’m thrilled with how great they look and the Guided View works extremely well.

Give them a shot, won’t you?

           

           

                       
                       
                       

Wolf's Head Issue 15 on Kindle

First, the elevator pitch: “Lauren Greene has left Alaska in an old VW Bus, headed for Detroit with her dog Sankó and the young artificial intelligence they’ve befriended. Hoping that her return to Michigan will finally secure the AI’s safety, Lauren is shocked to discover that she’s being tailed. Mustering up her courage, Lauren challenges the ‘tailers,’ only to uncover a far greater danger to both her and the AI.”

This issue can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GHFZTB8; as always, if you’re living somewhere aside from the United States, simply change the domain to reflect where you live. For example, I’m in Canada, so I just need to replace the “dot com” with “dot ca”; in other words, the link becomes https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09GHFZTB8! Easy!

I truly love issues like this. Why? Well, last issue resolved a lot of the action and intrigue that Lauren Greene was experiencing in the mysterious town called Flat City in Alaska. This issue picks up some time later and spins the story in a different — and hopefully fun! — direction. Not out of the blue or out of character or anything like that, but taking the logic of the previous issues and continuing to build both the world and the characters. That’s something I find incredibly rewarding… and damn exciting, too!

My feeling is that if I’m excited, that will be something that the reader will pick up on, too. I hope so, anyway! Doing the research on this issue was also a great deal of fun; while I know a number of people from the north, I have never been to Alaska myself. To do it properly takes some research and adds, I think, a certain “verisimilitude” to the story. I actually learned a few things, which is part of the fun of doing research.

One of the inspirations of this issue is the just unbelievable artwork of Hasui Kawase (川瀬 巴水, born May 18, 1883 and died November 7, 1957). If you’re not familiar with him, Wikimedia Commons has a decent collection of his artwork online. Take a peek and I think that you, too, will be blown away. See if you can spot his influence in this issue of WOLF’S HEAD — it shouldn’t be hard!

Wolf's Head Issue 14 on Kindle

This is a big one! With this issue, we close the book on the third story arc of WOLF’S HEAD. That actually kinda blows my mind; when I was initially brainstorming the series, I had no idea it would ever get this far. Nor did I have any of this fully planned out. One of the wonders of episodic storytelling is just this: seeing where and how the story takes you. And often being delighted in the unexpected directions it goes!

This issue also features some special guest stars! Chuck Freight (of course!), but also Maggie Vraic, Fang Ting Him, and the effusive Foolbert Bong! What?! YES! I had a blast writing and drawing them and I dearly hope you enjoy getting to know them, too!

This issue also marks the end of the third story arc in WOLF’S HEAD, which is pretty remarkable from where I sit. It is amazing to think back to that very first issue and compare where Lauren, Sankō, and the AI are now to where they were back then. It is one of the things I love the most about comics; that notion of real change, of issues building on what came before, and leading into new directions. I won’t lie; it’s a lot of work and often very challenging to do, but it is truly rewarding. I hope feel the same way, too!

As always, here’s the pitch: “During an attempt to rescue a group of people who disappeared into an abandoned gold mine, Lauren Greene broke her arm… and still couldn’t find them at all. Lauren is now faced with pain, bills, and the pesky fact that the people she was looking for are still lost. If there’s any hope of finding them, Lauren has to learn to ask for help. But trusting others is the one thing that is not easy for her. With time running out, will Lauren enter the mine alone? Or can she get over her issues, find a team to go back into the mine, and face danger… together?”

And, of course, here are the usual links:

• Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
• United States of America: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GFN87DY
• Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09GFN87DY
• United Kingdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09GFN87DY
• France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B09GFN87DY
• Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09GFN87DY
• Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B09GFN87DY
• 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, issues 11 through 14 of WOLF’S HEAD form the third story arc of the series! Loads of great characters, tons of real change, boatloads of drama, a great deal of fun… plus, as always, a little bit of heartache, too. If you love the series and know someone who likes great comics, please consider sharing that love along!

Wolf's Head Issue 13 on Kindle

This issue is slightly bitter sweet. Why? Well, on the one hand I’m extremely proud of how it turned out. It’s a terrific issue, featuring some fairly terrifying elements and (if I do say so myself) some neat storytelling twists. However, it’s also the last issue that will be collected into trade paperback format. As many of you know, the way WOLF’S HEAD was serialized in print was a bit of a problem. The idea was simple; collected two digital issues into one approximately 60-page book, give it an ISBN, and get it into bookstores (probably a stretch), online retailers like Amazon (much easier), as well as Diamond so the series would get into comic book stores. It was that last point that proved such a massive headache and I’m still not sure why. I’ve written a much longer piece that goes into some of the “ins and outs” of this situation, but suffice to say it was (and is) pretty discouraging.

However, with a negative often comes a positive. In this case, there are two. First, the digital series will certainly continue! Awesome! Secondly, I’ll be moving the series into hardcover format very shortly. The first WOLF’S HEAD hardcover will collect the first six digital issues — the first story arc — and be about 170 pages in length. Other hardcovers will follow that. This means that readers will get a beautiful hardbound graphic novel!

What about this issue? Here’s the quick pitch: “While hiding in Alaska with her rescued Artificial Intelligence and dog, Lauren Greene has been pulled into a desperate search for a group of locals who’ve disappeared into an abandoned government complex. With no help from the police — and afraid that asking anyone else for assistance would risk revealing the AI to the people hunting it — Lauren chooses to return to the mysterious complex and search alone, despite the mysteries and terror she knows await her there.”

This issue can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FWD2Z8W; if you’re living somewhere aside from the United States, all you need to do is change the domain to reflect where you live. If you live in Germany, just replace the “dot com” with “dot de”; in other words, the link becomes https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09FWD2Z8W! The same idea works for the series page. On Amazon.com, it’s https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MTGCS49. In Germany, it would be https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08MTGCS49.

Making A Splash: Von Allan's Wolf's Head

One of my favourite old-school blogs is Diversions of the Groovy Kind, run by "The Groovy Agent" himself Lloyd Smith. And one of the funner things that Smith does are the "Making A Splash" series of comic book posts. For the uninitiated, these are splash pages of comics, typically by the same artist or from different artists working on the same title. Seriously, go check those out! They are awesome!

Since I now have 14 (!) opening splash pages from my ongoing comic WOLF'S HEAD, I thought it would be a great deal of fun to post my own "Making A Splash" series. Here goes!

Quick April 2021 Update: I've recently rethought my approach to colour, especially regarding how it applies to comics. As a result, new editions of WOLF'S HEAD will reflect this new approach. The pages below have been updated to reflect this, but please note that the legacy versions (both in print and digital) will contain my older "cel-shaded" approach to colour. New hardcover (!) versions of WOLF'S HEAD are planned in the not-too-distant future and these will contain the new colours. Caveat emptor and all that.