Love, Laughter, and Loss—A Comics Collection now available in Hardcover

This has been a long-time coming, but I’m very pleased to announce the publication of my latest comics collection! And, for the first time, this is a premium hardcover! Titled LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION, this edition features nine short stories in full colour. The printing and colour fidelity are top-notch; in fact, I don’t think my work has ever looked this beautiful.

These stories have appeared in print before, mainly in two separate periodical collections that are now out of print. The first periodical was titled WIZARDS FOR HIRE — CHEAP! while the second periodical was titled STORIES! 2015 TO 2019. While I was very happy to see these two editions published, keeping saddle-stitched editions in print was, frankly, a pain. Publishing LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS is a much better way of keeping them in print. On top of it, many of these stories were recoloured for this new hardcover. And that means a number of these stories have never looked this good before. Am I happy with it? Oh yes!

All of these stories have also been released on this very website in webcomic form. In other words, there’s no need at all to guess on what’s included in the collection. All of these stories can be found at https://www.vonallan.com/p/comics.html — and you can navigate from there to find each individual story. The stories included in this hardcover collection are as follows (with links to make direct navigation even easier):

• The Cowardly Clerics of Rigel V;
  
  
• Total Party Kill;
  
  
• The Planet With No Beer;
  
  
• The Two Magic-Users;
  
  
• The Street;
  
  
• Bubbles!;
  
  
• Bushido Bob;
  
  
• When I Find You Again, It Will Be In Mountains…, and;
  
  
• I Was Afraid For My Life…
  

I just want to reiterate how pleased I am with this edition. I was actually pretty nervous about it; I’ve never printed a hardcover before and there were a few logistical issues that I ran into that slowed production as I took my time ensuring the best quality control possible. I was holding my breath when the physical proof copy arrived and I was pretty nervous when I “unboxed” it. My fears were misplaced; everything turned out beautifully.

If you love comics, especially independent/small press comics, I think you’ll fall in love with this edition. I know I have — and that’s saying something!

Links to Purchase

LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION is still “propagating” out there, but here are some initial purchasing links that I know of for sure. More will be added as they appear.

• Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1989885160;
  
  
• Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1989885160;
  
  
• Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1989885160;
  
  
• Amazon.de: https://www.amazon.de/dp/1989885160;
  
  
• Amazon.fr: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1989885160;
  
  
• Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3fkS3Ca;
  
  
• IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781989885161
  
  
• Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/love-laughter-and-loss-a-comics-collection/9781989885161
   
• Bookfinder: https://bit.ly/2Rn9nhT.

Photos of the Graphic Novel!

Les lâches clercs de Rigel V

Ce qui suit est une expérience. Je suis un écrivain et un artiste de langue anglaise, ce qui m'irrite au plus haut point, d'autant plus que beaucoup de membres de ma famille sont originaires de la province canadienne du Québec et parlent couramment le français et l'anglais. Malheureusement, je suis unilingue anglais. Ce qui suit est une tentative de traduction d'une de mes bandes dessinées en français. Comme je ne parle pas français, j'ai dû utiliser des outils en ligne pour m'aider (principalement deepl.com et bonpatron.com). J'espère que la traduction est satisfaisante, mais n'hésitez pas à me faire savoir si je me suis trompé.

Maintenant que tout cela est réglé, c'est parti !

Wolf's Head 7, 8, 9, and 10 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 1 on Kindle

I’m so pleased to announce this! WOLF’S HEAD is a new ongoing comic book series by yours truly (ahem, that Von Allan guy from the Great White North) and is now available on all Kindle devices as well as ComiXology. This, for me, is a pretty big deal and I’m so happy to be able to share this series with you.

Let’s get that pesky Elevator Pitch out of the way. Here goes: “Lauren Greene is a young woman who has quit her job as a police officer in Metro Detroit after becoming frustrated with growing police violence. She is slowly becoming more aware of the injustices around her; the divide between rich and poor, racism, lack of opportunity for many people, health and illness bankrupting and destroying people, and more. At the same time, and unbeknownst to Lauren, a secretive corporation has created an artificial intelligence (AI) designed for war. An AI that might actually change the world… but not for the better. Struggling to find work in a tough economy and unsure of what to do with her life, Lauren suddenly has a new problem: her mom, Patty, has found and connected with the newly born AI. And, partially due to that connection, the AI has become empathic and humane, much to the frustration of the corporate executives and scientists who created it. After Patty helps the young AI escape under the cover of a huge research factory fire, she turns to her daughter for help keeping it safe. Giddy with excitement, Patty doesn’t recognize the danger she has put herself in… but Lauren does and she is terrified. Her fear is realized when the two women are confronted by corporate forces who want to stifle knowledge of the AI and keep it for themselves.”

One of the things I love about writing and illustrating a series like this is that it takes place in our real world and also uses real time. Let’s talk about the real world first. One of my favourite quotes about this is by Frank Houston in a piece he wrote on Salon.com back in 1999. Discussing Stan Lee and the rise of Marvel Comics, he noted, “New York City was where the superheroes lived. It was one of those childhood truths, a Big Apple bustling with vibrantly costumed superhumans. Spider-Man lived in Queens, the Fantastic Four in Midtown and Doctor Strange down on Bleecker Street. It was important that Lee’s heroes lived in the real world, and not in Gotham City or Metropolis, because they were real people.” (my emphasis added). That’s it. One of the conceits of WOLF’S HEAD is that Lauren’s adventures and situations are taking place in our oh-so-real world. That’s part of the fun!

Real time is just as easy. The dates that events occur matter. Lauren’s adventures don’t take place in some form of stasis. Far from it! Her stories take place in real time. As a result, time moves and characters age. This is an idea that I think was first seen in Frank King’s GASOLINE ALLEY, but is certainly not unique to it. It is rare in other comics, but certainly not unusual. Frankly, I love using real time because I believe it immediately grounds the stories in change. And change, I’d argue, is what it’s all about.

Lauren is going to change during the course of the series. And not just Lauren, either. The characters around her, too. All of ‘em! Is it challenging to do this? Sure. I think, though, that it really helps cement that notion of realism that I’m looking for. Change happens in our real lives and it will happen to the characters in WOLF’S HEAD. Some of that change may be hard at times, but that’s a part of change, too.

What about this whole artificial intelligence “thing,” anyway? Why use a fairly common trope? Well, the answer to this is a bit tricky to explain. I’m sick and tired of reading story after story about an evil AI that becomes self-aware and then proceeds — damn the consequences! — to murder every single human being on the planet. While these types of stories can be fun (hell, I’m a big fan of THE TERMINATOR and TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY), they’ve become quite repetitive. I wanted to invert the trope and, by doing that, play with it. And remember what I just said about stories set in our real world and featuring real time? That also implies real change. In other words, how the AI changes and grows is a big part of the plot of WOLF’S HEAD. I’m hoping you’ll find this as delightful as I do.

Lastly, why is it called “WOLF’S HEAD” anyway? Some of this will be revealed in time, but here’s a sneaky little hint from Wikipedia: “Caput lupinum. The term literally means ‘wolf’s head’ or ‘wolfish head’ and refers to a person considered to be an outlaw, as in, e.g., the phrase caput gerat lupinum (‘may he wear a wolfish head’ / ‘may his be a wolf’s head’).”

I hope you give the series a shot. As the series proceeds, I’m hoping to collect them into lovely hardcover editions (update: that’s happened!). There’s a great deal of fun, adventure, drama, and action to come! It’s going to be a great ride. Join me, won’t you?

Here are all of the key links:

• Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/
• United States of America: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089V1DVY7
• Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089V1DVY7
• Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B089V1DVY7
• Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B089V1DVY7
• United Kingdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089V1DVY7
• France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B089V1DVY7
• Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B089V1DVY7
• 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 Spain, changing the “dot com” to “dot es” means that the series can be found at https://www.amazon.es/dp/B08MTGCS49. See? Easy!

Wolf's Head Launches Today on Kindle

I'm very pleased to announced that the digital comic book version of WOLF’S HEAD has now launched on Kindle. The link to the first issue is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089V1DVY7

I should add that Kindle has received and approved issues 2 through 10, so I expect that subsequent issues will be released regularly. The link to the series is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MTGCS49

What's it about? WOLF’S HEAD is the story of Lauren Greene, a young woman who quits her job as a police officer in Detroit and consequently struggles to pick up the pieces and find her place in society. After her mom makes an astounding discovery at a research facility, Lauren must fight for their lives against forces that will stop at nothing to stop them. I think the series is a great deal of fun and also contains the best writing and comic book art I've ever created.

The print editions of WOLF’S HEAD have been making their way to bookstores and comic book shops (both online and off) for awhile now, but this is the first time that WOLF’S HEAD will be available in a digital version. For those who don't know, each volume of the print version contains two issues (making each volume approximately 60 pages in length). The digital version is a single issue and that means the page count for each digital issue is approximately 25 to 30 pages in length.

There's a dedicated website for the series at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/. This site includes previews, frequently asked questions, a complete media kit, links to the print editions, and more! https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/ will also be updated in the near future with Kindle links to each issue, too.

I think that covers it! I'm very pleased to have WOLF’S HEAD out in this format. It's going to be a great deal of fun to have the series roll out on Kindle. Come with me, won't you?

ComiXology Release - "Wizards for Hire - Cheap!"

I'm very pleased to announce that WIZARDS FOR HIRE - CHEAP! is now available on Kindle using the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089QXBYY9/

One of the things I really love about the Kindle is their "panel by panel" guided view. It makes reading comics on a small device (such as a cell phone or a small tablet) really easy and intuitive - and fun!

For those on the fence, please don't forget that you can read all of the stories in WIZARDS FOR HIRE - CHEAP! for free right here on this website, in webcomic format. The links are as follows:

"The Cowardly Clerics of Rigel V" - https://www.vonallan.com/2017/08/short-story-cowardly-clerics-of-rigel-v.html

"Total Party Kill!" - https://www.vonallan.com/2017/08/short-story-total-party-kill.html

"The Planet With No Beer" - https://www.vonallan.com/2017/08/short-story-planet-with-no-beer.html

For the Kindle collection, I also included the bonus short story "The Two Magic-Users" which can be read at https://www.vonallan.com/2019/04/the-two-magic-users.html

All in all I think this is a great package of short stories at a very affordable price! For those looking for a print copy, there is bad news (boo!) and good news (yay!). First, the bad news: the original print edition comic of WIZARDS FOR HIRE - CHEAP! is out of print, though you can still find copies in a few places. Now, the good news: all of these stories plus a number of others are now in a beautiful deluxe hardcover edition titled LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION. More information about this hardcover can be found here or by visiting the studio's shop page. I'm really pleased with this version and a hardcover edition ensures that these stories will be widely available for quite some time!

Short Story - I Was Afraid For My Life

I Was Afraid For My Life is an older story, actually a few years old now, that has never been published. I think, given the times we live in, it still packs quite a punch. Maybe more now than ever.

It's also one of the more abstract stories I've tried to tell. As can be seen once you've read it, the nameless main character and his dog Niko are growing up and getting older during the course of the entire tale. It was an interesting narrative challenge to get the flow of that down and to have it make sense. It might work better in print, given the nature of the "page turn" in comics, but I think it still comes across pretty well in this online version.

Note that pages four and five are shrunk a bit to fit the website. You can click on that image to make it larger.

This story first saw print in the comic book titled STORIES! 2015 TO 2019 back in 2019. Unfortunately, the print edition is out of print (though you might be able to find a copy using Bookfinder). But! This story — as well as a boatload of others — were collected into a beautiful hardcover edition titled LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION. More information about that edition can be found right here.

In addition, there is also a digital comic book version of STORIES! 2015 TO 2019 on Kindle that can be read anywhere in the world. That edition is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089QX5LJC.

For more of my comic short stories, please visit my archive of comic books and webcomics.

Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure: I did briefly post this story on a Tumblr page while I was entertaining the idea of using a different pen name. I decided against going in that direction, so here it is where it belongs.

Short Story - The Cowardly Clerics of Rigel V!

This story first saw print in the comic book titled WIZARDS FOR HIRE — CHEAP! back in 2017. Unfortunately, the print edition is out of print (though you might be able to find a copy using Bookfinder). But! This story — as well as a boatload of others — were collected into a beautiful hardcover edition titled LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION. More information about that edition can be found right here.

In addition, there is also a digital comic book version of WIZARDS FOR HIRE — CHEAP! on Kindle that can be read anywhere in the world. That edition is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089QXBYY9.

For more of my comic short stories, including Bill and Butch, please visit my comic book archive that has links to all of my short stories. These are all available as free webcomics, so there's quite a bit to read! Have fun!

Corbin

Well, it's been about 2 and 1/2 months since the death of Rowen, my Siberian husky.  It's been a tough loss to deal with.  While the "sharpness" of her death has faded, there is still heartache.

But, my wife and I decided that it was time to move on and get a new dog.  Not as a replacement (because Rowen will never be replaced), but as a successor.  And after looking around for a bit, we found Corbin, a rescue husky from Iqaluit.  He's pretty wonderful; a mix of joy and "joie de vivre" and damn bright, too.  We knew we wanted to help another dog and a rescue husky is about the best way we could honour Rowen's memory. 

It's a profound mix of joy and sadness that's very difficult to put into words.  My wife and I still miss Rowen terribly and a new dog doesn't change that.  In some ways it brings her death back to the forefront and I'm not ashamed to say that I've cried a lot over the past three days.  We both missed having a dog but we both missed the unique qualities that made Rowen Rowen.  Her personality was very unique and that loss will be something that we'll carry for the rest of our lives.

Corbin's personality is unique, too.  And though we've only been with him a short time, it's very clear.  Already we're seeing the differences; he doesn't like to "flatten the grass."  Rowen always went around and around before lying down.  Corbin just "plunks" right down.  He's very inquisitive about the world around him; Rowen, being an older dog, was far less nosey.  He's very keen on burying toys, something Rowen had no interest in at all.  And he's fascinated by his reflection in mirrored surfaces, something Rowen never cared about.  Some of those differences hurt a bit, because they're a reminder of what's been lost.  But, at the same time, they are a wonderful reminder of what we've gained, too.  Corbin is a gentle dog, about 11 months old, and full of love.  He's a good fit for us and it'll be fun, though poignant, to see him grow up.

Physically, he has one "droopy" ear that gives him a lot of character when he looks around.  And one heckuva bushy tail that curls right to his back.  Rowen had a "husky" tail, of course, but not like this.

And the one big physical difference?  It's weird to rub a doggie's belly and touch a penis!  I've had "girl dogs" all of my life, so that's definitely new!

Rowen August 1 1998 to December 16 2013

Our dog, Rowen the Siberian Husky, has died.  This is a loss that I will feel for probably the rest of my life.  It might sound odd, but it's about as equally difficult for me as the death of my mom in '94.  I certainly haven't cried as hard since that time 'til now.  It is amazing how connected we can become with animals.  This is a tough loss, partially made hard by the knowledge that I will never see my dog again.

In many ways we were really lucky.  She was quite healthy right 'til the end, only dealing with a bit of arthritis in the past few years.  She was still spry and playful but had developed what most likely was initial kidney problems in early December.  We were in the process of trying to resolve them (blood work, urine samples, you know the drill) when she had a seizure in the early hours of December 16th.  That was almost guaranteed to be a brain tumour.  So, after talking with the vet at the emergency hospital, we decided to put her down.  Rowen was never alone and both Sammy and I were with her right 'til the very end.  She died in my arms, very peacefully.

Here are a few photos of her life.

And here are a few taken hours, as it turned out, before she died.

One thing I really like about being an atheist is I get to face the world as it is rather than being clouded with faith.  I'll take evidence-based reasoning over anything else any day of the week.  Besides, asking "How do you know that?" when it comes to religious matters has been and continues to be a very useful tool for me.

I will say that evolution can be cruel sometimes; evolving these emotions and this "thinking machine" brain of ours can make loss and grief difficult to deal with.  I miss my dog.  Yes, I miss the abstract stuff (the companionship, the routines, etc...) but I truly and very deeply miss HER.  The unique things that made her a truly remarkable and wonderful individual.  We may eventually get another dog, but the "stuff" that made Rowen unique is gone forever.  I'm glad I knew her and I'm glad she was part of my life.  But I wasn't ready to say goodbye and I find not being with her far harder than I ever thought it would be. She had a remarkable personality; a very loving dog, a dog with a sense of humour, and she was definitely a bit (more than a bit!) of a smart ass, too.  In other words, she was a character.

It's a bit odd to see the world just move on despite our grief.  I've experienced that before, of course, but it was kinda brought home again since Rowen died.  Not that I'd expect things to stop, of course.  It's a weird world we've made, full of amazing things.  Human beings have a remarkable capacity to love but we also have a remarkable capacity to do harm and injury to each other.  I think if we could "suffer the death of our neighbour" maybe, just maybe, the world would be a better place.  Maybe a little less bloody and a little less cruel. I guess what I'm saying is be good to each other, be compassionate to other people, as hard as you can.

And here's to you, Rowen.  I'll miss you forever.