about Von AllanVon Allan's artVon Allan's comic booksabout Von AllanShop page for Von Allan StudioEssays by Von AllanInterview links by Von Allancontact Von AllanLinks to the I Am Still Your Child documentary film featuring Von Allan  rss feeds for vonallan.com
Showing posts with label graphic novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graphic novel. Show all posts

Wolf’s Head Volume 3 in trade paperback format Worldwide!


As I noted a few weeks ago, the WOLF’S HEAD trade paperbacks are back in print in brand new editions! Today features the release of Volume 3, collecting issues 5 and 6 of the ongoing digital series. This is a full colour series and is 60 pages in length. This issue features a major confrontation between the Artificial Intelligence that Lauren Greene has befriended and the vile forces that seek to regain the AI at any cost.

The cover of Wolf's Head Volume 3 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan
The full wraparound cover of Wolf's Head Volume 3 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan
As always with my work, these are available in better bookstores and comic shops worldwide. Volume 3’s ISBN is 978-1-98-988525-3. 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:



Amazon: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca (Canada), Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom), Amazon.de (Germany), and so on.



Barnes & Noble



Bookshop.org and IndieBound



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 4 will be released in early 2025, with subsequent volumes appearing throughout 2025.



And, of course, there is a dedicated website for WOLF’S HEAD at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com with all kinds of additional information!

The Elevator Pitch

Lauren Greene, dealing with a massive loss that was revealed in Volume 2, has her situation made all the harder as she struggles to come up with the money to cover a unexpected (and massive) expense, deal with the disappearance of her mom's dog, and attempt to communicate with the strange artificial intelligence her mom had befriended.



Just as things are appearing to get back to some degree of normalcy, Lauren is confronted by the corporate forces who created the 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.

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 3 consists of issues 5 and 6 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 5 and 6 are below.

Oh, and please remember! If you enjoy them and would like a physical copy, you can purchase Volume 3 in stores — both online and off — around the world!
Wolf's Head Issue 5 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button
Wolf's Head Issue 6 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button

TEASER FOR WOLF’S HEAD VOLUME 3

And here’s a little teaser image to help cement the idea. Two digital comics inside one trade paperback volume!
Wolf's Head Volume 3 teaser image featuring the cover of Volume 3 as well as the covers for issues 5 and 6 of the ongoing comic book series

Wolf’s Head Volume 2 in trade paperback format Worldwide!


As I noted last week, the WOLF’S HEAD trade paperbacks are back in print in brand new editions! Today features the release of Volume 2, collecting issues 3 and 4 of the ongoing digital series. This is a full colour series and is 60 pages in length. And this issue features some significant events that really turn the series on its head, forcing Lauren (our main character) to make decisions. Decisions that she’d rather not make.

The cover of Wolf's Head Volume 2 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan
The full wraparound cover of Wolf's Head Volume 2 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan
As always with my work, these are available in better bookstores and comic shops worldwide. Volume 2’s ISBN is 978-1-98-988524-6. 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:



Amazon: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca (Canada), Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom), Amazon.de (Germany), and so on.



Barnes & Noble



Bookshop.org and IndieBound



But remember: I can’t control when and where this volume will become available. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask your retailer for help! Volume 3 will be released next week. In fact, the metadata is already showing up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.



And, of course, there is a dedicated website for WOLF’S HEAD at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com with all kinds of additional information!

The Elevator Pitch

Here’s the blurb for Volume 2:



Lauren Greene and her mother, Patty, have a huge disagreement over the future of a self-aware Artificial Intelligence that her mom saved from a lab and sheltered from its war-mongering creators. Angry at her mother’s stubbornness and terrified of the world they’re suddenly involved in, Lauren storms out… only to be kidnapped by Jeremy Hamilton, the powerful man who invented the AI. Later that night, in trade for Lauren’s freedom, Patty surrenders herself and the AI machine to Hamilton.



Freed by Hamilton’s goons and assured that her mother is safe and will be released the next day, Lauren returns home to wait. But later that night, she learns, to her horror, that Patty has been suddenly hospitalized in critical condition and the AI is missing. Since the AI has protected her mother in the past, Lauren races against time to find it, hoping that it can save Patty yet again. As she searches frantically, and with her world turned upside down, Lauren must confront an old enemy, dodge new ones, and find the AI, which might not want to be found… before it’s too late for everyone.



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 2 consists of issues 3 and 4 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 3 and 4 are below.

Oh, and please remember! If you enjoy them and would like a physical copy, you can purchase Volume 2 in stores — both online and off — around the world!
Wolf's Head Issue 3 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button
Wolf's Head Issue 4 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button

TEASER FOR WOLF’S HEAD VOLUME 2

And here’s a little teaser image to help cement the idea. Two digital comics inside one trade paperback volume!
Wolf's Head Volume 2 teaser image featuring the cover of Volume 2 as well as the covers for issues 3 and 4 of the ongoing comic book series

Announcing Wolf’s Head Volume 1 in trade paperback format Worldwide!


Starting today, the WOLF’S HEAD trade paperbacks are coming back into print in brand new editions! These are brand new editions with new covers and some additional new extra features. Each volume collects two digital issues; so Volume 1 collects issues 1 and 2, Volume 2 collects issues 3 and 4, and so on. These are all full colour editions and will be approximately 60 pages in length each. In fact, the first three volumes are exactly 60 pages (I know because I’ve already prepared the files for the printer!) and future volumes will be at that approximate page count.

The cover of Wolf's Head Volume 1 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan
The full wraparound cover of Wolf's Head Volume 1 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan

As always with my work, these are available in better bookstores and comic shops worldwide. Volume 1’s ISBN is 978-1-98-988523-9. 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:



Amazon.com



Barnes & Noble



Bookshop.org



I can’t control exactly when and where they’ll become available. Canada tends to be a little slower for whatever reason then some other countries, but that should change shortly. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask your retailer for help!



I’m really happy with how these turned out. And Volumes 2 and 3 will be released shortly. In fact, the metadata is already showing up on Amazon (Volume 2 and Volume 3) and Barnes & Noble (Volume 2 and Volume 3). And the first three volumes will be all out in time for Christmas!



And, of course, there is a dedicated website for WOLF’S HEAD at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com with all kinds of additional information!



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 noted above, WOLF’S HEAD Volume 1 consists of issues 1 and 2 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 #1 and #2 are below.

Please give them a try. And remember! If you enjoy them and would like a physical copy, you can purchase Volume 1 in stores — both online and off — around the world!
Wolf's Head Issue 1 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button
Wolf's Head Issue 2 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button

TEASER FOR WOLF’S HEAD VOLUME 1

And here’s a little teaser image to help cement the idea. Two digital comics inside one trade paperback volume!
Wolf's Head Volume 1 teaser image featuring the cover of Volume 1 as well as the covers for issues 1 and 2 of the ongoing comic book series

The Back Story

Trade paperback was the original format for the series,1 collecting two issues worth of each comic together. There were seven volumes of that original run, but these are all out of print now. What happened? Well, a number of things (some of it detailed here). The main problem is that there have been significant changes in the comic book market and weathering them took some doing. Back in 2019 or so, there was only one major distributor in the so-called Direct Market for print comics — namely Diamond Comic Distributors — and the main option for digital comics was ComiXology. All that has changed significantly in the past five years. Has it ever! Not only has Diamond seen their near-monopoly of print comics end, but digital comics have changed tremendously; Amazon ended ComiXology has a distinct platform, merging them into Kindle, and we’ve seen the explosion of webcomics, primarily in the WebToons format. And, of course, the COVID pandemic dramatically impacted comics and books, not to mention the horrible cost in human lives and health (some of which affected me personally).



My plans with those initial trade paperbacks were definitely affected by these changes. Losing my initial sales rep at Diamond also hurt. To make a long story short, I decided to end that trade paperback series, allowing the “trades” to go out of print, and focused on digital going forward. At the time that decision was made, ComiXology was still a significant player and they supported independent comics well. However, the folding of ComiXology into the broader Kindle publishing landscape2 was not good for independents and certainly not good for me. “Discoverability” on Kindle was far more difficult then it had been on ComiXology and that also negatively affected sales. I also struggled with awareness, even with fans of the series. It wasn’t easy for readers who had already purchased digital issues to be notified of the release of new digital issues, something that was a “snap” in the ComiXology days.

Partially as a response to this and partially due to my own explorations of new printing options, I created the first WOLF’S HEAD hardcover. This deluxe edition, collecting the first six digital issues, was and is beautiful and I’m extremely proud of it, but the price point is high and that is definitely a barrier to some. And losing visibility on Kindle disrupted discovery with the hardcover; even if people found the digital series, it (again) wasn’t easy for people to discover the hardcover. Extremely frustrating and try as I might, I could not manage to bridge that gap.



So that left me with a conundrum. I could go ahead with the hardcover series, but my experiences over the past few years haven’t filled me with a lot of hope that this is a viable option. It’s more of a niche, which is fine, but a niche doesn’t build an audience. That certainly doesn’t rule out more hardcovers, but they have to be treated carefully. With digital rapidly diminishing as a sales option, I decided to cancel the Kindle series last week.3 That left a gap… and that brings me to today’s announcement!



Lastly, what about digital? Well, there’s a big change in that area, too. Going forward, the digital issues will be released for free on the Internet Archive, as part of my “Pirate Von” initiative. As you may know, the Internet Archive went through a number of cyberattacks in 2024 and that’s slowed things down a tad. I’m trying to work out a few additional details, but when that is finalized I’ll be posting links here and on the “Pirate Von” section of this website. Why use the Internet Archive? The answer is easy; a large number of people use it, the site automatically converts source files into a number of formats (saving me both work and time), the site is easy and intuitive to use, and “discoverability4” works well.



Change never stops, but I’m very pleased with this new development. And, as always, if you like the series, please share that with your friends and family!



End Notes

 You can still see a few of these at places like AbeBooks.

 Don’t worry; those of who have bought those issues still have ‘em!

 I had actually experimented with WebToons, thinking that might be an alternative, but I found the amount of work combined with very poor “discoverability” was not a recipe for success.

A phenomenal review of my work, including Wolf's Head


Screenshot of David Beard's wonderful reviews of Von Allan's comics and graphic novels

I have been remiss. David Beard, Writing Studies BA Program Coordinator, Professor of Rhetoric, did a fantastic review of my work over at the International Journal of Comic Art blog. IJOCA is run by Mike Rhode and Professor Emeritus John A. Lent and they do a terrific job. I’m actually a bit stunned by the quality of IJOCA; it’s really good stuff. I know subscribing to an academic journal can be problematic, but the blog is free and is full of great content.

Which brings me to Beard’s review of my work. I’ll be honest; I’m small press and I self-publish, to boot. Getting reviews isn’t easy at the best of times and I’ve certainly noticed that getting reviews over the past few years is pretty damn hard. I don’t mean positive reviews. I mean ANY reviews. I’ve lost count of how many folks I’ve emailed that simply never respond1.

David Beard, on the other hand, took an amazingly deep dive into my work and I’m incredibly honoured by that. I’m tempted to excerpt quotes and whatnot, but the best way is to simply share the review. You can find it at https://ijoca.blogspot.com/2024/01/letting-everyday-speak-its-own-power.html. Oh, and even better, it will appear in the print edition in the not-too-distant future, too!

Other Links


1 One of the sites that really bugs me is Broken Frontier. I have no idea why, but apparently these folks won’t touch my work with a ten foot pole. I’ve even reached out to Andy Oliver, their longtime Editor-in-Chief (and apparently owner), and all I hear back are crickets. So it goes and all of that, but since they apparently like championing small press and/or self-published comics, it’s more than a little galling.

Ottawa’s Digital Arts Resource Centre and Comics Creator Von Allan team up for an Exhibition


Photo of the Von Allan display at DARC

Von Allan, an Ottawa-based cartoonist and comics creator, will be exhibiting artwork from his ongoing comic book and graphic novel series ‘Wolf’s Head’ at the Digital Arts Resource Centre (DARC) in Ottawa’s historic Arts Court building. The exhibit will run from September 22nd through to October 20th and will take advantage of DARC’s 2.13m (7ft) LED display. Rather than being a static display of artwork from ‘Wolf’s Head’, the artwork presented at the exhibition will be animated, transforming ‘Wolf’s Head’ into a unique and altogether different format that readers of the series have never experienced before.

“Presenting artwork from the ‘Wolf’s Head’ for the LED exhibit was a wonderful opportunity to experiment and play with artwork from the series,” said Allan. “It gave me a chance to not only animate some of the characters and sequences from the story, but also to recombine my art in a way that is very different than its original presentation in graphic novel form. That part was exciting, but also a challenge: could I reconstruct disparate elements from the story, present it to viewers of the LED display, and still create a narrative flow? That took some thinking and experimenting, but I’m really pleased with the result. I think it will give viewers a chance to see my comics in a unique way. The LED display is different than the ‘normal’ experience of reading comics and I think the reaction of passersby will be fascinating to see. And, of course, the sheer size of the LED display is a big part of the whole experience; no one, including me, has ever seen my art presented that big.”

Wolf’s Head’ features Lauren Greene, a young woman who quits her job as a police officer in Metro Detroit after becoming frustrated with growing police violence. At the same time as Lauren is quitting, a secretive corporation across town has managed to create a seemingly perfect AI for war and profit; however, before the corporation can use the AI, Lauren’s mother, Patty, a janitor at the corporation accidentally finds it. Patty is literally the kindest person the new lifeform has ever met and, as a result, it bonds to her, rejects its purpose and creators, and orchestrates a huge accident to cover an escape. Patty, overwhelmed, asks her daughter Lauren for help. Despite being broke and a bit lost herself, Lauren agrees to help; two humans, an AI, and a dog versus a warmongering corporation.

“One truly unique aspect of the exhibit is that it’s presented without sound,” added Allan. “And so I had to be sure that all of my artwork and storytelling could be followed without sound. In a way, adapting my art to the digital format felt like a bit like it must’ve felt for artists adapting work for the old Silent Film Era. As part of that adaptation, I also got to experiment with the use of intertitles to help connect various aspects of the narrative. In a way, I’m familiar with the idea of intertitles; comics and graphic novels often use words to do exactly this when it comes to panel and scene transitions. But, doing it for the LED exhibit meant that I had to be careful about the number of words used and the amount of time each sentence would show on the screen. The project was a really fun challenge and I’m thrilled to be able to see it on display.”

Von Allan's Wolf's Head Logomark

About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for “Star Wars: A New Hope.” The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split his childhood between their two homes. Additional information about Von Allan can be found at https://www.vonallan.com/.

Von was featured in “I Am Still Your Child,” a documentary film (http://iamstillyourchild.com/); was the recipient of the Corel Endowment Fund for the Arts Award in 2014 and the CBC Trailblazer Award in 2019; and was a finalist for the 2020 Peter Honeywell Mid-Career Artist Award. Von also received two separate rounds of grant funding for ‘Wolf’s Head’ from the City of Ottawa (a $4,000.00 grant in 2020 along with an additional $4,000.00 grant in 2022, both in the Literary Arts — English category).

Digital Arts Resource Centre (DARC) logomark

About Digital Arts Resource Centre (DARC): Digital Arts Resource Centre (formerly SAW Video) is a not-for-profit, artist-run media art centre that fosters the growth and development of artists through access to equipment, training, mentorship, and programming. Our mission is to support a diverse community of media artists empowered by technology, programming, and the exchange of ideas.

Our core principles are independence of expression, affordable access to all, and paying artists for their work. Digital Arts Resource Centre values diversity and actively promotes equity for all artists regardless of race, age, class, gender, sexual orientation, language, or ability.

The Digital Arts Resource Centre is located at 67 Nicholas Street. Additional information about DARC can be found at https://digitalartsresourcecentre.ca/.

Cover of ‘Wolf’s Head’ Book 1 in hardcover:

Cover of the hardcover of Wolf's Head Book One graphic novel by Von Allan

Other Links

Wolf's Head Book 1 Trailer



I’ve very pleased to share this, though it took quite a bit of work to get ‘er done. So! This a short trailer I created for my ongoing comic book series WOLF’S HEAD, specifically for the first hardcover collection. It took some doing, mainly because there are some short animated sequences; since I’m definitely not an animator, I had to learn some new tools to make it work. That’s the challenge of creating anything, but perhaps especially art, but it’s also part of the fun, too. It’s also really neat to see my art presented in this way. Still me, but different.

This is really a narrative trailer, for lack of a better phrase. I wanted to avoid just “throwing” artwork at viewers and try, as elegantly and succinctly as possible, to get to the heart of the story. I think the trailer does that, but of course, you will be the ultimate judge. ‘Course, if you like it, please do share it far and wide.

For those interested, I used Blender to create the animations and then put the whole thing together using OpenShot. Both software packages are free and are very powerful. Blender, in particular, is remarkable. Folks have made full length 3D animated films using it, but I was really taken with Blender’s 2D options.

The video is embedded below, but if you can’t see it, you can view it directly on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1llp9chMzw

Other Links

Talk Ottawa Interview



Teaser image and place holder for the Talk Ottawa interview with comic book artist Von Allan

One of my very first long form interviews and one that I thought was lost! This was done way back in 2008 with James Hendricks, then host of Talk Ottawa here in Ottawa, Ontario. This interview meant a lot to me since I was basically just starting out and he and the producers of the show were very open and welcoming.

James and I chat about comics and graphic novels, the challenges of being an indy artist, and the changing face of technology and how that applies to comics. We also do a deep dive into my very first graphic novel, titled “the road to god knows…”, that deals with parental mental illness. In the case of that comic, I drew on a lot of my own experiences growing up with my mom; she was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was very young. We talk about that, too.

Oh! My art that was presented in the original video was pretty rough, so I decided to update it with art revisions I did some years ago.

The player should work below. If not, or if you'd prefer to watch on Youtube, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS8ADTEwBcI

Other Links

Von Allan Studio's Graphic Novels for the Holiday Season



With the holidays just around the corner, I thought I'd take a moment and summarize my two hardcover graphic novels that were recently published. Why? Well, I think that they both are perfect gifts for the holiday season! I'm very proud of both of them. I think they both are the best representations of my art and writing that have ever seen print. Both books are beautiful and I'm extremely pleased with how they both turned out.

Both hardcover graphic novels are available pretty much everywhere in the world. One of the remarkable things that the internet has brought us all is the relatively easy way to find and buy books. I still remember, back in my bookstore days, how tricky it was to actually books. And if one goes back any further, prior to the internet, finding specific titles, especially indy books from indy authors, was extremely difficult. One would have to search local stores, reach out to fellow fans in other towns and cities, and even write to stores in other countries to track down a title. Now? It is so much easier. It really is a remarkable change. For an independent comics creator like me, it is a huge change.

With that said, here we go!

WOLF'S HEAD BOOK 1


For WOLF'S HEAD BOOK 1: WE ALL WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, you can find a listing of stores carrying it by visting https://www.vonallan.com/2021/12/wolfs-head-book-1-in-hardcover-worldwide.html or by visting the Von Allan Studio Shop Page. Plus there are online stores like Amazon.com, Bookshop.org, IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, and so on. Previews of the graphic novel can be found right here and there's a tremendous review by Frank Plowright over at the Slings and Arrows Graphic Novel Guide site.
Cover of the Wolf's Head Book 1 hardcover

WOLF'S HEAD BOOK 1 collects the first six issues of the ongoing WOLF'S HEAD comic book series in full colour. The graphic novel version is 176 pages long in full colour. And what's it about? Well, here's what my illustrous editor and I wrote for the synopsis:

Lauren Greene is an ex-police officer who turned her badge in after becoming frustrated with the police force's corruption. She's had enough of violence and is thinking about packing her bags and hitting the road to see how she can make a difference out in the larger world, when her mother Patty shows up at her door with a complication. It turns out that Patty's employer — a secretive military corporation — has created an artificial intelligence to fight humanity's wars. Unfortunately for the corporation, the AI fell in love with Patty's humanity and orchestrated its own escape through her. Giddy with excitement, Patty brings the AI straight to Lauren for help, not realizing the danger she's putting herself and her daughter in. But Lauren has dealt with people like this; she knows what they're capable of and she is terrified. Her fears are realized when she and her mother are confronted by corporate goons who want the AI for themselves and are willing to do anything to get it. As Lauren does her best to keep herself, her mom, and her family safe, the tensions over the AI erupt into violence… and suddenly Lauren is on her own.

The new little life form doesn't want to go back to the corporation and Lauren realizes it cannot be forced to live out its life as a war machine. There is already enough corruption, inequality, and violence in the world; the AI has to have a chance to help humanity — peacefully — while figuring out its own existence. Together with the AI, an eccentric cast of friends and family, and her dog, Lauren must figure out her next steps… while keeping herself alive.


And here's a fun little teaser I did that showcases some of the themes and art from the collection:
Wolf's Head Book 1 teaser that showcases art and writing from the hardcover graphic novel

It really is a fun graphic novel with all kinds of twists and turns. I'm very proud of it and I'm extremely pleased with how sharp the printing turned out.

LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION


Next up is my hardcover short story collection! Like WOLF'S HEAD BOOK 1, this is available worldwide and is widely available online at sites like Amazon.com, Bookshop.org, IndieBound, and Barnes and Noble. Photos of the graphic novel collection and more links can be found right here or by visting the Von Allan Studio Shop Page.

Love, Laughter, and Loss: A Comics Collection front cover art

Unlike WOLF'S HEAD BOOK 1, this is a short story collection featuring some of my favourites. All of these short stories are available for free on this website (you can find the links to each short story in webcomic format here). Frank Plowright also did a great review of the collection at https://theslingsandarrows.com/love-laughter-and-loss-a-comic-collection/.

Here's the short synopsis from the book:

This collection contains nine short stories by Canadian writer/artist Von Allan that, together, represent the best and worst parts of life; love, laughter, and loss. Travel around the world (and sometimes even off world!) with average people, heroes, cowardly adventurers, and even a dog. While these stories were previously published in two periodical collections ("WIZARDS FOR HIRE-CHEAP!" and "STORIES! 2015 TO 2019"), this marks the first time they've appeared in a premium hardcover format.

And here's a teaser image from the collection!

Love, Laughter, and Loss: A Comics Collection teaser that showcases art and writing from the hardcover graphic novel collection

Like WOLF'S HEAD BOOK 1, this short story collection is perfect for fans of comics and graphic novels. The short stories really range in tone and theme and I'm extremely pleased with how they look in print.

So, that's that! Two beautiful graphic novels that fans of comics will fall in love with. If you need a gift for someone (or even just yourself!), please do consider them. You won't be disappointed!

Other Links

Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale


Update! The 2024 poster and event information is at https://www.vonallan.com/2024/10/2024-vanier-artisans-christmas-craft.html

I'm very pleased to announce that I'll be one of the participating artists in this year's Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale. This is organized by the always capable and wonderful Charlotte Taylor and she's bringing together a wide range of artists of different disciplines for the sale. I really like that; I don't like "silos" and the idea that artists have to "stay in their lane" or somesuch has never made much sense to me. I like that different artists can get together for an event like this. That's a neat way to share art and a great way to have some fun. And a special bonus is that I designed and illustrated this year's poster, too!

The poster has all the details. And there's also a Facebook event page for it at https://www.facebook.com/events/1277240033075854/

I'll be bringing a number of my comics and graphic novels, including the hardcovers of WOLF'S HEAD and LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS. Plus prints, cards, and a few other odds and ends. And I think a very special guest will be joining me there, too. That's all hush-hush and super secret! The only way to find out is to come!

So if you're interested in meeting some amazing artists and perhaps buy some lovely art for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or "just because," please drop by on Saturday. It should be a lot of fun!

Poster designed by artist Von Allan for the 2022 Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale

Other Links

City of Ottawa Grant Support Round 2


Cover of the City of Ottawa 2022 Grant Funding ReportA couple of years ago, I was lucky enough (and surprised enough!) to receive a $4,000.00 grant from the City of Ottawa’s Arts Funding Program. Well, lo and behold, I was again lucky enough to receive a second one from the City of Ottawa’s Arts Funding Program (the PDF announcement from the City is here). Both grants are in support of my ongoing comics project WOLF’S HEAD.

This grant along with the previous one are both incredibly important; they really do give some much needed financial support for my comics endeavours. As I’ve noted, being an artist is not an easy path and every little bit of financial support helps. As I noted when I received the first grant back in 2020, "When a jury of my peers determined that my application was worthy of financial support, my jaw dropped. And it’s taken a bit of time for me to really get my head around it. I’m both honoured and pleased as punch to receive it." The same is doubly true now!

So yes, Von Allan Studio (that’s me, folks!) gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa!
So what is WOLF’S HEAD about? Well, the best way to explain it is to share the synopsis. 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. 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. As Lauren does her best to keep her mom safe, the tensions over the AI erupt between them, leaving Lauren on her own.

Broke, down on her luck, and needing a job very badly, Lauren turns to her friends for help, all the while keeping her mom's discovery a secret.

Last thing: There is a dedicated website for the series at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/ with a great deal of extra content. Working on the series has been an incredibly rewarding experience. And the reviews have been very strong (for example, Frank Plowright did a lovely one and Professor David Beard did a fantastic one.

City of Ottawa logo

Other Links

Thoughts on Wolf's Head Book 1


Teaser image for Wolf's Head Book 1
Teaser image featuring a montage of the first six issues of Wolf's Head
As WOLF’S HEAD BOOK ONE continues to make it’s way around the world, I thought I’d take a moment and talk about what’s inside the book. At 176 pages, it’s packed full, featuring the first six issues of the digital series as well as loads of “extras” that serve as a peek behind the curtain of its creation.

Right from the beginning I tried very hard to design the series to work episodically as well as collectively. What does this mean? Well, each issue stands on its own, giving what I hope is a terrific reading experience. Probably the only exception to that is the very first issue. Why? ‘Cuz issue 1 ends on a cliffhanger! Issues 2 through 6 don’t, however, and I really wanted that to be an important of the series. This is the notion of “episodic closure” that I’ve discussed before. At the same time, I also wanted an impetus, that sense that events were building towards something. Step by step, issue by issue, events and circumstances were racing towards a strong climax. That culmination is in issue 6 and I think that payoff is incredibly exciting; when the six issues are read together, one gets a really neat story. A story full of change, reversals, and excitement! The hardcover collects all of that in one handy place. Plus its a beautiful edition, too!

That’s something I love about comics. I also love it about storytelling in general, but I especially love it in comics. That sense of “Wait! What happens next?!” WOLF’S HEAD has that in spades and I’m extremely pleased with how everything turned out.

Of course, you don’t have to own the hardcover to get that thrill. The digital series does the exact same thing, just in a slightly different format. While I think the hardcover is great for curling up and reading, reading on a tablet or even your phone can offer the same kind of experience. When it comes to my own reading habits, I’m not an elitist. I read paper books, I read on a tablet, and I read on my phone. And I read all sorts of stuff, including comics on all of these platforms. For digital, I tend to prefer reading on a tablet, but I’ve had lovely experiences reading on my phone, too. For the digital series of WOLF’S HEAD, I worked very hard to ensure that even for those reading on their phone the experience would still be really smooth and intuitive.

So, what’s next? Well, I’m hard at work on issue 18 and that should be out in the not-too-distant future. And I’d also like to collect the second story arc into a matching hardcover, too. There’s no firm date for that yet, but it’s coming.

In the meantime, please enjoy WOLF’S HEAD in whatever form suits you best. The whole idea was to offer readers a lot of different ways to enjoy the series. If it’s the hardcover, terrific! It’s the digital versions, great! Whichever way suits you best works just fine for me!

Oh, and if you’re brand new to the series and would like to learn a bit more, here’s the ol’ Elevator Pitch for BOOK ONE: “Lauren Greene is an ex-police officer who turned her badge in after becoming frustrated with the police force’s corruption. She’s had enough of violence and is thinking about packing her bags and hitting the road to see how she can make a difference out in the larger world, when her mother Patty shows up at her door with a complication. It turns out that Patty’s employer — a secretive military corporation — has created an artificial intelligence to fight humanity’s wars. Unfortunately for the corporation, the AI fell in love with Patty’s humanity and orchestrated its own escape through her. Giddy with excitement, Patty brings the AI straight to Lauren for help, not realizing the danger she’s putting herself and her daughter in. But Lauren has dealt with people like this; she knows what they’re capable of and she is terrified. Her fears are realized when she and her mother are confronted by corporate goons who want the AI for themselves and are willing to do anything to get it. As Lauren does her best to keep herself, her mom, and her family safe, the tensions over the AI erupt into violence… and suddenly Lauren is on her own. The new little life form doesn’t want to go back to the corporation and Lauren realizes it cannot be forced to live out its life as a war machine. There is already enough corruption, inequality, and violence in the world; the AI has to have a chance to help humanity — peacefully — while figuring out its own existence. Together with the AI, an eccentric cast of friends and family, and her dog, Lauren must figure out her next steps… while keeping herself alive.”




Where To Buy

Here are all of the key purchasing links for the hardcover:

United States of America


Canada


United Kingdom


Mexico


Spain


France


Germany


The Digital Series

Promo of Lauren from Wolf's Head announcing the series debut on Kindle
Don’t forget that the series page for the digital version of WOLF’S HEAD on Kindle can be found using the following links:

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/

Love, Laughter, and Loss wraparound cover by Von Allan

The State of WOLF'S HEAD


Teaser image for Wolf's Head on KindleWhew, boy, what a tough couple of months. While there has been some joy (receiving the City of Ottawa grant and being shortlisted for the Peter Honeywell award being the best), for the most part it has been one helluva frustrating slog. I’m going to do my best to outline what the current situation is, mainly to help solidify my own thoughts on what’s gone wrong. Or, to put it another way, what hasn’t?

To put it bluntly, sales are not good. Worse, every attempt I’ve made to mitigate that has failed. What’s discouraging for me is that I clearly have no fan-base. How do I know that? Well, sales (both in print and digital) are the biggest example. Sales are extremely poor and are not getting better. In fact, they are getting progressively worse. In different circumstances, that would be enough to shut the series down. In fact, I have done exactly that in the past (specifically with my previous graphic novel series STARGAZER, ended after two volumes, and with the digital-only series METAL GODS, ended after four issues).

What makes WOLF’S HEAD different from those two? The biggest difference is that WOLF’S HEAD has never reached the Direct Market and, as a result, has been cut off from its largest potential audience: comic book fans. Mixed in with that are the aforementioned awards and grants; these have been especially important in teaching me that WOLF’S HEAD does have merit in certain (local) art circles, but there’s a “circuit break” between that and the larger comics community world-wide.

In fact, one of the biggest examples I could point to in terms of specific my role with in the comics community is the utter lack of media coverage and interest in my work. Not just with WOLF’S HEAD and not just recently; a significant disappointment to me was when the documentary film I’m in (titled I AM STILL YOUR CHILD) received no traction whatsoever with comics media. If the film had been covered, then more people might have been introduced to both me and my work. I had partially launched WOLF’S HEAD with exactly this in mind: maybe my role in the film would help galvanize interest and awareness in the series. Since that didn’t happen, WOLF’S HEAD did not receive the momentum from the film that I hoped it would.



Diamond and the Direct Market

Teaser image of Lauren Greene, the main character from Wolf's Head, on KindleTeaser image of various scenes from Wolf's Head on KindleThis has been difficult for me to place, mainly because getting a direct answer from Diamond Comic Distributors has been so difficult. For those who don’t know, Diamond is the largest distributor of comic books in North America and Great Britain and they also distribute comics and related merchandise throughout the world. Prior to 2020, they were a de facto monopoly in the world of comics; however, with DC Comics breaking from Diamond in early June 2020, the monopoly label is harder to apply. Diamond was also a de facto monopsony; though that, given DC’s departure, is harder to apply, too.

For a small press like Von Allan Studio (that’s me, folks), Diamond plays a critical role in facilitating sales of comics and graphic novels to comic book stores. Fortunately, I have an account in good standing with Diamond; in fact, STARGAZER was distributed into the Direct Market (under Item Numbers NOV101057 and AUG111259) through Diamond a decade ago. Unfortunately, my amazing sales rep departed the company and his replacement has been fairly problematic. This is key: while Diamond never outright rejected WOLF’S HEAD, they’ve never accepted the series, either. In other words, WOLF’S HEAD exists in a sort of limbo for the past few years.

That has been dismaying for a few reasons:
  1. WOLF’S HEAD is a far stronger work than STARGAZER and it remains baffling to me why the latter was accepted for distribution while the former hasn’t been.

  2. “Limbo” also means that WOLF’S HEAD could be accepted for distribution with Diamond tomorrow… or never.

  3. The specific format of the print versions of WOLF’S HEAD was a result of attempting to meet Diamond’s specifications.

    While I don’t want to stray too far into the weeds here, the basic process works like this: once Diamond has agreed to take on a title for distribution, each issue/volume has to maintain a minimum sales threshold or risk cancellation. That threshold is based on total dollars; so selling 1,000 copies of issue 1 of a $2.99 US series results in a total dollar amount of $2,990.00, but selling 600 copies of issue 1 of a $9.99 US series results in $5,994.00! But that requires a print format that justifies the higher cover price. To do just that, I went with a trade paperback trim size and approximately 60 pages of content per issue for WOLF’S HEAD. I felt that this would give the series the best chance of meeting Diamond’s benchmarks while still giving readers a terrific experience.
Now, if Diamond had formally declined distributing WOLF’S HEAD, then I would have went in a very different direction with the print version of the series. Since I was in “limbo,” however, I decided to go ahead with it, hoping that, as the series progressed, Diamond would get on board and distribute the series. Sadly, that has never happened, leaving me with a print format that I’m not particularly happy with.

I did manage to get a few Canadian stores to pick up the series. But a combination of the pandemic (see below) and bad luck have basically ended that experiment. The store that did the best with the series was Librairie Astro in Montreal. Sadly, they closed in the summer of 2018 and I lost one of my biggest advocates. Strange Adventures in Halifax was carrying the series, but has apparently stopped. I say ‘apparently’ because I’m not exactly sure what happened; I suspect the audience simply never developed for the series.

What format would I be happy with? Well, either a saddle-stitched periodical series (i.e.: ye olde 32 page comic) or, better, a beautifully produced hardcover series that collected each story arc.

As it stands, I suspect the next release of WOLF’S HEAD (issue 7) will be the last with this 60 page format.













Comics Media

Teaser image of Sanko the dog and his best friend. Both star in Wolf's Head on KindleTeaser image featuring the first six cover of Wolf's Head on KindleWithout Diamond distributing the series, gaining media attention for WOLF’S HEAD from “comics media” (for lack of a better phrase) has been problematic. Some of this is understandable; a lot of comics media supports the Direct Market and are very plugged into Diamond’s distribution cycle. WOLF’S HEAD lack of distribution with Diamond falls outside of this purview and, as a result, few media outlets have been interested in discussing the series.

What’s been frustrating to me is that WOLF’S HEAD is broadly distributed. Finding the series is not difficult for either readers or retailers, primarily because WOLF’S HEAD has world-wide distribution through Ingram. This also means that the series is easy to find at online at retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Waterstones, and so on. However, from the point of view of “comics media,” this isn’t enough. Worse, this lack of distribution from Diamond has also disqualified WOLF’S HEAD from the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards (while I’m not positive on this score, I believe that the “Shusters” require distribution through Diamond for eligibility).

More importantly, the lack of media attention has meant that the series is pretty much unknown with the audience I need the most: comic book fans. Especially comic book fans who like independent or alternative comics (or “comix”). It is very hard to grow a series if your key demographic doesn’t know you exist.

Comics Media are also tricky to talk about because there’s a split in what and who receives coverage. More mainstream sites like Comic Book Resources or Bleeding Cool tend to focus on corporate intellectual property. This means titles from Marvel, DC, as well as licensed properties. Sites like The Comics Journal focus on more literary titles. Unfortunately, either due to the lack of distribution from Diamond or other reasons, I’m persona non grata with both. And that’s certainly not for lack of trying on my end.

The knock-on effects of all this is problematic. As a simple example, there is now a great deal of scholarship being conducted on comics with some truly fascinating insights from some remarkable scholars. Unfortunately, comics scholars aren’t, as far as I can tell, aware of my work. Or even aware of me, for that matter. A second example are librarians. Librarians have become key advocates of comics, but I’ve never managed to gain library support for WOLF’S HEAD outside of my own local Public Library. WorldCat certainly illustrates this plainly.

This is disappointing because my work has been in libraries in the past, but without awareness of the series it would be difficult for a librarian to justify the purchase of the series, especially given the times of austerity we’ve been experiencing for the past twelve years.

COVID-19

The pandemic has effected everyone. In the face of the death toll (it boggles my mind that 200,000 people have died in the United States alone and we’re not that far from 1,000,000 dead throughout the world), it’s a bit hard to think of anything else, but there have been knock-on effects for everyone, even those who haven’t directly been hit by the virus itself.

Obviously declining retail sales are a significant example. The effects are more horrifying when you think about food scarcity, layoffs, evictions, and the like. Yes, it could certainly be worse; in fact, I’d argue that one of reasons that COVID-19 has not been as horrific as, say, the 1918-19 Influenza pandemic is that there are still enough social programs by various levels of government to help prevent the situation from spiraling out control. Plus science has a far greater understanding of how pandemics spread than it did back in 1918-19. Still, the official governmental responses has been problematic (really? 200,000 dead in the US?) and we are clearly not out of the woods yet.

Since art tends to be a discretionary purchase, in the face of the global pandemic my print sales have declined. Not that sales were robust before 2020, but the pandemic has destroyed them. While book sales in general slumped when the initial lockdowns occurred, there seems to be some evidence that book sales are now stronger, at least in some markets. Unfortunately, this has not led to any sales growth for WOLF’S HEAD or any of my other backlist, though this is not surprising given what I’ve outlined above.

Digital Comics

Teaser image of Wolf's Head issue 6 on KindleTeaser image of Wolf's Head issue 17 on KindleWhat about digital sales? WOLF’S HEAD is available on both ComiXology and Kindle and released in periodical format (i.e.: approximately 30 pages) for $1.99 US each. This format has not led to strong sales. In fact, sales have been very weak. Kindle is almost a non-starter; while it doesn’t take too much work to format titles for Kindle (using the Kindle Comic Creator software), I’ve only had a handful of sales in this format. My ComiXology sales have been marginally better, but ComiXology (and Kindle, for that matter) really require reader awareness and interest when seeking out titles. What do I mean?

Well, there’s a conundrum with digital discovery that I don’t think has been solved yet. In a ‘brick and mortar’ environment, people can stumble across titles that they might not have known about simply because they are on a shelf, let alone activism from a passionate sales staff. While COVID-19 has obviously effected the ability of people to enter into retail stores of all types, this is still a key element of what makes ‘brick and mortar’ stores so compelling. Wander in, stumble across something interesting, buy it, and try it. With digital comics, it would appear that you really need to know what you’re looking for. I realize that digital does allow some degree of browsing, but (at least from my point of view and experience), this doesn’t seem to work all that well in practice.

As a result, my digital sales have been very poor. What I find interesting about this is that my 2020 experiences with Kindle and ComiXology mirror my 2014 experiences with ComiXology and my series METAL GODS. Things really haven’t changed all that much at all.

Where Things Are At

As disappointing as this has been, the good news is that the comics art grant from the City of Ottawa has helped mitigate some of the damage detailed above. In fact, if it was not for the art grant and the Peter Honeywell award shortlist, I suspect I would cancel WOLF’S HEAD immediately. As it stands, WOLF’S HEAD will continue, at least through the current story arc, and then I’ll revisit in 2021.

Self-publishing is hard. Frankly, I’ve never wanted to do it, not because I’m against self-publishing per se, but because of the immense amount of work involved in doing it. Hell, I already wear all the hats (writing, art, production, etc…). Adding “publisher” to that list is a bridge too far. I badly need a publisher. I badly need an agent, too.

With WOLF’S HEAD, it’s hard to know how things will go. My efforts to find a publisher for the series will continue, though that is one helluva slog right now (my jealousy of authors with formal publishing contracts knows no bounds!). For the short term, this means that WOLF’S HEAD will probably be turned into a webcomic.

Webcomics actually terrify me. While once-upon-a-time I did do a webcomic through Girlamatic (THE ROAD TO GOD KNOWS...), that was both a long time ago and with a group of allies. Doing it alone is scary. And WOLF’S HEAD was never designed to be a webcomic; I’m leery of how transitioning the series to that format will work in practice. At the same time, I know that a WOLF’S HEAD webcomic might be the best (only?) chance that the series has to find a real audience.

To paraphrase one of my favourite movies, “art is a cruel mistress, but she is her own reward.” Easier said then done. I don’t like writing and drawing in a vacuum. While I’ve never minded the solitary nature of the craft, my stories are meant to be read. I’ve never wanted to make ‘outsider art’ that few if anyone reads. My goal was never to ‘hermetically seal’ my work from the world at large, either.

It’s not a fun feeling to be where I’m at, struggling to find an audience and struggling to make a living at it. Solutions are difficult to find. And the loss I’ve been feeling is difficult to place. Given the state of the world (not just with COVID-19 but with the wildfires in California and Oregon, the explosion in Beirut, and so on), there’s a lot to be thankful for. There really is. Art and writing bring me a great deal of joy, not to mention the fact that I’ve grown a great deal as an artist.

I’m extremely proud of WOLF’S HEAD, despite the terrible sales and lack of awareness that it even exists. I think it’s some of the best work I’ve ever done. And it’s been a joyful experience, too.

It would just be truly awesome to be able to share that joy with readers.

Other Links

Wolf's Head by Von Allan

Link to Von Allan's Wolf's Head comic book series

Email Subscription

If you'd like to receive email updates from Von Allan Studio, please subscribe using the form below.
* indicates required field

Please note: You can unsubscribe from email updates at any time.

City of Ottawa Grant Support

Von Allan Studio gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa.

City of Ottawa logo

Creative Commons License

CBC Trailblazer Profile

Documentary Film Excerpt

I Am Still Your Child Trailer