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Showing posts with label wolf's head. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wolf's head. Show all posts

Wolf’s Head Volume 4 in trade paperback format Worldwide!


As I previously noted, the WOLF’S HEAD trade paperbacks are back in print in brand new editions! Today features the release of Volume 4, collecting issues 7 and 8 of the ongoing digital series. This is a full colour series and is 60 pages in length. This volume was a great deal of fun to do and represents a narrative change as we see Lauren, after dealing with the losses she experienced over the past two volumes, start to take control of her life.

The cover of Wolf's Head Volume 4 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan
The full wraparound cover of Wolf's Head Volume 4 Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Von Allan
As always with my work, these are available in better bookstores and comic shops worldwide (and for why I say “better,” please read this commentary). Volume 4’s ISBN is 978-1-9898852-6-0. If you don’t see it at your local store, then you can easily order it using that ISBN. Additionally, it is already starting to show up at various online retailers, too. For example:

Please remember that I can’t control exactly when and where this volume will become available, but hopefully the above links are a good start. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask your retailer for help! Volume 5 will be released in February 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 begins working with the young AI, but is having a difficult time creating a bond. The AI, similar to a child, either does not understand or simply cannot comprehend everything that Lauren is asking it to do. Desperate for help, Lauren reaches out to an ex-scientist, Jack Dhillon, who has a very personal hatred for the AI's creator. Lauren hopes that Dhillon will teach her to work with the AI, but can she convince him to help? At the same time, Lauren realizes that her friends are in danger simply for knowing her and she decides to protect them as best she can... with difficult results.



This volume also introduces a new character, Super Bob Sanchez, a truck driver who is not (under any circumstance!) a hero.



Read for Free

As many of you know, I’ve also begun serializing the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive (https://www.archive.org) as part of my “Pirate Von” initiative. As I mentioned above, WOLF’S HEAD Volume 4 consists of issues 7 and 8 of the ongoing series. While you can find the links to both on the Internet Archive as well as the “Pirate Von” section of this very website, to make it easier the links to both issues 7 and 8 are below.

Oh, and please remember! If you enjoy them and would like a physical copy, you can purchase Volume 4 in stores — both online and off — around the world!
Wolf's Head Issue 7 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button
Wolf's Head Issue 8 cover by Von Allan
Pirate Von High-Rez Button     Pirate Von Torrent Button

TEASER FOR WOLF’S HEAD VOLUME 4

And here’s a little teaser image to help cement the idea. Two digital comics inside one trade paperback volume!
Wolf's Head Volume 3 teaser image featuring the cover of Volume 4 as well as the covers for issues 7 and 8 of the ongoing comic book series

Other Links

Diamond Comic Distributors, Wolf's Head, and Me


As those of you who follow the Direct Market know, Diamond Comic Distributors has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Long time watchers of the comic book industry will understand just how surprising of a development this is. For those that don’t, I’ll try and explain.



Once upon a time, Diamond was the distributor for comics in North America and the United Kingdom. That was after the distribution market consolidated around Diamond in the 1980s; prior to that, there was a great deal of regional distribution with comics. Distributors such as Sea Gate, Pacific Comics (both as a publisher and a distributor), Capital City, and — here in Canada — Styx, Andromeda, and Multi-Book among others. Even when Diamond had a quasi-monopoly (and they were actually investigated back in 2000!), other distributors still tried to come and go. My personal favourite was Cold Cut, who I ordered from pretty regularly back in my bookstore days. Another was FM International. Both Cold Cut and FM International were pretty quirky, distributing indy and small press titles that Diamond either didn’t distribute or tended to disappear in their cavernous catalogues. And both are long gone now.



Due to Diamond’s Chapter 11 situation, a number of writers have written extensively on what Diamond was and what the changes in Direct Market distribution since June 2020 have wrought with the company. I don’t want to retread that ground. Instead, I wanted to discuss my own experiences with Diamond, partially because I think it shows some of the problems that Diamond had with small accounts and partially because some of these issues go back prior to 2020.



As a publisher, I have an account with Diamond and have had one since 2010. My Purchasing Brand Manager at that time was Jay Spence. Jay was awesome and quite supportive; with his help I was able to get my two-book graphic novel series, STARGAZER, into Diamond’s catalogue Previews. (Book 1 in the November 2010 issue with item code NOV101057 and Book 2 in the August 2011 issue with item code AUG111259).



STARGAZER VOLUME 1 spotlight from Diamond Previews

While these two books were admittedly pretty rough, though not quite as rough as first graphic novel “the road to god knows…” was, Jay’s encouragement and Diamond’s support led to decent sales for my little black and white graphic novel series. And STARGAZER is still in print and continues to sell to this day, something I’m always a little surprised about.



Example email from Jay Spence, at the time my Purchasing Brand Manager at Diamond Comic Distributors

It would have been ideal to follow-up STARGAZER with something else lickety-split, but I knew that I needed to become stronger. And life sometimes takes us in odd and surprising directions, and some of that happened to. At any rate, time passed and when I was finally ready to approach Diamond again, this time in 2018 with my ongoing series full colour series WOLF’S HEAD, I ran into problems.



The first is that Jay had left Diamond to join Dynamite. All well and good. What was less good was that I was having trouble reaching folks at Diamond. Any folks. Emails went unanswered. I actually wound up tracking Jay down at Dynamite and he managed to connect me with the right person. That person was Leigh Tyberg and this is where things get interesting.



I’ve saved my email correspondence with Leigh, because the emails are a great example about how Diamond and their Purchasing Brand Managers worked. Or, in this case, failed to work, something you’ll see in a moment. To be very clear, the Purchasing Brand Manager acts as a Gate Keeper; they’re the ones who — presumably with discussion with other folks in the Purchasing Department — decide whether or not to carry a title. As I noted above, Jay Spence was incredibly supportive of both myself and STARGAZER, something I’m grateful for to this day. Leigh? Well, you’ll see.



When it came to presenting WOLF’S HEAD to Diamond for distribution, I had high hopes. I had grown a lot as both an artist and a writer and I thought the plan I presented to Diamond was fairly strong; WOLF’S HEAD would be published in 60 page graphic novel volumes, each volume having an ISBN and a spine. The inspiration for this approach, by the by, was actually a title from Dark Horse Comics, a retelling of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON by Art Adams. At 52 pages, it was “meatier” then a normal saddle-stitched comic but still affordable. And I liked the format of that book quite a bit.



My decision was also influenced by how Diamond worked. Very quickly, comics and graphic novels distributed by Diamond have to meet a minimum sales threshold. This threshold, called the Purchase Order Benchmark, was originally set at $1,500.00 US but was raised to $2,500.00 US in 2009. Note that was not at retail price but at wholesale. As George Gene Gustines at the New York Times pointed out at the time, “a $2.95 comic book would have to receive a minimum order of 2,100 copies” (2,100 × $2.95 = $6,195.00; since Diamond takes a 60% cut of the retail price, 40% of $6,195.00 is $2,478.00, very close to the Purchase Order Benchmark). This sent shock waves through the industry (hell, so much so that the New York Times commented on it!). Part of the reason this was so monumental was that it marked a significant change from how the benchmark used to work. As Diamond noted back in 2007, “Diamond’s benchmark for comic books solicited through Previews is $2,500 retail.” The new benchmark was actually $6,250 (!) retail, because $6,250 × 40% = (you guessed it) $2,500! That’s a 150% increase, the main reason that small press publishers of saddle-stitched comics at the time were freaking out.



WOLF’S HEAD, as a trade paperback with a higher price point, would have to sell less copies per volume then a normal saddle-stitched comic to reach Diamond’s Purchase Order Benchmark. And having an ISBN for each volume would allow me to access online retailers like Amazon as well as “brick and mortar” bookstores. More venues matter. As it turns out, the online retailers have been a huge part of why I’ve managed to continue publishing WOLF’S HEAD to this day.



It’s important to remember that Direct Market retailers (aka “comic book shops”) have to buy their titles non-returnably. So they are always rolling the dice on small press titles, especially small press titles from unknown — or even lesser known — creators. That makes them understandably gun-shy, especially when they own their mistakes — literally. Unlike bookstores, they can’t return their titles for credit (and while there have been some changes in this regard more recently, this was the case I faced with both STARGAZER and WOLF’S HEAD). So comic shops are, broadly speaking, pretty reticent to buy small press titles, though obviously there are many individual exceptions to this. While it may seem that a lower price point helps here, it actually doesn’t. If a supportive retailer is going to purchase a title, they are probably only going to purchase it in low quantities regardless of what the price point is. They might waffle; maybe they’d buy four or five copies of a $2.99 US title and only two copies of a $9.99 US title, but it’s likely to be around that (obviously this is anecdotal, but I’m partially basing it on my own purchasing habits when I was buyer at the bookstore I managed).



At any rate, this is the situation I faced when I initially reached out to Leigh and Diamond. You can see my initial email to Jay below. Since his reply was from his Dynamite email address, prudence dictates that I probably shouldn’t replicate it here (that or redact it heavily!). The key point is that he did manage to connect me to the correct person, as you will see in a moment. Oh, and as always I should add that Von Allan is my pen name; Eric is my real name. So when you see those references, you’ll know who is being spoken of.



My initial email to Jay Spence at Diamond Comic Distributors regarding my ongoing graphic novel series Wolf's Head

What follows is my correspondence with Leigh Tyberg, my Purchasing Brand Manager. I’ll let that speak for itself. The only thing I’ll add is please note the dates of the various emails.



My initial email to Leigh Tyberg at Diamond Comic Distributors regarding my ongoing graphic novel series Wolf's Head
Leigh Tyberg at Diamond Comic Distributors initial response to me my ongoing graphic novel series Wolf's Head
Leigh Tyberg at Diamond Comic Distributors second response to me my ongoing graphic novel series Wolf's Head
Leigh Tyberg at Diamond Comic Distributors third response to me my ongoing graphic novel series Wolf's Head
My first attempt to receive a reply from Leigh Tyberg at Diamond Comic Distributors about my ongoing graphic novel series Wolf's Head
My final attempt to receive a reply from Leigh Tyberg at Diamond Comic Distributors about my ongoing graphic novel series Wolf's Head

And that’s where it ended. Leigh (and Diamond) ghosted me. The key thing that’s amazing about this is that Leigh and Diamond never formally rejected WOLF’S HEAD. Obviously they never accepted it, either. Ghosting can be destructive behaviour when one experiences it personally. But when a business does it? When a business that has a stranglehold on the Direct Market — which Diamond had at the time — does it? Well, at least with a rejection you know where you stand. I’ve been rejected boatloads of times. It ain’t fun, but you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. But the waiting, wondering if you’ll hear back? Wondering if the ghosting is just something else? That’s awful.



To this day I don’t know what happened. I debated pestering Leigh and Diamond again, but eventually COVID started and the distribution side of the industry exploded. And like many folks with COVID, I experienced a personal loss that put the brakes on a lot of things.



That said, I also don’t hold any animosity towards Leigh or even Diamond, though I’d be lying if I said that the experience wasn’t frustrating. Ghosting isn’t fun, but life goes on. I’m disappointed that Diamond — apparently — had no interest in distributing WOLF’S HEAD, but I’m also pleased that I’m in no way affected by their recent Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing. Despite it all, Leigh is still listed at Diamond as a Purchasing Brand Manager.



Diamond Comic Distributors still featuring Leigh Tyberg as Purchasing Brand Manager as of January 2025
Diamond Comic Distributors still featuring Leigh Tyberg as Purchasing Brand Manager as of January 2025

The funny thing about the whole experience was that, in the intervening years, I kept working on WOLF’S HEAD and I kept growing. That led to receiving two separate $4,000.00 grants from the City of Ottawa for my work on the series, being shortlisted for a Peter Honeywell award for my work on it, and finding an audience despite the lack of access by Diamond. Despite it all, WOLF’S HEAD still continues and I’m having a helluva good time doing it.



Who knows, perhaps Diamond will rise like a phoenix and be reborn into something new. Or perhaps after consolidating so much of the distribution side of the Direct Market, they won’t rebound at all. If so, perhaps their fall will be a cautionary tale of what can happen when a company with so much going for it forgets that, at the end of the day, it’s human beings that make a difference. And it’s human beings, both inside Diamond and out, that matter.



Other Links

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.

2024 Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale



In what is becoming a lovely annual tradition, I’ve once again did all the art for the poster for the Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale (see the poster below). And, of course, I’ll be one of the participants in this year’s show.

This is organized by Charlotte Taylor and, as always, she’s bringing together a whack load of of artists from all sorts of artistic practices for the sale. Charlotte is proud of her community (the neighbourhood of Vanier) and she has fought hard to make sure that Vanier is recognized as the vibrant section of Ottawa it is.
The poster has all the details. And the Vanier Artisans has its own page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/vanierartisans

I’ll be bringing a number of my comics (including the hot off the press edition of SHEBA THE GREAT!) and graphic novels. Plus prints, cards, and a few other odds and ends.

So if you’re interested in meeting some amazing artists and perhaps buying some lovely art for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or “just because,” please drop by. It will be held at the Vanier Community Service Centre (https://cscvanier.com/) on Sunday, November 24th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

It will be loads fun!

2024 Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale poster by Von Allan

Media Release

Ottawa, Ontario November 19, 2024 — The holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to support local makers, discover unique gifts, and experience the magic of Christmas — all in one place. Organized by Charlotte Taylor and held at the Vanier Community Service Centre, the Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale brings a festive blend of handmade goods, local artistry, and holiday cheer to your season.

“Whether you’re looking for one-of-a-kind books and comics, art, photography prints, or cozy knitted items, this year’s market has something special for everyone on your list,” noted Taylor. “You’ll also find handcrafted soaps, candles, pottery, baked goods, and much more, all created with love by our talented local artisans. And, to help kick off the season, Charlotte Media House will be offering free Christmas photos… so bring your holiday spirit and a big smile!”

Mark your calendars and get ready to experience the magic of Christmas at the Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale.

“You really don’t want to miss out on this incredible opportunity to shop local, support small businesses, and get your hands on some handmade treasures,” Taylor added. “The fair is a fun, family friendly way to spend an afternoon and we hope to see you there!”

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024 (10:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Location: Vanier Community Service Centre, 270 Marier Avenue, Vanier, ON K1L 5P7

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/15YicbRKgG/

Vanier Community Association page: https://www.vanier-association.com/en/event/vanier-artisans-christmas-craft-sale/

Other Links

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.

The Impossibles (Story Fragment)


A few years ago I submitted the following pages along with a story proposal (titled “The Impossibles” to a publisher of some renown, but the pitch was sadly rejected. I sat on it for a bit, but I liked it enough that I wound up re-purposing a good chunk the story proposal for what would eventually become my ongoing comic book series “Wolf’s Head.”

While I was prepping for a recent art/craft show, I came across the pages and thought they’d be fun to post here. Sadly it’s not a complete story and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but if you don’t mind that you might get a kick out of it. And who knows… maybe one day I’ll revisit “The Impossibles” again. One thing I’ve learned with art: never say never!

Oh! Some of you might recognize page 1. What I just said about re-purposing story and art? Well, I took that page and used a tweaked version of it for the cover of my short story collection “Stories! 2015 to 2019” which you can read for free right here.

Have fun!

The Impossible Cover Page by Von Allan
The Impossible Page One by Von Allan
The Impossible Page Two by Von Allan
The Impossible Page Three by Von Allan

Pssst! Click on the image to make it bigger!
The Impossible Pages Four and Five by Von Allan

Other Links

Wolf's Head by Von Allan

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

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