My news from SDCC 2023
A quick round-up of all my SDCC news!
Another SDCC is done and this one was a doozy!
Here’s how it ended for me in the early hours of the Hyatt bar with George Mann, Micheal Siglain, Jordan Hembrough, and Kristin Baver!
I’m back home in the UK and for once have remembered to take a day off to recover (not just from that last night, but the week as a whole!)
While I’m chilly-chill-chilling in my crib, here’s a quick rundown of all my news from the con, starting with my first panel with Vault comics!
Okay, the first reveal was actually more of a tease with the news that I am working on a new horror book for Vault with artist Pius Bak…
Due to hit in 2024, we classing this one as ‘Hell Noir’, the story of a criminal that sees eternal damnation as a career opportunity. Think Baby Driver and American Hustle mashed with The Exorcist and you’ll be in the right ballpark.
Oh, and as Corin Howell and I were keen to point out on the panel, our supernatural spy series Shadow Service is returning for another arc. Watch this space!
Later on Friday, the Lucasfilm Publishing panel revealed a host of new covers, including Phil Noto’s amazing art for The High Republic issues 1 and 2.
Here are some handy visuals to give you an idea of what to expect:
I love that pointy-earned creeper on issue 2! As for who or what he is, you will have to wait to see when Phase 3 launches in November from Marvel!
We also revealed more art from this Halloween’s special Tales from the Death Star.
First up is a problem in the lower levels with art by Vincenzo Riccardi, who I worked with on The Dracula Files in Scream back in 2020!
Meanwhile, a Sith artifact leads to a plague of the zombies for the maintenance crew. Who would’ve thought that the dead would be so productive?
The art for that one is by Juan Samu who I worked with on Transformers / Back to the Future.
Finally, the collection gave me chance to tell a story that was originally conceived for The Life Day Treasury, a ghostly problem for a squad of TIE fighter pilots.
Yes, that is an Ewok ghost!
Art for that story is by my friend Fico Ossio who I first worked with at DC on Hawkman and Hawkwoman and made his Halloween special debut on last year’s Tales From the Rancor’s Pit. One of the highlights of SDCC this year was finally meeting Fico face-to-face and getting a chance to hang out at the DC drinks party and the Dark Horse signing.
If you want to know more about Death Star and all the other news revealed at the panel, head to StarWars.com now, and maybe also check out this interview with me and my other High Republic cohorts, Charles Soule, Justina Ireland and George Mann (who is also going to be joining us tomorrow for our paid tier video handout!)
Talking of the High Republic crew, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who braved the line to get their books signed at the THR booth! We had so much fun as these photos from bookstagrammer Joshua Del Toro demonstrate!
Yes, there were jazz hands! Star Wars: The High Republic musical, anyone?
One final treat from the show. I didn’t think I was going to make the Legendary Comics panel, but managed to slip in halfway through, thinking I’d sit at the back. Fail! Editor Nikita Kannekanti had me on stage in the blink of an eye so they could share their exclusive trailer for Sleep Terrors, out September 5th!
And here it is for you too!
Now, if you excuse me, I’m going to take a sit down and have a cup of tea. In the meantime, watch out for Justina Ireland. As I found out on the High Republic booth, she lurks in books!
