New York Comic Con 2024 Roundup

Teases, reveals, dubious burgers and sleeping in a coffin!

New York Comic Con 2024 Roundup

Hello there!

I'm back from New York Comic Con and only slightly jet-lagged. But the temporal confusion was worth it as I had a cracking time in the city that never sleeps!

Here's the rundown of all my NYCC announcements and a few behind-the-scenes titbits too:


A NEW SCOTT & BROKENSHIRE CREATOR-OWNED COMIC TEASED

What's this?

👀

Hmmm. Looks like DSTLRY teased a new creator-owned comic by me and my long-time collaborator Nick Brokenshire!

What else can I tell you about this, our follow-up to Dead Seas? Well, other the fact that it launches next year...nothing, but keep watching this space. This book is going to be special!

More as soon as I can, but in the meantime, check out the rest of DSTLRY's teases!


STAR WARS AT NYCC

One of the highlights of any con is catching up with my fellow Star Wars creators, including my High Republic buddies. There was a plethora of Lumineers at the show, including Lydia Kang, Charles Soule, Zoraida Córdova and Lucasfilm Publishing's Creative Director Michael Siglain.

And yes, a number of us ended up at a bar on the first night!

Lydia Kang, me, Zoraida Córdova, Charles Soule and Mike Siglain celebrate surviving a day at the con!

But that’s not everyone! Daniel José Older, Harvey Tolibao, Alyssa Wong and Saber For Hire artist Rachael Stott were also in attendance, the five of us appearing on Saturday’s Dark Horse Star Wars panel, ably moderated by Mike...

Titanic Ty Yorrick team-Ups

For my part, I chatted a little about Saber for Hire (collected in trade paperback 28th January 2025) before revealing a few details about Ty Yorrick’s next appearance in Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #4.

Cover by Jake Bartok

The issue, drawn by Vincenzo Riccardi and on sale 22nd January 2025, features Ty on a mission for Jedi Master Elzar Mann.

A mission that sees her coming face-to-face with… Lourna Dee!

Wanna see the opening pages? Oh, go on then...

And that planet? That's Dalna, a name that may be familiar to High Republic fans!

Boolan Adventures

From here, we moved on to next year's Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Annual, where I talked about my story which focuses on Baron Boolan, features a daring heist on his space station/laboratory and leads directly into the beginning of the last Marvel run of the High Republic!

The artist for my story is none other than Nick Brokenshire! Wowsers! That boy gets everywhere!

Here's the page we shared on the panel:

Like Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #4, the 2025 THRA Annual goes on sale from Dark Horse comics 22nd January 2025.

Star Wars Halloween Special 2025

I also teased that, following the release of this year's Vader’s Castle omnibus, I am writing a brand new Star Wars Halloween Special for 2025.

But where is it set?

Well, so far we’ve been to Vader’s Castle… we’ve been to the Rancor Pit… and we’ve even been to the Death Star… but in 2025 we're going somewhere new…

Where?

Well, all I’m going to say is… BEWARE THE NIGHTLANDS!

All will be revealed, but I'm 28-pages in and having a ball!

Lourna Dee: Dancing with danger

Away from the Black Horse panel, there were a couple of other Star Wars reveals elsewhere at the show, including Phil Noto’s ominous cover for issue two of the Marvel High Republic final run:

And then there was this, an incredible piece of artwork by Steve Kurth and Gregor Krysiński of Tomato Farm, illustrating a key scene from my upcoming Penguin Random House audio drama, Tempest Breaker…

Lourna Dee dancing cheek to cheek with Marchion Ro? What the kriff is the needle-toothed mistress of mischief and mayhem up to this time?

Well, you’ll have to wait until December 3rd to find out!


STORMING THE WHITE CASTLE

Away from announcements and teases, I spent a lot of time catching up with colleagues and friends, including Corin Howard, my co-creator on Shadow Service who signed her new book Lilith alongside me as I scribbled my name on copies of Godfather of Hell #1 at the Vault booth.

I was rubbish at getting photos of me with people this year, so here's a snap of me on the Vault booth at the signing. I need to get better at selfies with people!

Back with the High Republic crowd, New Yorker Mike Siglain was DETERMINED that NYCC 2024 would see me sampling my first White Castle.

Let me explain...Until recently, I had no idea what this culinary delight was, but after introducing Mike to the wonders of a dirty doner kebab in Portsmouth earlier this year, he wanted to return the favour.

For my home audience, White Castle is, by all accounts, the kind of establishment that you typically only visit after a heavy night of boozing. So, exactly like a dirty doner van, then! It's primarily known for selling small, steamed burgers in little cardboard sheathes.

Yes, you heard me right…steamed burgers (although I believe the correct term for the bite-sized bun is a ‘slider!’)

Now, I tried to get out of our visit to this infamous fortress of fast food, but failed, Mike purchasing a box of twenty!

TWENTY!

Now, it would’ve been rude not to partake, but I only managed one, much to Mike’s disappointment. Well, we had been out for a full meal and numerous pumpkin ales! The others tucked in, though, and Mike wandered off into the sunset like Paddington Bear with his little suitcase of steamed leftovers!

Look how happy he was…

Zoriada, me, a suitcase of steamed meat, Mike and the ever-smiling Jordan Hembrough!

My verdict of White Castle? Well, I don’t want to spark an international incident, so let’s just say the White Castle slider is something I have definitely eaten and leave it at that!


NOW, THIS IS POD SLEEPING!

White Castle wasn’t the only new thing I tried for the first time this trip, as I spent the week at Nap York, a ‘capsule hotel’ in the heart of Manhattan.

In many ways, Nap York is a glorified hostel with individual rooms housing four people in two bunk beds. The bunks themselves were enclosed, meaning you crawled into your ‘pod’ at night. It has to be said that when inside, the pod did resemble a coffin, albeit one with plugs, a light, and a little shelf for your mobile phone.

But, I'll tell you what, I slept like a log each night. Perhaps Dracula was on to something when it came to sleeping arrangements!

Would I use Nap York again? Absolutely! Each room had its own bathroom, and there were comfy common areas and kitchens elsewhere in the building. The entire place had a gentle, chilled-out atmosphere that was always library-quiet, perfect for solo travellers.

‘Please don’t be a nightmare to others’ is a great thing to be reminded about at any comic con!

And that's it!

Phew! A busy newsletter for a busy week!

Now, I suppose I better get back to work. First up, edits on a Star Wars project that has yet to be teased anywhere....

Until next time, look after yourself and each other,


WHERE TO FIND ME ONLINE!