Northwest Press

Help nurture “The Power Within”!

// April 20th, 2011 // // Misc, The Power Within

UPDATE! I’ve been talking to some comics pals about contributing single-page strips or pinups to the project, and so far I’ve gotten commitments from Archie’s “Kevin Keller” creator Dan Parent, Gail Simone and Phil Jimenez (the latter two will be doing a page together!) I’m thrilled that these talented folks are on board to support the project, and can’t wait to see what they come up with!

When Mark Brill and I worked on an anti-bullying comic for 24 Hour Comics Day last October, we did it because we wanted to be part of the chorus of voices against bullying and harassment after the numerous gay teen suicides reported last year.

We didn’t quite finish the whole book in 24 hours, but the book is done, and we’re both so proud of it that we really want to get it out there, especially into the hands of kids who could benefit from its message that you can summon the power inside you and live through your toughest challenges.

Since Northwest Press is a graphic novel and collected editions publisher that publishes relatively few single-issue books (our most popular one, The Mark of Aeacus, is published in partnership with Class Comics), we are faced with a bit of a challenge in getting this book printed and distributed.

We’ve started a fundraising drive on Kickstarter to help with printing costs, in the hopes that we’ll be able to lower our per-copy price and be able to give away thousands of them to teachers’ groups, gay-straight alliances, gay youth groups, and other support resources for LGBT kids.

Pitching in $10 to our Kickstarter page will get you a signed copy of the book when it comes out, and we’ve got some really great gifts for bigger donors (all the way up to a ticket to join us at the Lambda Literary Awards ceremony next month!)

Please help support this project, and let’s let kids everywhere know that they can rely on their power within when they don’t think they have anyone else.

“The Power Within” at 24-Hour Comics Day

// April 6th, 2011 // // Misc, The Power Within

Mark Brill and I worked on an anti-bullying comic for 24 Hour Comics Day this past October, and we sold a preview version of the finished book at a few conventions over the past few months. We’re working on doing a full print run of the book very soon. In the meantime, check out this video about the making of the book! Mark ended up redrawing a lot of the artwork, but you can still get a feel for what the book is like.

23rd Lambda Literary Awards

// March 27th, 2011 // // Events, Misc

Northwest Press is honored to have two books nominated for 2010 Lambda Literary Awards, and will be attending the gala ceremony in New York City. Come and support this terrific literary resource for the community!

Fanaticon 2

// March 27th, 2011 // // Events, Misc

We will be guests of Prism Comics as they return for a second year to Asheville, NC for Fanaticon!

Gaylaxicon 2011

// March 27th, 2011 // // Events, Misc

Don’t miss Gaylaxicon 2011, the 18th all-LGBT celebration of sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, comics and more! Northwest Press will be guests of Prism Comics at this fabulous event!

Toronto Comic Arts Festival

// March 27th, 2011 // // Events, Misc

Northwest Press will be guests of Prism Comics at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival as they attend their first convention outside the U.S.!

Trailer for Jon Macy’s Fearful Hunter #2

// March 11th, 2011 // // Misc

Jon Macy, creator of Teleny and Camille, was one of the recipients of last year’s Prism Comics Queer Press Grant for his druid/werewolf love story, Fearful Hunter. The second issue is coming out soon, and Jon’s released a movie trailer for the book. It looks kick-ass!

Happy Holidays from Northwest Press!

// December 22nd, 2010 // // Glamazonia, Misc, Teleny and Camille

“Less than Epic” is Absolutely Engrossing

// December 18th, 2010 // // Misc

I’ve been fishing around lately for new ways to get the word out about the Northwest Press books—Facebook ads, regular blogging, Google ads, stuff like that. The other day, I wracked my brain trying to remember the name of that advertising site that people use to swap ads on webcomics sites and blogs… “Wonderful… something?”

Project Wonderful is shaping up to be not only a great way to advertise the books, but also a great way to get exposed to some amazing talent.

One site that Project Wonderful brokers ad space for is a webcomic called The Less than Epic Adventures of T.J. and Amal, which caught my eye because of its terrific header illustration, a decent amount of regular visitors, and the fact that it was about gay dudes. I didn’t even look at any of the actual comics pages before deciding to purchase some ad space.

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Buy the New LGBT Anthology THREE from Northwest Press!

// November 4th, 2010 // // Misc

Robert Kirby has teamed up with Northwest Press to make his new anthology THREE available in our online store. This terrific new book offers three stories from three different creative teams each issue, and features the cream of the crop of queer comics talents.

The first issue includes stories from Eric Orner (The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green), Joey Alison Sayers (Thingpart, Just So You Know) and Robert Kirby (Boy Trouble, Curbside).

I love this book. Here’s the review I gave it at Goodreads:

You can always rely on terrific, nuanced storytelling on any project that Robert Kirby is involved with.

I’ve always felt that the most honest and personal stories are the ones that can speak to the most people. This anthology series showcases three stories that are undeniably “LGBT”, but which don’t lose the feeling of individuality. The art styles are different and the range of subject matter is broad—a weird workplace anecdote, a fish-out-of-water travelogue, an attempt to leave a flawed relationship—but everything fits together seamlessly.

That’s because these casually post-queer stories are ultimately about people, about other human beings—their emotions, their doubts, their day-to-day struggles, large and small. The stories are so frank and unashamed and matter-of-fact that I would love to think that anyone could relate to them, regardless of sexuality or gender.

Pick up a copy of this beautiful book today!