The Story Behind The Writing: The Final Moments...

Something incredible happened this weekend. I saw the 5th and final issue of The Overman. Of course, this wasn't the printed comic, but an emailed production pdf, which has yet to be edited and proofed. But regardless, there it was, on my computer screen.

There is something shocking, yet soul-emptying about this last issue. I can't put it into words, in a way that properly conveys what I'm going through here. I'm seeing the last pages of a story that has been with me for 20 years. I'm happy to see it finished, and finished right.

You'll have to wait until April to see the last issue for yourself, since Book II will be arriving in comic shops on January 4th. Don't worry, you have months ahead of you before the end. You have time to prepare. You have time to warn others.

I'll put this whole experience into perspective later, and plan for whatever lies ahead, I suppose. I can't really put this into words right now, without coming across as needlessly pretentious. After all, you haven't seen how this story ends. I have. You don't know what is waiting for you, in the final moments...
I hope you'll stay with us on the journey.

Notes from the Field: The End of the End

I've finally made it to that elusive finish line. For the most part my work is done. Other than some lettering adjustment and uploading of files BOOK V is finished and I can now dream of sugar-plum faeries or whatever kids dream about during the holiday.

What the hell is a sugar-plum faerie anyway?

It's been a hard month of perserverance and I'm glad I found the strength somewhere within to see this through. I didn't think I'd really be able to do it on some level. My biggest fear was that the quality would suffer in my mad dash to the finish. But I think those fears are unfounded as I look again over the last 32 pages.

Here's the first page of the last book. Book II comes out next week, so this non-descript scene will mostly set a mood of things to come. The calm before the storm if you will. Well...it's time to take care of the details and wrap this all up.
Thanks for joining us on this journey. I know Scott has some pretty fun stuff cooking in the months to come. So stay tuned.

Oh and here's an interview I did with The Pulse: http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/36/t/006930.html

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The Story Behind The Writing: Sequels and Christmas Shopping

As we count down the days to the release of The Overman Book II, arriving the first week of January, I'm busy writing a sequel to The Overman mini-series. My main goal in mentioning this is for readers to understand that there is a larger story in the works, loosely connected to the events that unfold in The Overman. It could end up as another 5-issue mini-series, and is intended as a 'stand-alone' work, wrapped around a concept that I believe is just as powerful as its predecessor. If there's interest in this sort of thing, I may start posting excerpts from that after the 5 th and final issue of The Overman is on shelves. For now, I'm just writing it for myself. Come to think of it, everything I write is for myself, first and foremost. But back to the here and now...

Book II is one of my favorite chapters, probably because it opens right in the middle of the action, and I think we've created an even greater palpable sense of urgency in this issue. I hope you like it.

Christmas is just a few days away, which means like most of us, I'm busy with last minute shopping and preparations. This is the only time of year that I miss snow, because I've been a northerner for most of my life. Now that I'm a Floridian, I'll have to make do with the sunshine and the beach this weekend. I know, it's a rough life. I'm hopeful I'll have theovermancomic.com updated with a new flash featuring glimpses of the 2 nd issue, by January 1st. There will also be an 8 page preview that will replace the first issue preview currently online. If for some bizarre reason you haven't yet read the free preview of Book I, go there now before we take it down. As much as I'd like to keep all of the previews online, we really want to encourage everyone to seek out the actual printed comics, available at your local comic shop, for only $3.50.

Have a safe and merry Christmas! See you next year!

Notes from the Field: Success is in the Doing!

I finally got my comp copies of =THE OVERMAN= Book I. The anticipation was masked by a fogginess and haze of burnout. My sleeping patterns are erattic and when I can't sleep I get back to work on the Book.

It's hard looking at work that one has done over a year ago. Especially the parts where you know what the problems are but had no choice but to let them go, lest you never finish anything.

An artist is one of those few people who work with perspective but most often lack perspective .

Suffice it to say I think it's a pretty attractive book overall, can't wait to see what happens in book two. I've gotten far enough along that I've completely forgot what has come before. Like I told Scott, I think my focus has been so much on this project that I've actually lost IQ points along the way. I can't think about anything else but the task at hand.

Moving forward is momentum, and stamina keeps you going. While my endurance has been quite good I think my stamina is slowing down. Sometimes it's cyclical but in this case I don't really know. I'm jazzed about some upcoming projects and I'm also jazzed at how this last book is turning out. Every issue for whatever reason seems to top the last in content and story. And in each issue there's a nice set piece that I think really delivers. This issue has several set pieces, but certainly doesn't lack in story. Right up until the last pages the bizarre and meaningful events continue to unfold, and the ending couldn't feel more right.

Here's a couple of sketches that people won over at the Comicspace contest I was holding:

Finishing these issues one by one is in and of itself the great reward. The act of seeing our vision through to the end the way we want is what comics has become. Having as many people read the effort is icing on the cake.

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The Story Behind The Writing: Silver Bullet Comics Reviews The Overman #1

Check out the review of The Overman #1, from Silver Bullet Comics. Or just read it below. The Overman #2 arrives in comic shops January 8. If you've already read The Overman #1, and know someone who would also like the book, you can head over to the home page and use our handy little 'send to a friend' feature. Just fill in the email address of someone you know who might want to read The Overman, and click SEND. Easy stuff. And it helps us WARN OTHERS about this mini-series. It's best to be prepared, don't you think?

From Silver Bullet Comics:

How can you not be intrigued by a book that promises the end of the world? Not the danger of the world ending, mind you, that's as common as unsalted butter. Overman, on the other hand, opens with a narrative that speaks of the destruction of the human race in the past tense. While this could simply be literary sleight of hand, the rest of the book is weird and disturbing enough that it might not be.

The story begins with Nathan Fisher, a thief of some kind, breaking into a cabin in rural Pennsylvania. Nathan is looking for something, but what that is isn't stated here, only that things don't turn out well for Nathan. While that alone is reason enough for the beginning to be alluring, it is doubly so because Reed and White have created a believable future in a few short pages. The year is 2135, and the differences between our time and the present of Overman are as subtle and great as the difference between 2007 and 1870. While there are things you'll recognize (firearms, ties), there are things that are completely alien. I doubt many people in this day and age would consider crawling into a learning machine that resembles a womb more than a computer. However, being a man of the 22nd century, Nathan crawls right in and launches readers into a story within his story.

This takes us to Exodus, part asylum, part prison, and Hellish enough that it sits in orbit rather than being built on solid ground. The dumping ground for Earth's psychopaths, the head of the facility, Dr. Grey, isn't what you'd expect; rather than some sadist looking to run a crazy factory, Dr. Grey appears to legitimately care about her wards, to the point where she is extremely skeptical when a corporation by the name of Omakon shows interest in purchasing Exodus. When the heads of Omakon arrive at the facility, the source of her caution becomes clear.

However, all of this pales at the introduction of what is presumably the Overman, Dmitri Leonov. Comatose after years of wearing a highly dangerous form of combat armor, Leonov's name is still spoken in hushed tones years after his disappearance and subsequent reappearance as a vegetable. As to what, exactly, Leonov did to earn such a fearsome reputation is only briefly stated here, but even as a unspeaking shell he still strikes fear into those that come near him.

While the narrative may be a bit confusing at times, this is only due to the fact that Reed and White have put the reader into the middle of two stories that are separate but intertwined. There's no heavy handed exposition, just a deep and riveting chronicle that the reader is thrust into by a thief in the night. Whatever it was that Nathan Fisher found in that Pennsylvania cabin, readers will want to know about it. This first issue is a great setup, promising an intriguing blend of noir, cyberpunk and apocalyptic goodness.

- Matthew McLean

If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author's work at http://madbastard.hypersites.com

The Story Behind The Writing: The Pulse

Hoorah! The fine folks at The Pulse have just published my interview, conducted by Jennifer Contino. The Pulse has been a big supporter of my webcomic efforts over the years, and thankfully they've taken notice of my first writing credits for a major comics publisher. The momentum seems to be building, as The Overman #1 is now on comic shop shelves throughout the country, and online reaction continues to be overwhelmingly positive. I hope you'll get a chance to pick up a copy before these things are gone. And remember, if your LCS sold out, or didn't stock it, just ask them to order a copy. They'll only order what they think they'll sell, so it's up to you to make sure they keep the pre-orders strong for all 5 issues.


As I mentioned here before, Shane and I are coming out of left field with this book, and I believe we've caught a lot of people by surprise. I do believe that The Overman is worth every penny of the $3.50 price point; it's densely packed, and has NO ads. It also helps to have some mind-blowing artwork, and Shane has delivered this in a way that I've personally never seen before, or would have guessed possible, to be honest.

Watch for a preview of The Overman Book II at http://www.theovermancomic.com/ in a few days. We'll also unveil a new flash animation on the home page, which will feature glimpses of art from the second issue (which I promise will be even more shocking than the first issue).

Notes from the Field: What I Learned On The Way To The Finish Line!

I'm not out of the woods quite yet. I'm still finishing the last three pages of inks on BOOK V while BOOK I sits on a shelf somewhere other than Seattle.

It's true. The surrounding area has had delays what with the flooding and all on the main I-5 thorough fare. Nor did I receive contributor copies of the book. Essentially I have no thunder to steal and my race across the finish line holds no real glory as the finish line was moved 10 more miles down the road.

The last 10% takes 90% of the effort. Don't forget that.

Far be it for me to imbue infinite wisdom from my trials and tribulations on doing something I truly love, but as we all know or will learn; love kills. It's right up there with heart disease.

Rule One: Never set a deadline if you're not getting paid. No reason for it. Well...part of my reason was for my "sanity". I wanted to be finished with everything and start 2008 anew. Will that happen...it might, if I finish this entry and get back to the grind.

Rule Two: Do not hold down a full-time job and give yourself a deadline. Luckily I'm not working entirely full-time, but I thought I'd throw it anyway. Especially if your job pays a living wage. Comics is a career or a hobby, but you have to choose one.

Rule Three: Know when to let go of the details that someone else can handle. Scott's pulled some things around that I thought would not work and I had written them off. I know, bad form, mistrust...and all that but in the end it's about eat what's on your plate, learn to deligate, like it or not, at least it's getting done and always say thank you.

Rule Four: Be on top of your marketing so much so that it's as if you had planned it in tandem with the book. I think my efforts early on in this really helped set the path and we were able to keep adding to it along the way, building off a simple idea/concept and never straying. If you don't know how to market your book you'll have to learn pretty damn quick because no one will do it for you.

Rule Five: Never underestimate the power of friendship. Reaching out into the community in which you want to be accepted has paid of dearly in many ways. I've made good friends, great connections and oddly enough word of mouth is born from this and good impressions are infectious.

I could go on but I won't. I need to get back to it.

So if you've picked up Book I, write to us here, leave a comment tell us what you think. If you haven't please consider it, you may just surprise yourself how much you like it.

In terms of movies, you realize there are many genres of movies, right? And many film companies? I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who only watches action-movies from Warner Brothers. There are many good products outside of superheroes and outside of Marvel and DC, why not treat yourself and try something new?

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The Story Behind The Writing: The Beginning Of The End

We've been pantsed! There's a new review of The Overman #1 at http://www.comicpants.com/ You can go here to read it, or scroll down for the full review.

I hope you all had a chance to download Centuries In Metamorphosis, the exclusive online 'Making Of The Overman' that was available online for a brief 24 hours. We'll also have more online goodies to unveil next month, with the publication of the second issue. In the meantime, there's still time for you to buy The Overman #1, at your local comic shop. If you're new to comics, you can find your nearest comic shop by calling toll free 1-888-COMIC BOOK. Ask your comic shop if they carry The Overman, and if they don't...well, ask that they do.

From comicpants.com:

'That was one hell of an opener. The Overman is an imaginative read with plenty of characters and hints of more to come, but at its most basic, it's a science-fiction story about a greedy military corporation and a sentient ultimate weapon of mass destruction. It's full of touches that remind this reader of Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison and Alan Moore, from the demanding and clearly deranged naked psychic in a cage to direct-from-the-mind telepathic logs to a space station sized insane asylum. While the storytelling is reminiscent of the sci-fi flavor of the comic book British invasion, though, the artwork is pure '80s American comics, with influences seemingly including Mark Bright, John Byrne and Tom Mandrake. It's an unusual fusion, and the result is something new, a smart yet action-packed sci-fi series with some nice, foreboding promise in the hints of story to come.'

-- Randy Lander, Comicpants.com

The Story Behind The Writing: Centuries In Metamorphosis

We're just a few hours away from the official release of The Overman #1, from Image Comics! Mark your calendars for tomorrow, December 5th, as the first issue of this 5-issue mini-series will appear on comic shelves nationwide. To coincide with this publication date, we're releasing an exclusive, online art book entitled Centuries In Metamorphosis. This 19 page digital magazine is densely packed with never-before-seen preliminary art from The Overman, spanning back nearly 20 years of development, as well as preview art from the pages of upcoming issues. Download it here!

Centuries In Metamorphosis will only be available online for only 24 hours, so make sure you download your free copy during this brief window of opportunity. We'll be rolling out additional special online features each month, to help promote The Overman. We wouldn't ask you to support this work without getting something cool in return, so I hope you'll take a moment to download and distribute Centuries In Metamorphosis. It's our way of saying thanks for your continued interest in The Overman, as we count down the final hours until The End Of The Future!

The Overman Deemed Cool by Ain't It Cool

From http://www.aintitcool.com/:

"The year is 2135. It is the final year." Pretty ominous stuff and the first two issues of OVERMAN surely deliver the goods. It's a futuristic tale with things called servol-conns that transmit information and visions into its users, flying cars, futuristic sex fetishes, and half destroyed armored warriors. This book has more imagination in its first few issues than most books have in their entire series. Like the original STAR WARS, this book isn't about the futuristic stuff. The focus is on a story that happens to be functioning in this well thought out futuristic world. The spotlight is not on the tech, it's on developing the story. Told from different perspectives; that of a hired killer, a captive fetish sex addict/master criminal, and reawakened Russian armored warrior who is now a badly burned but super-powerful half man, this story is complex and intriguing from cover to cover. The art by Shane White is top notch as well reminding me of Darrick Robertson or Phil Winslade. This is a truly memorable and impressive debut series worth checking out."

You can find the review at: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34863

We've got something special in the works, for online release to coincide with The Overman #1, which arrives in comic shops December 5th. Watch for it!

The Story Behind The Writing: 22 Days Until The End Of The Future

With only 22 days left until the release of The Overman #1, I've been hard at work promoting this 5-issue sci-fi extravaganza everywhere I can. Yesterday I was a guest at the Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention, talking about The Overman and giving away some very cool cards featuring cover art from all 5 issues, along with tee-shirts featuring the mysterious Overman symbol. One of the great things about this project is the fact that Shane began the art nearly 2 years ahead of schedule, and will have the entire book completed sometime shortly after the first issue hits shelves on December 5th. Initial pre-orders for The Overman #1 are strong; a great sign that even though we're a new creative team, delivering an unknown product, many people out there seem to believe in this work as much as we do, and willing to give it a chance. We'll do everything possible to make sure that delivery is above and beyond anything you might have expected. A special thanks to Mark Waid, who offered his time to review the first 2 issues of The Overman. Go to the home page to see what he had to say about it.

The last major marketing push for The Overman will end in Mid-Ohio Con later this month. I'll have a table there talking to anyone willing to listen, about this 20-years in the making project that has finally materialized at Image Comics. It's been a long haul.

We'll have some FREE special items on the site next week, to coincide with the final countdown to The Overman #1, so make sure to check back soon. Among those items will be a sneak peek at the making of this mini-series, along with a few glimpses into future issues.

Notes from the Field: 30 Days of Night

A little over a month away and the veil of darkness will reveal all. If I wasn't so head down in my work, I'd be waiting with great anticipation and hope, but as it is, I'm running the last leg of this journey and surprisingly my pace is good.

In the past 3 days I managed to pencil 15 pages, and I still might be able to knock out two more tonight. It feels like I've been doing this all my life, and it's really become second nature. There's not too much I fear to draw at this point. Though I'm sure if I thought about it, jumping on a book with a lot of animals might raise the hackles on my neck. What's a hackle anyway?

Speaking of animals it reminds me about two years ago, early on in this process I met Bill Willingham, writer of Fables and Jack of Fables, at the Emerald City Comicon. He was coerced by an artist who knew him to take a look at my work. You could tell he was dreading it as he walked up to the table. He was pleasantly surprised and suggested I contact his editor to do a fill-in issue or something. I thanked him and he was gone.

Two things, 1) I really wasn't looking for work, and 2) he likes to write them pesky animals into his scripts. On my first pro book I didn't really want to fall flat on my face anyway. Soooo...I'll probably slowly start writing animals into my scripts. Actually I've got a yak and llama in an upcoming book, but that's another story. Regardless, I never contacted the editor. I figured if they liked my work then, there's a good chance they may like it later.

The reason I bring this up is that I've reached a point where professionals look at me as potentially capable. I never thought I'd get to that point, not like this anyway. I mean, I remember vividly when I started inking my stuff thinking, "I'll never be able to do this good enough." Eight years later...and I could see a semblance of consistency. I loved the learning, but it took dedication. So much in fact that I'm determined to keep doing things my way, and not "take a job" in the field as it were. I really do love this medium and I think with each effort, and added experience I get to grow in unpredictable ways. I just hope there's a publisher who thinks so too. Well here's the cover of the next BOOK. It seems soooo long ago...but really I remember how this starts solidifying the dangers that lurk for every one of our characters. I think out of all the covers this is one of my favorites...but there's on other that I like just as well coming up.

These are two sketches that I gave away...yeah for free! We're holding a contest for this here book each month we pick a winner and I send out the work...real simple. Go here to find out more.

Otherwise, that's it for now, sorry for the absence, Scott's been holding his own it seems. It's freaky seeing all these scripts that I remember reading sooo long ago.

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The Story Behind The Writing: The Overman at Newsarama!

There's a new interview published over at Newsarama this week, of Shane and I, conducted by Zack Smith. We talk about, what else--The Overman.

I've been proofing Book IV and V this week, and making plans to attend the Mid-Ohio Comicon, on Thanksgiving weekend. This will be our last public marketing push before the publication of The Overman #1 in December. While Shane is busy in Seattle pounding out pages, I'll be in Columbus, Ohio offering some free Overman stuff, along with a preview of this first issue for those 1 or 2 people left in the world who don't know about the book yet. I kid. There are actually millions. Did I mention the easy 'send to a friend' feature on our home page? You can help us reach the steaming masses by sending to your friend the following url: http://www.theovermancomic.com/ Perhaps we'll come up with some viral marketing blitz at the last minute, in an effort to prompt more click-thru's. People gotta have incentive.

In the meantime, I'm back to the old script archives, searching for something to post for this week's blog entry. This excerpt is from one of the early incarnations of The Overman, probably around 1990. As always, keep in mind these old scans are NOT representative of the current storyline, but should give readers an inside view of how The Overman has evolved over its many years of development.

The Story Behind The Writing: Journal 1990

It's hard to believe that The Overman has been a project that Shane and I began nearly two decades ago. As I'm sifting through the archives here, I came across one of my old journals, from 1990, most of which recounts my struggles as a young artist trying to build up a portfolio and resume, along with story concepts and the occasional frustration over whoever I was dating at the time. I'll spare you those details.

I thought this excerpt was somewhat telling, in that I mention the Gulf War, and that I apparently thought it was precursor to the end of the world. Throughout my life, I have had these thoughts; nightmares of nuclear Armageddon and wide-scale catastrophe. Much of my writing involves these themes, probably as a way for me to express these fears and, as a result, deal with them. High Strangeness, my first graphic novel, continually refers to the Atomic Bomb tests during the 1940's and later, drawing parallels between nuclear detonations as an alarm for distant, alien beings curious enough to start snooping on us. There are three instances of mushroom clouds erupting in that book, and I never consciously planned that. My current work, Champion Of A Lost Universe, also involves a desperate, though limited nuclear attack by the last surviving super hero; a last ditch effort to destroy his arch-enemies plans of world conquest. The rest of this mini-series is a downward spiral into disaster, and post-apocalypse survival.

The Overman is probably the peak of those fears, finally illustrated and depicted in a way that exaggerates those concepts beyond all expectations. I hope you are all ready for it, on December 5th.

The Story Behind The Writing: From The Archive

The Overman Book I is in the new issue of Previews, and we've got a nice full-page ad that should not only knock your socks off, but also prompt you to order a copy from your local comic shop. For retailers, that order code is OCT07 1968. It's really up to retailers to decide what comics they want to carry, and even though we have the support of Image Comics behind us 100%, we still need your help to make sure we're not overlooked in December. We know that The Overman is destined to be a hit, but the only way to make sure that happens is if you help us spread the word about this 5-issue mini-series and ask your local comic shop to carry it. As much as we've plastered this all over the web, it's really just the tip of the iceberg. Weighing in at 32 pages each issue, full color, and NO ads, The Overman should stand out nicely...especially with Shane's stunning, almost iconic-looking cover art. When we displayed a poster sized version of it at WizardWorld Chicago, I noticed that the image is totally recognizable even from a distance. The image of our main character, Nathan Fisher bursting out of an egg-shaped servol-conn unit summarizes the entire story, and is perfectly fitting as the cover of the first issue.

While I'm immersed in writing the follow-up to The Overman, I've been mining the dusty archives in search of anything that I might find useful to the sequel. It's a strange experience sifting through these old scripts, sketches and notes. Most of it dates back nearly 20 years. I'm not much of a pack rat, but for some reason I've always kept these papers stored safely away. I'm glad I did that, because now it gives me something to post here on the blog, while we count down the remaining days until The Overman #1 arrives. Keep in mind that these old script excerpts are NOT what you'll see in the comic; they are early drafts from many years ago, written by a very young and inexperienced writer.

This story has changed significantly over the years, in it's various incarnations. I'm finding that it's still evolving, right up to the very end of the creative process. This week, while proofing Book III, I was compelled to modify a few pages of dialogue. Shane and I have remained pretty diligent in this project, concentrated fully on 'getting it right'. So as much as I hate re-editing or re-writing, I know that all of this work must, in the end, serve the story. I should print that as a credo and tape it above my computer monitor.

The Story Behind The Writing: Bells, Whistles and Sequels

We've unveiled a new flash animation for the home page this week. This is a quick flash trailer that will change over the coming months, focusing on key events in each of the 5 books. You'll find new glimpses from the first issue, and for subsequent issues later on. Our plan is to continue evolving this site for visitors who either stumble upon it or come back to check out what's new in our Newsreel Blog. Most of this work has fallen to me, as Shane is immersed in actually drawing the books, as well as updating the blog with various production art.

I've added a 'send to a friend' feature, a self-explanatory tool that we hope you'll take advantage of. Word of mouth is essential in our efforts, and we're hoping that you're excited enough about The Overman to help us spread the word. Our mailing list is powered by a service called feedblitz, which converts the Newsreel blog RSS feed to html and then automatically emails it to you as soon as news appears. Yeah, we got all the latest gadgets here. Last but not least, I've placed a timer counting down the remaining days until The Overman #1 arrives in comic shops December 5th. It does a couple of things: A. Creates a sense of urgency. B. May possibly cause Shane a nervous breakdown.

Other than some minor editing duties, I'm mostly waiting in the wings while Shane's pencil, brush and photoshop mastery brings the script to life. When the site isn't keeping me busy, I'm hard at work writing the sequel, which will exist for the time being as a novel. The Overman began in novel form, so it's appropriate that the follow-up is created in the same way. I felt that if I charged ahead and just wrote a comic script, it would lose something important and unique; an element that can only exist in novel form and extracted later for a comic adaptation. The writing process involved with The Overman was more extensive than anything I've attempted before, but well worth that effort. I found myself continuously boiling down the novel into its core components, trimming out the fat and focusing on what makes this story so compelling to me in the first place. Even though the sequel will be very different from its predecessor, I want to make sure to capture that same vibe and storytelling 'rhythm'. Anyway, that's my current feeling about the process. I 'MAY' unveil this sequel online, in weekly increments once The Overman concludes next year, depending on how I feel about everything, and the level of interest in seeing a follow-up. A lot of factors to consider, although in the end it really comes down to a personal choice. I've never been one to create comics based on what I think the market will support, but rather on what I would like to read, as a comics fan.



Scott Reed

http://www.websbestcomics.com/

Notes from the Field: Ad Nauseum

Back again with a small installment. Our book will be in this months Diamond Previews from the looks of it. That means retailers will be able to order our book for December. But what if they don't order it?

If you're reading this that means you should tell them. Never assume they'll order what you want. Especially something that's not easy to categorize as The Overman. Yeah it's sci-fi, but it's also action, noir, and so on. That being said if you're not reading this, we'll have ads in other Image books. To start we have this introduction ad that should be appearing before and during the release of Book One.

This will hopefully give you the sense of what the series proposes it will be. It's not your typical character in your face ad. In fact there are no characters on it. Yet there are human elements to connect with...except you probably have no idea what's like floating dead in outer space. Which means if you're reading this you have definitely not had that experience.

Once the book is to market and we're well into our 5 book run, then hopefully Image agrees to put this ad in their books as a follow-up.


Notice the lack of the title? We hope by now that the symbol will have done it's job and made you familiar with the graphic, what it means, and what it's connected to. We also put a URL to help you further your investigation of the mystery. The tagline is the same, so now we have context to who the hired killer is.

Oddly enough when shown to someone they did say, "Why would I want to buy a comic if I know the guy fails?" If they were to think about it a little more, there are so many more interesting ways to fail, thus so many different endings to stories. It's the journey that is most interesting.

Hopefully these ads do affect those who see them. Because by all accounts if we fail at this I can tell you our ending will be an unremarkable cascade of tears.


So do your part to stop grown men from crying, order The Overman today.



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Notes from the Field: The Interview Process I

First podcast from the AROUND COMICS crew (it's about 24min in)!

Second one from WORDBALLOON (it's about 54min)!

These are from Wizard World Chicago 2007. You can hear us trying to get our bearings straight on how to tell people about the book without telling everything!

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Notes from the Field: Fighting Wizards and the Gastronomicon

Barely surviving Wizard World Chicago comic convention I'm trying to get back in action. During the show I was able to finish the thumbnails on Book V. Needless to say seeing the makings of the last page of story that I'll be drawing for The Overman gave me a strong moment of pause.

The ending that was so elusive to us after all these years was there scribbled in a way that I alone knew what was going on. I mentioned to Scott how a wave of sadness came over me. Oddly enough I think he knew exactly what I was talking about.

The show wrecked me.


I lost sleep because of the 2 hour time difference and having to get up at 3:45 the day of my flight. I got up early Chicago time to hit the gym and continued depriving myself here and there not sure what time zone I was in. When the show came around it was just one big blur of everything I was too familiar with. Except this time Scott was there helping to spread the warning that The Overman was coming. I think we would have had better luck wearing those sandwich boards over our head ringing a bell warning people, "The End of the World is Nigh!".

I've never just promoted a book at a show. One thing is for sure, it's empty and slow. I think the people who took the time to see it, really enjoyed it. And those who did not will remember it regardless.

It wasn't a total loss I got to hang with my friends and I really enjoyed that quite a bit. Cef, Pav and Beth were kind enough to embark on challenging journey to Blackbird on my first night in. What a wonderful restaurant with such a distinguished menu to boot. I didn't think I'd find anything like it outside of Seattle. It took my snobbishness down a peg or too.

As for hanging out with Scott. Nothing's changed...well maybe nothing. We still manage to annoy the hell out of each other, make each other laugh ridiculously and find a bit of that youthful brashness that has made our relationship unique. In the end we're very different people, while we respect each other's skill we certainly have different ideas about where our futures lie.

Well...gotta get back to it...two more books call...and then I'll finally be done with this journey.

=s=

WizardWorld Chicago Re-Cap

At WizardWorld Chicago last weekend, I spent 3 days talking about The Overman. In doing so, I discovered that after all this time, there are still new things about this story that I hadn't noticed before, or chose to set aside in favor of getting across a central theme. That theme once resonated with quotes from Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, a book I carried around with me everywhere, years ago when I lived in Pittsburgh as an art student. Nietzsche promised Man is something that must be overcome, 'God is Dead' and that humanity was merely an intermediary between animal and the Overman.

Nietzsche's Overman has had various interpretations. It is commonly recognized as the German translation of a superhuman. I usually equated this to the concept of some new chapter in human evolution, an indefinable zone where Mankind discards human weakness in exchange for something new and better. My use of The Overman in this story is conceptual and not really connected to Nietzsche in the truest sense, or to an individual character. I didn't bother trying to explain any of this over the weekend, and for good reason. I realized then, perhaps for the first time, that The Overman is a story about endings and beginnings, and the symbol embedded within the title summarizes the story without any need for deeper explanation.
The concept continues to resonate for me. I still get that foreboding sense of impending, yet indefinable metamorphosis, as I'm writing the sequel. I'm still reaching out to capture The Overman, in it's truest form.

Shane and I have been connected through this project for nearly 20 years. Yesterday evening we were on the phone for a few minutes, still weary from the rigors of WWC, but discussing a few business matters related to the book. My wife Melissa later joked that he and I are like an old married couple, forced to get along for the sake of the kid. Together, Shane and I have watched our 'kid' grow past it's precocious stages and into the fully matured comic previewed at the convention. To sum up our relationship, Shane turned to me at one point during the show, and said as though a stunning revelation, "I absolutely hate you" in reference to some creative hurtle I'd thrown down for him in the script. We have somehow mastered the art of abusive, deadpan humor whenever we are in the same room together. It takes years of practice.

Reactions to The Overman at Chicago were astoundingly positive, and I want to thank everyone who stopped by to chat, or take the time to preview the first issue, arriving in comic shops everywhere the first week of December.

Warn others.

Scott Reed

http://www.websbestcomics.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Overman at WizardWorld Chicago!

FAREWELL TO THE FUTURE
The Future Ends This December

A final vision of the future is revealed in THE OVERMAN, a 5-issue science fiction mini-series event from Image Comics, written by Scott Reed and illustrated by Shane White.

"The story is a stark and direct manifesto of the future," says writer, Scott Reed "It's set in a neo-deco futuristic Pittsburgh, and begins much like a detective story. The plot escalates beyond that, into something surreal and incredibly devastating."

Hired killer Nathan Fisher stumbles upon a vast, cryptic plot to merge Mankind with a bio-mechanical species, a scheme that could result in the total enslavement of Earth and beyond. Risking everything, and skirting the edge of madness, Nathan must somehow find a way to stop the mastermind behind this apocalyptic goal; a powerful corporation called Omakon, and their ancient, perverse president, Arnold Reitch.

Fans attending WizardWorld Chicago can get a sneak peek at the first chapter of The Overman, August 10-12th at booth #5206.

THE OVERMAN #1, a 32-page comic with a cover price of $3.50, will be available for order in the October issue of Previews and will go on sale December. For more information, please see http://www.theovermancomic.com/.

Notes from the Field: Screaming from Soapboxes

So...we come to that point in the marketing where we will be officially going public with our intention to publish The Overman. Not that it was ever in doubt, but this will be the kick-off of us being equal to a ringmaster of sorts, touting our wares as the next best thing to sliced bread. I don't think IMAGE has a booth here, and that's fine because we've supplied you a map!

Come witness the End of the Future at WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO table #5206.

We'll have a preview of the first book, many items for sale and a few to give away. The goal is to get you familiar with our work and to establish good networks of people excited about our project.

We hope to see you there.

Stay tuned for more announcements.

=s=

Notes from the Field: Marketing Arm

Despite what anyone thinks marketing is a necessary evil. Worse yet is usually marketing is outside of the busines that actually needs them, so there is bound to be things lost in translation.

From my point of view I see marketing as an entity that knows the tools and tips to getting your product out there into the hands of the right people. Oftentimes, especially in games, it can be frustrating to see a game that has been labored on sometimes by a 100 people or more over 2 years, get reduced down to a really crappy marketing idea. I believe the main complaint from the developer of the product is that the outside marketing team "doesn't get it". They have no idea what the game is about, and they went with the lamest hook they could come up with.

There are those rare moments though when marketing has done it's due diligence. That whole Civil War banner thing that Marvel put out...you know the one..."I'm with...'put your favorite noun here'? Simple, identifiable and viral. Everyone would like to claim to be viral in their marketing...and often have whole campaigns that are 'viral' but it's not viral if it doesn't spread like wildfire. It's all wishful thinking at best.

So for the past few months we've done our best to create a presence with our banner ads on many forums and we've offered hosted banners to help boost this effort. But it's not sticky enough to take hold. We've yet to find that sticky factor lest we lose sight of our goal. Namely to get the word of The Overman out there, and to get people to sample our book.

On Comicspace I'm running a CONTEST where we'll draw a name at the end of each month and give away art. I update the bulletins every so often to catch the eye of a passerby on the public bulletin section in hopes of getting more people to include us in their 'FAVS' list. It too is not taking off like wildfire...but our viewing numbers are up to 1500+ views of the preview pages. What more could we ask for given that it's all free?



That being said...here's a print ad that will be appearing soon in the backs of other Image titles.




Let me know what you think.

=s=

Notes from the Field: Developmentalist

Here again with a series of unused development art. This is the stuff that kept me up at night early on. How best to represent The Overman? Scott and I have played tennis with these ideas over the past two years and it's interesting to see the evolution of thought.

For whatever reason some ideas like the austere open approach with the above piece struck a chord with me. The only problem was I wasn't sure where it would go for 5 issues but before I thought any more of it...Scott clipped it's wings. Personally I think this would be such a unique look that people would take notice.

So then the more literal stuff came into play. It's a sci-fi noir, how best to show it. Let's have a detective element to it...but then again Nathan isn't your typical detective. Again, while it was a good exercise, it didn't grab anyone. Wished I could have found out in the pencil stage.

You do realize there are covers I cannot show?

Mainly because they reveal too much of the story or they reveal a character that we want to keep ominous. There's some good ones in there but I know Scott would but the kibosh on it...and for good reason.

This was an exercise in literal subtlety. The idea here was to make the cover the exact moment before the first panel in the book. Many people didn't see the intrigue I was shooting for. An alternate version of this image ended up becoming the backcover, and thus gave me an idea.

The backcovers reflect a moment that the character on the front cover had just before something significant happen. I was hoping that by the time the reader was done the book and saw that image they'd reflect on the moment in time that the event was taking place and then realize, "Oh...that's before all hell broke loose!"

Here's an early mocked up poster idea to get the feel across and to give a little inspirato to both of us. I think it was quickly forgotten as soon as the email was sent/open. While it's a fun image, it really looked nothing like Omakon...and I wasn't about to spend several weeks recreating it accurately.

I'll dig around the archives a little more and see what else comes up. In the meantime check us out on MYSPACE.

=s=

Notes from the Field: Covering it all! Part II

If you couldn't tell by now this is just a small sample of the agony of designing that first issue cover. Even now I'm struggling with covers for 4 and 5 and have yet to slow down this inevitable process. More times than not, having Scott's input on a cover idea is much more rewarding.

Our working relationship as such is one of those rare instances where the other person provides and excellent springboard. Usually that springboard is so out-of-whack that it makes the other rethink their initial idea or abandon it completely. It's all about one-up-manship, and I think we're lucky to have that.

Anyway, enough of my yakking...let's get to the art.

The psychology of a cover is important to us. We strive to capture key moments that add to the story and make you reconsider what is going on in the scene. It's the kind of covers that we like to see that grab our attention that we're most passionate about making. From concept, composition to color it all plays a role in attracting you the reader like a bee to pollen.

=s=