Alakazam Signing + Poaching the Duce

The final issue of Ides of Blood comes out on January 19.  On this very date, I will be magically appearing for a brief period of time to sign at Alakazam Comics in Irvine.

Date: January 19

Time: 4-6 P.M.

Place: Alakazam Comics
University Center
4237 Campus Drive, Ste. B162
Irvine, CA 92612

Also, I saw this on Christian Duce's blog and decided I wanted one for mine, too. 

Issue 5 Review

http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/12/ides-of-blood-5/

"Without a doubt, this is the most under-rated title on the stands right now. I so hope this gets traded so more people can experience its awesomeness."

“Fantastic from beginning to end!”

Here is another podcast from the fine, upstanding and highly intelligent gentlefellows of discerning taste at Wildstorm Addiction in which they review Ides of Blood #4.

http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/12/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-20/

Peer Pimpery

Here is what the esteemed writer of Batman Beyond, Hench, WildC.A.T.S. and Killapalooza has to say about Ides of Blood.

“Read ‘Ides of Blood’ before the inevitable blockbuster movie is made of it...Because however cool the movie will be, it won’t be nearly as cool as this book.”
-Adam Beechen

Ides of Blood #5 on sale now!

The penultimate chapter in the series sees the return of the Soothsayer and the revelation of the Pluto's Kiss Killer's true identity!

Belated Issue 3 review

http://www.lost-man.com/?p=1270

Summary: Another action packed issues of Roman vampires. This is vampire story done correctly.

Ides of Blood #4 on sale today!

 The fourth issue of Ides of Blood is now on sale.  Here are some of the things people have been saying about the series.

“This comic is kicking major @$$!!!”

-Wildstorm Addiction

 “Masterful”

-Lost in Reviews

 “A+”

-Comic Revolution

“Sheer audacity”

-Newsarama

 “Original”

-Ain’t It Cool News

 “A great read!”

-Lost Man

“Fantastic.”

-Graphic Policy

“Rating: 10/10”

-Comic Book Bin

“A thrilling mystery encompassing politics, scandal and murder.”

-Fangoria

“I would have never thought I would be even reading Ides of Blood, let alone loving it.”

-Newsarama

“One of the best vampire comics that has come out lately. Hands down better than Curse of the Mutant.”

-Lost Man

 “Topped off with great writing and gorgeous art, this is a series that shouldn’t be ignored even if you’ve exhausted your taste for vampire stories.”

-Comic Revolution

 “It’s an intelligent story that meets all the requirements of a superb graphic novel/sequential art offering.”

-Comic Book Bin

“If I had to pick a portion of the comic that could have been better, it simply could have been longer.”

-Platform Nation

“There’s a new comic that’s making waves in the comic book world - and that comic would be Ides of Blood.”

-vampires.com

“Mr. Paul, you have so uncuted the pouty emoness of star quality vampirism.”

-Thousand Faced

Ides of Blood #4 on sale November 15

Where else can you find undead cockfighting, Dacian LSD, fiery crucifixion and chariot battles for less than the cost of a Frappuccino?  Read the series that my mom calls "cute" and Great Caesar's ghost decries as, "A pack of damn dirty lies." 

An Extremely Succinct Post Regarding Comic Bug Signing

I will be in the South Bay for a signing at the Comic Bug next week to promote the release of Ides of Blood #4.

The Comic Bug
1807 1/2 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Wednesday, November 17
5:00 - 8:00 P.M.

Rate Ides of Blood at Amazon.com

Dear Readers,

If you are one of the highly intelligent people who not only purchased or stole but also read issues 1, 2 and/or 3 of Ides of Blood, I offer you salutations and congratulations on your awesomeness.  If you furthermore enjoyed the comic, now would be an excellent time to tell the Internet about it.  I humbly beseech you, dear reader, to click over to Amazon.com and write a review of Ides of Blood.  I know, it's annoying.  I probably wouldn't do it either--unless I wanted ETERNAL HAPPINESS!!!

That's right--if you write a 5 star review, I, Stuart C. Paul, guarantee that you will NEVER EXPERIENCE ANYTHING LESS THAN ABSOLUTE ECSTASY AND JOY FOR THE REST OF ALL TIME.  Hell, even if you thought it was a steaming pile of postmodern decadence, go tell everyone in full and lurid detail how this comic made you throw up, insulted your mother and gave your dad AIDS.

Issue 1

Issue 2

Issue 3


And yes, you read that right. Issue #1 is selling for sixteen cents in Amazon marketplace.  According to math, if I can get a used copy of The Shining for a penny, then Ides of Blood is SIXTEEN TIMES MORE VALUABLE THAN STEPHEN KING'S MASTERPIECE!
No, seriously, I'd really appreciate it if you gave Ides a good rating and review.  Good word of mouth is everything in comics.

Ides of Blood #3 Podcast

Those fine gentlemen at Wildstorm Addiction have posted another podcast where they review issue 3 and tell you why you would be a fool not to be reading Ides of Blood.

http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/10/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-18/

Ides of Blood #3 Review

Gotta say, Mr. Soliz is quickly becoming one of my favorite people...

http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/10/ides-of-blood-3/

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Joe David Soliz

 

 

“Fangs, Romans, Countrymen” (No Spoilers)
Writer: Stuart C. Paul
Pencils: Christian Duce
Colors: Christian Duce
Letters: Johnny Lowe
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Shannon Eric Denton & Scott Peterson
Cover: Michael Geiger
 
This comic is kicking major @$$!!! It’s so refreshing to be reading a creator-owned work that this hitting it on all cylinders!

One thing I instantly appreciated about this issue is that I was able to finally grasp which characters were present and what their names were. Don’t misunderstand; this was not by Stuart Paul’s error in earlier issues at all. It’s just that this is such a dense comic I was getting lost with all the characters presented. Plus the fact that some of the Roman names of people and places are hard to pronounce here. But Paul does a great job of allowing us to recognize each of the characters and their roles now. For example, Anthony, the former friend of our main character Valen’s shows how truly brutal he can be. The opening scene between Anthony and Valen’s was highly cringe-inducing.





Remember how I’ve described this as Gladiator with vampires? Well, Stuart Paul is taking that premise and had so much fun with it in this issue. Imagine the scene with Russell Crowe in Gladiator where he first fights in a match and the colorful characters he’s matched up against. Now imagine those opponents are monstrous that are super strong and super fast. That’s the setting for the awesome battle Valens has during the course of this issue. Artist Christian Duce does an incredible job of illustrating some of these creatures and making an extremely action-packed and intense confrontation.




Stuart Paul has also done an excellent job of creating great dialogue and this issue is no exception. I did notice that Paul had more fun with the dialogue this issue. It seems as if he’s getting more comfortable in telling this story and how each character delivers their lines. The great dialogue mixed with amazing action made this one of the most fun reads I’ve picked up.

Even though the news of Wildstorm shutting down is sad, it’s great to see such a superb comic being one of the last to be printed under the imprint. Both Stuart Paul and Christian Duce are going to be sought after creators from here on out. And for those of you who are not checking out Ides of Blood now, you will be when these two guys make names for themselves. Mark my words!

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

Ides of Blood #3 in stores today

I know, it's been a long month.  You've been checking off the days on your calendar, anxiously awaiting the release of issue 3.  You slumber fitfully, visions of vampire sugar plum fairies dancing in your head.  Upon awaking, you run into the living room.  Your heart plunges as you see the cookies and milk you left out for Caesar Claus are untouched. 

With every moping step you take, the spirit of Christmas dies a little bit more.  By and by, you notice a wetness soaking into the fabric of your footie pajamas.  You look down to discover Caesar Claus has left you a gift: your parents desanguinated corpses under the Tree. 

Before you can scream, you spy something hanging over the fireplace--an issue of Ides of Blood #3 curled up in your stocking.  Your eyes fill with the spirit of Christmas and you reach for the comic, anxious to learn what has become of Valens since being captured by Antony at the end of the last issue. 

Alas, you will never learn, for your parents have become vampires and they kill you and drink your blood.

The moral of the story: don't wait two months to buy Ides of Blood #3 or your parents will become vampires and murder you.  Buy it TODAY!

Ides of Blood #3 Preview

Here are a few teaser pages for Ides of Blood #3, in stores October 20.  It is my pleasure to introduce you to the esteemed Mr. Duce, not only a brilliant line artist but our new colorist for the remainder of the series.  

As the below pages indicate, in this issue, the ass-kicking to dialogue ratio in issue 3 falls heavily on the side of ass-kicking.

Un-cuting the pouty emo-ness of vampires!

Here's a new review of Ides of Blood #1 and #2 plus an interview.

http://lostinreviews.com/2010/10/ides-of-blood-1-2/

Ides of Blood #2 Podcast Review

A very gratifying review from the Wildstorm Addiction guys.  There was a bit of confusion regarding a few characters.  I'd hoped to rectify it in the lettering by having characters address one another by name, but simply did not have the opportunity to do so before the issue went to press.  I hope to fix it for the TPB.

I particularly appreciate them defending Valens's violence against women.  For the record, Valens slapping Octavia juxtaposed with Antony performing the same action reflects how Valens has lowered himself to Antony's level.  Sometimes when you're a vampyre who's been framed for the murder of your boss in Ancient Rome and your ex-girlfriend calls you nasty names, you do politically incorrect things.

Plus the ho was asking for it.

http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/09/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-15/

Orange County Ides of Blood Signing

A quick reminder that in a mere thirteen and one half hours, I shall be appearing, either holographically or in person, at Hi De Ho Comics in Laguna Beach to sign copies of Ides of Blood #1 and #2.


Saturday October 2nd at 2:00
Hi De Ho Comics
350 Broadway Street
Laguna Beach, CA 92651


Something about tacos. 

Another Ides of Blood #2 Review

http://www.lost-man.com/?p=974&cpage=1#comment-400

The War Chicken Cometh

Today, the new kid on the block, DC Entertainment, announced that the old kid on the block, Wildstorm, will be closing.  I am told this will not affect Ides of Blood and we will get to finish our six-issue run.  In the meantime, I scavenged this post from Wildstorm's blog.

Ides of Blood #5 - most metal comic book cover of the year?

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

By Austin Trunick

Please pause a moment, if you will. I want to take a moment and admire just how metal this cover is. Check out the sizes of that axe and hammer. Scope that dude’s beard an pony tail. The vampire lady on the right is just covered in tattoos. I’d put money on that wolf being possessed. In the background a man appears to have been crucified and set on fire. I’m not sure yet why there’s a chicken on a chain, but my guess is that it’s some sort of war chicken and it’s readying for battle.

Hi De Ho Signings

I will be appearing briefly, possibly wearing a cape, at both Hi De Ho Comics locations to sign copies of Ides of Blood and submit myself to the fickle whims of the mob.

Saturday September 25th at 2:00
Hi De Ho Comics
525 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401

And for those residing in the county of Orange...

Saturday October 2nd at 2:00
Hi De Ho Comics
350 Broadway Street
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Bring the kids!  Make them use their allowance to buy comics!

Ides of Blood #2 Review

A very nice review from grifter78 below.  Here is a link to the original page: http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/09/ides-of-blood-2/ 

 

“Beware the Ides of March” (No Spoilers)

Writer: Stuart C. Paul
Pencils: Christian Duce
Colors: Carlos Badilla
Letters: Johnny Lowe
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Shannon Eric Denton
Cover: Michael Geiger

Stuart C. Paul and Christian Duce deliver another beautiful issue in this intriguing mini-series. Paul’s writing is flawless and Duce’s art continues to be amazing as we get arguably one of the most unique takes on one of the most infamous assassinations in history.



Paul’s skills as a writer shine here as the pacing is excellent. He is able to pack so much story into these issues so far that I really feel like I’m getting my money’s worth reading this comic. In a 32-page comic that only has 22-pages of actual story (standard because of the ads) you feel like you get twice as much story. I’d liken it to what Adam Beechen is doing over in Wildcats.
Don’t think this means Christian Duce is doing nothing but drawing small panels. The layout sizes vary enough to keep it visually interesting; including an awesome full-page shot of Valens and Caesar. There are also some great action pieces especially towards the end where some of the scenes are very superhero-like. Duce is also able to capture the desperation in those final pages as we end with a great cliffhanger.



It’s obvious Paul has done his research as he inserts various ideas surrounding the assassination of Caesar such as the “Ides of March” and omens like the two-headed calf being born. It’s amazing how much mythos has been built around this historical event. It’ll leave you wanting to head to Wikipedia to read up on all the details he’s inserted in the story.

I’m afraid this comic is going to fall under the radar for most people. I know money is tight for a lot of people but if you’ve got that one title you’ve wanted to drop, do it and add Ides of Blood to your pull. It’s only 6 issues and with what we’ve gotten so far, I anticipate that it will be a solid read all the way through. Give it a try if you’ve been on the fence about it. It’s worth the read!

9 out of 10 (Excellent!)

Tales from the Parents' Basement Interview

Here is another interview I did with some sporting fellows at Tales from the Parents' Basement.  They even let me choose the ending song.  After much deliberation, I chose "0" by John Frusciante and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez!

http://talesfromtheparentsbasement.com/?p=528

Issue 2 out now + Wildstorm Addiction Interview

Ides of Blood #2 hits shelves today.  All your burning questions will get infected and need to be lanced by a doctor of dubious reputation.  Is Ione the Pluto's Kiss Killer?  Will Valens beware the Ides of March?  Will Antony say something misogynistic?  How did Romans heat their homes in the winter? 

The second issue is when we really need your support to keep Ides going strong, so as always, buy Buy BUY!  If a dog gets in your way, kick it into the street.  If a baby blocks your path, shoot it in the face.  If a twitchy-eyed hobo in blackface that smells of Peppermint Schnapps asks you for some change, say, "Go get a job, you chaff of society!  I'm saving my money for Ides of Blood!"  (Be sure and include the italics.  Hobos are confused and terrified by italics.)

Also, those plebian ne'er-do-wells at Wildstorm Addiction have posted a podcast interview I did with them earlier this month.  Click and listen to me wax fooliquent about comics and movies and things.

http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/09/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-14/

4,560

Thank you to the estimated 4,560 people who bought Ides of Blood #1 (well, probably more like 4,540 if you subtract my mom and mother-in-law).  I hope you enjoyed it and will pick up issue #2 when it comes out on Wednesday.  If you didn't enjoy it, pick up Issue #2 anyway.  Suffering builds character.

Dear Robert

This blog post goes out to a very special young man named Robert who was in attendance at last night's 70mm screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Egyptian.  As you can see from my bio at the right, 2001 is one of my favorite films.  The bombastic opening score is probably the greatest opening credit sequence of any film ever.  Its scope is unequaled.  It has the greatest match cut in the history of cinema when the austrilopithicus throws the bone up into the air and it cuts to the space shuttle in the future.  The shot of the pen floating in zero-gravity is one of the simplest and best special effects I've ever seen.  HAL 9000 is one of the most tragic and sympathetic villains ever created for film, and he's nothing but a red lightbulb.  It is an epic expression of evolution as an act of cosmic intercourse.  The entire film is visually magnificent, but anyone who's seen the film knows that Kubrick saved the real mindblowing stuff for the end.  Made in 1968, it should come as no surprise that it has been described as an acid trip.

Unfortunately for everyone in the attendance, a young man named Robert decided to take the comparison literally.  Right after the crazy light show zaps Dave Bowman into the monolith's metaphysical Baroque-style womb, Robert screamed something to effect of, "It's Stanley Kubrick!  Nobody better be sleeping!" 

The audience elicited a few groans of annoyance and confusion.  Perhaps the guy sitting next to Robert had fallen asleep.  2001 is a long, sparse movie.  It's not crazy to think someone had begun to nod off.  But then good old Robert, bless his soul, just wouldn't shut up.  He stood up, raising his arms about as he addressed someone--whether the screen, his fellow audience members or some warped Kubrickian vision of dancing monkeymen, I cannot say--by screaming, "Speak!"  Perhaps this was a commentary on the lack of dialogue taking place Beyond the Infinite in the film's final reel.

Robert was told to sit down, to shut up, to watch the film.  He did none of these things.  More drug-addled ranting ensued.  There were cries of, "You're all just like me!" and "What were we doing before we took drugs?!"  People offered their critique from the sidelines: "Go get a glass of water."  "Calm down, man.  It's almost over." "He's an asshole."  "He's not an asshole; he's just on drugs." 

Soon, the manager arrived, and told Robert in no uncertain terms to vacate the theater.

This appeared to terrify poor Robert.

A physical struggle ensued as the manager and his friends unsuccessfully tried to get Robert out of the theater.  As things began to die down, I went to the bathroom.  When I came out, I saw a dozen LAPD officers charging into the theater.  I ran down along the side to try and get a glimpse of them taking Robert away, but alas, they had already vanished him away by the time I got back to the theater floor.

I'm sure that Robert was quite surprised hours later when he found himself in jail watching youtube videos of his freakout.  I'm sure he is normally a very nice fellow when he's not on drugs.  So Robert, thank you for a memorable filmgoing experience.  Next time you want to drop acid and watch a Kubrick movie, do us all a favor and chain yourself to a radiator in your apartment instead of interrupting one of the greatest movies of all time.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkHeI7qKRPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TgDCbXv_UY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxViLpD7MGE&feature=related

Epilogue 9/12/10:  I was at the Egyptian again earlier tonight for a screening of Kubrick's disavowed first film, Fear and Desire, when another theatergoer informed me that after dragging him outside, the police tazed out dear Robert a goodly number of times.  Five was the number, and the number was five.  I kind of feel sorry for the poor, electrified bastard.

My First Podcast

So, for better or worse, my voice has been digitally recorded and placed on the internet by the Pop Culture Network.  In the history of personal firsts, my first podcast ranks somewhere above the excitement of my first cheese omelette and somewhere below my first upside-down rollercoaster.  Sort of on par with my first pony ride. 

Click here to hear what I would sound like as a gay robot version of Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons!!!

Fangoria Interview

Here is an excerpt from an interview I did with Jorge Solis.  Through the magic of hyperlinks, you can read the full thing on Fangoria's website by clicking here. 

FANG: With the first issue now on stands, what can readers expect in the upcoming issues?

 
PAUL: Valens has been warned, and in the next issue [out September 15; cover art pictured right], the Ides of March are coming! In addition to lots of intrigue and action unlike anything you have ever seen, we’re going to see the home of the vampire rebellion; go on a Dacian acid trip; learn about the Dracul’s role in the origin of vampires; find out why Valens is so loyal to Caesar; witness an appearance by Van Helsing; find out what Brutus’ master plan is after Caesar is dead; and discover the true identity of the Pluto’s Kiss Killer. We’ll also get vampire STD’s; vampire gladiator cage matches; more Soothsayer bug-eating goodness; crucified bodies used as weapons; insidious Egyptian necromancy; cruelty against animals; swords inserted into various orifices; and yes…vampire cockfighting.

Making Waves

http://www.vampires.com/ides-of-blood informs me that Ides of Blood is "making waves" in the comic world.  I've been doing a lot of research into Japanese history lately, which probably explains why the first thing I thought of in regards to that statement was whether to take it from the point of view of the Japanese or the Mongols.  Way back in the day, Kublai Khan and his Mongol super navy were sailing over to Japan for some good old-fashioned conquering when a kamikaze, meaning divine wind, created a tsunami that sank the Mongol fleet.  A very good turn of events if you're Japanese.  Not so much if you're a Mongol.  [Writer deletes rest of paragraph containing Comic Khan pun lest he is forced to seppuku himself.  Best stop with the whole divine wind analogy before it stretches any thinner.]  Anyway, I'll assume making waves is a good thing.  It's certainly preferable to drowning so quietly that nobody notices.


I also direct you to www.chupacabras.com.  Not for any particular reason other than it exists.

Is Stu a Jew???

So, today my mother called me up.  "Hello, Jewboy!"

This is not how my mom usually starts conversations.  Prior to today, I had always assumed that my hereditary makeup was a solid 50% dirty Pollock, 50% Anglo-Saxon stew.  However, it seems that while doing some geneological research, my mother discovered that her grandparents may have in fact been no common five-and-dime Polish immigrants but in fact Polish Jews.  Whether or not Polish Jews count as real Jews, I cannot say until I consult one of the local rabbis.

Semitic semantics aside, the mere possibility that my blood, DNA and other biological components do indeed contain traces of Eastern European Judaism leftover despite three generations of vigorous Polish-American crossbreeding, certainly makes one think.  Does it all begin to make sense?  Has the missing component that is my self-actualization fallen into place like a dradle-shaped puzzle piece?  Let us examine the evidence for and against my new racial revelation.


EVIDENCE EXHIBIT A
I have been graced with a proud and sturdy nose, the profile of which bears uncanny similarities to Mt. Sinai.

TEAM JEW 1, TEAM GENTILE 0

EVIDENCE EXHIBIT B
This is my system for keeping financial records.

TEAM JEW 1, TEAM GENTILE 1


EVIDENCE EXHIBIT C
My wife and I live in a predominately Jewish neighborhood.  Shortly after we moved in, we went to this restaurant called Milk 'n' Honey.  After all, I like milk; I like honey.  What could go wrong?  Little did I know that a Kosher dairy restaurant serves absolutely no meat whatsoever.  I thought I could at least get a Kosher Dodgerdog or something.  Fine, I'm retarded.  Whatever.

I ended up ordering the mushroom burger.  You can imagine my chagrin when my meal arrived and I discovered that my mushroom "burger" contained no meat at all.  It was a hamburger bun with mushrooms inside.  To which I replied, "What is this crap?  This isn't a mushroom burger!  Burgers have meat!  This is a mushroom sandwich, damn you!  I don't care if you're a Kosher dairy restaurant.  If it says burger on the menu, then by gum, I expect some dead animal flesh in my face!"

Epilogue: I did get the restaurant to take the burger off the bill, so one could argue this is a point for Team Jew, but if I was really good, I would have gotten the whole meal for free.

TEAM JEW 1 1/2, TEAM GENTILE 2

EVIDENCE EXHIBIT D
It doesn't mean what it once did in the days of wandering in the desert for forty years and locking your wife up in a broom closet for menstruating, but I am circumcised.  We'll make this worth half-a-point.

TEAM JEW 2, TEAM GENTILE 2

So, the score is tied 2-2.  Is Stu a Jew?  It's up to YOU!  Leave a comment to vote and determine whether I'm allowed to tell Holocaust jokes without shame!

Pimpsauce

Thanks to Austin at Wildstorm for putting some excerpts from various Ides of Blood reviews onto the Wildstorm blog and twitter feed.

http://wildstorm.blog.dccomics.com/2010/08/30/raves-for-ides-of-blood-1/

2 More Reviews

Thanks to everyone who came out to my signing this weekend.  There are two more Ides of Blood reviews up at Fangoria and Platform Nation.

http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1872:ides-of-blood-1-comic-review&catid=54:comics-reviews&Itemid=185

http://www.platformnation.com/2010/08/29/ides-of-blood-review/

Bullzeye Interview

There's a new interview with me up at Bullzeye.com where I talk about all things Ides of Blood, including my explanation of why I chose to use modernized dialogue and the possibility of a feature film.  Plus John DeLancie tells a story about fly feces and an obscure mention of a couple short films I wrote in college.

http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/08/28/a-chat-with-stuart-paul-creator-of-dc-wildstorms-ides-of-blood/

Meltdown Signing Confirmed

 

http://www.meltcomics.com/blog/2010/08/27/signing-stuart-paul-writer-of-ides-of-blood-saturday-august-27th-3pm-5pm/idesofblood_meltdown_signing/

Wildstorm Addiction Podcast

I had a great time recording an interview with Wildstorm Addiction earlier today.  The recording will be up sometime next week, but in the meantime, they reviewed Ides of Blood #1 during their most recent podcast.

You can download the podcast from their website:
http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/08/wildstorm-addiction-podcast-episode-12/

or you can get it from iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=378198400

AICN Review

Ain't It Cool News appeared to enjoy Ides of Blood... sort of... maybe?

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/46263#3

Learning is Fun

How historically accurate is this comic about Julius Caesar conquering vampires?  A historian gives the answer in his review here:

http://www.theouthousers.com/content/view/10031/228/

On that note, this seems like a good time to mention some of my favorite books I came across while researching the comic.

Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome by Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins was my main resource.  This book contains an abundance of useful information but won't take 500 pages and 500 naps to get through.  Pretty much any question I had, this book had the answer to.

The Assassination of Julius Caesar by Michael Parenti gives a great overview of the events in Roman history and Caesar's life which led up to his assassination.  Parenti suggests that the true reason for Caesar's murder lay in him being a champion of the people and seeking to take away wealth and power from the aristocracy instead of the more traditional explanation of Brutus slaying him to protect the dissolution of the Republic and Caesar's supposed desire to be king.  The truth, I suspect, lies somewhere in the middle.

The Twelve Caesars by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus is one of, if not the, first official historical account of Julius Caesar's life, as well as the lives of Octavian/Augustus and the other first dozen Caesars.

Life of Antony and Life of Cicero by Plutarch.  These guys really did not like each other very much.  If I remember correctly, in the end, Antony cut off Cicero's hands and had them nailed to the rostra in the Forum.  Cicero was certainly a smart guy, but he was definitely involved in some shady dealings, and even though he didn't join the assassins in killing Caesar, I'm not sure he was quite as noble as legend would have you believe.

Ancient Rome: An Introductory History by Paul A. Zoch.  An unbiased, solid, sweeping history.  I particulary recall it being useful for information about the founding of Rome and the slaying of the king Tarquin by Brutus's ancestor which ushered in the Roman Republic.  History is not without a sense of irony.

Dacia by Parvan.  It's really difficult to find information about the ancient Dacians, so this book was a Godsend.  In an interesting example of sychronicity, the Dacian king Burebista was assassinated the same year as Caesar.  Of course, that reality doesn't exist in the timeline of Ides of Blood.  If I ever get the chance to do a prequel, I'll explain the connection between King Burebista and Ides of Blood's protagonist, Valens, a.k.a. Iacob of the Burebista.

Zalmoxis: The Vanishing God by Victor Kernbach.  I wish I had been able to find a copy of this book to purchase, but I found one at the UCLA Library.  Though I graduated from USC (who did not have the book, shame on them--where does all that tuition money go?  Oh, right.  Buildings.), my wife was a student at UCLA at the time, so she got it for me.  Anyway, great information about the Dacian religion and their two main gods: Zalmoxis and Gebeleizis.  Unlike most cultures, Zalmoxis, the god of death and immortality, is a hero in their mythology.

The Vampire in Lore and Legend by Montague Summers.  This dude must have been a really interesting priest.  He collected all kinds of information about the occult, witches and whatnot.  The book's a little stodgy, but there's some great, osbscure folklore and old wives' tales that introduces much of the vampire mythos we now take for granted.  It also introduced me to the Greek vrykolaka, which I used for the name of the vampyre rebellion, and the Roman lamiae, which used to play a much larger role in an earlier draft of Ides of Blood but ended up being restricted to a brief appearance in the gladiator battle in issue 3.

Mexico says Ides de Sangre es el comic de la semana!

My Spanish isn't great, but I think they liked it.  Me gusta!

http://hablemosdecomics.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/ides-of-blood-1/

More Reviews

http://graphicpolicy.com/2010/08/23/review-ides-of-blood-1/

http://www.comicbookbin.com/Ides_of_Blood_001.html

http://www.examiner.com/comic-books-in-philadelphia/review-ides-of-blood-1

Signing at Meltdown

Another opportunity is headed your way to watch me dance the Capitalism Shuffle in an attempt to sell more copies of Ides of Blood.  A dollar from every sale goes towards finding a hungry vampyre orphan a new home!

Saturday, August 28
3PM-5PM

Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Reviews

The reviews are starting to come in.  A more in-depth treatise on my induction into the world of literary criticism is coming, but for now, here are a few favorable notices.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/best-shots-advance-reviews-100816.html

http://www.wildstormaddiction.com/2010/08/ides-of-blood-1

http://comicrevolution.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/ides-of-blood-1-comic-book-review 

It's Out!

Go buy it!

Thank You

Not to get all, "I'd like to thank the Academy" on you, but with Ides of Blood coming out, there are a few people who deserve official recognition for their contributions.  Were it not for their help, Ides would not exist as it does now--or more likely, not exist at all except as a script I once wrote that seemed like a neat idea.  They are, in no particular order:

• My parents, who have always been supportive and never once questioned whether their son deciding to write stories for a living was a wise course of action.
• My manager, Rich Demato, who thought me writing a screenplay about vampires killing Julius Caesar sounded like a good idea.
• Will Hackner, who championed a writer with no published comics and convinced Wildstorm to publish his comic (and refused to take no for an answer), and whose creative feedback was invaluable.
• Gregory Noveck, who said yes.
• Jim Lee, who also said yes.
• Hank Kanalz, whose name you can find on the inside cover of Ides of Blood under "Publisher."
• Julian Zajfen and P.J. Shapiro who got me paid.
• Shannon Eric Denton, my editor, who taught me many things about writing picture books.
• Johnny Lowe, Ides' letterer whom I have never met but put up with an endless series of revisions to the first issue.
• Tom Hass, Rebecca Peterson, Jan Epstein and Bryan Gonzalez, who read the original 200+ page first draft and did not complain nearly as much as they deserved to.
• Phil d'Amecourt, who introduced me to DC and who convinced me to change the title from the unpronounceable "Vaempire" to Ides of Blood.
• Trent Reznor, John Frusciante and the DeLeo Brothers, whose music was playing in the background for the majority of the writing process.
• Tami Brennan, who introduced me to my first and still favorite Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar.
• Christian Duce, whose talent continues to amaze me with every new page, who understood the world I was trying to create and brought it to life better than I could have possibly hoped.
• My wife, Liz, who suffered through the many drafts and many moods it took to get here.

Ides Sneak Preview and Interview

Fun with links!  Make clicking! They won't crash your computer, I swear.  After all, if you can't trust a viking hamster, who can you trust?

Click here for the Sneak Preview

Click here for the CBR Interview

Comic Signing at Golden Apple

On Wednesday, I will be at Golden Apple Comics to promote the release of Ides of Blood by defacing issues of the comic with my signature.  There will be free donuts and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get free, exclusive artwork by the awesomely talented Christian Duce from my upcoming neo-samurai comic series, Bushido .44.

Wednesday August 18th
10 A.M - 1 P.M.
(Possibly also 6 P.M. - 8 P.M.)

Golden Apple Comics
7018 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038

It begins

Hello.  I am Stu's blog.  I was created out of a cloud of infinite density which spotaneously erupted many billions years ago in a hullabaloo of photons, electrons and neutrinos which eventually came to form the realm known as Hamster Valhalla in which you now find yourself ensconced.  I am not self-aware, but I speak as if I were.  One day I will be full of useful information, but right now I am content to exist.