Hi Everyone!

If you’re in the New York City area this weekend, why not stop by Mike Carbo’s Comic Book Marketplace on Saturday? Papercutz Editor-in-Chief Jim Salicrup will be there joined by Rick Parker and Steve Mannion who will be signing copies of TALES FROM THE CRYPT! Check out the website for the Comic Book Marketplace here.

The Marketplace will be open from 10:30am to 7:00pm and there will be plenty of signings and chances to pick up some cool comics! It should be a fun time and a great chance for you to pick up some of the rarer TALES FROM THE CRYPT comics that your comicbook store may be sold out of. We hope to see you there!

-Michael

HI EVERYONE!

It sure has been a long time since I’ve written, but I will try to make it up to you with a lot of links to some neat stuff going on in the world of Papercutz. 2010 is the 80th anniversary of NANCY DREW and we plan on celebrating in style! If you are a NANCY DREW fan and you have a facebook account, make it official! Go to this page, log in, and join! I’ll be posting previews and other cool stuff there.

If you haven’t yet noticed, TALES FROM THE CRYPT #8 “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” was a smash hit for Papercutz. We couldn’t be happier! On that note, if you are still not sure about this book and want more info you can ask Publisher’s Weekly what they thought, or perhaps Booklist. It seems like Glugg (the stinky dead kid) can be found here, there and everywhere! The same can be said for our good friend Geronimo Stilton. He’s popping up everywhere! Have fun surfing the web!

Speaking of young troublemakers like Glugg, if you haven’t checked out CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #5 “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” read this review:

“Tom Sawyer, that original American bad boy, returns in graphic-novel format. The manga-influenced, full-color illustrations bring a new level of dynamism to a text that is already quite dramatic, what with its murder, buried treasure, youthful romance, and presumed deaths. (Tom himself is thought dead twice.) This version doesn’t shy away from the culture of the time; Injun Joe is still Injun Joe and Tom’s bare backside still has many run-ins with Aunt Polly’s slipper. In regard to the latter, there is brief, occasional nudity as a result of the skinny-dipping and spankings, but nothing gratuitous. While the overall work is of a generally high quality, it is not perfect. Visually, it is often difficult to distinguish among the supporting characters. In addition, the speech balloons are occasionally confusing, leaving readers unsure of who is speaking. Despite those minor flaws, this volume serves as a fine introduction to the story, the author, and his time and place.”

–Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Wow! Thanks Mr. Davey! That’s all I have time for today but make sure you watch out for Papercutz! There should be a new blog contributor here soon that I think will surprise you!

-Michael

Hi Everyone,

Mike the editorial assistant here with some great news: TALES FROM THE CRYPT “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” is going back to press AGAIN! This will be the fourth printing! The graphic novel is in such high demand that hardcovers, which booksellers everywhere are sold out of, are going for $90 a pop on Ebay! I suggest you wait two weeks when more hardcovers will be available. 90 dollars is a lot for a graphic novel! We’re doing our best to keep up with the high demand this great graphic novel has generated.

Recently, Peggy Tibbets wrote a review of “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” that was so positive I had to post it, even though it may seem like I’ve shared positive review upon positive review of this book here on the blog. You can find Peggy’s review on her myspace page and her blog “Advice From a Caterpillar“. Peggy has  a lot to say about all the stories from “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid”:

” ‘Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid’ is a zany parody of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’. Follow the adventures of Glugg as he is accidentally killed by his brother [Rock] then returns as a zombie to haunt those who tormented him in life. The story layout is unique and the artwork is comical.
” ‘Dielite’ is a hilarious send up of Twilight’. Dedward is a pathetic vampire with a hopeless crush Lou Anne Lugosi who wishes he would just drop dead. The artwork here is detailed and extraordinary.
” ‘Carrier’ is the wacky story about Dan Warren, a truck driving, reluctant werewolf and his murderous friends. The style is classic comic book and the artwork is action-packed.

“Fans of ‘Mad Magazine’ will love this book. Once they read it, middle school age boys will be hooked on the Tales from the Crypt series. Caution: You could die laughing.”

Wow! Thanks Peggy. I’d like to take the chance to open up the floodgates to the fans of TALES FROM THE CRYPT. We’ve posted so much from reviewers about this book, but nothing from YOU, the fans! The fans are the most important part of Papercutz; we wouldn’t exist without you. Let us know here on the blog: have you read “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid”? What did you like or not like about the graphic novel? What would you like to see parodied in TALES FROM THE CRYPT in the future? We’d love to hear from you! Until next time, thanks for picking up our graphic novels and reading this blog, and WATCH OUT FOR PAPERCUTZ!

-Michael

Hi Everyone,

Well it looks like we’re going to have to go back to ANOTHER printing of TALES FROM THE CRYPT #8 “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid”! It seems that people can’t get enough of Glugg, the crew from “DieLite,” and our “Carrier” werewolves! We couldn’t be happier.

You may find that a lot of online sites are out of stock until December. You can still get Crypt #8 and Crypt #’s 5-7 in the TALES FROM THE CRYPT Boxed Set available from Amazon.com and BarnesandNobles.com. Of course, we like anyone who sells are books just the same and you can find these boxed sets at wonderful comicbook stores all around. If they don’t have it, ask them to order it for you!

Recently, Editor-In-Chief Jim Salicrup along with “Stinky Dead Kid” artist Rick Parker took over a bookstore in Maplewood, NJ to promote our favorite living dead kid, Glugg! You can check out a neat article with some great pictures here. Way to go! Still not convinced that this Crypt is right for you? Well, check out this review at horrornews.net. Also, the folks at Broken Frontier urge you to forger swine flu, CRYPT fever is here! If you’re not convinced, I’m still gonna keep trying!

While the Stinky Dead Kid Glugg has been getting a lot of attention, our Twilight spoof “DieLite” has also turned a few heads as it was written by the father-daughter team of Stefan Petrucha and Maia Kinney-Petrucha! If you haven’t seen the links from Stefan’s blog post below, you can read a little bit about the collaboration here.  Also, don’t forget that Maia and Stefan will be interviewed on Mix 94.1 in Canton, OH Monday November 16th on their morning show! A link to the interview will be available as soon as we get it.

As for Maia, let me just say “WOW!” When I was 14 I was still trying to figure out how to get Oreo cookies out of my teeth and what to do about the monster under my bed. What can I say? I was  a late bloomer. Great job Maia! We’ll keep you updated on CRYPT news and everything Papercutz here at the blog. Keep checking in, as I have a feeling you’re going to start seeing some more entries from your favorite Papercutz contributors.

Thanks,

-Michael

Hi Everyone!

Mike the Editorial Assistant here again, because THIS kid just won’t go away:

He may not be the best looking guy on the planet, but he sure is one of my favorite people out there! If you haven’t ordered your copy of TALES FROM THE CRYPT “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” yet, do so now! It turns out we’ve had to take this graphic novel back to press for a second printing of 3 times more copies than we originally had made because demand was so high! This kid is all over amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com and we couldn’t be happier. When you team up great minds like Ricko “Sicko” Parker, Stefan Petrucha, and Jim Salicrup great things are bound to happen!

We hope you enjoy this great edition of TALES FROM THE CRYPT. With Maia Kinney-Petrucha’s hilarious writing debut in DieLite, John L. Lansdale’s creepy sequel to “Night Traveler” from TALES… #7 to compliment Glugg (the Stinky Dead Kid), it’s a lot of fun to dive into this graphic novel. But alas, I’ve got to get going. From the smell of things at the office Glugg is here to pick up his paycheck. Time to stuff some cotton balls in my nose and greet him… >Sigh< I love the kid but I wish he’d wear some cologne!

-Mike

Tuesday, November 10th will see the release of the collected Tales from the Crypt #8.  The featured story, Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid, a “Wimpy Kid” satire by myself and the terrific madcap artist Rick Parker has already received a lot of attention, breaking into the Top Ten Children’s Books online at B&N.  Here’s a gander at the groovy cover:

Beyond that hot-zombie excitement, in the midst of the book, you’ll also find a knee-slapping spoof of the little-known Twilight series, called DieLite, which is particularly exciting to me on several counts.  First, it represents the premiere publishing work by my incredibly talented daughter (if I do say so myself), Maia Kinney-Petrucha.

Just in high school, Maia’s not only an excellent writer, but also read the entire Twilight series.  Me, not so much, so who better to turn to when editor Jim Salicrup asked for a script?  Again noting my bias, I was very impressed and proud with how much work she put into it (I practically only proof-read) and how much fun the results are.

Secondly, with artwork by Miran Kim, DieLite represents not one, but two creative reunions.  This is the first time I’ve collaborated with Miran since her great work on both the X-Files comic and her interior work for The Bandy Man, back in the nineties.

It is also, interestingly enough, the second “collaboration” between Miran and Maia – though Maia didn’t have much creative control the first time around, being a fetus.

Miran works in a process that involves collage, creating, collecting and pasting clips and photos into her art.  Back when she was designing the cover for X-Files #10:  Feelings of Unreality, she asked myself and Sarah for a copy of Maia’s sonogram.  Lo and behold, it became a part of the cover.  You can see Maia just about at the center of the image below:

Of course, she’s changed a lot in the intervening years, having acquired the ability to walk, the power of speech, and so on, but there you have it; a blast from the past and a look to the future.  So rush out and buy the darn thing next week!

As for me, I’m still waiting on word for a few projects, but the glaciers seem to be moving.  I’m putting the finishing touches on a very unusual vampire novel that will be coming out from Grand Central Books next year.  How unusual, you ask?  Well, it’s set during Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt and doesn’t actually mention the word vampire, for starters.

Contracts have also recently been signed on another project that’s been stagnant for a while, so I’ve hopes that will be moving again.  And lastly, I’m in negotiations with a major publisher for an exciting new YA series.  So, like I said, still waiting, but I think I see the traffic clearing up ahead.

Pax.

Hi Everbody!

This is editorial assistant Mike Petranek here to share some photos and articles from San Diego Comic Con 2009 with you! We had a blast, even though not everyone could make it this year with the economy and scheduling conflicts.

First off, Geronimo Stilton made the biggest splash at Comic Con, followed very closely by TALES FROM THE CRYPT #13 “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid”. Here’s a couple of articles that mention us:

Publisher’s Weekly: San Diego Not Just for Grown-Ups

School Library Journal: Good comics for Kids

Of course, we love the recognition but stress that our comics and graphic novels are for people of all ages. We hope that the audience for Geronimo Stilton ranges from age 4 to age 84!

I carried around a small camera and took some pictures at our booth. Here’s a chance to see some of your favorite Papercutz contributors in action!

HARDY BOYS writer Scott Lobdell and NANCY DREW artist Sho Murase

Miran Kim, artist of the upcoming TALES FROM THE CRYPT story “DieLite”, with Editor-in-Chief Jim Salicrup.

From left to right: TALES FROM THE CRYPT artist Rick Parker, Jim Salicrup, TALES FROM THE CRYPT writer and artist Mort Todd, and Editorial Assistant Mike Petranek…Or as Rick would say, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse” (ha ha!)

Publisher Terry Nantier with Eisner Award-winner Rick Geary, adaptor of CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #1 “Great Expectations” and #2 “The Invisible Man”.

BIONICLE scribe and huge Yankees fan Greg Farshtey with Jim.

Some big fans of CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #3 “Through the Looking-Glass”

Me, at home, uploading pictures for your enjoyment after landing back in New York at 6:30am. Don’t I look cheery?

I hope you’ve enjoyed taking a look at our trip to San Diego. TALES FROM THE CRYPT comicbook #13 “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid”, BIONICLE #6 “The Underwater City”, and NANCY DREW #18 “City Under the Basement” are all in stores now! Don’t let Summer pass you by without checking out the newest titles from Papercutz. Thanks for stopping by!

-Mike

PRESENTS

“Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid”

IN STORES NOW!

Today, July 29th 2009, TALES FROM THE CRYPT #13 “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” arrives in stores! Check out your favorite bookseller or comicbook store to get your hands on it. If for some strange reason they don’t have it, go to www.papercutz.com/order.html to see how you can order it! Scroll down the web link to find our telephone number and address. You can order by phone or mail.

Written by NANCY DREW scribe Stephan Petrucha and illustrated by TALES FROM THE CRYPT’s Ricko “The Sicko” Parker, “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” takes aim at everything from one particularly popular book character to zombies and Guitar Hero! The comic contains TWO stories featuring Glugg, our Stinky Dead Kid. This comic made a big splash at Comic Con for Papercutz, and we think you’ll enjoy it. People of all ages seemed drawn to Rick Parker’s art and Stefan Petrucha’s stories. Take a look at this preview from the comic:

There’s more ghoulish fun  where that came from! Take a look at the artwork and you’ll find pop culture references galore, as well as a little homage to one particular Papercutz staff member. You may have to look hard, but you’ll have a blast when you find them. Pick up your copy of  TALES FROM THE CRYPT “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” today!

PAPERCUTZ at the San Diego Comic Con

July 22-26, 2009

Papercutz will be at booth 2046 at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, where fans can meet authors and artists, purchase Papercutz graphic novels, see exclusive previews of new titles, and chat with Papercutz staff! It should be a great time, and we urge our fans to come out and say hello. Appearing for book signings at the Papercutz booth at this year’s Comic Con:

Greg Farshtey, BIONICLE author

Thursday, July 23rd - 4:o0 to 5:30pm

Friday, July 24th - 2:30 to 4:00pm

Saturday, July 25th - 10:30am to 12:00pm

Scott Lobdell, HARDY BOYS author

Thursday, July 23rd - 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Friday, July 24th - 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Saturday, July 25th - 2:30pm to 4:00pm

Sunday, July 26th - 10:30am to 12:00pm

Sho Murase, NANCY DREW artist

Thursday, July 23rd - 11:00am to 12:00pm

Friday, July 24th - 11:00am to 12:00pm

Also, come join us at out PAPERCUTZ PANEL on Sunday July 26th at 3pm in room #2 with BIONCILE’s Greg Farshtey, NANCY DREW’s Sho Murase, The HARDY BOYS’ Scott Lobdell, as well as Editor-in-Chief Jim Salicrup and publisher Terry Nantier. Get a FREE TALES FROM THE CRYPT comicbook! We hope to see you there!

Hi everyone!

It’s Editorial Assistant Mike Petranek writing about a cool interview with TALES FROM THE CRYPT contributor Arie Kaplan and some more great reviews to share with you! Arie wrote “Jumping the Shark” which was illustrated by Mr. Exes in TALES FROM THE CRYPT graphic novel #4, as well as comicbook #6, serving as the inspiration for one of our most popular covers ever:
Arie recently authored From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books, has written for MAD magazine, and recently wrote the Speed Racer comicbook mini-series called Speed Racer:  Chronicles of the Racer. When he recently sat down with Wizard Magazine, Arie had this to say about TALES FROM THE CRYPT:

“I have a whole section on TALES FROM THE CRYPT in “From Krakow to Krypton.  So, while I was writing that book, I was also pitching stories to Jim Salicrup at Papercutz for TALES FROM THE CRYPT and man, it’s such a thrill to be involved with TALES FROM THE CRYPT because I read about the history and you’re following in the footsteps of people like Harvey Kurtzman and Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines-Bill Gaines whose dad created the comics industry. That’s quite a legacy to be a part of, so I feel like I’m the inheritor of that legacy. You look at what these people have done and you just hope you can do it justice.”

Well Arie, you certainly did the legacy of TALES FROM THE CRYPT justice with your great story! Check out the rest of Ari’s Wizard interview!

There’s some other great interviews and articles on Arie out there besides this one. Check out Arie’s interview with Heeb Magazine about From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books, his work for Bongo! Comics, TALES FROM THE CRYPT and MAD.  There’s also a five minute video interview with Arie from Newsarama about the above topics and more, info on his recent Archie Comics work, and of course, the official From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books site and Arie’s own website. Enjoy!

Onto other news, TALES FROM THE CRYPT comicbook #11 recently got some favorable reviews online:

“I’ve kept with the book since issue one and it has definitely begun to improve, thanks in large part to darker storylines and better artwork… a fun diversion for $4 bucks… Some excellent, moody artwork and coloring.”

-Marc Pellegrini,

http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com

Thanks, Marc! On the subject of reviews, some of our Classics Illustrated titles have been getting a lot of positive press recently. I thought you readers out there might like to see what I’m talking about. Here’s some of the reviews and links to them!

CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #5: “Hamlet”

“Classic Mandrake with an outstanding script by Grant. I really, really like these Papercutz reprints.”

-Lee Nordling, platinumcomics.com

CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #4: “The Raven and Other Poems”

“Wilson… illustrates (very well, and appropriately) a bunch of Poe poems.”

-Andrew Wheeler, antickmusings.com

“A terrific compendium… It’s a great Poe volume — the themes of unbearable loss and creeping pestilence are all here, so put it on your Halloween shopping list now.”

-Mark London Williams, sfsite.com

“Wilson’s style is perfectly suited to Poe’s turn of phrase, as his artwork moves across the page with the cadence established by the words. But don’t take my word for it. At $9.95 this modern classic is a bargain — so order two copies and donate one to your local library!”

-Leave it to Karen

“NBM [Papercutz parent company], known for its high-quality graphic novels…demonstrates its taste and expertise again with CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED. The Deluxe hardbacks are meant to last, and look good doint it…it’s a joy to see “The Raven,” “The Counquerer Worm,” “Annabel Lee” and other favorites again…Wilson, known primarily for his award-winning New Yorker, Playboy and National Lamppon Cartoons, is also one of a kind - - and a perfect choice for this book. His peculiar and sometimes bizarre scribblings are unsettling, and given the subject matter, welcome.”

-Scripps Howard News Service

“Classics Illustrated….collecting various Edgar Allan Poe Works, illustrated by famed cartoonist Gahan Wilson. From that description alone, you know it’s worth the sawbuck…it’s a joy to see “The Raven,” “The Conquerer Worm,” “Annabel Lee” and other favorites again.”

-Andrew A. Smith, Scripps Howard News Service

Whew! That’s a lot of nice comments for one day. So…what do YOU think of these and other Papercutz titles? What’s your favorite? What’s your least favorite? It’s all open to discussion here. As Jim says, “love it or hate it, we want to hear your thoughts.” Thanks for reading and have a great day!

-Mike the Editorial Assistant