Inspired by Detroit’s Comic Book Artists, juried by local legends Dave Chow and Bill Morrison, showcases the intersection of art and the comic book genre. Detroit is home to many known comic book writers and artists, and in recent years has hosted several comic cons recognizing the broad talent our city offers. Inspired by Detroit’s Comic Book Artists shines a light on artists working in this genre and field, as well as graphic and fine artists who may dabble in this direction.
Epilogue to the Killing Joke
A revised edition of my short story entitled “Epilogue to the Killing Joke” has been completed and is now available online and, as well, free limited edition print copies by request only. Years ago I read about the speculation and conspiracies surrounding the original Killing Joke graphic novel regarding whether Batman did actually kill the Joker at the end of the story. I took it upon myself come to my own conclusion on this issue and what better way than to write an illustrate a short fan fiction story. I completed the work years ago but now felt that a refresh was in order. Basically adding more grayscale tones and redoing some of the illustrations that I felt needed improving.
“EPILOGUE TO THE KILLING JOKE”
Hope you enjoyed the story. Feel free to comment and discuss.
Miserable Americans book 1 Refresh on COMIXOLOGY
Amazon’s digital store for distributing and selling comic books, called Comixology, has “officially” accepted Miserable Americans book 1 for sale on their digital platform. I took the opportunity to refresh the first book. Updating it for the digital format and giving it a completely new cover illustration. Book 1 feels up-to-date with the rest of the series and having it available for digital sales is very cool and a first for me. Being a long time collector of comic books, I can’t say enough about the printed format. The way a book feels; the way it reads. Collecting comic books and perusing comic book shops has always been nothing but a pleasure. Comics not being a mass market medium, noodling around a comic book store always feels like belonging to en exclusive club, that only a few are aware of. I highly recommend a trip to your local store if you never have. It’s not just about super-heroes anymore. You’ll find any genre; sci-fi, horror, comedy, auto-biographical, surreal, non-fiction…. and several books that mix all those elements together. The comic book shop is still an under-appreciated cultural gem in almost any city you can find one. I think most people might just find it hard to leave…. at least without a pile of books in their hands.
Still, that being said, I can’t deny that I have enjoyed the new digital format. I’ve rebought some of my favorite books and having them available on my phone or iPad at a moments notice is pretty cool. As well, the reading experience is tremendous. And while I always love the printed book seeing this new version of book 1 on the digital platform is pretty cool. Click the image below to visit Miserable Americans on Comixology.
UPDATE: This fall Comixology is being fazed into the Kindle Store on Amazon. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand it may be a sign that Amazon was having trouble driving traffic to a stand alone digital comic book shop and that moving them into the Kindle store will open them up to a potential wider audience. I don’t know… we’ll see.
Pulling Punchlines: Epilogue to the Killing Joke
This is the official online release of my Batman/Joker short story entitled "Pulling Punchlines: Epilogue to the Killing Joke". The story is presented in the DC Batman Black & White format. It begins where the original Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, leaves off. In recent years there has been some online speculation about the ending of the original Killing Joke story. Writer Grant Morrison speculated on a podcast presented by writer/director Kevin Smith, that Batman, in fact, kills the Joker at the end of the story. This speculation started a bit of discussion on the subject, with fans and artists alike speculating about the ambiguous ending of the Killing Joke. The following short story, written and illustrated by myself, is the DEFINITIVE conclusion to the mystery. The following comic book pages are, WITHOUT A DOUBT, what unfolds after the legendary graphic novel ends……… at least according to me.
Well, there you have it. The events after the Killing Joke as they unfolded way back…. whenever the hell that story was supposed to take place; in whatever universe...and in whatever continuity it was supposed to fit into. I sincerely hope you enjoyed my take on the story and the characters. I've been a Batman fan for most of my entire life and this was truly a labor of love. - Evan Derian