I know this is even later than my Halloween wishes, but this week marked our 100th post. It’s crazy to think how quickly we’ve hit that mark. It wasn’t long ago I was stressed out because I couldn’t get the site up and running. And now, well, here we are. Thanks to everyone for your congratulations. The e-mails and comments here on the site mean more than you can possibly know.

Anyway, the next big milestone is right around the corner…

This spring I’m going to offer the first AWAKENINGS trade paperback. The volume will feature more than 150 pages of story and the artwork will be completely re-mastered for print – the black-and-white work will be greyscaled to give it more depth and a majority of the pages will be re-lettered. On top of that, the book will have a number a “special features” – behind-the-scenes material that will give you some insight about how the book came together.

Now, the really good news…

For a limited time I’m going to allow readers on the site to pre-order the book for just $9.99 (plus shipping and handling)!

The book won’t be priced this low long, but I thought a deep discount would be a nice incentive for those who want to support AWAKENINGS by pre-ordering the book.

Pre-order your copy of AWAKENINGS today!

This is a great way for you to support the comic if you are a regular reader and want to help out. Just vote for us over at Top Web Comics. You can vote daily, and the more votes we get, the more traffic we get in return. It worked out well last month, but I really want to make a push to do well in August.

As an incentive, once you’ve voted you’ll get access to a scene that comes later in the story. It isn’t a major spoiler, but it should get some of you talking. Also, the scene has been greyscaled. I plan to publish a Director’s Cut once the story is complete that will be completely remastered. This should give you a chance to see what that printed book will look like.

As always, guys, thanks for all the support. You guys have helped me get excited about comics again, and that’s something I didn’t think would happen.

Anyway, click here to vote. See you on Monday…

I went in worried. I’ve never seen a buzz build around a movie like that that’s formed around THE DARK KNIGHT. I mean, critics have compared it to GODFATHER II. GODFATHER II?! Is there any way a Batman movie could possibly live up to that kind of hype?

Well, while it isn’t perfect, the film is everything that’s been promised. This nail biting, rollercoaster ride will affect you long after you’ve left the theater. Epic in nature, THE DARK KNIGHT is more than just a genre-bending blockbuster; it’s more than just summer entertainment; this is a morality tale of the highest caliber, a film that dares to challenge its viewers, showing you that the war waged between good and evil isn’t a showdown that takes place on the streets of Gotham, but instead, is a battle fought every day inside of us all. This is the Batman movie comic readers have longed for. Finally, this is OUR Batman.

So…now what?

We finally have a movie that accurately portrays what comics are all about. It’s being seen by millions of people this weekend, and better still, they love it. What can we do to show these folks that this is what they’re missing when they drive past their local comic shop?

It’s already a tough sell. The first line of Roger Ebert’s review says it all. “Batman isn’t a comic book anymore.” You see, the public has this preconceived notion that THE DARK KNIGHT isn’t a strong representation of the comic BECAUSE of its depth and meaning. Joe Public’s been programmed. He doesn’t think this movie is anything like the comic book because, well, in his mind, it’s just too damn good to be a comic book.

So what should our industry do? This is a great opportunity. I’m sure DC will sell a lot more books this quarter – but will it last? What can we do to prove to DARK KNIGHT fans that there is plenty more where this came from? What can we do to turn these moviegoers into the Holy Grail our industry is after – new readers?

I’m guessing the best place to start would be with a little history…

Several years ago I decided to self-publish a six-issue comic book mini-series called AWAKENINGS. I had no experience to speak of. In fact, I’d only been reading comics for a few years. Still, I’d fallen in love with the medium and thought I had something to add.

It was an exhaustive search, but I eventually teamed up with Gabe Pena, an incredibly talented artist on the West Coast. Within days, the story I’d conceived was coming to life on the page. Several months later, I had a finished comic in my hands.

AWAKENINGS #1 debuted to rave reviews – but modest sales. Orders came in at just over 1,000 copies. And while it wasn’t enough to pay the bills, it was just enough to boost my ego. You see, like a lot of creators (I suspect), I have a very unrealistic belief in my own abilities. I saw those early numbers as a stepping-stone to superstardom.

Needless to say – they weren’t.

Assuming things would turn around if I kept the momentum going, I decided to move forward, digging further into my pocket to pay Gabe, the printers, UPS – everyone that was helping to make AWAKENINGS a reality. Issue one hadn’t sold enough to pay off Gabe, let alone everyone else, but I knew things would turn around.

Needless to say – they didn’t.

Issue two saw a substantial drop in sales. Now I was in trouble. Not that the arrogant writer in me would listen. I dug even further into my pocket to fund issue three.

This is how things went until I was eventually all tapped out. I had to pack it in, not because I was cutting my losses, but because I had nothing left to lose.

Months passed. I took a second job to pay down the debt. I made sure it was a job I hated – just to punish myself for being so stupid in the first place. And yet, as I wiped tables down in a dingy little restaurant, that arrogant kid inside of me kept whispering something in my ear.

“You’re not done yet, Eric.”

He was right. I paid down the debt but kept busing those tables, quietly putting money away for an eventual return to AWAKENINGS. A chance to do things a little bit better, a chance to remind myself why I started this journey: a love for the medium and a hope that I have something to add. A return to AWAKENINGS. A second chance.

Needless to say – this is it.