SWEETS: The Casting Call

It seems like every convention I attend, the topic of a SWEETS movie adaptation comes up and everyone has their own idea on which actors would be great for each particular role. Sometimes those ideas are fantastic, other times, no so much. I thought it might be fun to hear your opinion on the subject.

Who would you cast in the roles of Curt, Jeff, The Killer, and Palmer? And which director would you pick? What about Gabrielle, Dr. LeFleur, Maurice Culpepper or any of the other supporting cast?

Just remember, I make comics not movies, so this is just all in good fun and will have no impact on actual casting if we ever do make a movie. Those decisions would be up to whoever decides to write the check.

My favorite list overall will get a signed copy of the SWEETS paperback, and I might throw in a few more winners in various categories if I feel inspired.

NOTE: To qualify for the free paperback, your list MUST be posted as a reply directly to this blog post.

Bookstore release!

I'm VERY happy to announce the release of the paperback edition of SWEETS: A New Orleans Crime Story to all major bookstores around the globe.

If you'd like to purchase the printed paperback edition of SWEETS at your local comic shop, use this handy Comic Shop Locator.

You can also buy the book online or in person at your favorite bookseller:

• Amazon
• Abe Books
• Alibris
• Barnes & Noble
• Books·A·Million
• Forbidden Planet (UK)
• Indie Bound
• InStockTrades
• Midtown Comics
• My Comic Shop
• Powell's
• TFAW

You can also read the entire SWEETS graphic novel on your computer or mobile device, or sample the first chapter of SWEETS for FREE on ComiXology.

Accolades:

SWEETS earned a 4.25 out of 5 on Goodreads!

Winner of the 2011 Spinetingler Award for Best Mystery/Crime Comic or Graphic Novel.

Have a look at some of the reviews.

Interviews galore!

Three new interviews to report. First, a MASSIVE interview with Newsarama about my entire creative process. Anyone that's ever wondered about my step-by-step comic-making process should read this one, it's jam packed with info.

Second, MTV Geek has a slightly shorter interview up about Sweets and Punks, and the upcoming relaunch of Punks through MTV on their geek imprint. Some good info here about what's coming up in the next few months.

Third, a detailed audio interview with Amber over at Comic Book Page. This one goes into great detail about process, philosophy, and more. Worth a listen.

And if you missed this one posted earlier this month, I did an interview with On The Page screenwriting podcast with Pilar Alessandra, who happens to host one of my favorite podcasts on the subject of creative writing. I like the podcast so much, I actually hired Pilar to consult on the original Sweets script before I started drawing. HUGE help, and I think the story improved greatly because of it. And buy her book The Coffee Break Screenwriter, it's awesome.

6 Easy Ways to Buy SWEETS!

1. Your Local Comic Retailers — Visit your local comic shop retailer and have them order you a copy of the Sweets trade paperback (collected edition).* Most shops are happy to reserve your copy, just be sure to pick it up when it comes out in late August, or it may get sold to someone else. Some comic retailers may even have the original issues in stock! They're getting very hard to find lately. And remember, when you buy from your local comic retailer, you don't pay shipping.

2. Online Comic Retailers — If you don't have a local comic shop in your area, try one of these fine online comic retailers.* TFAW, MidTownComics, MailOrderComics. Many online retailers offer a STEEP discount if you order BEFORE July, 2011. Sometimes up to 30% to 50% off (plus shipping).

3. Digital — Get high quality digital copies for your desktop computer, laptop, digital tablet, smart phone, etc.

4. Booksellers — Use your favorite online bookseller like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Powells, or drop by the actual bookstore for a visit. You should be able to place an order for the trade paperback at checkout.*

5. Auction — If you're the competitive type, give eBay a try. This is often a great way to find rare single issues, multiple issue sets, signed copies, etc. However, I can't guarantee those signatures are authentic. There are some shady people out there, so buyer beware!

6. Kody's Website — I am not taking advanced orders, but the trade paperback of Sweets will be available in my webstore this August, but there will likely NOT be a discount because shipping is a pain in the you know what. I also have a few single issues in stock :)

* Please note, this book is currently available for Pre-Order, meaning, it's not available to retailers yet. The collected (paperback) edition of Sweets ships August 2011. Therefore, all orders placed with retailers before the release of the book will be held until the book is available.

Kody goes On The Page!

While visiting Los Angeles about two weeks ago, I was asked to be a guest on the 'On The Page' podcast, one of my favorite screenwriting podcasts. Give it a listen (episode 193), and don't forget to subscribe free on iTunes, it's the bombdiggity.

SWEETS just won the Spinetingler Award!

Wow, SWEETS just won the Spinetingler Award! thanks to everyone that voted, there was some very stiff competition in that category including a few books that outsold Sweets by a significant margin. I think they did a damn fine job picking out some of the top crime books on the shelf today, I actually read (or have read) the bulk of these. And it was a real pleasure to see my pals Fialkov and Johnson on that list, but I figured none of us had a chance against Darwyn Cooke. I owe all of you a great big hug.

Dark Rain by Mat Johnson and Simon Gane (Vertigo Comics)
The Executor by Jon Evans and Andrea Mutti (Vertigo Crime)
Greek Street by Peter Milligan and David Gianfelice (Vertigo Comics)
Last Days of American Crime by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini (Radical Publishing)
Parker: The Outfit by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Pug by Derek McCulloch and Greg Espinoza (Image Comics)
Sam and Twitch: The Writer by Luca Blengino and Luca Erbetta (Image Comics)
Scalped by Jason Aaron and R. M. Guéra (Vertigo Comics)
Sweets by Kody Chamberlain (Image Comics)
Tumor by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon (Archaia Studios Press)

—Kody

New project

Here's a look at my new comic outline in progress. Although I usually tack notecards up to my giant cork wall, I've been doing a lot of traveling for meetings and conventions, so I've punched holes in the cards and used a little ring to bind them. Very handy. Once I have my outline mostly worked out with the notecards, I'll transfer that to a digital notecard system called Supernotecard to begin fleshing it out and breaking the story into single comic issues (chapters), then I'll jump into either Montage or Celtx for the final script. Unlike some writer/artists, I do write in full script format, and I do prefer writing the entire series up front before anything gets drawn.

In some ways, this new project will be an ongoing, but more of a series of miniseries. So it's important for me to set up a few story points that will continue through the various storylines, but still allow each miniseries to stand on its own as a complete story. In many ways, it's the way novels are written, a format I enjoy much more than soap opera style ongoing comics that never have a hard ending. But as always, my plans could change and the project could evolve into something completely different. That's why I'm reluctant to talk about it too much until I actually know what the finished comic will become.

Issue #5 preview!

Have a look: http://ht.ly/4v90r

New Orleans Comic-Con 2011, my schedule for the weekend.

I'm exhibiting at the New Orleans Comic-Con this weekend. I'm bringing a bunch of copies of Sweets, sketchbooks, original art, and a variety of other goodies. I'm also bringing a massive stack of clearance artwork, some as low as $10 a page!

Here's my schedule for the weekend:


Saturday:


New Orleans WDSU-TV Channel 6 - Live interview at 9am
Interview with Kody Chamberlain (Sweets, Punks) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, Oz)

Artist Alley table 907
New Orleans Comic Con - 10am—7pm
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70130

The Art of ‘Chew’ and ‘Sweets’ - 1pm—1:45pm (Room B)
Indie art sensations Kody Chamberlain (Sweets) and Rob Guillory (Chew) join the Wizard World Comic Con Tour and discuss their breakout Image hits.

The Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con Live Art Show and After Party - 9:00pm—til
Music by DJ Rüs with Jeff Hebert on drums—Join us for this special after-hours event hosted by Kody
Chamberlain (Sweets, Punkst) and Rob Guillory (Chew), and watch some of your favorite comic artists create original work from start to finish right before your eyes. This is a rare opportunity to hang out, network, and get to know some of the top artists in the business. Who knows, you may even get to own an original masterpiece! This is a free event; must be 18 to enter.
LOCATION: Hey! Café
4332 Magazine St. (Corner of Magazine & Napoleon Ave.)
New Orleans, LA 70115

Sunday:

Artist Alley table 907
New Orleans Comic Con - 10am—5pm
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70130

SWEETS Issue 4 and Early Accolades in 2011

Issue 4 of Sweets hits the shelf tomorrow (Wed January 5th, 2011) so please pick that up.

Now, on to the topic at hand.

I enjoy creating comics, but I never enjoy reading my own comics. I love reading other people's comics very much, I buy as many comics as I can afford, but I'm a little too close to my own work to enjoy it as a reader. I mostly just see the things I could have done better or the opportunities I missed in every single panel of artwork. Same goes for my story. I see every flaw and it's magnified every single time I flip through an issue. I've heard many other creators say the same, so I guess that's normal. But I have to be honest, when I read a positive review of my work I often question the sanity of the person giving that review. If they dig what I'm doing, they're obviously a little crazy, right?

"I’m looking forward to Sweets #4 (Image) by Kody Chamberlain. As you’ll recall, this was one of my favorites of 2010." —Justin Giampaoli at 13 Minutes

See what I mean? There's obviously something wrong with Justin. This guy needs large amounts of therapy. Justin might as well start a group therapy session with Neil Kleid, Rob Guillory, and Kevin Colden because they've all got mental problems of various levels of severity: 

"Scott Chantler’s TWO GENERALS should have been on folks’ radar as should have been Kody Chamberlain’s SWEETS." — Neil Kleid 

"…Kody Chamberlain’s SWEETS is something so subtly brilliant that I think a lot of folks will be giving it a second look in 2011." — Rob Guillory

"As far as new comics, I really dug Peter and Bobby Timony’s Night Owls, Kody Chamberlain’s Sweets, Thor: The Mighty Avenger, and all of the Batman titles." — Kevin Colden

However, positive reviews and accolades go a long way to helping promote a new comic like Sweets, and good promotion helps us earn a living doing what we do. So it's essential to our survival.

And when a writer and producer on shows like Family Guy and The Cleveland Show says something nice about your comic, you have to share it, right?

"I still read a lot of comics.  ”The Boys” is a favorite.  ”Crossed” is incredibly disgusting and awesome.  Terry Moore’s ECHO. Kody Chamberlain’s “Sweets.” There’s a lot of good stuff out there." — Kirker Butler

But how can you take someone so talented like Kirker Butler and reveal to the world that they're one step away from a mental institution? And when a fan-favorite writer of X-Men and Deadpool is asked which creators should we be looking out for next year and replies:

"Honestly, most of the names I could say are names you already know. Jason Aaron continues to kick butt, and I want to see what Kody Chamberlain does next. Lots of talent out there." — Victor Gischler

You're right. You absolutely have to post that on your blog. But posting that comment for public viewing reveals to the world that Victor Gischler isn't a very good judge of quality. He's worked hard to create a veil of credibility, and now I've blown his cover. I do feel responsible, and the guilt weighs on me like a three ton elephant.

I've worked with Josh Fialkov for years on a comic called PUNKS, so I already know how nuts the guy is. But you can't possibly read this without flashes of Hitchcock's Psycho stabbing you in the head:

"SWEETS - Look, I've known Kody Chamberlain for nearly a decade now. I've seen him grow and change and turn into one of the best writer/artists in comics. The work he's done on "Sweets" has been nothing short of spectacular. He's working on a level that the rest of us can only dream of. Once the series wraps up and the TPB hits the stands, I've got a feeling the rest of the industry is going to shit their pants for him." — Josh Fialkov

Speaking of Psycho, I don't know Ron Richards very well, but this quote is more than enough to convince me he can't be trusted. In fact, I can't help but take the entire iFanboy concept with a grain of salt after reading this:

"One of the most enjoyable mini-series from Image Comics that began in 2010 for me has been Sweets by Kody Chamberlain. Clearly a labor of love, Chamberlain has crafted together a world, set in New Orleans, that you simply can get lost in while reading, savoring the amazing artwork and watching the crime tale unfold." — Ron Richards of iFanboy

And when a respected publication like Comic Heroes from the UK includes Sweets in their list of Contemporary Crime Classics, you can't help but dismiss the entire publication as hateful, slanted propaganda.

That brings me to Rob Levin. Rob was a long time editor at Top Cow, so he knows comics. After reading Sweets #1 in July 2010, Rob hasn't been able to buy a comic since:

"I’ll go to a comic shop this week and buy a new comic, my first new, non-collected book since I bought a copy of Sweets #1 off Kody Chamberlain at SDCC." — Rob Levin

I know what you're thinking. It's possible Rob read Sweets and was so blown away he just couldn't tolerate drudging in the bowels of lesser entertainment. No. The truth is that I ruined comics for him, and it's taken him a half a year to recover. To me, that makes Rob Levin the smartest man alive. He's got me figured out.

Having said that, I'm told by respected professionals (and my wife) that being self deprecating hurts more than it helps, so just take the compliment and shut the hell up. 

Done.

Looking forward to a great 2011!

SWEETS - 2010 - A year in review

Just wanted to thank everyone for picking up the book, it's been an amazing experience and I'm honored and humbled at all the support I've received. 2010 was a stellar year for me, and I wanted to quickly recap some of the highlights for those that don't regularly follow my Twitter and Facebook updates. I'm doing this from memory and browsing my blog, so please forgive me as I continue to tweak and update this page as the days go by.

In addition to all the Sweets news, Josh Fialkov and I announced that PUNKS is moving to MTV as part of their MTV Geek line of digital comics. I'll start posting more on that as we move forward in 2011.

Alright, lets get started…

I sent the Sweets pitch out to Eric Stephenson at Image Comics in February 2010, the book got approved for publication on the day the pitch arrived! Needless to say, I was thrilled.

Looking ahead at the schedule for the book and the massive amount of work I was about to begin, I posted this on Twitter, "Creator owned comics = Steering your car off a cliff hoping a pile of money cushions your fall, but it's usually just boulders."

I launched my Kickstarter campaign around that same time. It was a sneaky move, but if you wanted to see a sneak peek of the artwork in Sweets, you HAD to view the Kickstarter video. That was the only place on the web to see it. That ended up being a great idea because I hit my Kickstarter goal within 36 hours. A HUGE thanks to all of you that contributed. I hope you enjoyed your packages and for those waiting on the remaining two issues, issue 4 is at the printer, and issue 5 is in the works.

At some point, I re-edited my Kickstarter footage and created a video studio tour.

My pals John Layman and Rob Guillory were kind enough to include a 5 page preview of Sweets inside the pages of Chew, and the reception was fantastic! Got lots of emails about it, and even a few interview requests.

I had a chance to hang out with Bill Sienkiewicz and Jim Starlin at the Boston Comic-Con in April of 2010, and at that show I handed off copies of the Sweets #1 ashcan (which is a photocopied black and white version used for promotion) and full script for issues two and three. Both gave me amazing pull quotes to use in my advertising and promotion for the series.

“Kody Chamberlain is an amazing talent. SWEETS goes down like a deliciously nasty full course meal, and tastes even better coming up.” — Bill Sienkiewicz

“Kody Chamberlain‘s beautiful art originally hooked me into checking out SWEETS. But it was his intriguing story that has me impatiently waiting for the second issue and beyond.” — Jim Starlin

Sweets issue #1 launched in July, one week before Comic-Con International in San Diego! Speaking of Comic-Con International, here's my short recap from that show.

I did a massive amount of press for the comic before and after the release. Here's a peek: Fanboy Radio (audio), Print Magazine, Robot 6, CBR, CBR, Multiversity, Newsarama, Geek Speak (audio), iFanboy (video), Nerdcast, TFAW, True Believer, )

Sweets also got a few reviews and mentions on Fresh Ink on G4TV with Blair Butler! Have a look at some video clips here and here.

IGN includes Sweets in their Weekly Buyer's Guide.

In just a few months, Sweets earned nearly 40 great reviews! Here are a few of my favorite pull quotes:

Made the drive out to Austin for the Wizard Austin Comic-Con on November 12–14. Had an amazing show and even did an "Art of Sweets and Chew" panel with my pal Rob Guillory. Solid crowd and a fantastic show. I plan to go back in 2011.

It was a busy few weeks, but I had to make time for the Miami Book Fair International on November 20th. Such an amazing out door book fair, worth attending if you're in the Miami area. I hear that Image Comics might make an appearance in 2011, if so, I'll try to make the trip back out.

Sweets launched on the iPad and the iPhone through the ComiXology app. Have a look!

Greg Burgas was kind enough to include Sweets in this highly detailed article about the versatility of the comic book medium.

Sweets also racked up a crazy amount of fantastic reviews and good press. Click here for the full list, but here are some of the highlights:

"The storytelling is flawless…one of the most original books on the market." —Multiversity	"Sweets is the kind of book that’s going to have a magnificent life as a graphic novel…" —13 Minutes
"…Chamberlain pulls a bob-and-weave of story in Sweets #2 that talks like a Tarantino film" —Crave Online	"…amazing…I feel like I am watching a tenacious 70′s film with Steve McQueen…" —The Comic Vault
"This is exactly the sort of thing the comics world needs…" —Forbidden Planet	"pick of the litter…better reading than most of the rest of the stuff on the stands." —Comics Waiting Room

I launched a webstore with a bunch of Sweets related stuff.

Prose novelist, X-Men, and Deadpool writer Victor Gischler was kind enough to mention me in a recent interview.

I was also very surprised to see Sweets mentioned by writer/producer Kirker Butler (Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Blue Agave and Worm). He's well known in our home from having written "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side."

Alright, that's it for now, more coming soon as I dig deeper into my memories. :)

Catching up

Been swamped with deadlines and conventions, so here's a quick update with some handy bullet points.

Click to enlarge

• Wizard Austin Comic-Con was fantastic—easily my best show ever. Sold tons of SWEETS and a dozen or so original art pages including all 6 covers (5 issues, and 1 variant). I highly recommend attending next year, it was an amazing show in a great city. Just for good measure, here's a commission of Curt Delatte I did this past weekend on the right.
• Wizard New Orleans is right around the corner, so mark your calendar for January 29th and 30th. I'll be there, and I'm also helping to organize a live art show after the convention on Saturday the 29th. Should be a blast.
• This coming week end, November  20 (at 10:30am) I'm doing a panel at the Miami Book Fair International with Josh Fialkov (Tumor) and Mat Johnson (Dark Rain). If you're in and around south Florida, please drop by and say hi! 
• I sent out an email newsletter recently, if you missed it, you can find that here.
• Amazing reviews for SWEETS continue to stack up.
• SWEETS issues 1 and 2 are available for digital reading in your web browser, iPad, and iPhone.
• As always, you can find regular updates on Twitter and Facebook.

STORE!

Finally got around to creating a little web store. I'll be adding new original artwork in the coming days, but if there's a specific page you want that isn't listed, please let me know.

Visit the web store!

Punks moves to MTV!

The news was announced at the MTV Geek panel at the New York Comic-Con earlier today. Here's a look at the promo piece that was unveiled at the panel:

Punks is written by critically acclaimed comics scribe, Joshua Hale Fialkov (Tumor, Elk’s Run), with art by Kody Chamberlain (Sweets, 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales).

With art reminiscent of punk rock show flyers and a surrealistic humor that will appeal to fans of both SouthPark and Squee! (and perhaps even channeling a little Monty Python?), the book introduces us to four roommates who must battle alien robots, undead carrots — and some other things probably best left unprinted! — while constantly fighting one another. It’s a laugh-riot, it’s a visual mind-trip, it’s… well, it’s Punks!

Original artwork for sale!

Kody Chamberlain SWEETS original art is available for purchase, 11"x17" —Email kodychamberlainart@gmail.com for info.

Here's a peek:

I had a few follow up questions on this recently, so here's some more info:

First, original art means 'hand drawn' pages from the comic. I draw with ink at a larger size than the book, then I shrink it digitally. That's why they're bigger than the comic book.

Second question was if I still had covers, yes, I do still have all the covers, but I'll likely keep the first one for myself.

Thanks!

Video review of Sweets from Multiversity Comics

Brandon and David have a fantastic discussion on SWEETS (at minute 39:52), but they do include major spoilers, so for those of you that haven't read the first two issues yet, be warned. But why haven't you read the first two issues?

4 Color News & Brews - Sunshine 

from Multiversity Comics on Vimeo.

Convention Exclusive!

We put a few of the Convention Exclusive SWEETS #1 on eBay. Have a look!