Here we go again! 

The pre-ordering window for  @IAmTheStray #2 is now open. What’s that you say? I expect you to pre-order number 2 now? As a matter of fact, yes. And here’s why. I’m about to reveal a little secret that, while not really “secret” it’s something that you, the reader/consumer, might be unaware of. It’s how the business of comic book retailing works. As someone who spent 10+ years working in comic retailing, I know a little bit about the subject.

Issue 2’s are typically the lowest ordered issue of any series. Why this is…it has to do with Diamond’s Previews catalog and how books are set up within it. There is a two-month lead time between when you’re ordering a book and when it comes into stores. So, as we saw last month, STRAY #1 was pre-ordered (Nov) for release in January. Issue 2 is what we’re looking at now (Dec) for February release. Which means retailers have no idea what they are ordering, or how well the book will do, because the first issue of the book hasn’t arrived yet. When Issue 1 is in stores, they will be ordering Issue 3, which is why you usually see an upswing at Issue 3 or 4. Issue 2, no matter how much faith the retailer out into Issue 1, will always be significantly lower.

This is where you come in. If you are a Kickstarter backer, then this is the first time you have a chance to read #2. PRE-ORDER IT. If you are a returning reader from last month, MAKE SURE THEY PULL THE BOOK FOR YOU. What we want and need here is SUSTAINING ORDERS and GROWTH.

Go to this link and print out the order form, or pull via Comixology, or order online. THEY WILL ORDER IT, but you have to tell them you want it. According to The Beat, there were 2,638 Diamond accounts for retailers in the US as of September 2013 (there may be a little more, a little less today). If all of them ordered five, just FIVE, copies of‪ #‎Stray‬, that would equal to around 13.2K copies…that would be an unmitigated success for an independent superhero comic! If we had those numbers for Issue 2, we can be assured that by Issue 3, the book will be carried by every retailer that ordered it until the end!

You’re interested now, but you need further confirmation, right? Check out these podcasts for more about the book (centered on Issue 1). It’s mostly me talking about it (Super-Fly), but in some cases, it’s both Sean and me (BAMF and Comic Timing) and in one case, it’s a podcast talking ABOUT the book (Top 5): BAMF Podcast, Top 5 Comics, Comic Timing Podcast, Super-Fly Podcast, It Came From the Longbox, Nerdist: Comic Book Club LIVE.

I will take the “Pepsi Challenge” and put STRAY up against any book that Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image is putting out. And I think it’s comparable if not better. It’s easy to say, “Well, yeah, you made it. Of course you do.” True, but I think this is the story I’ve been DYING to read (as well as write). And I suspect a lot of you have been too.

But this doesn’t happen without you, our audience, telling your store that you want this book. Please, we need everyone to PRE-ORDER the book. We need your help to prove the industry wrong. We need your help to boost Action Lab Entertainment to a new level. And we need your help to make more STRAY! Thanks in advance!

Here we go again! 

The pre-ordering window for  @IAmTheStray #2 is now open. What’s that you say? I expect you to pre-order number 2 now? As a matter of fact, yes. And here’s why. I’m about to reveal a little secret that, while not really “secret” it’s something that you, the reader/consumer, might be unaware of. It’s how the business of comic book retailing works. As someone who spent 10+ years working in comic retailing, I know a little bit about the subject.

Issue 2’s are typically the lowest ordered issue of any series. Why this is…it has to do with Diamond’s Previews catalog and how books are set up within it. There is a two-month lead time between when you’re ordering a book and when it comes into stores. So, as we saw last month, STRAY #1 was pre-ordered (Nov) for release in January. Issue 2 is what we’re looking at now (Dec) for February release. Which means retailers have no idea what they are ordering, or how well the book will do, because the first issue of the book hasn’t arrived yet. When Issue 1 is in stores, they will be ordering Issue 3, which is why you usually see an upswing at Issue 3 or 4. Issue 2, no matter how much faith the retailer out into Issue 1, will always be significantly lower. And to be honest, our numbers on Issue 1 were much lower than we expected.

This is where you come in. If you are a Kickstarter backer, then this is the first time you have a chance to read #2. PRE-ORDER IT. If you are a returning reader from last month, MAKE SURE THEY PULL THE BOOK FOR YOU. What we want and need here is SUSTAINING ORDERS and GROWTH.

Go to this link and print out the order form, or pull via Comixology, or order online. THEY WILL ORDER IT, but you have to tell them you want it. According to The Beat, there were 2,638 Diamond accounts for retailers in the US as of September 2013 (there may be a little more, a little less today). If all of them ordered five, just FIVE, copies of‪ #‎Stray‬, that would equal to around 13.2K copies…that would be an unmitigated success for an independent superhero comic! If we had those numbers for Issue 2, we can be assured that by Issue 3, the book will be carried by every retailer that ordered it until the end!

You’re interested now, but you need further confirmation, right? Check out these podcasts for more about the book (centered on Issue 1). It’s mostly me talking about it (Super-Fly), but in some cases, it’s both Sean and me (BAMF and Comic Timing) and in one case, it’s a podcast talking ABOUT the book (Top 5): BAMF Podcast, Top 5 Comics, Comic Timing Podcast, Super-Fly Podcast, It Came From the Longbox, Nerdist: Comic Book Club LIVE.

I will take the “Pepsi Challenge” and put STRAY up against any book that Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image is putting out. And I think it’s comparable if not better. It’s easy to say, “Well, yeah, you made it. Of course you do.” True, but I think this is the story I’ve been DYING to read (as well as write). And I suspect a lot of you have been too.

To convine you, and just for today…and look, you can click this link and read the first six pages…but here are Sean’s inks and Ross’ colors:

This doesn’t happen without you, our audience, telling your store that you want this book. Please, we need everyone to PRE-ORDER the book. We need your help to prove the industry wrong. We need your help to boost Action Lab Entertainment to a new level. And we need your help to make more STRAY! Thanks in advance!

Here we go again! 

The pre-ordering window for  @IAmTheStray #2 is now open. What’s that you say? I expect you to pre-order number 2 now? As a matter of fact, yes. And here’s why. I’m about to reveal a little secret that, while not really “secret” it’s something that you, the reader/consumer, might be unaware of. It’s how the business of comic book retailing works. As someone who spent 10+ years working in comic retailing, I know a little bit about the subject.

Issue 2’s are typically the lowest ordered issue of any series. Why this is…it has to do with Diamond’s Previews catalog and how books are set up within it. There is a two-month lead time between when you’re ordering a book and when it comes into stores. So, as we saw last month, STRAY #1 was pre-ordered (Nov) for release in January. Issue 2 is what we’re looking at now (Dec) for February release. Which means retailers have no idea what they are ordering, or how well the book will do, because the first issue of the book hasn’t arrived yet. When Issue 1 is in stores, they will be ordering Issue 3, which is why you usually see an upswing at Issue 3 or 4. Issue 2, no matter how much faith the retailer out into Issue 1, will always be significantly lower.

This is where you come in. If you are a Kickstarter backer, then this is the first time you have a chance to read #2. PRE-ORDER IT. If you are a returning reader from last month, MAKE SURE THEY PULL THE BOOK FOR YOU. What we want and need here is SUSTAINING ORDERS and GROWTH.

Go to this link and print out the order form, or pull via Comixology, or order online. THEY WILL ORDER IT, but you have to tell them you want it. According to The Beat, there were 2,638 Diamond accounts for retailers in the US as of September 2013 (there may be a little more, a little less today). If all of them ordered five, just FIVE, copies of‪ #‎Stray‬, that would equal to around 13.2K copies…that would be an unmitigated success for an independent superhero comic! If we had those numbers for Issue 2, we can be assured that by Issue 3, the book will be carried by every retailer that ordered it until the end!

You’re interested now, but you need further confirmation, right? Check out these podcasts for more about the book (centered on Issue 1). It’s mostly me talking about it (Super-Fly), but in some cases, it’s both Sean and me (BAMF and Comic Timing) and in one case, it’s a podcast talking ABOUT the book (Top 5): BAMF Podcast, Top 5 Comics, Comic Timing Podcast, Super-Fly Podcast, It Came From the Longbox, Nerdist: Comic Book Club LIVE.

I will take the “Pepsi Challenge” and put STRAY up against any book that Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image is putting out. And I think it’s comparable if not better. It’s easy to say, “Well, yeah, you made it. Of course you do.” True, but I think this is the story I’ve been DYING to read (as well as write). And I suspect a lot of you have been too.

But this doesn’t happen without you, our audience, telling your store that you want this book. Please, we need everyone to PRE-ORDER the book. We need your help to prove the industry wrong. We need your help to boost Action Lab Entertainment to a new level. And we need your help to make more STRAY! Thanks in advance!

Here we go again! 

The pre-ordering window for  @IAmTheStray #2 is now open. What’s that you say? I expect you to pre-order number 2 now? As a matter of fact, yes. And here’s why. I’m about to reveal a little secret that, while not really “secret” it’s something that you, the reader/consumer, might be unaware of. It’s how the business of comic book retailing works. As someone who spent 10+ years working in comic retailing, I know a little bit about the subject.

Issue 2’s are typically the lowest ordered issue of any series. Why this is…it has to do with Diamond’s Previews catalog and how books are set up within it. There is a two-month lead time between when you’re ordering a book and when it comes into stores. So, as we saw last month, STRAY #1 was pre-ordered (Nov) for release in January. Issue 2 is what we’re looking at now (Dec) for February release. Which means retailers have no idea what they are ordering, or how well the book will do, because the first issue of the book hasn’t arrived yet. When Issue 1 is in stores, they will be ordering Issue 3, which is why you usually see an upswing at Issue 3 or 4. Issue 2, no matter how much faith the retailer out into Issue 1, will always be significantly lower. And to be honest, our numbers on Issue 1 were much lower than we expected.

This is where you come in. If you are a Kickstarter backer, then this is the first time you have a chance to read #2. PRE-ORDER IT. If you are a returning reader from last month, MAKE SURE THEY PULL THE BOOK FOR YOU. What we want and need here is SUSTAINING ORDERS and GROWTH.

Go to this link and print out the order form, or pull via Comixology, or order online. THEY WILL ORDER IT, but you have to tell them you want it. According to The Beat, there were 2,638 Diamond accounts for retailers in the US as of September 2013 (there may be a little more, a little less today). If all of them ordered five, just FIVE, copies of‪ #‎Stray‬, that would equal to around 13.2K copies…that would be an unmitigated success for an independent superhero comic! If we had those numbers for Issue 2, we can be assured that by Issue 3, the book will be carried by every retailer that ordered it until the end!

You’re interested now, but you need further confirmation, right? Check out these podcasts for more about the book (centered on Issue 1). It’s mostly me talking about it (Super-Fly), but in some cases, it’s both Sean and me (BAMF and Comic Timing) and in one case, it’s a podcast talking ABOUT the book (Top 5): BAMF Podcast, Top 5 Comics, Comic Timing Podcast, Super-Fly Podcast, It Came From the Longbox, Nerdist: Comic Book Club LIVE.

I will take the “Pepsi Challenge” and put STRAY up against any book that Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image is putting out. And I think it’s comparable if not better. It’s easy to say, “Well, yeah, you made it. Of course you do.” True, but I think this is the story I’ve been DYING to read (as well as write). And I suspect a lot of you have been too.

To convine you, and just for today…and look, you can click this link and read the first six pages…but here are Sean’s inks and Ross’ colors:

This doesn’t happen without you, our audience, telling your store that you want this book. Please, we need everyone to PRE-ORDER the book. We need your help to prove the industry wrong. We need your help to boost Action Lab Entertainment to a new level. And we need your help to make more STRAY! Thanks in advance!

That Was A Good Drum Break

It’s been a while. Sorry. Site is being updated, and adding new things here and there to kind of keep the site active. I shouldn’t just post on Twitter or Facebook, but…IT’S SO EASY, YOU GUYS! But yes, I’m going to focus a little more on the site. And my new mailing list. Sign up for a “no less than monthly, no more than weekly” update of all my projects. Thanks for sticking around.

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