This is the day of the week comic dorks look forward to. It's Wednesday, the day all the shops put out new issues, fresh and crisp from the distributor.
This is the day of the week comic dorks look forward to. It's Wednesday, the day all the shops put out new issues, fresh and crisp from the distributor. Not all Wednesdays are alike, bear in mind. Although this one should be stellar, with a load of DC titles picking back up and the latest "Walking Dead" hitting stands.
"Walking Dead" is one of the reasons there's so much excitement surrounding the delectable "Chew" series, which is drawn by Lafayette's own Rob Guillory. There's currently bidding on ebay that has the first issue of "Dead" exceeding $1,200 (the #1 has already sold for more than that in recent months), due largely to the popularity of the AMC television spinoff. It originally had a retail price of $2.95 in October 2003.
Some are asking in the neighborhood of $500 for the debut issue of "Chew." You can argue that the price is inflated ("Chew" retailed at $2.99 when released in June 2009), but the buzz is there. Like "Dead," the series is published by Image and is set to hit the small screen presumably in the near future. Issue #26 comes out next month and the run will end with #60.
What does all of this mean for Guillory? What does it mean for the cable series Showtime is planning?
In a recent interview with BleedingCool.com, Guillory tipped his hat a bit. For starters, he said he'll continue to collaborate with "Chew" writer John Layman:
"We are going to do something. Layman and I have decided that we are going to stick together. The relationship is so low maintenance, he does his thing and I do mine. We work well together and we like each other. I think we will continue to do creator owned and some animation stuff too. He's starting to branch out to do animation and has done some scripts and I have some connections in that industry as well. So cartoons and other stuff including more comics in the future as a team."
They do work well together, and they have a pair of Eisner awards to prove it. As for the Showtime deal, it has been a long, grueling process for fans. It was announced more than a year ago, and it doesn't sound like the project is any closer to shooting, according to the interview. Here's what Guillory said:
"We had one script, and now we're doing another script. Our writer is an awesome up and coming guy. He buys every issue when it comes out and his sense of humor is totally in line with ours. Everyone involved with it is passionate about it, so we're not worried about rushing it. We just want it to be right."
As for what kind of comics Guillory might pick up himself on Wednesdays, check out the following, and then make plans to visit And Comics Too or Acadiana Comics and Collectibles. You might even bump into Guillory (but not for much longer; he'll be signing autographs and taking commissions over the weekend at Denver's ComicFest). Here's the last blurb, a sneak peek into what might be on Guillory's pull list:
"I read a lot of 'Green Lantern.' Old school 'X-men' by Claremont and Byrne. 'Death of Phoenix.' They had a lot of toy orientated comics. 'Master of the Universe' comics stuck out the most."
Now. Seriously. Go spend money at a local shop.