MAKE A WISH - April 2022
MAKE A WISH
I wanted this update out last week, but you're getting it when you're getting it because the last chunk of time has been utterly consumed by EIGHT BILLION GENIES! If you're new around here, that's the next comic from my super-artist pal Ryan Browne and me - an eight-issue series from Image Comics. The premise: everyone on Earth gets a genie and one wish at the same moment. How do we actually build a story around that idea, which isn't just constant noise and craziness and the world blowing up on page 3?
You'll find out on May 11, when issue 1 drops. (Or, if you're one of the lucky fans here who snagged a preview copy last December, you already know. By the way, if you have one of those... HOLD ON TO IT. Trust me.)
Ryan and I have been having a LOT of conversations about this project with cool folks who, uh, see possibilities in it, and talking about it so much has really underscored what a personal story this is for us. Everyone has a wish. Everyone has a want. Everyone has a need. Few things reveal character more than a heart's desire. What we truly, deeply wish for is who we are. This story gives all those people (and you!) the chance to actually get that one thing they truly want - but they (and you!) only get one shot at it
Better not screw it up.
We are both so excited about this story coming to the world. Orders for it end on April 18 (this Monday!) so if you want to make sure you'll get a copy, call your local comic shop and ask them to reserve you one. When shops see interest from people in a title, they usually order more, so those orders help us out a bunch.
EIGHT BILLION VARIANTS
There are eight covers you can get for this series by talking to your shop, plus some "secret" or trickier to find ones. It's like a treasure hunt! It's fun! Want to see them? YES YOU DO!
This one is COVER A, the “main” cover for the book, featuring Ryan Browne’s deceptively simple and amazing genie design. This one will be on most comic shop shelves. AT LEAST THE GOOD ONES.
Here’s COVER B, by the amazing duo of Jenny Frison and Steve Seeley. They leaned into one of the main conceits of the book, which is that everyone’s genie kind of looks like them a little. This one’s so beautiful - one of my favorite images ever connected to something I wrote.
COVER C is by friend of the book, and, uh, friend of us - artistic powerhouse and powerful Irishman Declan Shalvey! He also did a genie... but of himself! That’s a Declan genie in the middle there, and behind him... Ryan and me! Love this.
Now it’s getting weird. For COVER D, Ryan and I wanted an actual genie to lend us his likeness - AND WE GOT ONE. Yep, it’s Andrew Divoff, star of classic 90s horror films Wishmaster & Wishmaster 2, gracing our book! (Yes, this is real. We really asked him. He really said yes.)
The Divoff cover, by the way, is the first of the rare variants - it’s a “one in ten,” which means your shop needs to order at least ten copies of Cover A to get one of these. So... if you want the Div, plan ahead!
COVER E is an homage to the last comic epic Ryan and I finished... CURSE WORDS! This is a version of the cover to Curse Words #1, with an added little baby genie Wizord. VERY adorable! This one is a “one-in-twenty-five,” so it’ll be even rarer than Cover D.
COVER F is another homage... to Ryan’s weird cat Simon. Listen, I know a lot of people out there love this cat, and enjoy him appearing from time to time. But I’ve met Simon, and Simon is *one weird cat*. Anyway, this one will be covered in precious glitter and is a 1:50.
Next - back in 2017, Ryan and I got a van and decorated it with wizards and drove around the country to promote our book Curse Words. We wanted to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Wizard Van Tour. So we did! Behold... the Vanniversary Variant!
Yep, that’s Ryan and me in the van, being taken to heck knows where by Wizord and Margaret and their genies. We seem so concerned!
And last but not least, a blank sketch variant! Ryan *promises* he will draw you as a genie on it if you get it!
Beyond these, there are some gorgeous "retailer exclusives" out there being produced by specific stores like Things From Another World. I'd just do a Google on "Eight Billion Genies Retailer Exclusive" if you're a completist and want the fullest possible set of these #1s.
If you want EVEN MORE Eight Billion Genies goodness, plus insights into CURSE WORDS and the working process between me and Maestro Browne, we were recently interviewed for David Harper's wonderfu lOff Panel podcast, which you can listen to here.
And finally, because we know some of you nice folks might want copies of this comic signed by Ryan and me, you can order your very own HERE! Those will ship out just before or just after the release on May 11, and we often doodle or write dumb (AWESOME) stuff on them. GET IT!
A SHORT, SHORT TIME FROM NOW IN A CONVENTION CENTER IN ANAHEIM
There's a big, huge, gigantic Star Wars convention actually put on by Star Wars itself, which used to happen about every eighteen months or so, before the world decided to hate us all for a while. But now that the world loves us again, that con - Star Wars Celebration - is back on! It'll be happening the last weekend of May in Anaheim, California (basically Los Angeles). That's cool enough, but the truly best thing about that event - better than Ian McDiarmid appearing, or a billion people in exquisitely crafted Mandalorian armor walking around, or the first two episodes of Kenobi being shown... is that, as recently announced, all 5 of the original High Republic authors will be attending Star Wars Celebration this year! You can see our author photos below.
We've also got some really cool ideas for fun things to do while we're there - not just partying, though I am sure we will get DOWN - but things related to the High Republic fandom. We haven't really had a chance to meet the High Republic fans in public yet - it's pretty much just been online due to Covid, and so we can't wait to see what cosplay and cool takes they might have, and just meet them and hang out. We're kicking around some fun ideas related to cosplay in particular, so dust off those Avar Kriss tiaras and fluff up your Burryaga costumes. We'll see you in May!
I WRITE OTHER STUFF TOO
This update has been heavy on the genies, but I'm still working on lots of other stuff. I was sitting at a bar the other day making a detailed list of all my projects in one of my famous notebooks, and some dude one seat over was trying to sneak a peek. HA! Joke's on you, dude. I use code names!
I just came up with a really cool one for something new the other day, in fact, but I'm too paranoid to tell you what it is. So, here is a code name for the code name: LEGOLAS. And no, it ain't related to LEGO or LOTR.
Anyway, the other thing I'm getting really close to sending in is Novel 4, which longtime readers have heard me talk about for a distressingly long time. It's just a hard, complicated book, okay? I'll get it done. And then we'll all be happy.
But while we're talking about cool books, let me recommend Gerry Duggan and Scott Buoncristiano's THE DARK ROOM (out in June as a kickass hardcover from Image), Chip Zdarsky's PUBLIC DOMAIN (also out in June along with, I think, his first Batman issue? Jesus, how did THAT happen?) and Peng Shepherd's THE CARTOGRAPHERS (which features a back-cover blurb from yours truly!) All are excellent reads, and come with the Charles D. Soule stamp of approval.
THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT!
I did a convention last weekend in Philadelphia, which was fun (I had two cheesesteaks and a pork sandwich from Reading Terminal Market and I have zero regrets). I burned through a lot of stock there, which was even more fun - but I was smart (actually my noble assistant Tommy was smart) and held back some cool stuff for the webstore. In particular, I have a few sets of the 2-issue origin of High Republic mega-villain Marchion Ro available. That's EYE OF THE STORM - click that link to get yours. Direct links to some of my other popular stuff
Already have all my books?! I also have signed bookplates available, which you can find here!
UNTIL NEXT TIME...
I'm going to go on a big trip and see some awesome people now. I'll report back next month. Replies are turned on for this bad boy, so let me know if you have anything you, er, want me to know!
Au revoir, mes amis! Sláinte! Cheers!
--Charles