Tales of Syzpense #39
Help yourself to Self Help; Spinner Rack transformations; and utter Stuff & Nonsense
Announcing the Latest from Image/Syzygy, Self Help
At the Syzygy panel during WonderCon 2023, I announced a number of pending projects, including an LA noir series called Self Help by writers Owen King & Jesse Kellerman and artist Marianna Ignazzi. Even showed a few B&W pages from the first issue. And then we went back to work on making the series, but I haven’t really talked about it at length since that initial announcement.
It’s finally time to change that. Because the series is officially on its way. Self Help #1 debuts in May and I’m so excited that we can finally bring this to you. It’s one we’ve been working on for quite some time even before last year’s WonderCon. And I know everyone has been eager to show and tell you more about it.
But first, the formal press announcement, headed up by the premiere issue’s primary cover courtesy of series co-creator/artist Marianna Ignazzi, with logo and design by series designer and letterer, Ian Chalgren:
Escaping into the world in June courtesy of Image Comics’ Syzygy imprint, a crime comic miniseries about identity: the power that certain identities confer, and how a drastic change in identity can dramatically transform one’s prospects… for better and for worse.
SELF HELP
Novelists Owen King & Jesse Kellerman partner with artist Marianna Ignazzi to present a rollicking, irreverent, and gleefully lurid pulp crime story for a moment in time where it seems impossible to lose your history and start again, and where everyone, on some level, yearns to do exactly that.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MARCH 8, 2023, (SAN DIEGO, CA) — Coming this fall from Image Comics’ imprint, Syzygy Publishing, is SELF HELP, a California noir miniseries with a wicked sense of humor; it’s a surreal and colorful world filled with liars: two-faced talk-show hosts, cheerful Finnish mobsters, bloodthirsty white supremacists, snide English butlers, and panther-wielding Eurotrash assassins from the creative team of writers Owen King & Jesse Kellerman and artist Marianna Ignazzi.
In Self Help, down-on-his-luck ex-con Jerry Hauser’s existence is a bleak one... especially because every fare he picks up via his gig-economy job for Drÿvÿr tells him how much he looks like uber-successful self-help guru Darren Hart, he of the “only you can help you!” bromide. Through a twist of fate and an unfortunate turn of the wheel, Jerry is given the chance of a lifetime... that may well end his lifetime in premature and violent fashion.
From here, the story races ahead at an ever-increasing speed, and with an ever-increasing body count, as Jerry assumes his rival’s identity, races to keep a lid on the murder, fend off the Euro-gangsters to whom Darren was heavily indebted, placate Darren’s calculating assistant Cassandra, and rebuild his relationship with his estranged ex-wife Michelle and daughter Amelia. Oh, and he also needs to avoid the white supremacists that hold Jerry’s personal marker –except to them, he’s Danny McClure –and keep up his Drÿvÿr rating.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be working with Jesse Kellerman on Self Help,” said co-writer/co-creator Owen King. “He’s one of my favorite novelists and one of my favorite people. We’re both incredibly lucky to have the brilliant Marianna Ignazzi bringing our sun-baked noir comedy to life."
"Writing Self Help has been nonstop fun—and the credit for that goes to my amazing co-writer, Owen King,” added co-writer/co-creator Jesse Kellerman. “This story is the product of two good friends cutting loose and letting our imaginations run wild. And we're thrilled by the beautiful, stylish, vivid genius of Marianna Ignazzi. We can't wait for you to get your hands on it."
"I am beyond thrilled to be part of the incredible team behind Self Help,” said artist/co-creator Marianna Ignazzi. “Working alongside such talented individuals has been an absolute joy. Get ready for a wild ride as we dive into a gripping crime story filled with unexpected twists and turns."
Self Help volume 1 launches in June, with covers by Ignazzi and variant covers by Stephen Byrne. Issue 1 further adds incentive covers by Stephen Russell Black and Ashley Wood. Rounding out the creative partners in crime are colorist Fabiana Mascolo, and designer Ian Chagren, who is both lettering the series as well as creating unique popular-crime-fiction-inspired logos and design pages for each issue. Issue 1’s design pays homage to the work of legendary Hollywood poster artist, Saul Bass.
For additional press queries, please contact Image Comics’ Kat Salazar at katsalazar@imagecomics.com and Syzygy’s Chris Ryall at ryall.syz@gmail.com.
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About Syzygy Publishing
Syzygy Publishing is an imprint of Image Comics owned and operated by Ashley Wood and Chris Ryall. Its other offerings include the multiple Eisner Award-nominated Joe Hill’s Rain; Zombies vs Robots; 7174; The Hollows; Onyx, 3Keys, All Against All; Tales of Syzpense, The Cabinet, Lore, and much more. Follow Syzygy on Instagram (@syzygypublishing, @chris_ryall, @ashleywoodart), Twitter (@syz_age, @chris_ryall, @RealAshleyWood), and Ryall’s weekly Substack newsletter, Tales of Syzpense. Please see WorldofSyzygy.com for more updates and information or contact ryall.syz@gmail.com
So, welcome to the world of Self Help!
Before showing off the additional covers, a few notes about the creators: I’ve certainly known Owen’s work for years — I first experienced his work as editor on a superhero-related anthology called Who Can Save Us Now, followed by a number of idiosyncratic and very smart books like the We’re All In This Together anthology, Double Feature, and Sleeping Beauties, which he co-wrote with Stephen King and which both authors were gracious enough to let it be adapted to graphic-novel form, and his other foray into graphic novel territory, Intro to Alien Invasion. And most recently, I adored his January ‘24 novel, The Curator. Also, Owen has great taste in baseball cards and music.
I’ve not worked with co-creator/co-writer Jesse Kellerman before but am happy we could change that on this series. Jesse’s both a prose author and playright, an Edgar Award-winning writer of novels like Sunstroke and The Executor, as well as a number of crime novels with author Jonathan Kellerman. Both writers blend together on this comic really well, and for relative comic-book neophytes (like Owen) or newcomers (like Jesse), they’ve really nailed the pacing, the flow, and the kinds of characters and settings that work perfectly in the comic-book form.
Especially when the visuals for the comic are handled by an artist like Marianna Ignazzi, an artist I’ve admired from her work on comics like Buffy but again, never had the chance to work with. Marianna is one of those rare artists who is so skilled at conveying complicated moods, expressions, and body language with few lines.
Marianna’s work looks even more impressive thanks to the warm hues and vivid colors that Fabiana Mascolo is applying to the b&w art. Which provides just the right look for this a “sunny noir” series set in and around Hollywood.
And as mentioned in the release above, longtime (is 2 years a long time? In today’s world, it feels like it is) Syzygy collaborator Ian Chalgren is not only lettering the series, as he did my Dreamweaver story in our recent Tales of Syzpense, but he’s bringing something special to this series in terms of its design, too. The cover logos, interior credits pages and back cover will have a unique look and feel in each issue, as we pay tribute to the look and feel of crime/noir-related movies, novels, and past designers. Up first, issue 1 will pay homage to the work of artist Saul Bass.
And in terms of additional covers for this series, we’re launching with four covers — two regular covers and two retailer incentives. Subsequent issues will offer two covers each.
Variants on all issues are by artist Stephen Byrne, who will be providing variant covers for every issue. I’ve long enjoyed Stephen’s work on books like Dark Horse’s Joy Operations so it’s a thrill to have him along for every issue.
I’m also equally happy to have contributions on this first issue from Steven Russell Black and from Syzygy partner-in-crime Ashley Wood, too.
Below are not only those covers but also the first four pages of issue 1, too.
And with all of this comes the repeated ask of letting your retailers know if you want to check this series out. No matter the pedigree of any creative team, it’s always a challenge for retailers to take a big stake in any new series, so your pre-orders not only help let them know to order a book but it also ensures that a copy will be waiting for you when it’s released.
At the end of this newsletter, I’ll attach a PDF of the catalog ads for both this series and our other May release, The Cabinet #5 (of 5), so you can easily print those out, hand them to your local comic-shop proprietor and ask them to reserve copies for you.
This Month in Syzygy!
In stores next week, Wednesday, March 13, The Cabinet #2 (of 5) by Jordan Hart & David Ebeltoft and artist Chiara Raimondi. Covers here by Chiara and Marguerite Sauvage:
All five of Marguerite’s covers connect, creating one massive and impressive image. Here are the first two of five images:
Also regarding The Cabinet, the concluding issue 5 is also available for pre-order now and releasing in May. The PDF is below but here’s the catalog ad itself:
And finally in March, coming on March 27 is the first collection of Tales of Syzpense, with the so-far-complete Les Mort 13 story by T.P. Louise and Ashley Wood (who also contributed the cover) as well as Dreamweaver by me, Nelson Daniel, and letterer/designer Ian Chalgren.
And if you don’t care to wait til month’s end or want a signed edition, those are available right now directly from me.
Spinner Rack Transformers
I love me a good transformation scene on a comic cover — most often, that’s been seen on the Hulk, but it rarely ever gets old. I like ‘em so much that I had to homage one of my favorites when I had the chance. Artist Bob Larkin created a particularly great image for the cover of the Fireside Books Hulk collection. So when I was putting together the first Rom Annual during IDW’s Rom run, a story that detailed Rom’s origin, I couldn’t resist asking painter JK Woodward to pay tribute to Larkin with his Rom cover.
But even aside from the Hulk’s transformation, give me a flying Superman changing from Clark Kent into the blue-and-red, or a vampire (or non-vamp, I’m not particular) growing wings, or even a limping doctor changing into a Thunder God, I appreciate all of it.
Stuff and Nonsense!
I contributed a new piece at 13th Dimension offering up 13 Outstanding Annual Covers in celebration of Al Milgrom’s birthday on March 6.
Speaking of noir reads, a new Tana French novel is always causes for celebration, and so far, The Hunter is off to an expectedly strong start. I normally appreciate how French’s novels introduce a background character in one book and then elevate them to a starring role in the next novel, but this one doesn’t do that. Instead, it picks up where 2020’s The Searcher left off, and I’m glad to have a chance to revisit those characters here.
I normally do my best to tune out Joe Hill’s incessant praise of Liam Gallagher the way he goes numb when I bring up Rush (and truth be told, I’m more of a Noel guy when it comes to the Oasis siblings’ solo music) but I’m really digging Liam Gallagher John Squire. Maybe it’s Squire’s Hendrix-like guitar tones and songwriting chops but the combination is something pretty special.
As far as comics go, this week’s The Batman: First Knight is a stunner. Mike Perkins has always been great at portraying comic-book situations and characters in realistic ways but his work on this one, with a solid script by Dan Jurgens set in the the lead-up to World War Two, is utterly stunning.
And I finally had a chance to catch American Fiction and it’s one of those special films that you know from the first five minutes that it’s exactly what I hoped it would be. Cord Jefferson, who co-wrote and directed the film, has been making great TV for a while now but the film presages what’s sure to be a long and fruitful movie career, too.
Finally, as mentioned, below is a PDF of Syzygy’s two May releases if you need an easy way to let your retailer know to hold these comics for you.
