While at the comic shop this week I was glancing at the new previews and noticed the second omnibus for your Captain Marvel run was announced! Very awesome!
Hey Kelly! Loved your interview on Casually Comics. You talked about the possibility of bringing Donna Troy to the series and mentioned how you have so many other characters that you want to do Absolute versions of.
With the entire DC universe seemingly at your disposal to pull from, is it difficult at all to decide who you want to bring to the series? And is that something you have to coordinate with the other writers so you're not stepping on each other's toes?
It's definitely hard to decide. Even on just a regular book, it's hard not to get greedy and ask for characters you love and are excited by -- but overloading the book with characters does tend to be the first sign of tipping a book over in a bad way where nobody ends up getting to shine as you intend. Even on AWW we're still struggling to make sure we're slow burn developing Diana's supporting cast -- having Diana off in a maze for issues 9 through most of 12 didn't help us there -- but was still worth it I think. But you gotta be careful with these things.
I think with something like the Absolute Universe in some ways it's easier to resist -- because you have to fully birth someone here in order to make them exist in this universe -- but if you DO pull that trigger you have even more responsibility to do something worthy with those characters. I think. And that's a lot of pressure.
I think for me -- other than coordinating with what the other creators are doing, which is definitely a necessary part of this -- it's looking for characters I think I might have an interesting take on and/or that might be unexpected, or have exciting new courses I could chart that would benefit them and the world around them.
But a lot of even those wish list characters bring up big world questions (like Donna does) that maybe aren't ready to be answered yet -- or that might get in the way of other stories still launching. It's a tricky problem for sure, but it's also a fun one to solve.
Hopefully Monarch is fully on the mend! As always, I don't care when you ship. Take your time for me. Besides, I will probably just order more anyway. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and feast on all your favorite treats!
The Jem collections were a bit out of my price range—hoping these will mean more affordable ones in the future—but i was pretty bummed that the campaign doesn’t seem to mention any of people who actually made the comics. That really put me off spending the money.
Also, poor poor Monarch. Getting either of my boys to the vet is hard enough, I couldn’t imagine one being coned for two weeks.
Yeah. They were pretty pricey! But as I dug into the campaign I could see why -- very high quality work/printing/etc. But it did make me wish there was a cheaper option too.
I hear you on the lack of creator mentions. I certainly agree (I am very biased!) but I suspect it's less about wanting to diminish anyone, and more about protecting whatever it is they're going to do next with the license. If Boom is printing, then they have the Jem license, and I would assume, are going to make some books. So it was already pretty cool for them to offer re-printings of the old ones, and it's not totally out of pocket that they're focused on the property more than the (old) creators of the last iteration. Y'know?
But again, I don't entirely disagree.
The thing we got really lucky on with Monarch (and knock on wood for next time!) is that he's pretty vocal and while he had the cone on, he was very quiet, which was a huge relief.
And thank you. Yeah, they were so casual about "oh yeah, it actually is kind of cancer. Annnnnd we didn't actually get it all" gave me some serious pause. Not pleased. : /
Sorry about that! No, just shutting it down for the holiday -- to make sure I'm able to get everyone their stuff before the holidays and so I don't have to worry about it if we go away for a bit. And in fact it WILL stay open the whole time -- there will just be a note on the home page about orders placed AFTER such and such will not ship until January 2026 or whatever.
And thank you for all the orders btw. It IS god-tier and I HAVE noticed and very much appreciate it!
I’ll keep saying it cause it’s true and something I’m constantly grateful for -it’s heartening that a creator of such rich work is also a real person.
You’ve calmed my anxiety cause these next few issues and the annual look f’ng amazing! I’m from mid 1970’s Brooklyn and the way you write WW I wonder what your salty language tolerance is so I’ll err on the side of caution.
Have a great holiday season and thank you for the gift that is AWW.
PS my best friend in life Otis (an adoptee from North Shore Animal League) had a form of cancer that also required surgery and monitoring that did not come back for the rest of his life. Just the universe's way of saying, appreciate this time cause it's special.
Feeling your feline feels, Kelly…our cat Chessur (as in Cheshire Cat) somehow managed to hang himself by his harness bad enough that he needed stitches and has been in a cone for two weeks. Stitches come out and cone comes off today. All the best to you and Mighty Monarch from him and all of us.
•
Still loving the bejeezus out of your AWW & BoP & Jeff (&KEN!) work. Continue to appreciate you taking time for our Scott Snyder comics writing class (recently revisited). Was *thrilled* with your appearance on Ken Plume’s podcast (now a Patreon patron of his). The degree to which you as a working writer continue to be honest, earnest, and real about The Struggle is a true encouragement. Hope you know that I, and many others, are rooting for you.
•
PS: Taking to heart what you said about The Cull, will be picking that one up soon. I hear good things…😉
Hello, I hope you’re doing well. I’m a professional artist specializing in comics, NSFW arts (18+), sci-fi, romance , fantasy, book covers, and character design. I’m looking for commissions..I can help turn your novel into a comic also i work on covers, logos, pages, panels, and also adult works. Can I show you my works?
First, poor Monarch and that Cone of Shame! Ohhhhh, hate to see it.
Second, those Zatanna concept paintings are juicy!
Third, this should hopefully make you laugh. My wife and I read AWW together and I showed her the cover for tomorrow's release. Ray, the lifelong comic geek said, "Duuuuuuude, look at this sweet cover for the next issue coming out tomorrow with Giganta." Ray's wife dryly cracks, "I'd hate to see her stretch marks."
Lastly, I chatted up AWW (with Absolute Batman) at one of my comic book panels at Philcon this past weekend when the moderator asked for current running recommendations. Keep this thing hot, Kelly!
I’m sorry about Monarch, Kelly. I’m going through something similar with Ogden.
Ah, I'm sorry Kamose. I hope he's (?) okay. <3
Thanks Kelly. He’s happy but having problems due to old age.
While at the comic shop this week I was glancing at the new previews and noticed the second omnibus for your Captain Marvel run was announced! Very awesome!
Poor Monarch! 🥺
Hey Kelly! Loved your interview on Casually Comics. You talked about the possibility of bringing Donna Troy to the series and mentioned how you have so many other characters that you want to do Absolute versions of.
With the entire DC universe seemingly at your disposal to pull from, is it difficult at all to decide who you want to bring to the series? And is that something you have to coordinate with the other writers so you're not stepping on each other's toes?
Thanks so much, Chris.
It's definitely hard to decide. Even on just a regular book, it's hard not to get greedy and ask for characters you love and are excited by -- but overloading the book with characters does tend to be the first sign of tipping a book over in a bad way where nobody ends up getting to shine as you intend. Even on AWW we're still struggling to make sure we're slow burn developing Diana's supporting cast -- having Diana off in a maze for issues 9 through most of 12 didn't help us there -- but was still worth it I think. But you gotta be careful with these things.
I think with something like the Absolute Universe in some ways it's easier to resist -- because you have to fully birth someone here in order to make them exist in this universe -- but if you DO pull that trigger you have even more responsibility to do something worthy with those characters. I think. And that's a lot of pressure.
I think for me -- other than coordinating with what the other creators are doing, which is definitely a necessary part of this -- it's looking for characters I think I might have an interesting take on and/or that might be unexpected, or have exciting new courses I could chart that would benefit them and the world around them.
But a lot of even those wish list characters bring up big world questions (like Donna does) that maybe aren't ready to be answered yet -- or that might get in the way of other stories still launching. It's a tricky problem for sure, but it's also a fun one to solve.
Hopefully Monarch is fully on the mend! As always, I don't care when you ship. Take your time for me. Besides, I will probably just order more anyway. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and feast on all your favorite treats!
You remain, the greatest possible reader for any writer, Miguel. Thank you!
The Jem collections were a bit out of my price range—hoping these will mean more affordable ones in the future—but i was pretty bummed that the campaign doesn’t seem to mention any of people who actually made the comics. That really put me off spending the money.
Also, poor poor Monarch. Getting either of my boys to the vet is hard enough, I couldn’t imagine one being coned for two weeks.
Yeah. They were pretty pricey! But as I dug into the campaign I could see why -- very high quality work/printing/etc. But it did make me wish there was a cheaper option too.
I hear you on the lack of creator mentions. I certainly agree (I am very biased!) but I suspect it's less about wanting to diminish anyone, and more about protecting whatever it is they're going to do next with the license. If Boom is printing, then they have the Jem license, and I would assume, are going to make some books. So it was already pretty cool for them to offer re-printings of the old ones, and it's not totally out of pocket that they're focused on the property more than the (old) creators of the last iteration. Y'know?
But again, I don't entirely disagree.
The thing we got really lucky on with Monarch (and knock on wood for next time!) is that he's pretty vocal and while he had the cone on, he was very quiet, which was a huge relief.
Having a Cone of Silence isn’t an awful trick to have on your side lol!
10/10 Godfather reference.
Godspeed on Monarch's full recovery and a more solid answer/solution to the residual concern. Vagueness in these matters tests our mettle for sure.
This is small potatoes in comparison but just to clarify, when you say you're shutting down your webstore...
That's my new god-tier exclusive way of buying your work, is it a temporary holiday closure?
Haha. Thanks!
And thank you. Yeah, they were so casual about "oh yeah, it actually is kind of cancer. Annnnnd we didn't actually get it all" gave me some serious pause. Not pleased. : /
Sorry about that! No, just shutting it down for the holiday -- to make sure I'm able to get everyone their stuff before the holidays and so I don't have to worry about it if we go away for a bit. And in fact it WILL stay open the whole time -- there will just be a note on the home page about orders placed AFTER such and such will not ship until January 2026 or whatever.
And thank you for all the orders btw. It IS god-tier and I HAVE noticed and very much appreciate it!
I’ll keep saying it cause it’s true and something I’m constantly grateful for -it’s heartening that a creator of such rich work is also a real person.
You’ve calmed my anxiety cause these next few issues and the annual look f’ng amazing! I’m from mid 1970’s Brooklyn and the way you write WW I wonder what your salty language tolerance is so I’ll err on the side of caution.
Have a great holiday season and thank you for the gift that is AWW.
PS my best friend in life Otis (an adoptee from North Shore Animal League) had a form of cancer that also required surgery and monitoring that did not come back for the rest of his life. Just the universe's way of saying, appreciate this time cause it's special.
Monarch's frown 😞😞😞
I KNOW. RIGHT?
That was my face when I heard about the Birds, too! 😭😭. Hope the little guy continues to improve!!!
Feeling your feline feels, Kelly…our cat Chessur (as in Cheshire Cat) somehow managed to hang himself by his harness bad enough that he needed stitches and has been in a cone for two weeks. Stitches come out and cone comes off today. All the best to you and Mighty Monarch from him and all of us.
•
Still loving the bejeezus out of your AWW & BoP & Jeff (&KEN!) work. Continue to appreciate you taking time for our Scott Snyder comics writing class (recently revisited). Was *thrilled* with your appearance on Ken Plume’s podcast (now a Patreon patron of his). The degree to which you as a working writer continue to be honest, earnest, and real about The Struggle is a true encouragement. Hope you know that I, and many others, are rooting for you.
•
PS: Taking to heart what you said about The Cull, will be picking that one up soon. I hear good things…😉
Ohmygod. I'm so glad he's okay! (and that you guys survived the two weeks of cone!)
These are very kind things to say, Ken, thank you so much for saying them. <3
Hello, I hope you’re doing well. I’m a professional artist specializing in comics, NSFW arts (18+), sci-fi, romance , fantasy, book covers, and character design. I’m looking for commissions..I can help turn your novel into a comic also i work on covers, logos, pages, panels, and also adult works. Can I show you my works?
The comments section is not the place for this.
First, poor Monarch and that Cone of Shame! Ohhhhh, hate to see it.
Second, those Zatanna concept paintings are juicy!
Third, this should hopefully make you laugh. My wife and I read AWW together and I showed her the cover for tomorrow's release. Ray, the lifelong comic geek said, "Duuuuuuude, look at this sweet cover for the next issue coming out tomorrow with Giganta." Ray's wife dryly cracks, "I'd hate to see her stretch marks."
Lastly, I chatted up AWW (with Absolute Batman) at one of my comic book panels at Philcon this past weekend when the moderator asked for current running recommendations. Keep this thing hot, Kelly!
Hey Kelly! Like Kamose, I am so sorry to hear about Monarch. Sending my support and best wishes to you and Monarch.
The previews look amazing! And so does the art that you shared in the "What I'm Doing!! I gotta check the podcasts out!
Also, I recently checked out volumes 2 and 3 of your Birds of Prey run from my local library! I am excited to read them!
Take care, and again, best wishes to you and Monarch!
Although it was a period of time with highs and lows (I would be former with the timing but I need to work out when you posted your last newsletter).
I am glad that AWW is doing so well for you. But I do miss the explosion of joy when I see more Jeff news.
Hopefully Monarch will be back to the chaos and indifference that all cars aspire to!