Blackhand Comics Brings the Weird in October

Wes Craig's Blackhand Comics has done a lot of things, but one of the things it hasn't done is seen a print version published. That is, until this October, when Image Comics publishes a hardcover eidition. This trio of tales exploring the fringes of society, the weird and the macabre, previously published as webcomics, are written and drawn by Craig.

“Blackhand Comics is my baby. My weird, sinister, freakshow baby…” said Craig. “I'd like to think the stories inside make you feel like you're reading an old EC comic in a jazz club, and you've just been slipped some psychotropic drugs."

“The Gravediggers’ Union” tells the secrets of the men who work a job no one else wants. Sure, they dig graves, but there’s a lot more to their duties than backhoes and shovels…. Most importantly: to make sure the dead stay buried. It’s ultimate freedom on the midway in “Circus Day,” as a brother and sister sneak off to take in the sights. The young boy is desperate to get into the freakshow, but what he could find there may make him change his mind. “The Seed” is a tale of terror, of dark forces that pursue a man who once embraced the power they gave him.

Blackhand Comics will be in comic book stores on October 1 and bookstores on October 14. It's available for pre-order now (Diamond Comic order code AUG140574). Full press release below.

BLACKHAND COMICS  BRINGS THE WEIRD IN OCTOBER Three creepy stories by DEADLY CLASS co-creator Wes Craig For the first time, Wes Craig’s BLACKHAND COMICS will be published in print, in a hardcover edition in October from Image Comics. This trio of tales exploring the fringes of society, the weird, and the macabre, previously published as webcomics, are written and drawn by Craig, artist and co-creator of DEADLY CLASS. “The Gravediggers’ Union” tells the secrets of the men who work a job no one else wants. Sure, they dig graves, but there’s a lot more to their duties than backhoes and shovels…. Most importantly: to make sure the dead stay buried! It’s ultimate freedom on the midway in “Circus Day,” as a brother and sister sneak off to take in the sights. The young boy is desperate to get into the freakshow, but what he could find there may make him change his mind! “The Seed” is a tale of terror, of dark forces that pursue a man who once embraced the power they gave him. “Blackhand Comics is my baby. My weird, sinister, freakshow baby…” said Craig. “I'd like to think the stories inside make you feel like you're reading an old EC comic in a jazz club, and you've just been slipped some psychotropic drugs." BLACKHAND COMICS will be in comic book stores on October 1 and bookstores on October 14, perfect for setting a creepy tone for Halloween. It is available for pre-order now. BLACKHAND COMICS by Wes Craig ISBN 978-1-63215-160-5 Diamond Comic order code AUG140574 104 pages, hardcover, 5.5 x 10.7” $19.99 In comic book stores October 1, bookstores October 14 Rated Teen Plus Retailers, librarians, and reviewers may request a PDF galley from Jennifer de Guzman, Director of Trade Book Sales,jenniferdeguzman@imagecomics.com Praise for BLACKHAND COMICS: “Wes explores panels, page layouts, pacing, colors, lettering, and story telling at an amazing and challenging level of style and skill. Blackhand Comics truly feels like a creator pushing [himself] to the limit and then reaching beyond that.” –Kyle Overkill,Rhymes with Geek (Includes interview)

Preview ABOUT IMAGE COMICS Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.