AIM Comics: Brutal Blade vol. 2 At the Starting Gate!

Yesterday, I received the proof of Ian McDonald's "The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit" Vol. 2 from Createspace, which means that as soon as I approve it and turn the digital copies live, the book is ready to go.

I know I'd be expected to say this, but I think it looks great. I'm really pleased with the way these books are turning out, and with knowing that when I'm done, I'm going to have a sharp-looking set of collected Bruno the Bandit lining my bookshelves. Whatever other rewards I may or may not get from AIM Comics, I'll at least have the reward of having brought some of my favorite comic strips to life in this way. I hope the rest of you agree.

Unfortunately, it's not all roses. I'm not going to be able to do a limited edition of the second volume like I did for the first one. Granted, that was great for promotion, but frankly, I'm paying for all this out of my own pocket, and costs such as customs and postage on that first edition got a little ridiculous. As much as I'd like to get Ian to do another round of sketched books, I would have to price them too high to effectively sell them. Maybe if this volume sells enough copies (wink wink nudge nudge), I'll be able to do a limited edition for a future volume.

Meantime, don't forget that Ian and I will be appearing at Hal-Con this November, so if you really want your book signed and/or sketched, and you're in the Halifax area, drop by our table and I'm sure Ian will be happy to oblige.
Also, don't forget that our illustrious cover artist for volume 2, Geof Isherwood, will also be at Hal-Con, so if you score a copy of this book, be sure to bring it to him as well for an autograph. From my correspondence with him, I think Geof's a great guy, and he's done a bangup job with the cover.

Speaking of which...I think I've held the suspense long enough. Here's the original drawing Geof sent us for the cover of Brutal Blade Vol. 2. I've colored this up for the actual book, but I thought you'd all appreciate seeing the work in its original form. Click the pic to view it in a larger size. The drawing illustrates Ian's story "The Babe"...one of the shining moments of comedy in Bruno the Bandit's catalog, in my opinion. Be sure to leave a comment or drop me a line and let me know what you think!