Brutal Blade Vol. 2 Now Available for Kindle! plus Hal-Con Update

At long last, "The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit" Vol. 2 is now available for Kindle.  For just $3.99, you can get this great collection of strips and art to read on your Kindle, desktop or any mobile device running the Kindle app (I'm partial to having it on my Android phone myself, but to each their own).  Click here to go to the book's Amazon US page, or search "Brutal Blade" on Amazon to find this and all our other editions of Brutal Blade, volumes 1 and 2. 
As with the Kindle edition of the first book, I'm offering a special discount to one reader.  The first person to purchase the Kindle edition and email me a receipt will receive a refund of 125% of the purchase price - that's $5.00 for you non-mathematicians - via Paypal.  The only condition is that in your email you have to give me your opinion of how the book looks on your device.  Not owning a Kindle myself, I'd like to know how the formatting appears on other devices.  So drop me a line and earn some cash back.

In other news, it's less than two weeks to Hal-Con.  Between one thing and another, I'm busy trying to get everything ready.  That includes preparing banners, books (see below), posters and other items that will be available at our table.
If you're in the Halifax area, drop by Artist Alley and say hello to Ian and myself.  We'll both be showing off our work, and doing sketches, and there will be copies of both volumes of Brutal Blade available for your enjoyment.  Also, don't forget that cover artist for volume 2, Geof Isherwood, will be in attendance at his own table, and I'm sure you'll be able to hit him up to sign your copy as well.  We're looking forward to meeting any Bruno fans out there, and maybe making a few new ones while we're at it.  See you there!

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!

The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit Vol. 2...watch for it VERY soon!

Cover for Issue 2 of Brutal Blade is In My Hands!

Just this morning, I received a nice high-rez scan of the drawing for the cover of volume 2 of "The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit" from Geof Isherwood.  Need I say it looks fantastic?  Of course not.  Geof's done an incredible job with the characters and I can't wait to share it with the readers.  It's too soon to post a preview...I've got to color the thing and design the cover around it, and I can't go giving away too much too soon.  Let's just say that fans of Bruno and of Geof's work will be pleased, and anyone who enjoys the work of Tex Avery or girlie artist Bill Ward won't be disappointed either.

The Man Comes Around...

Well, if you checked our Facebook page, you'll know by now that the cover to the second volume of "Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit" is being rendered for us by no other than classic Conan (among other things!) artist Geof Isherwood.  Geof did some amazing work on the regular Conan series as well as on the later issues of King Conan.  His rendition of Red Sonja in particular holds a special place in Hyborian history for me.

Need I say I am stoked to see what he's going to do with Bruno and company?

Just to put the icing on the cake, though, I find out this week that the estimable Mr. Isherwood will be attending Hal-Con this November!  Not only will I shortly be holding an Isherwood original in my hands, but I'll soon have the chance to meet the man in person.  Time to spruce up and start digging through my back issue bin!

Be sure to check out Geof's website for a look at what he's been up to lately, and the Fans of Geof Isherwood Facebook page for updates on his current project, Antiquitas Lost.