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The Example and Rombies #0 Go Back To Press!

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

This Wednesday sees the direct-market release of Rombies #0 and The Example. The release date for The Example and Rombies #0 has actually had to be pushed to this Wednesday as both books have had to go back for a second printing! Yes, both books are sold out and are going back to press.

A huge congratulations to Wolfgang Bylsma, Colin Wilson, Skye Ogden and Gestalt Publishing. It’s awesome to see these Australian-made books cracking the international market and kicking head.

So remember, wherever you are in the world this Wednesday (Thursday in Australia), head into a comic store and pick up a copy of Rombies and The Example. If they don’t have any copies, rant at them. If an Australian comic store hasn’t ordered any copies, stage a sit-in protest.

A comic store would be a great place for a sit-in protest; you could read comics while calmly demonstrating your outrage.

Praise for Rombies

A large part of the book’s success stems from the stellar artwork of Skye Ogden. Working in a slightly cartoony style, Ogden’s art is lively and leaps off the page without sacrificing a stunning attention to detail. The Coliseum and its gladiators are beautifully rendered, featuring exquisite period design elements and decorative flairs. His figures are robust and expressive, the pencils impeccably inked with a nice heavy line that lends each character weight and solidity. It’s a unique style, wonderfully matched to Tom Taylor’s crisp, fast-paced script. Like his collaborator’s artwork, Taylor’s script achieves a fine balance between levity and real emotional moments… Taylor delivers a rousing, fun story even if it’s steeped in half-devoured corpses and rivers of blood.” – Broken Frontier

“Did I get what I expected out of this book? No, I got a hell of a lot more. I loved the animated style artwork, and hey how can you not love a zombie lion? The story was done right. It didn’t go where I thought it would, which is a good thing. It’s not a B-movie story that is told here. It is an action pack death fest. I will say this, if Romero directed Gladiator this is what it would have looked like. Check this one out, it is highly enjoyable and I think a must read for zombie fans. 4 stars” – ComicMonsters.com

And The Example

“This Schrödinger’s Cat scenario is explored comprehensively via Taylor’s rhythmic dialogue. Sam and Chris riposte to and fro with the sort of casual offhandedness afforded to transient relationships. It’s almost flirtatious, but never dull, and the naturalness of their humour contrasts beautifully with the silent menace of the briefcase… a burst of applause to all concerned, and a note to other creators and publishers out there – this is an example worth following.” - (Cool) Shite

Tags: back to press, Colin Wilson, Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Sold out, The Example, Tom Taylor, Wolfgang Bylsma
Posted in Colin Wilson, Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Skye Ogden, The Example, Tom Taylor, wolfgang Bylsma | No Comments »

Tom Taylor Made – Books For The Months Ahead

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Trying to keep on top of this. Here are the books I have coming out in the months ahead (now with October and November added).

JUNE

THE AUTHORITY #23
On sale JUNE 2
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by MIKE S. MILLER
Cover by PHILIP TAN
With the onboard rebellions subdued and attacks from the stowaways repelled, The Authority can once again focus on the nature of their voyage. Is the Carrier leading them to its home – or does it have some other, more sinister agenda? While passing through a vast graveyard of discarded spacecraft, the latest Century Baby detects a faint sign of life. The High goes off on a rescue mission, but what he brings back on board eclipses any danger they’ve faced so far.

STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #2 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale June 30
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
New and vital knowledge sends Finn Galfridian with Jacen and Jaina Solo on a mission to the planet of Artorias. Though Finn does not know if his father, Caled, lives, if there is any chance, he must be warned of new dangers. It’s a hot and dangerous ride to Artorias, and the occupying Yuuzhan Vong are ready with a toothsome, ravaging welcome . . .
Meanwhile, Kaye and Nina, board their newly acquired Vong ship, embark on their own mission. It’s one they can’t refuse: rescuing captives held on a dead planet. There is no telling what peril will meet the rescue party . . .

JULY

STAR WARS ADVENTURES: THE WILL OF DARTH VADER
Tom Taylor (W), Brain Koschak (P), Dan Parsons (I), Michael Wiggam (C), and Sean McNally (Cover)
On sale July 21
FC, 80 pages
$7.99
TPB, 5 1/4″ x 7 1/2″
Darth Vader is on a mission for the Emperor!
When the Rebellion’s hit-and-run attacks on Imperial cargo ships become too audacious to be ignored, Darth Vader is sent in to find the Rebel base and destroy it. But the base, hidden in the center of a constantly shifting asteroid field, cannot be attacked directly.
To reach his target, Vader will have to team up with a recently captured smuggler named Zika—and dealing with an unwilling, wisecracking partner may be more of a trial for the Dark Lord than the actual mission!

THE AUTHORITY #24
On sale JULY 7
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and cover by AL BARRIONUEVO
Deep in space, The Authority wage battle on two fronts. Aboard The Carrier, the combined might of the entire team is barely enough to keep the possessed, reanimated Aegean in check. It’s time for Hawksmoor to finally unleash his secret weapon, but will it be enough? Outside, against the vast entity known as Mondregon, even the immense Carrier is a mere speck. The High’s comeback may prove to be short–lived, as he’s about to face down Mondregon in what could turn out to be a suicide mission.

STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #3 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale July 28
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Two armies have joined forces for a dangerous rescue mission. Both have experience fighting the Yuuzhan Vong, but this time the encounter takes an unexpected turn, and more is revealed about their enemy’s strange capabilities . . .
Meanwhile, Finn Galfridian and the Solo children race to warn Finn’s father that a trusted friend is a deadly enemy!
• Covers by Jo Chen!

AUGUST

THE AUTHORITY #25
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by HOWARD PORTER, ALLEN MARTINEZ & WES HARTMAN
In the aftermath of the twin battles with the Aegean and Mondregon, the team assesses the damage and Hawksmoor is forced to explain the origin of his strange, secret weapon. Deathblow is down for the count, and Swift is unconscious with no one able to figure out why she can’t be revived. But there’s not much time to lick their wounds or ease over internal tensions as The Carrier appears to finally be approaching its ultimate destination. Who or what they are about to meet could alter the course of the Wildstorm Universe forever.
On sale AUGUST 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #1 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Aug 25
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Here begins a multigenerational tale of honor and redemption, starring two of the heaviest hitters in the Star Wars galaxy—the father-and-clone team of Jango and Boba Fett!
Shortly before the start of the Clone Wars, Count Dooku sends Jango Fett on a mission that will affect the course of Boba Fett’s life some twenty years later. But for now, neither of them knows what the future holds in store, and besides, they have their schedule filled dodging monsters and fighting bad guys!
• Jango Fett and Boba Fett together!
• Fully painted art by Purge artist Chris Scalf!

ROMBIES #0

(W) Tom Taylor (A/C) Skye Ogden

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it may crumble in one. Titans battle in the arena. A thumb turns down. A sword comes down. A dead man… stands up? Racing through dark, narrow tunnels beneath the Colosseum, two heroes and a child join together to escape their pursuers. Pursuers who were once men. Hungry men. Undead men. Rombies! Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your brains!

EXAMPLE (ONE-SHOT)

(W) Tom Taylor (A) Colin Wilson

Two people. A train station. An unattended Briefcase. Prejudice versus Preservation. In the war on terror, will suspicion and fear win out? Written by Tom Taylor (The Authority) and illustrated by Colin Wilson (2000AD), The Example is a bleakly humourous meditation on terrorism, paranoia, and personal responsibility.

SEPTEMBER

THE AUTHORITY #26
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE & KARL STORY
When Jack Hawksmoor chose to board the departing Carrier, he chose to hedge his bets. Now that his terrible secret has been exposed, the loss of trust far outweighs the recent loss of life…and the loss of loved ones. But there is no time for anger or mourning. They have reached their destination. Will The Authority find the help for their dying Earth that they seek – or will the end of their journey bring new nightmares?
On sale SEPTEMBER 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #2 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Sept 29
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Then: Jango Fett, the most dangerous assassin/bounty hunter in the galaxy, never fails to get his man. But Jango has never had a success that has affected him this way.
Now: Boba Fett has taken up his father’s mantle and lived up to Jango’s fearsome reputation. But a secret from the past has Boba working a case he would normally dismiss and wondering if he actually knew his father as well as he thought . . .
Across the generations, and across the galaxy, if a Fett is on your trail, you’ve reached a dead end!
Fully painted art by Purge artist Chris Scalf!

STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #4 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Sept 29
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Jedi-in-training Finn Galfridian learns a secret about his mother that he never knew, but the knowledge only leads to new questions about himself and his unusual ability.
Meanwhile, Kaye Galfridian leads a New Republic attack against a Yuuzhan Vong base, not realizing that the Vong commander’s tactics are meant to buy him time to learn more about his most hated foe: Kaye’s brother, Finn.
New allies, new enemies, and a turning point in the lives of the Galfridian family!

OCTOBER

THE AUTHORITY #27
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by DAVE GIBBONS & KEVIN NOWLAN
1:10 Variant cover by ANDY PARK
One hundred thousand refugees scream inside the Carrier and are gone. Hawksmoor, Flint and Grifter disappear with them – taken by a species of brutal, nightmarish creatures. River’s growing powers as the Spirit of Information hid only a handful of Authority members. As they set out on an impossible rescue, a terrible history is uncovered and the mystery of Swift deepens.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale OCTOBER 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT #3 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Oct 27
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Boba Fett has discovered that his father left a legacy to someone Boba has never heard of. He manages to track down the man, but if he is to learn the reasons behind Jango’s posthumous generosity, Boba Fett must first save the man from an army of bounty hunters who want the guy’s head!
Jango Fett and Boba Fett together!

STAR WARS: INVASION—RESCUES #5 (of 6)
Tom Taylor (W), Colin Wilson (A), Wes Dzioba (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Oct 27
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Miniseries
Kaye Galfridian has taken command of a New Republic army, but her first mission has forced her to fight against some of the very refugees she has come to rescue! Mutated by Yuuzhan Vong bioengineering, the refugees have become monstrous killing machines who can only be “saved” by death.
Meanwhile, on their homeworld of Artorias, Kaye’s brother Finn must deal with death on another level, unaware that he has become the enemy’s objective in a new front in the Yuuzhan Vong invasion!
• Set within the time frame of the New Jedi Order novels from Del Rey!
The price of Victory . . .

NOVEMBER

STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES—JANGO AND BOBA FETT #4 (of 4)
Tom Taylor (W) and Chris Scalf (A/Cover)
On sale Nov 24
FC, 40 pages
$3.50
Miniseries
Boba Fett is on a mission to uphold his father’s honor. But when a bounty is paid, and the crime lord who issued it still refuses to call off his vendetta, Boba Fett’s own sense of honor is offended. Forget about bounties; now there’s hell to pay!

Boba Fett takes on a crime lord. Check.

And the crime lord’s army of minions. Check.

And a giant, rampaging rancor. Check and double-check!

THE AUTHORITY #28
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by TIM SEELEY & ALLEN MARTINEZ
Trapped by bloodthirsty aliens in a distant galaxy with billions of lives on the line, The Authority face impossible odds. Sarah Rainmaker will astonish, The Engineer will kick butt, Grifter will probably blow something up, Jack Hawksmoor will have to make a terrible decision, and Flint will put her fist through some squishy bits!
On sale 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Tags: Dark Horse, DC comics, DC Wildstorm, Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, solicitations, Star Wars: Invasion, The Authority, The Example, Tom Taylor
Posted in Blood Ties, Blood Ties A Tale of Jango and Boba Fett, DC Wildstorm, Dark Horse, Rombies, Star Wars, The Authority, The Example, Tom Taylor, solicitations | 4 Comments »

You Could Be In Rombies! Plus Reviews and Interviews.

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Want to be a zombie? Now you can be, without having to be infected by some sort of super-disease.

Rome was big. Very big. Populating it (and depopulating it in Zombie form) in a comic is a big task. Skye Ogden and I have decided we want real people to walk (and shamble) through Rome’s streets. We want you!

Gestalt Publishing have set up a facebook page – “Be a Rombies Extra.” – If that link doesn’t work just type ‘be a Rombies extra’ into facebook’s search – “Here’s the deal: Post a photo of yourself as a Zombie or Citizen (or both) for the chance to appear in the upcoming Rombies comic series from Gestalt Publishing, written by Tom Taylor (Star Wars/The Authority) & illustrated by Skye Ogden (Vowels)”

A special #0 issue of Rombies will be available in comic stores in August but it it is already available in other places and early reviews have been great.

“A large part of the book’s success stems from the stellar artwork of Skye Ogden. Working in a slightly cartoony style, Ogden’s art is lively and leaps off the page without sacrificing a stunning attention to detail. The Coliseum and its gladiators are beautifully rendered, featuring exquisite period design elements and decorative flairs. His figures are robust and expressive, the pencils impeccably inked with a nice heavy line that lends each character weight and solidity. It’s a unique style, wonderfully matched to Tom Taylor’s crisp, fast-paced script. Like his collaborator’s artwork, Taylor’s script achieves a fine balance between levity and real emotional moments… Taylor delivers a rousing, fun story even if it’s steeped in half-devoured corpses and rivers of blood.” – Broken Frontiers.com

Skye and I have also been interviewed recently right here, which includes a six-page preview of Rombies #0.

Tags: Gestalt Publishing, Interview, Review, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Tom Taylor, Zombies
Posted in Gestalt Publishing, Interviews, Reviews, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Tom Taylor | Comments Off

Rombies – Preview And Website.

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Heaps going on this week, including Authority and Star Wars, but first up… Rombies!

The Rombies one-shot and The Example are both being offered through Diamond this August – meaning I now have five comics coming into comic stores in August… and that’s even with Invasion skipping that month.

Rombies has been flying along. I’m really happy with the last script I turned in and Skye is about to rip into the series proper. All of this momentum has seen a fair bit of pimping by Gestalt Publishing.

Rombies now has an official website – ROMBIES.COM – which currently has a violently-brilliant new image by Skye Ogden to check out.

Comics website ‘Broken Frontier’ have written a great article about the series and included a 6 page preview (7, considering one is a double page splash) of Rombies.

Skye and I have also done several interviews which should also appear soon.

Tags: Broken Frontier, Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Rombies.com, Skye Ogden, Tom Taylor, Wolfgang Bylsma
Posted in Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Tom Taylor | Comments Off

Interviews, Reviews and Podcasts.

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

With the imminent release of The Authority, the second Volume of Star Wars: Invasion and the announcement of the Rombies series, I’ve been doing a pile of interviews recently. I thought I’d actually post some links.

First up, Colin Wilson and I were interviewed by the Comic Spot radio program about Star Wars and The Example. You can hear all of that right here

Next up, Rombies artist Skye Ogden and I were interviewed by the awesome website Cool Shite about our upcoming Rombies series. It’s a slightly awkward interview, as two interviewers try to interview two creatives in two different countries, but it has Zombie Gazelles and no one needs more than that.

Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes is reviewed by the EU Review here (at about 18 minutes). The script and Daxiong’s art both come in for some high praise. “A very good read’ that they ‘highly recommend”.

Over at Half Hour Wasted and the Legion of Dudes, an entire extended edition has been dedicated to a review of Star Wars: Invasion #4 & #5 and they like us… they really like us! Click the pic for the podcast.

Also just done two magazine interviews, another radio interview and three other website interviews (links when they all appear).

In the coming days, the website is being revamped – it will look pretty. When it relaunches, I should be able to speak about a few of the ‘secret’ things that I’ve had to keep close to my chest, including ‘The Example’ film news and another great piece of news about ‘The Authority’.

Tags: Colin Wilson, Daxiong, Eu cantina, Eu Review, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Star Wars, Star Wars Adventures: Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes, Star Wars: Invasion, The Comic Spot, Tom Taylor
Posted in Interviews, Reviews, Rombies, Skye Ogden, press | Comments Off

Announced – Rombies – The Series!

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

So, last week was huge.

After happily announcing that I was the new writer of The Authority on Wednesday, I was then flown to Perth on the Thursday (Thursday morning… I don’t do morning) by Gestalt Publishing for Gestaltapalooza!

Comic Book Jesus posted about the night right here.

And the night was capped off with the announcement that our one-shot ‘Rombies‘ was just a teaser. Yep, Rombies is set to be a series! The Dead will walk again… in sandals.

The depth and breadth of the story Skye Ogden and I have planned was not even hinted at in the first publication. This story is tied to real-life historical events and crosses the path of real-life historical figures. It weaves through theologies and empires and leaves no one untouched, be they citizen, soldier or senator.

It will be fun.

A great celebration of the first five years of Gestalt also included a sneak peek of the incredible ‘Changing Ways‘ by one of the fine artists working on my upcoming Brief Cases, Justin Randall. Gestalt asked if I could provide a pull-quote for this incredible book. Which meant that I got to read an advance copy.

“Changing Ways grabbed me by the eyeballs and wouldn’t let go until it was done. The art demands you stop and admire every extraordinary rendered panel while the tension of this perfectly-paced thriller forces you to turn the page. Justin Randall balances beauty and terror on a rusty razor’s edge.” – Tom Taylor, writer of Star Wars: Invasion and The Authority.

Tags: Changing Ways, Gestalt Publishing, Justin Randall, Rombies, Skye Ogden, The Authority, Tom Taylor, Wolfgang Bylsma
Posted in Gestalt Publishing, Justin Randall, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Star Wars: Invasion | Comments Off

Gestaltapalooza! If You’re In Perth, Come And Join Us.

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

We’re celebrating FIVE YEARS of Gestalt and we’d love for you to join us!

In preparing to launch Rombies, our zombies-in-ancient-Rome book, we realised that February 2010 marked FIVE YEARS since we first decided to start these shenanigans!

And so, to mark the occasion, we’re flying in the creative team behind Rombies:

Tom Taylor
Melbourne-based playwright who writes Star Wars: Invasion (for another publisher) alongside Gestalt titles Rombies, The Example, two stories in Flinch, and the upcoming Brief Cases.

Skye Ogden, illustrator of Rombies, Vowels and more! Skye Ogden
Tokyo-based writer/illustrator responsible for Vowels, ‘The Daemon Street Ghost-Trap’ in Flinch and, of course, Rombies! Skye is also Art Director for Gestalt, responsible for our book design and trailer videos.

Both Tom & Skye will be discussing their vision and creative process and signing books!

Plus: LIVE MUSIC!
Experience the musical stylings of Gestalt’s own Anton McKay and the immensely talented Tracey Read!

Care to join us? We hope so!

Where:
Clancy’s Canning Bridge
903 Canning Highway, Applecross

Western Australia
Find Clancy’s on Google Maps

When:
Thursday, 18 February 2010
From 7pm

We’ll also be celebrating ALL of our 2009 releases at Gestaltapalooza:

Flinch
Shaun Tan, Justin Randall, Colin Wilson, Terry Dowling, James Barclay & many more!

The Example
Tom Taylor & Colin Wilson

Digested #1 & #2
Bobby.N

We look forward to seeing you there, and unveiling some of our plans for the NEXT five years — including the creepily beautiful world of Justin Randall’s Changing Ways…

Cheers,

Wolfgang Bylsma
Managing Director

Tags: Book Launch, Colin Wilson, Gestalt, Gestalt Publishing, Gestaltapalooza, Roman Zombies, Rombies, Signing, Skye Ogden, The Example, Tom Taylor, Zombies
Posted in Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Skye Ogden | 1 Comment »

All Roads Lead To Rombies – Pre-Order At Gestalt and Amazon

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Rombies will officially eat your brains on December 15 but the one-shot is already available for Pre Order over at the Gestalt Publishing site and at Amazon.com

Gestalt are having a sale at the moment so you can get quite a sizable discount if you order through them.

The artist, Skye Ogden, has also posted a nice look at his process in creating three pages from the book.

Click the image below for a look at Skye’s process.

Tags: Gestalt Publishing, Roman Zombies, Rombies, Rome, Skye Ogden, Tom Taylor, Zombies
Posted in Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Skye Ogden | Comments Off

Star Wars: Invasion #5 Out Today – And What The Future Holds

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Yep, today is the day.

A holocron will reveal a terrible secret. We will meet a strange but very important crazy person on Nar Shadaa. There will be blood aboard the Tsam’ Pah. And, while some stories will be resolved, others will be frustratingly left hanging until ‘Star Wars: Invasion‘ returns early in 2010.

But fear not. While ‘Invasion’ is away, we can still play.

‘Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes’ (it really is a long title…) is out in January and is already available for pre order over at Amazon here or Things From Another World here.

‘Rombies’ is set to appear later this month through Gestalt Publishing who have also published Colin Wilson and my one-shot ‘The Example’ which you can get through Amazon or right here.

On the theatre front, my plays ‘Mystery Flight’ and ‘Falling, Praying’ have both been shortlisted for the upcoming Short and Sweet festival in Sydney and ‘Mystery Flight’ is set to debut at the stunning Chapel off Chapel theatre later this month.

Finally, I’ve recently finished writing another Star Wars related work (and had an awesome time doing so), which should be announced later this month.

Tags: Colin Wilson, Dark Horse, Falling Praying, Gestalt Publishing, Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of The Dragonsnakes, mystery flight, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars: Invasion, Tom Taylor, Yuuzhan Vong, Zombies
Posted in 10 minute plays, Rombies, Short and Sweet, Star Wars: Invasion | 6 Comments »

Rombies Cover Revealed

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Here it is, people. The first look at the cover to the upcoming Rombies!

Many a late-night-skype with the brilliant, Japan-based artist, Skye Ogden, and a lot of back-and-forth emails, has resulted in this. Great work, Skye.

Rombies – one shot — Gestalt Publishing – coming very soon.

Tags: Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Tom Taylor, Zombies
Posted in Gestalt Publishing, Rombies, Skye Ogden, Tom Taylor | 2 Comments »