And, because it’s yet another way to put off my packing, I’m posting my schedule for the Con.

With the dual releases of The Deep and Rombies #1, I will be spending most of the con at the Gestalt Comics booth – booth 4500 and 4501. I will be signing every day at 2pm (except Friday – Friday is Star Wars day) but I’ll probably be hanging out there a fair bit aside from my official signing. This year Gestalt are incredibly well represented, and the booth will be full of great Australian creators (and just damn fine people) in Ben Templesmith, Nicola Scott, Justin Randall, Andrew Constant, Christian Read, Emily Smith, Rombies artist and Gestalt Art Director, Skye Ogden and, of course, the head huncho, Wolfgang Bylsma.
The full signing schedule for Gestalt is right here – http://www.gestaltcomics.com/newsworthy/2011/07/

THE DEEP: HERE BE DRAGONS Tom Taylor & James Brouwer		ROMBIES #1Tom Taylor & Skye Ogden

And on Friday, July 22, 1 p.m.–2 p.m., Room 7AB. I will be part of…

The SDCC – Star Wars Panel!

“In celebration of what seems like a lifetime of collaboration between Star Wars and Dark Horse Comics, we’re unleashing a panel of Star Wars comics giants just for you, the fan!

Share favorite moments in Star Wars comics with our resident Jedi, Randy Stradley, and a host of Star Wars guests from comics and beyond, including Mick Harrison (Dark Times—in his first public appearance!), Dark Horse editor Dave Marshall, writers Scott Allie (Jedi: The Dark Side), John Jackson Miller (Knight Errant), and Tom Taylor (Invasion), as well as Dave Filoni (director of The Clone Wars TV show), artists the Fillbach brothers (The Clone Wars comics), Leland Y. Chee (Lucasfilm’s “Keeper of the Holocron”), author Timothy Zahn (Choices of One), Shelly Shapiro (editor at large, Del Rey), and more.

Plus, there will be an exclusive Knight Errant print for attendees and a chance to win a custom stormtrooper helmet illustrated by Chris Scalf (Blood Ties)!

Oh yeah, and you certainly won’t want to miss the exciting news about the future of Star Wars digital comics . . .”

After this panel, myself and many other Star Wars creators will be signing at the Dark Horse booth. Feel free to bring along anything you’d like me scrawl on.

Also, check the brilliant Chris Scalf stormtrooper helmet you can win.

THE DEEP: HERE BE DRAGONS Tom Taylor & James Brouwer		TORN Andrew Constant, Nicola Scott & Joh James		ELDRITCH KID: WHISKY & HATE Christian Read & Michael Maier
ROMBIES #1Tom Taylor & Skye Ogden

Click the picture below to read more Rombies.  Tell your friends.  Share the undead origin story love.

Gestalt Comics have opened up a new ‘online comics’ section at their official website and Rombies #0 is the first of their comics to be offered for free in its entirety.  As well as the #0 issue of Rombies, issue #1 is also set to appear with new pages being revealed every week until it’s all up.  Issue #1 is where our tale truly begins and, joining myself and the brilliant Skye Ogden on issue #1, is the newly announced series colourist, Mikiko Ponczek.

Skye and Mikiko are doing brilliant things on this series.  I’ve just finished writing the script to issue #4 and I can’t wait for the world to see what comes next.  Click the picture to start reading Rombies, right now, for free.

Rombies #1

by Tom Taylor, Skye Ogden & Mikiko Ponczek

A father’s sorrow.

An unbearable heartache.

His desperate action, though wrought of love, unwittingly unleashes a dark force in the time of Emperor Titus.

A dark force that can be… harnessed?

Tying to real life historical events and crossing the paths of real life historical figures, our story twists, turns and weaves its way through theologies and empires, leaving no one unscathed, be they citizen, soldier or Senator.

Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Skye Ogden
Colours by Mikiko Ponczek

24 pages, FC  | View all issues of ROMBIES

“…a captivating new take on both history and horror. A carefully laid Roman Road of brilliant mythos and endless macabre potential” - Nicole Sixx- Comic Booked

“Awesome start. Can’t wait to read the rest.” - Bruce Moyle – Cool Shite

“This blew me away!” – Kris Bather – Extra Sequential

Don’t forget, you can ‘Be A Rombies Extra‘.  Just post a picture of yourself up at the facebook page for the chance to shuffle along the streets of ancient Rome.

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

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

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

“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

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

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.

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’.