San Diego Comic-Con is almost here and, once again, I will brave man-made flight machines with Colin Wilson to get there.
This con is looking a lot busier than the last one. I will be signing for The Authority at the DC booth every day. I will also be signing with Colin at the Dark Horse Booth on ‘Star Wars Day’ (Friday) and, on the Saturday, I will be part of the Wildstorm: Stormfront Panel with some great talent. I will also be signing at booth 4500 for Gestalt Publishing and generally hanging around that area as Colin Wilson has his own table at this year’s SDCC with Dave Dorman (which I’m apparently sitting at too). If you’re around, come say hi.
THURSDAY, JULY 22
12-1pm: SIGNING @ DC booth (#1915)
FRIDAY, JULY 23
12:00-1:00: SIGNING @ Dark Horse booth
2-3pm: SIGNING @ DC booth
SATURDAY, JULY 24
1-2pm: SIGNING @ DC booth
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. WildStorm: Storm Front Panel
What’s new in the WildStorm Universe? VP/general manager Hank Kanalz and senior editor Ben Abernathy bring you up to speed with this inside look into DC’s wildest imprint. Joining Hank and Ben will be Adam Beechen (WildCats), Kurt Busiek (Astro City), Darick Robertson (Fringe: Tales From the Fringe), Tom Taylor (The Authority), Tim Seeley (WildCats), Adam Archer (Ratchet and Clank), Cruddie Torian (Gen13) and others. Room 4
Yes, the ongoing saga that is ‘the filming of The Example‘ has a new chapter.
After several false starts, people using the play script to get funding, meetings with various producers, all sorts of promises, and even one time when I believe the whole thing was filmed but never edited, The Example looks like it really will be a film soon.
Dean Codrington and Bravada Films have optioned The Example for twelve months and have asked me to write the screenplay. Dean was the director on A4 to A3, which is set for its world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival in California later this month. He did a fantastic job with the film adaptation of the musical which Simon Barlow and I wrote and I am quietly confident that he and his team will do an equally great job with The Example.
This ‘little play that could’ has already won a number of awards, been produced in five countries and been adapted into a comic book of the same name.
Gestalt is Australia’s foremost independent publisher of comics and graphic novels.
Book Launch
Rome wasn’t built in a day… but it may crumble in one!
The Rombies book launch is part of Gestaltapalooza!
Can’t make it?
You can always buy it online…
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
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!
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…
A big theatre week sees my short play Falling Praying on at Newtown Theatre in Sydney this weekend (part of the Short and Sweet festival) and The Example become the first of my plays to reach New Zealand, running from the 26th til the 30th of January at The Herald Theatre, The Edge, in Auckland.
Cheers to Falling Praying director, Sharlene Zeederberg (who has been trying to get me on the phone for two weeks – sorry Sharlene, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks!) and The Example director, Tainui Tukiwaho. Break some legs, guys.
Armageddon Expo is on this weekend at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Colin Wilson and I are both guests of the event and we will be signing on Saturday and Sunday, so drop by and say hello. Other gusts include Seth Green, Peter David, Greg Rucka, the lovely Nicola Scott, Bill Sienciewicz, Stewart McKenny and Douglas Holgate, as well as actors from Twilight, Heroes and Stargate.
We actually don’t have a lot of copies of Star Wars: Invasion, so you may want to bring your own for us to sign. What we do have are a stack of limited edition Star Wars: Invasion posters to sign and we’ll be selling signed copies of ‘The Example’. We will also sign whatever else you want to shove in front of our faces. Colin Wilson will also be available for commissions at the event, but get in early as he books up fast.
Bobby N will also have copies of his awesome Digested Volume 2 available for the first time – New from Gestalt Publishing.
Hugh Phiri, artist on The Deep and Status Quo, also has a stand at the event and you can get yourself a commission from this talented guy before he explodes.
Some truly great reviews have appeared recently for The Example and Flinch – both available through Gestalt Publishing, good book stores, comic book stores and Amazon.
The brilliant site (Cool) Shite has a very thorough review of 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
And Comic Book Jesus have reviewed Flinch. Bobby N’s ‘Withheld’ is highlighted as are both of my contributions.
“Other standouts would be Tom Taylor’s work in 96, 000m with artist Tom Bonin. It’s only 6 pages, and opens with two men in a submersible craft on a deep sea mission. The ending is bold and made me laugh because it came from nowhere and really works. Taylor’s other story, with his Star Wars: Invasion collaborator Colin Wilson is a sci-fi tale called White Dove III. Like Bobby. N, Taylor expands a simple premise in to a powerful story.” - Comic Book Jesus
So, head expanded, I go back to another new Star Wars project and something else completely new – ‘The Deep’… coming soon.
As well as the upcoming San Diego Comic Con. I will be appearing (not magically or anything, I’ll just walk in) at the Armageddon Expo in Melbourne. Colin Wilson will also be there despite his picture not being up at the website yet.
Colin and I will be signing all of our books, including Star Wars: Invasion and The Example.
There are same great people confirmed so far, including DC executive editor Dan Didio and superstar writer Geoff Johns – who somehow manages to write about half of DC’s books.
Nicola Scott is also confirmed – kick ass artist and a really good person (If you’re reading this, Nicola; stop googling yourself). There’s also the brilliant Ethan Van Sciver and a host of others.
No idea why I appear before the others on the guest page but, seeing as ‘Card Tournaments’ gets top billing, I’m not reading too much into it…
From Gestalt Publishing comes the trailer to the comic of The Example (yes, Gestalt Publishing comics have trailers). This was first shown at the launch of The Example and Flinch after which ‘the fans went wild’.
I was fortunate enough to play a small part in the making of this trailer. Myself in Melbourne, Gestalt Publishing head Wolfgang Bylsma in Perth and Art Director Skye Ogden in Japan actually put the final version together while drinking beers and talking via skype across three timezones – seriously, technology is awesome.
Well done Skye and Wolf. It looks great.
Also, Colin Wilson and I are being interviewed on PBS FM at 7pm(ish) tomorrow night (May 18) on all things comics. Listen in.
Gah! All of the work I’ve been working on for years is appearing at the same time!
The Example, a short play I wrote in 2005, which Colin Wilson and I adapted into a comic book in 2007, is officially launched as a comic book this Thursday the 7th of May.
But that’s not all, for the launch is a double launch, with Flinch, featuring my two stories White Dove III and 96000m, also being launched on Thursday.
So, four of my stories, written over four years, will appear within a 48 hour period… what were the odds?
In other news, Randy Stradley has announced that there will be an issue #0 of Star Wars: Invasion. I’ve known about this for awhile (having, you know, written it) and I’m really happy with the extra content in #0.
For the record, this isn’t the other Star Wars project I’ve hinted at… stay tuned.
Follow @TomTaylorMade
Tom Taylor has written plays that have been produced across four continents, from the Sydney Opera House to the Edinburgh Festival.
He has killed characters for DC Comics and created characters for Lucasfilm.
He has written comics which have been reprinted in French, German and Spanish but he can’t read any of them.
He has sung for thousands in concert halls and acted to tens in the smallest of black-box theatres.
He has sent Luke Skywalker on a quest and taught Darth Vader a lesson.
He has juggled knives for billionaires and eaten fire for passers-by on the street.
He has written for film screened in California and radio aired in Melbourne.
He has won many awards for his writing and lost many of his indoor soccer finals.
He is the father of two and the husband of one.
Tom Taylor Made
STAR WARS: INVASION
ISSUE 1 - OUT NOW
THE EXAMPLE
OUT NOW
STAR WARS: ADVENTURES
LUKE SKYWALKER AND
THE TREASURE OF
THE DRAGONSNAKES
OUT NOW
THE AUTHORITY
ISSUES 22 - 29
THE DEEP
2011
STAR WARS: INVASION
ISSUE 2 - OUT NOW
FLINCH
OUT NOW
STAR WARS: ADVENTURES
THE WILL OF
DARTH VADER
OUT NOW
STAR WARS: INVASION
ISSUE 3 - OUT NOW
STAR WARS: INVASION
ISSUE 4 - OUT NOW
STAR WARS: INVASION
ONLINE NOW
AT STARWARS.COM
STAR WARS: INVASION
ISSUE 0 - OUT NOW
ROMBIES
OUT NOW
STAR WARS: INVASION
ISSUE 5 - OUT NOW
STAR WARS: INVASION
VOLUME 2 - RESCUES
STARTS MAY 2010
