Let's Recap, Shall We?

It's that time of year again... I've got a new magazine to do fine art for, and taxes to be done, so things comic strip wise are going to unfortunately slow down for a bit.  If you haven't checked in lately, though, a LOT has been going on.  I figured we better do a recap to get us all caught up. :0)

First of, we've had some new books come out lately, and new editions.  Also, some new products, and a brand new Knight and Day story that's quite different from what has come before.

HappyGlyphs Comics has gone digital!  I mentioned in my last post that eBook sales were not what I expected, but they are starting to pick up, and I have learned one thing in the publishing biz, and that's that selling books can take time when you don't have a multi-million dollar aadvertising budget. :0)

We currently have 3 eBooks available, and another one on the way.  What's important to know is that each of the eBooks offers some new material that hasn't seen print before, or even been on the web.

3 Knights in India

3 Knights in India (click the name below the pics to go to the site) is much the same as the print version, except we had the opportunity to present a lot of the artwork in it's original color format, the way it should be seen!  I've also added at least one new drawing, and colored some new material.  Also, the digital version of all the books is cheaper than the print version, so getting the books on Kindle is a great way to try them out.

The Inquiring Minds: Cattle X-ing

The Inquiring Minds: Kiss My Spleezix?!

Both of The Inquiring Minds eBooks are kid friendly collections for all ages, and both contain new or very rare material, all in full color!  Together, they cover all the dailies and sunday cartoons to date, except for the Ghost Pirate Skeletons of Three Craters Lake material, which will be coming seperately.  Many of the daily cartoons from Cattle X-ing have not been seen for years, if at all.

Take Me Away From All This!!10th Anniversary Edition

Take Me Away From All This!! is our flagship title.  My first book, and my most successful book to date, although to be fair it's had a head start on the others.  Take Me Away turns ten this year(!) and so I have re-released it at a special low price.  Read more about this print book in my last blog post.  It is still a very funny book, and is essential to fans of the latest Knight and Day strips to see how the strip began.

Carried Away T-shirt

New product-wise, we have the Sheep-nabbing Alien T-shirt!  This awesome black shirt features our mascot being carried away in the night, in vibrant colors.  I also have a new collectible coming out, which I'll talk about when it gets here.

Finally, I have a very special short story coming out in the next S.P.A.C.E. (small press and creator owned comics expo)  anthology collection, this spring.  it features Knight and Day in a very different type of story, and those who have seen it agree that it is quite special. I'll give you the details as soon as I get them.

And, of course, there's always new comic strips coming to the home page, and to our facebook page, with the new comic book and comic strip collection in the works.

Whew!  it's good to recap, just to see how busy I've been. :0)

Cheers,    JOHN :0)

10th Anniversary Edition!

The four edtions:  Original, Lulu hardcover, Lulu, 10th Anniversary

Hard to believe, but November marks the 10th Anniversary of my first book, "Take Me Away From All This!!". 

A lot has happened in those ten years, and that is reflected in the 10th Anniversary Edition that is now available through Amazon.com.  Yes, there are changes, and yes, there is some new material (and never before seen early stuff), including a new introduction in which I look back at ten years of Knight and Day.

When Knight and Day first appeared on the web,
I colored some of them when they appeared on Sundays.

Do you need this new edition if you already have a copy of Take Me Away From All This!!?  No, not really.  A collector, or someone who wants a complete set may want it, to see what's new, but I plan on adding any of the additional material to the beginning of the next Knight and Day book.

However, if you do not own a copy of Take Me Away From All This!!, then you really should check it out.  It is still a funny book that stands on its own as a fun collection of comic strips. If you enjoy Knight and Day, then this book is essential for seeing the characters develop, and getting a lot of classic strips all in one place.  There's the England trip, in which we see Sunny Day and Oz the Ice Cream Man begin the tumultous relationship that carries into my graphic novel, 3 Knights in India, and even a new addition to the spin off strip, Oz... in Thailand!  You'll see Steve and Amy deal with apartment life, and searching for their first house, and finding out that they are going to be parents (which means cleaning the house and acting more grown up!)

This edition solves another problem of mine, and that is the fact that there are many copies of Take Me Away From All This!! available on the web, from the original 2002 edition.  Frankly, I'm not sure how many of those copies are legal.  I am not, and never have, received royalties from those books.  Maybe from a used copy here and there, but not from any that claim to be 'new'.  It seems that the original files of the book are being used to make Print on Demand books, and so, I urge you not to buy the book unless it's from me, Lulu, or now Amazon.

This rather 'interesting' strip was part of an extended storyline as the events of the book
reach towards the conclusion of Steve and Amy's first year of marriage.

Printing costs have gone up.  You just need to go to any bookstore to see how expensive books can be.  For that reason, and the reason outlined above, I have lowered the price of the 10th Anniversary Edition to (currently) $8.95.  That's a great price for this collection, and the best you'll get without a coupon code.
Through Lulu, and now Amazon, I am finally gaining control of my own creations.  Amazon won't remove the other copy from their site, but now I hope shoppers will see the lower priced alternative and future royalties will go to the only rightful person... me.

I worked hard to create these strips, and my books, and many of you have been along for the ride and made it a terrific journey.  The lower price is also my way of thanking you all for sharing my comic strip world, and for your helpful and often amusing comments.

Of course, the eBooks are at an even lower price, but sales of my eBooks have fallen below expectations, so even though I have the eBook version of Take Me Away From All This!! in the works, it has been put aside until I can determine if eBooks are more than just a fad. If there is interest in an eBook version, please let me know.

For now, though, I need to concentrate in other directions.  I am still working on the second Knight and Day collection, and there is a special story that will hopefully be debuting soon.  I'll save that for another post, so please stay 'tooned! :0)

All the best to you, and thank you for an eventful ten years of Knight and Day!!
JOHN :0)

Buy the 10th Anniversary Edition here.