1. The Solar Grid #1: Print Edition
Radix Media sent me some delicious glamour shots of the first print edition of THE SOLAR GRID #1 , which as I understand it was sent out to readers today! Cannot wait to hear what folks think of it. Not to mention getting my hands on it myself. Those of you who have been following this newsletter for the past… what, 5-6 years now, know all too well that this has been a looooong time coming.
Radix Media plans to release issues 1-5 from April-August 2021, and continue the run with issues 6-10 from April-August of 2022. It is my hope that by April of 2022, I’ll have the hardback collected edition out for which I ran a Kickstarter back in 2017.
Twenty Seventeen… 😵
Honestly, what is time even anymore?
Lesson learned though, if I ever do decide to do a Kickstarter again (hahaha), I’ma make sure all the necessary work is finished first!
I must admit though, everything involved in putting out these single issues will end up benefiting the collected graphic novel though, because it’s giving me the opportunity to make little tweaks here and there, fix typos and any other flukes that I might’ve missed the first time around.
Look at that cover art though. I like that it looks so weird and unusual, different to anything you’d see on the shelves (not that you’d find this on the shelves), which is appropriate, because it most certainly is not like any comic you’d find on the shelves (I think?).
Working on cover to issue 5 as we speak. Want to have everything ready for Radix well in advance (very different to my digital release scheme, which involved uploading each chapter the minute I put down my last stroke of ink 🤦♂️).
“THE SOLAR GRID is a mind-blowing read. Imagine if Grant Morrison & Frank Miller & Kim Stanley Robinson had a lovechild who'd seen the Apocalypse & picked up a pen: that's Ganzeer in this beautiful series.”
- Elliott CollaAuthor of Baghdad Central and We Are All Things
Of course Elliot is biased because he is in fact contributing backmatter to Chapter 6 (which will be issue 7 in the print editions-yeah yeah, sorry for the confusion, I know). But to be fair, I don’t think Elliot would do it were he not into it. What I love about Elliot is his eclecticism (I find that to be the chief quality in any creator I enjoy). He’s as much versed in comix and punk rock as he is in the Bible, porn, science fiction, crime noir, Arabic poetry, and mid-century Egyptian surrealism (it helps that he had a stint in Egypt that irreversibly altered his brain chemistry). His excellent debut novel BAGHDAD CENTRAL was adapted into a series on British Channel 4, and it is my understanding that he is currently writing the sequel. Our rather poetic chapbook, WE ARE ALL THINGS, sold out of its first printing and got a second one (available at Garage.Ganzeer.com btw).
2. London Calling
Fully vaxxed as of Tuesday and already have my first trip in over a year lined up in just a couple weeks. Not the most ideal travel circumstances to be honest. Have to transit in DC for some godawful reason, a child is involved, and I’ma have to self-quarantine for 10 days upon arrival (and there’s also Covid-testing before and after, etc.), but… I will try to make the best of the meager 5 days I’ll have left to actually roam the city (highly doubt much roaming will be possible).
If there’s something you think I absolutely have to check out, let me know!
3. Transform Existence
I have a favorite drawing pencil (actually). So I decided to get a whole bunch inscribed and made available through my webshop.
4. Mail
In Restricted Frequency #168, I included a post titled “The Search for the Ultimate Art” which touched upon some thoughts I was having around the intersection between Art, Spirituality, Rebellion, and Sex. A dear Frequency Head wrote back with brief thoughts of his own, for which I got permission to share:
From: Frank Krivak
Hi there,
Not sure if you will get this or not but the thought struck me as I was reading your post on the "Search for Ultimate Art'' that the American Revolution was more religio / fiscal that you might give it credit for. Keep in mind that, while the "official" reason for the revolution was to oppose "taxation without representation", the Americans at the time were still heavily represented by Puritan factions that had been exiled by the British monarch for religious opposition. The revolution was based on a refutation of the divine right of the monarch to tax their population base and was in itself it's own socio /religious movement.
Not trying to "um actually" you but more point out that you got it right in one... the Americans love to mythologize their rebellion and hate to admit that it was anything else but "good old Yankee know how" that got them to where they are today....
Short newsletter this time around, I know. I may have gotten a little rusty in the newsletter department, and it’ll probably take me a minute to return to previous levels (Remember when I used to send this out weekly?! And they used to be chockfull of stuff?!). I do have a long night of drawing ahead of me though, so I oughtta git. I hope you’re faring well though, and staying inspired, healthy, and informed, all while having fun and getting shit done.
Take care and don’t hesitate to get in touch,
Ganzeer
P.S. A few quick thoughts after reading some of Ditko’s original SPIDER-MAN from the 60’s.