From the Tip

Going Back to Gally

2012-02-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

Hello, again!

It's been a long time, but you'll have an idea why when we make our big announcement at our panel during the Gallifrey One convention.

We are very honored and pleased that we will be attending Gallifrey 2012, which takes place in just over a week's time. The 2012 Gallifrey One Convention is February 17-19, 2012, at the Marriott LAX Airport, 5855 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles.

Here is IDW Publishing's calendar of events:

"IDW Comics" -- Friday, 1:30 PM, Atlanta/Boston Rooms
"Autographs - IDW Comics Table" -- Friday, 2:30 PM, IDW Booth (Dealers)
"From Idea to Printed Page: Explaining the Comics Process" -- Saturday, 10:00 AM, Marquis Ballroom
"Autographs - IDW Comics Table" -- Saturday, 2:00 PM, IDW Booth (Dealers)

Gallifrey 2012 is located on the lower floor of the hotel (the convention center), accessible by the down escalator in the lobby (or by elevators).

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at Gallifrey 2012!

Who in da House!

2011-08-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

Looks like a great week to be a Doctor Who fan!

First, on Wednesday, you can pick up one of several Who comics, including #8 of the ongoing (Preview), our extra-sized Annual 2011, or the 100 Penny Press edition of #1 for only $1. Or treat yourself and grab them all as Robot 6 suggests!

And to top the week off, the series returns to television this weekend! See below for a special preview of the next episode "Let's Kill Hitler," courtesy of BBC!

Back in the Saddle

2011-08-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Cover art by Gonzalo Flores

Long time, no update!

San Diego Comic-Con landing a mighty blow to my schedule, and I'm hard at work behind the scenes on some fantastic new projects announced at the show: 30 Days on Night ongoing with Steve Niles and Sam Kieth, Nile's and Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein Alive, Alive!, H.P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror by Joe Lansdale, Tim and Ben Truman's Hawken, and a new comic based on the Magic: The Gathering card game. Whew!

I aim to be better about updating this blog with information on these upcoming comics along with the normal programming of Dungeons & Dragons and Doctor Who.

In other news, due to technical difficulties many of our books due to ship this week will be slipping into the next couple of weeks. Check out the updated shipping list in the sidebar to the right. Next week will see the debut of our Drizzt Do'Urden comic by novelist R.A. Salvatore and his son Geno, not to mention Doctor Who #8, which wraps up the "Worlds Collide" story arc.

Okay, I'm off to dive into some scripts and proposals. See you in the funny pages!

This Is the Life

2011-04-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

The new Doctor Who miniseries A Fairytale Life arrives in stores next Wednesday. Written by Matt Sturges, Eisner Award-nominated writer of Jack of Fables, spins this yarn, featuring covers by Mark Buckingham of Miracleman and Fables fame. Kelly Yates, of Doctor Who: The Forgotten, handles the art chores.

See below for the preview.

AD&D Resurrected

2011-01-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

Another new item for April is Dungeons & Dragons Classics, Vol. 1, returning the classic DC Comics Advanced Dungeons & Dragons series to print for the first time!

An ancient evil rises and once again threatens the Realms, and only a motley band of adventures can stop it. A surly dwarf warrior and his benevolent centaur companion, a gladiator who survived the arena, a fallen paladin, and a timid half-elf must somehow find a way to work together if the Realms are going to survive the coming darkness.

This action-packed volume collects the first eight issues of the fan-favorite series by writers Michael Fleisher, Dan Mishkin, and artist Jan Duursema. With an all-new cover by Duursema, colored by Joana Lafuente, of IDW's Transformers.

Printed from the original film, this full-color 200+ page trade paperback will retail for $19.99.

Once Upon a Time Lord...

2011-01-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

April solicits have hit the Internet, including our new Doctor Who four-issue miniseries by writer Matt Sturges and artist Kelly Yates entitled Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life.

What’s better: an ugly reality or beautiful fantasy? This is the question the Doctor is forced to confront in a medieval fantasy world where Amy finds herself reluctantly cast as a damsel in distress.

Matt Sturges, Eisner Award-nominated writer of Jack of Fables, spins this yarn, featuring covers by Mark Buckingham of Miracleman and Fables fame. Also, ask your retailer how to get the rare cover by Amy Mebberson (Monsters Inc. and The Muppet Show)!

Top Elf

2011-01-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

Also out today is the third issue of our new Dungeons & Dragons series, with more fun and games from John Rogers and Andrea Di Vito with covers by Tyler Walpole, Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) and Di Vito. This issue includes the character sheet for Varis for you elf-loving gamers out there.

Check out The Buy Pile review here.

Eleven Materializes

2011-01-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

The day has finally arrived! The first issue of the new Doctor Who ongoing lands in stores today!

The Doctor and his companions Amy and Rory encounter holograms and intergalactic mercenaries with an entire planet at stake.

Join series writer Tony Lee, artist Andrew Currie (The Ultimates), and colorist Charlie Kirchoff for "Spam Filtered," featuring a cover by series cover artist Tommy Lee Edwards and a photo cover in a 50/50 split. Also, ask your retailer about variant covers including the TARDIS gatefold cover by Kelly Yates and one by Mark Buckingham (Fables, Miracleman). Hastings also has an exclusive cover to round out your collection.

Check out the preview here.

Dark Sun Rising

2011-01-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

Shovel out your driveways and head down to the comic shop to pick up something that will warm you right up: DARK SUN #1. Written by Locus Award-winning novelist Alex Irvine and drawn by internationally renowned artist Peter Bergting, but the real heat comes from the palette of colorist Ronda Pattison. Throw in covers by fan-favorite painter Wayne Reynolds and Andy Brase, known for his dark fantasy art and unique inking style, and it's a package that you can't resist.

Find a preview here. And reviews from Major Spoilers and Comic Book Resources.

Also, check out this interview with Alex Irvine on Comic Book Resources.

Coolest Doctor Who Cover... Ever

2010-12-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

Check out the special variant cover for Doctor Who #1, coming to stores Jan. 19. It's a double-gatefold with an image of the TARDIS on the front, which opens up to reveal the inside of the Doctor's time/space machine as depicted by artist Kelly Yates and colorist Phil Elliott. Ask your retailer how you might acquire such awesomeness!

2010-12-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

The second issue of our new Dungeons & Dragons series arrives in stores today, with more fun and games from John Rogers and Andrea Di Vito. Check out all the covers above by Tyler Walpole, Paul Renaud, Walpole again, and Di Vito, respectively.

If you still need more convincing for some reason, you can find the preview at Comic Book Resources here.

Dungeons & Dragons #1 Bows

2010-11-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

Dungeons & Dragons #1 goes on sale today at long last! Above are images of every cover, including Hastings and Larry's Comics exclusives, with art by Tyler Walpole and Wayne Reynolds.

If you're looking for more info on the book, I have several useful links below.

Check out the first five pages of #1 on Comic Book Resources.

CBR also recently conducted an interview with John Rogers.

Hannibal Tabu has put the issue in his Buy Pile.

The fine folks at Wizards of the Coast has posted John Rogers' script for #0.

And several reviews have been posted:
Graeme McMillan of Robot 6 was "won over."
Comics Bulletin gives it a rare 5 out of 5 bullets.
CBR's 3 1/2 out of 5 stars belie its glowing review.
And Kitty's Pride gives it 4 out of 5.

Third Issue's a Charm

2010-10-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, the Previews catalog with January shipping books arrives, and with it the solicitations for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS #3, and I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the covers. The above cover was drawn by Tim Seeley of Hack/Slash fame. Find more of Tim's work here: http://coltnoble.deviantart.com/ Colors we're provided by Aburtov and Graphikslava, who can be found here: http://graphikslava.com/. The other cover for this issue was done by regular cover artist Tyler Walpole, who has posted his cover on his Web site http://www.tylerwalpole.com/

New York State of Mind

2010-10-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great time at New York Comic Con (and stopped by the IDW booth to pick up a free copy of Dungeons & Dragons #0 NYCC Edition). But for those who weren't in attendance, like myself, we're in luck. Comic Book Resources was there and filed these reports covering Doctor Who and Dungeons & Dragons:

IDW's "Doctor Who" Returns in January

IDW & Hasbro Panel

Eleventh Heaven

2010-10-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

At today's IDW panel at New York Comic Con, our new Doctor Who series featuring the Eleventh Doctor was announced. Tony Lee returns as series writer and will be joined by artists Andrew Currie (The Ultimates), Richard Piers Rayner (Road to Perdition), Mark Buckingham (Fables), and Matthew Dow Smith (Doctor Who). Each issue will have a Tommy Lee Edwards cover (#1 shown above). Other projects are in the works and will be announced in due time. The new series launches in January.

Fight to the Death!

2010-08-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

"Final Sacrifice" continues in Doctor Who #14 as the good Doctor searches for answers while his friends are forced to fight to the death! Only two more Tenth Doctor issues to go after this! Brought to you by Tony Lee, Matthew Dow Smith, and Charlie Kirchoff. See below for a preview. SPOILER ALERT!

D&D&Digital

2010-08-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

If I had a gold piece for every time I've been asked if our D&D comics will be available in digital format, I could afford to buy a suit of plate armor. So, for the record sheet, the new comics will be available on iPhone, iPad, and PSP about 4-5 weeks after each comic book is released. I'm also told we're working toward getting them on other platforms as well. Can't wait to see them on the iPad!

D&D Ground Zero

2010-08-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

Art by Andrea Di Vito | Colors by Laura Villari

It all begins here!

How many times have you heard that one? Wow, that many? Well, you're hearing it again because it truly fits for Dungeons & Dragons #0. (Retailer incentive cover depicted above.)

This issue heralds the launch of our D&D line of comics, to be continued in the ongoing Dungeons & Dragons series in November and Dark Sun miniseries in January.

Extended creator interviews about both series can be found here (D&D) and here (Dark Sun).

You've heard the hype, and now's your chance to pick up this introductory issue for a buck and see if it lives up to the billing.

Let me know your thoughts by commenting here, on the IDW forums, or by email, letters@idwpublishing.com. Be sure to mark your message with "OK to print" if you'd like to see it in our letter column, Notes from the Underdark.

From the Pages of Dungeons & Dragons #0—D&D Q&A

2010-08-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

Q&A with D&D writer John Rogers and
artist Andrea Di Vito

John Rogers
Tell us a bit more about our initial cast of characters. Who are they and what do they want?
Fell’s Five is a ragtag group of troubleshooters and adventurers led by accidental hero Adric Fell. Adric’s a veteran of the last war (there’s always a “last war” in fantasy fiction), and has found that his only marketable job skill is pulling off the vaguely impossible while other people try to kill him. He’d claim he was just trying to run a little mercenary company, but there is some fundamental anger at the injustice of a dark world. Fell’s Five always get paid, but they usually throw a little rough justice into the mix along the way.
Everyone else’s back stories actually evolve into stories for the comic, so I don’t want to go into too much detail. Khal Khalundurrin, the dwarven paladin of Moradin, is on the road not just for justice, but for love. Varis, the elven ranger, has some very unusual attitudes that make it difficult for him to live in the forest with other elves. Tisha Swornheart, our tiefling warlock, has made a very bad bargain for a very good reason—she’s going to find her missing sister, no matter what. And Bree Three-Hands seems to be a typical halfling rogue, but she’s got a second agenda that goes much, much deeper than picking locks for a party of adventurers.

Can you give us a rundown of what we can expect in the series?
Fun. I think one of the main problems with fantasy comics stems from them being very serious, almost reverential, when it comes to their source material. But D&D is a game you play to have fun with your friends. Expect this title to have lots of door-kicking, monster-slaying, and quips while running from Giant Things with Teeth.

Will readers familiar with the roleplaying game see a lot of it reflected in the comics?
Absolutely. There’s a reason that, when approached with the job, I took the “core” universe book. I wanted to take the most archetypical characters I could design and make them fun. You’ll see full stats for all the characters and their villains, and although I don’t want to be locked into slavish detail, most players will recognize the spells that are being slung and the feats being used.

Did you ever play D&D yourself? If so, what was your favorite character?
I played for years, kind of had a hiatus when I was working in New York, and then dove right back in when I moved to Geek Central, Los Angeles. I’m not going to play “tell me about your character,” but Khal Khalundurrin was a fine dwarven ranger, and I decided to use the name.

What is it about D&D appeals to you and why do you think it has remained in pop culture for so long?
End of day, we relate to the world in stories. You know, there was a great letter Scott Joplin wrote back in the first half of the 20th century, about how records would destroy music. (Yeah, I know, stay with me). His argument was that at the time, there were thousands, maybe millions of amateur musicians, because live playing was the only way to hear music. Every street had some sort of amateur band that would play at night. He thought records would destroy that.
I think D&D is the storytelling equivalent of those amateur musicians. People want to tell stories, and they’re not necessarily getting all they need from television and movies. I think a lot of people who want to interact with each other in a creative way, through storytelling, find D&D and make it their art of choice.

Much of the popularity of D&D extends from players creating their own characters and building upon them. How does that aspect play into creating these comics and how do you offset the lack of interactivity?
D&D really came into its own as the Tolkien-reading crowd embraced it. By which I mean reading fiction and then injecting your favorite elements of that fiction into the D&D game is a long-standing tradition. Besides enjoying the story and characters, I hope D&D players will be lifting these comics wholesale as one-offs and scenarios for their own campaigns. For the D&D crowd, I hope it’ll be “come for the game, stay for the banter and sword fighting.”

The idea of the comics certainly appeals to many D&D fans, but what about those not familiar with the games? What aspects of the comic will draw their interest?
Great art and fun dialogue... you can’t go wrong with that. Look, Joss Whedon did something amazing with Firefly—he got science-fiction fans to care by using tropes from old westerns. I think if you can tell a fun story about rough-edged characters doing interesting things, the setting’s irrelevant. For them, it’s “come for the banter and sword fighting, stay for the game.”

Andrea Di Vito
Tell us a bit more about our initial cast of characters. How did you go about designing their look?
I tried to have their look reflect their persona a little. Most of all I tried to give visual hints about what kind of people they are. Most important of all I tried to give them a “real” adventurer’s look, all their clothes and armor are used, dented, scratched. These guys are in a very dangerous line of work and I thought they must not care too much about their looks, all that matters is to get the job done, either for money or glory!

Did you ever play D&D yourself? If so, do you have a favorite character?
I have been playing D&D on and off for the last 25 years, and I still do! I don’t have a favorite character, but I really enjoy weaving stories with my friends. If I had to choose though, nothing beats a Dwarf!

What is it about D&D appeals to you and why do you think it has remained in pop culture for so long?
The reasons are many, I think. Mainly, it’s the social side of the game that hooks people. You give someone the chance to be a hero, or somebody entirely different from who they are, and they get the chance to express themselves without bounds. It’s almost intoxicating at first, all of a sudden you are allowed to do anything with your imagination. And the best part is that you get to do it playing along with your friends. Also D&D is very fundamental, you just need dice and paper to play, all the rest is up to you and the Dungeon Master!

The idea of the comics certainly appeals to many D&D fans, but what about those not familiar with the games? What aspects of the comic will draw their interest?
Fantasy genre has seen increased attention during these last years, and I believe many people are thirsty for a good fantasy comic. And if you say fantasy it does not get much better than the D&D world. It’s all about adventure, humour, suspense, and struggle. It is about what makes life (fantasy or not) interesting!

From the Pages of Dungeons & Dragons #0—Dark Sun Q&A

2010-08-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Q&A with DARK SUN writer Alex Irvine and artist Peter Bergting

Alex Irvine
Tell us a bit more about the initial cast of characters. Who are they and what do they want?
Our two main characters are a mul gladiator named Grudvik and a dune trader named Aki, who comes into our story trying to catch Grudvik, who’s technically a runaway slave. Grudvik’s trying to figure out who had him arrested, re-enslaved, and separated from the woman he loves…who happens to be a noble in House Ianto of Tyr. Her name is Rubi, and she’s got a thing for gladiators and a history that surprises everyone. Aki’s always on the make, and he thinks that a medallion Rubi gave Grudvik will make them all rich. Of course they’re going to have to head down into the ruins below the city of Tyr first…

Can you give us a quick rundown of what we can expect in the series?
The series will feature (among other things): Grudvik wishing he had killed Aki; Aki continually inventing reasons for Grudvik not to kill him; a fight on top of an airborne cloud ray elder; an expedition to the deepest darkest corners of the Under-Tyr; the revelation of Veiled Alliance activity within Tyr; a bunch of monsters; and some unrequited love thrown in for good measure.

Will readers familiar with the roleplaying game see a lot of it reflected in the comics?
They sure will. Peter Bergting has done a great job of evoking the feel of the game, and I’ve tried to weave the story around all of the stuff that makes Athas such a compelling setting. It’s harsh, unforgiving, lethal territory, populated by unforgiving and lethal people, and some outstanding monsters. But one of the things I always loved about RPGs was the banter among the players, so I tried to preserve some of that in the interactions. Especially between Aki and Grudvik.

Did you ever play D&D yourself? If so, what was your favorite character?
I did. My dad showed me the very first edition, those little parchment-covered books in the box, when I was about seven years old. We put together a little dungeon, and we were off and running from there. Some of the best memories of my childhood involve playing D&D with my dad and all his hippie friends.
My favorite character was a fighter named Xela (yeah, I know, but I was a little kid) who later (when AD&D came out) became a bard. I played him off and on for years, and even ported him over into other games. There were versions of him in Gamma World, Traveller, even Bushido, I think.

What is it about D&D appeals to you and why do you think it has remained in pop culture for so long?
Who doesn’t love roleplaying? We all do it, whether it’s over a tabletop with hex paper and gem dice, or at the bar on Friday night. D&D puts that together with a fantasy setting that distills a lot of what’s great about our favorite quests and epic stories. We live in a culture that doesn’t give us chances to be heroic. So we have D&D and we have superheroes. I always loved the game because I loved making dungeons and creating little cities and counties. For me it was a way to tell stories… so I guess it’s no surprise that I ended up writing stories in D&D settings. To this day I don’t feel right if I don’t know where my pad of graph paper is.

Much of the popularity of D&D extends from players creating their own characters and building upon them. How does that aspect play into creating these comics and how do you offset the lack of interactivity?
That’s a big part of roleplaying’s appeal, sure. But D&D also provides a great set of stories built into the worlds and campaign settings. When I was a kid, I loved the modules because they were kickass world-building that I got to plug my characters into. Even today, I think of the Tomb of Horrors fondly. The great D&D worlds—Greyhawk, Athas, et al.—were more of the same, you know. (I was yelling about the Nyr Dyv to a friend not too long ago because he didn’t know it was modelled on Lake Superior.) Those places become some of our favorite places to tell stories. Athas is like that for sure, and these comics—like a Dark Sun campaign—are stories told in Athas, right?

The idea of the comics certainly appeals to many D&D fans, but what about those not familiar with the games? What aspects of the comic will draw their interest?
Even if you’ve never played D&D, this story will give you violence, sex, conspiracy, and adventure. How can you resist that? You don’t have to know the difference between a dune reaper and an id fiend to get a kick out of an adventure into the haunted ruins below an ancient city.

Peter Bergting
Tell us a bit more about our initial cast of characters. How did you go about designing their look?
There was a bit of back and forth with the characters, and it took a few weeks before they had found their respective races (mul and human) and professions, they even switched back and forth a couple of times. The only thing consistent was the mohawk on Grudvik. The look was challenging, I had a specific image in mind, but there was precious little reference material to go about in the beginning so I didn’t really know if I could take it in the direction I wanted. The one thing to keep in mind was that there was no metal in Dark Sun so I had to work around that. As soon as the reference material started to show up, the design process got easier and I was able to realize what I had wanted to do in the beginning. Grudvik was approved pretty much on the spot, and Aki just a little later after I had added a bit of armor to him. I like to keep a reference to a living person so I have something to come back to when I start to sway, and I envisioned Aki as Shane MacGowan, but heroic and with better teeth. I don’t like clean-cut heroes, but Grudvik is close. I love the way Alex writes him, which gives him a bit of a tragic slant that I can play with so he’s not just another Conan derivative.

Did you ever play D&D yourself? If so, tell us about your favorite character.
I did, back in my teens and then later in my 30s. We played classic AD&D, and I usually ended up being a chaotic neutral kind of character. I always spent too much time doodling and drawing while playing, which was a sure-fire way of getting killed. I remember one time when the party was out walking and we ran into a bunch of zombies. I uttered the line “come on, it’s just a bunch of zombies,” and then I died. I also played a halfling that annoyed the other characters so much they killed him just to shut me up. When I ended up trying the game again in my mid 30s, I had the unfortunate luck of ending up with a DM that was too picky with the rules and just sucked all the fun out of the game.

What is it about D&D appeals to you and why do you think it has remained in pop culture for so long?
I applied for freelance work with TSR, who were running the show back in the day, but I got turned down. Eventually I was lucky enough to end up with a small gig for Wizards of the Coast later on and did one of my career-turning pieces for Dragon Magazine. Paizo took over a few years later, and I ended up doing art for 40-plus consecutive issues of both Dragon Magazine and Dungeon Magazine. So, I got to look at many aspects of the game. Remaining in the popular culture for all these years I think is a testament to the incredible attention to detail of the creative teams. D&D has always been a high quality brand. Being the de facto largest game out there coupled with actually being great is the way to keep it consistently entertaining and not only appeal to lifelong fans, but draw in new fans over and over again. I think time will tell if pen and paper will survive the digital revolution. Who knows? Maybe in a year we will have all our rulebooks on our iPads. But I digress, why D&D appeals to me is because I always found the worlds so open, this gigantic sandbox that was yours to play with. I tried many games growing up, I’d say pretty much all of them, but D&D is the one that has remained “up there” over all the years. Having worked with the franchise helps, I guess, but still D&D is and will always be D&D.

The idea of the comics certainly appeals to many D&D fans, but what about those not familiar with the games? What aspects of the comic will draw their interest?
I hope they will be sucked in by the art, which is what people will see when flipping through the book, and then get hooked on Alex’s awesome story and characters. Dark Sun is such a cool (hot) world that people not familiar with the game will find a refreshing take on the fantasy genre.

#6 Spells End for Sixth

2010-08-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

The final issue of Doctor Who Classics Series III arrives in stores today. This sixth issue features four complete short stories by Alan McKenzie and John Ridgway, which originally ran in Doctor Who Magazine #104-107. "Kane's Story", "Abel's Story", "The Warrior's Story", and "Frobisher's Story" appear in color for the first time, courtesy of Charlie Kirchoff. That's 32 pages with no ads! Robert Hack supplied the cover. See below for a preview.

Dungeons & Dragons #0 to Premiere at GenCon!

2010-08-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

As announced last week, Dungeons & Dragons #0 will officially debut at GenCon Indy this week, with each attendee receiving their very own copy of the exclusive comic for FREE!

Then next Wednesday, the regular edition will reach stores, available for the low introductory price of $1!

The offices at Wizards of the Coast have been abuzz since receiving advance copies of the comic. And if it can get them excited, I think it will do the same for fans.

In the meantime, keep an eye on this spot for extended interviews with the creative teams, which will be excerpted in #0.

Doctor Joins Exclusive Club

2010-07-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

This year at San Diego Comic Con, IDW Publishing will be offering an exclusive photo cover for Doctor Who #13, Part 1 of "Final Sacrifice," the final Tenth Doctor story! The exclusive is $5 and limited to only 300 copies. Stop by the IDW booth (#2643) and pick up your copy!

You can also get it signed by writer Tony Lee, who will be joined by artist Kelly Yates for signings from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday and from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, also at the IDW booth. See you there!

Annual Checkup

2010-07-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Go to your comic store today for a dose of 48 pages of perfect-bound goodness in Doctor Who Annual 2010. Featuring the talents of Jonathan L. Davis, Kelly Yates, Matthew Dow Smith, Al Davison and last, but certainly not least, Tony Lee.

See the preview below for a quick glimpse into three of the four stories in this volume.

The Six Doctors

2010-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who Classics III #5 hits stores today. You'll recognize it by the awesome Robert Hack cover with the first six incarnations of the Doctor. With colors by Charlie Kirchoff. Check out the preview below.

Keep on the Grass

2010-07-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Low and behold, the latest issue of Doctor Who has received a perfect rating from Comics Bulletin! Above is the page referenced in the review, art by Blair Shedd, colors by Charlie Kirchoff. Doctor Who #12, "Keep Off the Grass" Part 4 of 4, in stores now!

Also this week, CBR ran a retrospective on Doctor Who in comics. They spoke to everyone from Tony Lee to Dan McDaid and Dez Skinn to yours truly. Check it out here.

Dungeons & Dragons #0 First Look

2010-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

The preview of Dungeons & Dragons #0 went live today at io9.com, and I'm extremely excited to finally get to share everyone's hard work with the world. John Rogers and Andrea Di Vito are a dream team, and we're just starting to scratch the surface.

D&D #0 ships in August and retails for only $1. The order period closes next week, so be sure to tell your retailer to hold a copy for you soon. You don't want to miss out!

You'll see what I mean below...

Roche in the Dungeon

2010-05-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Transformers artist/writer/fanboy Nick Roche also happens to be an excellent caricaturist. When I asked him to work his magic for our D&D mascot, he quickly responded with the above art.

I thought he nailed the fun, whimsical image I was looking for. Then fantabulous colorist Josh Perez gave it the hues to really bring it to life, as seen below.

IDW Takes Flight With the Eagles

2010-05-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

The voting for the Eagles Awards is now open. Everyone is eligible, so please go and vote!

When casting your votes, please remember these IDW creators and books:

Favourite Writer

Tony Lee

Favourite Writer/Artist

Darwyn Cooke

Favourite Artist: Fully-Painted Artwork

Ben Templesmith

Favourite Colourist

Ben Templesmith

Favourite Letterer

Richard Starkings

Favourite Publisher

IDW

Favourite American Colour Comicbook

Doctor Who

Favourite New Comicbook

Doctor Who

Favourite Single Story Published During 2009

Doctor Who: The Time Machination

Doctor Who: Black Death White Life

Favourite Continued Story Published During 2009

Doctor Who: The Forgotten

Favourite Cover Published During 2009

Doctor Who: The Forgotten #6

Favourite Original Graphic Novel Published During 2009

Parker: The Hunter

Favourite Reprint Compilation

Doctor Who: The Forgotten

Favourite Comics-Related Book

The Insider's Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novel - Andy Schmidt

Roll of Honour

Peter David

D&D Comics in the Spotlight

2010-05-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

I've been interviewed by Bart Carroll, editor of DungeonsandDragons.com, discussing our new line of comics. Of special note, we've revealed the creative team for the ongoing series: writer John Rogers and artist Andrea Di Vito! Above is one of the covers for the #0 issue, this one by Paul Renaud.

See the full interview here.

Facepalm Prime

2010-05-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to use this image since way back in September, when artist Casey Coller turned in the Transformers: Ironhide page with this panel (#1 is in stores today!). I suspect that it will become commonplace on message boards, and sometimes at my expense. But if you can't laugh at yourself, yadda yadda.

And without further ado:

Even millions of years ago, Optimus Prime on the cutting edge of facepalm technology.

Art by Casey Coller

Colors by Joana Lafuente

UPDATE:

The early returns are in on the first issue, and Ironhide is winning by a landslide:

TFormers (10 out of 10)

http://tformers.com/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=1144

Panels on Pages (5 out of 5)

http://panelsonpages.com/?p=23075

TFW2005

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/comics-16/tfw2005-reviews-ironhide-1-169680/

R.I.P. Frank Frazetta

2010-05-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Today, word that Frank Frazetta had passed away spread like wildfire. It's a testament to the legendary artist's influence, not only on other artists, but on generations of people that knew his work through paperbacks, movie posters, and comic strips.

Mere words can't sum up the man's life or bring meaning to the loss. So, I'll just leave you with one of my favorite Frazetta covers.

How to Train Your Dungeons & Dragons

2010-04-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

Things on the blog have been quiet this month (what's new?), but with very good reason: I've been trying to tame both dragons and dungeons. In other words, I've been working on the launch for IDW's line of Dungeons & Dragons comics.

I can't reveal who I've been working with on the creative side of things, but I couldn't be more excited. Being an avid roleplayer back in high school (as discussed in this interview on CBR), I kept nagging both Hasbro and IDW about bringing D&D comics back to market. And now my wish has come true.

Much of the work is well underway, but details must be kept under wraps for the time being. Although, I will be putting together a development diary to give fans a peek behind the curtains. Still haven't decided on the home for this project, but there will be plenty of insider info in the #0 issue, coming in August. Seems like a long time, but these four months are going to go by in a flash for me.

If only I could cast a Time Stop spell...

...And Guido Makes Three

2010-03-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

What?! Two blog posts in one day? Unpossible, you say? With the Wreckers, anything is possible.

So here's a preview of the third installment of Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers, written by James Roberts and Nick Roche. Those with a keen artistic eye will notice that two of these pages aren't drawn by the fantabulous Nick Roche. But you'll be happy to know that fan-favorite and all-around nice guy Guido Guidi handled the pages involving Kup's team in this issue, and will be seeing some more action in #4, setting up an all-Roche grand finale in #5.

So check out the preview and pick up your copy Wednesday (or Thursday across the pond).

One Will Die!

2010-03-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Over on Nick Roche's blog, the mad Irishman has posted this flier promoting the third issue of Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers, due in stores March 24. Design by Chris Mowry. Go over and say hello to Nick and Chris, and more importantly, buy the issue this week! You won't be sorry!

Also, new release dates posted in the rail on the, ahem, right.

Gally Proof

2010-03-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve made my triumphant return from Gallifrey One, my first Doctor Who convention, and though I’ve picked up a cold, I’m feeling really good about the future of our comics. We made some announcement about our upcoming releases, which was covered by Comic Book Resources here. But the most important thing to come out of the trip was connecting with the fans.

One of our fans from the Northeast wasn’t able to attend, but I brought along his copy of Doctor Who #1 to take his place. And here’s a chronicle of its adventures.

Day One

We left Thursday night so we could set up for the show on Friday morning. Here’s the Comic after helping load the truck.

IDW Shipping Manager Alonzo Simon also joined me for the show, and here he is signing the Comic.

After a surprisingly quick drive from San Diego, we arrived at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott and checked into our room.

Day Two

The next morning, we were joined by Doctor Who artist Matthew Dow Smith and his lovely fiancée, Claire, for breakfast.

Then we began setting up our booth in the dealer’s room, dubbed the Cybermen Room.

Here’s Alonzo helping out some fans at the now completed IDW booth.

Matthew came back after a day of panels and shopping to sign the Comic.

Then we shut down the booth for the day.

Day Three

Since none of the pictures from the previous night are safe for public consumption, here’s the aftermath of the long night and short sleep.

But after a quick shower we were ready to man the booth again.

Saturday saw the most traffic of fans through the show, including this intimidating Dalek.

After another successful day at the show, we had a nice dinner and then relaxed by the pool.

Day Four

After our very successful panel on IDW comics, a couple of panellists came by the booth to sign the Comic.

Here’s series writer Tony Lee. The man has the fortitude of an Ogron, though his voice was starting to fail him by this point.

Joining us for the panel was living legend Richard Starkings, who was nice enough to sign the Comic.

Soon the show had come to a close, and we packed up the booth.

And two hours later, we made it back to the office and unloaded the truck.

Thus came to an end, our great adventure at Gallifrey One.

See you there next year!

—Denton J. Tipton

Reinforcements Have Arrived!

2009-12-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

Doctor Who is back on top with another five-bullet review at The Comics Bulletin! Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy already! Cover A by Paul Grist with colors by Phil Elliott shown above.

Praise the Time Lord and Pass the Ammo!

2009-12-03T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hey, gang. Sorry to keep you waiting so long. With the holidays upon us, it's been quite hectic making sure the trains run on time with the massive Transformers launch, not to mention the Movieverse with Simon Furman and Carlos Magno's upcoming Nefarious. And can't forget to mention Doctor Who.

Speaking of which, issue 5 is out (cover above by Matthew Dow Smith and Charlie Kirchoff) and gets a nice review at Comics Bulletin, though we dropped a Bullet. But I'm sure we'll fill the chambers when #6 hits on December 16.

Five More Bullets for the Doctor

2009-10-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who #4 has been getting the same raves as #3. Check out Comics Bulletin.

And be sure to let us know what you think at letters@idwpublishing.com.

Who in Space...

2009-10-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who #4 streets today. Written by Tony Lee, with art by Matthew Dow Smith and Charlie Kirchoff. All topped off with the Paul Grist cover seen above. Check out the preview here. These guys got an extra page in their preview.

Peek-a-Bee

2009-09-15T23:45:00.001-07:00

All Hail Megatron #15 arrives in stores Wednesday, featuring a Kup story by Nick Roche and one on Perceptor, written by myself and illustrated by Casey Coller.

And in celebration, here's a preview of Trevor Hutchison's cover for AHM #16 (In stores Oct. 14). People can't seem to get enough of the Hutch!

Five Bullets for the Doctor

2009-09-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who #3 has hit the streets and response is positive.

Courtesy of Comics Bulletin: http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/125218018295861.htm

Secret Court

2009-09-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who #3 arrives in comic shops across America this week. With this issue, artist Matthew Dow Smith joins Tony Lee for a four-issue arc entitled "Fugitive," where the Doctor finds himself on trial for his life by the Shadow Proclamation!

ON SALE NOW Get it while it's cold

2009-08-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Comic shops were graced this week with a gem by Richard Starkings, Adrian Salmon, and Kris Carter, based on a story by the gracious Gary Russell.

Preview here.

Hail and Farewell... Almost

2009-06-23T16:01:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that we've come to the end of the story line that we began nearly a year ago. Transformers: All Hail Megatron #12 hits stores tomorrow. Cover A by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente, Cover B by Trevor Hutchison and Cover RE by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente.

Who Made Who?

2009-06-08T17:56:00.001-07:00

Doctor Who: Autopia arrives in stores this week, and Major Spoilers has the preview here. Written by John Ostrander with art by Kelly Yates and colors by Kris Carter.

BotCon has gone offline

2009-06-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the fans and guests that made BotCon 2009 the best yet!

And special thanks to those at Hasbro and the Collectors' Club who helped set up the show, and Michael Kelly and Brian Savage in particular.

We'll see you in 2010!

BotCon Signing Schedule

2009-05-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Stop by the IDW booth at BotCon to meet these Transformers talents:

Friday
2 to 3 p.m.
Alex Milne, Chris Mowry, Marcelo Matere, Andrew Griffith
4 to 5 p.m.
Nick Roche, Casey Coller, Joana Lafuente, Robby Musso

Saturday
11 a.m. to noon
Nick Roche, Josh Burcham, Casey Coller, Mike Costa
1 to 2 p.m.
Alex Milne, Robby Musso, Andrew Griffith, Chris Mowry
2 to 3 p.m.
Mark Ryan, E.J. Su, Josh van Reyk, Shaun Knowler

Sunday
11 a.m. to noon
Nick Roche, Robby Musso, Casey Coller, Joana Lafuente
1 to 2 p.m.
Marcelo Matere, Andrew Griffith, Alex Milne, Chris Mowry

See you there!

Loud Praise for Whispering Gallery

2009-03-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery has been on the shelves for a week and has garnered some nice reviews.

Here's one from Broken Frontier.

WonderCon

2009-03-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

So I'm back from WonderCon and still catching up, so I don't have time to give a report. But the folks at CBR did a nice job with this article covering our panel. Though they misspelled Robby Musso in the Spotlight Cliffjumper announcement.

Sorry about that, Robby!

(Robot) City of Fear

2009-01-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

For some reason the cover of Transformers Best of UK: City of Fear #3 wasn't included in online solicits, and I couldn't bare to see Andrew Griffith's fine work not get more attention.

Return of the Don

2009-01-14T18:07:00.000-08:00

I recently hinted at the return of one of the great TF artists on the IDW Forum, and posters were quick and accurate with their guess. The Don's back, baby!

Mr. Figueroa's return will be found in Movie Prequel: Defiance #3, due out in March. In the meantime, Defiance #1 hits stands January 21, brought to you by the creative team of Chris Mowry, Dan Khanna, Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez!

A sneak peek from Defiance #3:

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

I dropped a hint recently on the IDW message boards about the surprise artist who's helping illustrate All Hail Megatron #7. So as my gift to the fans, here's a sneak peek at the first page of AHM #7, by TF artist extraordinaire E.J. Su!

All that Jazz

2008-12-14T23:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone has been clamoring to see the colored version of E.J. Su's Spotlight Jazz cover. So without further ado, here are the hues provided by Priscilla Tramontano:

Back in Print

2008-12-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

Good news for those looking to fill in some of the gaps in their TF collection! The trade paperbacks for Escalation and Stormbringer are returning to print the first week of January. For Stormbringer, it's the fourth time around. Gotta love the Don!

I scream, you scream...

2008-11-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

...we all scream for Starscream!

The Reign of Starscream TPB is due in stores tomorrow, and here's a sneak peek at the bonus material included.

Enjoy!

Get your own - Open publication

Blast from the Past

2008-08-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Due out Sept. 17 is the third volume of the Spotlight trade paperbacks, featuring Arcee, Blaster, Grimlock, Mirage, and Wheelie.

Many will be happy to learn that Grimlock will be recolored, and that a long-lost cover for that book will adorn this collection. Here's an early look:

SDCC slide show

2008-07-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

For those that didn't make it to Comic-Con International this past week, here's a video of the slide show.

Bang Your (Hard)Head (Reprise)!

2008-07-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a five-page preview of Spotlight: Hardhead. Enjoy!

Raiders of the Bots' Ark

2008-07-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Since everyone has likely seen the first five pages of All Hail Megatron #1, I'm posting a look inside of The Transformers: The Ark Volume 2. This 208-page tome collects character models from every Japanese G1 anime. It's a great companion for your first volume, or just cool as hell to pore through on its own.

Cover by the fabulous Nick Roche.

Pirates in Space!

2008-06-30T16:02:00.001-07:00

Transformers Best of the UK: Space Pirates #5

Script: Simon Furman
Art: Bryan Hitch
Cover: Dan Khanna and Liam Shalloo

Continuing the reprints of the best TRANSFORMERS sagas from across the pond! The aftermath of the classic Space Pirates saga concludes with a stunning set-up for the upcoming epic, Time Wars! The wheels are now in motion for a legendary tale that spans across the galaxy and through time itself.

Back to Back(stabber)

2008-06-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

Guido Guidi's cover to All Hail Megatron #3

Double Vision

2008-05-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

Whew! I've finally caught up with everything at the office after returning from BotCon. (Yeah, I know, it seems so long ago now.) And I can no longer allow this poor blog to languish. So to make up for it, you get a double dose of preview art today.

First up is E.J. Su's fantastic cover for Spotlight: Doubledealer (due out in August).

Then a sneak peek of the new letter column character courtesy of the fabulous Nick Roche (hope you get as big a laugh as I did):

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

2008-04-21T18:14:00.001-07:00

One of our most frequent requests is to see a script from one of our books. And the lucky person who recognized the artist of the cover for TF Animated: The Arrival #1 won the entire script for that issue signed by the artist, Marcelo Matere, and the writer, Marty Isenberg. Though lonegamer8 of the Allspark boards gets the whole shebang, you, my loyal readers, get a peek at the first page.

Special thanks to Marty and Marcelo!

TRANSFORMERS: ANIMATED #1

“Dispatches” (22-page story)
Written by: Marty Isenberg
2/13/08

PAGE ONE (3)

1.1: A big CLOSE-UP OF THE ALLSPARK CONTAINMENT CHAMBER, as seen from the cargo bay monitor image Optimus displayed for Sentinel and Ultra Magnus in the pilot movie. Alongside the image are the following specs:

IDENTIFICATION: AllSpark
AFFILIATION: Unknown
FUNCTION: Life Source
LAST KNOWN LOCATION: Classified

Within this panel is a SUB-PANEL IMAGE (like a smaller window within a larger window on a computer screen) of OPTIMUS PRIME (Cybertron Robot Mode). This would be the image Sentinel and Ultra Magnus saw when Optimus contacted them. It could be a simple closeup head shot, or possibly include some of the other Autobots on the bridge of their ship in the b.g. Alongside the image of Prime are the following specs:

IDENTIFICATION: Optimus Prime
AFFILIATION: Autobot
FUNCTION: Space Bridge Repair Crew Commander
TRAINING: Autobot Academy *

* completed training; did not graduate

1. ULTRA MAGNUS CAPTION:
“Here’s what we’ve been able to piece together so far…

2. ULTRA MAGNUS CAPTION:
“Approximately 24 megacycles ago, we received this transmission from Optimus Prime and his space bridge repair crew, somewhere within the Azazel Asteroid Belt…”

3. ULTRA MAGNUS CAPTION:
“I don’t believe I need to brief anyone here on the significance of their cargo…

1.2: A schematic image of the DECEPTICON WARSHIP (aka “The Nemesis”). Perhaps various alien writing “specs” can appear alongside the image as well.

4. ULTRA MAGNUS CAPTION:
“Not long after, we began tracking a signal from a Decepticon warship. THIS Decepticon warship.”

1.3: A CLOSE-UP HEADSHOT of MEGATRON (Cybertron Robot Mode). This should have a “file photo” look to it (and perhaps should even say “FILE IMAGE” somewhere). Also include the following stats alongside the image:

IDENTIFICATION: Megatron
AFFILIATION: Decepticon
FUNCTION: Decepticon Leader
STATUS: Exiled
THREAT LEVEL: ***EXTREMELY DANGEROUS***

5. ULTRA MAGNUS CAPTION:
“I don’t believe I need to brief anyone here on the significance of its commander…”

Animated contest

2008-04-16T17:48:00.001-07:00

Here's one of the covers for our all-new and original TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED miniseries, written by the show's head writer, Marty Isenberg. A neat prize goes to the first fan who guesses the cover artist correctly.

Glimpse into the Future

2008-04-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm busy, busy, busy prepping for BotCon 2008, so I'll be keeping it brief this week. Here is Guido Guidi's concept sketch for his cover of All Hail Megatron #2. Hopefully, I will be able to unveil the finished cover at BotCon.

Me Want Preview!

2008-04-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to be a fan of the ol' five-page preview. Spotlight: Grimlock, which arrives in stores April 23, gets the love this time around:

Kris Carter, Warlord of Cybertron

2008-04-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

You'll already seen E.J. Su's fine line work from Spotlight: Cyclonus at Ryall Time, so here's how it looks after Kris Carter applied his magic crayons:

Two Sides to Every Story

2008-04-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Artists get most of the love, but without the writer, there'd be no story. So here's an excerpt of Shane McCarthy's pitch for All Hail Megatron taken from Focus On: Decepticons, which arrives in stores tomorrow!

Just how bad can it get?

The measure of any hero is the obstacles he faces or the villains he must vanquish. If a hero's villains are weak or ineffectual, then the hero, by the most rudimentary of logic, mustn't be all that powerful or indeed heroic. If we're going to see what our heroes are truly made of, we need to deliver a villain (or, in this case, villains) who push the heroes to the breaking point and beyond, that not only challenge them physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.

With the Transformers, we have at our disposal some of the greatest villains ever to grace modern-day pop culture. These guys are, apparently, the nastiest of the nasty; what is Megatron if not a 60-foot-tall metal tyrant with a nuclear cannon strapped to one arm? So, let's take the gloves off, unhook the leash and see just what the Decepticons are made of.

If we're going to understand the validity of the Autobots as protectors, it's about time we say what would happen if the Decepticons were left unchecked!

So what are we really trying to do here?

We'll be bringing a “real world” approach to the book to show the ramifications of the Transformers' civil war on our planet. It will also be the goal of the series to better explain, reveal and expose the characterization of the individual Transformers and their respective ideologies.

In the end, execution is everything, and we'll be achieving all of this by using a wild, widescreen-style approach. Each issue will slam the reader in the face with exciting visuals and continuing reasons to come running back each and every month. More than anything, we need to restore the awe and majesty to the Transformers and remind people not only of their continuing relevance as fictional characters, but of the very reason we fell in love with them to begin with.

Nothing can top the sheer spectacle of giant robots battling it out on our planet for the sake of the universe!

Bang Your (Hard)Head!

2008-04-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a nifty page for all those "Hardheaded" fans out there. From Spotlight: Hardhead by all-around nice guy Nick Roche, who is the artist on this book, not Robby Musso as stated in the solicitation from Diamond.

Cool your Jets

2008-04-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Wow. Seems whenever Starscream shows up, strife follows.

So lets try to melt some icy hearts with a cool island song... with Wheelie on vocals and accompaniment by Klaus Scherwinksi:

Rain of Starscream Part Deux

2008-04-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the Starscream love, here's a five-page preview of Transformers Movie Sequel: Reign of Starscream #1, which will be available at BotCon the week before it hits the streets. And keep an eye out for reviews of the entire issue on April 15th.

Rain of Starscream

2008-04-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

Starscream is not only starring in his own movie-based miniseries, but he also plays a prominent role in All Hail Megatron.

Here, he and fellow Seekers, Thundercracker and Skywarp, rain down some terror in Times Square. Courtesy of Guido Guidi and Josh Burcham.

Secret Final Crisis Invasion

2008-04-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Why should the Big Boys have all the fun?

This is what Chris Ryall must've been thinking when Shane McCarthy gave his Transformers pitch. The Aussie's story is epic, intriguing, action-packed... and it has a point.

Well, they took the ball and ran with it, and now I'm coming off the bench. I'm the new editor at IDW, and I've been tapped to oversee the TF titles. And this one has me extremely excited because it's a great jumping-on point for a new editor -- and also for new readers.

Marvel and DC have found great success with their event books, but there's one thing that none of them have: tons of big robots from the planet Cybertron kicking ass.

The Civil War is over, and it's One Year Later.

Welcome to Transformers: All Hail Megatron.