The choices we must make

I’m back! It’s a quick one though, as I’m hard at work on some very exciting, very unannounced projects, on top of getting ready to head of out town this weekend. Here’s what you can find in this week’s newsletter:

• The collected Free Planet vol 1 is available for pre-order

• Come hang with me at Madison Comic & Pop Culture Expo

• Galaxy Gods is deserving of your support on Kickstarter

But first…

First and foremost: Free Planet #4 hits comic shops Wednesday, August 13! In this issue, the revolutionary heroes of the Freedom Guard must turn their weapons on Lutherian citizens amid a violent insurrection. Plus, more evidence for why Jackson Crater is my favorite character in the entire series.

As ever, ensure you have a copy waiting for you by calling your local comic shop; they’ll be happy to set up a subscription or even track down earlier issues. If you don’t have a local comic shop, my friends at Collector’s Paradise have you covered.

Check out preview pages below or, for a smoother reading experience, head to bit.ly/FreePlanet4!

In a few short months, you’ll be able to get your hands on Free Planet vol 1, collecting issues #1-6. While it will contain the essential backmatter essays, it will not include the letters pages, so keep buying those single issues!

While you can absolutely order the volume from any of the online mega-retailers but I urge you to preorder Free Planet vol 1 from your local comic shop or independent bookstore. While there exist a plethora of reasons to do so, the most germane is a practical one: Preordering at independent booksellers conveys interest in a book, such that those booksellers increase orders and feature in-demand books more prominently in displays and recommendations. Plus: If you order from your local comic shop, you can get Free Planet vol 1 on November 26 instead of having to wait until December 9 with the hoi polloi.

This weekend, August 9 and 10, will be my first-ever time in Wisconsin and I’d love to see you there. My friends at Nerd Street do some of the absolute best cons in the country and, after all the fun we had at Des Moines Con, I’m champing at the bit for Madison Comic & Pop Culture Expo. There’s only so much room in my suitcase though, so swing by early if you want rare FREE PLANET variants or signed copies of BEEF BROS, The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling and the rest of my work.

Bottom-line up-front: Go back James Coats’ Galaxy Gods Kickstarter right this very moment. You might be familiar with James from my raving about him and his brother John’s Family Fun Comics #18 or even the incredible Keen Surroko art James did recently. But even if you haven’t been paying terribly close attention, Galaxy Gods is still deserving of your attention and ducats.

Do you like cosmic oddity, brutal action and lurid colors? That’s a rhetorical question; you’re subscribed to my newsletter, so I know you love those things. And, accordingly, I also know that you’re going to love Galaxy Gods just as much as I do. Go snag the first two issues right now!

As promised, a short one this week. Last thing before I get out of here: There’s still time to submit questions for inclusion in FREE PLANET #5. If you have a question about Lutherian history or the broader universe of FREE PLANET, email it to Dr. Aldous Foyroushi today.

Aubrey