PRESS RELEASES


Press Release #1: Tune In, Turn On, and Fang Out Image Comics Launches NIGHT TRIPPERS original graphic novel When you think of swinging London in the ‘60s, you might flashback in a swirl of color and sitar sounds to a time when the Beatles music, Twiggy's figure and Mary Quant's mini-skirts defined popular culture. In those days, hip young Brits defied convention by expanding their collective consciousness and exploring the pleasures of art, fashion, music and, well, narcotics. Some might say this explosion of creativity reshaped the way we see the world today. But no ever gives credit to the influence vampires had on that period! Oh sure, the Rolling Stones liked to shock their fans by suggesting some Satanic affiliation, but Mick and the boys weren't drinking blood or hiding from sunlight. This May, writer Mark Ricketts (Nowheresville, Lazarus Jack) and artist Micah Farritor (The Living and the Dead) will introduce you to the dark, mysterious and sometimes horrific side of nineteen-sixties London in a 184-page graphic novel from Image Comics entitled Night Trippers. The story focuses on a young ingénue named Dot and the ancient, megalomaniacal, yet trendy vampire who would transform her into a pop icon. "It's also got vampires on acid, a pop group that worships Satan and a serial killer that's still living in the '50s. We've parodied Twiggy, The Beatles, Brian Epstein, Mary Quant, David BaIley, Brian Jones, the whole trend setting bunch," Ricketts said. "We even threw in King Arthur and Oscar Wilde, and there's plenty of violence, suspense and romance to keep the non-history buffs on the edge of their seats." To add to the Night Trippers experience, Ricketts, Farritor and the rock band Epicycle have created an mp3 audio file with original music and interview content reflecting the time the story takes place in. It’s available for free download here or at iTunes. Press Release #2: I was rolling my cart down a supermarket aisle around eleven PM when the sound of Petula Clark's "Don't Sleep in the Subway" suddenly turned into Pink Floyd's psychedelic classic "See Emily Play." It seemed kind of creepy to be shopping for milk while this perverse, mind-bending sonic oddity wafted through the near empty store. Earlier that night I had considered writing a story about vampires in medieval England, but while listening to that distorted organ, sped-up piano, and whimsical lyric it hit me that I should place my vampire tale in that time when color, fashion, music, sexual revolution, and social change exploded on one crazy scene-- 1960s swinging London. Think about it: Vampires tripping on acid! Vampires in mini-skirts dancing in cages! Vampires infiltrating the music industry to control the minds of young and impressionable human livestock! At first, I started musing on a Mod vampire riding a tricked-out Vespa from scene-to-scene, club to club, searching for kicks and victims. But there was something a little too Austin Powers about that approach. I decided to delve deeper into that period, and was particularly drawn to movers and shakers like Brian Epstein (the man who gave the world a little musical group called The Beatles) and Justin de Villeneuve (the man who made skinny fashionable by introducing the world to Twiggy). That's when I decided to focus the story on a young ingénue named Dot and the ancient, megalomaniacal, yet trendy vampire who would transform her into a pop icon. For months, I completely immersed myself in the music, the fashion, the art, and the films of that time. And once I'd written the first couple of chapters, I felt I'd really hit upon something. It was the right combination of ultra-violet and ultra-violence... I just needed an artist who could reconcile Mod fashion with Gothic horror. That's when a friend of mine, Matt Anderson, introduced me to Micah Farritor. Micah had just finished working on "The Living and the Dead" with writers Bob Tinnell and Todd Livingston and was looking for his next project. The timing was right, the moon was in the seventh house, Jupiter collided with Mars, and though it may not have been the age of Aquarius, Micah agreed to join the happening. While lettering the first collection of Micah's illustrations, I only listened to music from the 60s--the more hallucinatory the better. Inspired by all this trippy pop, I decided to approach my friend Ellis Clark of the band Epicycle about contributing music to a Night Trippers podcast. Ellis not only gave his blessing for me to use a track from Epicycle's 2002 album "Swirl", but also volunteered to create new music based on lyrics I'd created for the book. Then when John Suintres, the interviewer from the comic book oriented website wordballoon.com, joined me for a fictional interview the podcast really came together in a fusion of music and fantasy. You can download this aural extension to the Night Trippers graphic novel at our website or at iTunes

Press Release #1:

Tune In, Turn On, and Fang Out
Image Comics Launches NIGHT TRIPPERS original graphic novel

When you think of swinging London in the ‘60s, you might flashback in a swirl of color and sitar sounds to a time when the Beatles music, Twiggy's figure and Mary Quant's mini-skirts defined popular culture. In those days, hip young Brits defied convention by expanding their collective consciousness and exploring the pleasures of art, fashion, music and, well, narcotics. Some might say this explosion of creativity reshaped the way we see the world today. But no ever gives credit to the influence vampires had on that period!

Oh sure, the Rolling Stones liked to shock their fans by suggesting some Satanic affiliation, but Mick and the boys weren't drinking blood or hiding from sunlight. This May, writer Mark Ricketts (Nowheresville, Lazarus Jack) and artist Micah Farritor (The Living and the Dead) will introduce you to the dark, mysterious and sometimes horrific side of nineteen-sixties London in a 184-page graphic novel from Image Comics entitled Night Trippers.

The story focuses on a young ingénue named Dot and the ancient, megalomaniacal, yet trendy vampire who would transform her into a pop icon.

"It's also got vampires on acid, a pop group that worships Satan and a serial killer that's still living in the '50s. We've parodied Twiggy, The Beatles, Brian Epstein, Mary Quant, David BaIley, Brian Jones, the whole trend setting bunch," Ricketts said. "We even threw in King Arthur and Oscar Wilde, and there's plenty of violence, suspense and romance to keep the non-history buffs on the edge of their seats."

To add to the Night Trippers experience, Ricketts, Farritor and the rock band Epicycle have created an mp3 audio file with original music and interview content reflecting the time the story takes place in. It’s available for free download here or at iTunes.

Press Release #2:

I was rolling my cart down a supermarket aisle around eleven PM when the
sound of Petula Clark's "Don't Sleep in the Subway" suddenly turned into
Pink Floyd's psychedelic classic "See Emily Play." It seemed kind of creepy
to be shopping for milk while this perverse, mind-bending sonic oddity
wafted through the near empty store.

Earlier that night I had considered writing a story about vampires in
medieval England, but while listening to that distorted organ, sped-up
piano, and whimsical lyric it hit me that I should place my vampire tale in
that time when color, fashion, music, sexual revolution, and social change
exploded on one crazy scene-- 1960s swinging London. Think about it:
Vampires tripping on acid! Vampires in mini-skirts dancing in cages!
Vampires infiltrating the music industry to control the minds of young and
impressionable human livestock!

At first, I started musing on a Mod vampire riding a tricked-out Vespa from
scene-to-scene, club to club, searching for kicks and victims. But there was
something a little too Austin Powers about that approach. I decided to delve
deeper into that period, and was particularly drawn to movers and shakers
like Brian Epstein (the man who gave the world a little musical group called
The Beatles) and Justin de Villeneuve (the man who made skinny fashionable
by introducing the world to Twiggy). That's when I decided to focus the
story on a young ingénue named Dot and the ancient, megalomaniacal, yet
trendy vampire who would transform her into a pop icon.

For months, I completely immersed myself in the music, the fashion, the art,
and the films of that time. And once I'd written the first couple of
chapters, I felt I'd really hit upon something. It was the right combination
of ultra-violet and ultra-violence... I just needed an artist who
could reconcile Mod fashion with Gothic horror.

That's when a friend of mine, Matt Anderson, introduced me to Micah
Farritor. Micah had just finished working on "The Living and the Dead" with
writers Bob Tinnell and Todd Livingston and was looking for his next
project. The timing was right, the moon was in the seventh house, Jupiter
collided with Mars, and though it may not have been the age of Aquarius,
Micah agreed to join the happening.

While lettering the first collection of Micah's illustrations, I only
listened to music from the 60s--the more hallucinatory the better. Inspired
by all this trippy pop, I decided to approach my friend Ellis Clark of the
band Epicycle about contributing music to a Night Trippers podcast. Ellis
not only gave his blessing for me to use a track from Epicycle's 2002 album
"Swirl", but also volunteered to create new music based on lyrics I'd
created for the book. Then when John Suintres, the interviewer from the
comic book oriented website wordballoon.com, joined me for a fictional
interview the podcast really came together in a fusion of music and fantasy.
You can download this aural extension to the Night Trippers graphic novel at
our website or at iTunes