Some RHEE-ly exciting Cthulhu updates!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jun 03, 2022 at 12:22:42 AM

Hey all!

This is a Cthulhu-filled update for all of you in regards to both TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 5 and my new book -- which ends in less than 48 hours! So, without further ado...

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET IN ON THE CTHULHU JR. CAMPAIGN!

The Kickstarter campaign for THE ADVENTURES OF CTHULHU JUNIOR AND FRIENDS ends this Friday at 3:30 PM -- which is less than 48 hours from when I'm typing this! We've unlocked SIX Stretch Goals in the campaign and -- again, as I type this -- we're less than $500 away from unlocking the seventh and FINAL Stretch Goal. Here's everything we've unlocked so far:

Yes, yes, I realize that most of you who backed the TALES OF MR. RHEE campaign did so because you like hardcore horror noir, and you may be looking at CTHULHU JR. and thinking that it may not be in your wheelhouse because it's... well... let's call it as it is: It's a cute looking book that's all-ages accessible.

Yes, it's a cute book -- and for my money Scoot McMahon is one of the best all-ages illustrators currently actively working in the comic book industry -- but make no mistake, friends: This is also, and still, a horror book with strong Lovecraftian themes of dread...

It just happens to be one that readers of any age can read, because, hey, it's important to have horror books that younger readers can read alongside us more seasoned horror veterans.

This is a book that we will read and get different things out of than younger readers who may lay hands on it, but it's a book you'll all enjoy if you like my other work as well -- including TALES OF MR. RHEE.

Oh... and this is also the first time in my career I'm having a mass-produced toy based on one of my works, too, so there's some historical value there, too!

If you haven't backed the campaign yet, consider taking a moment to do so at www.CthulhuJr.com before the campaign ends THIS FRIDAY at 3:30 PM EST, friends. It's a great book, and, really, there's always room for more Cthulhu, right?

AND SPEAKING OF CTHULHU...

Everything for both RHEEv5 and the TALES OF MR. RHEE OMNIBUS: ACT ONE is currently at the printer... but given I've talked to you so much about Cthulhu in this update, I figure I should share some RHEE-centric Cthulhu goodness with you too, yeah? So, without further ado, here's a peek at the art for the TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 5: "Rock Star Paranoia" Kickstarter Exclusive bookplate that will be signed by me and signed and remarked by artist Austin McKinley (another one of the most dynamic artists currently creating comics today). Check this out, friends:

Waiting for books to arrive from the printer is always the hardest part of any campaign, and that's obviously been exasperated by the paper shortages and supply chain delays we've been dealing with across the industry... but I most sincerely can't wait for you to get your "Big Box of Rhee" from this campaign...

And, honestly, the "Big Box of Cthulhu Jr." from that campaign, too. Check it out and consider treating yourself on that one, too, friends! Here's the link one more time so you won't have to scroll back up:

www.CthulhuJr.com

Thanks again, everyone! I'll be in touch again about RHEE soon!

Your friend in horror comics (of all kinds),

Dirk Manning 

A Friday the 13th Sneak Peek!
over 1 year ago – Fri, May 13, 2022 at 10:35:29 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Previews! Lots of previews! Check 'em out!
over 1 year ago – Mon, May 02, 2022 at 03:31:36 PM

Here's some pRHEEviews for you all!

The time between the book being at the printers and the books being delivered to the warehouse for delivery is always -- to me, at least -- the hardest part of the campaign. That being said, after all the craziness in the paper industry it seems like (*knock on wood*) things are getting back on track, so we should all have our TALES OF MR. RHEE books to you sooner than later!

To that end, Art Designers Scotty and Martha at Source Point Press have absolutely rocked the designs for the covers, so given that I'm trying so hard not to spoil any of the interior content of either book, I wanted to share these with you, at least!

First off, look at that gorgeous gold lettering on the Kickstarter Exclsuive hardcover leather-bound edition of the TALES OF MR. RHEE OMNIBUS: ACT ONE! The back cover of the leather edition sports a giant Mr. Rhee sigil (the standards TPB will have standard text)... and it's gorgeous! This is going to be a very special collector's edition of the book on par with the NIGHTMARE WORLD BIBLE from years prior!

I know a lot of you have seen the mock-up of the TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 5 front cover... but this is the first time I've shared a look at the back cover! Check THIS out:

Mind you, TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 5 is in gorgeous full color, but keeping the monochrome color scheme on the back cover looked so stunning we of course opted to keep it! There's some more hints about what's happening in this volume via the text, so read it at your own discretion!

Again, the books are at the printer, and once they are printed and delivered to the warehouse we'll immediately be sending them out to all of you! In the meantime, we'll be printing the book plates and the art prints, and I'll keep you posted with peeks of those soon as well!

In the meantime, though...

THE ADVENTURES OF CTHULHU JR. AND FRIENDS launches this Tuesday at 3:33 PM EST!

After you have your world shooketh by the final page of TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 5: "Rock Star Paranoia," you may need to read something to make you laugh, so to that end we're following-up with THE ADVENTURES OF CTHULHU JR. AND FRIENDS, an all-ages (yes, it's LITERALLY all-ages -- not just for kids) graphic novel by me, artist and co-creator Scoot McMahon, colorist Sean Burres, and edited by Leah Lederman... and along with the book we're also offering a 12" plushie! Yes, seriously! Look!

I know a lot of you have been waiting for the release of this full graphic novel for a while, and quite frankly we have been too, and this Tuesday at 3:33 PM the campaign will be going live, at last!

If you haven't already, you can take a peek at the campaign HERE and also sign-up for a one-time notification upon launch! Along with the KS Exclusive Hardcover Edition of the book and the 12" plushie, we are offering a few other cool add-ons and have some amazing Stretch Goals lined-up as well... so, again, if you haven't already, take a moment to click the "Notify Me Upon Launch" over at www.CthulhuJr.com right now!

Thanks all! Now that everything is moving along, I'll be in touch with some more RHEE-ly cool updates soon!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning

Final digital proofs for printing have been delivered!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Apr 05, 2022 at 04:36:12 PM

Some RHEE-ly cool extras!

Hey all!

I know you can't see it, but I'm smiling ear-to-ear right now, as a few hours ago I just approved the final digital proofs for both TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 5 as well as the TALES OF MR. RHEE OMNIBUS: ACT ONE, which means the books will now be able to go to the printer! Huzzah!

Obviously, in a perfect world, the books would have gone to the printer much sooner, but world circumstances have caused a lot of chaos, including in the world of printing -- especially in regards to paper prices. Source Point Press has remained a great partner and publisher in this process, though, and I owe a HUGE shout-out to both Martha and Scotty for their amazing work in designing both books.

As those of you who know me well (even if it's just from past campaigns) are surely aware, the longer I'm given to sit on a book, the more I tend to add to it, and that was very much the case here. I was able to add some pretty cool extras to BOTH books thanks to the delay, making both books even more gorgeous! (The RHEE OMNIBUS: ACT ONE now includes rarely seen pin-ups by Marianna Pescosta  and Kristen Perry and RHEEv5 includes some all the #RHEETOBER pin-ups as originally illustrated by Austin McKinley along with some other treats.

All the Other Extras...

Now that the main books are done we'll be putting together the RHEEv5 Kickstarter Exclusive Bonus Book and also printing the book plates, prints, etc. Also, as promised, I'll be reaching out to those of you who pledged to get a stature to get that rolling.

I've also already started the pre-writing process for TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 6, so I'll be reaching out to those of you who pledged to be drawn into that volume so we get photos of you -- and decide if you're going to be a vampire or a victim. Heh.

Thanks, again, everyone! Now that the supply chain issues and such are getting smoothed out, the process should start moving a lot smoother -- and quicker -- again, and I most sincerely can't wait for all of you to get your books... especially since we're already prepping the next campaign... and it's one a lot of you have been waiting to see launch for a while now:

Oh... and we'll be offering something extra special along with the book, too:

Thanks again, all! I'll be in touch RHEE-ly soon!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning

The journey is never easy... but it is always worth it!
over 1 year ago – Sat, Mar 19, 2022 at 04:22:34 PM

A RHEE-ly big update...

Hey all! I apologize for the radio silence over the last few weeks! Production on both the TALES OF MR. RHEE OMNIBUS: ACT ONE and TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 5: "Rockstar Paranoia" (totaling over 700 pages of content!) is moving along, and we anticipate that the books will be going to the printers the week after next.

Admittedly, we wanted them to go to the printers sooner, but paper shortages has caused a bit of a delay in securing the proper printer to ensure the level of quality we want -- and you deserve -- for these books.

Furthermore, Source Point Press has been so excited and supportive of the book that they actually did a full month promotion for the book as part of a line-wide horror sale (which you may have read about at news sites such as THIS ONE.)

(Don't worry, though, only those of you who supported this campaign will be getting the deluxe editions of the books!)

Never one able to sit still, while the sale was running I used the time to give both books (especially RHEEv5) one final pass, making a few more final art and lettering edits and tweaks and, friends, I most sincerely can't wait for all of you to get to get these books in your hands. We're making RHEE's debut with SPP something very special, I assure you!

I also used this time to write a new foreword to the TALES OF MR. RHEE OMNIBUS: ACT ONE that reveals some secrets about the genesis of the book I'm not sure I've ever revealed before. You know me -- the more you leave me to my own devices, the more stuff I tend to add to the Kickstarter packages and books!

What's Next?

Once the books go to the printer (again, we're looking at that happening in about a week), I'll then be reaching out to those of you who ordered the RHEE Statuette and get those orders going for you. Les Garner has made the models (of course) along with working on our new upcoming werewolf western HOMESTEAD and, again, I'm just so tickled for you all to see them.

I'll also reach out to those of you who pledged to be a victim (or villain) in the NEXT volume of TALES OF MR. RHEE, which I'm also already pre-writing.  Whether you want to be a villain or a victim, you're going to have quite an appearance in TALES OF MR. RHEE Volume 6!

Finally, speaking of upcoming books, here's some EXCLUSIVE news just for all of you who've read this far: Source Point Press has officially approved my next Kickstarter release, which will be -- at long last -- the full graphic novel edition of THE ADVENTURES OF CTHULHU JR. with Scoot McMahon (illustrator/letterer), Sean Burres (colorist), and Leah Lederman (editor). This campaign will be launching in early May (before I hit the road for a full month of comic con and signing appearances, as detailed HERE), and -- while I can't give any details yet -- along with the CTHULHU JR. graphic novel (yes, we'll be offering a KS Exclusive Hardcover Edition) we'll also be offering something that you've all been asking for in regards to this particular book (at least) for YEARS. YEARS.

I'm so, so excited for what's ahead, friends. THANK YOU for your support!

I'll be in touch again soon, and in the meantime, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning