SMASH! Comics Turns Five!

The much talked about indie comics label will celebrate their anniversary with a bang!

(Kincardine, ON)– In an industry fraught with fly-by-night financing and dreams that are often bigger than budgets it’s rare to see an independent comic imprint that has survived more than one publisher, let alone survive for half a decade. SMASH! Comics, gearing up for the summer of 2006, have accomplished both and are ready to celebrate!

In June of 2001 the now defunct Lightningstrike Publishing launched a new comic book imprint. Thanks to the friends and connections owner Mike Gagnon had made on the convention circuit he was able to gather a group of trusted creators and get a specialty investment firm to finance the operations. Thus SMASH! Comics were born.

Through rocky circumstances the comics imprint survived the bankruptcy of the investment firm that backed it, the attempted illegitimate seizure of ownership by that firms bankruptcy lawyers, and the closing of its parent company. In fall of 2004 Gagnon met investor Chris Campanozzi and the two formed a new publishing house, Open Book Press. Open Book decided to keep SMASH! Comics alive as a logo used on all the graphic novels they publish.

The thriving Open Book Press is expanding into the comic book market with the re-launch of the SMASH! Comics line of comic books which begin shipping in May 2006. Every comic is perfect bound instead of stapled and made of the same high quality paper and covers that the company uses for its graphic novels. This means that it will be the only line of comic books that can also be easily carried and stocked in traditional book stores. The new line-up of comics is mostly made up of established and successful self-published series such as Mr. Scootles by H.C. Noel, Underlords created by Greg Robinson, Monkeys with Machineguns by UK comic stars Chris Lynch and Stu.Art and others who have come looking to join SMASH! Comics.

As part of the celebration to mark the five year survival of SMASH! Comics each comic will bear a commemorative 5th anniversary logo on the cover beginning in June. The company will also begin shipping a different comic every month with a cover price of only $1 U.S. These special editions will be released from August to December of 2006. The company will also be releasing a set of limited edition trading cards in fall 2006.

For SMASH! Comics and further updates please check out www.openbookpress.com

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Christian Bonneray, Publicist, (419) 244-8828 or bonneray3@sbcglobal.net

Traditional Comics Become All Grown Up

Bayville, NJ, March 17th, 2006 – Traditional book and graphic novel publisher Open Book Press is turning the comic book industry on its ear in summer 2006. The reason the publisher is shaking things up is not only from the re-launch of SMASH! Comics, which it acquired in fall 2004, but by releasing it’s new comic book line in a graphic novel inspired format which can be embraced by fans, comic retailers, and even more importantly – traditional book stores.

Traditional comic books are generally produced on thinner paper, in a folded and stapled format, and released on a monthly schedule, giving each comic only a 30 day shelf life. This is one reason why comic books have never been embraced by the book industry, which favors product with a long shelf life, increasing the chance of sales.

The new SMASH! Comics line however is not going to be your traditional comic book line. Open Book Press has taken what works for the comics industry, and more importantly what works about graphic novels in the book industry and combined the two. Essentially this new line of comic books are, in reality, short graphic novels. Like graphic novels they have a standard ISBN book number, corresponding barcodes, perfect binding (square spines), and have overall better production quality than traditional comic books.

“The biggest part of this equation is that we are not going to be using the traditional monthly comic book schedule.” said company co-owner Mike Gagnon. No it’s not a typo, you read right, no monthly schedules. “The biggest reason being that when you release on a monthly schedule your retailers are only going to have one month to make that sale, that’s why we’ve used the graphic novel format and why our comics will all be either stand-alone one-shots or continuing series with installments that are released bi-monthly or quarterly and in most cases each installment can stand alone and be read on it’s own so that it has a perpetual shelf life and does not have to be removed when the next book featuring the same character is released. This opens a big doorway for us to be the only comic book publisher who publishes in a format that can be sold in a traditional book store.” Gagnon added.

Open Book Press has also carefully selected all of its new titles from creators who have already established a built in fan-following and have previously found success when self-publishing their work or working with other publishers. Full listings can be found on their website at www.openbookpress.com. Retailers and distributors from the book industry who have chosen to support these new titles by carrying them have been applauded by both the comics and traditional publishing community for having the vision to be involved early on and take part in what could soon be seen as a pop culture revolution.

Because of the format Open Book Press is using for SMASH! Comics they will be competing more with other publisher’s short graphic novel lines and not so much with their monthly comics. When seen in that light Open Book has priced the books very competitively with black and white books ranging from 32 to 48 pages and in price from $3.75 - $4.25, and color books ranging from 40 to 52 pages and in price from $8.49 - $9.95. Currently similar products produced in a perfect bound format run around $5 for black and white and $7.95 to $8.95 for color. Although individual installments will carry a higher cover price than regular comic books, fans will be able to follow a quarterly comic book from SMASH! for as little as $16 for an entire years worth of stories. A regular monthly comic book costs at least $36 to follow for one year.

The first wave of the new SMASH! Comics, which are essentially graphic novels, will ship to stores in May and features such fan favorites as Mr. Scootles by H.C. Noel, and Grafenveer by Wayne Sanders and Christian N. St. Pierre. The comics will be black and white for the first few months, with new full color series scheduled to debut in late summer 2006.

More details can be found at: www.openbookpress.com

Open Book Press Offers a Ray of Hope to Speakeasy Creators

Bayville, NJ, March 14th, 2006 – North American book and graphic novel publisher, and soon to be comic publisher Open Book Press, is issuing a public statement that it is willing to discuss and review materials from creators who are now left without a publisher due to the closure of Speakeasy Comics on February 27th 2006.

Like most of the public the publishers of Open Book Press were surprised to hear about the closure of the small press publisher. “I’m actually a big fan of their comics, I have quite a number of them in my collection, many autographed from meeting the creators at shows I have attended for my business.” said Open Book Press co-owner Mike Gagnon.

It is because of that fandom that Gagnon has opened the doors for creators who are now stuck in limbo, not having a publisher to carry their work any longer. Open Book Press had only just recently changed its guidelines to state that submissions would only be accepted or solicited at public appearance events where an editor was in attendance. Now the company is making an exception for anyone who had a comic series being published or slated to be published by Speakeasy.

“Let me make this clear so there are no misunderstandings. We are not saying that we will open the flood gates and passively envelope the entire Speakeasy stable. What we are saying is that we are willing to make an exception in our submission guidelines in order to help out the creators who are now stuck in the lurch. I can guarantee that we will not be accepting any and all Speakeasy Comics submitted to us. We’re not looking to spread ourselves thin with too many titles, what we do want to do is help out those creators and add to our new comics stable by picking a select handful of books that we feel have the most potential.” added Gagnon

In fall 2004 Open Book Press acquired SMASH! Comics, another comic book publisher based out of Toronto, that was experiencing difficulty. Now the line has been revamped and set to re-launch in May 2006, with buzz saying this new SMASH! Comics line will revolutionize the industry. Open Book Press has also approached the owners of Speakeasy Comics to express interest in a similar deal where Open Book would buy the left over assets of Speakeasy. So far Open Book Press has only expressed interest to the owners of Speakeasy who have not made any public response or scheduled any discussions.

The Canadian office of Open Book Press, based in Kincardine, Ontario, is currently handling the production of the new SMASH! Comics line and submissions form Speakeasy’s former creators can be sent to: Open Book Press, 661 Palmateer Dr., Kincardine, ON, N2Z 1R5

More details can be found at: www.openbookpress.com

Cry Wolf Added to the Lakewood Library

Lakewood, OH, March 13th, 2006 – The award winning Lakewood Public Library located at 15425 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio, has added the award winning graphic novel, Cry Wolf, by area creators Doug Crill and Dan Frey, to their collection.

Kenneth Warren, director for the Lakewood library stated the reasons for adding Cry Wolf to the collection were “Lakewood Public Library seeks innovative creative expression and uniquely crafted graphic novels. Cry Wolf fit the bill.” and added “A big factor is that the book represents Ohio based creative expression, which is something we want to support.”

Other factors involved with the libraries decision have been all the media attention the book and its creators have gotten, with rave reviews, and even having it selected at the best graphic novel of 2005 by thecomicfanatic.com. It is hardly a surprise that an innovative library such as LPL, consistently ranked as first or second according the annual Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings, would be interested in this book and show the vision to make it a part of their collection early on.

Lakewood is known for being one of the strongest independent libraries in the U.S. Director Warren also added “Independent artists, writers, musicians, and poets all have a place in the Lakewood Public Library collection.”

The book itself takes place in 1920’s Chicago during gangsters and prohibition. The protagonist is a young private eye who is sent on a case to Borneo and it attacked by a giant wolf. When he returns home he finds that his wife has been killed by mobsters, and that he is infected with lycanthropy due to the wolf bite. Kurt decided to turn his new curse into a tool for revenge. This book is recommended for mature readers. The book is expertly written by Doug Crill and illustrated in a 1920’s pulp style by Daniel J. Frey, both are Ohio residents.

Cry Wolf (0-9735716-7-5) is available for public borrowing at the Lakewood Public Library in Lakewood, Ohio. The book is sold to major retailers by Baker & Taylor and is available form most major online retailers. A sequel, “Cry Wolf: Ghost of Sijan” is scheduled to ship in June with the ISBN: 1-897290-04-7. Both books are published by Open Book Press.

More details can be found at: www.openbookpress.com

Open Book Press Graphic Novels Available at Borders

Ann Arbor, MI, January 24th, 2006 – Book retail giant Borders Books and Music has informed young upstart publisher Open Book Press that they will make their current line of graphic novels available to order at the counter of all Borders and Waldenbooks locations throughout the United States.

This announcement is the direct result of the young company’s reputation for garnering good press coverage, and dedication to driving sales through multiple channels. Borders have acknowledged these efforts and have agreed to make the books available to order at the counter, and if successful, will result in their books being carried on the shelves.

Open Book Press is encouraging all fans and potential fans in the U.S. to purchase their books by ordering at the counter of their local Borders or Waldenbooks.

The graphic novels currently available to order are:
• Cry Wolf – Winner of the best graphic novel of 2005 from www.thecomicfanatic.com ISBN: 0-9735716-7-5
• Grafenveer Vol.1 – First installment of the medieval tale by Wayne Sanders & Christian N. St. Pierre. ISBN: 0-9735716-3-2
• Monkeys & Midgets – The hilarious all ages comedy by Mike Gagnon and Nelson G. Danielson ISBN: 0-9735716-1-6
• Dreams in Texture – Exquisitely illustrated collection of horror, poetry and fantasy comics by Kevin Clorey and Tom Muzzell. ISBN: 0-9735716-2-4

The children’s book “Jessica’s Journey” by Jacqueline S. Bruce, also published by Open Book Press will also be made available to order at the counter. Borders is currently continuing to review the extensive list of Open Book Press’s other books and has expressed interest in arranging authors signing for all of the books in the near future.

More details can be found at: www.openbookpress.com

CRY WOLF -- ONE OF THE BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR 2005

(Toledo, Ohio – January 17, 2006) The prestigious comic book website, The ComicFanatic.com, has christened Cry Wolf as one of the best original graphic novels of 2005. The novel wound up in a three-way tie for the coveted title with two other original novels: Ravenous and Dead West.

“It is indeed an honor to have been selected as one of the best graphic novels of 2005,” said author Doug Crill. “We hope that the Cry Wolf series will continue to be a success with the next three installments.” Book two of the series entitled, “Ghost of Sijan,” is slated for a spring 2006 release from publisher Open Book Press of Canada.

According to Crill, Cry Wolf had received several other accolades in 2005. The biggest event came when the book was selected by the University of New Mexico as required reading material for a writing class about the myths and legends of lycanthropy through the ages. Because of this announcement, Cry Wolf and three other books from Open Book Press were chosen to be the exclusive graphic novels of this year’s American Music Awards.

In December of 2005, Crill and his novel were the featured guests on Global Talk Radio’s -- “A Story to Tell,” hosted by Kevin Dawson. “It has been a very rewarding year for us,” said Crill. Back in 2004, Crill and the book’s illustrator, Daniel J. Frey, formed Dark Dance Productions to create a wide range of quality-illustrated material for publication. Currently, book one of Cry Wolf is available online at Amazon.com, BookSurge.com, Open Book Press.com, and a number of other online distributors. It can also be purchased at http://www.crywolfgraphicnovel.com/ as well as fine bookstores everywhere.

For more information about Cry Wolf, or to schedule an interview, please contact Christian Bonneray at bonneray3@sbcglobal.net or phone (419) 244-8828. To listen to Mr. Crill’s radio interview go to www.globaltalkradio.com.

Open Book Press Announces the Return of SMASH! Comics

Bayville, NJ, December 22nd, 2005 – It’s not even Christmas Eve yet and year old book publishing trailblazer Open Book Press is looking forward to 2006. The Reason? The announcement of their long awaited revival of indie comics imprint SMASH! Comics, and the line-up associated with it.

For months now the company has been feeding the fans and media small details about the planned revival of the comics imprint. The company acquired the SMASH! Comics imprint roughly one year ago from the defunct Canadian publisher Lightningstrike Publishing, which formerly ran the imprint successfully for three years, publishing some of the most original black and white comics to be found.

Since Open Book Press purchased the imprint fans have only been able to find the SMASH! Comics logo on several of its hit graphic novels, such as Monkeys & Midgets, Cry Wolf and Grafenveer among others. That will all change in the very near future.

Much of the details have been kept under wraps until now as they have been building a solid line-up. The new SMASH! Comics consist of many varied genres which include new as well as established comic creators and will be producing both black and white and color comics.

One of the creators who have signed on are Greg Robinson of the hit color mini-series Underlords, the trade of which will be published under the SMASH! Comics banner. Other creators are people such H.C. Noel creator of Mr. Scootles which has earned praise from magazines such as Wizard, and a hero book called Storm Blazer created by John Lai. There is also a full color “presents” style comic planned with creators at Atlantis Studios tapped to provide the art. The hit UK anthology “Monkeys with Machineguns” will also be moving to SMASH! Comics.

Current creators associated with the company will also be returning; with new works from Kevin Clorey, as well as three mini-series written by Wayne Sanders scheduled, a sci-fi series called Destroyer with covers by South American phenom Kiro, a super natural color series called Katalina, and the third is a comic book version of the hit graphic novel series Grafenveer.

Local Author Making Big Leap With New Book

Kincardine, Ontario, November 24th, 2005 – Local author Lynda Janzen is making her mark on the international book stage with her highly anticipated novel, “The Jewel of Scotland”.

The book is a work of detective fiction that takes place in the real life settings of Scotland, and right here in Kincardine, Ontario, and is available to be ordered nationwide.

The story revolves around a self-employed, middle-aged, single mother named Cairn MacRae who finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of intrigue and deception when she finds her family heirloom stolen by jewel thieves, her daughter stolen by their employer, and her heart stolen by a mysterious stranger. The heroine must do whatever it takes to make her way from small town Ontario to the rugged terrain of Scotland in order to save her daughter and recover her priceless family brooch.

The book is published by Tiverton based publisher Open Book press, and is being distributed to book stores and libraries by Baker & Taylor, BookSurge Direct, and Book Wholesalers International.

A private launch party is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Harbour St. Gallery in Kincardine on the weekend of December 10th.

“The Jewel of Scotland” is currently available with online retailers such as Amazon.com, Abebooks, and the publisher’s website at http://www.openbookpress.com/. The book will be arriving on the shelves of major bookstores and finer book retailers nationwide in time for the holidays.

More details can be found at: http://www.openbookpress.com/