21: RAZORBLADES: THE HORROR SUBSCRIPTION
Happy Friday, everyone!
Oh wait. That’s the newsletter I started writing last week, when we were going to launch all of this on the 16th. Unfortunately, life had other plans for me. Without getting into details, I’ll say that the family emergency that delayed our launch has stabilized a bit, but there’s still a lot going on and we’re not out of the woods. I appreciate everyone who reached out and checked in on us.
I also appreciate everyone waiting for me to ship out the DOT variants I put on sale last month for their patience. They are on the docket (I have all the supplies laid out and the issues bagged and boarded and the shipping labels ready to go!). I am going to try and power through and knock them all out by the end of the weekend. Not just to make you lot happy, but to reclaim more of my Brooklyn apartment.
BUT ANWAYS… The time has now come for real! Razorblades #2 is here, and so is something else. Something BIGGER. What could it be?! Could it be in the title of this newsletter? The only way to find out is to keep reading!
RAZORBLADES: THE HORROR MAGAZINE #2
First, let me get to the heart of the thing…
Thank you. Thank you all so fucking much.
When the first kernels of Razorblades started coming together in my head, I saw it as this little weirdo side-project. A way to expend some of the nervous energy of living in quarantine, in a year without comic conventions. More than anything, I saw it as an excuse to reach out to friends and creators I knew I wasn’t likely to see this year and ask them to make some genuinely cool, and scary stuff.
Which isn’t to say that I didn’t have DREAMS of what it could be. I had dreams in spades.
I think we can all feel that we’re living through a horror renaissance. Not just in comics, but in the culture writ large. Now, there’s no way of telling if this is going to be like the 80s and be a decade-long stint of Horror as one of the dominant forms of media, or if it’s just going to come and go in a few years… But the iron is HOT right now. I can feel it in the response to Something is Killing the Children and The Department of Truth. Hell, I feel it in the response to my Batman run.
But the thing that was driving me a little bit nuts is that my twitter feed was this lens into an exciting world of horror that existed right at the end of my fingertips. All of these phenomenal illustrators, comic artists, and writers from all of these different corners of the business… Because the Horror Boom isn’t JUST happening in mainstream direct market comics. It’s happening in the indy/alternative scene. It’s happening in the YA market. It’s happening in Manga. And beyond that, there are so fucking many horror illustrators out there making deeply disturbing, beautiful stuff, and just selling it as prints and merch on their own webstore.
It was bizarre to see that everyone was talking about the same stuff, but it didn’t seem like any of those different corners of horror comics and horror illustration were talking to each other, or even aware of each other. And I wanted to see if I could help build a platform to get all of these incredibly spooky creators to come play together and make some really scary shit. To see if there’s something MORE that can come out of all of our efforts together. At the end of the day, Razorblades is a weird product of cross-contamination.
Issue #1 was a good start, I was thrilled with the creators we were able to bring on board, particularly the incredible Trevor Henderson, the creator of Sirenhead, who did the first cover and who has quickly become an integral part of the Razorblades family. (You’ll find the start of a running feature by Trevor in this issue, that we’ll be continuing in the future).
But Issue #2 is where I think we’re starting to hit our stride, fully capturing the spectrum of creator I wanted to bring onboard. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Josh Simmons providing an illustration for the book. His collection from Fantagraphics, THE FURRY TRAP is one of the most genuinely unsettling horror comics I’ve ever read, and I’m pleased to report that he’s working on something more longform for a future Razorblades issue.
We’ve also got so many stunning illustrations in this book… Running the spectrum from the immortal and all-powerful Jen Bartel (see above), and the twisted and incredible David Romero… All in the same book as the creators of big capes and tights comics, creators of the indy darlings of the direct market, and creators of phenomenal YA stories… All of them bringing their absolute A-Game, and creating some deeply unsettling imagery… And that’s not even mentioning the fact that with the help of the amazing Zack Davisson, we were able to score an interview with the phenomenal Manga artist, Gou Tanabe! And a short story by the Vampire Queen of Krakoa, Tini Howard! All in one dang anthology magazine! That I publish!
Issue #2 brings you comic book horror stories by me, Matthew Rosenberg, Tyler Boss, Michael Garland, Zac Thompson, Jen Hickman, Alex Paknadel, Jason Loo, Nadia Shammas, Isaac Goodhart, Marie Enger, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, Steve Foxe, Michael Ramstead, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and More. Illustrations by Jen Bartel, David Romero, Marisa Bruno, Tia Roxae, Trevor Henderson, Aaron Campbell, Brian Level, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Razorblades also features an in-depth interview between Gou Tanabe and Zack Davisson on adapting the works of H.P. Lovecraft for Manga, and a short story by Tini Howard. Cover by Ian Bertram & Miquel Muerto. Design by Dylan Todd.
In all sincerity, seeing this issue all together makes it all worth it. And knowing where we’re going from here, and who ELSE we’ve managed to snag for this book? I feel like I’m getting away with something, and that somebody is going to stop me. But until they do… I guess I’ll just keep making more issues.
My other sneaky goal with Razorblades was to work with a bunch of truly incredible comic book artists who I might not have time to build a longer project with… Andy Belanger in the first issue, and now Joshua Hixson, whose work I have been madly in love with since I first picked up SHANGHAI RED a few years back… Josh and I set the spooky stage for the issue, with a short concept that’s been wriggling in the back of my mind for years. This is something I’m hoping to replicate in future issues, create some genuinely unnerving short form horror in the style of comics like Fuan No Tane and PTSD Radio.
My last evil goal with Razorblades to give a home to this weird little thought that’s been growing over the last year. As I transition more and more away from superheroes (aside from Batman) and more into creator owned, I started to have this inkling that there’s a way to reframe the whole superhero thing as a horror story. It is genuinely very, very upsetting to think of these self-appointed costumed figures declaring neighborhoods to be their territory and then effectively deciding what the law is based on their own individual moral code…
But doing that straight-up would be BORING, and so I wanted to lean into the WEIRD side of that idea. I also wanted to do all of the ultraviolent shit I can’t get away with in the for-real superhero comics I’m writing…
So I reached out to Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, and together we fleshed that idea out into KILLBOY, whose first chapter appears in this issue of Razorblades. In my head, Killboy is the weird mascot of our little horror mag. Killboy is Spider-Man meets Johnny the Homicidal Maniac as an ultraviolent manga, by me, Ricardo, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
I am very excited for you to see his first story, and start to fall in love with and/or be absolutely horrified by this little dude as he protects his neighborhood.
Razorblades: The Horror Magazine #2 is available now digitally, pay what you want, on my Gumroad store. We’re going to be keeping the pay-what-you-want model going for the duration of the first year because we feel like it embodies the spirit of the Magazine as a platform for creators to experiment and inspire each other, and we don’t want to create a barrier to entry.
But we heard you loud and clear when we put Issue #1 on sale. So let’s get down to business so you can find out how to buy our magazine IN PRINT.
First, I want to warn everyone upfront that I based my shipping estimates the first time around based on what I was doing with pins, and it turns out that was very stupid! Shipping is expensive! Shipping materials are expensive! International shipping is EXTRA expensive! And I wasn’t recording sales tax and a million other things that have created headaches in the last few months. So this time, we’ve got the numbers right, but that means shipping is going to cost a bit more in some cases, and there’s going to be tax in the mix. It costs money to make things as an independent small press! Who could have predicted such a thing?! This time, we’ve got it so we’re pretty sure we won’t run in the red, but just know that we’re running on razor-thin margins. This isn’t a project I’d be able to make without the support of Batman and Department of Truth.
So, with all that in mind, I just want to remind everyone that Razorblades is a labor of love. An experiment in the mad science of self-publishing and horror. We’ve learned a tremendous lot with the sale of the first issue, and we’re very excited to be taking this to next level. But in the end, we’re doing this ourselves because we wanted to do it on our own terms, and we’re learning every step of the way. I hope that seeing our learning process, and how the whole Razorblades project evolves from here is part of the fun of seeing us figure it all out.
I appreciate every single person who has been patient with me during stage one of the Razorblades process (The “Shipping 500 books out of my living room” stage). We’ve arranged things this time around to run much more smoothly.
The key thing we learned last time around is that there is an incredibly powerful hunger to see this project continue in print, and we want to match that hunger. So, to do that, we have not set a limit on how many copies we’re selling of Issue #2.
INSTEAD, we’re going to create a timed pre-order window that acts a bit like the Final Order Cut-Off system the majority of the comic book industry uses. We are going to be taking orders starting right now, and will CONTINUE taking orders through October 31st at Midnight, EST. Once we hit midnight on Halloween, our print numbers are going to be set, and there won’t be any reprints until we look into doing some kind of collected edition next year. The goal is to start printing copies first thing in November, and have them all in your hands by the end of that month.
So, that’s a little less than two weeks to put your orders in, and to tell your friends to do the same.
It’s not just fans who can get in on the action. We’ve reached out to a large group of retailers, offering a discount rate per issue on anyone ordering ten copies or more. If you weren’t on the initial list, but want to order comics for your store, please email TinyOnionStudios@gmail.com before the deadline of Midnight, October 31st, with how many copies you want to order. Retailers can ALSO place orders for the second printing of Razorblades: The Horror Magazine #1.
BUT WAIT! That’s not all!
Team Razorblades has been hard at work getting all of this ready for you, and a key part of that has been laying out our plans for the full first year of the book, taking us all the way to Issue #5 next summer. We have such incredible creators lined up for this book, you would lose your mind if we told you who. And taking that big picture look at the full year got us all thinking. It was Sam Johns who finally cooked up the idea on how best to capture the enthusiasm for the series and use to support the whole year of the book, without relying on everyone reading a newsletter on time. I mean, after all, if we’re going to CALL ourselves a magazine, we might as well ACT like it!
And so… In honor of the spookiest month year, we’re going to be offering Tiny Onion readers a VERY special deal… Starting right now on my gumroad site, we are offering the chance to subscribe to the FULL FIRST YEAR of Razorblades!
Subscribers will receive a limited variant of each issue, not available to retailers. Our plan is to do two color approaches every issue, and you can see the very cool variant Miquel Muerto did for Issue #2 above. Subscribers will also receive a FREE copy of the Trevor Henderson second printing of Razorblades #1 (below), which we’re only making available to subscribers and retailers.
The Annual Subscription will run you $60 + Tax + Shipping. This will be delivered in four shipments. The first in November, containing #1 & 2, the second in February, containing issue #3, the third in May, containing Issue #4, and the fifth in August, containing Issue #5. The shipping cost reflects the cost of four shipments, and the shipments will always come the month following release.
There is also a special PREMIUM Subscription Option, that will come with a postcard sized horror illustration print with every issue, a special Razorblades enamel pin, and a collector’s box to hold the first five issues of the book. These special add-ons will never be made available to non-subscribers! That will run $80 + Tax + Shipping.
And, because I promised there being a benefit to being an early adopter… I’ve also created a hyper-limited 250 copy version of the Premium Subscription package with a special Foil Variant of the Subscriber edition of Razorblades #2. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THAT FOIL COVER. I have a feeling these are going to go quick, so sign up while you can.
If this is successful, our intention is to make this an annual proposition! Use October to set subscriptions for each year of Razorblades… If you want to support the continued existence of our weird little horror mag, there is no better way than to buy a subscription, today.
And you can buy it all RIGHT NOW, on the Tiny Onion Gumroad Site.
The only reason this is possible is the help of Jon Jesperson of JJ’s Comics & Art, who has helped us build out a distribution system. We have Dan Scott of Scott’s Collectibles helping service our audience in the UK and the EU… They also have something special on sale for you today.
If you’re just looking for a copy of Issue #1, standalone, no subscription. There is a special retailer variant that’s going on sale today. This has actually been in the works since before the first issue went live… It’s an absolute thrill to see the legendary Doug Mahnke and Dave Baron tackle my favorite homicidal child, Killboy.
If you’re in the US or Canada, you can buy the JJ’s Comics & Art exclusive HERE.
If you’re in the UK or EU, you can buy the JJ’s Comics & Art exclusive HERE.
Anyways… That’s the meat of it. Now PLEASE go buy some comic books so we can keep on making them!
BATMANNERY
Things are going to be a little quiet on the Batman front until the end of the year, when I can start talking about what Jorge Jimenez and I are building in the Batman title in March, and what Guillem March and I are building in [REDACTED BY DC PR TEAM UNDER PAINS OF DEATH]… This week sees an aftermath issue to Joker War that starts to set the stage for the new direction the title will take in 2021, the start of an exciting new status quo for Gotham City.
Last week saw the announcement of Future State, which I am not involved in directly, but am involved in indirectly. You’ll be reading a lot about The Magistrate, and a character named Peacekeeper One in those Future State books, but it won’t be until March and beyond that you see their origins in the real, present-day Gotham City. Future State is meant to be a glimpse into a possible future of the DCU, filled with lots of easter eggs that will hint at (but not bind) the direction of the line moving forward.
I am very excited to see what all the amazing creators working on the Future State Gotham Books do. I am ALSO very excited to have absolutely no DC comics coming out for two months early next year. Maybe I’ll take a vacation! (Hahahaha, funny joke, James)
We also just hit the FOC for the Punchline one-shot, and the response has been absolutely staggering. It feels like my year is beginning and ending with Punchline calling the shots. The fact that we’re still getting so many amazing Cosplayers tackle her, months after her debut is thrilling. I get tweets about her every day, and you can be absolutely sure that we have big, big plans for her in 2021. The One-Shot is the start of those plans, with Sam Johns co-writing with me, and Mirka Andolfo on art. It picks up directly from the epilogue from Batman 100.
I’ll talk more about it when we get closer to release, but I’m also very excited to bring back the characters Harper and Cullen Row, who I haven’t had the chance to write since the early days of my Detective Comics run. Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo as a part of their New 52 Batman Run… The Rows were meant to give a different POV of Gotham. Disconnected from the legacies of the city’s heroes and villains, but enamored with the idea of Batman, Harper would go out into the world and track Batman down and help him regardless of whether he wanted the help. Harper would go on to become his partner for a short time, as the vigilante known as Bluebird, before retiring to go to college and work at Leslie Thompkins’ Free Clinic.
It wasn’t until we started talking about doing a solo Punchline story that I realized that Punchline is, in a lot of ways, the perfect reflection of Harper Row. She’s another ordinary kid of Gotham, but rather than her being drawn to the idea of Batman, she was drawn to the idea of Joker… And now she’s out there, trying to spread the Joker’s ideology, and we’re going to see Harper watch that happen up close, helpless to push back against it. If Harley Quinn is Punchline’s Opposite, Bluebird is Punchline’s Dark Mirror… The story that starts in the one shot will start a story thread that will run through next year, setting the stage for big conflicts to come that will drag in all of Gotham’s heroes.
You don’t want to miss it. You also don’t want to miss the storyline Ghost Stories that starts in Batman #102, and reveals the character Ghost-Maker, who will ALSO loom large over Gotham in 2021.
Anyways. More on all of this soon.
HOUSEKEEPING
I had a phone call with a Hollywood person last week that I am still completely losing my mind about. A few phone calls, actually. I feel like I’ve been on the phone nonstop with Hollywood for about three weeks now, and that’s almost certainly because that is literally true! I don’t know how close we are to there being anything I can talk about publicly, but things are moving very quickly and very excitingly on three unannounced media adaptations, all with some very exciting players.
It’s giving me all sorts of evil ideas and plans for the next few years. Don’t worry, I’m not leaving comics any time soon (In fact, I just cracked two story concepts this weekend that I don’t think you’ll see in stores until 2022), but I do see a lot of opportunities to play in different media sandboxes and build some very exciting things. My brain is very fixated on how things connect, and how systems can feed into each other right now. I have lots of thoughts on what Tiny Onion Studios is, and what it could be.
By early 2022 I’ll be 34 years old, and a decade into my comic career, and my brain is already cooking on what I want the next ten years of my life to bring. It’s exciting, and none of it would be possible without all of you.
There’s a chance that the ReadRazorblades.com website is going to go down for a few hours today or tomorrow as we change domains and swap in a placeholder for the big website revamp I have cooking for both Razorblades and Tiny Onion Studios writ large. Not ideal, I know! But if you’re sharing the news, it might be best to point folks directly to the Gumroad store. This will all be resolved pretty quickly, and once resolved, we’ll have some very pretty websites on our hands.
Stay safe out there.
James Tynion IV
Johnstown, PA
10.19.20