Kickstarting Comics: Avery Hill Kickstarts Three New Titles For 2022
by Richard Bruton
Avery Hill Publishing has long been a British publisher to take notice of and their first set of three books is no different. But what is different this time is that Avery Hill is going through the Kickstarter route – with the campaign beginning right now – three titles to fund, British comics publishing at its best.
We’ll no doubt have more extensive previews of all three titles in time, but right now, here’s the essential details for all three books, all looking incredibly impressive, all three looking like rather essential books for 2022.
The three books running in this first Avery Hill Kickstarter are 2120 by George Wylesol, Sleeping While Standing by Taki Soma, and Outer Wilderness by Claire Scully. The Kickstarter went live on 8th November – right here. Now, a little more on each book…
2120 by George Wylesol
You might well know George Wylesol’s work from his previous Avery Hill Publishing titles Ghosts, Etc. and Internet Crusader.
Well, his third for Avery Hill promises to be no less ground-breaking, but this time he’s giving you a story through a mix of those classic ‘choose your own adventure’ stories and old point-and-click computer games. In 2120, we’re going to be given the chance to “explore these liminal spaces and, at the same time, take an existential journey of discovery.”
And the Avery PR…
“You’re Wade, a schlubby middle-aged computer repairman, sent to fix a computer in a vacant, nondescript office building. When you get inside the door locks behind you, and you can’t get out. Now the adventure begins! You have to explore this building and try to find your way home. The building is huge on the inside with a lot of sprawling hallways and empty rooms but your only hope is to uncover clues and try to work out the mystery this whole experience hangs on.”
2120 is 500 pages long, paperback, full colour.
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Next up… the rather stunning looking Sleeping While Standing by Taki Soma.
Taki Soma is a HUGO award-nominated artist, writer, and colourist who’s worked on projects as varied as Rapture, Sinergy, The Victories, United States vs. Murder, Inc., Bitch Planet, Dick Tracy, Iron Man and more from publishers including Image, IDW, Marvel, Dark Horse, Jinxworld, and DC.
Sleeping While Standing is her first solo collection – a selection of autobiographical strips that paint a compelling picture of the creator.
Again, the Avery Hill PR…
“A series of short autobiographical strips, dropping in at important events throughout her life that shaped who she is today, told in a compelling and humorous authorial voice. We are led by Taki through her early childhood in Japan in the early 80s, to moving to Minnesota, the separation of her parents, childhood trauma, teenage angst, death, drugs, comics, health issues, love, fertility, pets and zombies; all of life is here in this book! It’s a picture of a highly regarded creator, with an unflinching look at some particularly harrowing moments, but threaded through with levity and love.”
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And third up, Outer Wilderness by Claire Scully.
Another creator you might have heard of if you follow Brit comics and Avery Hill, Scully’s ongoing series of incredible books have already gone into some incredible places – whether that’s the introspective self-imagined places of Internal Wilderness or the look at the passage of experience and memory in Desolation Wilderness, her stunning works haven’t failed to impress.
And now we have the third installment in Scully’s ongoing project. It’s going to be a little bit special.
Again, one last time, the Avery Hill PR…
“Outer Wilderness is the third and final instalment of a journey that began with introspective self-imagined places, followed by a passage of experience and memory and now looks further away to the edges of the universe and into the unknown. It explores a vast spectrum of locations beyond the boundaries of normal time and space.
Each of these landscapes are inspired from a mix of science fiction, imagination and space documentaries which builds into a journey through a fantastical environment.”
Okay then, you can (and should) find out more from both the Avery Hill website and the Kickstarter campaign page. Go there now and pledge for a great-looking trio of books to set off 2022 in fine form.
