Broken Frontier

Tired of being ostracized by your friends for not reading PvP? Well, now's the time to jump on board, and Scott Kurtz and Image Comics are making it as easy as possible for you to do so.

PvP is perhaps the most popular online comic strip in the world, so it's only natural that web success has translated to success on the comic book page. But despite the fact that PVP is a certifiable hit in comic book form, there are always more people to be converted.

With that in mind, Kurtz and Image Comics are soliciting a specially priced PvP #0 in the current issue of Diamond PREVIEWS, to hit stands this May. The sixteen-page issue retails for just two quarters, and should provide a perfect jumping-on point for those who have yet to discover the joys of Kurtz' strip. Naturally, longtime readers will get a kick out of the issue, as well.

"I stand by my belief that all comic readers really want from a comic book is the feeling that they did't just waste three bucks of their paycheck," says Kurtz. "I hope that for 50 cents, people who have been unable to fit PvP into their weekly budget can give it a shot and realize they have to find an extra three bucks a month somewhere."

Richard Neal, owner and operator of Zeus Comics in Dallas, TX, believes that the key to getting people to enjoy PvP is simply getting it into their hands, and hopes fellow retailers take note.

"I've never met anyone who didn't like PvP," says Neal. "I've only met people who haven't read it. Everyone I've seen pick up a copy laughs out loud at the strips. This 50 cent issue is a risk-free way for retailers to let their customers know what they're missing out on."

PvP revolves around the staff of a gaming magazine (including a big blue troll intern named Skull) and their day-to-day adventures.  The humor is often sparked by the relationships within the office, but is easily accessible to a broad readership.

In other PvP news, beginning with PvP #16 (hitting stands in April) Kurtz has converted the his book from a "landscape" format (shared with Frank Cho's LIBERTY MEADOWS) to the more traditional standard "vertical" comic book format. This decision was made largely in response to reader and retailer requests.

PvP #0 is available for order in the May issue of Previews and goes on sale May 25. PvP #16 hits stands on April 13th.