Broken Frontier

The latest installment in the zombie horror franchise from Wizard Magazine's Best New Publisher Boom! Studios – ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1 – has sold out at the publisher level.  Featuring work from Annhiliation and “52” writer Keith Giffen, as well as screenwriters Andrew Cosby, John (Blue Beetle) Rogers, and Johanna Stokes, with a contribution from novelist Jim Pascoe,  ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD was gone in record time.

“We've never gotten a single reorder this big, and it just blew through all our copies, plain and simple,” Boom! Studios publisher Ross Richie said. “Since January, we've experienced a surge in reorder activity and I think it's caught up to our present releases, and as such we kind of have a geometric progression.  This latest reorder came in quick, fast, and furious, and made short work of our overprint bigger and faster than any other book we've put out.  I hope that retailers take note of the fan interest in our horror anthologies, and get in some advance reorders for CTHULHU TALES #1, which will no doubt continue to get this kind of response.”

Unlike previous Boom! Studios releases that sold gradually over a series of months – like the recent sold-out GIANT MONSTER – ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1 received a complete and total sell out instantly.  This is the second in a series of recent sell-outs for Boom! Studios, that sees an uptick in their order activity.

The ZOMBIE TALES series was launched in June of 2005 with ZOMBIE TALES #1, and followed up by the sequel, ZOMBIE TALES: OBLIVION #1.  Last fall saw the release of a two issue mini-series under the ZOMBIE TALES banner, DEATH VALLEY, which was a quick success.  ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1 is the latest in the series.  A horror anthology, ZOMBIE TALES publishes the best of established comic book writers as well as Hollywood talent, featuring stories from Mark Waid and Keith Giffen, with screenwriters Andrew Cosby, John Rogers, and Johanna Stokes.  WAR OF THE WORLDS: SECOND WAVE writer Michael Alan Nelson contributes, and the latest writer to join the crew is Jim Pascoe, author of the novels FIVE SHOTS AND A FUNERAL and BY THE BALLS.  Each issue features a cover from Eisner Award-winning cover artist Dave Johnson.  Veteran comic book illustrators like Keith Giffen, Ron Lim, Lee Moder, Andy Kuhn, FALLEN ANGEL superstar J.K. Woodward, THE GRIMOIRE artist Tom Fowler, SMOKE AND GUNS Fabio Moon, MEGATON MAN Don Simpson, I LUV HALLOWEEN Benjamin Roman, BATMAN: RUN RIDDLER RUN Mark Badger, and HERO SQUARED Joe Abraham have all contributed stories.

Published as double-sized 48 page “prestige format” comic books with high quality, high-gloss paper and squarebound binding, ZOMBIE TALES upholds the Boom! Studios commitment of creating high production values to showcase the work of the best creators in the field.

“We're also down to our last few copies of ZOMBIE TALES #1 and ZOMBIE TALES: OBLIVION #1,” Richie said. “So if you enjoyed ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1, we've got a few left for retailers to reorder.  ZOMBIE TALES #1 Convention Sketch Cover, limited to 500 copies, is nearly all gone.”

Since being awarded BEST NEW PUBLISHER by Wizard Magazine and nominated for the same award by DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS for 2005, Boom! Studios has seen an uptick in sell-through and initial orders. Selling through most of its outstanding backlist, Boom! Studios is having a record year.

ZOMBIE TALES #1 Diamond Order Code FEB052584  $6.99

ZOMBIE TALES #1: CONVENTION SKETCH COVER Diamond Order Code OCT052862 $9.99

ZOMBIE TALES: OBLIVION #1 Diamond Order Code JUN052859  $6.99