More From Neptune

A sneak peek inside the graphic novel

A Look Inside Neptune

This week’s newsletter found its way to your inbox a day later than usual so I could share a sneak peak of the book Neptune that I edited for Michael W. Conrad, Nathan Ooten, and Kyle Arends. I’m going to keep this week’s post pretty brief to focus on the exclusive preview at comicbook.com that you can read here. 

It’s hard for me to explain how important working on this book has been to me. I’m very lucky to be here and to have my name associated with such amazing creators that have grown to be some of my best friends in the long journey to get here. This project started over two years ago and a lot has changed in all of our lives in that time. Two years is a long time to keep quiet about something that you are so passionate about working on, and I’m so pleased that I can finally talk about it. The digital edition will be available through Comixology on September 3rd and the print edition will be published by Dark Horse Comics on March 4th in bookstores, and March 5th in comic shops. 

Go read the first five pages of Neptune, then come back and let’s talk about how amazing Nathan’s art is in the comments.

Pocket Books

This week I’ve been obsessing over pocket size books. There is something about a book small enough to put in your pocket that I find really appealing.

 

First, taking a little walk with reading material in your pocket is a great way to relax. My current move is to walk through the park by my house until I find a nice quiet place to whip a book out of my pocket and read. 

Second, the size and format is perfect. I’ve often said that the ideal length for a book is under 250 pages, and that’s on the high side. Of course there are many exceptions to this, but there is something about a quick read that is appealing in a way that a large book, no matter how well written, can never have. A 1,000 page book is a committed relationship, but that 150 page novel is a fiery one night stand. Sure, the big book is going to be a steady companion, but that weekend fling with a short novel is much sexier

Third, and perhaps most important, putting a book in your pocket removes the preciousness of the material object. I’m guilty of collecting gorgeous books and keeping them in great condition. A nice big hard cover looks great on a shelf and you don’t want that beautiful book to be damaged, but it should also be read. A nice cheap pocket book, especially when you put it in your pocket, shifts the importance back to the words on the page. Don’t worry about the condition, you’re going to accidentally sit on it once or twice, the corners are going to be bent and the spine warped, but don’t worry about that, just read the damn thing and give it to the next person until it completely falls apart. 

All of this is to say that I’ve been doing some research on the format and I’m looking at a few different projects that could be collected in the small size. I’ll share more as I begin to assemble actual books. If I do manage to get a book or two put together, please put it in your pocket. 

Something to Listen to

This week I jumped back into my nostalgia with one of my favorite, and most influential bands on my developing music tastes. Every Time I Die is a mix of hardcore and rock seasoned with a Southern twang. They are one of those bands with such a unique sound that you can tell right away who it is even when it’s a song you haven’t heard before. Although I would put them on the softer side of the hardcore/metal genre, they might be a little heavier than a lot of my readers are used to. I suggest starting with The New Black, a softer song with a lot more singing, then exploring outwardly from there. 

Thank you all for your continued support.

I’d like to say one big thank you to everyone who has been ordering from my online store. If you put in an order last week it is already in the mail. Having an outlet to distribute my work allows me to spend more time creating and I’ll be updating the store with new original art and other items more often because of you.

You can find my online store here.

If you haven’t yet subscribed to my FREE newsletter, you can do it below. I’m especially grateful for everyone who has been sharing the newsletter, that really helps.

That’s all for this week!

Zane Barrow