News

We get this question all the time:
WHAT THE HELL IS THE GODDAMNED READING ORDER FOR GODKILLER??

Ok, our bad, the reading order is kind of a headache. 
See... Godkiller started as a self-published, print-on-demand comic in 2008 sold only at comic cons and horror cons. And then the animation started before the comic even went into comic shops... so its release has been all over the place.

The main confusion is the 'BOOKS' vs 'VOLUMES.' Trade paperbacks are a pain to print, so first we printed the 'Walk Among Us pt. 1' trade and then after that we just went straight to the omnibus for the complete 'Walk Among Us' and called that 'Book 1.' But fans wanted a slim trade to match 'Walk Among Us pt. 1' so to print that it started alternative numbering systems (which wound up being 'Books' are the hardcovers and 'Volumes' for the paperbacks). 

ON TOP OF THAT, Tomorrow's Ashes + Spiderland + For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice were written to be a single 'Book 2' but they're just too big and unwieldy to print that way, so they were split into paperbacks and hardcovers. Oy vey!

Add to that animations, novellas, audiobooks, vinyl records (!), and extended universe comics and jeez this is a lot to keep track of.

Anyhow, tl;dr -- here's THE OFFICIAL GODKILLER MYTHOS READING ORDER!

1. GODKILLER: WALK AMONG US
You can get the story in these ways:
- Godkiller: Walk Among Us, single issues 1-8, or
- Godkiller: Walk Among Us, trade paperbacks vol 1 & vol 2, or
- Godkiller: Walk Among Us [Deluxe Complete Collection] paperback or hardcover, or
- Godkiller: Walk Among Us, animated episodes 1-3 (each episode covers two comics), or
- Godkiller: Walk Among Us [The Illustrated Film]
* the animations don't include the #8 epilogue story (which is in the collected books)
Whew! Okay from there it gets a bit simple...

2. GODKILLER: TOMORROW'S ASHES
You can get the story in these ways:
- Godkiller: Tomorrow's Ashes, single issues 1-3, or
- Godkiller, vol 3: Tomorrow's Ashes [trade paperback], or
- Godkiller, Book 2: Tomorrow's Ashes [hardcover], or
- soon there will also be a narrative-game of Tomorrow's Ashes

3. GODKILLER: SPIDERLAND
You can get the story in these ways:
- Godkiller: Spiderland, single issues 1-3, or
- Godkiller, vol 4: Spiderland [trade paperback], or
- Godkiller, Book 3: Spiderland [hardcover]

4. GODKILLER: FOR THOSE I LOVE I WILL SACRIFICE
You can get the story in these ways:
- Godkiller: For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice, single issues 1-3, or
- Godkiller, vol 5: For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice [trade paperback], or
- Godkiller, Book 4: For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice [hardcover]

5. MOAR GODKILLER COMING SOON

And then there's the...
== EXTENDED UNIVERSE ==

- GODKILLER Novella Series
Prequel series originally released as PDFs and Audiobooks on the original Animated Series DVD.
-- Godkiller: Silent War (pdf / mp3)
-- Godkiller: The Black Temple (pdf/mp3)
-- Godkiller: The Red Shield (pdf/mp3)

- YOUNG TERRORISTS Graphic Novel Series
Young Terrorists takes place during the pre-apocalyptic period of 'Silent War.' Halfpipe has astrally projected herself into the past to track down the Starkiller, and falls in with Sera's crew taking down The Black Temple along the way.
You can get the story in these ways:
- Young Terrorists, graphic novellas #s 1-2,
- Young Terrorists collected edition [paperback or hardcover]

- THE LONG KNIVES Comic Book Series
Also taking place in the pre-apocalyptic period, this origin story for Bones and Nero was originally released digital-exclusive on Graphic.ly.
You can get the story in these way:
- The Long Knives, single issues 1-12 [digital only],
- The Long Knives, hardcover editions are coming soon.

All that said, you can pretty much jump in with any book. They all start with a 'Previously' catch-up section and hit the ground running. Don't sweat the lore, just grab a book and take the plunge!

Congrats to team Leaded Gasoline for landing the upcoming horror comic in The New York Times!

Read more

Hip Hop legend CHUCK D Creates Special Three-Part Variant Cover and Interior Art for Matteo Pizzolo's ROGUE STATE

The Provocative, New Comic Book Series from Black Mask Studios Will Be Released on November 16 with a Special Cover and Guest Art  Drawn By the Public Enemy Co-Founder Himself 

"Depicts an American Hellscape in Art." -ROLLING STONE

LOS ANGELES, CA– What if Americans refused to be governed? 

Political violence plunges America into turmoil. Local police forces join with the National Guard, but even their combined strength is unable to quell the rage. Filling the vacuum, militia groups rise into roving gangs of vigilantes.

In a strict interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, an embattled Supreme Court overturns two centuries of settled law by recognizing militias as Constitutionally protected. In an instant, every paramilitary gang in America is suddenly deputized, transforming the entire country into a vigilante police-state. Lockdowns set in. Fear spreads… and whispers of revolution.

This is the world of ROGUE STATE, the new ongoing graphic novel series that marks writer Matteo Pizzolo’s return to comics for his first new series since 2017’s acclaimed CALEXIT, reuniting with artist C. Granda (who illustrated 2018’s CALEXIT: SAN DIEGO comic book that raised funds for families separated at the US-Mexico border) and CALEXIT cover artists Soo Lee and Ashley A Woods.

ROGUE STATE will launch with a special set of variant covers drawn by hip legend and higher thought leader Chuck D of PUBLIC ENEMY next month from Black Mask Studios, the Los Angeles based indie publisher of beloved titles including BLACK, 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK, SPACE RIDERS, KIM & KIM, ALICE IN LEATHERLAND, and GODKILLER. Together, Pizzolo and Granda have created a timely title about rebelling against tyranny, reconquering stolen land, punching fascists in the face, and building a better nation.

“The concepts Matt is presenting here are so familiar they should be terrifying,” says Chuck D. “I thought the concept that there are good people out there but are surrounded by adversaries, even though they might look normal, was radical. Plus, it had a throwback to the last century kind of vibe mixed in.” 

“Chuck’s illustration so perfectly captures the book’s vibe of feeling trapped in a cauldron of turmoil but not giving in to the chaos, still rising against it,” says Pizzolo. “Chuck is the preeminent incendiary storyteller, for decades through music and visual art as well, so to see the world of ROGUE STATE through his eyes is mindbending. Of course it’s powerful and booming and bold and fearless, it’s Chuck D.”

In addition to appearing as a cover, Chuck D’s illustration will also be inside the book itself as a street-art mural, in an homage to the Mission District’s history of socially-engaged public art.

“We set out to make ROGUE STATE a comic that’s politically charged but is optimistic and celebrates the history of radical art and street art. At first, Chuck was going to do one cover, but he went far beyond with this panorama of our modern hellscape, and as soon as I saw it I realized that it needed to be part of the storyworld itself,” says Pizzolo. “It’s like the most raging street art, and it conveys the inferno of horrors we all have burning away in our minds. The story is about staying hopeful enough to keep fighting, and Chuck captures that too. His work is never about wallowing in the turmoil, it’s a call to arms.”

In ROGUE STATE, a crew of young vigilantes will rise against a paramilitary police state robbing Americans of their rights. The ongoing series tells the story of Vya Of Brightstars, a mysterious figure rising from the unrest, and Clara Cruz (aka Dust Girl), who becomes activated in Vya’s movement when her fiancée Taylor Sanchez is disappeared as militias take over their Mission District neighborhood. But are Vya and Dust Girl freedom fighters or terrorists? Either way, their rogue state will not just blaze a path across America, it will also inspire others to raise their own armies... some in solidarity, others in opposition.

The first issue of ROGUE STATE will be available from Black Mask Studios on November 16, with a special variant drawn by Chuck D himself available exclusively from your favorite comic book shop in extremely limited quantities.

"A genre known as 'speculative fiction.' Except that it doesn't seem as speculative anymore." -The San Francisco Chronicle

"A Politically Charged Follow-up to Calexit." -IGN

* First Look Ashcan debuting at SDCC 2022 *

RIPPED FROM TOMORROW’S HEADLINES, MATTEO PIZZOLO & C. GRANDA INTRODUCE ROGUE STATE

Announcing a Provocative, New Comic Book Series from Black Mask Studios, Premiering at Comic Con International

What if a contested Presidential election plunged America into turmoil? What if political violence consumed the streets? And what if a raging Supreme Court, in a strict interpretation of the Second Amendment, legitimized and deputized all militias—transforming the entire country into a paramilitary police state?

What if a freedom fighter emerged from the chaos, raised a civilian army, and carved out a territory across the United States–pushing out police, militias, and National Guard… enforcing its own laws… sovereign.

What if Americans refused to be governed?

This is the world of ROGUE STATE, the new ongoing graphic novel series that marks writer Matteo Pizzolo’s return to comics for his first new series since 2017’s acclaimed CALEXIT, reuniting with artist C. Granda (who illustrated 2018’s CALEXIT: SAN DIEGO comic book that raised funds for families separated at the US-Mexico border) and CALEXIT cover artists Soo Lee and Ashley A Woods. ROGUE STATE will launch this October from Black Mask Studios, the Los Angeles based indie publisher of beloved titles including BLACK, 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK, SPACE RIDERS, KIM & KIM, ALICE IN LEATHERLAND, and GODKILLER. Together, Pizzolo and Granda have created a timely title about rebelling against tyranny, reconquering stolen land, punching fascists in the face, and building a better nation.

“A big part of building authenticity and depth to the characters and the world of Rogue State comes from C. Granda’s incredible eye for detail and the way he infuses the work with his own experiences and observations,” said Matteo Pizzolo, co-founder of Black Mask Studios and the writer of ROGUE STATE. “Granda grew up in Medellín-Colombia, where he still lives and runs multiple cultural organizations devoted to supporting comic book creation in Latin America. He was a kid during the Palace of Justice siege when insurgents stormed the Supreme Court and left half the Justices dead. When Granda imagines a comic book world roiled by political violence, there’s a reason it feels so vital and lived-in.”

In ROGUE STATE, a crew of young vigilantes will rise against an authoritarian state robbing Americans of their rights. The ongoing series tells the story of Vya Of Brightstars, a mysterious freedom fighter rising from the unrest, and Clara Cruz (she/her), a young professional who becomes activated in Vya’s movement when her fiancée Taylor Sanchez (they/them) is disappeared as militias take over their Mission District neighborhood. As a nationwide police state takes shape following a contested Presidential election and The Supreme Court’s Second Amendment ruling to deputize paramilitary groups, Vya and Clara’s rogue state will blaze a path across America, inspiring others to raise their own armies… some in solidarity, others in opposition. Each issue of ROGUE STATE will also include non-fiction material about building local support networks and grassroots campaigning for coming elections.

“Confronting disinformation with political art has never been more important,” said Brian Giberson, Black Mask’s head of publishing development. “Black Mask Studios has always focused on stories that are adventurous and also have a real message driving them. Starting with OCCUPY COMICS, we published stories about inequity and the struggle for financial justice. Since then, we published stories about gentrification (THE DREGS), LGBTQIA+ self-discovery and found family (ALICE IN LEATHERLAND) and empowered Black superheroes fighting racist plutocrats (BLACK). We’ve partnered with creators to fundraise for Black Lives Matter, legal aid for families separated at the border, comic shops subjected to Covid lockdown mandates, and bail funds during the George Floyd protests. The fact that the comic market continues to support and provide a platform for such brave voices is a striking reminder that comics play a crucial and important role in our social, political, and cultural dialogue."

ROGUE STATE will hit comic shops October 2022.

After GODKILLER: SPIDERLAND #1 sold out at the distributor within 24 hours of its release, we reached out to one of our favorite artists, the incredible and diabolical Corin M Howell who delivered this smoldering take on series stars Halfpipe and Soledad. Hitting shops February 9th, just in time for your strangest Valentine's Day ever.

This NSFW cover ship in a partially blacked out polybag to protect the sweet summer children, scroll down for a look at the uncensored cover.