Visions of 2012: Zombies vs Robots

So I know there’s a good prose anthology on the way–lots of plans in that regard, and the chapter illos for those stories look phenomenal. I’ll post all that soon and talk it up as the eBook shorts go live, which is happening soon–but there’s also to-do going on with the comics. One bit of news, I have to keep secret for now, but I can announce here that in May, I’ll be handing off comic stories to different writers for the first time.

In May, we’re doing the first-ever ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS ANNUAL, and bringing in some big guns for this one.

First, I’m happy as hell that Ashley Wood is back on-board for interiors: he and I will be doing a new 14-page story. But there are other people I’m really happy to have alongside us.

I resisted the idea of handing off ZvR comic stories to anyone else for a long time, but these cats are some people I really love, and more and more, I’m drawn by the idea of seeing what other people do with the goofy premise.

With the first ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS ANNUAL, I set up an anthology-like premise of “Seasons of War.” Each of the four creative teams will be doing a different season over the course of the book. Those teams are:

Daniel Wilson and Sam Kieth: Spring

Kevin Grevioux and Drew Moss: Summer

Rio Youers and Andy Kuhn: Fall

Me-n-Ash: Winter

Daniel’s the author of one of my favorite recent novels, ROBOPOCALYPSE (likely to be a major motion picture before ZvR, but I’m hoping it’s a neck and neck race) and I’ve wanted to have him do comics, or anything, with us for a while. Sam is also a perfect fit for this property, and I’m hoping this is just the start of him proving that fact.

Rio’s a helluva prose writer as well (I’m currently loving his DARK DREAMS, PALE HORSES collection, but he also had a very fun story alongside mine in the CLASSICS MUTILATED book we put out last year). He and Andy Kuhn, who I’ve wanted to get onto a ZvR project for a while, are a great fit.

Kevin is, of course, the brains behind UNDERWORLD and other thrilling comics, and he’s paired with Drew Ford, a really exciting new artist who has a pin-up in my INFESTATION 2 TEAM-UP issue out on Feb. 29, among other things.

And having the band back together with Ash back for a story is thrilling as can be, too (he and I will also have a new 4-page story in April’s HERO INITIATIVE comic. That one pays obvious tribute to a cartoonist I have adored since childhood).