The End of an Era
ZCN RIP
Today, the end of an era! ZDARSKY COMIC NEWS wraps up its run with issue eighteen. Eighteen! I did this dumb thing for eighteen issues! Is there some kind of award for this? Yes, there is, but Heidi MacDonald stole won it.
I loved making this thing, but, alas, every issue demanded more and more time as I ran out of jokes that wouldn’t get me fired from the industry. I’m proud of ZCN and am incredibly happy I got to dump a bunch of jokes into comic shops for a year and a half, hopefully helping them sell some comics along the way.
I’ll miss making the infographics and features, but what I’ll miss most of all are the creator interviews. Tricking people in the industry into talking with me, creating the public-facing illusion of “friendship,” was a true highlight. Do you think the likes of BKV or Gail Simone or James Tynion IV would ever talk to me unless they could promote their books?! Ryan Stegman would, but that’s not saying much.
Is this truly the end of ZDARSKY COMIC NEWS? Yes! But also, no! There’s still this newsletter, which features me, Chip Zdarsky, who has news, about comics, so I’m sure you’ll be seeing more fun bits here.
My deepest thanks to everyone who helped me put this out. It started as a solo operation, but quickly grew to involve the comics community. Thank you to James Tynion IV, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Eve Ewing, Gail Simone, David Brothers, Christopher Woodrow-Butcher, Deb Aoki, Scott Snyder, Jason Aaron, Sanford Greene, Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard, Deniz Camp, Joe Kelly, Cody Ziglar, Vita Ayala, Marguerite Bennett, Jeff Lemire, Ryan North, Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Jason Howard, Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Jim Zub, Tini Howard, Jason Loo, Nick Dragotta, Brian K. Vaughan and Charles Soule for allowing me to ask you stupid questions and displaying the results to our smart readers.
Thank you to Ryan Stegman for taking over an issue and then immediately falling apart like a toddler being asked to bake a perfect wedding cake or your parents will split up. You’re a goddamn disgrace and incredibly lucky I’m always there to bail your weak ass out.
Thank you to Steve Anderson, comic book retail mogul, for saying to me “what about a price guide” and then delivering his amazing Hot Comics list every issue. There were no prices in our ZCN list, but there was definitely a lot of love for books exploding from your infectious personality.
Thank you to Atom, Megan and Gabe of Prana for coming in with issue eight and helping me out with advertising and distribution when I finally got in over my head. You saved me countless headaches and I’ll be forever grateful. Good luck with Comics! The Magazine. I’m pulling for you.
And, of course, thank you to me, Chip Zdarsky. Chip, you’re so fucking cool and handsome and talented. How do you do it? Cocaine? Don’t mind if I do!
Okay! Now for what’s next!
I’m writing a story in this year’s FCBD Comics Giveaway Day issue that Marvel is putting out! It’s going to be really cool and will set the stage for AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON this summer!
And we have an amazing cover from … ah, fuck. Ryan Stegman.
Love how Ryan decided to make Spider-Man an absolute coward Like, just fuckin’ hightailing it out of there. #StegmanHatesSpidey
Also! I forget if I’ve mentioned this here yet, but Walt’s Comic Shop is doing a special limited edition of the BATMAN OMNIBUS, using Jorge’s amazing cover image from BATMAN #125! Each one comes with a signed bookplate from yours truly, so you should go for it! Treat yourself!!
And finally, I did a proper interview with Sal at ComicPop! We get into a bunch of stuff here. Talkin’ Cap, talking Marvel/DC, talkin’ shit, it’s a good one!
For my dear paid subscribers, one last time, the PDF of ZCN #18 is below. For the rest of you, I can only imagine that times are incredibly tough and that’s why you’re not a paid subscriber. I’m praying for you. Be well.
Love,
Chip
UPCOMING BOOKS
ZDARSKY COMIC NEWS #18 — Dec 17
THE WILL OF DOOM #1 — Dec 24
WHITE HOUSE ROBOT ROMANCE #3 — Jan 10
CAPTAIN AMERICA #6 — Jan 21
WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #1 — Feb 18
CAPTAIN AMERICA #7 — Feb 18
CAPTAIN AMERICA #8 — March 4
WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #2 — Feb 25
WHITE HOUSE ROBOT ROMANCE HC — April 21
BATMAN BY CHIP ZDARSKY VOL 1 — April 28
BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS OMNIBUS VOL 1 — May 26
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990) SCREENING! — Jan 24