The penultimate chapter of the Oni Press series by Steve Rolston and myself, GHOST PROJEKT #4 has been re-scheduled for August 25th.
I'm really happy with how this book came out. The shit finally starts hitting the fan in what's one of the most violent stories I've ever written. It almost feels more like it's been orchestrated than written, honestly. Bloody paramilitary confrontation in Moscow's Red Square. Ghosts facing off with other ghosts. Hauntings. Explosions. Decapitations and multiple deaths.
Yes, yes... GHOST PROJEKT #4 did not come out this past week as originally solicited. It's coming soon, and it looks spectacular.
But that hasn't stopped #5 from being solicited. We've got a tentative street date of October 27th and the book really wraps things up nicely (at least I think/hope so!). The details:
Doctor Konstantin had a dream: to capture, contain, and weaponize the tortured souls of those he'd experimented upon in life. That dream died with the Cold War. But now, the past has been unburied. Old sins and secrets have returned from the grave. And as Konstantin makes one final attempt to fire up the dreaded Dosvidanya Projekt, Will Haley and Anya Romanova race to end this deadly cycle, once and for all!
Less than a week out. I fear the crowd and the crush of humanity, but not nearly as much as I loathe this piss-humid New York City summer. So I'm looking forward to SDCC.
If you're looking for me, come say hi:
THURSDAY, July 22st:
12:00-1:00 PM -- I'll be on the Oni Press Panel (ROOM 9) announcing a new book. Really excited about this. Here's the panel's description from the programming guide:
12:00-1:00 Oni Press Presents Panelmonium 2010-- Often imitated but never duplicated! Get up close and personal with trend-setting indie comics powerhouse Oni Press. Join in the Q&A with your favorite Oni creators, including Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun), Jarrett Williams (Super Pro K.O.), Rafael Albuquerque (Mondo Urbano), and many more! Get sneak peeks at upcoming Oni projects, news on Oni Press fan initiatives, free Oni comics, prizes, and more! Guaranteed by Oni Press's totally biased employees to be "the most fun you'll ever have at a panel." Room 9
1:20-2:20 PM -- Signing at the Oni Press booth #1833
4:00-5:00 PM -- Creepy Signing at the Dark Horse Pavilion #2615
FRIDAY, July 23nd
1:00-2:20 PM -- Signing at the Oni Press booth #1833
SATURDAY, July 24nd
11:30-1:00 PM -- Signing at the Oni Press booth #1833
SUNDAY, July 25nd
11:30-1:00 PM -- Signing at the Oni Press booth #1833
That's what I'm up to, as of now. I'll update with any changes and/or additions as we get closer.
Semantink has placed GHOST PROJEKT in very esteemed company. This is a tough business and a lot of great titles either fall through the cracks or live in a cult status they deserve better than:
GHOST PROJEKT (Oni Comics):
What's it about? Well, the official series pitch from Oni goes a little something like this:
"Russia is often remembered from the shadow cast during the Cold War-era when every stranger was a spy, but now that the Cold War is long over, some things left behind from that era may not stay lost. An abandoned Soviet research facility somewhere in Siberia has been home to a strange and dangerous weapon that is now in the hands of thieves claiming it for their own. U.S. weapons inspector Will Haley has been assigned to find out what dangers the weapon poses and with the help of Russian agent Anya Romanova they will find the answers, but it will be far from easy."
Basically think X-files in Russia.
Why should you read it? Joe Harris lays out one creepy-ass mystery and Steve Rolston makes it even better. You can see the fear in a character's eyes and feel a shiver down your spine when you catch a glimpse of a distorted footprint in the snow.
I'm honestly humbled by the caliber of books they place us alongside and hope you check some of these great comics out.
You know those comics that fly just under your radar when they're first released and then suddenly it seems like everyone's is talking about how great it is? And by the time you find out it's way too late to get copies of the whole series and you just wish someone had told you about it sooner? You know, like Chew or Stumptown or Stuff of Legend or Locke & Key or Choker or Last Days of American Crime or Forgetless?! Well, GHOST PROJEKT is one of those books... and I'm telling you to pick it up right now.
GHOST PROJEKT is an excellently creepy post-Soviet horror chronicle of two American weapons inspectors uncovering strange phenomena at an abandoned weapons facility deep in the heart of the Siberian outback. Rich with politics and unsettling arms race experiments, this book pours on cold war era paranoia and shakes plenty of 21st century WMD anxieties into a cocktail glass overflowing with the kind of supernatural strangeness you've been thirsting for. A perfect allegory for true modern terror.
If you're looking for a comic that will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next installment, this is it.
The new issue of GHOST PROJEKT is out, finally, after a slight delay at the printer. Please do check it out when you swing by the comic shop today.
There have been some digital distribution developments we'll hopefully announce soon. Though the printed comic is easily the most beautiful book I've ever been involved with.
I've been busy. Maybe you've noticed. I have, at present, five creator-owned comics projects approved and in production at various publishers. You've heard of two of them. The rest will be unveiled as the summer convention season winds on. I've also been fielding offers and exploring opportunities to do more 'company' comics work, which flatters me after not working for the big publishers like Marvel and DC Comics for so long while off chasing "Crappy Horror Remake X" and "Shitty Splatter Sequel Y" in hopes of finding elusive creative satisfaction that matched the seductive money working as a writer in Hollywood can bring. I'll be revealing what these particular plans are as they solidify. But, for now, an update:
GHOST PROJEKT proceeds. Issue #2 comes out next week (May 5th) after being held back a couple of weeks to let retailers sell through copies of the first book. The response has been tremendously gratifying and artist Steve Rolston and I are confident the book really picks up steam with the next issue. Anyone who thinks they know what's going on with the 'Dosvidanya Projekt' is in for a few massive surprises. (ONI PRESS)
THE HASHISHIAN graphic novel is moving along. We'd all hoped to have this done and out sooner, but you can't rush greatness. Or, at least, you want to let your plants mature into big, sticky buds so they can be dried and cleaned and entered into the Cannabis Cup contention and-- well, anyway. The book is gorgeous and should re-establish former Bat-books mainstay artist Trevor McCarthy as a comics talent to be reckoned with. I've long maintained that the stoner crowd is woefully under-served in the comics industry. THE HASHISHIAN is going to change that. (ONI PRESS)
ETHAN VAN SCIVER and I have created a batshit crazy horror title for WildStorm that makes me feel dirty with each page I write. The best words I can use to describe it are 'irreverent' and 'audacious'... I think it's going to be really fucking great too. Keep an eye on WildStorm as the Summer Cons pick up. Cannot wait to talk more about B*********D!
My old creative partner and eternal friend, ADAM POLLINA and I have a young adult fantasy graphic novel in the works from Oni Press. It's something we've been sitting on for over a decade and it took us both being out of the comics mainstream for a bit, not to mention a great relationship with the Oni gang, to finally make this book a reality. Like me, Adam had left mainstream comics to pursue other things. He returned last year to do Marvel's ANGEL series and show everyone how much he's grown and where the crazy hell he's taken his talent. Well, you haven't seen anything yet. Oh man...
I'm also working on a new title with artist BRETT WELDELE. It's a supernatural thriller, my Oni Press followup in the genre to GHOST PROJEKT, that takes place in small town America and concerns a peculiar and fabled affliction with a Hitchcockian name. Sorry to be vague. All will be revealed in short order...
Finally, I'm looking to direct a new short horror film... my first since WITCHWISE was completed back in 2006. I've learned a lot about myself as a storyteller and a movie maker and am looking forward to getting back behind a camera. The film takes everything I love about classic 'car horror' like RIchard Matheson's DUEL, Stephen King's MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE and John Carpenter's adaptation of CHRISTINE and turns it on its head.
That's my story, for Spring/Summer 2010. If we cross paths at one convention or another, be gentle with me. I'm not seeing much daylight these days... but I will drink your liquor (or share your other stuff), if offered!
The solicits for GHOST PROJEKT #4 are out. Make sure you get your orders in to your local comics retailer. Numbers have been steady on this series, which is very good. If you love me, you'll help us keep it this way!
Seriously, look at this badass Steve Rolston cover. I have been waiting to tell this story for almost a decade, and could you blame me?
Item# MAY101085
(W) Joe Harris
(A) Steve Rolston, Dean Trippe
(C) Steve Rolston
After the startling events of last issue, the Dark Rider is unleashed on an unsuspecting and unprepared Moscow! But who, or what, is this mysterious and violent force? Will and Anya must find out before it's too late for not just them, but the entirety of Eastern Europe!
A new interview I did with with Broken Frontier was posted online a few days back. We talk GHOST PROJEKT and other comics of mine, my movie career and a love of 80s horror... some of my favorite topics!
Host Blair Butler loved the book, the Steve and Dean synthesis of of art and color and the killer concept movie studios will hopefully fight to the death over... but, hmm... what's missing?
I'm going to be a guest of the Emerald City Comic Con this weekend (March 13-14) in Seattle, WA. Never been to ECCC, Seattle or the state of Washington before so this should be fun.
Steve Rolston and I are going to be, more or less, parked at the Oni Press booth (#406 on the ECCC floor plan) promoting the debut issue of GHOST PROJEKT #1 this week. We'll also be part of a special 'Q&A' session at the Oni Press Panel on Saturday at 4:00 PM (Room A).
You may not have heard this through about every means possible, but artist Steve Rolston and I have a new book out today. GHOST PROJEKT #1: "Cold Warriors" is gorgeous and we're all very proud of the work and we really hope you check it out.
Written by Joe Harris (Nightmare Factory, Creepy, Darkness Falls, The Tripper), illustrated by Steve Rolston, coloured by Dean Trippe and published by Oni Press.
Fans of the hit series Queen & Country may rejoice now that Oni Press is once again trodding down the road of action-espionage with their new supernatural spy story, Ghost Projekt.
Russia is often remembered from the shadow cast during the Cold War-era when every stranger was a spy, but now that the Cold War is long over, some things left behind from that era may not stay lost. An abandoned Soviet research facility somewhere in Siberia has been home to a strange and dangerous weapon that is now in the hands of thieves claiming it for their own. U.S. weapons inspector Will Haley has been assigned to find out what dangers the weapon poses, and with the help of Russian agent Anya Romanova, they will find the answers but it will be far from easy.
It's the first of many creator-owned comics titles I'll be launching this year (look for more announcements as we snake through the summer convention season).
I recorded a podcast interview with iFanboy over the weekend talking GHOST PROJEKT #1, Steve Rolston's singular genius, how I broke into writing comics at Marvel and more.
Looks like the solicitations have leaked early. Coming in tomorrow's Previews Catalog from Diamond, things start heating up on the horror front...
GHOST PROJEKT Book Three (of Five)
"Dark Riders"
(W) Joe Harris (A) Steve Rolston
On Sale May 19, 2010
Diamond Code # MAR101105
Will and Anya race to stop a black market weapons deal only to discover that Will's American superiors may know more than they've let on. But all that might not matter once the supernatural weapon they've been chasing -- the mysterious "Dosvidanya Projekt" -- is unleashed in the heart of Moscow's Red Square!
Casey at A Comic Book Orange sent me a link to her advance review of GHOST PROJEKT #1.
"In Ghost Projekt by Joe Harris and Steve Rolston the ghosts of Cold War experiments literally haunt the present... the mystery is intriguing and the art great. It gets 3.5 Oranges (out of 5)."
The various comics sites are running our just released free 13 page preview of GHOST PROJEKT #1 and since I can't choose which one to link to, I'm just going to paste them all here... the rest continues after the break.
Note: GHOST PROJEKT #1 will be on sale March 10th, not March 3rd as previously listed.
GHOST PROJEKT #1
Written by Joe Harris, Art by Steve Rolston, Colors by Dean Trippe.
Russia is often remembered from the shadow cast during the Cold War-era when every stranger was a spy, but now that the Cold War is long over, some things left behind from that era may not stay lost. An abandoned Soviet research facility somewhere in Siberia has been home to a strange and dangerous weapon that is now in the hands of thieves claiming it for their own. U.S. weapons inspector Will Haley has been assigned to find out what dangers the weapon poses and with the help of Russian agent Anya Romanova they will find the answers, but it will be far from easy.
The solicits are out for the second issue of GHOST PROJEKT. The book will be released by Oni Press on April 21st. If you're headed to the comic shop, please let your retailer know you want to order a copy:
Diamond Order# FEB101047
(W) Joe Harris
(A) Steve Rolston
As U.S. Weapons Inspector Will Haley and his Russian counterpart Anya Romanova begin to uncover the truth behind the mysterious military project known only as 'Dosvidanya,' those most closely associated with the program keep turning up dead. Can this pair of sleuths get past their cultural differences before the body count rises even further, or is this just a prelude to the nightmare the Soviets planned for their enemies?
Part Two of my interview with Bloody Disgusting has been posted. Many more GHOST PROJEKT details dropped including character stuff, story elements and influences. Any chance in which I get to profess my old school fondness for Brian Lumley's legendary NECROSCOPE novels, I am happy.
Fans of the hit series Queen & Country may rejoice now that Oni Press is once again trodding down the road of action-espionage with their new supernatural spy story, Ghost Projekt.
Russia is often remembered from the shadow cast during the Cold War-era when every stranger was a spy, but now that the Cold War is long over, some things left behind from that era may not stay lost. An abandoned Soviet research facility somewhere in Siberia has been home to a strange and dangerous weapon that is now in the hands of thieves claiming it for their own. U.S. weapons inspector Will Haley has been assigned to find out what dangers the weapon poses, and with the help of Russian agent Anya Romanova, they will find the answers but it will be far from easy.
Readers of Queen & Country will feel at home with illustrations by Steve Rolston, but writer Joe Harris, a contributor to several Batman and X-Men titles, is the new addition to the Oni Press stable. Oni Press is usually known for its original graphic novels but 2010 may just be the year of great comic books from a company already known for its diverse, award-winning titles.
See PREVIEWS page 279.
(W) Joe Harris (A) Steve Rolston
U.S. Weapons Inspector Will Haley has seen his share of scary stuff. When your job routinely involves donning a hazmat suit, grabbing your Geiger counter and jetting into sometimes-hostile territory, "scary" feels almost normal. But when the alarm sounds at an abandoned Soviet facility, Haley, along with Russian "operativnik" Anya Romanova, must track a stolen weapon unlike any they've encountered before. What is the "Dosvidanya" project... and are they too late to stop it?
Diamond Comics Order #JAN101074
I'm going to be updating the site as called for as we get closer to launch with news of promotions, convention appearances and previews. Steve Rolston is knocking himself out getting this book looking as good as it does, and colorist Dean Trippe is helping make this a nice followup to Oni's recent color series successes, RESURRECTION and STUMPTOWN.
Please let your retailer know to order you a copy!
***REVISED
Check out these special preview images by Steve Rolston and Dean Trippe!
I haven't been updating this site much lately but thought I'd check in and let everyone know that GHOST PROJEKT -- my first creator-owned title, co-created with Steve Rolston, is on track for a March 2010 release from Oni Press.
Steve just sent in the art for issue #3 and it's family fare like this that warms the cockles of my horror-loving heart:
In truth, we slaughter a whole bunch of Russians in this book (apologies to my Russian friends -- these were the bad sort we were after, not you).
It's my first title with the company, but not my last. THE HASHISHIAN is due to come out at some point later that year (we hope?).
We announced my first two creator-owned comics titles at the San Diego Comic-con's Oni Press panel this past weekend. Newsarama has the details, but I wanted to elaborate a bit.
I've had a journey, from Marvel mainstay on both Spidey and X-books (if you remember these, wonderful, but I can't bring myself to flashback in this post), to horror movie Hollywood and back again. Oni seems to get what I'm about and what I'm trying to do. I've been blessed to have two incredibly talented co-conspirators and am ecstatic to bring my first original comics to the fore.
First up for me is GHOST PROJEKT (illustrated by Steve Rolston).
The story takes place in the former Soviet Union and revolves around the idea that during the Cold War, the Soviets experimented with all sorts of weapons of mass destruction, including the supernatural.
An American weapons inspector discovers a project that involved the Soviets trying to weaponize ghosts that "went horribly wrong," Harris said. It's due in late 2009 or early 2010.
The series will mark Steve's first color work for Oni and is going to be a tense, action-packed thriller with some very creepy moments of horror. I'm writing it now and can't wait to get this out.
The second title we announced is THE HASHISHIAN, an original graphic novel with former DC and Bat-books artist, Trevor McCarthy.
Harris said the name comes from a sect of assassins during the Crusades who were sent out to perform assassinations "drugged out of their minds," Harris said.
"But that's not exactly what our story is about," he added. It's about two Brooklyn stoners who find a magical stash of marijuana, and when they smoke it, "they have flashbacks to the 12th century where these characters were alive and well and doing their duty," he said. The owner of the pot, one of these 12th century assassins, shows up and hunts them down to reclaim his pot - later they learn he's there to assassinate the president.
I love stoner buddy movies in the Cheech and Chong tradition. I look forward to Pineapple Express like few others. But I've never seen anyone do with the genre what we're trying to pull off here. I've been describing this as a sort of "Harold & Kumar meets The Bourne Identity" with a serious action/adventure bent and some subversive politics thrown in for good measure to go along with the drug comedy.
I've had the idea for THE HASHISHIAN percolating in the back of my head for a very long time and I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be telling this story.
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