So in our efforts to keep up with the latest trends, we’re launching 12 Reasons To Die with like a gazillion different covers. It started off with just a little bit too much enthusiasm about all the awesome artists who wanted to contribute to the book and the unexpected outpouring of support from comics retailers… and then, well, it got a little hectic.

To begin with… there’s the basic covers. Yup, even the basic comic comes in two flavors.

Cover “A” is by the incredible Christopher Mitten (30 Days of Night, Wasteland), portraying the horror side of our horror-gangster saga.

12 Reasons To Die #1 cover A by Chris Mitten

Cover “B” is by the magnificent Ronald Wimberly (Prince of Cats), taking on the gangster side of the story.

12 Reasons To Die #1 cover B by Ronald Wimberly

So then we got invited to participate in this rad secret cover thing called The Ghost Variant. It’s like the Skull & Bones for comics… you get tapped on the shoulder and somebody whispers in your ear (you can be in our secret club). Who doesn’t want to be in a secret club?? And it’s called The Ghost Variant, fer chrissakes! So we recruited the fantastic Jason Jågel (MF Doom artist) for a secret, limited edition cover.

The Ghost Variant is available in limited quantities at these fine establishments:
A Little Shop of Comics (Scotch Plains NJ)
Alternate Reality Comics (Las Vegas NV)
Another Dimension (Calgary – Canada)
Austin Books & Comics (Austin TX)
Beach Ball Comics (Anaheim CA)
Brave New Worlds (Willow Grove PA, Philadelphia PA)
Bridge City Comics (Portland OR)
Bunjee’s Comics (McDonough GA)
Casablanca Comics (Portland ME, Windham ME)
Chapel Hill Comics (Chapel Hill NC)
Chicago Comics (Chicago IL)
Comic Oasis (Las Vegas NV)
Comicopia (Boston MA)
CornerStoreComics (Anaheim CA)
Earth-2 Comics (Sherman Oaks CA, Northridge CA)
Fantasy Books (Belleville IL, Fairview Heights IL)
Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff (Concord CA)
Heroic Adventures (Edwardsville IL)
Keith’s Comics (Garland TX, Dallas TX)
Laughing Ogre Comics (Columbus OH, Fairfax VA, Lansdowne VA)
Local Heroes (Norfolk, VA 23517)
Main Street Comics (Middletown NY)
More Fun Comics (Denton TX, Lancaster TX)
Secret Headquarters (LA CA)
Southern Fried Comics (Hattiesburg MS)
Speeding Bullet Comics (Norman OK)
Star Clipper (St. Louis MO)
Strange Adventures Comix & Curiosities (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia – Canada)
TATE’S Comics (Lauderhill FL)

12 Reasons To Die #1 Ghost Variant by Jason Jågel

Ok, so now at this point we’re kinda high on how much fun it is to do covers. See, making a comic is actually a pain in the ass. It’s awesome, but it’s a lot of work. With covers, you just dream up your favorite artist and ask them to do something awesome and they do something awesome and you’re like woah. It’s the coolest thing ever.

So we decided to tap into 12 Reasons’ influences with a mockup cover of Suspiria. Because c’mon that’s cool as hell, and Shaky Kane totally killed it.

We released a limited set of 100 signed & numbered at C2E2. The remaining copies will be available exclusively at our webstore www.blackmaskstore.com

12 Reasons To Die #1 Suspiria Variant by Shaky Kane

Then things got a little crazy. See, we were talking to comic shops about how we can help them reach out to new audiences and there was this idea that we should do a special edition Tour Variant that would only be available at stores along the tour route, so we partnered with a store in each tour market to promote the book to concert-goers. And then somehow that warped into each store getting its own logo on the cover… and 10 stores joined up for the project. So… I mean, it’s really just 1 cover… but technically it’s 10 different covers! Oy vey!

The Tour Variant covers are available exclusively at:
Austin Books & Comics (Austin TX)
Brave New Worlds Comics (Philadelphia PA)
Casablanca Comics (Portland ME)
Chapel Hill Comics (Chapel Hill NC)
Forbidden Planet – UK (London England UK)
Graham Crackers Comics (Chicago IL)
Heroes Haven Comics (Tampa FL)
Jim Hanley’s Universe (NY NY)
Newbury Comics (Portland ME, Boston MA, Providence RI, New Haven)
Third Eye Comics (Annapolis MD)

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Austin Books & Comics

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Brave New Worlds Comics

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Casablanca Comics

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Chapel Hill Comics

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Forbidden Planet UK

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Graham Crackers Comics

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Heroes Haven

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Jim Hanley’s Universe

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Newbury Comics

12 Reasons To Die #1 Tour Variant – Third Eye Comics

Whew!

By now you realize that we just don’t know when to leave well enough alone… and we felt that we just weren’t doing enough for the awesome comic shops supporting us–so we created another secret cover: The Ticket Variant.

The Ticket Variant is the rarest of the rare. Limited to 150, available only in stores participating in the Tour Variant, the Ticket Variant is autographed by Ghostface Killah and gets its owner onto the guest list for the local concert.

12 Reasons To Die #1 ultra-rare ticket variant

So there you have it. A fuckload of covers for a fucking awesome book. We can’t bring back ravers with pacifiers (believe me, we’ve tried), but we’re doing our part to bring back the 90s.

Stay tuned for our next release Occupy Comics #1 (street date May 22) which will have… just one cover!

Black Mask Spring 2013 Slate:

cover by Mike Allred

OCCUPY COMICS ANTHOLOGY
Download larger image here (print-resolution available on request)

Occupy Comics #1 (of 3)
Street Date: May 22, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Matt Pizzolo, organizational spearhead.
40 pages
Diamond Order Codes:
#1 MAR130907
#2 APR130920

Synopsis: This star-studded political anthology features Alan Moore (Watchmen, V For Vendetta), David Lloyd (V For Vendetta, Aces Weekly), Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Art Spiegelman (Pulitzer-winning Maus), Molly Crabapple (Shell Game), Matt Bors (Pulitzer-nominated political cartoonist), Mike Allred (Madman), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League, Spider-Man), Tyler Crook (Petrograd), Joshua Hale Fialkov (I, Vampire), Joe Infurnari (Mush!), Ales Kot (Wild Children), Dean Haspiel (American Splendor), Douglas Rushkoff (media theorist), Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier, Swamp Thing), Matt Miner (Liberator), & the project’s organizational spearhead Matt Pizzolo (Godkiller).

*All revenue received by creators (past hard costs) will be donated to various Occupy-related initiatives.*

Think Occupy is dead? Matt Miner (Liberator) has contributed a riveting new piece about how Occupy Sandy rescued his Rockaway, NY community after Hurricane Sandy.

cover by Christopher Mitten

12 REASONS TO DIE
Download larger image here (print-resolution available on request)

12 Reasons To Die #1 (of 6)
Street Date: May 8, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Ghostface Killah, Adrian Younge
Producer: The RZA
32 pages
Diamond Order Code:
#1 MAR130906
#2 APR130921

Synopsis: This horror-crime hybrid is the latest comic book from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Ghostface Killah.

A brutal tale of gangsters, betrayal, and one vengeful soul hunting the 12 most powerful crimelords in the world.

It is illustrated by a rotating team of artists starting with Riley Rossmo (Bedlam), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Joe Infurnari (Mush!), Kyle Strahm (Haunt), Gus Storms & Breno Tamura (Pigs), and more to be announced; written by Matthew Rosenberg & Patrick Kindlon (MENU).

Covers by Paolo Rivera (Daredevil), Ramon Perez (Tale of Sand, Wolverine & The X-Men), Ronald Wimberly (Prince of Cats), Garry Brown (The Massive), and Christopher Mitten (30 Days of Night).

*12 Reasons To Die is a multi-platform, transmedia concept project with a storyline that spans from the comic book to the new Ghostface Killah album released simultaneously by RZA’s Soul Temple Records.*

cover by Darick Robertson

BALLISTIC
Download larger image here (print-resolution available on request)

Ballistic #1 (of 5)
Street Date: June 26, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Adam Egypt Mortimer, Darick Robertson
32 pages
Diamond Order Code:
#1 APR130918

Synopsis: Welcome to Repo City State, where everyone’s an asshole… even the air conditioners.

Darick Robertson (Happy, The Boys, Transmetropolitan) and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s (director of Grant Morrison’s upcoming Sinatoro) madcap, psychedelic, transreal, utterly-wacko buddy adventure about Butch and his best friend Gun, a drug-addicted, genetically-modified, foul-mouthed firearm, as they attempt to elevate Butch from air conditioner repairman to master criminal in the twisted, post-eco-apocalyptic Repo City State, a reclaimed trash island built entirely from DNA-based, living technology with bad attitudes.

Ballistic marks Darick Robertson’s return to the hard sci-fi worldbuilding of his classic Transmetropolitan but mixed with The Boys’ ultra-violence and the lunacy of Happy. Mortimer’s mix of speculative science, pulpy noire, and drug-addled adventure cooks up a strange brew of Lethal Weapon by way of Cronenberg meets Dr. Who if written by Odd Future.

cover by Tim Seeley

LIBERATOR
Download larger image here (print-resolution available on request)

Liberator #1 (of 4)
Street Date: June 19, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Matt Miner
32 pages
Diamond Order Code:
#1 APR130919

Synopsis:A hard-edged vigilante series about two young heroes who avenge the torture of animals, created by writer and real-life dog rescuer Matt Miner (Occupy Comics).

Covers by Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Yildiray Cinar (Earth 2), and Joe Prado (Aquaman, Justice League).

“Unlike any comic book project to date, Miner delivers a message about the world of animal abuse from the point-of-view of someone with expert knowledge on the matter, while blending it with a gritty protagonist in the vein of Batman or The Punisher.” – ComicBooked

“A really cool, progressive story about young outcast crusaders.”
-Scott Snyder (Batman, American Vampire, Superman Unchained)

*30% of Liberator profits will go to animal rescue initiatives.*

Brett Gurewitz

Black Mask will differentiate itself based on its respective founders’ decades-long commitments to championing creator’s rights across media from comics to film to music.

As Pizzolo explains, “Groundbreaking art thrives when the relationship between artist and label is built on integrity, respect, and a team effort. Comics has a troubled history with its treatment of creators, our goal is to bring the supportive ethic of record labels like Epitaph, Dischord, and Revelation to comics.”

“From Bad Religion’s first DIY efforts to the artist-first mandate of Epitaph and ANTI- Records, creator’s rights have always been central in all I’ve done,” adds Gurewitz. “That’s the way you make things happen. By inspiring; never meddling. Art has the power to move people and transgressive art can challenge and even change norms. It’s what punk and comics have in common and one of the reasons I’m super excited about Black Mask Studios.”

Matt Pizzolo

“Brett, Matt, and I all came up in the DiY punk scene,” furthers Niles. “And we’re bringing that kind of attitude to this… the constructive part about supporting voices who are talking about real things but in a bold and exciting way. We’re not afraid to bring in activism and politics and counterculture. What publisher today could be bringing out the next V For Vendetta? Nobody.”

While Black Mask Studios’ initial titles will be released to comic book stores through Diamond Comics starting in May, the comics are already available for pre-order in the Black Mask webstore as physical-digital hybrid bundles. The comics won’t be delivered until their retail street date, but digital subscribers will instantly receive a digital “comics mixtape” as well as a limited edition t-shirt. You can find the Black Mask webstore by going to: http://kingsroadmerch.com/black-mask-studios

“We experimented with the direct-to-fan digital-physical-hybrid subscription model for Godkiller at Halo-8,” explains Pizzolo. “Basically you get the digital issues every month and then the collected trade paperback when it’s all done. The audience loved it and we think it’s a great way to reach new audiences with Black Mask.”

Steve Niles

“There’s a gap right now, creators are either working under very strict regimes on legacy characters or they’re essentially self-publishing at places where creator-owned means the creators are on their own,” said Niles. “At Black Mask we want to be there to lend support when a creator needs it, and other than that we want to cheer them on and champion their work.”

cover by Mike Allred

OCCUPY COMICS ANTHOLOGY

Occupy Comics #1 (of 3)
Street Date: May 22, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Matt Pizzolo, organizational spearhead.
40 pages
Diamond Order Code:
#1 MAR130907
#2 APR130920

Synopsis: This star-studded political anthology features Alan Moore (Watchmen, V For Vendetta), David Lloyd (V For Vendetta, Aces Weekly), Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Art Spiegelman (Pulitzer-winning Maus), Molly Crabapple (Shell Game), Matt Bors (Pulitzer-nominated political cartoonist), Mike Allred (Madman), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League, Spider-Man), Tyler Crook (Petrograd), Joshua Hale Fialkov (I, Vampire), Joe Infurnari (Mush!), Ales Kot (Wild Children), Dean Haspiel (American Splendor), Douglas Rushkoff (media theorist), Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier, Swamp Thing), Matt Miner (Liberator), & the project’s organizational spearhead Matt Pizzolo (Godkiller).

*All revenue received by organizers/creators (past hard costs) will be donated to various Occupy-related initiatives.*

Think Occupy is dead? Matt Miner (Liberator) has contributed a riveting new piece about how Occupy Sandy rescued his Rockaway, NY community after Hurricane Sandy.

Occupy Comics #1 cover by Mike Allred

cover by Christopher Mitten

12 REASONS TO DIE

12 Reasons To Die #1 (of 6)
Street Date: May 8, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Ghostface Killah, Adrian Younge
Producer: The RZA
32 pages
Diamond Order Code:
#1 MAR130906
#2 APR130921

Synopsis: This horror-crime hybrid is the latest comic book from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Ghostface Killah.

A brutal tale of gangsters, betrayal, and one vengeful soul hunting the 12 most powerful crimelords in the world.

Check out the sneak peek image gallery at XXL Magazine here.

It is illustrated by a rotating team of cover & interior artists including Tim Seeley (Revival, Hack/Slash), Paolo Rivera (Daredevil), Francesco Francavilla (Black Beetle, Detective Comics), Ramon Perez (Tale of Sand), Ben Templesmith (30 Days Of Night), Riley Rossmo (Bedlam), Garry Brown (The Massive), Jim Mahfood (Tank Girl), Kyle Strahm (Haunt), Toby Cypress (Blue Estate), Tyler Crook (B.P.R.D.), Joe Infurnari (Mush!), Breno Tamura (Pigs), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), Gus Storms (Space Creep), Chris Mitten (30 Days of Night), and Ron Wimberly (Prince of Cats); written by Matthew Rosenberg & Patrick Kindlon (Menu).

*12 Reasons To Die is a multi-platform, transmedia concept project with a storyline that spans from the comic book to the new Ghostface Killah album released simultaneously by RZA’s Soul Temple Records.*

Comic book teaser video:

Jimmy Fallon calls it a “cool comic” and zooms in on the cover for 1.7 million viewers:

12 Reasons To Die #1 cover by Christopher Mitten

12 Reasons To Die #1 cover by Ronald Wimberly

cover by Tim Seeley

LIBERATOR
Liberator #1 (of 4)
Street Date: June 19, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Matt Miner
32 pages
Diamond Order Code:
#1 APR130919

Synopsis:A hard-edged vigilante series about two young heroes who avenge the torture of animals, created by writer and real-life dog rescuer Matt Miner (Occupy Comics).

Covers by Chris Burnham (Batman Incorporated), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Yildiray Cinar (Earth 2), and Joe Prado (Aquaman, Justice League).

“Unlike any comic book project to date, Miner delivers a message about the world of animal abuse from the point-of-view of someone with expert knowledge on the matter, while blending it with a gritty protagonist in the vein of Batman or The Punisher.” – ComicBooked

“A really cool, progressive story about young outcast crusaders.”
-Scott Snyder (Batman, American Vampire, Superman Unchained)

*30% of Liberator profits will go to animal rescue initiatives.*

Liberator #1 cover by Tim Seeley

cover by Darick Robertson

BALLISTIC

Ballistic #1 (of 5)
Street Date: June 26, 2013
Cover price: $3.50
Creator: Adam Egypt Mortimer, Darick Robertson
32 pages
Diamond Order Code:
#1 APR130918

Synopsis: Welcome to Repo City State, where everyone’s an asshole… even the air conditioners.

Darick Robertson (Happy, The Boys, Transmetropolitan) and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s (director of Grant Morrison’s upcoming Sinatoro) madcap, psychedelic, transreal, utterly-wacko buddy adventure about Butch and his best friend Gun, a drug-addicted, genetically-modified, foul-mouthed firearm, as they attempt to elevate Butch from air conditioner repairman to master criminal in the twisted, post-eco-apocalyptic Repo City State, a reclaimed trash island built entirely from DNA-based, living technology with bad attitudes.

Ballistic marks Darick Robertson’s return to the hard sci-fi worldbuilding of his classic Transmetropolitan but mixed with The Boys’ ultra-violence and the lunacy of Happy. Mortimer’s mix of speculative science, pulpy noire, and drug-addled adventure cooks up a strange brew of Lethal Weapon by way of Cronenberg meets Dr. Who if written by Odd Future.

Ballistic #1 cover by Darick Robertson