Jason Ciaramella

When you’re best bud and your girlfriend have to remind you that your blog is getting old and stale, well… it’s time to freshen things up. Happy spring, by the way. Since my last post the hardcover collection of THE CAPE 1969 came out, and I got green lit on three new projects. Damn proud of that hardcover, and psyched as all hell about 2013. Here’s the first two projects:

THUMBPRINT 3-issue miniseries with Joe Hill and Vic Malhotra

TMNT MICROSERIES: OLD HOB with Dave Watcher

Both are out in June. Got an ongoing gig that launches in September that I should be able to talk about soon. Imagine if you played a shit-ton of Monopoly and loved it so much you could cry and then the folks at Hasbro were like, “Hey, you wanna write some Monopoly stories?” It’s kind of like that but actually cool and when I heard the news I ran to the bathroom and kissed my reflection in the mirror. No, I didn’t use my tongue. Jeeze, people. Also, a few surprise releases mid to late summer that should make for some swell beach reading if you’re a sicko.

Till next time. (Hopefully not 5 months from now.)

Jason

Did I use “Burn Baby Burn” when issue 3 came out? I might have. There’s a lot of shit on fire in the last two issues.

THE CAPE 1969 #4 hits shelves today. Nelson Daniel has crafted a red-hot, bloody finale for this miniseries, and I couldn’t be happier with it. There are a few pages in this book that fans of the original CAPE miniseries will instantly recognize.

Don’t forget, you can get only get the Jetpack Comics exclusives of all 4 issues of THE CAPE 1969 here: http://www.jetpackcomics.com/jetpackvariants.html

They all look amazing, and the quality is superb.

I’ve got great news about 3 new projects I’ll be working on in 2013, and as soon as I get the green light from my editors I’ll be sure to detail them here. I can say that one is an ongoing series, one is a one-shot, and one is a miniseries. All fun stuff, in three completely separate genres to keep me on my toes.

That’s all for now. I hope everyone is enjoying the new season, reading plenty of comics, and watching as many horror movies as you can.

Thanks for reading!

So, not to be outdone by Joe Hill’s list of his 50 favorite books (I’d link to it but the web gremlins have sabotaged his site), I have compiled a list of my 55 favorite comics. It’s a mix of individual issues, collections, and original graphic novels, and was surprisingly easy to put together. In no particular order:

1. Batman – The Long Halloween
2. Terry Moore’s Echo
3. Brian K Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man
4. Uncanny X-Men – The Mutant Massacre
5. Amazing Spider-Man #281
6. Captain America Annual  #8
7. Hellboy – Seeds of Destruction
8. Batman – Year One
9. Spider-Man – Kraven’s Last Hunt
10. Creepy Things #4
11. Earth One – Superman
12. Joe Hill’s Locke & Key
13. Daredevil – Yellow
14. Sandman #19
15. Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men
16. Daytrippers
17. Batman – Court of Owls
18. Jason Aaron’s Scalped
19. Superman For All Seasons
20. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 24-26
21. Mark Waid’s Daredevil
22. Brian K Vaughan’s Ex Machina
23. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol 1
24. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol 2
25. Kingdom Come
26. Spider-Man – Blue
27. Batman – The Dark Knight Returns
28. Scud The Disposable Assassin
29. Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman
30. Notes for a War Story by Gipi
31. Wolverine – Old Man Logan
32. Hellboy – The Right Hand of Doom
33. Uncanny X-Men #281
34. Batman – The Dark Knight
35. Frank Miller’s Sin City
36. Iron Man – Extremis
37. Scott Snyder’s American Vampire
38. Greg Land’s Sojourn
39. Sergio Aragones’ Groo
40. Spider-Man – Torment
41. The Nam
42. Secret Wars Vol 1
43. Batman – The Killing Joke
44. Uncanny X-Men #234
45. Mark Texeira’s Sabertooth
46. Avengers – Disassembled
47. Green Lantern – Rebirth
48. Terry Moore’s Rachel Rising
49. Batman – Hush
50. Brian K Vaughan’s Saga
51. Marvels
52. Daredevil – The Man Without Fear
53. 300
54. Ed Brubaker’s Criminal
55. Conan – The Frost Giant’s Daughter

Ooooo…that’s hot. THE CAPE 1969 #3 is out today. I hope you’ll give it a shot. Also, don’t forget about the Jetpack Comics exclusive cover which can be found here: http://www.jetpackcomics.com/jetpackvariants.html

Been too long since I’ve posted something here.  The cause is a mix of work, looking for work, and summer — all  three contributing equally to my lack of blog posts. So, yeah — SUMMER! How’s everyone’s so far? It’s been pretty dang good up here in New England. I’ve clocked in more beach days this year than the previous 15 combined. Take it from me: go to the damn beach because when it’s shitty and cold out in January you’re going to be saying “I wish I had gone to the damn beach more.” Don’t make a big thing out of it, just pack a drink and a towel and go. You’ll be glad you did.

Okay, now the work stuff.
This is out tomorrow:

Nelson Daniel has directed scenes that will make you grit your teeth and wish you hadn’t looked. And how about that cover from Zach Howard? Huh? Huh? Nice right? I love seeing blood on teeth.

Jetpack Comics still has some of the limited edition THE CAPE hardcover available. The book is signed by Me, Joe Hill, Nelson Daniel, and Zach Howard, and I believe it comes with a free limited edition pint glass with the CAPE and Jetpack logos on it. I have one. I drink out of it and it makes me feel powerful. You should, too.

Info here: http://www.jetpackcomics.com/index2.html

Also, Jetpack has exclusive covers of all THE CAPE and THE CAPE 1969 available online at the same link.

Last but certainly not least is the OXYMORON hardcover Kickstarter. I’m writing the intro and I contributed a 10-page story that’s being illustrated by Joe Mulvey (SCAM). He’s a Yankees fan, but whatever.

It’s been a lot of fun working with ComixTribe. Their dedication to creator-owned comics, and the media savvy of helmsman Tyler James has already pushed the project over its goal. If you haven’t already, please, support this and the guys who’ve been pouring their hearts into this project. You can find it here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylerjamescomics/oxymoron-hardcover-graphic-novel

I guess that’s it for now. See you at the beach.

We all have a teacher who left a lasting impression on us. Mine are Mr. Watson, my 8th grade science teacher, and Mr. Allen, my high school fine arts teacher. These guys got it. They knew how to inspire and bring the best out of students. They knew how to teach and how to lead us down paths so we could make our own discoveries and have that feeling of revelation that comes when you really learn something new. These were great men, and, I think, rare in this age. Well, I think I’ve met a teacher who has them both beat. The following is a letter my 11 year-old son’s teacher gave to him on the last day of school:

Dear Malek,

It has been such a pleasure to have you in my class this year. I know you probably think that I was so hard on you at times but I want you to know it is because I want nothing more than to see you succeed. You are an exceptionally smart student and your curiosity to learn is so refreshing. Continue to see out all the information in the world and continue to read. I really believe that you can be an author or a comic writer like your father! I would be so honored to say, “That Malek Ciaramella, he was my student!” one day! Or maybe I will buy the Legos that you design for my own kids    [Malek wants to work for Lego]

When you go to middle school, I don’t ever want you to doubt yourself or the things that you enjoy. Remember everyone is different and special in his/her own way and don’t ever feel pressured to be just like everyone else. Hold true to the things that you believe and speak up for yourself in a calm and mature way. You are an exceptional student and I don’t want you to forget that as you go to middle school. Be the best that you can be.

Remember that hard work does not mean that all the fun goes out the window, you just need to find a nice balance. There is a time for fun and there is a time for hard work. I know that this is only the first of many graduations and I know that you can go all the way to a college graduation. There is so much out there for you (you never know, you may be able to visit Italy or Egypt when you grow up!). Remember, the sky is the limit so dream your dreams, set your goals and I guarantee that you will get there. Congratulations Malek, I will miss you so very much!

With all my love,

Arkie

She wrote one of these personal letters to every kid (22) in her class. I know it touched my son’s heart, and it sure touched mine to know he had a teacher who cared about him so much. Someone give this woman a raise!

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce DANGER BOYS: Adventures by Flashlight. A limited edition comic produced by Jetpack Comics for Free Comic Book Day 2012. This 16-page, manga sized book is limited to 1000 copies, and will be hand numbered and signed by me and the artist, Craig Shepard.

Q: So, what is DANGER BOYS?

A: DANGER BOYS is an all ages collection of short comics that follow the hilarious adventures of two brothers as they role play their way through countless fantasy and science fiction worlds.

The Free Comic Book Day edition is made up of four stories:

1. The Goblin Cave

2. Space…It’s Scary

3. Detective Punchaguy

4. Trial of the Wizard

That’s two fantasy stories, one science fiction, and one Lovecraftian…all for the price of FREE. Pretty awesome, huh?

Starting in June, DANGER BOYS will be a weekly web comic that will be featured right here on this blog. We’ve got some pretty cool stuff planned for you, so don’t forget to check back.

Here’s the cover of the limited edition. Remember, this is only available at Jetpack Comics on Free Comic Book Day, so come on over and say hello to me and Craig. Psst…there’s even a spot on the back cover for sketches, so don’t forget to ask Craig for one. He’s assured me that he can do 1000 sketches in one afternoon, no problem.

Out today:

I want to thank everyone who’s been picking up THE CAPE these past 14 months. Every panel in this series was crafted with you in mind, with the sole purpose of entertaining you, and giving you something you’ve never seen before. I hope by the end of this issue, you feel like we have done our job.

Thank you to the great retailers who have pushed THE CAPE into new hands, and who have supported this project with the kind of enthusiasm you don’t often see in comics.

Thank you to the best damn creative team a guy could ask for –Zach and Nelson, you guys rocked it.

Thank you to Joe Hill and Chris Ryall for steering this ship and making the series possible, and thank you for taking a chance on a kid from Brockton.

And finally, I want to thank my friends and family. Malek, Xander, Ellen, Gina, Richard, Ma and Dad –I love you all.

Jason Ciaramella

Feb 29th, 2012

Fall River, MA