The CHOKER tour is over and by all accounts, was a great success. Cheers hugely to all who came out to the signings as well as the Emerald City Con. We sold out in most places and have been told the rest would be on the way out soon enough. HUGE thanks to all the retailers we visited. It's what makes doing comics such a great job.

If you've not heard... both CHOKER #1 and #2 have SOLD OUT:

Official Press Release

CHOKER #1, the first of a six-issue detective noir series by industry superstar BEN TEMPLESMITH and writer BEN MCCOOL, is completely sold out at the distribution level. Image Comics is rushing a second printing to press, for release alongside CHOKER #2 on March 17.

"The response to CHOKER has been tremendous!" Templesmith exclaims. "Thanks to all the readers and everyone who has joined us at CHOKER events around the country. It's more than a couple of blokes could ask for!"

McCool adds, "This wouldn't be possible without the readers. So, big thanks for reading CHOKER. I hope you're having as absolute a blast with it as we are!"

"We are incredibly proud to be working with Templesmith and McCool on CHOKER, and we're as thrilled as they are about the phenomenal response to the first issue," says Image Publisher Eric Stephenson. "Their work on the series is unmatched, and I can't wait to see readers' response to the rest of the series."

CHOKER stars Johnny "Choker" Jackson, once one of Shotgun City's most promising police officers, is a bitter private detective with a terrible case of Alien Hand Syndrome. But he's unexpectedly been offered a job back on the force, provided he can nail a twisted drug dealer selling a very exclusive product, that is...

CHOKER #1 Second Printing, a 32-page full color comic book for $3.99, will be in stores March 17, 2010, the same day as CHOKER #2 (JAN100458).

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

Templesmith and McCool's Choker #2 Sells Out

Artist Ben Templesmith and writer Ben McCool have done it again! Like CHOKER #1, the second issue of their critically acclaimed and popularly received CHOKER miniseries has sold out at the distribution level. Image Comics is prepping a second printing to be released alongside CHOKER #3.
 
"Truly, awesome sauce. I really, REALLY appreciate all the readers sticking with us onto #2, said Templesmith. I don't know what we've done to have the Space Squid bless us with such luck and support from both publisher and reader alike but I'd like to think it shows that people are still willing to take a punt on brand new creator owned comics and that it's worth putting the time and effort into them. It's all been incredibly rewarding.
 
Added McCool, "What great news! All of our readers deserve a pint for their stellar support!"
 
CHOKER is a six-issue detective noir miniseries released by Image Comics. It stars Johnny "Choker" Jackson, once one of Shotgun City's most promising police officers, is a bitter private detective with a terrible case of Alien Hand Syndrome. But he's unexpectedly been offered a job back on the force, provided he can nail a twisted drug dealer selling a very exclusive product, that is...
 
CHOKER #2 Second Printing, a 32-page full color comic book for $3.99, will be in stores April 21, 2010, the same day as CHOKER #3 (FEB100391).

Still recovering but huge thanks to everyone who came out to see McCool and I for the CHOKER events! Things went amazingly well, lots of people & we basically sold out of every proper copy we had.

Next up, "A Comic Shop" in Orlando on tuesday!

Bergen Street Comics was friday night, fantastically laid out store and Tom and Amy ran a great show!

Here's all of us, as well as Tiger and Socko from Comic Book Jones who also helped out and were from our Wednesday launch.



Before the night kicked off.



What we started out with.



What we ended up with. If I remember right these 3 also went before we left the store.



Also signed a bunch of WE WILL BURY YOU from Brea and Zane Grant which also just came out. I did the cover! If you want some zombie fun, check it out.

Here's some other stuff we did...





SATURDAY:



Midtown comics was also awesome. We sold out of all copies BUT they were among the lucky ones who also got the dud/bad print early copies and some of them are pretty reasonable quality, so they had us sign them all and make them available. So if you can't find a copy, they still have some, signed!



As my Space Squid religion grows...I get gifts!



After that, guess where we went...

















Noooooo comment.

Have a brief moment to update the blog between stuff...

The CHOKER tour kicked off over in New York on Staten Island with the awesome blokes at Comic Book Jones...all the while I was apparently receiving emails saying CHOKER has basically sold out already and is now on back order with the distributor...so if you want a copy better get in quick! We'll see if we can reprint it. I may do a new cover if there's time on the road. McCool and I are well chuffed.

Not only that but my new ONLINE STORE at Templesmitharts.com went live on wednesday. For now there's only CHOKER cover original art up mostly...but coming are many interior pages, Wormwood and Hoxford art, prints, books and a ton of other exclusive merchandise stuff I'll be doing up.

Last but not least, the final Wormwood ( for now ) issue goes live with Sony on the PSP!



Thanks hugely to all who came out to CBJ to see Ben McCool and I. Fantastic night, sold out of all the in store copies of the book and a bunch more!



Yet another great Wormwood tattoo. More Wormwood *IS* in the works btw...



Live band!



Rodney Ramos decides to improve the canned American toilet water.



I commandeer the store.



The next morning. Awesome snow.



On the ferry back to NYC, the city shrouded in the snowy mess.

We have a new website for the art, books, and various bits and bobs straight from the artist himself, Ben Templesmith.  Right now we're loaded up the fantastic covers Ben did for his new hit comic, Choker with Ben McCool and Image Comics!  Check it out!

And keep coming back for more.  We'll be offering prints, sketchbooks and other stuff very shortly.

-The Website Leprechaun

www.templesmitharts.com

So, What's up with Choker #1?

Long story short, if you have a copy right now, you kinda technically shouldn't. If you do, the Almighty Space Squid has truly favoured you basically. They could be collectors items?

However, you might notice, it's a bit wrinkly and...odd. The book,at first coming out on the 10th, then being pushed back to the 24th, then ended up looking like it was actually going to happen on the 10th ( the book was done plenty in advance! ) but as luck would have it, a problem at the printer meant a bad water/ink mix, thus the copies looked a bit crappy and Image wisely decided to have them pulped and a reprint was in order. That was going to push it back a further week...but since the 24th ( 2 weeks ) was already on the cards, it's simply gone back to that date! Thing is, some copies already made it out there, though all parties have been advised to ditch the dud copies and wait for replacements, as I understand it. The *REAL* copies have been pushed back to the 24th, it's official release date. With a little luck and a few offerings to The Great Space Squid, shiny nice new proper copies will be on the shelf and in hot little hands by then.

Still not sure if it's going to be worth it? Here's a bunch of early reviews, from people who already managed to get a copy. I tried finding a bad one, honest. If you do, let me know. Fairs fair, all opinions are valid:

Allthiscrap.com

"The art is kick-ass. Story is okay, but has potential. The true test: Will this stay on my pull list? You bet!" 7.2/10

CraveOnline.com

"I was delighted to find that not only was Templesmith's work on Choker #1 supremely satisfying, but McCool's characters wrapped their fingers around me so tightly that, excuse the pun, I thought I'd choke."

HyperGeek

"Choker #1 is incredibly strong debut issue that will hook you for the entire series" 5 stars

BattleMouth.com

"McCool has a serious talent for keeping you on the edge of your seat and entertained, and Templesmith’s art will blow your mind all over the insides of your skull."

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CHOKER ISSUE ONE

ISSUE ONE: PAIN Industry superstar BEN TEMPLESMITH teams up with writer BEN McCOOL for this deliciously skewed tale of hardboiled noir. Johnny “Choker” Jackson, once one of Shotgun City’s most promising police officers, is a bitter private detective with a terrible case of Alien Hand Syndrome. But he’s unexpectedly been offered a job back on the force: provided he can nail a twisted drug dealer selling a very exclusive product, that is… RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

CHOKER: Coming in 2010

Dick Puncher

CHOKER: Coming in 2010

CHOKER: Coming in 2010

Worm

CHOKER: Coming in 2010