5 Favourite Albums of 2011

1. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
2. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
3. Little Dragon - Ritual Union
4. M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
5. Cut Copy - Zonoscope

Spera-Comic.com Winter Update

Head to Spera-Comic.com for the site's first seasonal update, which brings Pira and Yonder to its pages (Online Comics and Graphic Novels, respectively).

This update was put together by Olivier Pichard (backgrounds and coding) and Afu Chan (characters).

Newsarama.com Interview

Click here for an in-person Spera interview with Newsarama.com.

Spera: Volume I now available at Amazon.com!

Spera: Volume I is now available to purchase at Amazon.com!

It should be in bookstores on December 19th, comic stores on the 28th and will be available from other online retailers on January 3rd.

Spera: Volume I is a hardcover graphic novel from Archaia featuring art by Kyla Vanderklugt, Hwei, Emily Carroll and Olivier Pichard, short comics by Jordyn F. Bochon, Cécile Brun, Luke Pearson, Leela Wagner and Matt Marblo, and pin-ups by Don Cocor, Paul Maybury, Jack Teagle, Sam Beck and Gigi Digi. Cover art and character designs are by Afu Chan. For a full description of the book, look here. You can also preview the first 16 pages here.

The Starless

A new Spera short is now online! Illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk and lettered by Ed Brisson, The Starless is a dark, foreboding prequel to Spera: Volume I, offering the first real look at Pira's old life.

The Archaia hardcover edition of Spera: Volume I will be in bookstores on December 19th and comic shops on the 28th.

Spera: Volume I interview at Don't Write Me Off

I somehow bumped into blogger Andrew Russo at both TCAF and NYCC. Here's an interview Kyla Vanderklugt and I did with Andrew as a result of these encounters.

Don't Write Me Off
Spera-Comic.com

OCB: Private Enemy -- Phase One

The latest issue of Giannis Milonogiannis's Old City Blues is finally here, and it was definitely worth the wait! Everyone with even a passing interest in cyberpunk should take a look — unless you have yet to read the first major story arc, in which case you should go here right away.

With thrilling chases, gruesome technological crime scenes and a poolside seduction as cold as ice water, Giannis knocks it out of the park once again!

Spera-Comic.com has a new look!

The new design is a collaboration between Olivier Pichard, Afu Chan, Kyla Vanderklugt and myself. Our goal is to clarify the different aspects of Spera — the original collaboration, new online shorts and Archaia graphic novels — in a way that’s more in line with the series’ current direction. Although only Lono appears on the site for now, Pira, Yonder and Chobo will be showing up on the other pages in the coming weeks.

To help celebrate the new site, two new shorts — She Saw It Then by Julia Scott and Free Verse by Roman Muradov — can be found in the Online Comics section. Both focus on moments that took place in Lono’s castle before the events of Volume I.

We hope you enjoy how it all turned out!

Spera-Comic.com

Spera: Volume I Preview

You can now preview the first 16 pages of Spera: Volume I at the Archaia site! These specific pages feature the art of Kyla Vanderklugt.

Diorama + NYCC

Diorama is a new Spera short illustrated by Matt Marblo. Read the full comic here.

This was an attempt to write something specifically for younger readers, though we do hope adults enjoy it as well. Originally this was going to be for a little booklet to give away at NYCC but there just wasn’t enough time to put everything together.

Speaking of NYCC, you’ll be able to find me, Kyla Vanderklugt, Emily Carroll, maybe sometimes Polly Guo and maybe sometimes Matt Marblo at the Archaia booth for scheduled signings. Although Volume I has been delayed to December 19th, we’ll still be there to give away free postcards, posters, bookmarks and other promotional items. We hope to see you there!

Spera NYCC Postcards

Spera NYCC postcards are in! These were designed by Kyla Vanderklugt and include art by her and Emily Carroll.

Treasure Menu

Treasure Menu is a tasty new Spera short by Kris Mukai featuring Pira, Lono and a whole lotta crustaceans. Click the panel above for the entire comic.

Spera in Previews

Preview panels from Leela Wagner's comic in Spera: Volume I.

Volume I is now listed in Previews with the order code AUG110809. The hardcover book is $19.95 USD and appears on page 238 of the catalogue. If you're interested in Spera, please ask your local comic book store to order it in!

Spera: Fetch Quest

Fetch Quest, a brand-new, dialogue-free Spera short illustrated by Mike Dialynas, is now available on Spera-Comic.com! Read the full comic here.

Roxie Vizcarra on Spera

Spera: Volume I is coming this fall from Archaia

Spera: Volume I Pre-order

Spera: Volume I is now available for pre-order from online retailers such as Amazon.com. Above is a sneak peek at one of Emily Carroll's panels for the book's third part.

Spera: Volume I -- Coming Soon from Archaia

Big news time: Spera: Volume I is coming out this September from the fine folks at Archaia!

The first half of this 176-page hardcover is a remake of the original story, illustrated here by Kyla Vanderklugt, Hwei, Emily Carroll and Olivier Pichard. The second half is a collection of short comics illustrated by Jordyn F. Bochon, Cécile Brun, Luke Pearson, Leela Wagner and Matt Marblo. Cover art is by Afu Chan.

I’m very excited to finally be able to reveal this. The book is just bursting with great art and adventure, and I’m sure fans of those involved will be blown away by their contributions here.

From the site:

“Lono’s life as a princess consisted of sitting, reading, and dreaming—until the day Pira, princess of a neighboring kingdom, arrived with news of a waking nightmare! With the help of Pira’s best friend—a fire spirit in the form of a dog named Yonder—the princesses now find themselves in a race against evil. The goal: Spera, a magical realm of which the princesses had only ever heard the tallest tales. The prize: their very lives!

Written, created, and edited by Josh Tierney, Spera Volume 1 is the first book in an ongoing series of graphic novels illustrated by artists from around the world.”

Spera at TCAF!

Kyla Vanderklugt and I will be representing Spera at this year's TCAF. You can learn all about this incredible festival here.

Our table is number 250 on the second floor (and here's a handy map of the area).

We'll be selling a 40-page colour anthology featuring cover art by Afu Chan, comics by Jordyn F. Bochon (who will also be at Table 250), Luke Pearson and Emily Block, and pin-ups by Jack Teagle and Gigi Fritter. You can see Afu's cover here and an interior preview here.

We'll also be selling Adel's Hammer, a 20-page black & white comic with a cover by Afu, comic pages by Polly Guo and pin-ups/sketches by Sam Beck, Don Cocor and Giannis Milonogiannis. You can check out a preview of Adel's Hammer here.

We hope to see you there!

From the TCAF site:

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival

Saturday May 7th, 9am-5pm
Sunday May 8th, 11am-5pm

@ Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada
416-533-9168
Admission to TCAF is Free.

Spera: Arina's Forest

Arina's Forest, an all-new 17-page issue, is now online at Spera-Comic.com, where it can be found in the Vol. II section of the site.

This issue is a collection of three short comics centred around Arina, a winter witch that relies on human warmth for survival. The comics were illustrated by Sarah Searle and Liana Buszka, the cover painted by Ella Kurki and the pin-up painted by Kyla Vanderklugt, who also designed Arina. The cover and index were designed by Joel Hentges.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea, a brand-new Spera short illustrated by Emily Block, is now online at Spera-Comic.com!

This comic offers a brief glimpse into Pira and Lono’s younger days, as well as an early peek at the conspiracy that will later change their lives.

My Top 10 Games of 2010

1. Super Street Fighter IV

I haven't been able to get into a fighting game since Street Fighter III: Third Strike (and I look forward to the PSN version of that). I also had to miss out on the original Street Fighter IV due to disposable income woes. But when this came around, I was ready, especially since I had moved away from my hometown and knew this would be the one way I could steadily keep in touch with friends. I grabbed a little Bluetooth headset and my first ever fighting stick in preparation. When I finally got the game, I was blown away even after building up some hype: colourful and charming graphics, a great cast of old favourites and bizarre new faces, fun music and a fighting system that emphasises the individual style of the player. The only games with in-game clocks that I've played over one hundred hours of are this, Oblivion and the original Phantasy Star Online. It's just an absolute blast.

2. Final Fantasy XIII

I absolutely love the linearity of this game. Outside of the music (which I consider the second-best soundtrack of an FF, just below Final Fantasy VI), the linearity might be my favourite aspect. It feels and plays like an RPG intended for arcades. The story may not make much sense, and the characters may not have much character to them, but this is undoubtedly the most fun I've had with a more traditional JRPG since Persona 4.

3. Yakuza 3
4. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
5. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
6. Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2
8. Nier
9. Gran Turismo 5
10. Kirby's Epic Yarn (co-op with wife)

Olivier Pichard’s Spera New Year card