After teasing a huge announcement for June 1st, comiXology unveiled their big news today by revealing that they are releasing new creator-owned digital comic book series through their comiXology Originals program. Several new, original monthly comic book series are available to read online beginning today, including Richard Starkings and Abigail Jill Harding's Ask for Mercy, and we've been exclusively provided with preview pages from the monster-hunting series to share as a special treat for Daily Dead readers.
A monster-hunting World War II horror story, Ask for Mercy #1 is teased in our exclusive set of preview pages below, and you can find out more about all of the new creator-owned comic book series by visiting comiXology Originals and reading the press release below.
Press Release: June 1st, 2018 – New York, NY – ComiXology announced today it is releasing creator-owned comic books and graphic novels for the first time as part of its comiXology Originals program. The premiere digital comics service announced four new comiXology Originals titles – spanning fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and superhero genres – via a livestreaming event on Twitch. Today readers can dive into the debut titles through a variety of ways: they are free to read for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited and are also available for purchase on Kindle and comiXology.
The new comiXology Original releases include: Savage Game created byNFL player Ryan Kalil, written by Shawn Kittelsen, and art by Chris B. Murray; Superfreaks fromwritersElsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet, with newcomer artist MargauxSaltel; Elephantmen 2261: The Death of Shorty from writer Richard Starkings, and artists Axel Medellin and Boo Cook; Ask For Mercy from writer Starkings and newcomer artist Abigail Jill Harding.
The debuts feature a host of industry firsts, including:
- All issues of the Superfreaks series are available to read now – perfect for binge reading
- In addition to digital, Savage Game is available in print exclusively through Amazon.com via Print-on-Demand
- Collections of Elephantmen and Ask for Mercy will also be available in print via Print-on-Demand, with future comiXology Originals trade collections and graphic novels also available in print
- Savage Game sees noted cover and fine artist Chris B. Murray’s interior art debut
- Superfreaks artist MargauxSaltel also makes her series debut
- Ask For Mercy artist Abigail Jill Harding makes her series debut
“We’re proud to offer these creator-owned titles where creators keep their IP rights and are motivated to bring their A-game to the benefit of readers everywhere,” said Chip Mosher, comiXology’s Head of Content. “Helping bring these incredible titles to fans lets us experiment with different release strategies like a binge-style drop of a whole series, high quality print-on-demand, and day-and-date inclusion in Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited.”
The new comiXology Originals titles were announced today in tandem with a livestream event on Twitch, hosted by noted esports personality Marcus "djWHEAT" Graham. During the livestream, which was screened at viewing parties at Amazon Books retail locations and Amazon Pop-Up kiosks across the United States, comiXology unveiled its “Always Original” ad campaign that spotlights the characters featured in today’s new releases. Customers attending the viewing parties were offered free print copies of the Savage Game graphic novel on a first come, first served basis.
The company also teased the next wave of comiXology Original titles to be released in the coming months, announcing an impressive list of creators, including: Tyler Crook, Kristian Donaldson, Alti Firmansyah, Sam Humphries, Megan Kearney, Kel McDonald, Hope Nicholson, Mike Norton, MK Reed, Mark Sable, Tim Seeley, C. Spike Trotman, Jen Vaughn, and Magdalene Visaggio. More details on upcoming releases will be unveiled during Comic-Con International San Diego 2018.
"Ask For Mercy
Written by Richard Starkings with art by Abigail Jill Harding
An action-packed and artistically stunning dark fantasy story from Elephantmen creator, Richard Starkings and breakout talent, Abigail Jill Harding. Ask For Mercy is a World War II fantasy horror story in the tradition of John Carpenter’s The Thing and Sandman. Mercy is snatched from her own place and time to join a team of Monster Hunters who are actually Monsters themselves, and together they have to take on a Pantheon of Hideous Creatures summoned to our world by Nazi evil!
About the Ask For Mercy Creative Team
Richard Starkings is the creator/writer of ELEPHANTMEN; co-creator, with Abigail Jill Harding, of ASK FOR MERCY! and co-creator, with Tyler Shainline and Shaky Kane, of THE BEEF. In the course of a distinguished career in comic books, Richard edited a line of original titles for Marvel UK in the 80s, founded the COMICRAFT design and lettering studio in the 90s and established the foremost source for comic book lettering fonts at comicbookfonts.com. He has worked as a lettering artist on just about every mainstream comic book you might care to mention, including BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, and has written comic strips for THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS, ZOIDS, TRANSFORMERS and DOCTOR WHO. With Comicraft’s Secret Weapon, John Roshell, Richard created the indispensable guide, COMIC BOOK LETTERING THE COMICRAFT WAY as well as the Artist Retrospectives TIM SALE: BLACK AND WHITE and J SCOTT CAMPBELL: TIME CAPSULE. Richard loves Yorkshire Tea, Cadbury’s Flake and Lori Perkins, but not necessarily in that order.
Abigail Jill Harding is a young English illustrator and comic book artist from Yorkshire, whose first professional comics work appeared in ELEPHANTMEN #72, written by Richard Starkings whom she met at a signing at Travelling Man in York. Abigail graduated from York College with a BA honours in 3D Art and Design in 2015 but continued to concentrate on her illustration work and did small comic projects. Abigail had been showcasing her mixed-media skills at the yearly Leeds Comics Arts Festival, Thought Bubble and it was the short strip she contributed to the festival’s 2015 print anthology that caught Richard’s eye. Since then she has done cover work for Titan Comics. Abigail is currently illustrating ASK FOR MERCY, a comiXology Originals title which she dreamed up with Richard Starkings while they were visiting The Royal Armouries in Leeds."
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
