THE WALKING DEAD: THE ALIEN Digital Pay-What-You-Want One Shot Comic Book

 

PANEL SYNDICATE, an online publisher of DRM-free pay-what-you-want webcomics, has released a digital one shot THE WALKING DEAD comic book.  IMAGE COMICS the publisher of the popular THE WALKING DEAD comic book series cut a deal with PANEL SYNDICATE to make this unique comic book a reality.  If IMAGE COMICS could sell a print version of PANEL SYNDICATE'S Eisner Award-winning sci-fi mystery story THE PRIVATE EYE than the digital publisher could create their own original THE WALKING DEAD story that could be distributed through its website panelsyndicate.com.

This 31 page story maintains the black and white coloring style of the print version of THE WALKING DEAD comic book series and is set in Barcelona, Spain just a few weeks after the beginning of the global zombie infestation.  THE WALKING DEAD: THE ALIEN tells the story of an American who had planned on wandering through Europe on a backpack trip but instead finds himself trapped in a foreign land trying to survive this new plague hitting Spain as society collapses around him.  THE ALIEN includes a surprising twist at the end which connects it with one of the main characters in THE WALKING DEAD franchise.  Fans of THE WALKING DEAD will absolutely want to read THE ALIEN!

Credit: Panel Syndicate

THE ALIEN is available in the same format as the other titles available through PANEL SYNDICATE so it is priced as pay-what-you-want, which includes the option to obtain the digital comic for free, and can be downloaded as a DRM-free PDF, CBR, or CBZ to read.  Robert Kirkman, the creator of THE WALKING DEAD, has agreed to allow all proceeds from for THE ALIEN to go the creators of PANEL SYNDICATE, Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin, who are also the artists who put together this digital one-shot story.  So while you can select to pay nothing for this comic, paying something helps support this creative duo continue to promote interesting, original content by themselves and other artists like, THE PRIVATE EYE, BARRIER, and UNIVERSE! that is available on panelsyndicate.com.

Credit: Panel Syndicate

CLICK HERE to download THE WALKING DEAD: THE ALIEN.

Building Blocks for Grown Ups

Watch out LEGO,  KRE-O & MEGA BLOKS there is a new brand of building blocks creeping onto store shelves this fall looking to take a bite out of your sales.  McFarlane Toys has partnered with AMC's The Walking Dead television show to produce a new line of building block play sets based upon the popular television show.  These building block play sets will be available starting in October, just in time for the beginning of The Walking Dead Season 5 on AMC, and will be sold exclusively on Toys-R-Us' website and at its retail stores.  The McFarlane Toys' The Walking Dead line will initially include 3 play sets:  Daryl Dixon with Chopper, The Governor's Room, and Prison Tower with Gate.  These play sets will retail between $9.99 and $64.99.  Additionally, blind bags for $2.99 each will be available to purchase that will allow people to buy additional scaled figurines of show cast members and zombies to include within their play sets.  The fall lineup of blind bags will include Michonne, Carl Grimes, Riot Gear Walker, Michonne's Pet Walker, and Herd Walkers.  Additional play sets and blind bag characters are expected to come out in the future.

While these are building block sets they really aren't aimed at a children's audience so McFarlane won't really be competing with LEGO and KRE-O.  The McFarlane Toys' The Walking Dead build block line is really aimed at adult building block hobbyists, toy collectors, and fans of the television series.  Unlike LEGO and KRE-O these building block sets will have very detailed figurine sculpts and accessories.  For example the Governor's Room play set will have the walker head aquariums from the television show that actually light up.  These new building block sets will probably be more competitive instead with MEGA BLOKS who have some brands like ASSASSINS CREED, HALO, and CALL TO DUTY that are marketed to teens and adults.  Interestingly, McFarlane Toys has the action figure license to 2 of these brands MEGA BLOKS is currently selling building block toys for HALO and ASSASSINS CREED. 

 

 As you can see from the picture below, McFarlane Toys building block aspect of these play sets will be mostly focused on the core scenery base with figurines/accessories probably playing a larger part in the appeal of these toys than their constructable features.

 

Here's the press release by McFarlane Toys announcing this new brand of building block:



Famed artist and award-winning toy designer Todd McFarlane and McFarlane Toys are unveiling a revolutionary evolution in brick building toys based on television’s most watched drama, AMC’s The Walking Dead. Known as a game-changer for its realistic action figures, including those based on The Walking Dead, McFarlane Toys is adding a new licensed category to the company’s portfolio. The new The Walking Dead toys will extend McFarlane’s high standards of artistic vision, realistic accuracy and incredible detail into the brick building toy aisle alongside of other leading manufacturers. McFarlane Toys’ The Walking Dead building sets and figures will be available this fall only at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com

The initial McFarlane Toys’ The Walking Dead brick building line will feature realistic sculpts, light-up and shaped features, iconic environments, and dozens of your fan-favorite characters and walkers. Both collectors and fans of the cult phenomenon can literally recreate their favorite scenes with this new highly detailed and realistic The Walking Dead product line.

“Twenty years ago I walked into the action figure aisle, saw an artistic void, and asked, can these toys look cooler? The answer was yes, they could, and I’ve survived twenty years next to the big boys creating those artistic toys,” said McFarlane. “Now I’m walking into another aisle with that same question, and the answer is still yes!”

“Will these be the best building sets out there? I’ll leave it up to the consumer to decide,” said McFarlane. But, will it look cooler? Yes. Will it be more detailed? Absolutely. Will it be more realistic? I guarantee it!”


Are you ready for the building block apocalypse?! Keep an eye out for the zombies as they'll be roaming toy store aisles during this year's Christmas holiday shopping season.

Photos provide via McFarlane Toys website & facebook page for publicity purposes

Free Comic Book Day will have special THE WALKING DEAD exclusive comic issue

When it comes to comic books I don’t tend to buy monthly individual issues but rather purchase the graphic novel compilation of story arcs that I want to read.  For example with THE WALKING DEAD I’ve never bought one of the comic’s serial issues, but rather purchased the two compendiums  to enjoy reading all at once rather than wait to follow the story in monthly  installments.  That has worked out well so far because all of the stories thus far have been reprinted in graphic novels bundling together all the monthly issues of the comic. That won’t be the case this month though as IMAGE COMICS is releasing a special issue of THE WALKING DEAD comic book for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY that won’t be reprinted in the graphic novel collections of the series.

The FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue will include an exclusive short story featuring the character Tyreese – WARNING SPOILER - who was recently introduced to the AMC tv show at about the same point in the comic book timeline that he was killed off.  I think it’s great how the tv show incorporates characters and elements from the comic books yet presents the show in a different perspective so that you can enjoy both mediums together without either necessarily spoiling the suspense  or drama of the other. Tyreese has been a fan favorite of the comic book crowd and from his portrayal on the tv show I believe will become a central character for that series too.  The FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue should be both an interesting story to read and a nice collectible for THE WALKING DEAD fans.  Additionally, the comic will also feature previously published short stories about Michonne, Morgan and the Governor.  I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of this exclusive issue at the local comic book store on May 4 for myself.

THE WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman provided a nice interview on the FREE COMIC BOOK DAY website about this special issue saying he wanted to “provide fans something cool for free.” CLICK HERE to read the full Robert Kirkman interview about FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.

While FREE COMIC BOOK DAY will have a lot of nice issues to pick up for children, if you haven’t read THE WALKING DEAD or watched the tv show please note this comic is absolutely not for perusing by kids.  Robert Kirkman actually notes in his FREE COMIC BOOK DAY interview that its “a great time for parents to bring their kids out to a comic store as a lot of the books (NOT The Walking Dead) are geared towards younger readers.” CLICK HERE to read my previous blog  post on some of these comic books that will be available geared towards a younger audience.

Not sure where to go to pick up a FREE comic book for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY – just go to the website www.freecomicbookday.com and enter your zip code.  Their easy search feature will provide you with the information on the closest comic book shop(s) participating in the event.