NEW! Kickstarter Campaign:
Help Publish
The Werewolf of New York!
The Werewolf of New York, a full-color 96-page book printing a story that has only previously appeared online, in the
SupernaturalLaw.com webcomic. The goal is $7,000, which will help produce and print the book to have out in time for Comic-Con in San Diego.
It is the story of Leon Reed, a werewolf who was stalking New York until he was arrested. Thanks to Wolff and Byrd, Leon catches a break. However, a shapeshifter advocacy group disagrees with how W&B handled the case and influence Leon to make a decision that has the counselors putting their reputations on the line as they try to save their client.
The Werewolf of New York is the longest Wolff & Byrd story Batton has ever done, and it's the first full-size Supernatural Law trade paperback in full color.
Backers can choose to be werewolf supporters at various levels, from "Full Moon" and "Gypsy Curse" to "Pure in Heart" and "Prayers at Night." Rewards include bookmarks, signed copies of the book, original drawings in the books, the first-ever Supernatural Law calendar, and T-shirts for Sister Mary Maledict's Halfway House of Horrors (where Leon is sent for the 13-step program).
Check out the Kickstarter campaign now, choose a backer level, and help this book become a reality!
NOW AVAILABLE!
The Monsters Meet
on Court Street,
And Other Tales of
Supernatural Law
176 pages, $18.95
When you order, be sure to ask Batton to personalize the book for you, and indicate how you want it signed.
In this collection of stories, Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd represent a wide variety of clients,
from a mad scientist who falls in love with a woman in another dimension, to a
gangster gorilla boss, to a tycoon's childhood invisible friend. Readers also
learn more about the personal lives of the attorneys and of their intrepid
secretary, Mavis, who has her own adventure with a runaway robot. Contents
including issues 30, 37, 38, 39, and 40 of Batton Lash's Supernatural Law
comic book series as well as Mavis #4 and 20 all-new pages.
The Monsters Meet on Court Street is volume 6 in this ongoing graphic novel
series that mixes humor, horror, and the law to produce a unique and fun reading experience.
"This book really is fun, an ingredient that many comic book creators forget to add these days.
In that respect Supernatural Law is a love letter to the funny books that they don't make
so much anymore, and should be praised all the more for it. So whether you're a fan of the funnybooks
of old or the cutting-edge sequential storytelling of today, you'll find something to thrill at and enjoy
and cherish in The Monsters Meet on Court Street."
-- Jonathan Ross, from the Introduction
You can now download Supernatural Law titles to your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad,
and Android, or to your desktop via the Adobe Air app.
Choose your platform: comics+ (for iPhone, iPod, and iPad) or Graphicly (for
Adobe AIR, Android, iPhone, or iPad).
Both Comics+ and Graphicly have the first sixteen issues of
Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre
(originally published in 1994-1997), complete with covers,
editorials, letters pages, and pinups. Among the stories featured are
"Herbert Has Risen from the Grave" (a takeoff on "The Monkey's Paw), "Curse of
the Werehouse" (a house that becomes haunted every full moon), "A Host of
Horrors" (defending an EC-style horror host against a do-gooder parents group),
and "That Model Client" (a supermodel who's been put under a spell).
Both sites distribute digital comics from a wide variety of publishers and
creators, including Archie, BOOM!, IDW, Image, Marvel, Top Shelf, and many
independent and small publishers.
Comics+ is an app from iVerse Media. To access the downloads, visit
http://comicspl.us/ to sign up.
Then look for titles published by Exhibit A Press.
Wolff & Byrd #1 is available for free, and the following issues are just
99 cents each.
Graphicly not only distributes comics titles to digital devices but offers an
online community where readers can comment on and rate the titles they read. To
download comics, visit http://graphicly.com/exhibit-a.
In addition to Wolff & Byrd issues at 99 cents, you'll find Supernatural Law 101
(how Wolff & Byrd met -- now out of print). And exclusively, The Life-Partner of Frankenstein,
the graphic novel in full color, for $1.99
(http://graphicly.com/exhibit-a/supernatural-law/life-partner-of-frankenstein).
More issues, as well as other Supernatural Law publications, will become
available for both apps in the coming weeks.
Recent Appearances
Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle:
Batton and Jackie had a great time at Seattle's biggest show. Check out the Supernatural Law
Facebook page for some photos. And here are more from the Exhibit A Press Flickr set:
September 8, Comickaze Comics Books and More, San Diego:
The Monsters Meet on Court Street release party!
Comic-Con International: San Diego: July 12-15, 2012:
Jackie and Batton had a great time at the 2012 edition of Comic-Con. Exhibit A debuted
The Monsters Meet on Court Street,
which was the big seller at the show. Batton appeared on panels and nearly sold out of the monster cameos
(or "monsterpieces") he painted. Booth visitors ranged from celebs like Jonathan Ross to fellow comics
creators to longtime fans. Helpers included Diane Granito and son Chase (no relation to Chase Hawkins!),
Pat Campbell, and Melissa Uran-Takasugi. The
Eisner Awards
(which Jackie runs) were the best (and shortest) ever. Now to start planning for next year!
Now on Sale!
Limited Supplies: NEW Supernatural Law tpb!
The first FULL-COLOR book from Exhibit A Press!
The Life-Partner of Frankenstein.
60 pages, $10.95
A few copies of this limited-edition book (in the same size as
The Gods Must Be Litigious),
produced for Comic-Con 2011 are available for sale here. Don't miss out on getting your copy!
Copies Still Available of Limited-Edition Comic-Con Special!
You Can Still Get The Gods Must Be Litigious While Supplies Last!
When the Medusa decides to write a book -- watch out! The Gorgon of Greek mythology, whose glance can turn
people to stone, has been creating controversy on Earth as a bestselling author. Her highly opinionated
How to Talk to a
Mortal (If You Must) has brought her speaking engagements, TV talk show appearances -- and lots of enemies! One of her
most outspoken critics is editorial cartoonist Red Thrall, who is unrelenting in his cartoon attacks. Will the Medusa
reach her breaking point and turn him to stone? How long will Zeus tolerate all this nonsense on Earth? Looks like
Medusa's going to need some lawyers! And those lawyers are of course
Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre.
The book sells for $8.95 and Batton Lash will sign copies on request.
The Soddyssey, And Other Tales of Supernatural Law
Introduction by F. Paul Wilson
192 pages, $17.95
ISBN: 978-0-9815519-0-6
At last, the "missing" volume from the
Supernatural Law series of trade
paperbacks. This book collects issues 9-16 of the original
Wolff & Byrd comic
book series. Chronologically, it falls after
Tales of Supernatural Law and
before
Sonovawitch! As with Tales, the stories in this collection have been
"remastered," including complete relettering and retoning. The stories include:
"The * Files" (parodying, of course,
The X Files), "I'm Carrying Satan's Baby,"
"Strange Bedfellows," "I Married a Sniveling Blob of Jelly," "The Man Who Had
His Own Personal Laugh Track," "Personal Injuries and Guardian Angels" (with
Jack Benny as the guardian angel), "Triskaidekaphobia" (in which perennial client
Sodd finally goes on trial), "Bad Blood" (a takeoff on Anne Rice), "The Statue
of Limitations," "The Returns of Roger Rizzolli," "The Littlest Loup Garou," and
the whole conclusion to the Sodd story, "Sodd, We Hardly Knew Ye."
To view a free pdf of one of the stories in the book ("Triskaidekaphobia"), use the control below and click to enlarge, or
just click here.
Here's what people have been saying...
"A kind of novel-in-stories that Lash's broad and punny humor and Archie-meets-Tales from
the Crypt art keeps consistently light and frothy, a little like whipped slime perhaps.
Ludicrous fun in the key of the old Addams Family TV show."
--Ray Olson, Booklist
"This book is amusing and clever ... These level-headed and calm lawyers play straight men
to a parade of hapless monsters and other supernatural types as they are guided through
their often pathetic legal complaints. The collected stories reinforce each other and
further flesh out this off-kilter world."
-- Publisher's Weekly
"In [the story] "Sodd, We Hardly Knew Ye," our lawyering twosome defend a Swamp Thing-like
creature from both a band of self-proclaimed 'eco terra-ists' and a paramilitary survivalist
group. Utterly convinced of their rightness, both groups think nothing of tromping on poor
Sodd in the name of individual freedom. In both cases, it's the ideologues who turn out to
be less humane than any of
Supernatural Law's monsters."
(
read the full review)
-- Bill Sherman, Blogcritics
2009 Benjamin Franklin Award Winner!
The Soddyssey has been named the winner in the graphic novel category of the
2009 Benjamin Franklin Awards.
Named in honor of America's most cherished publisher/printer, the Benjamin Franklin Awards
recognize excellence in independent publishing. These awards are presented under the auspices
of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA; formerly known as PMA), now celebrating
its 25th year of supporting independent publishers.
Publications, grouped by genre, are judged on editorial and design merit by top practitioners in each field.
The trophies were presented during a gala awards ceremony at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on May 28
as part of Book Expo America.
Supernatural Law #45:
"The People v. Toxic Avenger"
Wolff and Byrd have a change of venue when they travel to Tromaville to
defend none other than the Toxic Avenger! But can they prevail in a courtroom
presided over by Judge Lloyd Kaufman? Plus: pinups, letters, and maybe even a
word or two from Lloyd Kaufman himself!
July 2008, 32 pages, $3.50
Click here to Order!
Read Supernatural Law FREE Online!
The Supernatural Law webcomic is a mix of all-new stories (such as "My Husband Killed Me and Now He Must Pay ... Damages!," "The Werewolf of New York" and "Weird Eye for the Normal Guy") and previously published stories that Batton has reworked for the web ("I'm Carrying Satan's Baby," "I Married a Quivering Blob of Jelly," "Statue of Limitations," "Bright Lights, Big Feet"). Every webcomic story, even if it was originally published in black and white, is in full color. In the current story, someone from Alanna Wolff's past shows up and we learn a bit about her teen years and get some clues about what we now know is her missing mother. No new episodes have been posted since early 2012, but Batton promises to get back to this storyline after meeting some other time-consuming commitments! Meanwhile, please enjoy all the other stories at supernaturallaw.com.
WHY ONLINE?
While the Supernatural Law comic book is still being published,
SupernaturalLaw.com was created to reach a larger audience. The comic book
(as well as its spinoff, Mavis) is sold primarily through comic book stores
(known in the business as the "direct market"). I've been fortunate to have a solid
core of comics retailers who have supported the Wolff & Byrd/Supernatural Law
title and championed it over the past decade. I appreciate each and every one of those
retailers. The main problem is that sales have hit a plateau in that marketplace,
and each issue of Supernatural Law breaks even at best. A business has to grow,
and the only way a comic book publisher's business grows is to have more people buying the books.
Putting Supernatural Law stories online is a swift way to reach a new,
wider audience. And it's also a great place to display "ripped from the headlines"
stories that tie into controversial issues in the news. This approach is the new
frontier for the independent cartoonist and self-publisher. Whereas the direct market
continues to marginalize titles from smaller and independent publishers, the Internet
is limitless. The idea is to reach people who may have never seen Supernatural Law
or comics fans who are interested in the series but whose local store doesn't carry it.
The Internet is a marketing tool; if someone discovers Supernatural Law online
and enjoys it, he or she is likely to want more and seek out the print version!
And that means not only individual issues but trade paperbacks, which are available
through bookstores, in better comics shops, and
directly from us at Exhibit A Press.
-- Batton Lash
Other Batton and Jackie News
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More from Batton in
Archie: Freshman Year
Book 2: The Missing Years
ONLY $9.95!
The trade paperback of Archie: Freshman Year Book 2: The Missing Years is now out.
With art by Bill Galvan (artist on the original FY miniseries), this book recounts untold stories of
Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Reggie, Chuck, and Pencilneck G from the teenagers' first year of high school.
Here's a great review.
AND ORDER BOOK 1!
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Batton & Jackie Interview
Jackie and Batton were interviewed by Ned Cato for a special program on Will Eisner at
GeekRoundtable.com.
Listen to this podcast to learn about Will as Batton's teacher at the School of Visual Arts
and how Jackie came to be the Eisner Awards administrator.
Still available from TwoMorrows:
I Have to Live with This Guy by Blake Bell.
Blake has interviewed the wives or significant others of 15 comics creators
about what it's like to share a life with a creative person. The chapter on
Jackie and Batton is one of the longest in the book and includes lots of photos
and art.
The original interview with Jackie, which had to be abridged quite a
bit for the book, can be found here, along with some rare art pieces. Among the
other couples featured are Will and Ann Eisner, Joe and Muriel Kubert, Alan
Moore and Melinda Gebbie, Dan and Josie DeCarlo, Stan and Joan Lee, and Dave Sim
and Deni Loubert. Check it out!
Also on Sale!
32 pages, $3.50
Click here to Order!
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Mavis #5:
"Weird Eye for the Normal Guy"
It's about time! This is the first new Mavis
issue in a while, and it's a goodun'! Mavis gets to leave work early for
once and plans to spend the evening with her main squeeze,
Taylor Christopher. But she has forgotten a prior promise to an old high
school friend to attend a birthday party for the friend's "problem child"
brother. Mavis and Taylor decide to drop in on the party just to put in an
appearance -- but the evening takes a weird turn that nobody could have
expected! Special appearance by regular Wolff & Byrd clients The Creeps.
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This issue's cover is an homage to a classic John Stanley Little Lulu
cover; the cover was designed by Batton, with art by Archie artist
Bill Galvan.
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Supernatural Law:
"Wolff & Byrd:
The Movie"
While they're in Hollywood on behalf of their vampire client
(see Supernatural Law #1 at the Box Office), Alanna
Wolff and Jeff Byrd find out that a movie is being made based
on their law firm. Who's behind it? What's got them frightened?
You'll need to read the issue to find out! Plus: guest pinups,
letters page, recommendations, and more!
32 pages, $3.50
Click here to Order!
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STILL AVAILABLE!
Tales of Supernatural Law
Here it is–the long-awaited first volume in the
Tales of Supernatural Law
trade paperback series. This book collects issues 1 through 8 of the comic book
series. All of the stories have been relettered and retoned, and Batton has
redrawn a number of panels throughout. This book features the introduction of
such regular characters as Toby Bascoe, Dawn DeVine, and Chase Hawkins, and
Sodd, The Thing That's an It. Stories include "The Curse of the Werehouse," "The
Zombies Strike at Midnight," "The Man Who Broke the Laws of Gravity," "A Host of
Horrors," "The Model Client," "It Stalks the Public Domain," "I, Sodd," "I
Turned a Dream Date into a Nightmare," and "BarCon."
"Supernatural Law serves as a refreshing respite from the pretentiousness that's
found in mainstream comics these days. Like the best humor comics, Lash's
collection proves to be more about fun - whether in the shape of a sultry
supermodel or a ghoulish television host - than serious commentary. And that's
far from criminal."
--
Publisher's Weekly
"This is delicious stuff. ... Wordplay that just won't stop, Lash's Archie-
meets-the-Addams-Family drawing style, and a continuing cast of recurrent
clients, fellow lawyers, and others ensure a steady stream of groans, shrieks,
moans, and roars –– of laughter."
--Ray Olson,
Booklist
"This is substantial and entertaining book that's bound to entertain legal
eagles and general readers alike."
--Tom McLean,
Bags & Boards,
Variety.com
"Cleverly written and with a cartoony, yet polished style of art,
Tales of
Supernatural is a blast to read, filled with monsters, innuendo and inside
jokes. A true hit in the field of small press comics!"
--Tim Janson,
Amazon.com
Other Batton Lash Projects
Bongo Comics Featuring Radioactive Man
The Great, Extreme, Ultimate and Totally Awesome Radioactive Man Event
Batton has been the writer of Radioactive Man stories for Bongo Comics
(publishers of The Simpsons) since 2000. Original a standalone title, "Radioactive Man"
has now been folded into Bongo's Simpsons Super Spectacular anthology. Now comes
the biggest Radioactive Man story yet,
spanning three titles published at the end of June and the beginning of July 2009.
With art by Tone Rodriguez, the story crosses over from Simpsons Comics #155
to Bart Simpson #48 to Simpsons Super Spectacular #9, with a triptych of Bill Morrison covers.
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Simpsons
Super Spectacular #5
In this issue Batton collaborated with Silver Age
Great Ramona Fradon for a parody of her classic series Metamorpho.
Turn to page 17 for "Mufelatto: The Aliment Man"!
Simpsons Super Spectacular #1 cover featuring Radioactive Man
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192 pages, $16.95
