New Anthology This Summer
Thursday, April 27, 2006 (06:49:09)

Posted by Jenn

What do you get when the top names in the animation industry find some time after working their day jobs to express their creative passion for comics? Image Comics is proud to present an amazing anthology debuting this July - AFTERWORKS 2. Following in the footsteps of other recent Image anthologies, such as FLIGHT and PUT THE BOOK BACK ON THE SHELF, AFTERWORKS 2 brings an eclectic mix of artists and stories together in to one collection.

The original AFTERWORKS GN was a self-published black & white anthology by E-Ville Press, a collective of artists based in Emeryville, CA (home of Pixar Animation Studios). E-Ville Press is comprised of Mark Andrews, Max Brace, Simon Dunsdon, Louis Gonzales, Robert Kondo, Ted Mathot, Kevin O'Brien, Sanjay Patel and Nathan Stanton, and between them, these nine animators have worked on some of the top-grossing movies of the last decade, including The Incredibles, Star Wars: Episodes I-III, Monsters Inc, Ice Age, Toy Story, Iron Giant, Finding Nemo and too many more to list!

"I don't know of anybody who isn't a fan of of the many movies these fine fellows have worked on at Pixar," said Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen. "Having the opportunity to publish an anthology by the creative geniuses behind all these beloved films is a thrill and a half. If you're a fan of their films you'll FLIP over their comics."

Image Comics is bringing the original AFTERWORKS GN (FEB068060) back in to print this June, just in time for the debut of the AFTERWORKS 2 GN.

Nathan Stanton (Monsters Inc.) explains the genesis of AFTERWORKS: "Just last year I sat with fellow workers here at Pixar, lamenting the fact that we did not have enough creative outlets outside of the walls here, and soon AFTERWORKS was born; a collective anthology of seven talented folks here who all, like myself, needed creativity outside of the workplace and now we've found it."

"AFTERWORKS 2 will hit the shelves, this time in full color and with a whole new group of folks who, as we'd hoped, were inspired by the first one and wanted to join in," continued Stanton. "It's bigger, better, and full of 100% unadulterated creativity; every story completely different from the next! Anyone new to the AFTERWORKS world, come on in, the waters' just fine....."

AFTERWORKS 2 GN will be a 200-page full-color anthology, and feature not only new tales from a majority of the E-Ville Press crew, but many brand new faces. This includes creators such as Scott Morse (Noble Boy, Soulwind), Bill Presing (Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher), Brian Larsen (Samurai Jack), Derek Thompson (Star Wars: Episode III), Peter Sohn (The Incredibles) and many more.

Contained within are stories too personal to be told in any other medium than comics, stories that touch a nerve and charm the soul. From fact based accounts of Falluja missile strikes to reinterpretations of classic myth, from Tokyo excursions to flights of fantasy, from brawlers to the Devil to hopelessly romantic musicians, AFTERWORKS 2 is untainted storytelling that will be pulled off your shelf and reread time and again.

"The talented people that have banded together for AFTERWORKS 2 are producing work that is truly amazing," says Ted Mathot (The Incredibles). "I'm really excited and proud to be amongst such an incredible group of storytellers. The book really runs the gamut of emotions; funny, sad, dramatic, touching, creepy, sarcastic, poignant... and the artwork is just as varied. It's going to be one heck of a collection!"

AFTERWORKS 2 GN is available for order in the July Previews catalog (on sale today), and the AFTERWORKS 1 GN (FEB068060) is available for pre-order right now and will be in-stores on June 14th.