End Of The War [ Jun 3, 2024 ]Today's strip wraps up Part 3 of QUANTUM VIBE: This Means War, and also wraps up the whole story. Still, there is cover art to be done, and I should have a draft ready for next Monday's update, if not the finished art. We plan to run a crowdfunding campaign for the printed book in September. And, after that? Afterwards we start with a new story, set almost 400 years before This Means War, as Alyss tells her grandchildren the story of how she helped establish an early colony outside the home solar system. We will see some older characters return, and some new characters populating this story. In the weeks before I begin this new story (I haven't settled on a title for it yet,) I'll post some character designs and development art, so keep coming back. See you soon. Not-Safe dot Kickstarter [ May 6, 2024 ]The big news this week is that Scott is preparing to launch a Kickstarter for his other comic, the very much NSFW Not-Safe.Space. This over-sized (8.5 x 11-inch), 48 page book contains Chapter 1 of this naughty sci-fi spin-off, featuring Eithne Lamdagan, who happens to be Alyss Roaz' 7th-great granddaughter, in case you didn't know. The story picks up roughly 2 years after QUANTUM VIBE: Assimulation left off, as Eithne and her K'Tagon boyfriend Ralff, wander through the Galaxy of the Gamer Godz, playing as the CUSH Queen, working to re-balance a real-life RPG that her travelling companion Hugo Galvez left in a bit of a mess. Only instead of Eithne's CUSH turning people into techno-zombies, as the Godz originally intended, Eithne wants to make them techno-Succubi/Incubi, spreading what she calls an "Erogene" factor rendering them too busy making love, to make war. And of course, Eithne gets wrapped up in her work. The campaign will start on May 14, and the link for the pre-launch page is here. What Comes Next [ Mar 18, 2024 ]The war is over, but This Means War has a ways to go. Novo Paolo/Bubbleopolis is still in a nebula/stellar nursery, no one knows what happened to the planet Sharen (center of the Intergalactic Council), and the status of the now-surrendered Invaders is yet to be resolved. What will they do when they learn their homeworld is basically destroyed? Will Alyss and Li be re-united? How about Diana (the real one) and Otto? These questions will be resolved in the next few weeks, before This Means War part 3 wraps in late May. After that, I plan to go BACK in time about 400 years, to when Alyss and Li left their home in the Sol System to colonize a new world on the far side of the galaxy. As one might expect, hijinks ensue. New subtitle yet to be determined, start date sometime in around the start of July. Stay tuned! A Little House Cleaning [ Jan 22, 2024 ]I can't tell you how much I appreciate everyone who backed our Kickstarter project. One small matter remains: a couple of you have yet to provide your shipping address for your rewards. As soon as possible, please either fill out the Kickstarter survey request found on the Kickstarter site, or simply send us an email Orders address and we will ship your reward soon after. If you're wondering why you haven't received a notice about this via email, please check your spam folder. Project Complete! [ Oct 31, 2023 ]We made it! We exceeded our target goal and we're wrapping up the loose ends. Big thanks to our project backers. We're your biggest fans for supporting our project to create the Omnibus hard bound edition of Quantum Vibe: The Murphy Drive>, a collection of the first three volumes of the Quantum Vibe saga. Over the next week or so, Scott will be assembling the book pages for printing. We expect to have the printed books and other items on hand and ready for ship in December 2023. The E-book edition of the Omnibus should be available for download from DriveThruComics to those backers who selected that award. Vouchers will be sent via email. The Omnibus 1 E-Book KS Reward [ Sep 28, 2023 ]Hey gang! We've added a new reward to out Kickstarter project for the Quantum Vibe: The Murphy Drive (Omnibus 1) hardbound book. We've added a new reward, an E-Book copy of the Omnibus 1 edition of the first three volumes of Quantum Vibe. We are offering several Quantum Vibe rewards to those who back our project. More rewards will be added during the campaign as it grows. So you'll want to stay tuned. Follow the link in this paragraph, or you can click on the project art so you can join the growing Quantum Vibe fans backing our project. Project Is A Go! [ Sep 23, 2023 ]The Kickstarter project for our coming Quantum Vibe: The Murphy Drive (Omnibus 1) Kickstarter project has launched. The campaign for this project will run from 9-21-2023 through 10-31-2023. This will be your chance to get your very own copy of this Omnibus edition. Several other Quantum Vibe goodies are available for contributing to our campaign. More will be added during the campaign as it grows. So you'll want to stay tuned. Follow the link in this paragraph, or you can click on the project art so you can join the growing Quantum Vibe fans following our project. Kickstarter PreLaunch! [ Sep 15, 2023 ]Check out our Kickstarter PreLaunch page for our coming Quantum Vibe: The Murphy Drive (Omnibus 1) Kickstarter project where we raise money to compile the first three Quantum Vibe Volumes (Nicole, Murphy, Seamus) in a single hard bound laminated book. Several other Quantum Vibe goodies are available for contributing to our campaign. More will be added during the campaign as it grows. So you'll want to stay tuned. Follow the link in this paragraph, or you can click on the project art so you can join the growing Quantum Vibe fans following our project. Server Crash! [ Jul 23, 2023 ]Had a catastrophic crash of the server today. Recovering from most recent best backups. We hope to have everything back to normal later tonight. Update: System Restored! Vote For QV on TWC [ Sep 13, 2022 ]You may notice a new button on the Quantum Vibe web page, not far below the strip, that says Top Comics TWC with a number. By pressing that button, you will cast a vote for Quantum Vibe on the Top Web Comics web site. You can also press on the image next to this text and cast a vote as well. Top Web Comics is one of the world's leading webcomic communities. Just like at Tammany Hall, you can can vote as much as you like. Every time you vote for Quantum Vibe, you will help increase QV's visibility on the web to help draw more potential fans to our comic. Art needs an audience. The bigger the better. So please help us out, and click that button. Qv8 Book and E-Book On Sale! [ Jul 29, 2022 ]Quantum Vibe: This Means War (Part 2), the 8th volume of the Quantum Vibe saga is now on sale: in print, e-book and kindle. Get your copy now before one of your friends does and then tells you what happens before you read it. Click on the cover art to secure your very own copy today! Hot Off The Press! [ Jun 26, 2022 ]Hey gang! Good news. The books have arrived from the printer. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be working to get the books signed, and all other perks sorted, organized, and ready for shipping. Stay tuned for more updates as we get ready to ship. And thanks again to all our donors and patrons who help keep Quantum Vibe going. We Made It! [ Jun 2, 2022 ]Third try, as they say, is a charm. The crowdfunding campaign for QUANTUM VIBE: This Means War Part 2 made its goal one day before the closing, and climbed a bit over the top in the final day. Over the next week Scott will design the back cover and assemble the book pages for printing. We expect to have the printed books (as well as the cards and T-shirts) on hand in the second half of June and will ship them out to backers ASAP. (The e-book version will also be released by then and we'll announce that date when we have it locked down.) Not Safe [ Apr 24, 2022 ]Starting Monday 4-25-2022, with part 3 of QUANTUM VIBE: This Means War, each strip installment has been extended to have six panels rather than four. We believe this will enable a smoother, fuller story flow for the reader. We will also be limiting uploads of QUANTUM VIBE to one installment per week so Scott has time to develop a new spin-off strip, Not-Safe. Not-Safe will be a NSFW strip set in the Assimulation galaxy depicted in Volume 5, with Eithne Lamdagan as the central character. Our hope is it will bring in enough money so Scott can hire a colorist again and he can start producing more QUANTUM VIBE strips. More info coming soon. QV8 Campaign Is Indie-Go-go! [ Apr 18, 2022 ]Our Indiegogo campaign for part 2 of 3 of Quantum Vibe: This Means War is now live. Perks include the trade paperback, the ebook version, a 10 pack advertising distant future legal services, and a special offer t-shirt supporting the Free Cosmos Project. The clock is ticking on this 45 day campaign. You do not want to miss out! Click the image or the link below to donate to our campaign and get those sweet, sweet perks. QV8 Indiegogo Campaign! [ Apr 2, 2022 ]With the conclusion of part 2 of 3 of Quantum Vibe: This Means War, we're ramping up another Indiegogo campaign to print the next volume of the Quantum Vibe saga. Satisfy your OCD by adding this 8th volume to your existing collection! Planned launch date is Monday April 18th. Keep your scanners tuned here, Mewe or Facebook for more updates. Uno Mas... [ Mar 28, 2022 ]Yes indeed. One strip to go for the adrenaline pumping conclusion of part 2 of 3 of Quantum Vibe: This Means War. Now even the pillars also under attack. Though they seem able to defend themselves, it's hard to say how things are going for the rest of Bubbleopolis. Be sure to stand by for more announcements regarding our upcoming Indiegogo campaign to print the second part of Quantum Vibe: This Means War, as well as the start of part 3 or 3. Stay up to date by following Quantum Vibe on Facebook and Mewe. Just 3 Left! [ Mar 21, 2022 ]Yes. That's right. Just 3 strips left of the thrilling conclusion of part 2 of 3 of Quantum Vibe: This Means War. Now that the Legion's rules have been rebuffed, and the battle is on, who will prevail? Can a collection of determined individuals stand up to a professional army? To find out, don't miss a single strip of Quantum Vibe. And be sure not to miss our upcoming Indiegogo campaign to print the second part of Quantum Vibe: This Means War. Stay tuned for more announcements by following Quantum Vibe on Facebook and Mewe. Five To Go [ Mar 15, 2022 ]That's right kids, only 5 strips left of the thrilling conclusion of part 2 of 3 of Quantum Vibe: This Means War. With the liberation of Bubbleopolis at hand by the Universal Freedom Legion, you will not want to miss a single strip. Next strip uploads this Thursday. And get ready for the upcoming Indiegogo campaign to print the second part of Quantum Vibe: This Means War. Stay tuned for more announcements by following Quantum Vibe on Facebook and or Mewe. It's About To Get Busy! [ Mar 7, 2022 ]Only 6 more strips until the exciting conclusion of part 2 of 3, of Quantum Vibe: This Means War, uploading Thursday, March 31st. With thousands of Intergalactic Council troops storming into the city unhindered, what can the people of Bubbleopolis do? Find out by not missing a single action packed strip. The third, and final part of Quantum Vibe: This Means War is scheduled to begin Monday, April 18th. More on that in the coming weeks. Mean while, between the end of part 2 and the start of part 3, we'll be launching our next Indiegogo campaign where your can get your very own print copy of part 2 of 3. RTD Update [ Feb 13, 2022 ]For those awaiting your copy of Roswell, Texas Deluxe, the books have arrived. We've already sent out the first few, and will get the rest out early this week. If you ordered the 10 pack of postcards, those are going out at the same time. You should receive email notices from Indiegogo as items are shipped which will include tracking numbers. And for those who asked for an ebook copy, DriveThruComics vouchers were emailed today. Check your email (and maybe your spam folder) and click the link therein to receive your voucher to download your copy. Again, we want to thank everyone who contributed and help bring to living color the tale of Roswell, Texas. And We Are Back! [ Jan 3, 2022 ]Hope everyone had a great holiday. We've got plenty of exciting story ahead for 2022. So, don't miss a moment, because things are heating up. For those who contributed to our Roswell, Texas Rides Again Indiegogo campaign, we are putting the finishing touches on the book, and hope to get it to press soon. Happy New Year from the folks at Big Head Press! Holiday News [ Dec 22, 2021 ]Happy holidays everyone! Wanted to let you know that Quantum Vibe will be taking a break for the holidays next week. Have no fear, Quantum Vibe will return after the new year on Monday, January 3rd. And as a little holiday bonus, two more Quantum Vibe strips will drop this week. One on Thursday, followed by another on Friday. We hope that will help tide everyone over until Quantum Vibe returns. Lastly, we at Big Head Press want to thank all our fans for your support and wish you safe and happy holidays. See you next year! Deadline Extended, Oh My! [ Nov 29, 2021 ]We've extended our Indiegogo campaign to raise money to print a maximum of 500 copies of the hard bound, full color, deluxe edition of the alt-history adventure: Roswell, Texas. We figured folks might need a little more time to get in on what is sure to be a highly collectable collectable. And one hell-of-a coffee table conversation starter. Stay tuned for more announcements! Roswell,Texas Rides Again! [ Oct 25, 2021 ]The clock is ticking now, as we launch our Indiegogo campaign to raise money to print a hard bound, full color, limited edition of Roswell, Texas. We are printing only a maximum of 500 copies of this edition, and you have 30 days to help us reach our goal. To contribute to our campaign and get your very own limited copy, click on the art to the left or the link below. And don't forget to tell your friends (after you've secured your own copy of course). Stay tuned for more announcements! Roswell, Texas Deluxe Pre-Launch Deal [ Oct 17, 2021 ]As we get ready to launch our Roswell, Texas Deluxe Indiegogo campaign next week, we have an early bird deal to offer. If you sign up to our campaign before the campaign starts, you will get a 15% discount on your contribution to help us print 500 copies of the limited deluxe edition of the popular retro-sci-fi comedy romp. By signing up, you will receive updates on the campaign as well. To sign up for our early-bird special, just go to our Indiegogo Roswell, Texas Rides Again campaign pre-launch page. And stay tuned for more announcements! Roswell, Texas - Full Color Hard Bound [ Oct 11, 2021 ]ROSWELL, TEXAS, the retro-sci-fi comedy romp written by L. Neil Smith and Rex F. May, and illustrated by Scott Bieser and Jen Zach, is getting a new lease on life from Big Head Press. The new deluxe printed graphic novel will be in a full-color, larger format hard-back book, and limited to 500 copies available exclusively through Indiegogo.com, the crowd-funding platform. This new edition will also include an afterward by Rylla Smith, daughter of author L. Neil Smith, who discorporated in late August.> The crowd-funding campaign is scheduled to commence October 25, ending November 23. Stay tuned for more announcements. Remembering L. Neil Smith [ Sep 6, 2021 ]I've been having a hard time putting words down here. This is my third attempt at putting together a suitable, or at least coherent, collection of remarks about my friend who discorporated this last August 27th. I use the term discorporated because that was a euphemism favored by Robert A. Heinlein, the grand master of classic sci-fi who was the author Neil most admired and sought to model his own work upon. It seems appropriate here. One of Neil's most-prized possessions was a letter he received, early in his career, from RAH himself, who told the younger Neil that he had found the correct balance of action, romance, and philosophy in his stories. I've only known Neil since the late 1990s (which was HOW many years ago? Geebus) but he had a fairly large impact on my life. I found him via The Libertarian Enterprise web-magazine and presumptuously sent a graphic of The Bill of Rights bursting through the Eurostyle don't do this symbol which I'd rendered out in 3D Studio Max, and was an improvement on the low-rez drawing he had put together himself. So we exchanged e-mails and I made some more art for him on occasion and next thing I knew we were making The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel together and then I had moved from southern California to Cheyenne, Wyoming, partly to be closer to him as we collaborated on Roswell, Texas and Phoebus Krumm. However. after that Neil wanted to do a sequel to Roswell but I'd gotten tired of the 1950s and wanted to make stories set in the future – which I did when I embarked on my own QUANTUM VIBE series. Were it not for Neil I don't think there would be a QUANTUM VIBE, or at least nothing closely resembling it. I learned much about storytelling by working with him, and by our association I acquired the core of an audience which sustains me to this day. We remained friends and I continued to drive the 50 miles from Cheyenne to Fort Collins to hang out with him in the bleachers of the local ice-skating rink, where we chatted while also watching Neil's wife and daughter skating on the ice. On occasion I brought my sons down to join with them and I hope I wasn't too embarrassing as I stumbled around. But then my wife, E.J., discorporated 40 years early and my family in Texas beckoned my sons and me home to heal, which we did. Neil continued writing stories, maintaining his optimism despite his declining health – he once told me he intended to be the world's first 400-year-old diabetic. I had hoped to return to Fort Collins once or twice to visit, but circumstances prevented me from making the trip, even for his Libertarian Futurist Society Lifetime Award acceptance in 2016. Another friend of mine likes to speak of having an immortality project, something one does while in the world that makes an effect that continues after one has gone. Neil's immortality project, aside from his daughter Rylla, was his stories, which deserve to be remembered long after all of us have discorporated, ourselves. -- Scott Bieser IGG Campaign Concludes [ Jul 6, 2021 ]A Message From AlyssSo, we fell just a few hundred short of our goal, but that's okay, because it's a "Flexible Goal" meaning we still get the funds raised (minus Indiegogo's cut) so we can and will fulfill the promised perks. We are grateful to all who contributed, and yes you are all now founding members of the "Free Cosmos Project," with all the privileges membership entitles you thereto. (Unless you don't want the honor, we'll respect that too.) Which for now means we'll be whipping up a spiffy little Certificate for each of you, physical versions sent out with the physical books requested, and PDF versions for the rest. Indiegogo will disburse the funds to us soon. And we've already got the ball rolling printing books, and postcards, as well as the above-mentioned FCP certificates. And we'll be talking a bit more about the Free Cosmos Project in the coming weeks. Thanks again and click on, me hearties, click on. Referral Contest Update #2 [ Jun 21, 2021 ]Update: Inked DrawingWe still can use your help getting more people to contribute to our campaign with a referral contest. The campaign backer whose referrals raise the most money for our campaign, will win a one-of-a-kind ink-on-paper drawing of Alyss, Hugo and Murphy, drawn and water-colored by QUANTUM VIBE creator Scott Bieser! Here's an inked drawing of what you might win: Alyss, Hugo and Murphy enjoying a rare vacation on Nuveau Mo'orea. Click on the image to see a larger version (in a new tab or browser window - depends on your browser settings). Stay tuned for more reveals. The final result will be a unique creation a real QUANTUM VIBE fan would love to have. You must have an IndieGogo account to participate. Go to this page for more info on how to participate. Don't delay and risk missing out on the chance of winning a one-of-a-kind piece of original art. The campaign ends, July 5th, 2021. Referral Contest Update [ Jun 17, 2021 ]UPDATE: Art in progress We could use your help getting more people to contribute to our campaign. So, we're launching a referral contest. The campaign backer whose referrals raise the most money for our campaign, will win a one-of-a-kind ink-on-paper drawing of Alyss, Hugo and Murphy, drawn and water-colored by QUANTUM VIBE creator Scott Bieser! At right is a "study" (in the art biz, a sort of practice run on the final drawing) of what you might win: Alyss, Hugo and Murphy enjoying a rare vacation on Nuveau Mo'orea. Scott is still working on it while he's not making the strip, and we plan to reveal works in progress very soon. It will be a unique creation a real QUANTUM VIBE fan would love to have. You must have an IndieGogo account to participate. Go to this page for more info on how to participate. Get started now. The campaign ends, July 5th, 2021. QV IGG Water Color Referral Contest! [ Jun 15, 2021 ]We could use your help getting more people to contribute to our campaign. So, we're launching a referral contest. The campaign backer who's referrals raise the most money for our campaign, will win a one-of-a-kind ink-on-paper drawing of Alyss, Hugo and Murphy, drawn and water-colored by QUANTUM VIBE creator Scott Bieser! You must have an IndieGogo account to participate. Go to this page for more info on how to participate. And don't worry, it won't look ANYTHING like the picture to the right. (Scott is still working on it while he's not making the strip, and we plan to reveal works in progress very soon). But it will be a unique creation a real QUANTUM VIBE fan would love to have. Get started now. The campaign ends, July 5th, 2021. More Goodies To Come! [ Jun 9, 2021 ]As another incentive, when we hit our first goal of $7,000, we will add a new perk to the mix: the trade paper back including a mini-version (8.5" x 11:) of the full size poster we'll be adding when we hit our first stretch goal. As announced last week, the art is still in-progress and we'll post more updates on the poster as Scott is able to refine it. And to correct last week's post, the full size poster will be 18" x 24". Help us reach our goal by continuing to spread the word! And if you haven't contributed yet, then click on the image and help us out. The Incentive [ Jun 3, 2021 ]Our IndieGoGo campaign got off to a strong start, but now it's time to add more incentive, so... The finished poster will be made available to donors when we make our first stretch goal of $10,000. It will be offered in two sizes: 8.5" x 11" (which can be mailed flat) and 18" x 24" (which must be shipped in a tube). So please help us make this poster a reality, check out our campaign page if you haven't already, and choose the best reward tier for you. Campaign Off To A Great Start! [ May 27, 2021 ]Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far to our IndieGogo Campaign for QUANTUM VIBE: This Means War (Part 1 of 3), the 7th volume in the QUANTUM VIBE series. We had a great start our first week, but still have a ways to go to reach our goal. We need your help in spreading the word and help us reach our goal so we can bring QUANTUM VIBE: This Means War (Part 1 of 3) to print. And in case you want to contribute some more, just click on the dancing Guido and Kennerly sibs. The campaign ends July 5th, 2021. If you haven't contributed to get yourself, or a sci-fi action loving friend, the trade paper back or e-book, don't let time run out! And if you don't like them that much, you can get a pack of QUANTUM VIBE special post cards to mail them while on vacation and perhaps make that "less liked" friend think you left the solar system. Spread the word, and stay tuned for additional perks and more! Indiegogo Campaign Launched! [ May 17, 2021 ]That's right boys and girls. We've fired up an Indiegogo campaign. What's in it for you, you ask? It's to get the next volume of Quantum Vibe to print and ebook form, that's what. To tempt you further, we have more than just the book planned for donors to receive for their donations, all depending on how things go. The more donors we get, the more extras we can offer. Stay tuned for more announcements! BHP Forum No More [ May 1, 2021 ]Well folks, it's been 14 years since we started the Big Head Press forum. And there's been a lot of great conversations held there. But, as they do, the times change, and most of the conversations regarding Quantum Vibe and other Big Head Press thoughtful stories have moved on to social media sites like Facebook and Mewe, as well as to the Disqus section on the Quantum Vibe website. With so few participating in the online forum anymore, we decided it was time to retire the forum. We truly appreciate all the fan support we received there over the years, and hope those stalwart few who continued using the Big Head Press forum will join the rest of us on the other platforms. Salute! EFT Collection - Almost OUT! [ Apr 20, 2021 ]If you've been putting off buying your set of Escape From Terra books, it's time to move that pointer to the picture for this blatant advertisement and click. Only a handful of this limited collection left. You don't want to miss out. Order yours today while supplies last! We Now Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Program. [ Mar 1, 2021 ]Texas has returned to more normal winter weather conditions, power is back on and Internet connections are working. Which means Scott has new Quantum Vibe strips ready to go this week. We appreciate everyone's understanding and patience as we emerged from hibernation. And if you haven't already, please help us keep the lights on by buying Quantum Vibe books (in print or digital) along with any of Big Head Press's other thoughtful stories. Updates delayed by Thundersnow [ Feb 21, 2021 ]Scott's home and studio were without electric power for three days after the freak winter ice/snow storm hit Texas last week. That plus needing a day to recover and recuperate has eaten up his buffer of strips and put him a week behind schedule. We regret that a one-week pause in uploads is unfortunately necessary. QUANTUM VIBE will resume uploads on March 1, 2021 The Times... They Are A-Changin' [ Jan 26, 2021 ]We all know the Pandemic response has thrown a serious damper on the economy, and it has affected Big Head Press and Scott's income, too. So, for the time being we are switching our update schedule to two-per-week, giving Scott time to do more promotional work we hope will boost our readership and income. (Eventually Scott hopes to hire a colorist again so we can go back to more frequent updates.) On the plus side, Scott will be using that time to generate more art, and .... drum-roll please ... launch a YouTube channel! The channel will be a place where Scott can talk about Quantum Vibe, web-comics, the cultural scene in general, and maybe some politics after we're done being sick of politics. It's also where we will be telling readers all about our up-coming Indiegogo campaign to get QUANTUM VIBE: This Means War Vol. 1 into print. Stay tuned! New Schedule begins Feb 1, 2021 Quantum Vibe: Château Périlleux Now On KIndle & DriveThru [ Nov 2, 2020 ]The hiatus is over, but now's still a good time to go back and read the previous volume of QUANTUM VIBE: Château Périlleux. Now available in digital format on Kindle and Drive Thru Comics! QUANTUM VIBE: Château Périlleux asks how does a society without a formal government deal with crime and criminal conspiracies? In the far-future space-city known as Bubbleopolis, they do it with a mixture of wit, grit, and a culture based on rolling up one's sleeves and doing what must be done. Diana Martelli, a recent arrival, likes to call it compassionate individualism. And speaking of, young Diana is tasked with finding out who killed a supposedly un-killable android -- and uncovers a conspiracy which shakes the very foundations of the city and its culture. As a bonus, we've added sixteen pages of "The Trial", a supplement to "Château Périlleux" which was not included in the printed version. Enjoy! Get The EFT Collection! [ Apr 5, 2020 ]Looking for an escape while you wait? You might want to consider an Escape From Terra. All 3 volumes can now be yours for a mere $19.95 USD. Get yours now while supplies last! Quantum Vibe on MeWe! [ Mar 27, 2020 ]Calling all Quantum Vibe fans! Tired of not getting timely updates for Quantum Vibe on Facebook? Wish there was a social media site that allowed it's users to communicate with everyone who's interested? Well wait no longer. Quantum Vibe now has a MeWe group on MeWe. If you're already a MeWe user, then just click on the MeWe picture on this article and it will take you straight to the Quantum Vibe MeWe group page. Once you join the group you know you won't miss a thing going on in the Quantum Vibe universe. Sign up today! The El Neil Collection on Sale Now! [ Feb 17, 2020 ]So you've wanted to buy all 3 of L. Neil Smith's classic Big Head Press graphic novels? Well, wait no longer. That day has arrived. All 3 of El Neil's books can now be ordered direct from the publisher for the low price of $14.95 USD (sorry, offer only available in the USA). Included in this collection: El Neil's space pirate swash-buckler, Phoebus Krumm, his alternate Texas history sci-fi spy thriller, Roswell, Texas, as well as his twice Prometheus award winning sci-fi adventure, The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel. The collection's art by Quantum Vibe creator Scott Bieser. You won't find a better deal this side of LaPorte. Order now while supplies last! Scott @ LP Con 2020! [ Feb 8, 2020 ]Been wishing you could meet Quantum Vibe creator Scott Bieser and get his autograph on one of his many graphic novels? If you're going to be in Austin, Texas the weekend of May 22nd through the 25th this year, you're in luck. Big Head Press will be selling books in the exhibit area for the 2020 Libertarian Party Convention. Scott will also be at the table, helping out and chatting with fans.
You don't have to be a libertarian or have any interest in politics to come see us. The exhibit area is open to the public, in the JW Ballroom on the 4th floor of the JW Marriot in downtown Austin. Quantum Vibe: Château Périlleux Now On Sale! [ Oct 31, 2019 ]How does a society without a formal government deal with crime and criminal conspiracies? In the far-future space-city known as Bubbleopolis, they do it with a mixture of wit, grit, and a culture based on rolling up one's sleeves and doing what must be done. Diana Martelli, a recent arrival, likes to call it compassionate individualism. Big Head Press announces the release of the latest graphic novel in the QUANTUM VIBE series: Château Périlleux, in which young Diana is tasked with finding out who killed a supposedly un-killable android -- and uncovers a conspiracy which shakes the very foundations of the city and its culture. Available now direct from Big Head Press. Staple! This weekend! Yikes! [ Oct 9, 2019 ]Yikes! We almost forgot to tell visitors to the Quantum Vibe page that Scott will be making an appearance at Staple! the indie comics expo, in Austin, Texas this coming weekend, October 12-13. Scott will be premiering his latest collection of Quantum Vibe strips, QUANTUM VIBE: Château Périllieu. Exclusively available at this show! The trade-paperback will go on sale in other channels soon afterwards. Sorry for the late notice, hope to see readers there. What's Next? [ Aug 16, 2019 ]Château Périlleux may have concluded, but Quantum Vibe continues. We're taking a short break, but we will be back in a few weeks with new story. In the meantime, be sure to check back each Monday as we'll have a "break" strip for you to enjoy with announcements about the upcoming Quantum Vibe stories among other things. See ya! SubscribeStar Update: All Systems Go! [ Feb 11, 2019 ]The QUANTUM VIBE page on SubscribeStar is now open for business. Those seeking an alternative to Patreon for supporting Scott and Quantum Vibe, SubscribeStar is another option. Paypal is not available with SubsribeStar, but credit cards are accepted. Plans for accepting crypto-payments are in the works. Stay tuned. Coming soon: SubscribeStar [ Jan 28, 2019 ]Scott here. I'm aware many of my erstwhile Patreon supporters have left the platform altogether, and I'm assuming most of you are upset by Patreon's recent politically-biased culling of "deplorables." The good news is now an alternative to Patreon is again available, and it is called SubscribeStar. The bad news is this site has received so many applications for accounts that they're behind on verification/approvals. So, if you like you can go look at my page there (https://www.subscribestar.com/quantum-vibe ) but you can't subscribe just yet. When the approval happens we will make an announcement here. In the meanwhile, those of you with Bitcoins or Ether can always send me some love at the wallet addresses listed under the big Patreon button. Thanks and please keep reading. A Short Break For the Holidays [ Dec 20, 2018 ]Hey gang, it's that time of the year again when folks step away from their computers and enjoy family and friends. We'll be doing that here at Big Head Press too. Quantum Vibe will be update free next week. But never fear, we'll have 3 new strips the first week of the year starting Wednesday, January 2nd 2019. Any of our U.S. readers wishing to purchase Big Head Press titles via Paypal for direct shipping, if you place your order after Saturday December 22nd, it will ship after new year's day. We will work to get them out as quickly as we can after we return. We at Big Head Press would also like to thank all our readers for their support and wish you all safe and happy holidays. About the Patreon Contretemps [ Dec 18, 2018 ]Scott here. Patreon's recent moves to de-platform some popular YouTube personalities who have upset a censorious subset of progressives has alarmed all of us who value an ethic of open discussion, even when opinions expressed are sometimes quite difficult to tolerate. Maybe especially then. I have had several Patrons drop out of the system and ask me to set up an account with an alternative subscriber service. However, there seems to be a Twitter-based activist group of "Social Justice Warriors" which can attack and shut down alternative services lest they become a haven for the wrong crowd. Maker-Support and SubscribeStar have both fallen victim to these racketeers. Now, I know that some of my readers are here because they like my politics, but many others don't care about the politics but enjoy the stories. And all of you are important to me. But some of you want an alternative subscription service and I am open to any such that seems able to withstand assaults from the Blue Meanies. I have word of such a system in the works and will adopt it quickly if it pans out. I'm also following Minds.com and Steamit.com, which offer a means for people to support creators, but they deal in crypto-currencies, which at present are not as easy for most people to deal with as their national currencies. But new innovations may change this, so I haven't written them off either. In the meanwhile, I'm sticking with Patreon, out of financial necessity. If and when I make a move to either add an alternate service or replace Patreon, I will announce it here and elsewhere. And I understand those of you who cannot bring yourselves to consider supporting me through Patreon and will happily welcome you back when I can offer you a better choice. Thanks for hanging in there with me! Scott @ Alamo City Comic Con 2018! [ Oct 1, 2018 ]Buckle up again Quantum Vibe fans, fall is here and in San Antonio, Texas, so is the Alamo City Comic Con 2018. Get your pens ready because Quantum Vibe creator and artist Scott Bieser will be on hand for the three day event, hanging out in the artist alley, drawing pictures, meeting fans and signing autographs. Alamo City Comic Con 2018 runs October 26th through the 28th at the Alamo Dome, in downtown San Antonio, Texas. Quantum Vibe: Assumulation Available On Kindle! [ Mar 1, 2018 ]The waiting is over. And the news is this, the 5th volume in the Quantum Vibe saga is available on Kindle!. Buy your copy today from Amazon, and enjoy our heroes as they have a close encounter of the digital kind from the comfort of your favorite e-reader device. QUANTUM VIBE: ASSIMILATION on Sale! [ Dec 18, 2017 ]At long last, the 5th volume in the Quantum Vibe saga is now available in print. Buy your copy today from Amazon or Barnes & Nobel. You will be able to order directly from Big Head Press (sorry, US shipping only) very soon. Also, look for announcements for Quantum Vibe: Assimulation being available on Kindle and from DriveThru Comics. Just In Time For Christmas? [ Dec 10, 2017 ]Well... there's still time left for you to order that last minute gift to give to that Big Head Press fan you love so much. Including if that someone's you. Big Head Press Santa has been busy the last few weeks setting up the Big Head Press Supply Store at Zazzle.com. From our supply store, you can buy coffee mugs, t-shirts, posters and more,sporting the Big Head Press logo, as well as images from Big Head Press stories like our current running popular slightly weird sci-fi webcomic Quantum Vibe. Many items you can customize their colors. We've stocked the store with a few items to start, and will be adding more over time. Stay tuned for announcements on that. But the fun part is you can take any of the art work we put up on the zazzle store, and you can apply them to pretty much any product Zazzle will put it on. The list is too long for here. Check it out for yourself. And hurry, only a couple of weeks until Christmas! New Quantum Vibe Starts Monday! [ Dec 1, 2017 ]Just a heads-up QV fans, new strips for QUANTUM VIBE: Château Périlieu start their run on Monday, December 4th!. This time around you will notice a slight change in format. Instead of 3 panel strips, Monday through Friday, we are switching to 4 panel strips, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This move helps with meeting monthly budget requirements for producing this fine story, as well as provide a better story telling in each strip byd adding the extra panel. We hope you enjoy the new format. Don't forget to click the ad links on our site and if you are enjoying this slightly mad sci-fi adventure do please click over to our store and purchase some copies (both in print and digital formats). That's what allows us to keep telling the Quantum Vibe story. Escape From Terra Now On Kindle! [ Oct 2, 2017 ]Starting today, the adventures of King Reginald the 1st and his merry gang of anarchists are now available in a series of 12 books on Kindle! Now for the first time on your Kindle device or app, you can experience these thrilling tales of bravery, and survival in the cold vacuum of space, in a humanity changing bid to Escape From Terra. Order your complete set of Escape From Terra stories from Amazon today! Roswell, Texas Now On Kindle! [ May 29, 2017 ]"Wild Bill" and his Texas Rangers ride yet again, this time on Kindle. Now you can enjoy this popular alternate history yarn from Prometheus award winners L. Neil Smith and Scott Bieser, and the cartooning legend Rex F. May (a.k.a. "Baloo". We know you can't wait to get your copy, so we included a handy link to buy your copy right here!. See all the titles available from the Big Head Press Store. Scott @ Alamo City Comic Con! [ May 9, 2017 ]Buckle up Quantum Vibe fans, the summer season is fast upon us, and in Texas that means Alamo City Comic Con. And why is that good news for QV fans? Good news because Quantum Vibe creator and artist Scott Bieser will be on hand for the three day event, hanging out in the artist alley, drawing pictures, meeting fans and signing autographs. Alamo City Comic Con runs May 26th through the 28th at the Henry B. Gonzalez convention center, in downtown San Antonio, Texas. Half-off All GNs In Print! [ Mar 6, 2017 ]Good news BHP fans! Beginning March 6th, 2017, all seven BHP graphic novels in print are now available for half the list price when you buy direct from Big Head Press. The list of titles includes favorites like The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel by L. Neil Smith & Scott Bieser, The Architect by Mike Baron & Andie Tong, and Odysseus The Rebel by Steven Grant & Scott Bieser. Don't delay, and order your half-off BHP graphic novels today! Sorry, offer only available for shipping in the US. Sales tax will apply for Texas residents. Quantum Vibe Now Available On Kindle & In PDF! [ Jan 13, 2017 ]You asked for it? You got it. All four volumes of Quantum Vibe are now available on Kindle and in PDF format from DriveThru Comics. Check out our store page to buy your copies today! Quantum Vibe: Venus 23 On Sales Now! [ Oct 17, 2016 ]Exciting news boys and girls, the 310 strips of Quantum Vibe: Venus 23 have been collected into a fourth Quantum Vibe volume from Big Head Press and is on sale now from various online retailers. Venus 23 is the story of life on a small backwater planet, 500 years after the invention of the Murphy Drive. "Zytemonde" is a well managed, orderly, and predictable world where all needs are provided for by powerful android rulers. But life is hardly paradise when managing resources also includes controlling every aspect of everyone's life. And despite best efforts by their android rulers, a slow decay of civil society is beginning to show; with growing black markets, supply shortages, and power outages becoming more common. Yet, while the rot slowly breaks their world down, an unexpected question begins to be seen, asked on posters littered about the city and spray painted on walls: "Hu Iz Alyss Roaz?" Learn the answer to this question along with young Bolivar Eustace Clark ("Bok") and his friends, as they struggle to survive on a world designed to end all struggle. Order your copy today. Quantum Vibe: Venus 23 is available in print as well as digital form. Go to the Big Head Press store page to find out more! Scott @ Oni-Con XIII [ Sep 10, 2016 ]Hey kids! As the cold weather creeps in this fall, what better way to make summer last a little longer than to head down to the Texas island of Galveston, October 28 - 30, and enjoy margaritas on the beach while getting to meet (and get an autograph from) your favorite sci-fi comic artist and creator of the slightly mad Quantum Vibe webcomic, Scott Bieser, at Galveston's annual Japanese Pop Culture & Multi-Genre Fan Expo: Oni-Con XIII. Hosted at the Galveston Island Convention Center you're a short walk from the beach. You're margarita won't have time to start melting before you begin imbibing that last little taste of summer. BHP Alumni Adi Tantimedh New Book Series [ Aug 18, 2016 ]Entertainment Weekly announced today that, Adi Tantimedh, author of Big Head Press's super hero fashion graphic novel, La Muse has signed a deal with Atria Books to publish his new crime fiction series, Ravi PI. The first book in the series will be titled, Her Nightly Embrace. But wait, there's more. In addition, this series is currently in-development as a TV series with Heroes star, Sendhil Ramamurthy in the lead role. If you click here you can read what EW had to say about it, as well as an excerpt from the first book. We at Big Head Press are both proud of, and excited for Adi in this new venture and wish him the best of luck. Lee Oaks presents THUNDER MONKEY! [ Jun 14, 2016 ]He's not from our world. His sister is annoying. His skin explodes. When he punches something it goes KA-BOOM! Meet THUNDER MONKEY. THUNDER MONKEY: The Young Years is a comic-book funded via Kickstarter by Lee Oaks, the artist for BHP's sci-fi adventure strip Escape From Terra. It is an all-ages comic with a lead character Lee describes as "Curious George with superpowers." The book is scheduled to ship in September 2016. Kudos from David Brin [ Jun 13, 2016 ]QUANTUM VIBE received a welcome shout-out recently from award-winning sci-fi author David Brin in his blog this month. (Third entry in a list of 18 recommended web-comics.) Scott has read and enjoyed several of Brin's novels, including The Postman and Sun Diver and Brin's kudos made his day. Special thanks to QV reader Harvey Morrell for bringing this to our attention. Where Will Scott Be In 2016? [ Feb 29, 2016 ]Scott Bieser, creator of Quantum Vibe be attending Space City Comic-Con in Houston, Texas May 27-29, in the Artist's Alley section. Scott will be at an "end-cap" table so he should be reasonably easy to find. Stay tuned for further developments. Scott will also be attending Staple! in Austin, Texas, March 5-6. He's not there to exhibit, just to hang out for a couple of days, take in some panels and see what's shaking in this part of the Texas comics scene. If you happen to be there, you might see him. Digital Roswell, Texas Available Now! [ Feb 1, 2016 ]"Wild Bill" and his Texas Rangers ride again, this time in a hi-rez, full color PDF release of the popular alternate history story from Prometheus award winner L. Neil Smith and cartooning legend Rex F. May (a.k.a. "Baloo"). Now readers can enjoy the full effect of Scott Bieser and Jen Zach's marvelous art for this fantastic tale of strangely familiar people living in a stranger world that is all too familiar.
Be the first kid on your block to get this gem of a story, now available @ DriveThru Comics.. Roswell, Texas Coming To DriveThru! [ Jan 25, 2016 ]"Wild Bill" Bear and his Texas Rangers ride again this Monday, February 1st! This time as a 150ppi PDF ebook available from DriveThru Comics. If you've never read our alternate history story online or in print, or even if you have, Scott and Jen's striking art can be seen at its best in this hi-rez version of an L Neil Smith classic tale of spies, intrigue and aliens. You can find other Big Head Press titles at: DriveThru Comix Holiday Break Coming Up! [ Dec 21, 2015 ]Quantum Vibe will be taking a week off next week, Monday December 28 through Friday January 1st, for a little holiday breather. But never fear, we will be back with new story and new surprises Monday, January 4, with the thrilling second half of Quantum Vibe: Venus 23. See you then! EFT 3.4 Now @ DriveThru! [ Dec 14, 2015 ]Dream of going to Mars your whole life but no way to get there? Maybe a decommissioned space station is just the ticket you were looking for. If only it wasn't owned by a bunch of governments who want it destroyed. Or maybe your love for animals and your desire to make your mark is your dream. Certainly nothing could go wrong with that. Or maybe your dream is to escape from Terra. But if you invite all your friends, can you get them to leave their bad habits back home? The thrilling adventures of life in the belt conclude (for now) in this final volume of the digital distribution of ESCAPE FROM TERRA! Direct To EFT v3.4 @ DriveThru Comics EFT 3.3 Now @ DriveThru! [ Dec 7, 2015 ]Never been to Mercury you say? That was the question Reggie & Babbette asked themselves and extended their “honeymoon” by getting ever closer to the sun. And like Icarus, run the risk of getting burned. Back on Ceres, still grieving the loss of her family, Emily Rose finds coping with the stress that comes from great tragedy more difficult and confusing than she ever might have imagined. And the Guzmán brothers enlist an old friend to mount a rescue mission on Terra. The thrilling adventures of life in the belt continue in volume 3.3 of ESCAPE FROM TERRA! Direct To EFT v3.3 @ DriveThru Comics Next Week: The final volume of the digital release of Escape From Terra EFT 3.2 Now @ DriveThru! [ Nov 30, 2015 ]Reggie & Babbette decide a rejuvination is a terrible thing to waste and continue their travels on to Venus. Inbound to Terra's sister planet, our revitalized couple meet an old friend with news of a very interesting scientific find. They soon learn some new ways how curiosity can kill the cat. At that time on Ceres Guy's unpleasant cousin Pierre from Terra arrives. It isn't long before Pierre's pompous attitude lands him in lethal trouble. The thrilling adventures of life in the belt continue in volume 3.2 of ESCAPE FROM TERRA! Direct To EFT v3.2 @ DriveThru Comics Next Week: Things heat up and points are made in "Escape From Terra, Volume 3.3 - The King & I: Mercury / Error & Trial / Neanne Get Your EFT v3.1! [ Nov 23, 2015 ]So if you’re a pair of outlaw senior citizens in the 22nd Century, and after years of loneliness you fall in love all over again, what do you do? You could go on an interplanetary honeymoon to Mars, get yourselves rejuvenated on the side, and try not to get arrested -- or killed. Meanwhile, your kids back on Ceres are leading a Space Scouts expedition to a strange new planetoid, where a troubled youth from Terra learns a valuable lesson. The thrilling adventures of life in the belt continue in volume 3.1 of ESCAPE FROM TERRA! Direct To EFT v3.1 @ DriveThru Comics Next Week: Things heat up and points are made in Escape From Terra, Volume 3.2 - The King & I: Venus / Code Duello EFT v2.4 Now @ DriveThru! [ Nov 16, 2015 ]They say history repeats itself. Though 200 years separate them, similar events can unfold in similar ways. And that’s what happens to the Cerereans as they once again must face a military challenge from Terra’s United World government. Will it finally come to interplanetary war? Or maybe there are other options, drawn from Terra’s own bloody history which might avoid the horror of war. And if there is, what resistance might there be from those who crave the battlefield? These questions are answered and more in 40 pages of “The Christmas War”. Direct To EFT v2.4 @ DriveThru Comics Next Week: We begin the first of four in the 3.x series with Escape From Terra, Volume 3.1 - The King & I: Mars / Space Scouts EFT 2.3 Now @ DriveThru! [ Nov 9, 2015 ]Volume 2.3 of “Escape From Terra” brings us four more shorts from the popular sci-fi webcomic. “Justice Agent”: wherein Wally Cooper learns that folks are happy to pay for the things they really want. “Babbette’s Confession”: wherein Babbette reveals a painful secret and how she learns to live with it. ”Trial & Error”: wherein Bert and Ernie’s attackers learn how to live in a new and very different world. “When Penguins Fly”: wherein Liberty Guzmán learns she’s no penguin. 47 story pages to stir your imagination. Direct To EFT v2.3 @ DriveThru Comics Next Week: A new classic Christmas adventure in Escape From Terra, Volume 2.4 - The Christmas War EFT 2.2 @ DriveThru! [ Nov 2, 2015 ]Volume 2.2 of Escape From Terra contains two “hard” sci-fi adventure tales of life in the belt; “Fly, Robyn Fly” and “Leap Of Faith.” In the first story, a pair of young friends from Terra endure and escape the hardships of a Lunar juvenile prison. Meanwhile, in the second story, the Brothers Guzmán must think their way out of a trap set by space pirates. 66 story pages to stir your imagination. Direct To EFT v2.2 @ DriveThru Comics Next Week: four, count-em, four new adventures in Escape From Terra, Volume 2.3 - Justice Agent / Babbette's Confession / Trial & Error / When Penguins Fly EFT 2.1 - Available Online! [ Oct 26, 2015 ]The intrepid belter colonists’ story continues in this volume 2.1 digital re-issue of Escape From Terra. We begin as Fiorella and Captain Doris encounter strange, giant artifacts in the 32 page story from the second print volume, “Big Head”. Later they face both fun and danger in an out-of-this-world theme park in the 25 page story from the second print volume, “Babes In Toyland”. 57 pages of sci-fi adventure for a mere $2.75(US).
Direct To DriveThru Next Week: Escape From Terra, Volume 2.2 - Fly, Robyn Fly / Leap Of Faith EFT 1.4: Solving A Martian Mystery [ Oct 19, 2015 ]This week we release volume 1.4 of our digital re-issue of the Escape From Terra series. In this issue we present to you the 34 page story, Martian Mystery. Reggie is asked by an old friend to travel to Mars to investigate strange aberrations reported at a remote science station. Reggie has to use every bit of his intellect and experience to not succumb to the siren call of his conjured up past and lose his sanity, or maybe his life. A gripping sci-fi ghost story for the very reasonable price of $2.00(US).
Direct to DriveThru Comics Next Week: Escape From Terra, Volume 2.1 - Big Head / Babes In Toyland EFT v1.3 Available At DriveThru! [ Oct 12, 2015 ]This week we release volume 1.3 of our digital re-issue of the Escape From Terra saga. In this issue we present to you the 47 page story, The Iceman Cometh which tells the tale of strange adventure that unfolds for the Guzman brothers as they attempt to deliver ice to a mysterious client. A fun "hard sci-fi" story for the very reasonable price of $2.50(US).
Direct to DriveThru Comics Next Week: Escape From Terra, Volume 1.4 - Martian Mystery EFT v1.2 Available Now! [ Oct 5, 2015 ]As promised, Escape From Terra, Volume 1.2 is now available at DriveThru Comics for the low price of $2.50. This latest digital release of our popular sci-fi webcomic tells the next story in our saga: War Of The Worlds. The follow on to World Ceres wherein we see what events are set in motion from King Reggie's little "joke". And stay tuned next week for, the next digital release, Escape From Terra, Volume 1.3 - The Iceman Cometh. BHP Adds Digital Distribution [ Sep 29, 2015 ]That's right, Big Head Press has signed up with DriveThru Comics to begin distributing high quality digital copies of stories from the BHP catalog. Delivered as a 150 pixels per inch (ppi) PDF file, each digital book provides you a much higher resolution story viewing experience, whether on your smartphone, tablet or computer monitor. (Not to mention, of course, you can keep the story on your own gadget(s) for convenient off-line viewing.)
Over the coming weeks and months, we will be releasing a new digital book each week. The first title of our catalog we are making available is the very first Escape From Terra story, World Ceres. Originally the leading story in the volume 1 print edition, we are making it available as a standalone hi-rez digital volume 1.1 at the very low price of $3.25(US). Each week, we will be offering more Escape From Terra stories in similarly sized hi-rez digital books until we complete the series. So, get your DriveThru Comics account today and stand by for more digital book announcements! A personal message from the cartoonist: [ Aug 31, 2015 ]Hey everyone, I really appreciate all my readers, new and long-standing, who enjoy reading my fanciful stories. Even though only a small percentage of you buy the printed volumes. I understand, times are tough. Yesterday I saw a pimp driving an old Honda Civic. That said, I still need to pay rent, keep the lights on, and feed myself and my disabled child. Maintaining a 5-day-per-week schedule on this strip is a full-time job, even with the help of a hired colorist. Advertising, book sales and sporadic donations help support me but to put it plainly, after the death of my wife I need more income to keep the strip going. I've been supplementing my income with savings which will run out next year if I don't bring in more dough. So, I've turned to Patreon. Patreon is a website that was originally created for musicians who distribute work on-line but also works for authors and artists in the new Internet world. If you like the strip and want it to continue updating more than one or two days per week, please become a patron, donating anywhere from one dollar per month upwards through my Patreon page. Just click on the Patreon button below the comic on the quantumvibe.com page, and you can view my cheesy video and read about the incentives and milestones. Again, thanks for reading! Quantum Vibe, Volume 3: Seamus On Sale Now! [ Aug 17, 2015 ]You may have heard rumors that the 3rd volume of Quantum Vibe is available in print. Well, it's true! Quantum Vibe, Volume 3: Seamus is now available from Amazon and Barnes & Nobel. For QV's fans in the continental US, you can order directly from Big Head Press. Hu Iz Alyss Roaz? [ Jun 1, 2015 ]That is the question people will be asking. Next Monday, June 8th, begins the next Quantum Vibe adventure: Venus 23. The invention of the Murphy drive a distant memory, humanity has moved out across the galaxy colonizing untold worlds. Our next story in the Quantum Vibe universe takes place on one such world, Venus 23. While we have your attention, regular readers may have noticed a little change to the web site. We've simplified the navigation buttons to make things easier for regular reading. A new Archives section has been added which will allow you to peruse the various story arcs of Quantum Vibe. Just press the Archive button to the right of the title graphic to go there any time. We hope you like our latest tweaks to the web site. We are confident you will like Quantum Vibe: Venus 23. And Now We Sleep... [ May 25, 2015 ]Quantum Vibe begins its 2 week journey to the beginning of the next story in the Vibeverse. In the mean time, in case you have trouble hibernating during transit, be sure to check back for more announcements regarding the release of Quantum Vibe Volume 3: Seamus, as well as info regarding our upcoming brand new volume in the Quantum Vibe saga, Quantum Vibe: Venus23. Porcfest XII Next Month! [ May 20, 2015 ]Big Head Press is returning to Roger's Campground in New Hampshire the last week of June to attend Porcfest XII Quantum Vibe creator, Scott Bieser will be there signing books and talking to fans at site 27, starting Wednesday 6/24 through Saturday 6/27. (The event itself runs from Sunday 6/21 through Sunday 6/28, for those who enjoy a whole week of camping.) Porcfest attendees will get a chance to buy a pre-release print copy of Quantum Vibe Volume 3: Seamus. The print edition of volume 3 will be officially released on Monday, June 29th, 2015. If you're going to Porcfest this year, be sure to come see us for a chance to buy your very own signed advance copy. This Week: The Making of Quantum Vibe [ May 18, 2015 ]This week, before we take a short 2 week hiatus, Scott is going to treat Quantum Vibe fans to a look behind the scenes, at it were, of the making of Quantum Vibe. Each day this week, readers will be given a guided tour through Scott's process for creating the daily strip we've all come to love. And though there will be a brief hiatus, Scott and team will be creating the first few weeks strips of the next volume in the Quantum Vibe universe, Quantum Vibe: Venus23. First strip of this exciting new volume will go live Monday, June 8th, 2015. It's A Wrap! [ May 8, 2015 ]Next week, we enter the final week of QUANTUM VIBE: Seamus. The final strip of the third volume of our epic saga will go live Friday, May 15th 2015. The week following the finale of volume 3, we will present a special behind-the-scenes look at how Scott puts together QUANTUM VIBE, followed by a brief, 2 week hiatus. And then, on Monday June 8th, we return with an all-new story, QUANTUM VIBE: Venus 23. And finally, on Monday, June 29th, the print version of Quantum Vibe Volume 3: Seamus will go on sale. You can purchase your very own copy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from Big Head Press via PayPal (U.S. orders only). Quantum Vibe X 1000! [ Apr 17, 2015 ]Today's (April 17, 2015) Quantum Vibe strip is the one thousandth strip of the Quantum Vibe saga. (This does not include the "Leap of Faith" guest strips, or the "Tales From The Front," "Our Story Thus Far" and other fillers which had pushed our total update count past 1,000 several weeks previously.) Not many web-comics make it to the 1,000-strip milestone, and we thank our readers for staying with us through this epic story, especially those of you who have supported us with your purchases and donations. We would never have made it this far without you. So, sit back and take in your place in history. Do you hear birds chirping? Drink deeply the sights, sounds, and smells of the moment. Or maybe have a drink. We have. New Colorist [ Jan 15, 2015 ]We are pleased to announce that Lea Jean Badelles, who had filled in as a temporary colorist for Zeke Bieser last Spring, is joining us as our regular colorist. She colored the Leap of Faith guest strip for us and is doing the colors over Scott's line art going forward. Lea Jean hails from the Philippines, and you can see some of her other work at her Deviant Art page. Zeke is continuing on his own, doing commission work and a bit of real-life work out from underneath his father's shadow. We wish him the best. And We Are Back! [ Jan 11, 2015 ]Quantum Vibe returns this week. So you thought exploding in the rings of Saturn would slow our intrepid heroines down? And what in the world is going to happen to Seamus? These questions and more will be answered in the upcoming daily strips of Quantum Vibe. We at Big Head Press also hoped you enjoyed our guest story installment "Leap of Faith" by Mike Baron and Lee Oaks! A short story set in the Quantum Vibe universe telling the tale of a woman and how hard it can still be to get by in the solar system. QV Guest Story: Dec 8 - Jan 9 [ Dec 8, 2014 ]Leap of Faith, by Mike Baron and Lee Oaks is a guest story set in the Quantum Vibe universe which tells the tale of a young woman, unhappy in her job, who impersonates a gynoid and takes a leap into a most dangerous situation. Leap of Faith runs Dec 8, 2014 through Jan 9, 2015. Quantum Vibe will resume Jan 12, 2015. Happy Holidays! Special Treat For The Holidays! [ Dec 1, 2014 ]We've got a special treat coming your way next week. Comics industry legend Mike Baron [creator of "Nexus", "The Badger", and many more] and Lee Oaks [artist for "Escape From Terra"] were talked into teaming up to create a special Quantum Vibe guest story. Mike's story "Leap of Faith" will run 5 weeks during the holidays from Monday Dec 8th through Friday Jan 9, 2015. Our regular Quantum Vibe strips will resume Monday Jan 12, 2015. We hope you enjoy our little holiday gift! Scott @ Libertopia 2014 [ Oct 14, 2014 ]Hey Kids! Scott's going to Libertopia in San Diego, CA this year, November 13 - 16. If you're planning to attend, or in the area, check it out, and say "Hi" to Scott. Stay tuned for more announcements! What We Saw At Austin Comic Con 2014 [ Oct 7, 2014 ]Post by Big Head Press. Where Will Scott Be? [ Sep 28, 2014 ]In case you were wondering where you will find Scott this weekend at the Austin Comic Con, we got you covered. He will be at table C19. Click here for a larger map. Austin Comic Con is a Wizard World hosted event running Oct 2-3-4, 2014 in Austin, Texas. Scott @ Austin Comic Con Oct 2014! [ Aug 31, 2014 ]Hey kids! If you live in, or happen to be passing through Austin Texas this October, you need to check out the Austin Comic-Con. Scott will be making a quick dash over to Austin from his current digs in Houston to attend. He'll be in the artist alley drawing and chatting with fans. If you've been dying to meet the creator of Quantum Vibe and get his autograph, that'll be your best chance. Austin Comic-Con is a Wizard World hosted event running Oct 2-3-4, 2014. And if getting to meet Scott isn't enough, there are a number of other comics and sci-fi celebrities in attendance like Matt Smith (Dr. Who), Morena Baccarin (Firefly and Homeland), and many, many more. Click on the link above for more details on the event and be sure to check back here for updates! New Guide For Newbies [ Jul 7, 2014 ]This week we return to brand new strips of Quantum Vibe. Yay!!! We pick up where Seamus is in the middle of having a major metaphorical bowel movement, when he hears a helpful voice via his cortical implant. Last week's series of strips, Our Story Thus Far, is now easily access-able through our new guide for readers. Perfect for the reader who just heard about Quantum Vibe, but wants the Cliff's Notes version because she wants to catch up fast and join the adventure now! A handy link is positioned to the right of the page navigation buttons on the Quantum Vibe web site. Porcfest XI Remembered. [ Jul 5, 2014 ]Post by Big Head Press. We Be At Porcfest XI Next Week! [ Jun 20, 2014 ]PorcFest XI starts this weekend! If you find yourself in the wilds of New Hampshire next week, head to Roger's Campground outside of Lancaster, and come see us at campsite #5. Scott will be on hand to autograph books starting Wednesday, June 25th. While we are away, this coming Monday, June 23rd, the last 8 panel Quantum Vibe story strip for a couple of weeks will go up. Starting Tuesday, June 24th, Scott has prepared a short series of strips telling Our Story So Far to help catch up new readers. These strips will be followed by a few Tales from the Front cartoons Scott will be drawing next week while we are at Porfest. Regular QV story strips will resume Monday, July 7th. UPDATE: Change of plans. We were going to start the "Our story so far" strips today to catch up new readers, to be followed by our popular "Tales From the Front" cartoons. We were going to do it the other way around, but Scott accidentally uploaded his Our Story So Far strips onto Lois Lerner's computer where they were promptly lost, and we can't access them until we get home. New QV strips will resume on Monday, July 7th as planned. Please click the banner ad [ Jun 2, 2014 ]Word is that reader response to the ZOMBIE MOON banner ad at the top of the page has been pretty good, although it could be better. Folks, this is your chance to support QUANTUM VIBE without costing you any money and more than a few moments of your time. Please click on the link, and take a look at the ZOMBIE MOON website. It's a free mobile-game, which will cost no money to play (although you can enhance your game experience by purchasing points in-game -- after all, "free" games have to finance themselves somehow, no?). Do it for Nicole. She needs help fighting space-zombies! ZOMBIE MOON [ May 19, 2014 ]Some of you may have noticed something unusual in the banner ad at the top of our page -- Nicole Oresme from QUANTUM VIBE swinging her Shovel at something that looks like a battle robot. What gives? Well, it's a way of drawing attention to our special new sponsor: ZOMBIE MOON, a free social Mobile Role Playing Game, brought to you by Snakehead Games. You can help support QUANTUM VIBE by clicking on the ad. (Or the link text in this paragraph.) Of course, you want to know more before giving up your valuable clicks: ZOMBIE MOON is set in a universe similar to QUANTUM VIBE's. Humans are colonizing the Solar System, and have established outposts on the Jovian Moons, among other places. Only things have transpired a bit differently on Ganymede in the game -- a technical research station has "gone dark," and it appears some sort of ghastly plague has broken out at the station, driving its personnel mad. It is the player's mission to get into the station, fight his way past the hordes of zombiefied personnel, and find the cause of the insanity so as to put an end to it. It's a smartphone game, so the game play mechanics are fairly straightforward. One seeks to build up one's attack, defense and speed abilities in various ways while progressing through the story. It's also a social game, allowing players to form alliances with one another, including a chat function where if you like, you can just shoot the breeze with other players. I'm hoping to see a QUANTUM VIBE readers' alliance form here. I (along with more than 100,000 others) also play the game from time to time -- my player name is "Scortch." (Clever, huh?) You might find me in the game if you look. -- Scott A Little Of The Old Rejuvenation [ May 4, 2014 ]
The Quantum Vibe web site was in need of a change... again. And when the old grey mare just ain't what she used to be, there's really only one solution: cosmetic surgery (we're not in the 26th century yet). With the new look, things are smoother and firmer than before. In particular, from strip=1 through the current strip, all are displayed in vertical stack format providing a consistent look for the entire story. It also displays better for our mobile readers. And to smooth away some of those frown lines, we reorganized the navigation buttons; grouping them by volume, arc, and then strips. Last, but not lease, we added a bitcoin donation button to the page for our fans who prefer a high brow line. Now, onward to Hyperion! BHP At Porcfest XI! [ Mar 20, 2014 ]Come see Scott and Frank at PorcFest XI this summer! We'll be running with the free-staters of New Hampshire selling books and talking up your favorite online web comic, Quantum Vibe. Porcfest is a week long festival held by the Free State Project at Roger's Camp Ground in northern New Hampshire, just north of the beautiful White Mountain National Forest. To our fans in the New England area and those north of the New Hampshire border, this is a great chance to come meet Quantum Vibe creator, Scott Bieser. So, dust off your passports, smile politely at the border patrol, and hope to see you this summer! Stay tuned for more details! Quantum Vibe, Volume 2: Murphy On Sale! [ Mar 3, 2014 ]Hey kids! The next print installment of Quantum Vibe is on sale now. Volume 2: Murphy picks up with Nicole safely away from her imprisonment on Luna, bound for Mars, so that Seamus may take care of some business matters. Nicole quickly learns that Mars is a planet of intrigue disguised as civility, and it's not long before she stumbles head long into plots so twisted you'd need an AI to sort them out. Fortunately, she makes friends with one. BONUS: For the first time, you will get to see the first 60 pages converted from black & white to full color. Now you get to experience the entire Murphy saga in "living color". As I'm sure many of you agree, it's good to have a colorist. Click here to get your very own copy. The .bit Revolution Begins! [ Feb 21, 2014 ]I know the crypto/digital freedom fighters out there are wondering how in the world will they get to see the next daily update of Quantum Vibe after the forces of tyranny seize control of the Internet's domain name system. Well fear not. Michael W Dean of Freedom Feens told us about a decentralized domain naming system which makes use of a bitcoin like technology called namecoin. You may have seen a reference to it earlier this week on Quantum Vibe. This distributed registry resolves Internet addresses for domains ending in .bit. Now, you can access the bigheadpress.com and quantumvibe.com websites using the names bigheadpress.bit and quantumvibe.bit. If you want to try it out, you can download the free firefox plugin, freespeechme, from here. ¡Viva el Distribuida Quantum Vibe, Volume 2: Murphy - Release Date Set! [ Jan 20, 2014 ]Quantum Vibe, Volume 2: Murphy, the 160 page, full color, print edition containing the daily online strips comprising the Murphy story arc, will be released March 3, 2014! There were many bumps in the road getting this one to completion, and finally to print. Because of the blood, sweat, and tears poured into this one, we're extra proud of it. So proud, this one is 160 full color pages (in case you missed that part in the first sentence). Check back here for more info, or follow us on FaceBook! Holiday break [ Dec 25, 2013 ]QUANTUM VIBE is taking a break for the next several days, to give the creators a chance to catch their breath and have a few days off the hamster wheel. We will resume updates on Monday, January 6. Thanks for reading and we'll see you again soon! Oaks' Thunder Monkey on Kindle [ Dec 23, 2013 ]Lee Oaks, the principal artist for the ESCAPE FROM TERRA series, wants everyone to know his solo project,Thunder Monkey, is now available on the Kindle. Lee has recently had some surgery on his drawing hand to deal with a repetitive-stress injury so some sales of that book would really brighten his Christmas. (hint-hint) The Curse of the Broken Database [ Nov 18, 2013 ]Another Monday morning, and another crash of the AWS database that drives our web site story content (and news). This makes the 3rd time this has happened since moving the web site to AWS. We are continuing to work on a solution. Hopefully, it won't be to move to yet another service provider. We'll see. Thanks to our intrepid readers who brought the problem to our attention. Well that sucked... [ Oct 9, 2013 ]Sometime early this morning, 10/9/2013, the cloud service we run the Big Head Press web site and email service on went down unexpectedly. We have not been told what caused the outage yet. The web site is functioning again, serving today's Quantum Vibe update. Though email is not functional at at this time, we hope it will be back soon. Look for us on facebook for further updates or to send us a message. Update: All systems seem to be working again. Email is getting caught up now. We thank everyone for their patience this morning and will keep looking for ways to make the site less vulnerable to single points of failure problems. You Thought We Were Kidding? [ Sep 11, 2013 ]Well, actually, we still are. Scott bent his knees a little. But it gives me the chance to publicly thank Spiral Twist for her help, charm, and all around good company while exhibiting at Lone Star Con 3. So, thanks again Spiral! Meet the real-life 'Nicole' at LoneStarCon 3 [ Aug 17, 2013 ]Not many people know that Nicole Oresme, the heroine of QUANTUM VIBE, is partly based on a real-life woman of science. She goes by the monicker "Spiraltwist" on-line, and she will be with us at Lone Star Con 3, which happens in San Antonio during Labor Day weekend. "Spiraltwist" is a medical laboratory scientist for a private lab that specializes in immunoassays. "I escaped college with a degree in clinical laboratory science and then passed a crazy ASCP certification exam because extra paper on the wall is amusing." "I am honored to be the basis for Nicole, who has many more adventures than I do," she says. Which is most likely true.
Protest NSA Spying [ Jul 4, 2013 ]QVV1 gets 5 stars! [ Jun 8, 2013 ]QUANTUM VIBE Volume 1: Nicole has been given a 5-star review at the pop-culture website ICv2.com. Check out Steve Bennett's short-but-sweet review here . QUANTUM VIBE Volume 1 On Sale Now [ Jun 3, 2013 ]QUANTUM VIBE Volume 1: Nicole, collecting the first 400 strips of Scott Bieser's popular sci-fi adventure web-comic, is now on sale at Amazon.com , Barnesandnoble.com, and direct from the publisher at the Big Head Press website. Order your copy today! QUANTUM VIBE Volume 1 on sale June 3 [ Apr 14, 2013 ]QUANTUM VIBE fans wanting a print collection for their bookshelves need only wait a little longer. Big Head Press announces that QUANTUM VIBE Volume 1: Nicole will be available for sale on June 3. The trade paperback volume presents the first 400 strips of the popular web-comic, from the opening scene in the L-5 space city to the end of the Luna arc. It weighs in at 246 pages at a 6.69x9.25 inch trim size, and features an original cover by Scott Bieser. A brief appendix includes the "motivational poster art" which appears in the Aldrinopolis Jail backgrounds. "I will always be grateful to Big Head Press for giving me this opportunity to develop and publish QUANTUM VIBE, which has been a dream project of mine for several years," said writer/artist Scott Bieser. "I hope fans will be as pleased with the print version as I am." QUANTUM VIBE is the story of a young woman, Nicole Oresme, who takes a job with "mad scientist" Seamus O'Murchadha on a project he hopes will free humanity from the confines of a Solar System which has been largely settled in the year 2523 C.E. (or 566 S.A., as people in that time reckon the years). The project takes them on a grand tour of the Solar System, where they meet strange and wonderful people and have thrilling adventures. The book will be available from Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as well as directly from the BigHeadPress.com website. It is distributed by Ingram Content Group. List price is $14.95. Meanwhile, back at Amazon.com [ Mar 3, 2013 ]Mike Baron's action-noir-thriller prose novels are getting great reviews. Here's a sampling of what some readers and comics pros are saying about them: "If you want action, you'll definitely find it in this yarn about a cop and a motorcycle gang joining forces to battle a demon biker with a big-ass sword who's been murdering people on the rural roads of southern Illinois for years. Helmet Head is considered to be a legend among bikers, but the characters in this book discover that he's all too real." --James Reasoner Baron fan from Day One! He delivers raw action in a fast paced story that will keep you turning pages till the pages are done. This is the guy who showed me how it's done back when he was on the Punisher at Marvel." --Chuck Dixon "This is pure Grindhouse and I mean that in the best possible way. When I was a child, I would go to the local drive-in and be exposed to a whole series of films that psychologists everywhere would advise against showing to a boy of my young age -- and now you know why I turned out like this. I've always loved grade-b horror, as a result, with all the over-the-top blood and sex that accompanies those kinds of things. Helmet Head fits in perfectly with that, telling the story of a good copy named Fagan who ends up involved with not only a gang of tough outlaw bikers but with an urban legend involving a motorcycle-riding, katana-wielding undead Nazi with a penchant for beheading people." --Barry Reese "In Whack Job, Mike Baron mixes thrillers, political satire and weird adventure to produce a fast-paced, engaging tale of assassination and international high-stakes gamesmanship. As Otto (codename Aardvark) digs into this problem, he finds things are nothing like he expects. He's thrown into a world he doesn't recognize or understand, making contact with conspiracy buffs, gamer geeks and computer hackers, all in an effort to dig beneath the surface of this unfolding scheme." --Drew Bittner "The story never feels rushed. Baron lets it grow naturally while also keeping the reader engaged. Baron uses his time writing comics to his advantage, since he definitely has a keen on eye on pacing and how to keep the pages turning. The plot really goes full-bore, so to speak, as White makes a connection that’s been missed before: that there might be a link between all the cases and a mysterious campground/think tank." --Bruce Grossman These titles are available in both Kindle and print formats. Check 'em out! A note from Sandy Sandfort [ Jan 27, 2013 ]GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS Hi EFT fans, I have some good news and some bad news. First, the BAD news. It doesn't look as though Escape From Terra will be going forward any time soon. EFT Team members all have other priorities and obligations. So EFT as a graphic series is on the back burner for the foreseeable future. Should that change, you will be notified. The GOOD news is that all old and all NEW stories in the EFT universe will continue, but in prose form. In some ways, this is nothing new. In the past, all EFT strips started out as my prose short stories which were then converted into scripts by Scott (and sometimes Leila) and then illustrated by Lee (and sometimes Leila). The only difference is that the stories will be published as prose only. So you can continue to get your EFT fix of its ongoing adventures in human space. That will continue as long as you want me to keep them coming. Plus there is a new twist I think you will like. The twist is that I will be publishing annotated versions of the prose versions of past and future stories. Readers often ask me where I get my story ideas, characters, character names, etc. Well, now you will know. Each story will include a foreword/afterword with the inside information about the people, places and things—real and imaginary—that inspired that story. Expect surprises. I am confident you will enjoy these “stories behind the stories.†I have already started annotating the original EFT prose stories. So you will soon be able to get the inside scoop on stories you have already read and enjoyed. After that, I will begin writing (and annotating) brand new stories, with another interesting twist. I plan to split EFT into two or more ongoing series. The current series will continue. (To get the ball rolling, I will send you the first new story for free... sort of. See below.) One of the new series will be a prequel set in the 1970s through today and a bit beyond. My previously published (and as yet unannotated) novella, THE RESURRECTIONS OF ROBERT A. HEINLEIN: GENESIS, will be the first in that series. There will be elephants, rollerskating and “ulu-fu.†The second proposed series will follow the continuing adventures of the heroic crew who “liberated†the International Space Station in the EFT arc, “Gone Missing.†It will follow their epic journey to Mars and the creation of the first colony there. There will be danger, intrigue, triumphs and... betrayal. I am also considering the creation of a “Steam Punk†series, “Steamship Troopers,†set in the original EFT universe and timeframe. Expect swashbuckling adventure, romance and humor. Okay, how about that “free†new EFT story? It's called “The Plume of the Eagle.†It's about a hollowed planetoid and the “Teddy†eco-terrorists. It takes its name from Aesop's, “The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction.†To get your copy, all you have to do is send me an email (with “PLUME†in the subject line). After you read PLUME, I would appreciate your honest opinions and suggestions about: 1. EFT going forward as prose only 2. EFT spin-offs and which ones sound the most interesting 3. What themes, characters, plot elements, etc. you would like to see more of (or less of) in future stories. Your ideas and opinions are important to me. Please share them and I'll reward you with a pre-publication version of “The Plume of the Eagle†via return email. Thank you for your support, Sandy Sandfort sandy (at) sandfort (dot) biz A personal note of thanks from Scott Bieser [ Dec 13, 2012 ]I want to thank everyone for the sympathetic expressions sent to me via e-mail and in the forum, regarding the death of my wife, EJ. And rest assured, everything sent to our "contact" address reaches my mail box. The condolences do buoy my spirits. After 17 years of marriage EJ had become as much a part of me as my arms and legs -- more than that, she'd become part of my soul. And as that part of me has been taken away, for now, I feel incomplete. But the kind words from my readers and friends affirm for me (I can't really explain why) that EJ's life mattered, and that my loss is also felt, at least a little bit, by those who know me and my work. QUANTUM VIBE will begin updating again on Monday, Dec. 17. It will run through the week, and then there will be another, shorter interruption for Christmas Week (Dec. 24-28). This was planned before EJ took a turn for the worse (because traffic tends to drop that week anyway as so many readers are on the road visiting family) as a way for me to restore my buffer. The strip will then resume on Dec. 31 and into the new year. Thanks again for your sympathy, as well as your patience. Mike Baron Goes Prose [ Nov 5, 2012 ]Mike Baron, author of The Architect and The Hook for Big Head Press (and better known as co-creator of NEXUS and THE BADGER), has turned his creative efforts to prose novels, in the horror genre. His first two books are available on the Kindle reader from Amazon.com. His first effort, HELMET HEAD, tells the tale of "a monstrous motorcyclist dressed all in black who rides the back roads of Little Egypt cutting off the heads of other bikers with a samurai sword. But on one terrible stormy night, Deputy Pete Fagan discovers that Helmet Head is all too real and filled with a fury that won't be satisfied until his demonic sword drinks deeply." In his other book, WHACK JOB, "When world leaders burst into flame like a string of Lady Fingers, the President calls on a renegade former agent with a history of mental problems. Otto "Aardvark" White possesses a unique quality. He's lucky." ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 3 on sale now! [ Oct 23, 2012 ]ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 3, collecting the final completed 322 strips of Big Head Press' first on-going sci-fi adventure series, is now on sale. Featuring stories mostly set 90 years in the future and written by Sandy Sandfort, adapted by Scott Bieser, and illustrated by Lee Oaks and Leila Del Duca (with assistance from Jen Zach and Zeke Bieser), the arcs included in this volume begin with the three "King & I" arcs (Mars, Venus and Mercury), "Space Scouts," "Error & Trial", "Code Duello", "Neanne," "Gone Missing," and "Vesta, Massachusetts." The strip was put on hiatus in July 2012 by Big Head Press so that the publisher could devote more of its limited time and resources to advertising and promoting its expanded catalog of books. However, author Sandfort said he intends to continue the series in one form or another, and has been exploring various venues and avenues. When he finds a solution, Big Head Press will help spread the word. The book can be purchased either directly from Big Head Press or from Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com. Readers who prefer to patronize brick-and-mortar stores should also be able to special-order it via Ingram Book Distributors. Now In Living Color [ Oct 22, 2012 ]No, dear Quantum Vibe readers, you're not hallucinating. Seamus, Nicole and friends have taken a great leap forward to, uh, 1956 C.E.. That is, going forward, the art team of Bieser & Son will be bringing the futuristic adventure that is Quantum Vibe in full color! Why the change? Well, since we offer stories on the web for free, we seek to earn some coin for our efforts by re-publishing them as books we can offer for sale. And printing in color -- in the quantities we can expect to sell -- has been prohibitively expensive. Such economics impelled us to print our last color feature, Roswell, Texas, in black-and-white. Which made us sad. However, we have recently found a printing solution -- LightningSource -- which can print color books on their state-of-the-art machines at an affordable price. This comes a bit too late for the first volume of Quantum Vibe -- we don't have the time/resources to go back and colorize all 400 of those strips -- but we can go color starting with the 61st strip of Volume 2 and in the coming months will be able to colorize the first 60 strips in this volume. All of this means some extra work for the art team but we think it will be worth it and hope our dear readers will think so as well. (Peacock logo is a registered trademark of the National Broadcasting Company) The Quantum Vibe Jingle [ Oct 10, 2012 ]There are some other web-comics that have theme songs, most of them written by the strips' fans, and of varying quality. But we're pretty sure QUANTUM VIBE is the first web-comic to have its own commercial jingle. Written and composed by the magnificent Hannah Hoffman, the QV jingle, in both 60-second and 30-second versions, is being played on Free Talk Live , Declare Your Independence , and Freedom Feens. Big Head Press and Scott Bieser heartily endorse the podcasts, and hope you'll give them a listen, but if you just want to hear the jingle you can find it here. A follow-up message from Scott [ Sep 17, 2012 ]I was expecting it could take up to three months to accumulate enough donations to cover what we needed for E.J.'s cancer treatments, but you, my dear readers, have surprised me. In the first week, your generous gifts came close to the $7000 mark, and by the 16th had passed it by another grand. It makes us feel a little bit like George Bailey at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Well, the out-of-pocket hospital and lab bills have been paid now (except for one bit that was mis-coded in the billing and I'm waiting for the lab and the insurance company to sort things out). Whatever is left over will be used for on-going medical expenses such as prescription meds, and held in reserve in case something else comes up with E.J.'s medical needs. Of course, for those of you who would like to continue to support Quantum Vibe, we still have our "Donate" button in the upper right part of the page. The ChipIn widget has now been withdrawn. Also, I will continue to post updates on E.J.'s progress in my Twitter stream. Thank you ever so much. I won't forget this. A personal message from Scott Bieser [ Sep 5, 2012 ]As those of you who follow my Twitter already know, my wife, EJ, developed lung cancer last spring. At first we thought she had some sort of neuropathy in her limbs, as her legs started getting noticably weaker in April, and got progressively worse as the days and weeks went on. The first doctor we saw believed she simply had a pinched sciatic nerve, and that the problem would resolve itself. When she continued getting worse, we went to a different physician who referred us to a neurologist in Fort Collins. When she mentioned she was coughing quite a bit lately he ordered a chest x-ray, which led to a CT-scan which led to a biopsy which, by June 21, led us to the oncologist who told us she has small-cell, extensive lung cancer and needed to be hospitalized immediately. As it turned out, the limb weakness was a rare side-effect of this type of cancer known as Lambert-Eaton Mysasthenic Syndrome, in which the cancer generates anti-bodies which attack the neuro-muscular interface in her long muscles. In a way it was a good thing, because it got us to the doctors in time to figure out what was ailing her before it killed her. But it has also left her unable to walk without a cane or walker. Fortunately, we have health insurance through her job at Target. It's a pretty good policy, as group policies go, which includes an out-of-pocket cap of a bit more than $7,000. Which is especially fortunate for us as her total expenses are approaching $200,000. EJ barely survived her first round of chemotherapy and has been doing a bit better with each round. She got to come home in mid-July (best birthday present I've ever had), and has completed her radiation treatments. In the photo here she's wearing the custom mask they used to immobilize her head during the radiation treatments -- she kept the mask as a sort of trophy. She has completed her fourth round of chemo and has three to go. Our oncologist (who had interned at the Mayo Clinic so we have confidence in him) reports she is progressing well, and she is slowly regaining the strength in her legs. But at this rate it may be well over a year before she can walk normally, and may never recover her former leg strength. And so, as she is unlikely to be able to return to her old job, I picked up a used lap-top for dirt cheap so she can get computer-literate and eventually find a sit-down type of job. Being in the web-comics business I don't really have much in the way of savings, and every dime I earn is going to monthly living expenses. In the meantime, we still have $7,000 worth of medical bills to pay. Therefore I must turn to you, my dear readers, for help. I have set up a special "For Benefit Of" bank account that can only be used to pay for EJ's medical expenses, and a Chip-In widget (located directly below the Silver Circle ad in the right-hand column) that links to that account through PayPal. So, if you've been enjoying my comics and can spare a few bucks, could you please send some our way? My brother Frank reports that shortly after I started talking about EJ's cancer on Twitter, several of you have already sent donations totaling $600, via the "DONATE" button in the upper right of the QUANTUM VIBE page. For that, I can't thank you enough. Those funds have been forwarded to the FBO account. I've also noticed that since the Chip-In widget went up on Monday, a few more of you have sent an additional $275. You guys are awesome! But to avoid confusion, we've changed the graphic for the upper-left "Donate" button to make clear that this is for supporting the comic-strip's expenses. Only funds coming in through the Chip-In widget now will be forwarded to the FBO account. And if any of you want to donate but for whatever reason don't want to go through PayPal, please send me an e-mail through the BHP contact address and I'll send you a mailing address where you can send a check or money-order. (I also like silver but can't deposit that in a bank account, unfortunately). Meanwhile I'll continue to post occasional Tweets relating EJ's progress, so if you're interested and haven't already followed me on Twitter, I'm at www.twitter.com/ScottBieser . ESCAPE FROM TERRA v2 wins award [ Sep 1, 2012 ]ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 2 beat three other entries to win the Freedom Book of the Month award for August 2012. And by beat, we mean clobbered, gaining 86 percent of the vote shares against all three of the other entries, plus None of the Above. Furb Furbish, who runs the club, remarked that this was the highest percentage vote for a book he has seen yet. EFT V2, which compiles the most of the strips which ran from Nov. 30, 2009 through May 13, 2011, went on sale in October 2011. Volume 3, which will begin with "The King And I" arcs and conclude with the "Vesta, Massachusetts" arc which concluded on July 6, 2012, is scheduled for release in October 2012. FreedomBookClub.Com is a website and book club promoting both fiction and non-fiction libertarian books. Subscribing members get a new book shipped to them each month. ESCAPE FROM TERRA V2 up for award [ Aug 16, 2012 ]Freedom Book Club, a literary association devoted to promoting books with libertarian themes, has listed ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 2 among four finalists for Book of the Month for September 2012. "In the five-year history of FBC, works of fiction have only won Book of the Month seven times out of 50. EFT V2 is up against some serious competition this time," said EFT scripter Scott Bieser. "So, we hope our readers will go over to the FBC website and vote for our book." Vertically Stacked! [ Jul 29, 2012 ]Heads Up And Look Out Below! Yes, we changed the look of the Quantum Vibe page for the start of volume 2. We're going vertical with all new strips. Vertically stacked strips that is. In order to prevent nose bleeds, the volume 1 pages will continue to display in the same space/time frame reference convention as before. Quantum Vibe: Modifying your frame of reference one volume dimension at a time. -- You're welcome. In Case You Missed The Easter Egg... [ Jul 6, 2012 ]As most of our readers already know, Friday, July 6th, marked the final update of Escape From Terra on the Big Head Press web site. But, some of you may not have noticed that it was not the LAST page. In fact, there are two more pages with original words from Sandy Sandfort with original art from Lee Oaks! Click here to check it out. All good things ...? [ Jun 26, 2012 ]Big Head Press regrets to inform readers that ESCAPE FROM TERRA, the sci-fi adventure webcomic series by Sandy Sandfort, Scott Bieser and Lee Oaks, will go on hiatus soon. The final strip will go live on Friday, July 6. The principal reason for this move is that sales of the various collections and graphic novels published in print form since the company was founded in 2002 have so far not been sufficient to cover the costs of producing the stories. As we fully believe in the quality of these works, we have concluded that we need to put more effort into marketing and sales. "If you build it they will come" unfortunately does not usually work in real life. Since Big Head Press pays advances to its creators, this means that one of its two on-going series will need to be put on the shelf, at least for a while, so the money and time involved can be re-directed into marketing efforts. And so we are forced to focus our limited resource on one series. In this 'Sophie's Choice' fork in the road, we chose QV, and release the EFT creators to find a new home that has the resources to provide the promotional resources it deserves. Big Head Press parts company with Sandy Sandfort and Lee Oaks (as well as Lee's alternate artist Leila Del Duca) on good terms, and is supporting their attempts to find a new publishing home for the strip. Scott Bieser remains as general director of Big Head Press and the writer/artist for its other sci-fi adventure strip, QUANTUM VIBE, which will continue its 5-day-per-week run after a brief interruption in July. Sandfort continues to write short stories set in the EFT universe and is seeking publishing venues for them. The final 320 ESCAPE FROM TERRA strips will be collected into a third trade-paperback volume which is planned for release by October 2012. As details are firmed up, announcements will be made on the Big Head Press news page as well as the QUANTUM VIBE site. BHP Bows Out From Freedomfest [ Jun 26, 2012 ]As many of our readers are now aware, EJ Bieser, wife of Quantum Vibe creator and Big Head Press general director Scott Bieser, was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. So that Scott may better support his wife through this difficult time, he will be paring back his appearances in 2012. The soonest scheduled event is Freedomfest 2012 and we have cancelled appearing there. Plans for attending Chicon7 are still in flux, and we will post updates as things develop. We would like to express our gratitude to the fine folks at Freedomfest. Upon hearing the news, they volunteered, with no prompting, to refund our exhibitor fees, easing an already difficult financial situation. It is our plan to attend next year's Freedomfest, and look forward to the event even more knowing we will be working with such a compassionate group. We also wish to thank all our readers who have sent in best wishes, prayers and donations. We've always held we have the best audience in the world, and such a show of support proves it. Those of you wishing to keep up with EJ's progress can do so by following Scott on Twitter. Be sure to check back here for further updates and announcements. Big Head Press at Denver Comic Con in June [ May 22, 2012 ]Big Head Press creators Scott Bieser, LEE OAKS! and L. Neil Smith will be on hand to greet our readers ad the first-ever Denver Comic Con to take place Father's Day weekend (June 15-17) at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver, Colorado. This will be our only Colorado-area convention appearance. Tickets are $50 for the three-day weekend pass, $10 for the Friday-only pass, $25 for Saturday-only, and $20 for Sunday-only. Reduced prices are available for teens (ages 11-16) and children 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult admission (up to two children per adult). Bieser, Oaks and Smith will be at the Big Head Press booth in the Exhibitors' Hall. Also, Escape From Terra artist Leila Del Duca will be on hand at her own table in the Artists' Alley. For more information about the convention and to order tickets, go to The Denver Comic Con site. Oaks, Bieser at Mile High Mega Store [ Mar 16, 2012 ]Heads up! If you're in the Denver area, you might want to head over to the Mile High Comics mega-store this Saturday, March 17, between 10am and 3pm. The store is having a mega-sales event and is hosting Escape From Terra creators LEE OAKS! and Scott Bieser, who will be signing copies of EFT Volumes 1 and 2, and chatting with fans. The Mile High Mega Store is located at 4600 Jason Street. Their phone number is 303-477-0042. Mardi Gras Sale on EFT volume 2 [ Feb 20, 2012 ]Part of the "fun" of doing an Internet-based business is dealing with the technical glitches that pop up, such as the one we discovered last week: both the purchase links on their sale page for our latest graphic novel, Escape From Terra Volume 2, were fouled up in such a way that it was impossible for fans to order the book. So, we fixed the problems and now to make amends to fans who may have been thwarted by those glitches, and starting Tuesday Feb. 21 through this Saturday Feb 25 we're offering the book for two dollars off the list price of $14.95. (That makes it $12.95, plus shipping). We're doing a "Mardi Gras Sale" because for anarchists to do a "Presidents' Day Sale" would just be wrong. You can find the book's sales page here .
Hugo not Weaving [ Jan 10, 2012 ]In 2009, the World Science-Fiction Society, which presents the prestigious HUGO Awards for best sci-fi literature and drama, added a category for "Graphic Stories," on a sort of probationary basis. Which means, it may not continue after 2012. So we have a fairly narrow window of opportunity here. The field of sci-fi graphic stories is pretty small, and because Phil Foglio's GIRL GENIUS won the last three times, he has removed the series from consideration. ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 2 is eligible for the 2012 Award for Best Graphic Story published in 2011. Nominations are now open. To nominate a work for any of the categories, one must either have been a member of Renovation, the 2011 WorldCon, or a member of Chicon 7, the 2012 WorldCon to be held in Chicago this coming August, or of LoneStarCon 3, to be held in San Antonio in 2013. And you have to purchase a membership for either of those events no later than January 31, 2012. Supporting membership in Chicon7 costs $50. If you want to attend the event, the cost goes up to $195. More information about Chicon 7 and the awards can be found here. You can download a nominating ballot here or vote on-line here. It would be a boon to the ESCAPE FROM TERRA creators, not to mention Big Head Press, to get on the final voting ballot, even if we don't win. Of course, it would be even better to win. So please, if you or someone you know are a member of one of these WorldCons, please nominate us, and if you're inclined to purchase a supporting membership so you can nominate or vote for EFT Volume 2, you would be a true friend to do so. (If you were a member of Renovation you should have by now received nominating instructions and your voting PIN via e-mail. If you haven't, send an email to hugopin@chicon.org.) People Are Talking About Us Again [ Nov 21, 2011 ]ESCAPE FROM TERRA was recently reviewed on the pop culture site io9 by Lauren Davis, who gets a few details wrong but otherwise offers a fair overview of the strip. A bit earlier, Scott Bieser was interviewed by JoJoScotia for the TVTROPES.ORG page on YouTube. Scott's uplink connection was a bit ragged so the video shows mostly samples of the strip with just a bit of Scott and JoJo set into some of the frames. Scott talks a bit about the origins of the strip QUANTUM VIBE, and about ESCAPE FROM TERRA, and how he got into making webcomics. Announcing ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 2 [ Nov 9, 2011 ]At last, after an epic battle against all odds, Big Head Press is proud to present ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 2! The 6"x9" trade paperback collects 350 strips from the popular ESCAPE FROM TERRA adventure web-comic series, including the stories "Babes in Toyland," "Fly Robin, Fly," "Leap of Faith," "The Christmas War," and others. Story by Sandy Sandfort, scripting and letters by Scott Bieser, art by LEE OAKS! with assists from Leila Del Duca, Jen Zach, and Zeke Bieser. The book is available on-line at IndyPlanet.com. (We hope to get it on Amazon eventually, but not for now, for some complicated reasons). Order you can order directly from Big Head Press here. This one is recommended for Mature Readers (some nudity).
Libertopia 2011 [ Sep 2, 2011 ]Libertopia, the festival of peace, music, art and ideas for free-minded folks, returns in 2011, and Scott Bieser, Big Head Press artist-in-residence, will return to Libertopia. The event this year takes place in San Diego, from October 21 through the 23rd, which is a good time to be in San Diego. The venue will be Humphrey's Half Moon Inn and Suites, a pleasant resort hotel located practically right on the bay, and also not far from all the attractions which make San Diego such an interesting place (unfortunately it's in California, but you can't have everything). Just as before, Scott will have a dealer's table, selling Big Head Press books, will appear on a panel about libertarianism in popular culture, and also have a break-out session to discuss his thoughts on intellectual property -- a contentious issue in libertarian circles. So come to Libertopia, bring your money, bring tomatoes, bring yourself. Smith & Bieser at RENOVATION in August [ Jun 15, 2011 ]Big Head Press creative talents L. Neil Smith and Scott Bieser will be representing at RENOVATION, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention to be held August 17-21 in Reno, Nevada. Smith and Bieser will be greeting fans and new readers at the Big Head Press table in the Dealer's Room throughout the show, showcasing their latest collaborative work, the space-pirate story PHOEBUS KRUMM. Smith is the author of close to 30 novels, including five graphic novels published by Big Head Press. His latest prose novel, Sweeter Than Wine, is scheduled for release this coming July. Bieser is General Director and Artist In Residence for the publisher, has completed four graphic novels for BHP, and is currently working on a continuing-series adventure comic, QUANTUM VIBE. Denver ComicFest [ Apr 13, 2011 ]April 15 isn't all bad -- for one thing, it's the start of Denver ComicFest! The 3-day comics celebration takes place April 15-17 at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Tech Center and Big Head Press is bringing L. Neil Smith, Mike Baron, LEE OAKS! and Scott Bieser to the party. BHP will have a table in the Dealer's Room, where Scott and Neil will spend most of their show time; Lee has a table in Artist's Alley; and Mike will lurk about and act suspiciously. He's also on a panel about horror comics. Admission is $15 for the whole weekend or $10 per day (about half that for kids 6-10), so fans in the Denver area please come see our creators, they'd love to meet you. An email about the Japanese earthquake, illustrated [ Mar 31, 2011 ]COMICS FOR THE REAL WORLD DEPT: Our friend Adi Tantimedh, who authored La Muse, recently forwarded an e-mail from his friend Jess Norton, a Florida animator with ties to Japan, that we'd like to share with our readers: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jesse Norton xxxxxxx Date: Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 6:40 PM Subject: An illustrated email from Japan Hi there, When the March 11 earthquake hit Japan, I was sound asleep enjoying my first vacation in years. My friend Joe’s call at 3am was not welcome for many reasons, and there was no way I was returning to slumber that night. Tons of calls started pouring in from around the globe, asking me if I had heard from anyone yet and if I knew if everyone was OK… I had not. It was nerve-wracking being so far away, and unable to do anything. The first email came in late the next day from our dear friend and the real-life basis for the Joe is Japanese character, Koga Sato. His email was such a relief to read. It was inspiring and goofy. So much so, that we felt compelled to illustrate it and pass it on to the world (with Koga’s permission). This email made everyone at the animation studio feel a sense of duty, and a lot of time was donated to make this mini-comic. We hope you enjoy this little read. If you do, we ask that you consider donations to the Search Dog Foundation. It’s an unsung group that has sent rescue dogs to find people in over 75 deployments- including the World Trade Center attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti disaster, and now in Fukushima, Japan. We’re hoping our little odd-ball comic will support a lesser known group of (furry) heroes. Feel free to forward the crap out of this email. You can also send people a direct the link to read the comic here: https://joeisjapanese.com/manga/kogaquake/1/ Some time definitely went into making this effort to drive donations. We hope it works. Thanks! QUANTUM VIBE reviewed by Tangents [ Feb 7, 2011 ]On-line for just barely over a month, QUANTUM VIBE has already received its first on-line review , from Robert Howard on his review site Tangents. He has mostly kind words for us, too -- not bad for first out of the gate. Tangents offer some other cogent reviews of web-comics, too. Check them out. BHP joins Project Longbox [ Dec 17, 2010 ]Project Longbox, the new digital comics platform, becomes the latest place to get graphic stories from Big Head Press. Each month, we'll release a new graphic novel or feature on the platform, at prices far below the dead-tree versions. First out is The Architect, by Mike Baron and Andi Tong. One might wonder, why should I pay for an electronic graphic novel or comic when I can read it for free on the web? Well, three reasons: 1) with Longbox, you download the content to your own computer or tablet device, so it's available even when you're not connected to the web, or our site is down, or we decide to (ahem) take some or all of the free version off the site; and 2) The Longbox version is higher-resolution, and with their zoom feature you can get a better look at the art; and 3) the Longbox reader is extremely well-implemented, and a joy to use. Still not convinced? Well, it won't cost you anything to head over to the Longbox Digital website, have a look around, see what you think. Longbox is currently available for Windows and Mac platforms, as well as the new ADAM color tablet. Versions are coming soon for iPad, Android and other tablets and hand-helds, and popular gaming platforms. Coming January 3, 2011: QUANTUM VIBE [ Dec 13, 2010 ]Those wondering what Big Head Press' next new project will be now have their answer: QUANTUM VIBE, a continuing sci-fi series written and drawn by Scott Bieser! Five hundred years in the future, humans will have spread across the Solar System, establishing thriving colonies on many worlds, moons, and planetoids, and transforming themselves as they adapt to new environments. But humanity has not yet ventured to the stars for two reasons: lack of a practical faster-than-light drive, and the fact that dark matter has made interstellar space more difficult to navigate than previously thought. But one mad scientist, Dr. Seamus Murtagh, has a theory he believes will open a new frontier. And to prove it, he sets off with his sparky young assistant, Nicole Oresme, on a tour through the Solar System, exploring the strange new human cultures on the settled worlds, making new friends, dealing with enemies, and solving the riddle that is "quantum vibremonics." QUANTUM VIBE will run 5 days a week, with longer strips starting the week on Mondays. Return to this space the first week of January and we'll have links to the new strip, which begins with eleven installments the first day, to properly introduce the story, and continues with 5 strips each week. Freedom Summit! [ Nov 16, 2010 ]Unfortunately we can't make it this year, but if you can spend the weekend of Dec. 3-5 in Phoenix, Arizona (and who wouldn't want to this time of year?) you should attend the Freedom Summit, an annual meeting of free minds hosted by Ernest Hancock, libertarian activist extraordinaire, and Marc Victor, Arizona's famous bulldog-tough defense attorney. This year's speakers include the stimulating stand-up philosopher Stefan Molyneau, Anti-War.Com Radio host Scott Horton, law professor Butler Shaffer, talk-show host and The Dollar Meltdown author Charles Goyette, and many others. And in addition to the speakers, many of the movement's most interesting activists will be there to socialize, network, and generally have a good time. Dang, we wish we could go. Smith & Bieser at JAX [ Nov 9, 2010 ]An alert for those readers in the Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Cheyenne, and Laramie areas: L. Neil Smith has been asked to appear at Author's Day at the JAX Mercantile Co. to sign books and visit with readers this Saturday, November 13, 2010, fron 10 A.M. until 4 P.M. Artist and illustrator Scott Bieser will also be in attendance, in the Gun Department (where else?) toward the back of the store. They will have all of Smith's current works in print, from Tor Books, BigHeadPress, Mountain Media, and Arc Manor/Phoenix Pick. JAX has always been the most interesting retail store in the area for outdoorsmen, and when you quickly tire of talking to us, you will still be able to peruse the many counters and racks and bins full of guns, knives, camping gear, fishing stuff, boots and outdoor clothing, plus some of the best kids' toys you've ever seen. Oh yes -- and there will be a lot of other authors there, too. JAX Mercantile Co. is located at 1200 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. Saturday, November 13th, 2010, from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. in the Gun Department. Brond On The Run [ Nov 8, 2010 ]What do Big Head Press' writers do in their spare time? Well, when they're not swimming in the oodles of cash earned from their royalties, Adi Tantimedh (LA MUSE) and Steven Grant (ODYSSEUS THE REBEL) have joined forces to write a deliciously sick and twisted, serialized novella running on the BleedingCool.com website. It's titled "Brond On The Run," and Adi explains its origins this way: "We did it as a writing exercise. I started the first part, then Steven would the next and throw it back to me, neither telling the other what he was planning and challenging each other to top what we’d written as well as bring the whole story to a proper conclusion. Basically, we wrote a bit of gratuitously violent smut." Set in a near future noir London "where feuds between artists, writers and critics draw real blood, and fame, ratings and big salaries are the prizes," the story concerns Adam Brond, a novelist famous as he is arrogant, his porcine publisher, his double-dealing agent, and the children of his arch-nemesis, from whom he has recently inherited a fortune. Doesn't make sense? Of course not. Just enjoy a dose of your favorite intoxicant, close the door, and read the damn thing. C'thul-Who? [ Oct 30, 2010 ]When he isn't coloring comics or making models of 31st-Century tachyon sailing ships, the artist we call "that -3- guy" spends his time making very weird and wonderful pin-ups. Just in time for Halloween, he brings forth "C'thul-Who? -- the Sexy Side of C'thulhu" which we see a bit of here at the left. We never knew C'thulhu had a sexy side, but -3- found it. To view the entire image, (which may be NSFW) go to -3-'s website, The Third Road, and to get a high-quality, 15x22 poster, go to his Zazzle store.
Bieser guest-draws strip for EERIE CUTIES [ Oct 20, 2010 ]Scott Bieser has drawn a "guest strip" of Eerie Cuties, a sexy-comedy romp featuring teen-aged creatures-of-the-night. The strip is up today (October 20), and you can view it at https://www.eeriecuties.com/. The strip is usually drawn by Gisèlle Legacé, who also co-writes with "Dave Zero1." Permalink: https://www.eeriecuties.com/d/20101020.html You might also want to check out Gisèlle's and Dave's other, often NSFW strip, Ménage à 3. Brother, can you spare a buck for a starving artist? [ Sep 7, 2010 ]Okay, seriously, we're not starving, but our outgo still exceeds our income, and it occurs to us that some of our readers may be willing to show support for our comics in other ways besides buying our books. So, we've added PayPal "Donate" buttons to the display pages for ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, PHOEBUS KRUMM, and ESCAPE FROM TERRA. The button is located near the upper right corner of the strip, or art page. Of the money received, 40 percent will be applied to the royalties for that feature's creators, the rest will go to pay for bandwith fees and other costs of keeping Big Head Press going. So please, click the "Donate" button, enter whatever amount you wish to donate, and help keep Big Head Press alive! Publishers Weekly Reviews EFT, Vol 1 [ Jul 19, 2010 ]
The staff at Publishers Weekly gave Escape From Terra, Vol 1 a fair review. We, of course, won't point out their error in stating Scott is a co-artist (Scott is a co-writer) for the web strip. Instead we will rise above such boorishness, and agree that Lee's art is "a treat".
Steven Grant at Big Head Press in San Diego [ Jul 15, 2010 ]Steven Grant, writer of comics, screen-plays, occasional opinion columns, and ODYSSEUS THE REBEL for Big Head Press, will make two appearances at our booth at the up-coming San Diego Comic-Con. He will appear on Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30pm, and Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30pm, to sign copies of his graphic novel and chat with fans. The Big Head Press booth is #2302, in the Independent Press Pavilion. Big Head Press at San Diego Comic-Con! [ Jun 15, 2010 ]Big Head Press will be exhibiting for the first time in 5 years at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International, bringing artists Scott Bieser and LEE OAKS! to greet fans and sign books. Steven Grant, writer for ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, has promised to drop by from time to time during the show, and publisher Frank Bieser will also make a rare convention appearance. SDCC runs July 22-25 at the San Diego Convention Center. UPDATE: Good news for people with chronic last-minute-itis! The convention is now offering a limited number of "returned memberships" for sale right now, so if you want to get in to this insanely huge show, you still can!
Phoenix Comic-Con [ May 11, 2010 ]Steven Grant and Scott Bieser, creators of ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, will greet fans at the Phoenix Comic-Con, to be held at the Phoenix Convention Center on Memorial Day Weekend (May 27-30). They will be signing copies of their graphic novel at the Big Head Press booth, which is #317 and located roughly in the center of the exhibitor hall. For details, or to order tickets to the show, go to the Phoenix Comic-Con website. Announcing ESCAPE FROM TERRA Volume 1 [ May 3, 2010 ]
Rejoice, Space Scouts! Starting July 7, 2010, you will be able to own your very own trade-paperback collection of ESCAPE FROM TERRA comic strips! Volume 1 collects the first 315 strips of our most popular comics feature ever, containing the story arcs "World Ceres," "War of the Worlds," "The Little Prince" and "Mystery of the Martian Melodies," which originally appeared on our web site from September 2008 into December 2009.
The 6"x9" square-bound trade paperback contains 192 pages (in snazzy black-and-white) and retails for $12.95. You can order your copy now at your favorite local comic book specialty store. Pre-ordering directly from Amazon.Com should be possible soon. Update: The Amazon pre-order page is up now. Bieser to speak at Liberty Forum [ Mar 10, 2010 ]Scott Bieser, our General Director and Artist-In-Residence, will be speaking at the upcoming Liberty Forum to take place in Nashua, New Hampshire, March 18-21. So far as we know Big Head Press will not have a booth in the vendors area but Scott says he will be bringing some books to sign. (Or, readers can bring their own.) Scott's speech, scheduled for Friday, will be about using popular culture to spread the ideas of liberty. Other notables speaking at the event include Ernest Hancock, Angela Keaton, Brad Spangler, David D. Friedman, William Norman Grigg, and Judge Andrew Napolitano. Liberty Forum is sponsored by the Free State Project. For details, go the Liberty Forum website. Another ODYSSEUS THE REBEL review [ Dec 31, 2009 ]Peter Wong offers up a thoughtful review of Grant and Bieser's ODYSSEUS THE REBEL at the Suite101.com website. Wong has previously reviewed Tantimedh and Petrus' LA MUSE. Vote for ODYSSEUS THE REBEL [ Dec 11, 2009 ]BrokenFrontier.Com, an important comics review webzine, has listed ODYSSEUS THE REBEL by Steven Grant and Scott Bieser among its four nominees for Best Original Graphic Novel of 2009. Fans can go to the site's contest page here and vote for OTR in this category, and for other comics creations and creators in the other nine categories (Best Graphic Novel is category number 8, scroll down a bit). In related news, BrokenFrontiers.com writer Bart Croonenborghs has recently conducted an interview with OTR writer Grant, and as soon as it is published we'll let our fans know right here on this page. UPDATE: The interview is now online . ROSWELL, TEXAS drives reviewer insane [ Nov 10, 2009 ]NM Boliek, brave soul that he is, attempted to read and comprehend ROSWELL, TEXAS and had some difficulty. Writing about it on the Sci-Fi Cool site, he relates: "Well, there it is, Roswell, Texas - the book I have coveted for the past two years but somehow just never got around to reading. Now I know why, because this multi layered volume of ‘twisted Texas tawdriness’ pretty much soaked up every insomniac moment I had and then some. Daylight came and went for a solid week and yet I remained somewhere in the desert lost in the mountains hovering aloft over Roswell waiting to return to my senses – I’m still waiting for that to happen." We've been getting other reports of this "RT Disorientation Disorder" from various quarters. Apparently the story is even more mind-blowing than we expected. Heh-heh. So if you're looking for a legal high at a very reasonable price, pick up a copy of ROSWELL, TEXAS from Amazon.com or order it from your favorite bookstore. Ordering information can be found here. ODYSSEUS THE REBEL Released [ Oct 14, 2009 ]
ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, Steven Grant's re-work of the classic Greek Odyssey legend, hit store shelves Wednesday, and is now available on Amazon.com. Scott Bieser provides the art. 184 pages, $12.95.
Mike Baron Got Married [ Oct 10, 2009 ]
Mike Baron, author of The Architect and The Hook for Big Head Press (as well as something called NEXUS which has had various publishers), was married to Ann Fisher on October 10 in Fort Collins. The happy couple will be honeymooning on beautiful Ylum. For more information, see Scott Bieser's blog.
BHP at APE [ Sep 17, 2009 ]
After a 4-year hiatus, Big Head Press returns to Alternate Press Expo in October to premier our newest book, ODYSSEUS THE REBEL. Steven Grant and Scott Bieser, the book's creators, will be on hand to sign copies and regale the public with harrowing tales of their recent African safari. Or something. Yes we are in PREVIEWS [ Aug 18, 2009 ]For some reason, our listing for ODYSSEUS THE REBEL in the August/October PREVIEWS was placed a bit out of alphabetical order in both their catalog and their on-line PDF listing. But we're in there, on page 208 between Bare Bones Press and Basement Comics. Apparently people have been looking for us between Berserker and Blind Ferret, which is 8 pages later, after the Avatar listings. Anyway, the order code for ODYSSEUS THE REBEL is AUG09 0669. Really! Would we lie to you? Free Talk Live [ Aug 14, 2009 ]We'd like to give a shout-out to one of our newer friends, Mark Edge, the co-host of Free Talk Live, a New Hampshire-based libertarian syndicated radio talk-show and podcast. Mark and his partner Ian Freeman, along with a rotating roster of other co-hosts, have lively and highly listenable conversations with callers on all manner of topics, and do a great job of presenting their pro-liberty perspectives. Scott discovered FTL a few months ago when he was looking for podcasts to run while he draws. "It seems that when the verbal part of my brain is occupied by talk in the background, the drawing part of my brain focuses better on my work," he explains. So one might say that much of Scott's output has been "Free-Talk-Live-Powered" for some time now. Mark is also closely involved with the Free State Project, which seeks to bring liberty-minded people together in New Hampshire where they can build enough numbers to make a difference in local politics. And he has already been talking up Big Head Press among his friends there. He also stopped by the local comics shop in Keene, NH (Comic Boom) to chat with the owner there about ordering some of our books. Well, since Mark is going to bat for us in such a big way, the least we could do is say thanks, huh? ODYSSEUS THE REBEL trade coming in October [ Aug 5, 2009 ]ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, a graphic re-telling of the classic Odyssey epic, will be released as a trade-paperback this coming October. The story, written by Steven Grant and illustrated by Scott Bieser, is listed in the August/October issue of PREVIEWS, the catalog of Diamond Comics Distributors. It will contain 184 pages at a 6-inch by 9-inch trim size, and have a list price of $12.95. It will also be available to booksellers via Baker & Taylor. "We are pushing to get this book printed and into the retail channels by October 14, not only so it will be available for early holiday shoppers but also so we can present it at Alternative Press Expo, which will be held in San Francisco the following weekend," explained Scott Bieser, who is also Big Head Press' general director. The publisher announced it will be sending Grant and Bieser to the APE show, where they will discuss the book and sign copies for fans. Grant and Bieser's story has been serialized on the Big Head Press website since mid-2008 and the final pages will be displayed in late August. The story will remain on the site indefinitely, as one means of marketing the book. "We have found that having our books available for free viewing on our website promotes sales of the physical books," Bieser explained. "Readers get a chance to try before they buy. If they like the story, they'll want to have a physical copy to keep permanently."
TimePeeper on Kindle [ Jul 23, 2009 ]TimePeeper, the time-travelling teen comedy by L. Neil Smith and Sherard Jackson, has been released on Amazon's Kindle platform. Big Head Press Director Scott Bieser said he and and his assistant, Zeke Bieser, labored many hours optimizing the original page art for the Kindle platform, and the results are very pleasing to the eye. One iPhone user who has the Kindle app on his phone reports that the adapted comic reads very comfortably on that device, as well. Details about the Kindle edition can be found on Amazon's site here. The e-graphic novel sells for $3.95.
Bieser, Smith to appear at Freedom Fest [ Jun 9, 2009 ]
Las Vegas in July? Yes, well, the nights are pleasant and in the daytime there is air conditioning. This coming July 9th through the 11th, Big Head Press creators L. Neil Smith and Scott Bieser will brave the heat to appear at Freedom Fest, billed as "The world's largest gathering of free minds." The conference, to be held at the elegant Bally's Hotel and Casino in the heart of the famous Las Vegas Strip, offers opportunities to meet a variety of liberty-loving luminaries, ranging from bestselling financial author Thomas Woods Jr. and international investor Douglas Casey to Congressman Ron Paul and Peter Schiff, capital fund manager and media pundit. Smith and Bieser will be holding forth at the Big Head Press booth in the Exhibits area. The conference program includes a "Science Fiction Mini Festival" but its schedule has not been finalized. More information about Freedom Fest can be found here. Onward, through the blizzard! [ Apr 22, 2009 ]Despite blizzard conditions the first two days, we are counting the first ComicFest in Denver this year as a qualified success. Big Head Press brought writers L. Neil Smith and Mike Baron, as well as artists Scott Bieser and LEE OAKS! to the show, albeit a bit late. LEE managed to catch a ride from Fort Collins with our friend Nick Runge Friday evening, while Neil, Mike and Scott rolled in Saturday morning. We found that StarFest, the larger organization of which ComicFest is a part, had overbooked the exhibit space and the "talent" (that's our stalwart crew) were given tables in the crowded hallway fronting the exhibit and panel rooms. But we made do, and the convention volunteers did their level best to accommodate us, and we're looking forward to returning in 2010.
Artist LEE OAKS! chats with Indie Spinner Rack podcaster Charlito. Photo by Anginet Page.
Legendary writer Mike Baron gives some helpful advice to a budding young (unidentified) artist. Photo by Anginet Page.
Scott Bieser shares his wisdom at one of the panels. After seeing this photo he says he's finally persuaded to retire the "Indiana Jones" hat. Photo by Anginet Page.
Somehow we never got a photo of L. Neil Smith at the convention. However, we got a photo of his gun, along with Scott's, resting peacefully on the nightstand of their shared hotel room. Aren't they cute? ComicFest Denver [ Mar 5, 2009 ]Rocky Mountain-region comics fans, mark your calendars for April 17-19 -- Denver is getting a brand-new, 3-day comics convention this Spring! ComicFest is one of three components of a ramped-up StarFest, a science-fiction event which has been around since 1998. 2009 will be the first year that the comics industry is to be included in the festivities, and Big Head Press will be there to help inaugurate what is to become the Mountain West's premier annual comics event. Big Head Press will be bringing writers Mike Baron (NEXUS, BADGER, THE ARCHITECT), and L. Neil Smith (THE PROBABILITY BROACH; ROSWELL, TEXAS; TIMEPEEPER) and artists Scott Bieser (THE PROBABILITY BROACH; ROSWELL, TEXAS; ODYSSEUS THE REBEL) and LEE OAKS! (BLACK ICE, ESCAPE FROM TERRA) to greet fans and autograph books. ComicFest is being held at the Hilton Garden Inn - DTC, located just off of Interstate 25 on Belleview. For more info go to the ComicFest page on the StarFest website, or call 303-777-6800. Digital Strips Interview [ Feb 16, 2009 ]While we were at NYCC Scott had a brief interview with Brigid Alverson, who writes for the Digital Strips website. Brigid posted the interview and her impressions of Big Head Press on February 16. Scott says he's a lot funnier in person than the interview makes him seem. And he was just kidding about the ads bringing in beer money. Last month we used our ad income to buy our first Leer jet. Yes. NYCC in 3 minutes [ Feb 14, 2009 ]What was New York Comic-Con like? Well, here's a 3-minute walk-through we took on Sunday. You can see a somewhat better-quality version by going to the YouTube site and clicking on the little "watch in high-quality" text link under the right corner of the video box. Sorry for all the motion-blur. Best we can do with a $120 camera. LA MUSE gets PWCW honorable mention [ Jan 6, 2009 ]LA MUSE by Adi Tantimedh and Hugo Petrus received honorable mention in the Publishers Weekly/Comics Week critics' poll of the best graphic novels of 2008, as announced on the PW website. Overall, 90 books were either ranked as best-of-the-best or given honorable mention. The list included a large number of manga books and more than a dozen collections of previously-published works. The critics panel included Chris Barsanti, Steve Bunche, Johanna Draper Carlson, Erin Finnegan, Kate Fitzsimmons, Laura Hudson, Heidi MacDonald, Calvin Reid, Frank Santoro, Sam Thielman, and Douglas Wolk. Naturally, we think LA MUSE should have been included in the top 21 best-of list, but we're happy the book received honorable mention. LA MUSE is still available in print, and can be ordered wholesale from Diamond Comics Distribution or Baker & Taylor. It can also be purchased at retail from Amazon.Com and Barnesandnoble.Com. La Muse reviews rolling in [ Dec 6, 2008 ]The reviews of LA MUSE are rolling in, and the word is very positive. The latest comes from Gary Rodrigue, writing for ComicNews.info: "Adi Tantimedh provides plenty of depth to the story and to the characters. His story is laced with humor, violence, action and sex(quite a bit,actually), offering the reader a little bit of everything.... As for the art, well it has a beautiful woman on the cover licking a lollipop, works for me. Seriously though, the artwork of Hugo Petrus is realistic, attractive, effective and simply perfect for this type of story." We'd missed the Publisher's Weekly review when it came out, but managed to track down Steve Bunche's entry: "This tale is a pleasure from start to finish, and even though it kind of works in the same territory as Garth Ennis and Phil Winslade's Goddess (1995), it's still very much its own entity, refreshingly free of clichéd city-smashing superhero throwdowns." Ralph Mathieu also loves LA MUSE, as he writes in his blog Ich Liebe Comics: "This graphic novel and its central character has a very liberal political activist slant, but La Muse isn't preachy, instead it's a very smart, highly entertaining graphic novel that really expands on what Alan Moore did with Miracleman years ago." La Muse reviewed on G4! [ Nov 28, 2008 ]We always love to get reviews of our books, but what can be better than a review on G4 by the telegenic and highly witty Blair Butler? While pondering that one, step on over to G4's Fresh Ink page and check out Blair's review of our very own LA MUSE, by Adi Tantimedh and Hugo Petrus. She reviews three other GNs besides ours, but it's worth viewing the entire "Fresh Ink" segment, especially for the turkey joke at the end. LA MUSE on shelves this week [ Nov 25, 2008 ]La Muse, our smart-and-sexy sci-fi story about a left-wing political activist who is discovered to have god-like powers (written by Adi Tantimedh and illustrated by Hugo Petrus), should be hitting comics shelves this Wednesday (Nov. 26), according to our direct-market distributor, Diamond. The book is also listed on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and borders.com. However, you may have some difficulty finding the book with Amazon's amazing search engine. Typing the string "La Muse" buries us within 120,000 other listings that have "muse" in their title or as an author name. They seem to ignore the "La" altogether. To get to our book, you can type "La Muse Adi" in the search string, or after typing "La Muse" and getting that long and irrelevant listing, go to the categories links in the left column and click on "Comics & Graphic Novels" and then our book will show up in the Number 4 slot. We are in -ahem- discussions with Amazon about this problem but I don't know if they will fix their search engine, even if we threaten to sic the arse-eels on them. ESCAPE FROM TERRA NOW! [ Sep 26, 2008 ]ESCAPE FROM TERRA, the daily sci-fi adventure strip, launches today: Friday, Sept. 26. The feature begins with the first 10 strips on launch day, then continues with a new strip every week-day (we take weekends off to go fishing). Join Agents Caillard and Stellina as they brave the wilds of outer-space for the cause of United World tax collection and social justice. A WORD FROM OUR BELOVED MASTERS [ Sep 14, 2008 ]Meet Guy (pronounced "ghee") Caillard and Fiorella Stellina, two intrepid agents of the United World Revenue Service. Agent Caillard has a long and glorious track record with UWRS, being highly adept at ferreting out wealth hidden by selfish money-barons who don't want to share their bounty with Terra's downtrodden and impoverished masses in the late 21st Century. Our heroes have embarked on an ambitious quest, into the wild and untamed Asteroid Belt. There, a motley collection of anti-social adventurers has amassed great wealth mining the countless asteroids, and the UWRS intends to extend its beneficent authority throughout the Solar System and claim a fair share of this outer-space bounty for the rest of humanity.
On Friday, Sept. 26, Big Head Press will present the continuing adventures of Agents Caillard and Stellina, and the dangerous characters they meet on the frontier, in a 5-days-weekly web-comic adventure strip, ESCAPE FROM TERRA. Written by Sandy Sandfort and Scott Bieser, and illustrated by LEE OAKS! ROSWELL reviewed (again) in PROMETHEUS [ Aug 24, 2008 ]"This is the kind of alternate history one almost wishes really happened, with a cast of characters transformed into improbably wonderful new roles, in a world fine-tuned to signals audible only on clear nights when the air is chill and strange patterns among the planets reveal the truly unexpected." ROSWELL, TEXAS has already received mention in PROMETHEUS, the quarterly newsletter of the Libertarian Futurist Socity, back when it was in the middle of its on-line serialization. Now the book is complete, and available in-print, and Anders Monsen gives it a more thorough treatment in this summer's newsletter. Anders does a pretty good job of summarizing the story without giving away too much, and sets the story in the context of author L. Neith Smith's oeuvre. The review is not available on-line. To obtain a copy of the newsletter, send $3 with a note indicating the issue desired to Chris Hibbert, 1195 Andre Ave. Mountain View, CA 94040. A full year's subscription is available with membership, which costs $25/year ($30 outside the U.S.), send to LFS, 650 Castro St. Suite 120-433, Mountain View, CA 94041. Inquiries regarding subscriptions should be e-mailed to Fred Moulton at moulton (at) moulton (dot) com. More Denvention Photos [ Aug 23, 2008 ]Here are some photos L. Neil Smith took at Denvention with his handy-dandy camera phone. As you can see there were more than a few fabulous babes at this event. There was also a giant blue bear who didn't have the scratch for the attendance fee, and a book editor who apparently did. World Con Denver Report [ Aug 15, 2008 ]Left - A view of California Street in downtown Denver from the official Big Head Press Hotel (the Hyatt). Right - A patriotic Wiccan, apparently, showing her colors. [ Aug 15, 2008 ]Our favorite of several spiffy models on display. This one wasn't used in the original Star Trek series, but it could have been. [ Aug 15, 2008 ]
Our official Big Head Press mascot.
[ Aug 15, 2008 ]Photos by Scott Bieser Above - L. Neil Smith ready to greet his adoring fans at the Big Head Press both. Reports are that both L. Neil Smith and Scott Bieser survived Denvention 3, aka the 66th Word Sci-Fi Convention, earlier in August. Actually, Neil had a great time, greeting fans and reuniting with old friends. His gift of gab was also of great benefit at the booth, where he regaled visitors with stories and opinions on everything under the sun, and sold quite a few books. While Neil may not like to travel, he is anything but shy. Meanwhile, Scott was responsible for getting the booth loaded in and set up, handling the cash, dealing with the hotel, getting the booth dismantled and loaded out, making sure our Star Author got fed properly. He was grateful for the assistance of Fran Van Cleave, who brought sandwiches at lunch time. Adi Interviewed at Forbidden Planet [ Aug 1, 2008 ]Forbidden Planet International has been a big fan of LA MUSE for nearly its entire run, and to cap off the serial's completion, they offer up an extensive interview with writer Adi Tantimedh. Adi talks about not only LA MUSE but his career, graphic novels he enjoys, and his future plans. Smith and Bieser at World Sci-Fi Con [ Jul 29, 2008 ]The 66th World Sci-Fi Convention is in The Mile High City for 2008 and Big Head Press is bringing author L. Neil Smith and illustrator Scott Bieser to meet science fiction fans and sign books. The convention runs from Wednesday, August 6, through Sunday, August 10, at the Colorado Convention Center in Downtown Denver. Big Head Press' table location, number 1302, is indicated in the map above. LA MUSE FINALE [ Jul 28, 2008 ]LA MUSE, the sci-fi-glam adventure by Adi Tantimedh and Hugo Petrus, completes its serialization today, July 28. A full-color print edition is planned, and we will be announcing details as soon as we have them nailed down. Grant and Bieser Interviewed on PopThought.Com [ Jul 23, 2008 ]Alex Ness of PopThought.Com asks Steven Grant and Scott Bieser some thoughtful questions about ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, and the writer and artist endeavor to provide some thoughtful answers. ODYSSEUS THE REBEL Launches Aug. 4 [ Jul 17, 2008 ]ODYSSEUS THE REBEL, Steven Grant's take on the classic Odyssey story, will launch its serialization on the Big Head Press website August 4. The story will launch with the first 13 completed pages on that day, and then the story will update with a new page each the following Wednesday and Friday, continuing a Monday-Wednesday-Friday update schedule until it is completed in July 2009. "I've completed the first 65 pages of the 156-page story already, so keeping up with the schedule should be fairly easy," said Scott Bieser, who is illustrating the story. Grant's version of Odysseus' voyage home from the Trojan war is a departure from the theme of the original story. Rather than simply being a luckless minor king who was batted about by feckless gods, Grant's Odysseus is a visionary rebel who challenges the gods' supremacy, standing up to these powerful beings to demand that he, and men generally, be free of supernatural interference, whether hostile or friendly. "This is a hero the gods are determined to break, to prove forever that even the greatest of men is less than nothing to the smallest of gods, but he is a hero who will not be broken, even when his goal is snatched right out of his grasp, when the men under his command are butchered and crushed around him, when his comrades-in-arms are made to share his punishments only because they fought alongside him, when he is even cast down to hell," as Grant outlines the story. Bieser will be drawing the story in a different style than what those familiar with his work are accustomed to. "The artwork will be black and white, with grey tones in a mostly cell-shaded style," Bieser explained. "The line work is streamlined, stylized and borrows a bit from the manga idiom, although a better term for it might be 'fusion style,'" he added. "My goal is to create a more energetic style which will evoke the highly intense, driven personality of Odysseus," he said. Grant has many credits in the comics-writing field but perhaps is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' PUNISHER miniseries of the mid-1980s (collected under the title CIRCLE OF BLOOD). Other Marvel credits include THE INCREDIBLE HULK, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, and THE AVENGERS. He also scripted BADLANDS and COMICS X for Dark Horse, two CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION miniseries for IDW, and numerous DC Comics titles. He currently pens "Permanent Damage," a weekly column commenting on the comics industry for the Comic Book Resources Web-zine. Bieser first entered the comics industry as a penciler and cover colorist for Malibu Graphics' various imprints in the 1980s, drawing THE ROVERS, GAMBIT, and guest-penciling one issue of DINOSAURS FOR HIRE, as well as the first computer-drawn "adult" comic, CYBER-LUST. He left comics for a career in the computer games industry but returned in 2002 to draw A DRUG WAR CAROL as a commissioned web-comic, which was later published in print form by Big Head Press. Subsequent works include THE PROBABILITY BROACH: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, written by L. Neil Smith, and ROSWELL, TEXAS, written by Smith with Rex F. "Baloo" May. ROSWELL authors' signing in Cheyenne [ Jul 14, 2008 ]ROSWELL, TEXAS author L. Neil Smith and illustrator Scott Bieser will attend an authors' signing in Cheyenne, Wyoming on July 26. The event takes place at Phoenix Books & Music, located at 1612 Capitol Avenue, in downtown Cheyenne. The shop is located just a block north of the Union Pacific Plaza. Neil and Scott will be greeting the public and signing books from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. The event is being held during Cheyenne Frontier Days, a 10-day long rodeo festival during which time the city's population almost doubles, and quite a lot of foot traffic will be expected downtown. For details call Phoenix owner Don McKee at 877-632-3476. Cheyenne is the city where Scott makes his home, when he's not living on Mars. L. Neil On The Radio [ Jul 13, 2008 ]Just a quick note -- we learned just yesterday that L. Neil Smith is going to be giving a radio interview Anti-War.com, the premier Error War news site, on Monday, July 14 at 12:15pm EASTERN time. Go to https://antiwar.com/radio/ and click on the link to hear the live podcast. And if you miss it, I'm pretty sure they'll have a link up to the archived interview in short order. Heroes Con re-cap [ Jun 25, 2008 ](A slightly belated re-cap of Big Head Press at Heroes Con -- I returned home Monday afternoon and had to spend the next day and a half dealing with personal stuff, getting LaMuse pages ready for upload, and completing a milestone for Odysseus The Rebel.) This was our first Heroes Con, either as attendees or as exhibitors. Convention organizers Shelton Drum and Dustin Harbin go to great lengths to showcase "indie" artists and publishers, and word in the industry is that the con is very well organized, so we went in with fairly high expectations. On the organizational side, those expectations were fulfilled. The convention was indeed well-run, and the staff was responsive to exhibitors' requests for service. Other than a bit of difficulty getting our gear out of the building at the end of the con -- which was due mainly to how the convention center is designed -- we had no logistical problems. The only "large" publisher with a booth was Image, presenting current President Erik Larsen (who also writes and draws SAVAGE DRAGON) and several other creators. No DC, no Marvel, no Dark Horse -- although several dozen of their artists were on hand in Artists' Alley, furiously drawing character sketches for fans. We were a bit surprised at the lack of "mid-list" publishers, with Top Shelf and Bonaventure being the only companies in that crowd holding forth. No Oni, no First Second, no Fantagraphics. It was kind of odd. Edit: Frank says he did see Oni there. I didn't, and a couple of other people at the con told me they didn't see Oni there. So either Frank was hallucinating or he has sharper eyes than I and two other people. Edit: Frank says they were in booth 631 in the "indie island" area of the floor, and his eyes can pierce a man's soul. A bigger surprise for us was the appearance of Andie Tong, the artist for our book The Architect, who showed up more or less unannounced (he was listed in the program guide and on the website, but he didn't tell us or his mailing list he would be attending). Andie is now in high demand as an illustrator, drawing the Marvel UK/Pannini version of Spider-Man and doing an increasing number of gigs in the U.S. But success hasn't gone to his head -- he's a really warm and friendly guy and we hung out together after-hours on Friday and Saturday for drinks, where he introduced us to several other artists and writers. With the lack of large-ish publishers there weren't any of the after-hours parties we see at other conventions, but we found a huge crowd of comics people at the Westin Hotel bar -- which was odd since it was the Hilton which was the "official" convention hotel. But the Westin had held that honor in years past and I suppose old habits maintained. And it probably helped that the Westin bar was a good bit larger. Also, for people who don't care for mob scenes while relaxing with a drink, the Hilton bar offered a more congenially quiet place for relaxed conversations. Our only disappointment with the con was that despite the efforts of the owners to promote indie comics, the attendees were for the most part not up to speed with the program. Artists associated with Marvel and DC characters were mobbed with fans, and were drawing character sketches as fast as they could, while most of the indie publishers and artists (with a few exceptions such as the legendary Jaime Hernandez and the phenomenal Frank Cho) sat idly with pained smiles. And some of the publishers who did get attention complained of slow sales. As for us, we did sell dozens of books, some of them to L. Neil Smith fans who were surprised to see us there, some to Mike Baron fans who wished we'd brought him along (Mike's a light sleeper, and Frank and I snore like buzz-saws, so it's difficult and expensive for us to travel together) although having Andie on hand to autograph the books helped quite a bit. Frank did take some pictures at the convention, and we'll post these as soon as he sends them to me. Frank also has an interesting story about his trip home, which we'll put up along with the photos. I may also yap a bit about the panel on web-comics I attended. --Scott Bieser R,T reviewed in Newsarama [ Jun 16, 2008 ]Roswell, Texas gets another brief but positive review on Newsarama, one of the top entertainment industry web-zines. The review is grouped in with several others, so to find it you'll have to scroll down the page a bit. Here's the link . Sold out at Amazon? [ Jun 16, 2008 ]We've been getting reports from fans that Roswell, Texas is listed as "Out of Stock" at Amazon.com, and wondering if we've sold out our print run. Well, not yet. We do still have plenty of copies handy. What happened was Amazon under-ordered from us and sold through their supply more quickly than they expected. They placed the largest order we've ever received from them late last week, and copies are on their way. So, if you're wanting a copy, and your local comics shop doesn't have one, you can order from Amazon in confidence that you'll be getting the book very soon. Book Launch Party! [ May 22, 2008 ]Alternative-history and comics fans alike are invited to the official Roswell, Texas release party sponsored by publisher Big Head Press and to be held June 7 at Gryphon Games & Comics in Fort Collins Roswell, Texas is an alt-history graphic novel set in a Republic of Texas which had never joined the United States. Set in 1947, the story involves many familiar historical figures in imaginatively different roles and situations. The graphic novel was written by Fort Collins residents L. Neil Smith and Rex F. May, and illustrated by Fort Collins native Scott Bieser. Smith, May, Bieser, and colorist Jennifer Zach will be in attendance and available to sign books and answer questions. Snacks and light beverages will be available, and attendance is free and open to the public. Legendary comics writer Mike Baron will also be a special guest. Baron will sign and talk about The Architect which is also published by Big Head Press, and other projects he is currently working on. The party will begin at 5pm on Saturday, June 7, and wrap at 8pm. Gryphon Games & Comics is loated at 2020 S. College Ave., between Rutgers Avenue and Spring Park Drive. LP National Convention [ May 14, 2008 ]Big Head Press will be selling advance copies of its newest book, Roswell, Texas, exclusively to attendees at the Libertarian Party National Convention to be held in Denver, Colorado May 22-26. Author L. Neil Smith is widely known among libertarians, and that's why we're bringing him to the convention, where he will sign copies of R,T as well as his other books, and will talk about current and up-coming projects. Illustrator Scott Bieser will also be at the Big Head Press booth in the convention Exhibits area, signing his books and previewing artwork for his next project, Odysseus The Rebel, being written by comics favorite Steven Grant. The Eyes of Texas Are Upon Us [ May 1, 2008 ]We got a brief but very nice review of Roswell, Texas in this week's Austin Chronicle. The article is a listing of favored graphic novels -- scroll to the bottom and there we are. "An outlandish narrative that'll appeal to any pop-culture fans who like a bit of conspiracy theory sprinkled on top of their flakes of sci-fi goodness. Scott Bieser and Jen Zach's artwork, classic comic book rendering, effectively nails the tone and the times to each grayscale panel." One great thing about this is that we get associated with indie-cartoonists-extraordinare Jaime Hernandez and Lynda Barry. Excellent company, to be sure. The Chronicle is a venerable Austin, Texas institution dating from the early 1970s, one of the first arts & entertainment weekly newspapers that spawned scores of imitations around the country. WE IZ NOW FAMOUS [ Apr 15, 2008 ]Big Head Press is highlighted in the current Publishers Weekly/Comics Week webzine. They give us a really nice write up -- check it out! Announcing ROSWELL, TEXAS trade pb [ Apr 15, 2008 ]SIXGUNS, MOTORCYCLES, FLYING SAUCERS, AND INTERPLANETARY PASTIES will hit comics and bookstore shelves the first week of June, when the trade paperback version of ROSWELL, TEXAS debuts. The 272-page sci-fi/western/romantic comedy has been serialized on the Big Head Press website over a nearly-two year span, steadily building an audience, and now readers can enjoy the story in meat-space with a printed book, said Scott Bieser, director for the publishing house. The story, written by L. Neil Smith and Rex "Baloo" May, follows the exploits of some Texas Rangers in an alternative-timeline where Texas never joined the United States. They are sent by Texican President Charles A. Lindbergh to investigate reports of a flying-saucer crash in the far west-Texas town of Roswell in 1947. The story is illustrated by Scott Bieser with colors by Jennifer Zach. In this story, familiar historical figures turn up in intriguingly different roles in the story, although some, such as FBI legend Elliot Ness and T.E. Lawrence, are ominously similar to our own history. Several intriguing fictional characters are added to the mix, from the classically "western" Rattlesnake Pete (who holds an Oxford degree in French literature) to the feisty Amber Rose Bierce, a news reporter who is the fictional grand-daughter of the real-life Ambrose Bierce. The book is marketed for mature readers, due to some light nudity, and printed in black-and-white with a full-color cover. At a 6"x9" form-factor it is a bit smaller than the standard comic-book but considerably larger than most manga and competitively priced at $12.95. "We are also heavily promoting the book with advertising placed in the major comics trade magazines and news websites, along with REASON Magazine, whose audience is heavily populated with L. Neil Smith fans," Bieser added. Majesticon April 2008 [ Apr 3, 2008 ]L. Neil Smith, Mike Baron, Scott Bieser and Jen Zach will make public appearances at the upcoming Majesticon in Denver, which is happening Sunday, April 13. The show will open at 10am in the Ramada Plaza Convention Center, which is just off Interstate 25 at the 120th Street exit in Northglenn. Smith, Bieser and Zach have recently completed their latest graphic novel, Roswell, Texas, and sample copies of the printed book will be available for viewing. The book goes on sale at the end of May. It can currently be viewed on-line in its entirety ad the Big Head Press website. Mike Baron will be answering questions about his current projects and signing copies of his book The Architect, which was published by Big Head Press last year. This book was seriously under-ordered by comics shops but is a hot seller at conventions. STAPLE! March 1 [ Feb 26, 2008 ]If you're going to be anywhere near Austin, Texas on March 1, then you can stop by the Monarch Event Center from 11am to 5pm and see me, Mike Baron, and several other indie-comics luminaries at the STAPLE! Independent Media Expo. A great deal for five bucks admission. For details go to https://www.staple-austin.org/ . TimePeeper Launches [ Jan 14, 2008 ]In 2080, three teen-aged students of Heinlein Memorial High School "borrow" a TimePeeper -- a time-traveling device designed for recording past events -- and promptly lose it in the past. To avoid discovery and harsh punishment, Bernie, Valerie and Arthur must themselves travel 75 years into the past to retrieve the gadget. But what they encounter in the dark and barbaric year 2005 will completely change their lives. TimePeeper, a new graphic novel by L. Neil Smith and Sherard Jackson, debuts on the Big Head Press website Tuesday, January 15. The direct link to the story is https://www.bigheadpress.com/timepeeper. The story will begin with a 13-page opening chapter on that day and then present a new page every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until the serialization is completed in September. This sci-fi adventure story offers action, drama, a bit of romance, plus a modest dollop of the libertarian political commentary that is Smith's trademark, according to Big Head Press director Scott Bieser. "This is mainly a teen action story, with some twists, that should appeal to a wide audience," he explained, "but there is also enough classic Smithian brain candy included to satisfy Neil's legion of fans. I like to think of it as a descendant of the Robert Heinlein "juvenile" books." This will be Smith's third published graphic novel, the previous two being Roswell, Texas, written with Rex F. May and with art by Scott Bieser and Jen Zach; and The Probability Broach: The Graphic Novel, which adapts his first prose novel. In addition to the original Probability Broach, Smith has written and published 24 other prose novels (not including foreign editions) since 1980, and has three more in the works, including a prose version of Roswell, Texas. Sherard Jackson is a 12-year veteran comics artist, and drawing in an engaging "world manga" style. Recent works include Cthulhu Tales: Tainted (BOOM! Studios), Semantic Lace: Ghost Story (Devil's Due Publishing) and Assembly, (Antarctic Press). He has also contributed art for role-playing game systems and worked as an animator on the 2006 film "A Scanner Darkly." A great big holiday gift from Joe [ Dec 12, 2007 ]"Aided by Hugo Petrus' fine artwork, Adi has taken one of the most clich'd genres in comics, the almost godlike superhero, and then twisted and exploited the stereotypes and clich's we're all familiar with into new directions, with plot turns that have frequently taken me by surprise, which is incredibly refreshing to me, when you read a lot you often develop a sixth sense for a tale and can predict where it will go next, so to have one where I really don't know how it will turn out is immensely welcome. As is the wonderful layering Adi puts into La Muse, with finger-on-the-pulse observations of popular culture, celebrity, political machinations, political activism, celebrity, the media, he even manages to get sex in there in an adult way and not the cringe-worthy, exploitative way some mainstream comics use sex (which frequently leaves us apologising about it and trying to defend the medium as not all being like that, honest)." Adi Tantimedh sent his "Best of the Year" graphic novel picks to Joe at the Forbidden Planet International blog, and Joe decided to preface Adi's remarks with a really huge plug for LaMuse. Thanks again Joe! We knew we had a winner when Adi sent his pitch, way back in late 2006, and we're glad you agree. Forbidden Planet, in case anyone still doesn't know, pretty much rules the comics and graphic-novel retail business in Great Britain, with fifteen stores and two "associate" stores located throughout the kingdom. And one in New York City. Hmmm. Another British invasion, it seems. Forbidden Planet still loves LaMuse [ Dec 3, 2007 ]LaMuse has been getting fairly consistent and positive attention from the Forbidden Planet Blog. Forbidden Planet is one of the premier comic-book / graphic novel shops in the United Kingdom. Here is what they had to say today: "After dropping in a surprise return from La Muse's parents asking about her use of her near-omnipotent powers to alter the world (almost a classic Star Trek-style moment before Adi then kicks things sideways again) and then a real bombshell in her life, Adi Tantidmedh once more takes a little side-swipe at our media-obsessed world: with the entire global economy transformed almost instantly, with all the chaos that can bring, the Hollywood power lunch meeting in a posh restaurant to secure a new show deal still goes on. Get your people to call my people, we'll do lunch." The Architect Re-Listed at Diamond [ Oct 13, 2007 ]Mike Baron's horror graphic novel The Architect , illustrated by Andie Tong, will get a re-listing in the October Diamond Previews catalog, according to publisher Big Head Press. "We're getting a second chance!" exclaimed the delighted Scott Bieser, director for the small-press publisher. "Diamond is re-listing the book because they agree that retailers and fans should have a chance to order it after they've seen some of the tremendous art for this book, which will appear in a Previews ad and in an ad campaign both during October and in the December sales period," Big Head director Scott Bieser said. This time around, Big Head Press will have a half-page ad in the Previews catalog, and is placing ads on consumer-oriented websites both during the October ordering period and the December sales period. "We've already had advance review copies of The Architect out for a while, and several favorable reviews have come back in," Bieser said. He added that British comics retailers should pay special attention to the listing, because illustrator Andie Tong is gaining an enthusiastic fan following in that country as the penciler for Marvel UK's version of The Amazing Spider-Man. The Architect is a horror story loosely based on the life of Frank Lloyd Wright. The book contains 70 pages of full-color story art, plus a seven-page bonus prose story, "Dream House Turns to Nightmare" perfect-bound in a wraparound painted cover. It retails for $9.95. The Diamond order number is OCT073345 Forbidden Planet gives more props to LaMuse [ Oct 5, 2007 ]The Forbidden Planet Blog continues its praise for La Muse by Adi Tantimedh and Hugo Petrus. "Joe" also seems to like our new page-a-day upload schedule: "Frankly it is probably just as well that Big Head Press has been posting La Muse one page at a time now on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, because otherwise I think I might have rushed through it all at breakneck speed .... Posting the pages this way actually pushed up the dramatic tension for me, almost like a cliffhanger from an old movie serial or even the old Doctor Who, but not as contrived (or cheesy)." Adi has been providing a sort of running commentary on the pages as they get uploaded over on the the Panel & Pixel comics forum, which is where all the "cool kids" hang out (when they're not at our own forum, that is). Another Rave Review for The Architect [ Sep 20, 2007 ]Lewis Fowler, writing for the site Bookgasm, is excited about The Architect: "Ever wonder what THE FOUNTAINHEAD would have been like if it were written by Aleister Crowley? Of course you have. We all have! But where would one even start to find a book like that?" "Let's all take a collective breath and pick up a copy of The Architect, a highly entertaining one-shot, prestige-format graphic novel written by comics legend Mike Baron (NEXUS) with art by Andie Tong." Read the rest of the review here. Not Your Daddy's Architect [ Jul 10, 2007 ]Aaron Stueve, on Broken Frontier, gives The Architect a rave review. Click here and check it out. Steven Grant To Pen Story For Big Head Press [ Jun 29, 2007 ]Hardly anyone knows this, but there is a special reason why the classical Greek hero Odysseus was reviled by his fellow kings and warriors, and a reason why The Odyssey, the story of this hero's 10-year voyage home from the Trojan War, was the last of the great Grecian epic stories. And Steven Grant is going to explain it all in a new graphic novel to be presented in 2008 by Big Head Press. "This is a hero the gods are determined to break, to prove forever to men that even the greatest of men is less than nothing to the smallest of gods, but he is a hero who will not be broken, even when his goal is snatched right out of his grasp, when the men under his command are butchered and crushed around him, when his comrades-in-arms are made to share his punishments only because they fought alongside him, when he is even cast down to hell, " Grant explained. "We think Odysseus The Rebel is a great fit, thematically speaking, for Big Head Press," said publisher Frank Bieser. "Of course, we're also thrilled to be working with a writer of the caliber and industry stature of Steven Grant." Grant has commenced work on the script and Scott Bieser has begun some preliminary design work. Under a production system adopted this year by Big Head Press, the entire script will be completed before major art production begins. "This is how movies are usually made, and we see no reason why this shouldn't also be the case for graphic novels," the publisher explained. Scott will begin full production for Odysseus The Rebel in November 2007, after he completes work on his current project, Roswell, Texas. As with its other books, Big Head Press will serialize the story in its entirety on the company's website before releasing it as a trade paperback. Serialization of the 156-page story is currently scheduled to begin in January 2008. Steven Grant is perhaps best known for converting The Punisher from a third rate supporting character to a major star in Marvel's PUNISHER MINI-SERIES, but his career ranges three decades and virtually every major American comics company, including DC (Batman, Ghost Rider, Superman, Catwoman, Challengers of the Unknown), Marvel (Spider-Man, X-Men Unlimited, The Punisher War Journal, Captain America), Dark Horse (Invasions, Enemy, Alien 3), First (Whisper, Grimjack, American Flagg), IDW, Malibu and Avatar. His range extends to novels, short stories, film and music criticism and screenplays, and he pioneered the modern crime comic with works such as Whisper, Badlands, Damned and the currently running Two Guns from Boom! Studios. Permanent Damage, his Internet column of cultural criticism and political commentary, runs every Wednesday at www.comicbookresources.com. |