Hey everyone!
Hope you all had an amazing long weekend! I spent some time enjoying the weather, and just generally chilling during what felt like a well-deserved break.
Been working on a bunch of projects, finishing up some outstanding scripts, and getting some new pitches together, which is always both fun and nerve-wracking. Ideas just sort of pop in my head, and I don’t know if they’re good or bad until I spend a little time with them, working things out and seeing if there’s anything there. For me, sometimes it will start with something as simple as a cool image, or a character quirk, and then I need to start filling in the world and the story around that - how that image or moment came to be. Sometimes it all falls into place quickly, sometimes it takes a while - months or even years.
One story that took a long time to gestate was HAPPY HILL, the Comixtribe book I co-write with Joe Mulvey (one of my favorite collaborators, and all around awesome person).
Joe had the idea for Happy Hill before we even started working on WAILING BLADE together - he had been talking about it for years, showing me sketches and talking about his ideas for this wild series about a vacation destination that could give you your greatest desires, if you were willing to sacrifice someone to it - almost like a dark, twisted version of Fantasy Island.
I loved the idea, and the more Joe bounced stuff off of me, the more he loved the suggestions and ideas I was bringing to the table, until at one point, he simply asked me to come on as a co-writer - which I happily accepted!
We took the first issue to our friends at Comixtribe, who helped us to a hugely successful issue 1 launch on Kickstarter, and a steady stream of follow ups for all the subsequent ones. And weirdly enough, unlike the direct comics market, where you see a big drop off in orders with each subsequent issue, our fanbase has actually grown each time we take it out!
So, it’s with much excitement that I announce we are back one more time, to kickstart the final chapter in the Happy Hill saga - Issue #5!
Here’s where we really get to the root of what’s going on at Happy Hill, how it came to be, and what our main character, Wyatt’s connection to it is. (and we don’t skimp on the gore and monsters, either)
We’ve got a ton of rewards for current fans and new readers alike - from sick variant covers of Issue 5, to packages that will catch you up with the entire series to date!
And, if you order a physical copy today, you’ll receive an exclusive METAL Happy Hill trading card, The Monster!
Happy Hill is a labor of love for Joe and myself, we hope you’ll consider backing the project and helping us get it made!
Thanks for checking it out, and see you next week for another update!
- Rich