Out Today: 30 Days of Night #1 - A New Ongoing Series from IDW

My highlight from this weeks new releases is the first issue of a new 30 Days of Night ongoing series written by Steve Niles and featuring art by Sam Kieth.

30 Days Of Night #1
Written by Steve Niles with art by Sam Kieth
Fright-master Steve Niles returns to the creation that launched his career for an all-new 30 DAYS OF NIGHT ongoing series, with warped genius Sam Kieth (creator of THE MAXX) joining in the bloodletting! A letter from Barrow, Alaska, carries a cryptic warning to a young, curious woman, which leads her down the rabbit hole and face-to-face with her desire… and likely her demise. Elsewhere in Los Angeles, a vampire resurrection ignites, which could threaten the very way of life of all mankind. Features an all-new cast characters being introduced to the world of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT for the first time!
32 pages, colour, $3.99


Publisher IDW has offered io9.com a preview of the first issue and it looks absolutely fantastic: there are a number of variant covers - I think cover c is my personal favourite - and Sam Kieth's interior art looks amazing.

Head over to io9.com to check out the preview pages of the first issue and to the IDW Publishing website for more information about the 30 Days of Night series.

Twilight Amnesty: IDW Launch "Sparkles for Blood"

Well done IDW!

IDW Publishing is daring fans to switch to a vampire franchise with some teeth! This year at San Diego Comic-Con, in an unprecedented promotion, fans can turn in any copy of a Twilight book or graphic novel at the IDW booth #2643 for a free copy of a 30 DAYS OF NIGHT graphic novel! IDW is vowing to help vampire fans get back on track with the undead the way they were always meant to be: bloody and terrifying.

“Real horror fans have watched vampires systematically turned into wimpy fodder for years now. It’s time to fight back” said Niles. “I’m happy to be working with IDW on the Sparkles for Blood event. Hopefully, working together we can put an end to this nightmare.”

IDW’s exclusive “Sparkles for Blood” outreach program is designed to help all fans of the undead get what they really want – bloody, vampire horror. Sprung from the twisted minds of Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith in 2002, 30 Days of Night graphic novels and major motion pictures offer vampires as the feral, animalistic creatures that stalked humans under cover of night that they really are.

“Recently, vampires in pop culture have started to swing back to the romanticized vamps of other literature and films before 30 Days of Night,” said IDW chief creative officer, Chris Ryall. “In some cases, they’re even being treated more as chaste immortal teenagers than as the murderous creatures that they are. ‘Sparkles for Blood’ will remind everyone that vampires are creatures of the night, not of the twilight.”

As part of the book-swap being offered to fans at Comic-Con, everyone who receives a 30 Days of Night graphic novel in trade for their sparkly novel will also receive information about the coming 30 Days of Night ongoing series. Written by 30 Days co-creator Steve Niles, with art by acclaimed artist Sam Kieth, this first-ever ongoing 30 Days of Night series kicks off very appropriately in October.

“We may need a forklift at the end of the show, for all the Twilight books,” says Dirk Wood, IDW’s director of retail marketing. “But it will be worth it. It’s time to start scaring people again.”

Every lapsed 30 Days of Night fan and sparkly vampire purveyor is invited to the IDW Publishing booth #2643 at Comic-Con to get back on the straight and bloody path. Steve Niles will be in attendance and signing at the IDW booth every day.

Suggested Wood, “Come swap out your Twilight books and get a needed blood transfusion in your reading habit.

[Source: CBR, IDW]

New 30 Days of Night Ongoing Series from IDW

Over at CBR there's an interesting interview/discussion with IDW Publishing’s Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall where, amongst many other subjects, Ryall briefly talks about a new a 30 Days of Night ongoing series that launches in October:

"Yeah, we’re trying to get away from these miniseries and let people know every month what’s coming. I think the ongoing thing is helpful for retailers, because they can judge who’s interested month in and month out and then they know what’s important. In a lot of ways, we try to listen to fans and to retailers. Especially in these unsure times, it’s nice to let people know what to expect and base their ordering or their buying patterns off of that. And also I think we’ve finally found a good hook for “30 Days”--there’s been a good story to tell here or there, but there’s never been sort of an ongoing reason for the book to exist, and now we have that and we’re going to be developing good characters--which is another thing “30 Days” has needed--good ongoing characters that you can build a series around. Steve and Sam Kieth are working on that together and giving us that. It seemed like the right time to really make this thing work in a way that I would have liked to see it a while ago."

To read the interview in full head over to CBR.

I'm looking forward to picking up this new Steve Niles and Sam Kieth series - as a result of recent events at DC I'll be dropping a number of the titles that I currently pickup so I'll have one or two 'vancancies' on my pull list.


Continuing the 30 Days of Night theme and next week sees the release of the much anticipated Vertigo/IDW co-published X-Files/30 Days of Night trade paperback written by Steve Niles and Adam Jones with art by Tom Mandrake.

Two of the most popular horror properties of the last two decades collide in this harrowing six-issue adventure of epic proportions. When evidence of a cannibal killer in Alaska draws the attention of the FBI, Mulder and Scully draw the less-than-glamorous assignment. But all is not as it seems. Not only has the long seasonal darkness begun to fall, but there's something unnatural going on. And how is a chilling, mysterious black ship connected to the murders?

[Source: DC Comics/Vertigo]

Running across 144 pages X-Files/30 Days of Night goes on sale on 6 July 2011.

'30 Days of Night, Night Again' from IDW Publishing

I'm a little late to the party with this piece of news I know, but nevertheless I'm excited by the announcement from IDW that there's going to be a new 30 Days of Night mini-series!

I'm currently working my way, slowly it has to be said, through the 30 Days of Night back-catalogue: I've enjoyed each book I've read and as I finish one I've been looking forward to picking up the next.

Since the original tales from Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith it seems that despite changes to the books creative teams the quality of the writing and illustration has, on the whole, remained first rate - with Joe R. Lansdale and Sam Kieth onboard I'm sure this new series will be fantastic.

Over at his blog IDW Publishing's Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall has written about the series and posted some intriguing preview pages.

Here's the press release in full:

IDW Publishing is pleased to announce the return of its preeminent horror series, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT. Originally created by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT has spawned two feature films and countless nightmares since it first launched in 2002. Now, award-winning horror writer Joe R. Lansdale and legendary artist Sam Kieth (Sandman) take the helm with an all-new series 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: NIGHT, AGAIN.

“Lansdale and Kieth on 30 Days of Night is really a nightmare come true,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer and Editor in Chief. “What they’re doing in NIGHT, AGAIN is a return to form for 30 DAYS, hearkening back to the terror of the first series while pushing it into an insane new direction, too.”

30 DAYS OF NIGHT: NIGHT, AGAIN follows a band of survivors from the vampire infestation, who take refuge at a science facility in the Alaskan wilds. The inhabitants of the research compound are trying to determine the nature of a strange object found in the ice when the survivors arrive, leading to a frightening and bloody confrontation between humans and vampires! In addition to regular covers by Kieth, this four-issue series will also feature incentive covers by acclaimed Scalped cover artist Davide Furno.

“30 DAYS OF NIGHT has always been a singularly fantastic horror property,” said series editor Tom Waltz. “And now Joe and Sam are stamping their unique—and, dare I say, twisted—vision onto the franchise with 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: NIGHT, AGAIN. I’m not exaggerating when I say 30 DAYS OF NIGHT fans are in for a wholly unexpected and unpredictable ride with this series, not to mention a fascinating addition to franchise canon.”

30 DAYS OF NIGHT: NIGHT AGAIN #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in May. Diamond order code MAR11 0447.

Source: IDW Publishing

30 Days of Night: Dark Days

I think it was on an episode of Kryptographik that I first heard about the 30 Days of Night comic book series with its subsequent feature film and series of live action prequel 'webisodes'. Off the back of hosts Damian and Brian's comments and recommendation I picked up a couple of the trades and loved every single page - these were vampire stories that I'd waited a long time to read.

Likewise I really enjoyed the 2007 film staring Josh Hartnett and Melissa George, along with the aforementioned 'webisodes', so it seemed appropriate this morning to read on Damian's blog - The Furnace - that the films sequel 30 Days of Night: Dark Days has received a DVD release date.

It’s been almost a year since the Alaskan town of Barrow’s population was decimated by vampires during its annual month-long sunset. Riddled with grief over the death of her husband, bound by nightmares and void of all emotions beyond hate and sorrow, Stella (Sanchez) has spent the past months traveling the world, trying to convince others that vampires exist. Met with skepticism and laughter, Stella is ready to throw in the towel when a group of lost souls (Coiro, Baird and Perrineau) offers an incredible opportunity: the chance to exact revenge upon Lilith (Kirshner), the vampire queen responsible for the assault on Stella’s sleepy Alaskan town. With nothing remaining to live for, and nothing left to fear, Stella joins their mission and ventures into the uncharted underbelly of Los Angeles where she pushes herself to the most extreme limits to stop the evil from striking again.

30 Days of Night: Dark Days goes on sale on 5 October 2010 and will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray and a special 'DVD Combo' pack.

Thanks to Damian for publishing the news - visit The Furnace to find out more.