We knew Dirk Wood was up to something in IDW’s new Portland office, but until today we weren’t sure what it was.  And it’s ambitious.  Full Bleed is a 200 page hardcover quarterly magazine.  Subtitled “The Comics and Culture Quarterly,” it’s described as “best in comics, fiction, non-fiction, deep dive interviews, opinion, history, think-pieces and more.”  It’s edited and curated by Wood and Ted Adams.

In an effort to build up a subscriber base and keep it ad-free, they’re launching it on Kickstarter with both debut issue and 4-issue subscription options.  Plus the usual Kickstarter premiums, with an emphasis on Kevin Eastman premiums.  More unusually, they’re offering a 2 for 1 (or half-off, if you prefer) deal for retailers to pre-order through Kickstarter and then have it shipped by Diamond, along with the retailer’s normal orders.

So what exactly is in the first issue?  A partial list of comics/stories/articles.

  • This Volume’s Centerpiece: A new in-depth interview with legendary author Stephen King, by IDW’s Chief Creative Officer, Chris Ryall. An interview like no other he has given, it begins with his childhood love of comics, and spins out from there…
  • The Lost Alan Moore Interview: An unpublished and extensive interview with Alan Moore, originally conducted for Rolling Stone magazine by Gavin Edwards in 2006, with a new introduction.
  • A tribute to the late, great Bernie Wrightson by close friend and former editor Shawna Gore
  • A brand-new short story from award-winning novelist Joe Lansdale with spot illustrations from Tim Truman
  • An interview with punk rock legend Carla Bozulich by Whitney Phaneuf
  • New comic strips from the creator of Too Much Coffee Man and Sh*t My President Says, Shannon Wheeler
  • A personal remembrance of Douglas Adams by Arvind Ethan David
  • “The Histories of Herodotus” – Historical musings, along with spot illustrations by acclaimed writer Mark Russell (The Flintstones/God is Disappointed in You)
  • A feature on the history of comics on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, by Calvin Reid, Publisher’s Weekly Senior Editor, and comics advocate
  • An autobiographical comic from the creator of Gumballs, Erin Nations
  • A Cuban travelogue from IDW’s CEO & Publisher, Ted Adams
  • A personal tale of whiskey, vinyl records, and Japan by Jarrett Melendez , with spot illustrations from Sara Richard
  • A roundtable discussion on Alternative Comics, conducted by Josh Bayer: Featuring Tara Booth, Derf, Noah Van Sciver, Box Brown, Johnny Ryan and Haleigh Buck
  • A political rant of epic proportions along with spot illustrations; By Minimum Wage creator, Bob Fingerman
  • A personal tale of health food stores and swinger parties in 1970s California, told through the lens of his Grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, by award-winning novelist and screenwriter, Jon Raymond
  • A new comic story from the creator of Surfside Girls, Kim Dwinell
  • A rumination on the 5 most important artists of the Underground Comix movement by Bob Levin
  • A new autobiographical comic from Jen Vaughn
  • A new autobiographical comic from Gideon Kendall
  • A career-spanning interview with noted war photographer Don McCullin by Joel Meadows
  • A short story by Bram Stoker Award-winner, bestselling author Paul Tremblay
  • A long form feature on comics’ conquest of museums and galleries by Rob Salkowitz
  • A mission statement and opening salvo editorial column, from Creative Director Dirk Wood

And it’s print-only, with Dirk pushing back against the digital trends in the project’s video:

5 COMMENTS

  1. I can’t afford the $25 price, but appreciate the offer of world wide shipping. I will likely never even see this publication anywhere.

  2. You should do an article on how this is a kick in the teeth to retailers.
    Stores are being asked to pre-pay for the books while they are also being offered direct to the customers.
    Archie Comics got flack for their Kickstarter, why is IDW getting praise?
    All of the retailers that I know, are not happy with this.

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