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Billy Tucci is well known for his various military comics, displaying a realism of both art and storytelling rarely seen in comics. (I recommend highly “Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion”, based on actual events in World War II.)
Now, he’s announcing his latest work, a non-fiction account of controversial private security firm Blackwater Security Consulting’s experiences in Iraq and elsewhere.
I’ll make no judgment until I see the book, but no matter what, it’s most likely to be quite a read! If you’re at CCI:SD, stop by his booth at #1801 and pick up a preview, as well as admire his other work!
The press release and samples follow. Click on images to enlarge.
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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
[contact information]Booth #1801 at San Diego Comic-Con from July 11th, to July 15th
Crusade Fine Arts, Ltd
“The Blackwater Chronicles” by Artist/Writer Billy Tucci. The Inside Story, Now A Major New Graphic Novel Series.
Writer/Artist Billy Tucci, (creator of “Shi”, “A Child Is Born” and re-energizer of the classic “Sergeant Rock”) will release a sneak preview edition of “The Blackwater Chronicles” at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con. Only 200 copies per day are allowed to distributed to the 130,000 attendees expected. Only 1000 posters and sneak preview books have been printed for the event.
“The Blackwater Chronicles ” are a new series of non-fiction illustrated books set for release during 2013 that detail the real-life adventures of the controversial private security company. The first book in the series is based on Robert Young Pelton’s “Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror”.
Billy Tucci has applied his skills to capture extraordinary realism and intense emotion to bring these brutal real-world experiences to the graphic novel genre.
“Like most people, all I had heard or read concerning private security contractors was that they were reckless cowboys whose actions in Iraq and Afghanistan were considered almost criminal by the media who weren’t there. Then I read the amazing first-hand experiences in Robert Young Pelton’s book, “Licensed To Kill”. Pelton lived, rode and flew under fire with Blackwater and other PSCs on their daily missions. His book and the men he introduced me to provided incredible insight to the men behind the myth and the sacrifices they made” Tucci stated.
The first book entitled “Blackwater Bridge” will detail the dangers of the Mamba Team, a group of unsung rogues, misfits and heroes who ran the most dangerous road in Baghdad in slow-moving South African armored vehicles. Inside the terrifying story arc is a deeper tale. An ex-Marine haunted by a delayed flight to Iraq. An incident that prevented him from being slaughtered in Fallujah but sent someone in his place. The members of this Mamba team will come face to face with a deadly IED blast.
The stories in the “The Blackwater Chronicles” come straight from the adventures of Blackwater contractors; former SEALs, Special Forces operators, Marines and cops who protected CIA officers, State Department employees, elected officials and even Presidents inside the world’s most dangerous places. Their work was exhausting, secretive, deadly and often classified.
“It is impossible to capture the intensity of the Blackwater experience with just a book or a photograph, says author/Adventurer Robert Young Pelton. “Billy brings their experiences to life and his commitment to accuracy engenders the respect and trust that lets the contractors open up and tell the whole story”.
Tucci added that, “Our book will journey deep into the psyche of these men. I wanted to find out why they do what they do… and the effects the experience has had on them. Nothing will be left out, from the Front Page controversies to their daily silent heroics. It is the most challenging work of my career, but I’m tackling it with a vengeance, as I’ve gained a great respect for these men who live a daily life of danger and their stories must be told.”
The series of books is being done with the direct approval of Blackwater founder and former owner Erik Prince and the contractors. Although the series begins with Pelton’s book, he felt that there was also so much more that needed to be told.
“Billy goes beyond being a gifted writer and artist. He immerses himself in the story to painstakingly create a work of visual art that becomes both an important statement and a great read” says Pelton. “The journey into the world of Blackwater is just beginning”.
Billy Tucci and “The Blackwater Chronicles” will be at booth #1801 at Comic-Con from July 11, to July 15th. Tucci will be signing selected copies and greeting fans.
Only 1000 posters and only 1000 San Diego Comic Con Convention “Blackwater” previews will be published and only 200 copies of both the poster and Preview book will be given out during the event.
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Billy Tucci, Artist/Writer
“Billy Tucci is an award-winning illustrator, writer, and filmmaker best known for his modern-day samurai fable, Shi. Through Tucci’s Crusade Fine Arts, the multi-Eisner Award-nominated Shi has been printed in five languages, sold more than 3 million comic books, and grossed over 25 million dollars worldwide.
Shi has been featured on every major American TV network while also garnering praise in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. The character has also crossed over with many comic book icons including Daredevil, Witchblade, and Wolverine.
Tucci recently went “mainstream” with his hugely successful run on DC Comics’ Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion, Jonah Hex, and several other projects, including writing and illustrating the 2011 Eisner-nominated Batman – A Trick For The Scarecrow.
A graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Tucci traveled extensively through France and interviewed dozens of veterans, historians, and their families while researching Sgt. Rock. The US Army flew a flag in Tucci’s honor over Camp Victory in Iraq and Monsieur Michel Langloix, Vice-President du Conseil General des Vosges in the ancient French town of Bruyeres, bestowed upon Tucci the honor of Ambassador. Tucci has served as the keynote speaker for the heroes of the Lost Battalion battle at the Japanese/American Veterans reunion in Las Vegas.
His earnest retelling of the Christmas story “A Child Is Born” has quietly turned into a major blockbuster garnering national attention and earning the title of highest retail ranked reordered comic book of 2012. Now Tucci has turned his attention to the epic graphic novel series, “Blackwater.” Based on author and filmmaker Robert Young Pelton’s best seller “License To Kill” and the personal experiences of civilian private security contractors, “Blackwater” explores the controversial and dangerous lifestyle of the men who hold the most dangerous job in the world.
Robert Young Pelton, Author of Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror (Crown) and The Worlds Most Dangerous Places (HarperReference)
An author, adventurer, filmmaker and TV host, Robert Young Pelton has traveled the globe, surviving over 14 wars and over 120 countries.
Pelton is famous for writing the New York Times’ bestseller, The World’s Most Dangerous Places, now in its 5th printing and his Discovery series of the same name. His other books include his bio, The Adventurist; his creed, Come Back Alive; and his dead-on observations of the worlds’ most dangerous job in, Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror.
His profession has not been without mishaps. Pelton was kidnapped in Colombia by death squads, narrowly escaped a bomb assassination attempt in Uganda, survived a plane crash in Indonesia and lived through a head-on motorcycle accident in Peru.
Pelton has tracked the CIA in their hunt for Bin Laden in Pakistan’s tribal areas, been the only journalist in combat operations with U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan in late 2001, survived the siege of Grozny in Chechnya, was with with LURD rebels in blood-soaked Liberia and has lived the hard life with rebels, mercenaries and pirates from the Philippines to Burma to Somalia.
Through it all Pelton has maintained his sense of humor and curiosity. He is a frequent guest on Fox News and appears on TV and radio to keep fans up on his latest adventures.
Pelton currently designs and manufactures survival gear for DPxGear.com and runs a ground network in Somalia.
For more on Robert Young Pelton, visit www.comebackalive.com
[contact info]
©2012 BWBRAND all rights reserved
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In addition to action-film-style handjobs like this, I encourage anyone curious about the mercenary outfit Blackwater to look into the people behind it and their sociopolitical agenda.
I live in Blackwater-founder Erik Prince’s backyard, and know people who used to know him (back when he still associated with regular folk, well before he defected to the United Arab Emirates). He’s part of the local plutocracy: son of a local billionaire, brother-in-law of Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos (a stalwart opponents of the public school system), himself the son of Amway founder and anti-gay Mammon worshiper Rich DeVos. This family of richer-than-Romney aristocrats really are not good people, and the way Blackwater is run reflects the militaristic pseudochristian values upon which it was founded.
But they shoot and blow things up real kewl, don’t they?
Yeah, I’m going to look for the truth about this corporation that thrives on war in the pretty comic book which they are financing. That sounds like an excellent idea to me.
Pelton lived, rode and flew under fire with Blackwater and other PSCs on their daily missions. His book and the men he introduced me to provided incredible insight to the men behind the myth and the sacrifices they made” Tucci stated.
Tucci clearly hasn’t heard of the term “regulatory capture” as it applies to regulatory personnel who are suppose to evaluate and make sure that the activities of large banks are legal, but get very cozy with the banks to the point they stop regulating and begin to identify with those that they are regulating. The banks, then, feel free to break whatever rules they may.
I sincerely hope no-one buys this propaganda piece of shit. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re even promoting this.
What an abomination; the worst kind of blind propaganda. There is so much accurate and horrific information about Blackwater/Xe out there, this is a disappointing effort at best. Why give any press at all to this, except to do a critical reading pointing out all of the untruths and mythologizing?
So in the comic world, fictional violence is cool but when it comes to real heroes protecting Americans from violence…the truth is propaganda?
Please. The above folks would be peeing in their fantasy costumes if they had to enter the real world.
Can’t wait to see what Billy has created. Did a great job with Sgt Rock. This one looks even better.
You’ll come for the art, but you’ll stay for the war profiteering!
“So in the comic world, fictional violence is cool but when it comes to real heroes protecting Americans from violence”
I feel so much safer that all those Iraqis and Afghanis are dead!
Please tell me how the drunken black water personnel who put a bullet in the Iraqi vice president’s body guard’s head was protecting me or any other Americans. I’m also curious what Americans the woman on the side walk was about to hurt when they swerved into her, ran her over, and kept driving. And was that 9 year old boy and his baby sister in the car they opened fire on a significant threat? I picture you as one of those guys at the “Free Hat” rally.
Saw the preview book. Wonderful art, fascinating story.
Despite what all the jibber jabber heads above are posting about. There were two guys who are actually on the cover signing and talking
The Blackwater Chronicles is about personal stories. The First Book is just about one team where each person has something that affects his life. Tucci put a lot of work into the frames. Going to be an interesting project.
There is nothing corporate in the book or at least in the preview pages.
OK that is my opinion based on checking out the book. All the conspiracy theory nuts may resume their rants.
Boo!
Is the Ghost of Blackwater in your closet?
Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and others will all be starting private security companies so they can have some new story ideas. Based on this year’s Comicon selection the comic/movie industry is as stale as week old bagels.
Iron Man 27, Expendables 12, Superman 450, Come on.
Anybody see anything fresh or new?
Based the preview and the amazing art, Billy Tucci has a winner here. If you don’t like the military or war its probably not your cup of tea. If you know your AK from your M4 its a well done book. Lot of work went into getting the details right.
This isn’t a story of real heroes, it’s propaganda plain and simple. Blackwater are criminals and murderers, and Tucci should be ashamed of himself.
I rest my case.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/08/blackwater-to-pay-50m-over-arms-smuggling-other-charges/1#.UCKMMIdoyt8
When does this come out?
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