CGC Volume 3, Issue 10 eNewsletter

Idea + Design Works, LLC (IDW) has gained a respected position in our hobby as a leader of quality independent publishing. The horror smash hit, 30 Days of Night, by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, set the standard for IDW's publishing goals. High quality story, art and production have become the mainstay at IDW. They have recently joined forces with Konami, producing a comic book line based on popular video games such as Silent Hill: Dying Inside and Metal Gear Solid. IDW have also adapted hit television shows CSI & 24 for the comic industry to enjoy.

"We cannot be happier to add IDW to the list of publishers we are now the official grading service of," said Steve Borock, President and Primary Grader of CGC. "Not only are they publishing some of my favorite and some of the most cutting edge comics out there, but they are real business professionals as well, which makes them a pleasure to work with."

"Quality and formatting are two things that IDW Publishing is best known for. That makes our relationship with CGC a real no-brainer. CGC is the top level grading company and we're proud to be working with them," said Beau Smith, IDW's Vice-President of Sales and Marketing.

For more information about IDW, visit their Web site at www.idwpublishing.com. To submit your IDW comics please click here.

To learn more about CGC, visit our Web site at www.CGCcomics.com.

On September 11th & 12th, Comics Guaranty, LLC was temporarily stationed out of Baltimore for on-site grading at the Baltimore Comi-Con. For the employees sent to the show, it was an enjoyable yet exhausting experience. But one of the plus sides to working at any convention is the chance, if any, to walk the convention floor and meet some of fandom's most famous creators. Luckily, I always manage to pull in some free time during the day to say hello to some friendly faces and introduce myself to new ones.

One day in particular, I had run into a good friend of CGC's and mine, J.C. Vaughn, Executive Editor of Gemstone Publishing and author of McCandless & Company and IDW's 24: One Shot. Always beginning with a friendly hello and leading into discussions of countless comic related topics, Vaughn, being an established writer, makes recommendations on great reads that I am more than excited to follow up on. One recommendation that he made was unlike anything that normally catches my attention, a 1950s detective story set in Hawaii. Having said nothing more than, "Just read it, trust me," I was so intrigued I made Hawaiian Dick my first purchase at the convention.

Hawaiian Dick was published by Image Comics in December of 2002, written by B. Clay Moore and drawn by Steve Griffin. Originally published as a three issue mini-series, Hawaiian Dick is a supernatural crime-noir detective story set in 1953. It tells the story of a former big city detective named Byrd who finds himself in Hawaii after running into some trouble back home. Hired to locate a stolen car, he teams up with Honolulu detective Mo Kalama, and as the two attempt to find the car, they unravel what turns out to be a kidnapping case. In the midst of the story, they come across Hawaii crime lord Bishop Masaki, and not only are they forced to deal with him, but elements of the supernatural. As the story progresses further, Byrd and Mo come across "Night Marchers," ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors, and the story takes a sharp turn, bringing the reader into an unexpected world of voodoo and zombies.

B. Clay Moore has a knack for flowing dialogue and his story-telling grabs the reader with countless hooks woven throughout the storyline. Steve Griffin puts forth an incredible effort, and with his use of vivid colors and painted texture, it's his art that sets Hawaiian Dick in its time period and location. The critically acclaimed series earned artist Steven Griffin a 2003 Russ Manning Award for Most Talented Newcomer, as well as a 2004 Eisner Award nomination for Best Colorist. Image Comics has since reprinted the three issue series as a trade paperback, with tons of extras, including sketches and early comic strips with Hawaiian Dick's main men, Byrd and Mo. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a fun read with illustrations that separate it from the norm of the comic medium.