Sneak Peek: Titan Comics New “Hard Case Crime” Imprint

Peepland #1 Cover A: Fay Dalton

Peepland #1 Cover A: Fay Dalton

Titan Comics is bringing titles from the hardboiled crime novel publisher Hard Case Crime to comics in the form of a new imprint edited by Tom Williams, which will include a slate of noir series from all-star creators.

The latest Quarry novel by Max Allan Collins, Quarry in the Black, from Hard Case Crime debuts in October

The latest Quarry novel by Max Allan Collins, Quarry in the Black, from Hard Case Crime debuts in October

Award-inning imprint Hard Case Crime books were first published through a collaboration between owner Charles Ardai‘s company, Winterfall LLC and Dorchester Publishing, and by Titan Books since 2011. The project is dedicated to reviving the vigour and excitement, the suspense and thrills — the sheer entertainment — of the golden age of paperback crime novels, both by bringing back into print the best work of the pulp era and by introducing readers to new work by some of today’s most powerful writers and artists. Determined detectives and dangerous women… fortune hunters and vengeance seekers.. .ingenious criminals and men on the run… Hard Case Crime novels offer everything you want from a great story, all in handsome and affordable editions.

They’re publishing work by several giants in the crime genre: Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Lawrence Block, Mickey Spillane, Ed McBain, Donald E. Westlake and James M. Cain.

They’re also publishing the work of Max Allan Collins, creator of the Ms. Tree comic and writer of the graphic novel Road to Perdition, whose best-selling Quarry series –  the story of a paid assassin with a rebellious streak and an unlikely taste for justice – is destined for TV in the highly anticipated adaptation for Cinemax in September – and for comic books in an all-new Quarry comic series from Titan and Hard Case Crime in 2017.

Starting this October, Titan will bring Hard Case Crime’s gritty, sexy, violent world to life. The first shots fired out of the Hard Case Crime comics line will be Prohibition epic Triggerman by the legendary director of The Warriors, Walter Hill, and punky neo-noir Peepland from celebrated crime authors Christa Faust and Gary Phillips.

These two explosive new titles debut with a range of variant covers to collect by top industry artists including London-based Fay Dalton (who draws “The Reaper Files” for Judge Dredd Magazine, written by Pat Mills), Mack Chater (In the Dark, Briggs Land), Alex Ronald (2000ADDoctor Who), Caitlin Yarsky (The Changeable Harper Finn), Andrea Camerini, Robert Hack (Sabrina), Dennis Calero (Assassin’s Creed), and Argentinian artist Francisco Paronzini (Iron Fist).

Debuting on 5th October 2016, Triggerman is an operatic Prohibition era mini-series, written by Walter Hill and French writer Alexis Nolent, better known as Matz, illustrated by Jef. This trio of creators have worked before on the stunning Body and Soul (Corps et âme), published by Rue de Sevres, which Hill has also adapted into a film starring Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver, due for release in France later this year or early 2017).

In the mean streets of Chicago, a convict is thrown headfirst into a life of bloodshed and bullets to save the girl he left behind…

Triggerman #1 Cover A: Jef

Triggerman #1 Cover A: Jef

Triggerman #1 Cover B: Dennis Calero

Triggerman #1 Cover B: Dennis Calero

Triggerman #1 Cover C: Fay Dalton

Triggerman #1 Cover C: Fay Dalton

Triggerman #1 Cover D: Robert Mack

Triggerman #1 Cover D: Robert Mack

Triggerman #1 Cover E: Francisco Paronzini

Triggerman #1 Cover E: Francisco Paronzini

Triggerman #1 Preview 1

Triggerman #1 Preview 2

Triggerman #1 Preview 3

Hitting stores the following week, on 12th October, is Peepland – a semi-autobiographical neo-noir mini-series with a punk edge set in the seedy Times Square peep booths of 1980s New York City. Written by award-winning crime novelist and former peep show employee Christa Faust with Gary Phillips, Peepland features art by rising star Andrea Camerini (Il Troio).

Los Angeles-based Christa Faust, a Film Noir fanatic and an avid reader of classic hardboiled pulp novels, and an MMA fight fan, is the author of several novels, including Choke HoldMoney Shot and HoodtownMoney Shot was nominated for an Edgar award,Anthony award and Barry award, and won a Spinetingler award in the ‘Rising Star’ category. She worked in the Times Square peep booths, as a professional dominatrix, and in the adult film industry both behind and in front of the cameras for over a decade, starring in dozens of racy fetish-oriented videos.

Faust also wrote and directed a four-part bondage adventure serial called Dita in Distress, featuring world famous Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese.

Novelist and comics writer Gary Phillips is a veteran crime novelist who Booklist says, “creates a plausible post-apocalyptic scenario in which the safety of middle-class America can dissolve in a moment. Exciting, violent, and entertaining.” His recent work includes the books Jewish Noir and Occupied Earth. As a comic writer, his credits include The Rinse and High Rollers, published by Boom. He also created the PI Nate Hollis for comics, which he;’s adapted into novels for Pro Se.

Peepland #1 Cover B: Mack Chater

Peepland #1 Cover B: Mack Chater

Peepland #1 Cover C: Alex Ronald

Peepland #1 Cover C: Alex Ronald

Peepland #1 Cover D: Caitlin Yarsky

Peepland #1 Cover D: Caitlin Yarsky

Peepland #1 Cover E: Andrea Camerini

Peepland #1 Cover E: Andrea Camerini

Peepland #1 Preview

Peepland #1 interior art by Andrea Camerini

“We are so excited to be steering the Hard Case Crime series into a new frontier,” said Ricky Claydon, Direct Sales & Marketing Manager at Titan Comics. “We aim to bring to comics that same grit and gristle that Hard Case Crime is famous for!”

“Before I became a mystery reader, I was a comic book fan – so the chance to expand Hard Case Crime into the world of comics is a dream come true,” said Charles Ardai, winner of the Edgar, Shamus and Ellery Queen awards and editor of Hard Case Crime. “Hard Case Crime is already known for its sexy, stylish artwork, and the sharp, tough, high-velocity stories we tell are a natural for the medium.”

Hard Case Crime Logo• Peepland #1 (on-sale 5th October 2016) and Triggerman #1 (on-sale 12th October 2016) are both available to order from the August edition of PREVIEWS

• For more information on all Titan Comics titles visit  www.titan-comics.com | Follow Titan Comics on Twitter @ComicsTitan | Find Titan Comics on Facebook | Titan Comics Tumblr | YouTube

• For more on the Hard Case Crime books visit: www.hardcasecrime.com | Follow Hard Case Crime on Twitter @hardcasecrime

 

 



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3 replies

  1. Brilliant alert John. The comic series looks really good.
    What a shame their website certificates (https://www.titan-comics.com/) are set up wrongly and they haven’t created a separate site for Titan Comics. I didn’t give up, but browsed to their subscription section for Titan Comics – which doesn’t even list these! Ask me why I don’t bother, such a shame in this day and age I have to find a shop and set up a sub. I might do that; I might not, – home delivery is so much easier for me – sorry Titan, you not only lost me there but also made me feel bad about using you (which I have been doing for ages when looking for books)!!
    If you have a contact John, send this to them on behalf please!
    Norman

  2. Hi Norman – try http://www.titan-comics.com rather than the secure URL supplied by accident I suspect. Fixed in the story. Their web site does seem a tad out of date – as of writing this the last news story is dated April – and no advance schedule beyond what’s out this week, although of course some upcoming titles are listed on other sites (including this one) as news is received.

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