The Black Beetle

Francavilla Steps Forward With BLACK BEETLE in DHP

2012-02-29T04:42:00.003-08:00

Hello B-Beetle Friends,

A new interview regarding The Black Beetle just went live yesterday on the esteemed NEWSARAMA website. Once again, I want to thank all the press for giving a spot to BB, specially now that the first issue (in DHP #11) is solicited in Previews so you guys can pre-order it (see below the info on how to get the Black Beetle cover).

Big thanks to Chris Arrant who conducted this interview.

Here's an extract:

Newsarama: Francesco, you’ve written comics before, but never on this big of stage – what’s it like to be able to do it here at Dark Horse Presents and now with your own creation, the Black Beetle?
FF: I have written short stories here and there for a few anthologies, but this is definitely a new experience for me in terms of structure (longer story, divided in three acts) and audience, and I am very thrilled and thankful for the opportunity. As someone who has still lots of stories to tell, I consider this debut in Dark Horse Presents to be very important and possibly something that could set a new path for my future career as a full-on storyteller.

Nrama: For people that may be following you to this from your Marvel and DC work, who is Black Beetle?
FF: The Black Beetle is the protector and hero of our story. His mission is to fight crime in Colt City. We don’t know who he is, not yet anyway. When we meet him in my three-part Dark Horse Presents story Night Shift, we learn that he’s patrolling the city streets and protecting the citizens the best he can. How he came to be in this position and why he feels compelled to protect others is something we’ll discover as we go along. This is definitely an action-packed thriller with lots of twists and turns, so I hope fans will come along and enjoy the ride!

Nrama: What kind of world does Black Beetle live in, Colt City and beyond?
FF: Colt City itself is used as a character and is featured prominently in the series. It’s a fictional city set in the late ‘40s America on the East Coast and has a very pulp-noir vibe to the environment and inhabitants. Located on beautiful Colt City Bay, it is home to Black Beetle and is the main location for his tales & adventures. And of course, being a metropolis, it comes with all the bad guys, criminal elements, and villains that will make life in Colt City quite interesting.

You can read the whole interview on NEWSARAMA.

DHP #11 comes with two covers; if you want to make sure to get The Black Beetle cover (shown on the left) , pls preorder the book at your LCS using the code FEB12 0052.

Dark Horse Presents #11 (with the Black Beetle cover) will be on sale on APril 18.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

"THE BLACK BEETLE: TURNO DI NOTTE" Rare Italian Edition!

2012-02-26T09:19:00.004-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

The above "TURNO DI NOTTE" cover is a "rare" Italian edition of my upcoming "NIGHT SHIFT", a tale of The Black Beetle in 3 parts that will appear on Dark Horse Presents starting with issue 11.
The first installment has benn turned in, lettered and all, and I couldn't be happier with - can't wait for you all to read it :)

DHP #11 comes with two covers; if you want to make sure to get The Black Beetle cover (shown on the left) , pls preorder the book at your LCS using the code FEB12 0052.

Dark Horse Presents #11 (with the Black Beetle cover) will be on sale on APril 18.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, THE BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

The Beetles ~ Ron Salas

2012-02-24T09:05:00.002-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

"THE BEETLES" are tributes or fanart that friends and fans have done for our favorite pulp hero. I am posting the BEETLES I actually own, and then we'll go to those that are not in my possession (yet ;))

Today's tribute is one of my favorite as it could otally be a cover for a BB tale. The artwork is from that talented and dear old friend of mine: Ron Salas!
Thank you so much, Ron, you rocked this illo and it's still one of my favorite ever from you :)

Tune in next Friday for more BEETLES and make sure to tune in each Wednesday for new art and updates on THE BLACK BEETLE! :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Ron Salas
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

The Beetles ~ Ramon Perez

2012-02-17T15:18:00.005-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

It's time again for "THE BEETLES", tributes or fanart that friends and fans have done for our favorite pulp hero. I am posting the BEETLES I actually own, and then we'll go to those that are not in my possession (yet ;))

Todays tribute is from a dear friend of mine and acclaimed artist of the recent Jim Henson's Tale of Sand GN (which I absolutely recommend to read) and upcoming John Carter series at MARVEL: Ramon Perez!
Thank you so much, Ramon :)

Tune in next Friday for more BEETLES and make sure to tune in each Wednesday for new art and updates on THE BLACK BEETLE! :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Ramon Perez
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

Dig Deeper into The Black Beetle

2012-02-15T13:25:00.005-08:00

Hello Black Beetle Friends,

This past week I took care of a few interviews about our favorite pulp hero: The Black Beetle. I want to thank all the press for giving a spot to BB, specially now that the first issue is solicited in Previews so you guys can pre-order it (see below the info on how to get the Black Beetle cover).

Here's the second interview which went up yesterday on the fan-favorite ComicVine website thanks to Tony Guerrero(thanks, Tony :)).

Here's an extract:

CV: Will the 24-page story be the beginning of more adventures for the Black Beetle? Do you have more stories to tell?

FF: I most definitely have plenty more stories to tell. Some are already outlined in detail; others are simply at plot or idea stage.
NIGHT SHIFT (the 3-part Black Beetle story that will appear in Dark Horse Presents starting with #11 in April) is an introductory story, accessible to everyone, that will hint at things that make The Black Beetle universe so interesting.
I am halfway through another story, KARA BOCEK, that ‘aired’ on my Pulp Sunday blog last year and which I plan to release in print when it’s completed.
And a few ‘lucky’ fans got a little taste of BB in the NO WAY OUT limited ashcan I put out a couple of years ago (now sold out). When it’s finished, NO WAY OUT will be on a much larger scale in terms of BB stories (full length GN).
And there is plenty more after that. It all comes down to how well received NIGHT SHIFT will be now that BB is reaching a wider audience, so make sure to buy Dark Horse Presents #11 and praise The Black Beetle.

CV: If you could do a crossover with the Black Beetle and any other character, who would be the best fit and who would be your dream team up (if they're not the same)?

FF: Given the nature of the character and the time settings, The Black Beetle could easily cross over with Mike Mignola’s awesome Lobster Johnson, if we want to stay in the Dark Horse territory, or more generally with The Shadow or the early 1930/1940s Batman.

You can read the whole interview on the ComicVine page.

DHP #11 comes with two covers; if you want to make sure to get The Black Beetle cover (shown on the left) , pls preorder the book at your LCS using the code FEB12 0052.

Dark Horse Presents #11 (with the Black Beetle cover) will be on sale on APril 18.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

Francesco Francavilla: Presenting The Black Beetle

2012-02-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

Hello B-Beetle Friends,

This past week I took care of a few interviews about our favorite pulp hero: The Black Beetle. I want to thank all the press for giving a spot to BB, specially now that the first issue is solicited in Previews so you guys can pre-order it (see below the info on how to get the Black Beetle cover).

The first interview went up a couple of days ago on the excellent Comics Bulletin website thanks to Chris Kiser (thanks, Chris :)).

Here's an extract:

CB: For starters, would you tell our readers a little about the premise of The Black Beetle? What kind of comic should people be expecting?
FF: Someone defined it as “neo-noir,” a definition I quite like. Think action, mystery, suspense, more action, thriller, with a pinch of horror. It’s what I call “all the good stuff.”
NIGHT SHIFT, the three-part story that will start in Dark Horse Presents #11 this April, takes place in the home of the Black Beetle, Colt City. When a very rare amulet arrives at the Colt City museum things get really complicated. A team of dangerous individuals isn’t far behind—they want the amulet and will stop at nothing to get it.

CB: How about the Black Beetle himself? How would you describe his personality or motivations?
FF: His mission is to fight crime in Colt City. We don’t know who he is, not yet anyway. We do know that he has access to some advantaged technology that allows him to take care of the many threats the citizens have to face from time to time. Black Beetle is definitely the hero and protector of Colt City.

CB: This is a character who appeared before in some of your self-published work, both on the web and in a limited edition print comic. Was it always conceived as something that you would want to later return to and expand upon?
FF: Definitely. The ashcan was the introduction to NO WAY OUT, a longer story I was and still am planning to tell. And I’m running (sporadically) the KARA BOCEK story on my website. I’ve been plotting more stories and creating a whole set of characters (including some very dangerous villains) waiting for the moment The Black Beetle would land on shelves, and it seems that moment has arrived.

CB: How did The Black Beetle end up at Dark Horse? Was it something the publisher approached you about specifically, or did it come as a result of you pitching it to them?
FF: Mike Richardson is a big fan of my Pulp Sunday blog http://pulpsunday.blogspot.com/ and that’s where he saw the Black Beetle for the first time. He is a huge lover of all things pulp so he asked me to bring my hero to Dark Horse and create a special story for Dark Horse Presents. As a long-time fan of Dark Horse and the long line of writer/artists that label represents, it didn’t take more than 2 seconds for me to say: YES!

You can read the whole interview on the CB page.

DHP #11 comes with two covers; if you want to make sure to get The Black Beetle cover (shown on the left) , pls preorder the book at your LCS using the code FEB12 0052.

Dark Horse Presents #11 (with the Black Beetle cover) will be on sale on APril 18.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

"THE BLACK BEETLE: NIGHTSHIFT" Exclusive First Look!

2012-02-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Here's an exclusive (unlettered) first look at my upcoming "NIGHT SHIFT", a tale of The Black Beetle in 3 parts that will appear on Dark Horse Presents starting with issue 11.
Hope you enjoy this preview and can't wait to hear from you guys.

DHP #11 comes with two covers; if you want to make sure to get The Black Beetle cover (shown on the left) , pls preorder the book at your LCS using the code FEB12 0052.

Dark Horse Presents #11 (with the Black Beetle cover) will be on sale on APril 18.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

The Beetles ~ Steve Epting

2012-02-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

It's time again for "THE BEETLES", tributes or fanart that friends and fans have done for our favorite pulp hero. I am posting the BEETLES I actually own, and then we'll go to those that are not in my possession (yet ;))

Todays tribute is from a another good friend of mine and acclaimed Cap America and FF artist: STEVE EPTING!
Thank you so much, Steve :)

Tune in next Friday for more BEETLES and make sure to tune in each Wednesday for new art and updates on THE BLACK BEETLE! :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Dan Brereton
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

The Beetles ~ Dan Brereton

2012-01-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

We continue with the Friday feature of "THE BEETLES", tributes or fanart that friends and fans have done for our favorite pulp hero. As mentioned, I am gonna start posting the BEETLES I actually own, and then we'll go to those that are not in my possession (yet ;))

Todays tribute is from a dear friend of mine and master of Fantasy and Horror: DAN BRERETON!
As it happened with Darwyn, I gave Dan a copy of the ashcan at the same Dragon*Con show and he surprised me with the above rockin' sketch within an hour :D
I ♥ ya too, Dan :)

Tune in next Friday for more BEETLES and make sure to tune in each Wednesday for new art and updates on THE BLACK BEETLE! :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Dan Brereton
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

The Beetles ~ Darwyn Cooke

2012-01-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Starting today, each Friday I will be posting "THE BEETLES"! :)
The Beetles are tributes or fanart that friends and fans have done for our favorite pulp hero. I am gonna start posting the BEETLES I actually own, and then we'll go to those that are not in my possession (yet ;))

First: a very dear friend of mine and one of the modern masters of Comics and Illustration: DARWYN COOKE!
Darwyn was in town for Dragon*Con a couple of years ago. I was there too in Artist Alley and had to give him a copy of the Black Beetle ashcan I had at my table. You can imagine how shocked I was (I remember to have been actually and literally speechless) when he came back to me an hour later with this. Still puts a HUGE smile on my face everytime I recall this story (or see the art on my studio wall :))

I ♥ ya, Dar :)

Tune in next Friday for more BEETLES and make sure to tune in each Wednesday for new art and updates on THE BLACK BEETLE! :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

The Black Beetle - Cover of DHP #11

2012-01-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Dark Horse released an early look at the solicits for APril, and that means I can finally reveal my cover for Dark Horse Presents anthology featuring our favorite hero: The Black Beetle! :)
Hope you guys dig it and pls spread the news/link and pre-order DHP #11 at your local comicbook store.
Below is the description for #11 - as you can see, BB is in good company :)
Dark Horse Presents #11 (with the Black Beetle cover) will be on sale on APril 18.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

DARK HORSE PRESENTS #11

Francesco Francavilla (W/A/Cover), Steve Horton (W), Carla Speed McNeil (W/A), Steve Niles (W), Evan Dorkin (W/A), Tim Seeley (W), John Arcudi (W), Andrew Vachss (W), Neal Adams (W/A), Frank Barbiere (W), Michael Dialynas (A), Jonathan Case (A), Victor Drujiniu (A), Tonci Zonjic (A/Cover), Geof Darrow (A), and Luke Radl (A)

On sale Apr 18
FC, 80 pages
$7.99
Ongoing

Don’t miss the continuing exploits of cunning assassin Amala, Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder, Evan Dorkin’s House of Fun, and Steve Niles’s Criminal Macabre.

This issue is also packed with the exciting premiere of Francesco Francavilla’s pulp-noir hero the Black Beetle, the return of John Arcudi’s The Creep, and a new story by Andrew Vachss with illustrations by Geof Darrow!

And in an exciting feature by Frank Barbiere and Luke Radl, meet the killers known as the White Suits, who have left their bloody fingerprints throughout modern history. When a young girl encounters one of the Suits during a mob deal gone wrong, she is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever—or end it!

2012 ~ The Year of THE BLACK BEETLE!

2011-12-31T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Pulp Friends,

That's right: the new year (just around the corner now) is shaping up to be a great year for Pulp fans and - in particular - for THE BLACK BEETLE fans! :)
If you don't know what I mean, check out the following Dark Horse press release :D

~~~~~

Francesco Francavilla Unleashes The Black Beetle!
12/15/2011 3:59pm

Adding an exciting new layer to Dark Horse Presents, Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce a new three-part story by New York Times best-selling artist for Batman, and current Captain America artist, Francesco Francavilla: The Black Beetle!

The Black Beetle is centered on a pulp-noir character and takes place in a fictional universe that’s based in Colt City. Francavilla published several stories online and even put out an ashcan. When the ashcan sold out, Francesco quickly realized that many fans were interested in exploring this world with him. It was only a matter of time before Dark Horse approached him about bringing some Black Beetle tales to Dark Horse Presents!

“I’m working on a 24-page story, titled ‘Night Shift’ that will be spread over three issues of Dark Horse Presents. I am hugely influenced by pulp stories of the ‘30s and ‘40s, and wanted to develop a series that used that influence as a jumping-off point to explore some modern storytelling with fun twists. I think this will be a great introduction to readers who are new to this character and universe, but will also be an exciting new adventure for those who’ve been reading the online stories over the years,” Francesco states.

“As a huge fan of pulp and noir, working on my own characters and stories really gives me free reign to explore this world and create lots of fun scenarios and thrilling situations. The stories are definitely full of mystery and intrigue, plus I get to give The Black Beetle lots of cool and funky gadgets. ‘Night Shift’ promises to be full of action, excitement, danger, and double-crosses, so I am overjoyed to see this new tale in print, and hope this is the first of many more to come in Dark Horse Presents.”
~~~~

I am so excited I can't even start to describe how much :D
More details coming soon.

PLS feel free to bookmark this blog and to refer to it for all The Black Beetle news, sneak peeks, previews, and updates.

Have a wonderful Happy New Year, everyone, and look for tons of The Black Beetle in 2012! :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla