Insomnia Breaks Out Cages!

Crossposted from The Red Eye blog:

This week Insomnia Publications is proud to announce that the first batch of Cages has been shipped to all good UK comic shops through Diamond Distribution!

What if you’d spent your whole life in a cage, never glimpsing the world outside?

What if everything you new was darkness, fear and cold, clinical steel?

What if one day, an angel came to you with a message of hope - a message that you were about to be set free?

If you’ve not heard of Cages before, it is a science fiction boom with a foreword from 30 Days of Night award-winning artist, Ben Templesmith, a cover by acclaimed artist, Jonathon Hickman, written by amazing Australian writer, Xander Bennett and illustrated by Cancertown colourist, Melanie Cook.

In a post-apocalyptic world of monsters, robots and mad science, three young fugitives strive to uncover the secrets behind their own mysterious abilities.

I’m obviously going to say how good Cages is so I’ll let you decide for yourselves, with a little help from the quotes below...

• “Lovely... and disturbing. Let’s not forget disturbing.” - Ben Templesmith

• “Mother of a compelling read.” - Comic News
  
  
• “As a package, this is the best damn comic I have read in awhile. Please follow my lead on this. Thinking outside the box is well and good and ideal, and sometimes- as in this story- we are pained to realize that the box itself just might be bigger than presumptions lead us to believe. If not every exit needed is marked, then you find center and trust your instincts. In the world presented in Cages- chance may not be the final say in the inadequacies of mankind.For good or ill, take one yourself. This is artisanship.” – Richard Caldwell (Read full review)
  
  
• “If dark and futuristic stories are your thing, then this is one book not to be missed. The artwork alone is worth reading, and the story is incredibly compelling and will keep you glued to every page until it's over.”- Moya Dawson (Read full review)
  
  
• “...well writ, well drawn, and the type of thing you can read multiple times and still find enjoyment in.” – Rootfireember (Read full review)
  
  
• “There is a constant reframing of the notion of what constitutes a cage and it is a blessing that the reveals never seem like cheap tricks or shock tactics — it grows very organically. I liked the fact that though this is set in the future that the strangeness of the setting and some of the figures therein seems almost of secondary concern to the main thrust of the narrative — namely, what it is to be human. You can see within the exploration of the world of Cages and at the conclusion of this tale that there is scope for revisiting this place, that there is more to see. If there is a sequel I will definitely be on board for it.” - Insomnihack (Read full review)
  
  
• Listen to the interview on Ripple from June 2008
  

If you're a podcaster, journalist, magazine review writer or reporter, Xander Bennett and Melanie Cook are available for interview and digital copies of Cages are currently available for review. Email us at info[at]insomniapublications.com to request a copy and to arrange an interview.

The release of Cages in UK book shops will follow later in the month.

How to Order Cages:

• Direct from Amazon.co.uk
  
  
• From your local comic shop using DIAMOND PREVIEWS UK ORDER CODE: NOV085310
  
  
• From a bookshop or online seller using ISBN# 978-1-905808-10-6
  

If you live in France you can purchase a copy of Cages exclusively from our independent stockist - Librairie Delvaux, 17 rue du Val, 77160, Provins.

Or visit your local Album and order a copy!

If you want to try before you buy then head over to Myebook where you can read Chapter One for free online.

New Review of CAGES

CAGES has received a lovely review from Richard Caldwell over at Comic News.

He says some very complimentary things, for example:

As a package, this is the best damn comic I have read in awhile. Please follow my lead on this. Thinking outside the box is well and good and ideal, and sometimes- as in this story- we are pained to realize that the box itself just might be bigger than presumptions lead us to believe. If not every exit needed is marked, then you find center and trust your instincts.

In the world presented in Cages- chance may not be the final say in the inadequacies of mankind.

For good or ill, take one yourself. This is artisanship.

Order In

CAGES now has a Previews order code: NOV085310

If you're a retailer, you'll know what to do with this.

If you're a UK reader and you'd like your local comics store to stock CAGES, here's what to do: Write down the code (NOV085310), walk into the store, point at the code and say "Order this, please!"

Buy CAGES!

Psst...

Listen up, Faithful Readers: You can now pre-order Cages from Amazon.uk.

That's right -- everyone's favorite post-apocalyptic monster comic book is now available to pre-order, and they'll ship anywhere in the world.

Buy one for a friend. Buy seven more for your other friends. Your purchase guaranteed to stimulate the economy!*

*not a guarantee

Read It Now!

Turns out the last post was a little optimistic with the publishing timeline. Small delays at the printers mean CAGES won't be available until the end of the year. But rest assured, True Believers, that the final product will be as good as it can possibly be.

Short delays aside, I have two -- not zero, not one, but TWO -- amazing pieces of news for you:

1) It's official: CAGES will be distributed by Diamond UK, the biggest comics distributor in the country! Look for it in your November issue of Previews magazine, and watch this space for the official Previews order code!

...and 2) To make up for the wait, we've made it possible for you to read the first part of CAGES right now! Just click on over to Myebook.com to read and comment on the first quarter of the book. And while you're there, why not check out samples of Insomnia Publications' other great titles, Cancertown and Layer Zero.

Nearly There

Hold onto your hats, True Believers: CAGES is only weeks away.

That's right, everyone's favorite Australian-British-dystopian-comic-about-robots-and-monsters is at the printers. In less than a month -- a mere twinkling of an eye, really -- you'll be able to buy CAGES at various retailers in the UK and online. Stay tuned to this blog for more info as it happens.

Also: San Diego Comic Con was a success! CAGES buttons were handed out, Kevin Smith panels were attended, and ridiculous photos were taken with Ben Templesmith in them. It was bright, noisy, mad and fun, and we'll be back next year.

San Diego!

Do you hear that? That distant rumble from the direction of California? That rolling, thundering noise; the sound of a hundred thousand geeks raising their voices in unison?

That's the sound of San Diego Comic Con International. In 15 days, it begins. In 15 days, the biggest con on two continents kicks off.

Rest assured that the CAGES team will be there, books in hand, riding the wave of madness that is San Diego. Come and see us and we might even give you a free button. (Okay, we'll definitely give you a free button. Unless we've run out.)

How do you find us? Just look for the white CAGES shirts and listen for the Australian accents. See you in 15 days!