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!

A CAGES Podcast Interview

The guys over at RIPPLE have posted a 53 minute podcast interview with me about CAGES. You can take a listen here.

I started out a little nervous, but wound up chatting about comic books, Insomnia, working with the talented Melanie Cook, copyright freedoms, and everything else under the sun.

Thanks Gabriel and Ray for a very laid-back and friendly interview.

Interview

Moya Dawson follows up her review of CAGES with a new interview with Xander Bennett (er, me):

How did you find Melanie Cook who did an incredible job on the artwork?

BENNETT: Mel was a friend of mine prior to the project (and she still is, even after all the work I put her through!). I knew she'd studied art, so I very nervously pitched her the idea for CAGES, and she agreed to do it on the spot. Then she told me she'd never actually read a comic before. Luckily, that didn't stop her. I lent her some of my books to read, and the rest is history.

Read the rest of the interview over at Paperbackreader.com.

Getting To Know You

Want to learn a bit more about the people behind CAGES? Check out our answers to the UK's Whatever Comics' famous creator questionnaire!

Xander Bennett: Peanut butter and world domination.

Melanie Cook: Hommus and bhangra dancing.

Crawford Coutts: Fancy sandwiches and Dark Knights.

Another CAGES Review

Over at Paperbackreader.com, reviewer Moya Dawson had this to say about CAGES:

'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 incrediby compelling and will keep you glued to every page until it's over.'

Click on over to the review to read more of Moya's thoughts.

First Reviews of CAGES

The first reviews of CAGES are starting to trickle in... and so far they're overwhelmingly positive!

Firstly, Rootfireember reviews CAGES on his book blog, calling it

'...well writ, well drawn, and the type of thing you can read multiple times and still find enjoyment in.'

Then insomnihack weighs in with a thoughtful review on his blog Skull Cull:

'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.'

Want to see for yourself? Check out the links in the CAGES Gallery on the left.

Welcome to CAGEScomic.com!

Welcome to the new official CAGES site.

As the book goes to press, we decided the site needed a change. The old site might have had more bells and whistles but it didn't look right in every browser. And the most important part of the site didn't work so well: the blog. Now that we're using Blogger, we're pretty much guaranteed that the blog will work. :)

So stay tuned, CAGES fans, for a new site full of regular updatey goodness. It's going to be a big con season for CAGES, and the official site will be here to cover it.

And if you're here to check out a preview of the book, just follow the links in the CAGES Gallery to the left.