Posted a new article on my Patreon about the specific joy in making the time to write something just for myself and only myself. An excerpt:
…during the pandemic, I’ve found myself spinning into introspection and nostalgia. I got obsessed with finding some of the cheap Sheaffer fountain pens I loved and used every day as a kid. There wasn’t conscious intention to all this, and maybe the two things are totally separate, but I was blown away by how great it felt to hold those old pens again, to feel the specific, just-right bite of those nibs on paper, to see that ink flow and fill on the page. And at the same time, I’ve found myself writing just for myself again.
It costs just $1 a month to sign up for my Patreon, which will let you read all the posts as soon as they’re posted instead of waiting a week or two. There’s tons of practical writing advice up there. Please do feel free to check it out!
I’ve got three books in comic book shops today! Two written by yours truly, one with a teaser of a story I’ve written. Read on for the details!
DARTH VADER #12 serves as prelude to the War of the Bounty Hunters storyline and tells the untold story of when Vader first learned Han Solo’s name! The book’s drawn by Guiu Vilanova with colors by Dean White, letters by Joe Caramagna, and a cover by Aaron Kuder and Richard Isanove.
FIREFLY #29 begins a whole new era for the crew as they find themselves on Earth That Was! Line art by Simona Di Gianfelice, colors by Francesco Segala, letters by Jim Campbell, and cover by Bengal.
A huge teaser of the return of Milestone Comics! The book includes a two page preview of the DUO series written by yours truly with line art by Khoi Pham and colors by Chris Sotomayor.
All of these books are in comic book stores today. Ask your local retailer to hold copies for you!
I made some cool “VACCINATED!” buttons! And I’ve been sending them as gifts to folks who donate to their local mutual aid group or community fridge. So far the campaign has raised $3,189 dollars — huge thanks to everyone who’s jumped on board!
So TODAY is the LAST DAY for the campaign — almost out of buttons. Want one of your own?
1. Donate $25 or more to a mutual aid group or community fridge.
2. Email proof of your donation & your US mailing address to helpinghands at gregpak dot com .
3. I’ll mail you a pin! (As long as supplies last! I’ve just got a few left – first come, first served!)
If you’re new to mutual aid groups, just google “mutual aid” or “community fridge” and your town’s name and you’ll probably find some! It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors through the pandemic and beyond. If you see a phrase like “solidarity, not charity,” you’re on the right track!
(And for the avoidance of doubt, donations to political campaigns, PACs, or 501(c)4s do not count for this offer. Can’t give gifts for donations to political campaigns!)
These are acrylic buttons, approximately 1.75″ x 1.33″, single pin with a rubber stopper on the back. I used Stickermule to make ’em. Really happy with the quality!
Thanks so much for donating and for getting vaccinated!
The BOOM Studios edition of THE PRINCESS WHO SAVED HERSELF children’s book is in comic shops and book stores NOW, and writer Greg Pak and artist Takeshi Miyazawa talked with Breanna Sarpy about it! Check it out!
Got interviewed by my old friend Jimmy Aquino for his Comic News Insider podcast yesterday, and it’s already online! Feel free to check out the one hour convo here.
We talk about AAPI Heritage Month, all the various comics projects I’m working on, THE PRINCESS WHO SAVED HERSELF, and more.
The much anticipated DARTH VADER #11 hits comic book shops on Wednesday, April 28!
Written by Greg Pak (hey, that’s me!) with line art by Raffele Ienco, colors by Neeraj Menon, letters by Joe Caramagna, cover line art by Aaron Kuder, cover colors by Richard Isanove, and editing by Mark Paniccia and Tom Groneman.
Excited about this one — it’s the huge climax to the journey to Exegol, with shocking revelations galore!
Very excited to join a bunch of my favorite people for the AsAm Creator Happy Hour panel this Thursday to raise money for the AAAJ Chicago’s bystander intervention training. Please sign up for the free event today!
From the official announcement:
Join us on Thursday, April 22 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 5pm PT for a fundraiser to support Advancing Justice | Chicago
About this Event
Join us on Thursday, April 22 for AsAm Creator Happy Hour: 60 minutes of hijinks with Asian American writers, artists, and actors talking about how they got started, what they’re working on, and where they’re going in a fundraiser to support Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago‘s bystander intervention training.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Preeti Chhibber is a speaker, freelance writer, and author of A Jedi You Will Be, Avengers Assembly: The Sinister Substitute, and featured in the forthcoming anthology Sword Stone Table.
Amy Chu is a professional writer whose works include the Netflix series DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, graphic novel Sea Sirens, and comics such as Sensational Wonder Woman, DMC, and KISS. Amy is also a former Executive Director of the Asian American Arts Alliance and Board Member of the Asian Women Giving Circle.
Shing Yin Khor is an installation artist and cartoonist exploring the Americana mythos and new human rituals. They are the author of The American Dream? and The Legend of Auntie Po.
Trung Le Nguyen is a Vietnamese American artist and author from Minneapolis. Trung has contributed work for Oni Press, Boom! Studios, and Image Comics, and recently released his first original graphic novel The Magic Fish.
Greg Pak is a Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker best known for his award-winning feature film Robot Stories and his comics Mech Cadet Yu and Planet Hulk.
Randall Park is an actor, comedian, writer, and director known for his role in the TV series Fresh Off the Boat and films including Always Be My Maybe and Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Working on THE PRINCESS WHO SAVED HERSELF is absolutely one of the top ten highlights of my entire career, so I’m thrilled to report that BOOM Studios has picked it up for distribution to comic book shops and book stores!
The book is based on the identically named song by Jonathan Coulton, drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa, colored by Jessica Kholinne, and lettered by Simon Bowland — an absolutely stunning creative team. We funded it through Kickstarter a few years back and it’s consistently been the most popular book on my table at comic book conventions ever since, outselling the Hulk and Superman and everybody else.
The story features a princess named Gloria Cheng Epstein Takahara de la Garza Champion who loves to play electric guitar — which draws the ire of a nearby queen who plays classical guitar. And they have to work it out! Please do check out a few preview pages below — and feel free to preorder it from your local comic shop or Bookshop.org!
Thrilled to report that I’ve written a team up story with Connor Hawke and Kong Kenan for the upcoming DC FESTIVAL OF HEROES: THE ASIAN SUPERHERO CELEBRATION anthology book!
The story’s drawn by the amazing Sumit Kumar with colors by Romulo Fajardo, letters by Steve Wands, and editing by Jessica Chen and Andrea Shea. Absolute dream team all ’round.
Please feel free to ask your comic shop to preorder the book, which hits stores on May 11. Other contributors include Gene Luen Yang, Amy Chu, Bernard Chang, Ram V, Minh Lê, Trung Le Nguyen, Sarah Kuhn, and so many other amazing creators.
It’s been a while! Sending all the best to everyone during these difficult days. I’m just chiming in to let you know that I’m teaching a one hour online class about running a Kickstarter campaign this Tuesday, April 13 at 8 pm ET, and I’m donating my take from the event to Compassion Oakland, a group of volunteers who have been providing chaperones for seniors in Oakland’s Chinatown.
If you’re interested, please do register today! There are just seven slots left as I write this. I’ll be devoting a good chunk of time to Q&A, so this’ll be a great time to get practical answers to specific questions if you have them.
