SKTCHD BOOK 2023

Hi there! I'm David Harper, the person behind the subscription comic book site SKTCHD and the host of Off Panel, a long-running, weekly comics interview podcast.

And this is SKTCHD BOOK 2023, the fifth print annual collecting the very best of SKTCHD and Off Panel. This year's edition is a great one, if I do say so myself. As per usual, it collects five of my favorite pieces from 2023 on the site and podcast, some great art, an excellent foreword from a gem of a human, and more. What does that mean is actually in there? Well, SKTCHD BOOK 2023 includes:

- A foreword by writer/artist Liana Kangas

- “Pizza With All the X-Tras”: The Story Behind the X-Men x Pizza Hut Promotion, 30 Years Later: It's just what it says in the title, this is an exploration of that beloved promotional collaboration between Marvel and Pizza Hut from the 1990s that helped create a generation of fans, with insight from the people behind it and those inspired by it.

- The Art of the Page Turn: How do comic creators like to use the turn of the page to create drama, fear, comedy, and more? I talked to a variety of creators like Kieron Gillen, Kelly Thompson, James Tynion IV, and more to dig deeper into how this tool is used.

- A Conversation with Rick Remender: Writer Rick Remender joined Off Panel for the first time in 2023, and it was a mammoth chat about his entire career and life, even, with it being a frank conversation about creativity, comics, and his views on both.

- Who's Your Stilt-Man?: We all have a comic character that's outside the A-list, the oddballs that we claim as our own. You know, like Stilt-Man for me. Even comic creators do! So, I asked a gaggle of folks like Jason Aaron, Gerry Duggan, Joshua Williamson, and more about their own favorites, and they did not disappoint.

- The Story Behind Top 10, From the Artists Who Helped Define It: Top 10 is one of my favorite comics, both from America's Best Comics and overall. I've always wanted to learn more about how it came together, and this piece explores how it happened from the perspective of the two artists who made it happen with writer Alan Moore, Gene Ha and Zander Cannon.

The book is 108 pages, A5 sized, with interiors printed on 80 lb uncoated paper and a 110 lb soft-touch laminated cover. It's perfect bound, and comes with original art from artist Tadd Galusha, whose work introduces all five of the articles. It also contains art from The Wicked + The Divine for The Art of the Page Turn and one of the ads from the Pizza Hut x X-Men collaboration. My goal is to include some bonuses in there as well.

One important note is the books will not be ordered from the printer until after orders close. I'm only doing one print run here, so if you want a book, now's the time! I'll also be letting orders run a little longer than usual. I'll be accepting orders until Sunday, May 5th at 5 pm Alaska time (Note: This has been extended!). Once the books are made, they'll ship to Alaska, at which point I will send them out. Also, I can now offer both flat rate and media mail as options for U.S. customers, so American customers get some options.

Unfortunately, International rates are still terrible, and apparently are only getting worse. I verified the prices this year, so we're locked in to what it's supposed to be (last year USPS led me astray). I am very sorry about how expensive they are. Unfortunately, I do not have other options here, because International rates are a nightmare for everyone. Also, shipping from Alaska is...not cheap, and this is the best I can do.

Here's a projected timeline for the book:

- April 5: Orders close
- May 6: Books are ordered and production begins at Mixam
- May 15 to 18: Books arrive in Alaska, at which point I will begin bundling and shipping
- May 19 to 24: Books should begin arriving for U.S. customers who selected flat rate.

Due to shipping insanity, it's tough to project when media mail and International orders will arrive. But they will!

If you have any questions or want to talk about some sort of bulk ordering solution — including with a copy of SKTCHD ZINE, if you missed that the first time through — email me at [email protected] and I'll do my best to sort it out with you. Otherwise, happy ordering!