I was browsing one of the (too) many social media platforms that have sprung up in the wake of Twitter's implosion, and stumbled across the last photograph ever taken of a Barbary Lion in the wild. This one, in fact:

It was taken in 1925 from an airplane flying through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Barbary Lions were native to Africa and were larger than other varieties. The males had huge, majestic manes that ran down their backs - amazing creatures. Think of them almost like a leonine equivalent to dire wolves.

They went extinct in 1947, which is a bummer - but only in the wild. A few, a very few, still exist in captivity. In fact, the Belfast Zoo in Northern Ireland has two, a mated pair. I learned that fact only very recently. What an astonishing thing. They're gone but not gone. I wonder what our friend in that photo would think about it.

This is a long-winded way of me offering up an early New Year's resolution - I'm getting myself to Belfast next year. I want to meet those lions.

ENOUGH ABOUT LIONS. LET'S TALK VAMPIRES.

I never don't love comics. They're always at least low-level awesome, the place I consistently find the wildest, most kickass ideas and blow-up-nuclear-explosion creativity. Comics might break your heart (to quote Jack Kirby), but they're just as likely to blow your mind.

Sometimes, though, I LOVE comics - something happens that makes me so happy to be making them, to be part of such a powerful, bizarre creative world. Meeting up with my creative peers can do it, or reading some wild new work from someone I haven't previously encountered... but lately, it's been thinking about how incredible it is to be able to think up amazing worlds and ideas and then, alongside wonderful creators and friends... just make them.

THE SHROUDED COLLEGE is exactly what I mean. It's a seven-tale saga, each a comics miniseries/OGN that builds out a huge world. It will take me and my collaborators years to complete, and will be around a thousand pages when all is said and done. If I tried to do that as films or a TV show, I'd need to find, oh, I dunno, a few billion dollars? But with comics, I get to type up my perfect horror-adventure-Mission Impossible mashup and then just tell the stories the way I want to. It's magic, like mainlining story, shining it out into the world like a dream spotlight. I dig it.

All of this is on my mind because the second of those seven stories in the Shrouded College Saga just dropped yesterday - THE BLOODY DOZEN #1. Written by me, with art by Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque (it looks SO GOOD), colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, letters by Crank! and covers by my Shrouded College co-creator, Will Sliney.

I hope you'll pick it up at your local shop (or you already have). It's about a prison break and space vampires and addiction metaphors, and it's some cool, 90s/00s sci-fi-horror fun. You know movies like Event Horizon or Prophecy or Underworld? That vibe. Also, just like the first SHROUDED COLLEGE story, HELL TO PAY, we minted special coins for this series as well. If you scored the super-rare variant (see below; there are less than a thousand of these in the wild) you got a coin with it, but if not, I'll put up very limited quantities on my website store in the coming weeks!

CAN'T SPELL DECEMBER WITHOUT EMBER

Alongside the creator-owned stuff, I'm still doing plenty in the Star Wars world. The third issue of my four-part "lead-up to Phase III of the High Republic" miniseries SHADOWS OF STARLIGHT appeared in the wild yesterday, featuring Bell Zettifar, Burryaga, Ember and more. Never gets old to remember that none of those characters existed before I made them up for Light of the Jedi, and now people get really excited to see them on covers. What a ride. Dreaming that spotlight into the world.

A LITTLE LESS SILENCE ON THE E

I'm working on a lot of new things for 2024 and beyond. I'll talk about them more in my next update, but one of the biggies is the next project from Ryan Browne and me (the duo that brought you EIGHT BILLION GENIES among other delights.)

We're shooting for a summer '24 release on this one, and I'm pleased to give you your very first look at a rough layout scribble panel actually drawn by Ryan Browne himself that comes from the first issue of the new thing!

Impressed yet? THOUGHT SO.

MAKING A LIST? CHECKING IT TWICE?

It's the time of year when folks start making their year-end lists, and I... would love to be on them! DARK DROIDS, the big Star Wars event series I've been writing this year, already made Nerdist's list of the best comics of 2023, but I did plenty of work this year, including my latest original novel! Consider, if you will...

NEED A LAST MINUTE GIFT?
YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND

If you're still looking for a gift for that special someone that's a bit more unique than a giftcard or IOU, it's not too late to grab something from my online store! We have a ton of cool exclusive signed items like The Endless Vessel, 8BG: Wishworld, The Shrouded College: Newton, Jedi Brave in Every Way, Tales of Light and Life, and the 8BG SDCC Exclusive Hardcover - just to name a few.

Also, just added, the world-famous EIGHT BILLION GENIES GENIE PLUSHIES! That's right, you can now own (or gift) your very own GENIE! Click the image below to head over to the store listing and get yours. These are unique to my webstore (and Ryan's) - we don't have tons, and may not restock once they're gone. We'll see!

DISCLAIMER: These Genies DO NOT grant wishes. If we figure out how to do that, the price will increase significantly. What can I say? Wishflation is a real thing.

HAPPY

I know this time of year can be tough for some people. I know there's a lot going on in the world to be bummed about.

I hope, sincerely, you find light and joy as 2023 wraps up, in whatever way you find it or it comes to you. I am very grateful and very glad you're here.

All my best to you and yours,
Charles

December 2023 - LIONS, TIGERS AND... ACTUALLY JUST LIONS.