i haven't been to the comic shop in a while, so i haven't been reading MAYHEM! to write a review (i've only read #1). but there's a free preview of issue #3 on CBR, so click the pic on the left and make up your own mind. if you're looking for this joint at your comic shop tomorrow, be advised that this cover is the Jim Lee variant, while there's another cover by series artist Tone Rodriguez as well. click the pic to see Tone's cover and read a preview of issue #3. you also might wanna read Tyrese's interview on CBR, where he sheds more light on his comics' iTunes offering, and the future of comics on iTunes. holla! -samax ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
the 3rd issue of Tyrese Gibson's ultraviolent hit comic MAYHEM! is due to land in stores on October 7th, but according to his twitter blast, the books are available to those that wanna get a leg up right now through Meltdown Comics. here's the sales pitch: Broken and beaten, Mayhem is back to take out Big X and the Four Corners once and for all. An assault by righteousness on evil, from ground floor to penthouse, which will run Mayhem through the ringer, putting all his skill to the ultimate test! as my readers probably remember, MAYHEM! #1 broke the single store record for issues sold through Meltdownthis summer, and the relationship continues to pay dividends for both Tyrese's team and the Meltdown crew, who proudly proclaim on their website that they'll ship your comic anywhere in the world. you can call the store at 323 851.7223 or hit 'em up at BuyMayhem.com if that's how you get down. holla! -samax ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
this preview of MAYHEM! #2 gives us a look at the bad guy muscle seen on the Jim Lee TPB artwork, after the first issue focused on the title character and his gal pal. i haven't made it out to the comic shop since i'm in deadline delivery mode, but you can bet your (fill in your favorite body part) that i'm copping that joint when i get to the store! as for now, click the pic to peep the 5 page preview! even though Tyrese is offering the comic on iTunes now for all you tech-wizards, but i can't slap my cockerspaniel on the nose with an iPod when she wakes the baby, now can i? well, i guess i could, but PETA would have federal agents all up in my crib, an nobody wants that, so i'll cop the print issues. holla! -samax ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
that dude Tyrese is making plenty noise with his comic MAYHEM! over at Image. the first issue broke the single-store sales record and his online hype machine had so many people calling one store that the owner was turning fans away! well, get ready for round two, as MAYHEM! #2hits comic shops Wednesday, September 9th. of course, Tyrese's team is already taking pre-orders too at their website, so get it how you want it... anyways, never one to rest on his achievements, the singer/actor has leaked the cover for issue #3 with art by that dude Jim Lee and colors by Alex Sinclair (seen here on the right,click to enlarge). now he has also announced plans for a romance book called Lovesick that i'm especially interested in, because it will be directed right at his existing fan base... so expect more news on that as i get it. in fact, it looks like i will get a chance to do a phone interview with Tyrese about his comics, movies and whatever else i decide to talk to him about pretty soon... when i talked to him yesterday, he told me some stuff (that i'm not allowed to discuss yet) about his future plans that will raise the eyebrows of fans, critics and haters alike, so stay tuned fam! holla! -samax ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
Tyrese Gibson's foray into comics is well under way, even though the book doesn't officially hit stores until August 6th (this wednesday). Tyrese hit San Diego Comicon in a big way, selling thousands of copies of a special variant made just for the convention. but the Singer/actor didn't stop there. today, he signed leftover copies for anyone who came in or called to the Golden Apple to order. in one hour's time, they sold 75 copies of the signed variants at $10 each. why do I care? because Tyrese is doing what the big publishers should be trying to do: bringing people into a comic shop who have never been in one before. Tyrese and company have already broken the single store preorder record, but they ain't resting on that accomplishment. dude is relentless! now he's intent on driving more fans into stores for the August 6 debut date. i'm sure after the book drops, he will start pushing for reorders, and sales of #2... stay tuned. holla! -samax ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
here's Jim Lee's final black and white artwork for the wrap-around cover for the TPB of Tyrese Gibson's MAYHEM! issue #1 of the series hits stores August 5th, but fans who went to Comicon are already holdin'... Gibson was in attendance to sell 1,500 copies the first day of the convention, meet Stan Lee and pretty much just kick it like it was out of order. when i get a copy in my hands, i'll let ya'll know how it was! holla! -samax ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
here's the roughs Jim Lee (yeah, that Jim Lee) did for the Trade cover to Tyrese Gibson's new comic MAYHEM! no, you didn't miss anything, the first issue to the series doesn't hit stores until August 5th. so now you're probably wondering why Jim Lee is drawing the cover to the Trade collecting a series whose first issue isn't out yet. as Martin said in Bad Boys: "gettin' it outta the way..."Last month, i predicted that MAYHEM! #1 would be the highest-selling comic of the summer, due to Tyrese's multi-media marketing push, and it looks like i may be right:
according to an Image Comics press release, Tyrese's presales through LA's Meltdown Comics have exceeded single-store records not seen since the early nineties with over ten thousand units sold... most comics today would enjoy selling 10k total, and that's what MAYHEM! has moved through one store, in one city, before the book's release. "The success of MAYHEM is a golden opportunity for all retailers to tap into this new influx of readers,” says Meltdown owner Gaston Dominguez. “Tyrese is a 2.0 celebrity who is a marketing workhorse and whose brand spans across movies, music, and TV... Believe me when I tell you that if Tyrese Twitters your store name you will get calls and in-store orders.”dude isn't frontin' either... i was online when Tyrese put one of the local stores in my area on blast because one of his fans told him his comicshop owner never heard of MAYHEM... the next thing you know he is asking them to STOP calling because the store is getting overwhelmed!
but if you think other creators at Image are salty at Tyrese for making them step their game up, think again. "With the current state of the comic book industry, any new infusion of excitement or customers would be a welcome relief" said Image co-founder and President Todd McFarlane. "Tyrese brings both of those to the table along with his unbridled enthusiasm." in fact, several big names are on Tyrese's bandwagon.
“To have the personal endorsements of Jim Lee, Avi Arad, Todd McFarlane, Robert Kirkman, Grant Morrison, and so many others…it just blows my mind." said Gibson in a press release. "I am excited to bring MAYHEM to the die-hard comic book fans, but I am most excited at this opportunity to expose this world to the new generation of comic book fans, who, like me until now have never read a comic book in their lives. They will find new heroes to embrace and enjoy escapism at it’s best! This is only the beginning…” watching Tyrese learn the comics biz on the fly (then turn around and share what he's learning on Twitter) is amazing. i mean, this dude learned about comics by attending Comicon to promote Transformers, now he Kingpinnin' it! from what i can tell, he's cooking up more comics properties behind the scenes with all those big-name comics vets he's rubbing elbows with... but first thing's first! Mayhem! #1 drops August 5th. tell your comic shop to order you an issue, if you haven't already... holla! -samax ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
that dude from the coke commercial, 2Fast2Furious, and that poster on your girlfriend's wall is looking to have the highest presales in comicbook history! yeah, Tyrese Gibson is apparently the only person who knows how to promote a comic! when i found out he was doing his own comic, i started following him on Twitter, and i can tell you for sure, i have never seen anyone work harder to promote a comic before!
besides the fact that he is actually PROUD to have a comic in the works, Reesey also has recorded a song for free download titled Mayhem, Take Me Away, secured a relationship with the largest comicshop in the Los Angeles to serve as the home base of his comics operation, and created a website dedicated to putting the word out and empowering fans to street team for the book, and shamelessly plugs the book while promoting the new Transformers movie. most people who make comics don't even tell their co-workers, but Tyrese is doing it GODZILLA big, and he's getting results.
Gibson's book Mayhem! (you gotta include the exclamation point) is the Gem of the Month in the Image Comics section of Previews (the catalog shops use to order comics). his bottomless enthusiasm is evident and effective... "In the COMIC book world" the singer says "getting GEM OF THE MONTH is like getting Album of the MONTH! Very BIG DEAL!" and the enthusiasm is spreading. while he's doing interviews in other countries, people are already asking about Mayhem! before he can bring it up. his stated goal is to break the preorder record, and if his attitude is any indicator, he's gonna do it! many celebrities have made a foray into the medium, but Tyrese is writing the book on how to launch a comic. if others follow his lead, making comics (and reading them) could take a step towards being something that isn't considered uncommon, for fans only. and as a lifelong fan, i'm here to tell you, that's exactly what the medium needs!
Tyrese Gibson’s MAYHEM begins on the streets of Los Angeles, wherein a brutal crime wave led by the mysterious Big X has the entire city in a state of perpetual fear. With even the police force unable to stop him, MAYHEM, a faceless vigilante with only his partner Malice and an unrelenting vengeance to back him up, strikes back against the criminal hordes. Within three issues of non-stop action, they will take on Big X to dismantle his organization and restore peace to the City of Angels. (read more, and preorder here) -ghettoManga.com comics.hipHop.news.art.culture
Singer/Actor Tyrese Gibson (Transformers, Baby Boy, 2Fast 2Furious)throws his hat into the the comics game with his action comic Mayhem (see cover below), which will drop as a miniseries from Image Comics this summer.
“I have always been open minded to new things, and I’ve said this a few times: I’m no comic book veteran, but when I went to Comic-Con to promote ‘Death Race,’ that energy out there really did something to me. I had no idea…So that’s when I decided I wanted to not only be a part of this world, but I wanna create something that I know the die hard comic book followers out there would appreciate,” wrote Gibson
when addressing the inevitable skepticism he would get from fans, Tyrese said it wasn’t conceived as some kind of intellectual property generator for movies or teevee.
“Mayhem is a true passion project of mine. Right now, I am not worried about the movie, the merchandising, or other ancillary rights that will naturally follow. All I care about is making the best comic book title possible for readers to enjoy,” he explained.
we'll see... the star is clearly a black male action hero... a perfect vehicle that he would own. that said, the best way to make it viable would be to create a GOOD comic and build a fanbase for it over time. i'll bring you more news on this as i get it...
i haven't been to the comic shop in a while, so i haven't been reading MAYHEM! to write a review (i've only read #1). but there's a free preview of issue #3 on CBR, so click the pic on the left and make up your own mind. if you're looking for this joint at your comic shop tomorrow, be advised that this cover is the Jim Lee variant, while there's another cover by series artist Tone Rodriguez as well. click the pic to see Tone's cover and read a preview of issue #3. you also might wanna read Tyrese's interview on CBR, where he sheds more light on his comics' iTunes offering, and the future of comics on iTunes.
