It’s been two years since Mason and I established our indie small press, Embonpoint Publishing. And in that time, we have published four graphic novels for our two titles, Fatizen and Blanc Noir. We’ve enjoyed the work, and have been lucky to work in collaboration with three other fine graphic artists, Caleb Halstead, Robert Bulanadi and Chris Link.

This is a complete labor of love. The work of small press is endless, and quite the education. We’ve been blessed with a dedicated following, and we’re thankful for those who have supported us.

Our latest issue of the Marabou Mule Mystery Series, Blanc Noir Ferox came out a few weeks ago. This is has been a year in the making. It’s our ghost story. It was a blast to create and send our heroine into a haunted house and solve the mystery at hand. We hope you get the chance to enjoy it. You can order it from us directly, your local bookstore or on Amazon or at Comixology for you digital consumers. If you’d like to see our 60 second book trailers, check them out here.

We’re busily working on Part Two of Fatizen. That should be out by December 2019. Mason is nearly finished with illustrating Part Three, but our focus is on the coloring and lettering of the next issue.

Somewhere in all of this, Philip is also working on edits for a second edition of Fatizen 24602, the prose version of the Fatizen saga as well as a book of nonfiction essays.

One of the most interesting aspects of adapting a graphic novel from a prose novel is deciding what elements remain in the final “cut.” I imagine it’s much like the process of a movie adaptation. Not every word or conversation or character can go into the graphic novel. And not every bit of dialogue makes it either. That is the toughest part for me as I letter the pages. What have I learned, specifically? I overwrite. And having to choose what is essential and will move the story forward has been a fantastic lesson in using an economy of words. It has made me a better writer. And editing is writing, as a friend and mentor once told me.

What is this about our t-shirts you ask? We have put two styles available for $20.00 each. The fabulous Marabou Mule and the other is a male bodybuilder (modeled by our friend Vince) in a Bettie Page pose. They’re available from our website (including big sizes), or at Made by Millworks on Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach (who also carries our books).

If you have any questions or comments about our titles, we’d love to hear from you. And stop by our website, http://www.embonpointpublishing.com. Thank you!