For those who haven’t been able to get a copy of early Phonogram, the reprints for Issue 1 and 2 will be available in the US tomorrow and the UK the day after. Rejoice!

However, for those who are already on Phonogram’s dancefloor, waiting for the DJ to sort out this jumping record, here’s a six page preview of issue 3.

Either start with the cover or the first actual page.

I’m going to show the first page here, I think, and link it to the actual cover, just to create confusion. Hail Eris, etc.

Available next week.

Hello again.

Further updates later this week, as the 2nd printing of Phonogram #1 and #2 should be on the shelves and there’s apparently a small chance that #3 will make it too, depending on the great gods of Comicky-books.

(Edit: Seems it won’t, though is on the shipping list for November 1st)

So… why the delay on issue 3? Basically, McKelvie had no money to eat so had to stop for a couple of weeks to draw a few commissions and do some assorted gigs. Basically, Image being a back-end deal it’s a cash-flow situation, so until the money from Phonogram arrives, McKelvie has to draw pictures of Marvel Girl taking on Colossus and Wolverine in a three-way (or something. I’m using my imagaination).

However, if you’re interested in McKelvie’s art, there are a couple of ways which you can make him bring less XXX-men pornography into the world.

Firstly, he’s done a limited set of 200 prints which are available to mail order from him directly. They’re A2 in size (24″ by 16″), individually signed and numbered and cost £20 plus P&P. And they look like this…

Order from here.

What an incredible bargain. I’ve ordered one, and I currently don’t even have a wall of my own to hang it on.

Secondly, original art for Phonogram is available for purchase. At the time of writing, the following pages are available:

Issue 1: 3, 4, 10, 12, 13, 17, 22
Issue 2: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19.

And all of issue 3, when you see it.

If you’re interested in that, drop him a mail at mckelvie at gmail dot com.

Thirdly, if you’re a movie-producer, we’re happy to sell the rights to Phonogram for the Mark-Millar approved rate of $800,000. Go knock yourself out.

It’s not a question of whether we’re going to sell out or not. It’s a question of how quickly we can sell out. Seriously, look at us. “How do these English comic-people stay so slender?” they ask.
We can’t afford to eat.

(Er… seriously, we’re fine. When Phonogram money comes through, Kitten will be okay. It’s the short term which is the problem. And I’m sure even if no-one orders anything, his residual fatty-deposits will hold him out for another week or so. And then he can eat his lovely girlfriend Fleur)

Comrade-in-arms Matt Fraction says enormously nice things about us in his interview over at Silver Bullet Comics.

Go read. Fraction’s Casanova and Five Fists Of Science are two of the many reasons why we’re enormously pleased to be coming out through Image.

A new B-side. Please feel free to distribute as freely and widely as you wish.

We haven’t actually linked to some comments for a while, have we?

Firstly, British Crime novellist John Rickards says nice things about Phonogram over on his blog…

“A superbly-written piece of music-as-magic fiction, crisply drawn and very tightly crafted. Gillen and McKelvie have picked up the concept and run with it with great flair and the result’s a first class read.” 

Secondly, we never actually mentioned the Onion AV club review of Phonogram #1 for some reason. God knows why. We were probably drunk again. It happens to us a lot. And not in a cool and clever way. In a slightly pathetic falling over in the streets way. There’s nothing big and clever about drinking, except that it’s big and clever.

“So far, it’s wicked, witty fun, but the sense that Gillen and McKelvie really get how loving music can feel like a matter of life and death makes it a title to watch.”

Hurrah for the Onion! Hurrah for John Rickards!

The cover for the final issue of Phonogram. Man!

Also, for those who are starting to get antsy over issue 3, there’s going to be a couple of weeks delay. On the bright side, this does mean that the reprints will be on the shelves just before Issue 3 arrives, so everyone can get into the beat at the same rate, but still… annoying. Apologies to everyone.

On the brightest side, we suspect it may actually be the best issue yet. Hopefully it’ll be worth the wait.