Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Alison Sampson, graphic novel, toriamos, z2

Alison Sampson Gets Her First Comics Writing Gig For Tori Amos

Comic book artist Alison Sampson is best known for drawing comics such as Hit-Girl In India written by Peter Milligan, Steven King's Sleeping Beauties written by Rio Youers and Winnebago Graveyard written by Steve Niles. she also has a bunch of playing card covers spread out over a number of upcoming titles from other creators. But she is also writing he own comic for the first time, as part of the Tori Amos graphic anthology from Z2 Comics, with her story The Pool, based on the Tori Amos song of the same name.

She posted to Facebook, "My comics writing debut is in the new Tori Amos comic anthology coming from Z2 this summer. Writing… is surprisingly fun." Z2 EIC Rantz Hoseley replied "you f-cking KILLED it." She added "thanks Rantz. I've not got into writing but I do enjoy it. Would do again, without doubt." Rantz Hoseley replied "I'm just going to say, I was in the middle of inking the story for Flying Dutchman when your pages came in, and I stared at my own art for a good 20 minutes thinking 'you're not going to beat that, so you might as well give it the f-ck up'" So that's good, I guess. Alison tells Bleeding Cool after we chatted at MCM London Comic Con;

Open
"Don't be afraid" she said
"No one will know it
Just you and me"
And when it's over
I'll go back

It's a song that seems to be sung at extremely slow speed, and I liked the contrast of 'its just a moment and its over' with something that took a very different kind of time. I wrote, drew, coloured and lettered it myself whilst I was having my radiation treatment…. I was honestly surprised by the reaction. I'd look to do more writing. It was fun. I think it's something I've wanted to do, but to be honest I didn't know how to bridge the gap from story to format, and only writing a story for myself to draw seemed to unblock that block. Now to try writing another one and possibly for someone else.

Z2 Comics' latest music/comic book collaboration is with Tori Amos, who is already an Eisner Award winner for the Comic Book tattoo graphic novel. It is now to have a follow-up Little Earthquakes: The Graphic Album, to be released for the 30th anniversary of her breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes, containing the song and the line above.

Z2 will publish a graphic novel with 24 stories inspired by the 12 songs on the album, as well as the 12 'B-sides' that accompanied the album and its associated singles. This includes Neil Gaiman telling a tale inspired by "Tear In Your Hand" with artist Bilquis Evely, and Margaret Atwood who will bring to life the song "Silent All These Years" with artist David Mack, who has also painted the cover. Other contributors include Leah Moore, Colleen Doran, Derek McCulloch, Lar deSouza, Annie Zaleski, Marc Andreyko, Cat Mihos, Neil Kleid, and Alison Sampson. The book will be assembled by Z2 editor Rantz Hoseley, who previously edited Comic Book Tattoo, and who painted the cover for her recent Christmastide EP.

Tori Amos says "To have some of the most creative graphic artists interpret the songs from Little Earthquakes, is a true honor. I enjoyed working with Rantz on Comic Book Tattoo so much that when he contacted me about putting something together for the 30th Anniversary, I had no hesitation. Artwork is such an important part of my musical world and to see these songs come to life in graphic form is such a joy."

Editor Rantz Hoseley states "Having been present during the writing of many of these songs, I can tell you they are inextricably bound to comics. They were on the early demo cassette that I snuck to Neil Gaiman at the San Diego Comic-Con in 1991, telling him 'this is my friend, she sings about you, please don't sue her.' It's been too long since Comic Book Tattoo, and it's truly a pleasure to get to make comics with Tori again."

Tori Amos is a classically trained pianist and singer-songwriter, who came to prominence in 1992 with Little Earthquakes, an album spun out of her religious upbringing and struggle to establish her individual identity. The album served as her commercial and artistic breakthrough, entering the British charts in January 1992 at #15. Little Earthquakes was released in the United States 30 years ago in February and slowly, but steadily, began to attract listeners, gaining attention with the video for the first single, "Silent All These Years." Since that time, Amos has sold over 12 million albums across 16 releases, with her most recent effort, Ocean to Ocean, released in October 2021.

Little Earthquakes: The Graphic Album will be available in three editions. The 8"x8" standard hardcover edition will be released in finer bookstores, comic shops, and record stores everywhere in September 2022, and will be available for pre-order through Z2 and ToriAmos.com. The limited Deluxe and Platinum Artists Editions will be available exclusively through Z2's website in limited quantities.

The oversized 12"x12" Deluxe Edition will be limited to 1,450 units, which will come packaged in a collectors slipcase, with vinyl releases of Little Earthquakes and the previously unavailable vinyl picture disc of Little Earthquakes: The B Sides, as well as 12"x12" art prints by Comic Book Tattoo contributors Jason Levesque, KAKO, and David Mack.

The Platinum Artists Edition is limited 500 copies, and includes the signed and numbered oversized 12"x12" graphic novel with a foil embossed hardcover, the vinyl album of Little Earthquakes and the exclusive B-Sides picture disc vinyl, prints by Jason Levesque and KAKO, and a print of the cover signed by David Mack and Tori Amos, and a sketchbook/diary, contained in a die-cut clamshell collectors box that echoes the wooden crate that is synonymous with the cover of this album. There will not be a second pressing of the limited picture disc vinyl of Little Earthquakes: The B-Sides that is available with the Deluxe and Platinum editions. Here's the song in question.

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