Sullivan's Sluggers

Berkeley CA - 12 May 2010 - Image Comics announces the release of SULLIVAN'S SLUGGERS, a powerful collaboration between writer Mark Andrew Smith and artist James Stokoe (ORC STAIN). Smith, winner of a Harvey Award for co-editing POPGUN 1, is also the writer behind the offbeat favorites AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS, AQUA LEUNG, and NEW BRIGHTON ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

"Sullivan's Sluggers is a great blending of sports comics and horror," says Smith. "It was great to do a story about a baseball team while also, at the same time, working in the horror genre. I think this book will simultaneously resonate with sports and baseball fans, as well as horror fans, making it a perfect storm."

"The horror genre has played a hugely influential role in comics, so it's been really cool to dip my toes in that pool," adds Stokoe. "Mark's cranked out a really fun script that puts a lot of emphasis on stuff that can only be done in comics and has stuffed panels with crazy amounts of gore and action. Our unsung hero, Rodrigo Aviles, is laying down some really vivid and imaginative colors as well. Lots of red splatter and juicy monster gizzards!"

"From THE AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS to POPGUN, Mark Smith has long been one of Image's most imaginative and prolific writers," observes Image Publisher, Eric Stephenson. "He has a great eye for artistic talent, and a head full of ideas that in many ways are ahead of their time. Aided and abetted by the incredible James Stokoe, SULLIVAN'S SLUGGERS is easily one of his best projects yet. If you haven't been exposed to the madcap wonder of Mark's work, this is the place to start!"

SULLIVAN'S SLUGGERS: When Sullivan's bedraggled minor league sluggers accept an invitation to play an out-of-town game, they have no idea their small-town destination is cursed. When the sun goes down after the 7th inning stretch, the dysfunctional teammates find themselves fighting for their lives against a town crawling with flesh eating monsters.

SULLIVAN'S SLUGGERS, an all-new 176-page full-color trade written by Mark Andrew Smith and illustrated by James Stokoe and published by Image Comics, will be available in stores on August 11, 2010, for $16.99.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010