December Updates: New Kickstarter, Livestream Recap, and Upcoming Releases

December 08 2023, by Jake Abbate, 10 min reading time

Welp, this is it folks–we made it December!! You’ll have to excuse the two-week gap between posts, but with 2023 winding down, I want to kick things off by thanking everyone who made my first year at Zenescope such a blast from start to finish. In addition to everyone at the office being so nice and helpful these last eight months, I also want to give a shoutout to all of our VIPs who welcomed me into their inboxes with open arms. This is easily the best job I’ve ever had, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me in these hallowed halls.

Okay, now that the mushy nonsense is out of the way, there are still three weeks left in the year, and you’d better believe we’re gonna make the most of ‘em…so read on, cherished Zen Fam–and help us close out 2023 on a high note!

Yesterday, we launched yet another Kickstarter campaign for the release of Van Helsing: Vampire Hunter #1! True, it hasn’t been that long (just over two weeks, to be exact) since we wrapped up our last crowdfunding experiment. But this one marks the inaugural campaign under our brand new Zenescope Comics banner, which will specialize in new comic and graphic novel projects from some of our top creative minds. For the first (but certainly not the last!) time, we’re calling on our devoted fanbase to help us fund an entire limited series and adopt more of a hands-on role in bringing our next big story to life.

Many of you count Liesel Van Helsing as your favorite Zenescope character, so you definitely won’t want to miss what writer Pat Shand, artist Giulia Pellegrini, and their collaborators are presently cooking up for you. The series winds the clock all the way back to the 1800s, when a young Liesel is still finding her sea legs as a vampire hunter on the cobbled, bloodsucker-infested streets of jolly old England. Moreover, because it serves as a prequel to everything happening in our current Van Helsing saga, I can also share that all three issues will fill in a number key elements concerning Liesel’s tragic backstory. But don’t take *my* word for it–next week, I’ll be running a conversation with Pat and Giulia, who will tell you in their own words why you have every reason to look forward to this new chapter in Liesel’s crusade against the undead. As the old saying goes, watch this space!

Our crowdfunding efforts always manage to surpass expectations, and this one is no different. In just 24 hours, we managed to raise over $25,000 for Van Helsing: Vampire Hunter and once again earn Kickstarter’s coveted “Project We Love” badge! If you were one of the early birds who pledged during that timeframe, your order is guaranteed to include a free Victorian-style pin capturing Liesel in her famous Gothic attire. We also have a number of bonus items available to anyone who backs the campaign, including a new challenge coin, exclusive collectible covers, and metal cards. To get your pledges in before the campaign closes at 4pm ET on December 29, visit its official page right here.

Meanwhile, I wanted to send out one more big thank-you to everyone who supported our Wonderland Collectible Trading Cards Kickstarter, which ended with over $93,000 in contributions (many of them likely on account of the Cheshire Cat plushie we offered as an add-on). Also, to all VIPs who backed our previous Zenflix & Chill and Z-Rated Art Book campaign, you can rest easy knowing that I’m deep into the process of applying points to your accounts! We know it’s been a long wait, but the good news is that after months of anticipation, the orders for those books are finally beginning to ship. We appreciate your patience while we get everything sorted, especially as the move to our new office continues apace. For the last few weeks, it’s been all hands on deck as we transfer everything to the new building, and to give you an idea of what we’ve been up to, here’s a sneak peek at how the new warehouse is coming along:

Moving on, we hosted two Virtual Conventions this week: Tuesday’s Retailer Livestream and last night’s VIP-exclusive event on Facebook. I’m happy to say that I noticed a ton of new names in the comments on both days, including a handful of fresh-faced Zenescouts who very recently purchased a VIP membership. So to you lovely people, I say welcome! Hopefully, we’ll be seeing more of you during our Virtual Holiday Con, which will unfold over the course of two days starting on Wednesday, December 20 at 6pm ET.

As fun as yesterday’s VIP stream was, I’d be remiss if I didn’t pay special attention to Noah’s interview with Mark Weiss, the founder of Comic Books for Kids, on Tuesday. Our retailer livestreams typically shine a light on brick-and-mortar comic shops located all over the country. However, we decided to do something different this week with CB4K, which is actually a charitable organization focused on bringing comics and graphic novels to children in hospitals worldwide. Listening to him speak, it became abundantly clear that Mark’s passion for the comic book medium is matched by a level of kindness and generosity that we could all stand to learn a thing or two from. If you missed their conversation, check it out here. Half of the proceeds from Tuesday’s V-Con will be going directly CB4K, and if you’re interested in making a donation yourself, you can visit their official website at comicbooksforkids.org.

Last week, we also hosted our most recent installment of Movie Club, where we shared our wide-ranging thoughts on Mad Max: Fury Road. We may have been two panelists short (we missed you, Brian and Krystle!), but luckily, Zenescope editor-in-chief David Wohl was nice enough to step in and offer his own two cents about George Miller’s magnum opus. And in an unbelievable twist of fate, our discussion happened to coincide with the trailer premiere for Furiosa, which takes place years before the events of Fury Road and finds Anya Taylor-Joy taking over for Charlize Theron as a younger version of the title character.

We still have one last Movie Club stream to get through before 2023 comes to an end. So while you probably shouldn’t expect another fortuitous trailer drop, we’d love for you to join us on December 28 to chat about Die Hard and re-ignite the age-old debate over whether or not it’s a real Christmas movie.

And of course, I’m contractually obligated to remind you once again that there’s still time to purchase admission to our Las Vegas VIP Event on March 8 and 9, 2024. In case you missed Ralph’s post in the official VIP Facebook group, we’re throwing in a FREE limited edition Sketch Cover to any returning VIPs who attended one of our previous events in 2023 or 2022. Tickets are selling a lot faster than any of us anticipated–in fact, we’re close to 50% capacity, so reserve your places now and don’t forget to book a room at the Paris Hotel & Casino using our discounted rate.

Finally, a new month means new comics, and our last releases of 2023 include some fresh Belle and Hydra one-shots, the next issue of Wonderland: Child of Madness, and two Holiday Specials, one of which features Noah making his long-awaited debut as a fully-fledged Zenescope writer!

Grimm Fairy Tales #78 (On Sale Now)

Grimm Fairy Tales 2023 Holiday Pinup Special (On Sale 12/13)

(L-R: Cover A - Alfredo Reyes & Ylenia Di Napoli; Cover B - Igor Vitorino & Grostieta; Cover C - J. Cardygrade; Cover D - Josh Burns)

Grimm Universe Presents: 2023 Holiday Special (On Sale 12/13)

(L-R: Cover A - Igor Vitorino; Cover B - Richard Ortiz; Cover C - Ignacio Noe)

Belle Annual: Apex Predator (On Sale 12/20)

Hydra #1 (On Sale 12/20)

Belle: House of Glass Slippers (On Sale 12/27)

Wonderland: Child of Madness #2 (On Sale 12/27)

• Share on:
• WhatsApp
• Deel
• Tweet
• Pin it
• Messenger
• Email