“The Other Dead” came out yesterday and I wasn’t even aware of it–I’ve been so busy. But today I got a note from Josh Ortega who helped write it and recruited me to do some artwork for the project (see above). The reviews are really great, and so it seems like a good idea to share them with people.
So now I have a book credit with Kevin Eastman, as well as Joshua Ortega (we did Tales From Neverland #2 together), and Digger T. Mesch to boot.
*****
“How has this brilliant premise not been done yet? Just when we’re inundated with ‘zombie this, zombie that,’ Ortega, Digger, and Eastman come along with a rip-roaring adventure that provides the most unique spin on the zombie apocalypse in years.”
–Cliff Bleszinski
Creator of Gears of War
“The Other Dead has the perfect combination of action, emotional impact, and brooding/building horror. I kept turning the pages to run from the impending doom.”
–Kevin J. Anderson
New York Times bestselling author of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series.
“Driven by a beautifully nasty sense of humor and art that sweats and bleeds, one of the things that really stands out is how perfectly paced it is. Felt like somebody was slowly tightening a screw into my brain and oddly enough, I loved it. Astoundingly good.”
–Robert Ferrigno
New York Times bestselling author of Prayers for the Assassin
“Gleefully gory and subversive with snark–the only problem with this book is that I didn’t come up with the idea first!”
–Hugh Sterbakov
Emmy-nominated writer of Robot Chicken, Freshmen, and City Under the Moon
“The Other Dead finds space to be itself in a genre where most practitioners stick to the tried and true. Original and genuinely scary.”
–Mike Carey
Eisner Award-winning writer of Unwritten, Suicide Run, and X-Men
“The Other Dead has restored my faith in a tired sub-genre with a tongue-in-cheek premise, compelling characters, and a devilishly fun world. I’m anxiously awaiting the moment when Obama picks up a shotgun.”
–TJ Fixman
Writer of Ratchet & Clank and Legends of the Dark Knight: A Game to Die For
“The basic conceit of this story, that nature, not our neighbors, is the real threat, harkens back to Hitchcock’sThe Birds and Spielberg’s Jaws, only taken to the next level…Just when you thought the zombie genre had been strip mined, The Other Dead proves you wrong.”
–Robert Napton
Writer of Battlestar Galactica, Warlord of Mars, and Dark Wraith of Shannara
“The Other Dead is a work of zombie animal art that has left this savage meat-eater with no other recourse than to become vegan…the apocalypse never looked like so much bloody fun.”
–Demian Lichtenstein
Director of 3000 Miles to Graceland and Payday
“The Other Dead is original…genre-bending, death-defying…it grabs your attention by the throat like a damn rabid raccoon.”
–Al Jourgensen
Founder of the platinum-selling metal band Ministry
“With art and writing that are equally strong, The Other Dead is a powerful, well-crafted work of horror with a clever—and very twisted—premise.”
–J.M. DeMatteis
Eisner Award-winning writer of Moonshadow, Abadazad, and Justice League Dark
“A twisted new angle that will resonate far and wide. I really enjoyed it.”
–American McGee
Creator of American McGee’s Alice
“The Other Dead starts with a great premise, a zombie tale that tugs our emotion and sympathy like no other. The book itself is beautifully executed, with grisly, splattered art and frenetic writing…I can’t wait for more!”
–Mike Capps
Executive Producer of Gears of War and writer of Gears of War: Barren
“With The Other Dead, Ortega, Digger, and Eastman finally answer THE zombie genre question–what about the animals!?–with equal parts wit and ferocity.”
–Steve Johnson
FX Artist on Ghostbusters, The Abyss, and Spider-Man 2
“An outlandish, fresh premise with creative juggernauts at the helm. Strap in, it’s gonna be a bloody ride.”
–Brian Pulido
Creator of Lady Death and Evil Ernie
From the Press:
“Joshua Ortega (Gears of War) does a bang up job with the story here…(and) it’s just as visually appealing as it is well written. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill zombie comic. It’s above and beyond anything else that’s out there. These animals are infinitely more dangerous after death than they were while alive. Stronger, faster, deadlier. There’s not much more to say except go get this series. And get it while you can, because unlike the creatures in the comic, there’s no guarantee of a second chance here. The animals may reanimate, but no one knows if IDW Publishing will do a reprint. So go on, go get it!” –Geeks of Doom
“The Other Dead is a fast-paced story that pulls you in from page one. Qing Ping Mui’s art is sharp…and everything is presented in brilliant detail. In a world of zombie overload, The Other Dead stands out from the crowd.” –Comic Book Therapy
“Ortega and Mesch wisely placed this animal reanimation within the context of the human experience separate from the reanimation…(and focus) on how the undead apocalypse would affect the living of this world that were left to pick up the apocalyptic pieces. If I haven’t entreated you with the story, perhaps I can entice you with the art, because it’s absolutely gorgeous…(and) the animals, both living and undead are gorgeously rendered.” –Ain’t It Cool News
“The Other Dead is a gritty, gruesome but fresh take on the…zombie genre. Far from predictable, it moves along at a rapid pace as it mixes a little fun in with the suspense and terror. There’s a huge handful of creative talent working on this book…and they vigorously inject new life into (the) familiar. But what really propels The Other Dead into a higher gear is the amazing art of Qing Ping Mui…take the photo-realistic style of Leonardo Manco and Steve Epting and put an edge on it similar to Frank Quitely and Carlos Magno. The Other Deadputs the pedal to the metal and doesn’t let off the gas until the final panel.” –BC Refugees
“The Other Dead stands out in a world of zombie comics.” –Comic List
“Frighteningly captivating…there’s a level of detail to (Mui’s) work that’s difficult not be impressed by. A creative tale with some genuinely unsettling horror moments, The Other Dead is well worth a look for any fans of the zombie genre, or of horror comics in general.” –Big Comic Page
“(The Other Dead) is drawn exquisitely and the pages are filled with beautifully vivid images…the story is original and captivating.” –Horror Society
“(
The Other Dead) is like watching the best kind of B-horror movie out there. And I’m not talking about bad horror movies, I’m talking about the off-beat and brilliant ones. I’ve said to people for years that I was burnt out on zombies.
The Other Dead gives the zombie genre a fresh new direction it both needs and deserves.”
–Insert Geek Here.com
“
The Other Dead hits the shelves at a time when new blood needs to be injected into the zombie genre and they do it with plenty of horror, blood and violence, but its potential is much more than the sum of its parts. Artist Qing Ping Mui goes for broke in his use of highly detailed work…the gore and horror is in your face, but so is the character. Now that Halloween is officially in the air, don’t pass on
The Other Dead!”
–Unleash theFanboy.com
“Frightening beyond words…like a scene out of The Birds only much, much worse. When (things) start going wrong, they start going wrong fast. This comic might just give you a nightmare or two and will have you looking at that pet of yours a little closer…” –Jazma Online
“Stark and creepy…(The Other Dead) is very effective in building suspense and the zombies are bloody enough to make this title an effective horror comic…I am excited to read more!” –Geeky Universe
“If you dig zombies and the whole horror showdown between animals and humans then pick this up!” –Comic Bastards
“Ambitious…really well done!” –Florida Geek Scene
“Well-written…with lots of symbolism and metaphors…the pencils are nice and accurate, and the inks and shadings are right for the story and create a gloomy and somewhat hostile tone.” –Adventures in Poor Taste
“Romero Dawn of the Dead-style political commentary…(and) given the high quality of the art and the fun-ness of this inaugural ish, I plan to stick around to see where Ortega and co. take this story.” –Bloody Popcorn
“A gritty tale drawn in every perfectly bloody detail by Qing Ping Mu. Yes, a storm is coming to Louisiana, but its bringing more than rain, this time, its bringing the undead.” –Fanboy Nation
The Light of Day 