Head Lopper
| Head Lopper | |
|---|---|
|
Head Lopper #1, 2013 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher |
Self published Image Comics |
| Schedule | Quarterly |
| Format | Ongoing series of miniseries |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publication date | June 7, 2013 – present |
| Number of issues |
2 (self published) 4 (Image Comics) |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Andrew MacLean |
| Artist(s) | Andrew MacLean |
| Colorist(s) |
Mike Spicer Andrew MacLean |
| Creator(s) | Andrew MacLean |
.png)
Head Lopper is a comic book created by writer and artist Andrew MacLean, currently published by Image Comics. The story follows the exploits of the Viking warrior Norgal (or "head lopper" as some call him) and the severed head of Agatha the Blue Witch.
Publishing history
Head Lopper originally began as a self-published project by comics creator Andrew MacLean.[1] In 2015 it was picked up for a four-issue miniseries.[2]
The character originated from a piece for Brand New Nostalgia.[3] The theme of the week had been vikings, and a bearded warrior with a witch's head skewered on his sword was the result.[4]
Self-published issues
Head Lopper #1 debuted at Heroes Con 2013. The first issue was was a small print run and so very costly to produce. The second issue was funded via a Kickstarter campaign launched October 10, 2013.[5]
| Story Arc | Issue | Release Date | Chapter | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Cover Artist | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Island | #1 | June 7, 2013 | Blood and Water | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean | PINUPS: Toby Cypress Brian Churilla Tradd Moore Warwick Johnson-Cadwell James Harren | |
| #2 | June 29, 2014 | The Wolves of Barra | PINUPS: Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart Joe Dellagatta Michael Avon Oeming Simone D'Armini Max Fiumara Troy Nixey Fillip Acovic Enrique Fernandez Paul Maybury Janusz Pawlak | |||||
Image Comics issues
In 2015 Image Comics picked up Head Lopper as a "quarterly adventure comic". The series eschewed the industry standard 22-page monthly issues in favor of a larger issues published quarterly.
… I've decide to release the HEAD LOPPER comic on a quarterly basis because I think a longer book can make a better book. Here's what I want in every issue of HEAD LOPPER: long fights, dark jokes, creepy atmosphere, short plots and long plots, and comfortable conclusions that, hopefully, still leave you wanting more. The standard comic length would make me cut something short.
I'll be able to make it the story I want if i take more pages to tell it, maybe fifty to sixty pages per issue, cover to cover. But I can't pull off that big of an issue on a monthly schedule. So… QUARTERLY! It's for the better…— Andrew MacLean, author's afterword from Head Lopper #1, September 2015[6]
In April 2016 MacLean announced on various social media channels that Image Comics had picked up Head Lopper for another miniseries in 2017.[7]
| Story Arc | Issue | Release Date | Chapter | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Cover Artist | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Island | #1 | September 9, 2015 | Blood and Water | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean Rafael Grampá (variant) |
PINUPS: Zé Burnay Adam Miller Alexis Ziritt MacKenzie Schubert Lamar Mathurin | |
| The Wolves of Barra | ||||||||
| That Which Lurks in the Mist | Andrew MacLean | |||||||
SOLICITATION: Action. Adventure. Fantasy. Decapitation! ApocalyptiGirl creator ANDREW MACLEAN brings this critically acclaimed indie hit to Image Comics! The dark humored quarterly adventure begins with a double-sized first issue, with eighty pages of story and a premium pin-up gallery for the regular price of just $5.99! | ||||||||
| #2 | December 9, 2015 | Into the Silent Wood | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean Mike and Laura Allred (variant) |
PINUPS: Aaron Conley Stephen Green Scarecrowoven Matt Smith | ||
SOLICITATION: Norgal and Agatha pass through a dark forest with a particularly grim history, where they meet a strange little creature named Gnym. Is he a friend? Or does he just want to see undead giants squish the HEAD LOPPER to meat-jelly? All this… and more! | ||||||||
| #3 | March 9, 2016 | The Sisters of the Hill | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean James Stokoe (variant) |
PINUPS: Skottie Young Rebecca Kirby James Callahan | ||
SOLICITATION: Norgal meets fellow adventurer Zhaania Kota Ka while battling a poison barb-shooting mega-arachnid from the elder region of Hell, home of the Under Gods. Agatha meets a fellow disembodied head while sitting on a table. | ||||||||
| #4 | June 8, 2016 | The Black Bog | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean Gabriel Bá (variant) |
|||
SOLICITATION: At long last, Norgal and Agatha face off against the demigod-sorcerer Barra, who proves to be much more able than his frail frame implies. Meanwhile, Lulach approaches with an entire army at his back, but does he come in support or opposition of Barra’s cause? | ||||||||
References
- ↑ Meylikhov, Matthew. "Heroes Con 2013: Heads Roll in MacLean’s “Head Lopper”". Multiversity Comics. Multiversity Comics. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ Sullivan, Jeremy. "Image Comics solicitations for September 2015". Image Comics. Image Comics. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. "Andrew MacLean's "Viking"". Brand New Nostalgia tumblr. Brand New Nostalgia. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ Parkin, J.K. "Andrew MacLean kickstarts a second helping of ‘Head Lopper’". Robot 6. Comic Book resources. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. ""Head Lopper 2: The Wolves of Barra" Kickstarter campaign". Kickstarter. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. "Head Lopper #1". Image Comics. Image Comics. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. "Facebook post, 22 April 2016". Andrew MacLean's Facebook. Retrieved 30 April 2016.