Oni Press posted the news on their website. JAM! TALES FROM THE DERBY GIRLS is available for pre-order in the March catalog (order code MAR10 1103). It will arrive in shops this summer June 23, 2010.
Melissa and I collaborated on a story that will be in the anthology, illustrated by TJ Kirsch. You can read it right now, because it's part of Oni's free preview (click here to read our 8-page story). Keep in my mind: the Sacred Laws of Free Previews demand that if you like it, you must pre-order. And I never joke about the Sacred Laws of Free Previews. Digital readers be damned. You can't have your favorite derby girl sign your iPad. You need this book.
Melissa's story originally appeared in my column for Pop Syndicate (click here). It's funny that my first sentence was: "Today's adventure has nothing to do with comic books." I guess now it does. The story is all true. It's Melissa's first derby-related trip to the emergency room. For the Jam! anthology, Melissa wrote what happened in her own words. Then, I asked a few follow-up questions to get the details correct. I took what she wrote and tried my best to covert it into a good script. Editor Jill Beaton (hi Jill!) connected us with TJ Kirsch. TJ's a very talented artist working with Ande Parks on UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK and with Kevin Church on the web series SHE DIED IN TERREBONNE. From our few emails back and forth, he's also a very nice guy.
There you have it. Oni Press and roller derby. Coming June 23rd.
