Yes, you know how to hear words you’ve never heard before, and suddenly you can hear them everywhere? That’s Mark Spears. I first heard about horror artists in a conversation with a colleague in the industry, and then suddenly I was asking about the blind bagged version of Mark Spears Monster: Monster & Wolf #1 Trick-or-treat Blind Bag.
And now, publisher Keynespot has sent a press release promoting 350,000 copies in advance. It is undoubtedly boosted by 90 different variant covers (all created independently and letted by Spears), but that’s still an impressive number. The book will debut on October 8th at a price tag of $5.99.
According to Keenspot, this makes MSM the largest independent comic of all time by a single creator. Meanwhile, John Jackson Miller will need to get out of retirement to confirm that, but for now it’s a pretty good result.
The fan favorites are quick, so Spears range from getting into the ring in just two and a half years to #1 book. His cartoon career began just two years ago when he did four spawn covers. Mark Spears Monster Comics is based on a trading card set he created. He kickstarted the comic series, and the current campaign for the sequel series has already raised over $288,000. That means they’ve got a pretty good double dip between crowdfunding and comic shops. The Keenspot version of Mark Spears Monsters was released in September 2024 and is now the top 50 titles.
Of course, Spears didn’t appear anywhere. He has been doing cover art for 20 years. I work for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Upper Deck Sports Cards, Image Comics, Warner Bros., Paramount, Rittenhouse Trading Cards, and more. He is also a three-time nominee for the Ronde Hutton Horror Award.
Still, the grassroots popularity of this comic has become a strange trend focused on these variants. Interior comic book artists struggle to get something like Marvel and DC’s Superstardom, but in the comic era before the image, the cover artists are all rage, as witnessed by the covers of Peach Momo and Stanley’s “Art Doll.” Add Mark Spears to the list.
The blind-packed comic itself is the first issue in a three-part miniseries documenting the origins of Clint Abbott, the ongoing prequel to the Mark Spears Monster series.
PR continues the victory lap:
What’s even more noteworthy about this 350,000 copy pre-order milestone is how it happened. Unlike other comic releases, Mark Spears Monsters: Monsters & Wolves in Keynespot had no media hype machine that encouraged comic sales from large publishers such as Marvel, DC, and Image. Its record-breaking success was driven primarily by the movement of grassroots fans. Collectors, retailers and fans spread the word, defended the book, and turned it into a phenomenon.
“This is not due to large budgets or the support of huge publishers,” Spears said. “This happened for the fans. They built up excitement, got momentum and proved that a real passion for comics can be achieved. I am deeply grateful.”
The 90 variations of blind bags are enough to keep you busy, but rare hunters are looking for “Unholy Grails.”
“We couldn’t be proud of the success of this title, and we were unable to offer to work with Keynespot to bring his monster Saga greatness to comic shops around the world.” “Moving almost entirely with fan support, this classic American success story exists as evidence of the power of the fans, grassroots excitement and the creator’s uncompromising vision.”
And Halloween seems to be an auspicious time in books about monsters, spears and keynes pots, but after that, they don’t sit still.
Keenspot titles like Mark Spears Monsters are distributed in Lunar Distribution, Universal Distribution, Diamond UK comic shops, and Simon & Schuster book Trade.
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