Formspring search: Gunnerkrigg Court

129 matches for books.

Oh, and do we get the CityFace strips? Those are especially crucial

All the City Face strips and some extra stuff like sketches are included in the books!

Hey just curious, do the books have your delightful commentary to each of the pages? I feel like they are crucial to understanding the story, sometimes. Also, do they tell you which comic it is?

Sorry, the books do not have the author comments for each page. I didn't feel it would work while trying to tell a story.

When you arrange the books, do you try and get a page turn before the big shock panels; like, say, making sure that you'd turn to be hit right with MechanoKat rather than having it on the right hand page in your vision as you read the preceding page?

Nah, not really.

Did you know something funky is happening with page 3?

Seems the same to me. Although I notice there is a page number on there. Must have been a file from one of the books.

What programs to you use to draw and color Gunnerkrigg Court (I've been a fan for a long time, ever since I found the books at my library :D )?

I just use Photoshop and sometimes Painter at the moment.

I recently reread the last book of the Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville and I realized that the reason I love those books as well as Gunnerkrigg Court is because of the way you both could expand even further on the world that the main character is in.

That's cool

Seems Amazon is selling volume 2 again, though it says it ships in 1-3 months? Will it be available through topatoco at any point in the future as well?

Unknown. I wouldn't trust Amazon too much though, I'm still trying to get news about the books from the publisher.

Gunnerkrigg has the potential to be a HUGE, extremely complex story, but we're only on book 3. Can you estimate how many books will be in the series by the time the story finally reaches its close? 5? 8? 12?

Not sure really, I'd like to keep it going as long as people found it interesting.

I am super excited for you but I must say that I would very very much dislike to be forced to pay to read Gunnerkrigg Court. It would also make it very hard for new readers to get into. I will do all I can to support you otherwise though!

Heck no, Gunnerkrigg will reamin free on the main site for as long as it exists. The only way you'd have to pay for it is in book form. Unless someone gave you the books as a gift I guess.

Looking to add things to my amazon order and noticed your books there, though at reduced prices. Do you deal with them or are there pre-owned copies? I want the money going to you!

I think Amazon prices things how they want. Sometimes if an item is popular they might lwoer the price to encourage more sales, but I have no control over it.

I'm sure you've been asked this many times, so I am sorry to ask it again, but with you leaving your job, I'm feeling like I should totally buy your books. Will you please give a link to where you'd most prefer I buy them?

Topatoco is the best place to buy the books for me, personally.

I was just looking at the cover of one of your books and I was wondering how much of it do you design? I know you do the lovely artwork, but do you assemble the rest of the cover as well or is that somebody at archaia?

Nah, after I give them the artwork, including the fame and background texture and title and all that, they put the rest of the cover together for me! I also give them something to put on the back

If you do be sure to read all scott pilgrim books before watching the movie.

Yeah I'd prefer that too

Was super excited to see you are a British artist, and living in Birmingham no less! (I live relatively near, in picturesque Cov) Keep up the good work! If any of your prints/books etc. are available in shops in Birmingham do say!

Thanks! My books should be available in book and comic shops. I know they have them in the Forbidden Planet in Birmingham city center, but any palce should be able to get them (maybe not Vol 2 until the reprint is done)

About the books - What chapters are in each of them?

Vol 1 = 1-14 Vol 2 = 15-22 Vol 3 = 23-31

What book we're allowed to know about has Jones found to be the most useful or important she's read so far?

she has read many many books.

wait... if Jones has no favorite book, does that mean she doesn't read books?

She has read many books.

I've noticed some parallels with your universe and the Gaiman fantasy universe (All gods are real, all myths that don't contradict are true, etc.) Would you say you have read any of his fantasy books? If so, Would you say you are inspired by them?

I would say I have read some of his books yes. However I did so after starting the comic. I haven't read much of his stuff until recently.

If i wanted to read more about Coyote where would i look?

You might find some information online, and books about Native American mythology perhaps

Do you like the Discworld books?

Nope, never read them.

If I saw you and you weren't eating a meal or anything, would you be terribly bothered if I asked you to autograph one of your books?

If you saw me that would mean we were at a con, so no of course I wouldn't mind signing anything you had!

Do you buy many books?

Yeah but not recently.

If you're not profiting on most book sales, why don't you raise prices? Why not add more/more lucrative ads?

The books are already kinda pricey, since they are full colour hardcovers. I think the price on them is about right. I'd like to get better ads on my site, but I can't use a lot of the bigger ad networks because there isn't enough text on the site. They use text to create contextual ads and such. since my site is mainly a bunch of images, I have been excluded from them.

If you published the printed volumes yourself, or through Topatoco, would they still be of such high quality?

I would hope so. even if I don't do the main comic through them or myself, there are other books I want to do and I wouldn't want them to publish them traditionally.

Those books#2 on amazon aren't really available. they've delayed my order since and current estimate of delivery is december-january. Sorry, this turned up not being a question. Please keep up the good work, i love your comic.

Yeah, I'm not surprised because last I heard, they weren't reprinted yet. I'll still keep on it though.

Assuming you somehow got the necessary money, time off from work, merchandise, etc., could you do a Con in the US without being part of an Archaia booth/table?

I would try to, yeah. Though I might not have any books to sell if I was not with Archaia. If I do manage to get some books sent to Topatoco then I might have books if I go to a con Topatoco is at.

Would your publisher sell you the books at a discounted rate? Can I just buy all the copies off Amazon and send them to Topatoco?

I can buy copies of my book from my publisher at a discounted rate, yeah. However, they are under no obligation to sell me any, which is why I'm having great difficulty getting them to send any to Topatoco.

So what would entice you to come to a con in the U.S.? If the con organizers, Archaia, or fans were able to get you airfare, hotel, special guest status, etc. would you be willing/able to come to a largish (non-San Diego) convention?

I have been to two cons in the US (SDCC and NYCC 2010) and they were both amazingly fun and I wish I could go back to a US con again. However, when I go with Archaia (as I did those times), any money I make from book sales is kept by them. I an sell sketches and prints (I can't take anything larger in my luggage), but I make barely enough to cover the travel expenses. To be frank I don't know if I will ever be able to go to a US con with books for sale again.

I've been meaning to purchase the Gunnerkrigg books for a while now, but from your Formspring it seems like you're not making much money from the comic, which is a crime. What is the best way for fans to buy your work to ensure you get the largest amount?

If you mean the books, then the only way I get money from them is if you buy them from me directly at a con, or when they are in Topatoco. However, I rarely go to cons (there are only 2 that I go to regularly, and they are in England), and my books have only been in stock at Topatoco once last year, for about 12 hours before the available copies sold out. I've not been able to get my publisher to sell me more copies since.

As a follow-up to a question I just read, does Zimmy read the books or is it just their proximity that helps her?

Zimmy can't read.

Why does Zimmy like libraries?

The books help calm her down.

Why did you draw BOXBOT in some of the terror planet books!? He's TERRIBLE! You've surely doomed those copies to be thrown out.

Terror planet books?

I got really excited when I heard about the Vol 3 signed copies, but as a stateside fan, there's almost no way for me to get my paws on a copy. Do you think that if you get Vol 3 in your Topatoco store, you could sign a few and charge a bit extra?

The first problem is getting any books sent to Topatoco at all. I've only managed to have a few copies of Vol 1 sent there once and they sold out in a few hours. Since then my publisher has not sent me or Topatoco any books. If somehow I can have books sent there, I don't live in the US, so I'm not able to sign them, I'm afrid.

Did Forbidden Planet believe you when you said it was your comic and you wanted to sign some copies?

The nice girl behind the counter asked if I could sign them as I was leaving. I think my friend was talking too loudly about them being my books when we were looking at them.

You should check out the Walker Papers books by C.E. Murphy. "Coyote" plays a major role as a trickster. It's an urban fantasy/romance set in Seattle, Washington, USA. The author uses Native American and Celtic mythology.

Sounds good

Why can't you come to cons outside the UK anymore? :(

Because I have no books to sell and it is very expensive to travel abroad.

I'm pretty out of the loop, so I apologize if this has been discussed. When you get more copies of your book in stock, would you be willing to sign them? I'd pay double for that. You're my favorite cartoonist and one of my favorite artists! :)

If you mean in stck at Topatoco, it's really hard for me to get them stocked there. The publisher is probably reluctant to sell me any because then they don't make as much money from each book I sell. I can't sign them either, since I'm in the UK and Topatoco is in the US. If you were to ever go to a UK con I was at though (and I had books there), then I would sign copies of course.

Have you read any good books lately?

Not lately. I've not had the time. I've been reading more comics recently though.

Hi Tom, why aren't you able to do cons outside of the UK anymore? Are you out of money? If so, as a loving fan I would be way more than happy to finance your trip.

Thank you very much for the offer, but that is not necessary! The main reason is that I would not have any books. Or products of any kind, really, other than original art and sketches. Anybody who went out of their way to show up just to see I had nothing to offer would be disappointed.

Do you have any plans to come to the US for any cons?

Not right now, but I really hope I can go to one. NYCC or the Webcomics Weekend. It kind of depends on what's happening with my books though, or when the Webcomics Weekend is.

Do you get no money for the books when they are bought because you just get an advance for the book as a whole?

I did not get an advance.

If you don't get paid for the books sold on Amazon, why not start selling them through Topatoco?

I'm trying to do that right now. Publishers are pretty slow at replying to email

When you say you don't get any money from your books (unless bought from you at a UK convention), are you being hyperbolic or do you mean that you literally make no money at all from your books (unless bought from you at a UK convention)?

It is a strange situation

Have you read any books by Brandon Sanderson?

no

I just finished reading this from the beginning in 2 days. Your work is amazing! Your writing reminds me of Lirael, what are your influences?

Anything good really. I enjoy all types of books and films and music and try to take inspiration from everything I like.

You don't get any money from your books? Not even 10% of the share? This is what authors usually get here in my country... 'course, is not much, but still.

In theory I should get money from books, but in practice it does not work that way.

What would it take for you to be able to make money from your books?

If I printed and sold them myself.

Did you get any money from the creation of your books, like an advance or something? If not I hope you are successful enough to renegotiate yourself into some reasonable payment for your third book.

no

If you quit your job to work solely on the comic, what would you do: dedicate more time to each page or update everyday?

I would spend a lot longer on each page, but I would also do extra stuff, like commissions and sketches and original art and more comics and other books, as well as anything else I could fit in

I would like to buy some Gunnerkrigg stuff soon for Christmas, but I heard that you don't actually get much back from what is sold. Is this just for the books or for topatoco as well? Is it better to just support you through paypal?

I don't get paid for the books. I do get paid for stuff bought through Topatoco, however.

Do you get that books you sell at cons for free, or at least with a large discount, from the publisher (by which I mean, do you make a profit)?

I get to keep the money from books I sell at cons as long as it's not a con where my publisher is providing the table (i.e, cons in the US). I'm not sure what rate I get the books at, but it doesn't really matter

Why do you end chapters on an odd number of pages?

So the title page is always on the right hand side of the books

Is there any difference between the books published in the US (Archaia) and the UK (Titan Books, I believe)?

No

Why do you have a requirement that all chapters must have an odd number of pages?

so the title page is always on the right hand side in the books

Is there a way that we could purchase the books that /would/ help you out in some way?

Not really, but buying a book lets retailers know people are interested in it.

I've always wanted to own GC in book form, but I remember reading somewhere that you made virtually no profit off of the books. Is that still the case? :/

yes

My three kids and I are hooked on GC. They pore over the books, we exchange trivia, and every MWF we discuss the latest page over dinner. Thank you thank you thank you!

That's awesome, thanks for letting me know. I'm glad you all like it

Does you have any noteworthy influences with regards to storytelling?

none specifically, though I imagine I've been influenced by a lot of books I've read

Why are Zimmy's eyes "gunky"? (asked by my eight-year-old daughter who *loves* the books)

It's a visual metaphor

Have you read any of Garth Nix's books? (The Old Kingdom series in particular) If so, have you drawn inspiration for GC from them?

I read Sabriel, Lireal and Abhorssen, but that was after I started the comic

Have you ever read Enid Blyton books?

yes, unfortunately

I think I remember you saying once that Zimmy doesn't know how to read. Does Gamma read books to her, or does she just talk to Zimmy and tell her stories?

Gamma looks at the words and Zimmy translates them

What do think of Scott Pilgrim?

I think it is a fun game I wonder if the books and movies they made of it are any good.

Around how many books do you usually bring to sell at a con? Are they all pre-signed?

About 20 maybe, and no

How much do you sell books for at cons? (In American dollars please.)

$26.95

Do you plan on taking out more Gunnerkrigg Books with the newer chapters? And how much do you think Reynard plush is going to go for?

the third book is almost done. The Renard plush will be $20 I think

Dammit, I got the first print run. Do you still take that sort of pen to cons, to sign prints or just in case someone brings one of the older books?

Yes I do

Where do you usually sign books that people bring to you in conventions? Also, how do you sign the first volume, which uses black paper even in blank pages?

There is a white page I can sign on at the front. On the first print run of the first book I used a silver pen to sign.

following a somewhat consistent time metric, how many books/chapters does it take to cover a complete Court school year?

So far it has not been constant.

Are the any books that the Court has banned from its libraries or wouldn't allow a teacher to use in a class?

nope

Are you a fan of China Mieville's books?

I read Perdido Street Station

Have you ever seen the show Black Books, and if so, what is your opinion of it?

Yes, and no thank you.

In general are the books selling well?

They seem to be yes

What kinds of cool stuff did you get at SDCC?

Just some books and ace drawings from people I like

Were you able to find out how your books are doing while you were with the publisher?

yes

Being self-taught, did you read any books on theory and technique (such as those by Wil Eisner and Scott McCloud) to help articulate your process, or refer to other illustrators for examples of form? If so, are there be any references you would recommend?

Both really. I just tried to learn from everything I liked

How many books do you plan on making?

I do not know

Fantastic July 7 twittering. And SW books don't have any X-men crossovers like TNG books did. This may or may not be a deciding factor.

okay

How you ever been offered to draw for one of the Flight comic books?

No.

You've mentioned not getting money for your books a few times. Do you not get royalties, or do you just never expect to earn out your advance? (I... hope you at least got an advance?)

I am extremely terrible at business, it seems.

When you first started, how long did you think the comic would be, in terms of time? How long do you think its total run will be now?

I originally wanted it to be seven books, one for each school year, but that ain't gonna happen. Not sure how long it will be now.

It looks like you have read very widely to get influences from so many sources into GKC. Do you still get time to read? Have any books really impressed you?

Yeah I still try to fit some reading in most evenings.

What graphic novel do you like? If any.

Them Battle Angel Alita books

Another question. What are some good resources for learning about plot structure, timing, and any of the little things that are required to make a great story?

There might be some good books on that subject. Otherwise just think about your favourite stores and what makes you like them

What day/month does your birthday fall on? *reading horoscope books*

Unimportant

Volume one of GC is one of the few books I own that actually feels fresh each time I read it. I plan on getting number two and reading them on the public transit in front of people. Can I take the jacket off?

Yes you can

Just wanted you to know that I bought GKC Volumes 1 & 2, as well as the Court symbol shirt - those books are beautifully-executed works of art, and I love the look & feel of the shirt! Thanks for making such an awesome comic & merchandise!

Thank you very much

Re: SDCC - Will it be awkward if I ask you to sign the books of yours that I've brought with me? Do you do autographs at all in the first place?

Nah that won't be awkward, as long as you don't mind some guy (me) writing all over your book.

Tom how will I recognize you at the Archaia booth at SDCC if you don't look like your drawing in real life? D:

I'm assuming there will be a sign or a lable mentioning who I am. I will also be the guy selling the Gunnerkrigg books.

Have you considered selling dolls? Especially Reynardine; My daughter would love one. We love the comic (though she gets only gets read a slightly filtered version). Your books are some of the most requested reading.

I would love to.

Have you read any good books recently?

Yup.

Have you read any good books recently?

Yup.

Have you read any good books recently?

Yup.

Have you read any good books recently?

Yup.

Have you read any good books recently?

Yup.

What do you think of Phil Foglio and his work? Amazon keeps advertising his stuff alongside your books.

People who like my comic seem to like Girl Genius (my comic is even mentioned in his comic), that is probably why. I've not read much of his stuff though.

What books (or cds, game cases, whatever) do you keep next to your personal copies of your books?

Just my DVDs and whatever books I have on my shelf. I'm not at home right now so I can't be too specific.

Since Zimmy never sleeps, I imagine she does a lot of reading. What kind of books does she prefer to read?

She can't read.

What didn't you like about Lulu.com?

The books were printed really badly, especially when they changed printers and such. There sisn't appear to be any quality control. Also I made very little money per book (which were expensive for their size), but then, given the way traditional publishing works, I don't think I can complain about that.

Why does Annie prefer older books?

She had a lot of them when she was in Good Hope.

How many Gunnerkrigg books will there eventually be?

I'm not really sure yet.

what kind of books do you like to read? I'm not trying to do you any harm please don't reply in a one word response or something.

Anything with good characters, I guess. I'm currently reading a bit of sci-fi and will probably look for more.

If buying your books directly from you is the way to guarantee you get money, where can I send the check to cover the product, the shipping, and the handling?

Nowhere. I currently don't sell books diretly through the mail.

Where should I buy the Gunnerkrigg Court books so that most of the money I spend on them will go to you as opposed to shops or delivery? Can I order them directly from you?

It doesn't matter where you get the books from, I get the same amount either way. Perhaps look for somewhere with cheap shipping so you don't have to pay extra. If you get it from a local store you won't have to pay shipping. Only if you exist in London, England on the 27th of March would you be able to buy a book directly from me (in which case I would actually get some money).

Thank you for offering this service to answer questions. I appreciate your time and energy, and will demonstrate this by ordering your books.

Thank you.

What is the best way to buy the books (so most of my monies go to you)?

Buying the book from me in person is about the only way I get money. You can buy them wherever you like though.

Are the new books lovely?

They are very nice, yes.

Thanks for sharing the picture of the second books - I'm really excited that they'll be out soon! And is someone standing in the top-middle window of the building on page 99?

Some-thing is, yes.

yay new books! does this mean that they are shipped to stores as well now or just your personal stash?

I got a couple boxes for myselg but I don't know when they will be in stores. It should be any day now, really.

Does Annie know about Reynardine's Nancy Drew predilection?

Well he has to get the books from somewhere.

Books describing UK house system schools feature a good deal of rivalry, stereotyping and animosity between houses. I noticed this in GC as well, do you know if this true in real life? did you study in a house school yourself? what's it like?

It's sort of set up that way and rivalry is encouraged. I was in Queslett when I was in school. Students from different houses don't really mingle much.

You linked the Scary Go Round shop in your latest tweet saying they were books of your work... I'm confused. You work on Scary Go Round?

They are books made by John Allison and contain his work. I ReTweeted his Tweet where he Tweeted about his books so more people would see his Tweet.

Do you enjoy reading? Any books you'd recommend?

Yes I love reading. I'm no good at recommending books, however.

Do you get tired of people asking you if you like X or Y in an attempt to connect with you in some personal level? In a completely unrelated question, did you like the "Dune" books?

Never read them.

Are there any books, movies, comics, games, etc. that you feel are underappreciated and would like your fans to know about?

Not really.

Did you ever read those Animorphs books when you were younger, and if so, which was your favorite?

Nope.

When you wrote you were reading Asimov's Foundation and Earth, were you talking about David Brin's Earth? That's one of my favorite books. So awesome at presenting a possible future and good enough at pulling the heartstrings to make me well up every read

I was talking about the book called "Foundation and Earth" by Isaac Asimov

Would you ever consider doing art books of landscapes and places from the court and the forest?

I'm no good at landscapes, so I don't think that woudl turn out too great.

Are there any specific things that, if given the time, you'd like to change about the GC website itself (i.e. not the comic)?

I would like to reformat it. Mainly to have a way of letting people know about things like the books or if I ever think of new merchandise.

Is there any chance there will be a bound volume of the chapters when the whole thing is finished? Or perhaps a series of small books that contain a few chapters each as you finish them? I would be interested in purchasing one/them.

The first book is currently available through bookstores and on-line shops such as Amazon. The second book should be out soon. I should probably make this clear on my site somewhere.

Since you like the Bourne movies so much, did you ever try reading the books? I read "Identity" after seeing the movie, and was pretty surprised at how little the two had to do with each other.

I'm going to read the books after I finish what I'm currently reading. I know the films don't follow the books too much, but I don't mind that. I enjoy the movies as their own entity and I'm not looking for something that could replace them as more official or definitive versions.

Your comic reads much better all-at-once than serialized on a page-by-page basis(makes it a good fit for books, at least). Do you ever feel pressure to modify your story's focus and pacing to better please a webcomic audience?

It's something I need to keep in mind, but more because I want to be better at telling a story, not because I'll do what pleases the audience.

Do you read any Terry Pratchett? If so, which of his books do you like most?

Nope, never read them.

What in any way was Gunnerkrigg influenced by either J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter or Garth Nix's Old Kingdom Series? Have you read any of these books? I only ask because I can't help drawing parallels between the two.

I'd never read Harry Potter before I started the comic, but I wish I did so I could have probably removed all the elements that make people think I ripped off Harry Potter.<br /> Never read, or heard of, Old Kingdom.

In learning to draw, were there any books or exercises or approaches you've found helpful?

Not really, other than drawing as often as I could. This is why I wish I took proper drawing classes though.

What, in your opinion, are the best and worst books ever written?

The Unlikely Ones is pretty cool. The Time Traveller's Wife annoyed me.

In my design classes here in South America I've used your comic as example of interesting web material. Now people are CRAZY for it! I'm always asked to translate some pages. Do you consider to make a full translated version in many languages?

Thank you. I would not mind having my comic translated, but of course it would have to be done by a professional translator I mean if the books were made in other languages).

Have you read any interesting books lately?

I am currently reading through Asimov's Foundation. It is pretty good. I am on the 5th book.

What books/authors most inspire you?

I like books and authors of all kinds.