Let’s talk geek semantics for a moment…

If a Trade Paperback collects previously released single issues into one bound collection, and a Graphic Novel is just a long-form comic that is first released in that bound format, what do you call it when two thirds of the bound collection are previously unreleased content? No wonder the NPR crowd and Lit Nerds have taken to calling every comic a Graphic Novel. (No offense, Lit Nerds, but knock it off, will ya?!)

We told you D18 was coming back. More on this in a bit.

For now, just soak in the awesome!

Click for a bigger version…

You might be wondering what happened to Division 18 issues 2 and 3. Trust me when I tell you we’ve got a plan. Several plans, in fact. Of course, not all of them are D18-centric!

There’s this little guy, for instance…

And these two gents…

And, something tells me you’re going to want to brush up on the rules of this game….

But our biggest plan involves getting you your full sequential fix of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers before this year is up. And you WILL get that fix. Updates soon. (And maybe some new preview art, too!)

On the heels of his webcomic debut, The Greatest, the release of his very first sketchbook ever at the recent New York Comic Con, and a few appearances in the virtual pages of this very website, second-generation comic artist Josh Adams is about to appear on TV with the cast of Iron Man! Josh has been invited to serve as one of two guest illustrators on an upcoming episode of MTV’s TRL, shooting on Monday, April 28 – his 21st birthday! According to the show’s website, the episode is currently scheduled to air Thursday, May 1st.  

So, can we chalk this up to the D18 Bump?*

Not only is this a chance for Josh to show off his talent to a mainstream audience on nationwide television, it’s an opportunity for him to sneak in a plug for Division 18!

RETAILERS: Get ready for that swarm of squealing 12-year-old girls demanding the adventures of the mascot mafia by stocking up today!

TRL airs at 3:30 pm ET/PT on MTV. Check your listings for air dates for the ”Iron Man” episode of TRL.

        *Probably not, since the kid’s got comic greatness in his blood.

(Division 18 publisher) Christian Beranek’s Willow Creek collaborator, artist Josh Medors, could use a little help from the greater comic book community, and the folks at Image Comics and Frazetta Comics are going to see that he gets that help at this year’s Emerald City Comic Con.

Full details below:

PRESS RELEASE

Unknown to the general public, FRANK FRAZETTA’S SWAMP DEMON, RUNES OF RAGNAN, WILLOW CREEK, GI JOE and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT artist Josh Medors has been fighting cancer for the past several months. In his time of need, Image Comics and Frazetta Comics have stepped in organize an auction with all proceeds going straight to Josh.

“Josh is a good friend, father and artist. With the support from the comic industry that he loves so dearly, we can all help with costly medical bills and ease his pain just a little would be most appreciated,” said Frazetta Comics Editor/Artist Jay Fotos. “We are under a crunch, for the show is just a few weeks away, so anyone that would like to donate please contact me as soon as you can so we can get your donations there for the auction in time, we are also taking PayPal donations as well that go directly to Josh.”

Many of the industry’s finest are donating items to auction, including Frank Frazetta himself. Any other creators interested in donating are encouraged to contact Jay Fotos at jayfotos@cox.net.

The Josh Medors Benefit Auction will take place Saturday, May 10th at the Emerald City Comic Con. If you would like to make a PayPal donation, please do so to jmedors1@insight.rr.com.

Contributors thus far:

Frank Frazetta
Jerry Beck
Brian Haberlin
Tom Beland
Mark Kidwell
Todd McFarlane
Nat Jones
Tony Moore
Peter Bergting
Richard Starkings
Steve Niles
Kody Chamberlin
Jay Fotos
Rick Remender
Christian Beranek
Ahmet Zappa
Image Comics
IDW Publishing
Zenescope Entertainment

For our first show behind the table, and with product to sell, the 3rd annual NYCC was a great success! Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers was one of the key attractions at the Silent Devil Litte Foot booth #2353. Jeremy and I shared the space with fellow Silent Devil-ite and 2nd Assistant Frat Master General of Super Frat, Tony DiGerolamo, as well as the creative couple behind Little Foot’s latest kiddie title, Crumb Snatchers, artist Evan Keeling and writer Stephanie Butto. Silent Devil and Little Foot shared space at the show the same way they share space in the heart and mind of creator, publisher, wheeler and dealer, Christian Beranek, who was also on hand all weekend, signing copies of the collected Dracula vs King Arthur.

Here are a few photos from the weekend’s festivities:

Me and Tony DiGerolamo were worried during a slow patch on Saturday.

Luckily, things soon picked up… with a vengeance!

Here’s me again, this time with Team Crumb Snatchers at the Americans UK show on Saturday night. Drunk? Check. Tired? Check. Jam-sketching pics of Fat Colossus, our favorite costume of the weekend? Check. 

Jeff Burandt — lead singer of Americans UK.. or just another costumed scab? You decide!

Now THESE are definitely scabs. These Jedi jokers even solicited themselves for children’s birthday parties! Makes us want to slap the midichlorians out of them with a hockey stick!

Me again (that’s what Jeremy gets for bringing his camera!), signing D18 issue 1.

Here I am with issue 3 contributor and friend of the Union, Josh Adams. And what’s that in my hands? Some sweet, sweet art from the in-progress third part of the D18 saga. (More on that at a later date.)

One of the ways we conned enticed people to buy our book was by entering them into a raffle for some of Jeremy’s original art from issue 1. Congratulations to Saturday’s winner, Mark Kick, and Sunday’s winners (pictured above with Jeremy [finally in the shot] and Matt), John Kalafatis and Jackie Smith. (Save that art, kids — it’s gonna be worth dozens someday!)

That’s all for now. Look for more pics and memories from the show as they come, and other news on what’s to come for D18 for the rest of 2008 and beyond. We’re just getting started, people!

Don’t forget — your favorite comic-creating duo will be at the New York Comic Con this weekend.

No, not them. No — not them either!

Us, you friggin’ dope!

…Matt Bergin and Jeremy Donelson.

We’ll be at the Silent Devil/Little Foot booth (#2353) signing copies of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers #1, raffling off some of Jeremy’s original art from the book, and enjoying our first major show on the other side of the tables.

The 2008 Eisner Awards nominations were just announced. Shockingly, Division 18 wasn’t nominated (pick yourself up off the floor). However, a friend of ours, Jason Rodriguez, worked extremely hard last year conceiving of and editing the anthology Postcards. His hard work has been recognized with an Eisner nomination for best anthology. I’m obviously biased, but I can personally attest to Jason’s love of the comics medium and dedication to making the best product he could possibly deliver. That was a book that went beyond fandom’s typically limiting genre classifications and got to the heart of what it means to make comics in the modern era: come up with a fantastic concept, convene a group of top creative talent, and then sell the book to a a publisher who can take it not just to the direct market but to the bookstores and the general public. Jason and the creators who contributed to this book deserve this recognition, and they have our wholehearted congratulations.

An occasional Division 18 collaborator (you’ll see his back-cover pin-up on #2, and a few interior pages in #3) is making his webcomic debut just in time for next week’s New York Comic Con. He’ll be there. We’ll be there. Heck, maybe you’ll catch us there together!

Anyway, here’s the wunderkind’s PR:

A Second-Generation Adams Takes On Muhammad Ali 30 Years Later!

In his webcomic debut, The Greatest, Josh Adams tackles the boxing icon that his iconic artist father, Neal Adams, drew into comic book history three decades ago. 

It was 1978, when legend-in-the-making Neal Adams illustrated the giant-sized extravaganza, Superman vs Muhammad Ali, in which the greatest super hero in comics teamed up with the greatest athlete of the 20^th century. In 2008, Neal’s youngest son, Josh Adams, makes his comics debut with a more reality-based, but no-less-sequential, take on Ali. His historical story about the legendary fighter, aptly titled The Greatest, will debut on April 16, 2008 – the Wednesday prior to the New York Comic Con – at Adams’ official website, http://www.whatwouldjoshdo.com.   

“I knew my debut had to be about something I was passionate about, and I also wanted it to be grounded in reality,” said Adams, “So what better subject for my comics debut than a real man who, in the comic book world, has beaten up Superman?”

Since the announcement of Josh Adams’ entry into the comics field earlier this year in Rich Johnston’s column, Lying in the Gutters, fans have been clamoring to see the 20-year-old second-generation artist’s first works. Adams, who is also currently working on his printed debut, chose to make his initial offering to the industry via the webcomic revolution. His choice of subject for this debut was inspired by something deeper:

“I’m a competitive guy,” said Adams, “and having a father who has been praised for everything from defining Batman’s image to bringing the concept of ‘dynamic reality’ to comics really makes me feel like I have something to prove. So taking on Muhammad Ali, a subject my father has already famously illustrated, is my way of paying homage to my father’s legacy, while, at the same time, stepping out from his shadow.”

For more information about The Greatest, or to contact Josh Adams personally, visit http://www.whatwouldjoshdo.com or e-mail Josh directly at Josh@WhatWouldJoshDo.com.

Bio:  At just 20 years of age, Josh Adams has led the life many established artists dream of. Being the son of a bonafide comic book legend, Josh has worked his whole life to be the best he can at his chosen field. And he hasn’t learned his trade from only one master — as a student at the School of Visual Arts, in New York, Josh has learned from mainstream greats like Phil Jimenez, Klaus Janson and Joey Cavalieri, indie talents Jessica Abel and Matt Madden, and countless “friends of the family” whom he’s met over the years. At just 18 years of age, Josh was doing poster design and storyboarding commercials for the Sci Fi Channel, earning his first professional credits as an artist before even finishing high school.