The new publisher announces first full series ahead of one-shot, The Devil’s Cut.
22nd July 2023
By Paul Dunne
DSTRLY, the new digital + print publisher owned by comic creators has announced its first series at SDCC: 'Gone', written, drawn, and coloured by superstar artist, Jock.
Jock is a firm favourite amongst comic book readers, with his covers and interior art highly sought after by collectors, even more so after his solo Batman Black Label book, One Dark Knight, which was a hit last year. (If you want to check it out, you can buy the original three issues here or pick up a signed copy of Lee Week's gorgeous 'Blackout' variant, signed by Jock).
DSTRLY was announced to much fanfare earlier this year and their first launch will be an oversized one-shot, The Devil's Cut, which will be the launching pad for several of their new series due in the coming months. 'The Stowaway' will launch Gone.
In the new series, which arrives in stores in October, a teenage girl, Abi is desperate to be 'Gone' and leave the desolate planet she has always called home and does the only work available: resupplying starships. Abi has made new friends, and they convince her to join them in stowing away on a luxury space liner – but when she does, she realises that she is now their patsy for a sabotage mission! Hunted by the liner's crew, Abi must stay alive, all the while being far from the only place she's ever called home. Abi is finally 'Gone'...
In a press release from DSTRLY announcing the book, Jock had this to say about his first creator-owned solo project: “GONE is a labor of love with which I have the rare opportunity to fine-tune every aspect of the story as both writer and artist. I’m grateful to DSTLRY for their unwavering support and for providing a platform where creators can push the boundaries of their craft. I can’t wait to share this journey and the world of GONE with everyone this fall.”
DSTRLY aims to be the next generation of comics publishing, with both digital and print releases, although their print releases will be single runs. They also aim to have comic creators earn money from the 2nd hand digital market. It will be run by founding creators and is the brainchild of Chip Mosher and David Steinberger. They had this to say about DSTRLY's first series proper: “Following the outstanding early response to The Devil’s Cut, we’re excited to carry the momentum into the launch of GONE this October. By embarking on his first creator-owned project as both writer and artist, Jock exemplifies the true spirit of artistic freedom and innovation that DSTLRY champions. Jock has been a true partner in defining DSTLRY’s approach to creator-owned comics, and we couldn’t be happier to support his vision for this ambitious series.”
Gone arrives in comic stores 4th October 2023. Buy comics here. Find out more about DSTLRY.
