Head Lopper
| Head Lopper | |
|---|---|
.png) Head Lopper #1, 2013 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher |
Self published (2013–2014) Image Comics (2015–present) |
| Schedule | Quarterly |
| Format | Ongoing series of miniseries |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publication date | June 7, 2013 – present |
| No. of issues |
2 (self published) 8 (Image Comics) |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Andrew MacLean |
| Written by | Andrew MacLean |
| Artist(s) | Andrew MacLean |
| Letterer(s) |
Andrew MacLean #1–8 Erin MacLean #6–9 |
| Colorist(s) |
Mike Spicer #1–4 Andrew MacLean #1 Jordie Bellaire #5–present |
| Editor(s) | Erin MacLean #9–present |
| Collected editions | |
| The Island or A Plague of Beasts | ISBN 9781632158864 |
| The Crimson Tower | ISBN 9781534305083 |
Head Lopper is a comic book created by writer and artist Andrew MacLean, currently published by Image Comics. The story follows the exploits of the Viking warrior Norgal (or "head lopper" as some call him) and the severed head of Agatha the Blue Witch.
Publishing history
Head Lopper originally began as a self-published project by comics creator Andrew MacLean.[1] In 2015 it was picked up for a four-issue miniseries.[2]
The character originated from a piece for Brand New Nostalgia.[3] The theme of the week had been Vikings, and a bearded warrior with a witch's head skewered on his sword was the result.[4]
Self-published issues
Head Lopper #1 debuted at Heroes Con 2013. The first issue was a small print run and so very costly to produce. The second issue was funded via a Kickstarter campaign launched October 10, 2013.[5]
| Story Arc | Issue | Release Date | Chapter | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Cover Artist | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Island | #1 | June 7, 2013 | Blood and Water | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean | PINUPS: Toby Cypress Brian Churilla Tradd Moore Warwick Johnson-Cadwell James Harren | |
| #2 | June 29, 2014 | The Wolves of Barra | PINUPS: Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart Joe Dellagatta Michael Avon Oeming Simone D'Armini Max Fiumara Troy Nixey Fillip Acovic Enrique Fernandez Paul Maybury Janusz Pawlak | |||||
Image Comics issues
In 2015 Image Comics picked up Head Lopper as a "quarterly adventure comic". The series eschewed the industry standard 22-page monthly issues in favor of a larger issues published quarterly.
… I've decide to release the HEAD LOPPER comic on a quarterly basis because I think a longer book can make a better book. Here's what I want in every issue of HEAD LOPPER: long fights, dark jokes, creepy atmosphere, short plots and long plots, and comfortable conclusions that, hopefully, still leave you wanting more. The standard comic length would make me cut something short.
I'll be able to make it the story I want if i take more pages to tell it, maybe fifty to sixty pages per issue, cover to cover. But I can't pull off that big of an issue on a monthly schedule. So… QUARTERLY! It's for the better…— Andrew MacLean, author's afterword from Head Lopper #1, September 2015[6]
In April 2016 MacLean announced on various social media channels that Image Comics had picked up Head Lopper for another miniseries in 2017.[7]
| Story Arc | Issue | Release Date | Chapter | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Cover Artist | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Island | #1 | September 9, 2015 | Blood and Water | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean Rafael Grampá (variant) |
PINUPS: Zé Burnay Adam Miller Alexis Ziritt MacKenzie Schubert Lamar Mathurin | |
| The Wolves of Barra | ||||||||
| That Which Lurks in the Mist | Andrew MacLean | |||||||
| #2 | December 9, 2015 | Into the Silent Wood | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean Mike and Laura Allred (variant) |
PINUPS: Aaron Conley Stephen Green Scarecrowoven Matt Smith | ||
| #3 | March 9, 2016 | The Sisters of the Hill | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean James Stokoe (variant) |
PINUPS: Skottie Young Rebecca Kirby James Callahan | ||
| #4 | June 8, 2016 | The Black Bog | Andrew MacLean | Mike Spicer | Andrew MacLean Gabriel Bá (variant) |
PINUPS: J.B. Roe Mike Rooth Mike Spicer Andy Suriano Ben Templesmith | ||
| The Crimson Tower | #5 | March 15, 2017 | In the Shadow of the Tower | Andrew MacLean | Jordie Bellaire | Andrew MacLean Tony Sandoval (variant) |
PINUPS: Marcus Georgiou Nicole Goux Paul Maybury Victor Santos | |
| #6 | June 21, 2017 | Quest for the Crystal Eyes | Andrew MacLean | Jordie Bellaire | Andrew MacLean Benjamin Marra (variant) |
PINUPS: Austin James Daniel White Derick Jones J.M. Dragunas Justine Jones Tom Hunter | ||
| #7 | September 20, 2017 | Deeper into the Strange | Andrew MacLean | Jordie Bellaire | Andrew MacLean Nathan Fairbain and Ryan Ottley (variant) |
PINUPS: Christine Larsen Gerardo Zaffino Shane Hillman | ||
| #8 | December 20, 2017 (printing error) January 10, 2018 (corrected printing) |
Gladiators | Andrew MacLean | Jordie Bellaire | Andrew MacLean Skinner and Alexis Ziritt (variant) |
PINUPS: Cliff Rathburn Jason Fischer Jeffrey Alan Love Kyle Meyerdierks Luke Parker Sean Kiernan | ||
| The Knights of Venoriah | #9 | September 12, 2018 | Norgal Has a Talking Basket | Andrew MacLean | Jordie Bellaire | Andrew MacLean Alan Brown (variant) |
||
Collections
| Volume | Title | Release Date | Collects | Extras | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Head Lopper & The Island or A Plague of Beasts | October 5, 2016 | Head Lopper #1–4 |
|
9781632158864 | |
| 2 | Head Lopper and the Crimson Tower | April 4, 2018 | Head Lopper #5–8 |
|
9781534305083 | |
References
- ↑ Meylikhov, Matthew. "Heroes Con 2013: Heads Roll in MacLean's "Head Lopper"". Multiversity Comics. Multiversity Comics. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ Sullivan, Jeremy. "Image Comics solicitations for September 2015". Image Comics. Image Comics. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. "Andrew MacLean's "Viking"". Brand New Nostalgia tumblr. Brand New Nostalgia. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ Parkin, J.K. "Andrew MacLean kickstarts a second helping of 'Head Lopper'". Robot 6. Comic Book resources. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. ""Head Lopper 2: The Wolves of Barra" Kickstarter campaign". Kickstarter. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. "Head Lopper #1". Image Comics. Image Comics. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ MacLean, Andrew. "Facebook post, 22 April 2016". Andrew MacLean's Facebook. Retrieved 30 April 2016.