Comics Writers Don’t Just Write Comics

About Comics has just released the full line-up of stories for their Comic Prose anthology of prose short stories by comics writers. Until now, the only list that had been available was the one used in the book’s original solicitation.
The stories, a mix of new material and reprints, include:

• Kurt Busiek, “A Personal Touch”: A single man responds to an irresistible personal ad, and gets more than he bargained for, from the writer of Astro City, JLA/Avengers, and Conan.
• Max Allan Collins, “Laura”: This short mystery tale features the comic book detective Ms. Tree. This work brought Collins a nomination for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award.
• Paul Dini: “It’s a Bird, it’s a Plane, it’s Feldman”: The writer of wacky comics like Harley & Ivy and contemplations of the superhero like Superman: Peace On Earth combines the two to bring us Feldman, the one friend a hero really needs.
• Mike Baron, “Ring of Fire”: from the writer behind Nexus and The Badger comes an explosive tale of the dangerous side of rock and roll.
• Dennis O’Neil, “Report on a Broken Bridge”: This tale about the investigation into a rich man’s suicide first appeared in 1971 while O’Neil was turning out his classic run on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, and reflects both his writing strength and his societal concerns.
• Steve Englehart, “How Coyote Dissed the Sky”: Englehart’s comic book character Coyote, star of the fondly-remembered Epic Comics series, returns in this never-before-seen prose story.
• Jeff Millar, “Toto, I Have a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore”: this energetic 1975 comedy about the Des Moines, Iowa being attacked by monsters is the only prose short story by the writer of the comic strip Tank McNamara
• Nat Gertler, “Life in Fur”: a coming of age tale of a young werewolf, from the co-writer of the forthcoming Complete Idiot’s Guide To Creating A Graphic Novel.
• Marv Wolfman, “Celiphyss”: the creator of such popular characters as Blade, Bullseye, and most of TV’s Teen Titans spins a science-fiction action tale about a man’s desperate hunt for a curative plant.
• Neil Kleid, “Open Call”: a young superpower adventurer takes his shot at the big time in this humorous tale from Kleid, who was recently award a Xeric Grant.
• Bill Mumy & Peter David, “The Black ‘59”: Mumy (co-creator of Trypto the Acid Dog) and Peter David (writer of, well, everything) team up for this chilling tale of a guitar that might be too good, or just the opposite.

The book, originally solicited for May, is now at the printer and should reach comic shops in early June. It’s a 176 page 5.5x7.75” trade paperback, priced at $9.95.
Coyote is a trademark of Steve Englehart.