Cartoonist Paul Pope's 1999 graphic novel Escapo, is being re-issued as a special edition loaded with extras. To kick it off, the publisher is holding a live concert in New York on Saturdau April 19th with The Jim Jones Revue, with some proceeds going to The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Originally released in B&W in 1999 and long out of print, Escapo was Pope's first serious massive body of work making a statement about the embrace of life: the tragedy, the love, the youth, and the energy. This new edition of Escapo is brought to new life with the talent of colorist Shay Plummer and award-winning designer Jim Pascoe, who fully redesigned the book in the French BD format. The book contains 50+ pages of bonus material, including a rare two-page alternate ending seen only in the French edition, sketchbook content by Pope, and a series of pin-ups by contributing artists such as: John Cassaday, Sam Hiti, Yuko Shimizu, Kostas Seremetis and Dean Haspiel. Escapo showcases Pope’s grand fluid style and masterful storytelling. The book follows the adventures of a circus escape artist who struggles to evade Death itself – and the equally powerful grip of unrequited love. Like a feverish mash-up of Fellini films, Heavy Metal magazine, and classic Jack Kirby comics, Escapo is an unforgettable tale from a boldly original voice in alternative comics.
Escapo Launch Event Concert with The Jim Jones Revue
Related: Erika Pope-Gusev (Paul's sister) is the director of the fort construction activity kit, Fort Magic (see my video about Fort Magic here). She just let me know that Fort Magic won the Dr. Toy Best Classic 2014 toy award for being exceptional in Creativity, Construction, Educational Skills and Activity Play for children, and that Fort Magic will be featured on Shark Tank this coming Friday April 18th, at 9pm. Looks like it's going to be a busy weekend for the Popes!
