Category: News

Press Release: Limit Break Comics to Crowdfund Norse Horror Comic Anthology

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Limit Break Comics to Crowdfund Norse Horror Comic Anthology

March 1st, 2023, Dublin

Dublin based comic collective Limit Break Comics has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its Norse horror comic anthology, Fractured Realms. The book contains stories by over 50 comic creators, putting a unique horror spin on stories from Norse mythology and folklore. The anthology is due for publication in the winter of 2023.

Fractured Realms is edited by Paul Carroll and Gary Moloney, supported by the Literature Project Award by the Arts Council. 24 short comics from Irish and international creators address myths and legends including the Mead of Poetry, Thor’s Fishing Trip, the talking head of Mimir, and of course Ragnarök. The crowdfunding campaign aims to raise €10,000 before March 31st 2023, to support an increased page-rate for the creators involved on top of the Arts Council-guaranteed rate.

“Crowdfunding has become a sustainable model for projects like this, allowing Limit Break Comics and others like us to produce en semble books looking at big ideas at the smallest scale. This book will be our third major anthology on Kickstarter, helping us to reach hundreds of readers around the world and shine a light on new work coming out of Ireland.

If successfully funded, Fractured Realms will join Limit Break Comics’ previous titles, myth anthologies Turning Roads (2021) and Down Below (2022), as well as Lens, Plexus, Meouch, Old Game Plus and the eponymous Limit Break Presents. The showcase of creators in Fractured Realms is set to raise awareness of Irish small press comics talent in domestic and international markets.

Limit Break Comics is a Dublin-based comic collective, founded in 2018 on the back of a shared desire to see small press comics grow in Ireland. It is made up of Paul Carroll, Gareth Luby, Gary Moloney and Seamus Kavanagh.

# # #

Contact Information:

Contact Person: Paul Carroll

Email: limitbreakireland@gmail.com

Website: limitbreakcomics.com

Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paulcarroll/fractured-realms-a-norse-horror-anthology

Cover art by Nick Roche, colours by JP Jordan

Creators in alphabetical order:

Brendan Albetski, Sarah Amundson, Kaydee Artistry, Daniel Beals, Nick Bryan, Patrick Buermeyer, Nick Caponi, Paul Carroll, Colin Craker, Aaron Cruz, Robert Cullen, Ryan Estrada, Anna Everts, Tríona Farrell, Aaron Fever, Ben Filby, Alex Garrick-Wright, Kyle Gaynier, Oliver Gerlach, Adam Gilbert, Travis B. Hill, Seán Hogan, DC Hopkins, Ben Humeniuk, Liam Johnson, JP Jordan, Seamus Kavanagh, James Killian, Rapha Lobosco, J.J. Lopez, Andriy Lukin, Marin, Aline Martins, Adlai McCook, John McGuinness, Alyssa Meier, Mariana Meira, Michiums , Chris Mole, Gary Moloney, Alex Moore, Oscar Osorio, Chris Panda, Benjamin Paulus, Christian Abel Peña, Lan Pitts, Nikki Powers, Toben Racicot, Jack Reickel, Rae RS, Andrea Schiavone, Gustaffo Vargas.

Fractured Realms: A Norse Horror Anthology – Coming 2023

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Good things come in threes… after the success of Turning Roads and Down Below, we’re delighted to open up pitches for our third myth anthology. Fractured Realms is an anthology of Horror comics inspired by Norse mythology. The book will be co-edited by Paul Carroll and Gary Moloney, with a cover by Nick Roche and JP Jordan.

With thanks to the Arts Council’s Literature Project Award 2023, we are delighted to guarantee the publication of the book and a minimum payment to its contributors in excess of our previous anthologies.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Fractured Realms will feature 24 four-page comics. Your pitch should incorporate an element of Norse mythology – a god, a monster, a story – with a horror twist. We’re especially looking for stories in a modern setting. Stories can include elements of science fiction and fantasy, but must be horror first.

Every story should consist of four pages, with page 1 beginning on the right hand side of the book, in full-colour. Note that full-colour does not necessarily mean technicolour, and the Editors are happy to talk to people about the colour design of their comics to engage with the horror element of the book.

When preparing your pitch, consider:

  • What sort of terror can you inject into a Norse tale?
  • How recognisable is the story to the public?
  • Is your story unique enough when compared to existing materials?
  • How can you put a twist on a familiar tale?

Please note that we are not looking for:

  • A rehashing of ideas from The Wicked and the Divine (we love it, we just don’t need a re-telling of it!)
  • Stories that closely resemble those from Marvel Comics or the God of War franchise
  • Illustrated prose or poetry
  • Illustrations that are not comics

As with Turning Roads and Down Below, we are unlikely to accept multiple pitches examining the same aspect of Norse Mythology. Creative teams are permitted to submit more than one pitch.

Please note that we are only accepting pitches from complete teams (or solo creators). Writers and artists may only be included in the book once.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Pitches are open as of November 30, 2022. The deadline for pitches is January 29, 2023. More details on pitching and the link to the form are below. Please note that the form will close at 11:59pm (GMT) on January 29.

On February 26, applicants will be advised whether they have been accepted into the anthology. If you pitch more than one story, you will be advised specifically which one has been chosen.

On March 01 through to March 31, the book will be funding on Kickstarter.*

The deadline for final pages is June 18 with Kickstarter fulfilment planned for August.*

WHY PITCH TO US?

Limit Break Comics has been building its brand in Irish comics since July 2018, with the publication of eleven books, including short story collections, an on-going series and a one-shot story. 2021 saw the publication of Turning Roads, which received backing on Kickstarter from over 500 people. This was succeeded by Down Below, with over 880 backers on Kickstarter.

Fractured Realms seeks to build on the momentum of the project, to further showcase Irish and international talent. The project timeline allows for the book to appear at Dublin Comic Con, Octocon and Thought Bubble in the second half of 2023.

As well as offering a platform to lots of lovely comic readers, we want to pay contributors!

Payment of €65 per page will be made to each creative team in the book, made via PayPal. Teams are responsible for deciding how they split the payment. It is the intention of Limit Break Comics to increase this page rate through a pre-order Kickstarter campaign. Further details will be discussed with teams if they are successful.

Contributors maintain copyright over their work; Limit Break Comics is granted first publication rights for one calendar year

WHERE TO PITCH

Pitches should be made through this form. You may submit more than one pitch. We are seeking pitches from complete teams for this project, which includes creators who can complete all of the work solo.

When pitching, you do not need to submit sample art or a script related to the story. Please provide:

  • Portfolio links for each creator in the project
  • A working title
  • A logline for the story
  • A brief summary of the story
  • The myth your story is based upon

WHY KICKSTARTER?

We’ve built up a community on the platform, and we want to build upon that to increase the page rate we offer to our contributors.

WHO ARE THE EDITORS?

Paul Carroll is the editor of Turning Roads and co-editor of Down Below, as well as the writer behind Plexus and Meouch. In 2021, Paul co-founded IrishComics.ie. When not working in comics, Paul writes prose and publishes short story anthologies through Cupán Fae, and is Chair of Octocon in 2023.

Gary Moloney is Limit Break Comics’ resident law-talking guy, both as a profession and as a genre-expert. He is the writer of Lens, along with a number of crime stories, following his debut collection Mixtape, and co-editor of Down Below.

QUERIES?

Any queries should be sent to limitbreakireland (at) gmail (dot) com.

*These dates subject to change, but contributors will be notified in advance.

Small Press Day at Forbidden Planet!

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Four years ago, Limit Break Comics made its debut at Small Press Day. And now, at the tail end of a pandemic, we’re coming back.

One week after Dublin Comic Con, Paul Carroll will be representing Limit Break Comics at Forbidden Planet’s in-store event for Small Press Day. The group of five creators, including Leeann Hamilton (Turning Roads, Plexus #2), Clare Foley (Turning Roads, Life & Death), Hugh Madden (Turning Roads) and Barry O’Sullivan (Plexus #2) will be present from 1-4pm on Saturday August 13th.

The afternoon will represent the return to in-store creator events for Forbidden Planet, and the first Small Press Day to happen in-person since 2019.

Each creator will have a range of 3-4 titles with them, to highlight some of the diversity of work available from Irish comic creators.

The Zine Scene

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Dublin Comic Con is this weekend, and Limit Break Comics has been busy behind the scenes working on a new addition to our convention circuit: zines!

What’s a Zine?

The word ‘zine’ is an abbreviation of ‘magazine’, but that’s about as far as the connection goes. Zines are one-topic publications, sometimes hand-made, other times printed and bound professionally, sometimes a mix of professional printing with a hand-made finish. In our case, we went to our trusty printers with four zines, created by Paul Carroll and Gary Moloney, with design work by Paul, and a cover by Gareth Luby. (You’ll know it when you see it!)

How to Thrive & Survive in a Horror Movie

Paul’s a big horror fan, binging franchises in his spare time, writing horror stories for comics and prose, and generally diving into the spookiness of Halloween as soon as possible. In How to Thrive & Survive in a Horror Movie, Paul shares the rules of the Scream franchise with additional commentary.

The zine is meant to be a fun collection of the many rules the characters in the franchise must remember to survive – provided they have a horror expert to explain the rules first!

The Daredevil’s Advocate

Cover by Gareth Luby

When Paul and Gary first started talking about the zines, the first one on Gary’s line-up was a zine adaptation of his article The Daredevil’s Advocate. The conversation quickly turned to asking Gareth to draw the cover.

Gary takes a hard look at Charles Soule’s Daredevil: Supreme, its place in the series and how it addresses the law. One part academic, one part entertainment, The Daredevil’s Advocate is for fans of comics who like to read a little bit into the subject matter.

What’s It Like Being a Twin?

If you didn’t already know – and you will when it comes to Dublin Comic Con, at least! – Paul’s a twin. His identical twin brother, Conor, is an artist in the convention scene in Ireland. And they’re always asked one question: What’s it like being a twin?

This zine is designed to answer that question, and address the many other questions and topics that come up as a result of having an identical twin brother. It also features a centerfold of the dumbest question they have ever been asked. More than once. By several people.

A Novel Murder

To round off the first wave of zines from Limit Break Comics, we have a prose story from Gary Moloney. A Novel Murder is accompanied by some work by Paul to create a designed narrative approach to the story.

Interspersed throughout the zine are pull-quotes with a punch, looming steadily closer to the reader as the story progresses. We’re keeping the details of the mystery hidden, though – you’ll have to pick up the story to find out what happened!

Where Can You Get One?

Our magazine rack has seen better days, but it’s still perfect for housing our new line of titles alongside Paul’s enamel pin collection – before either one grows, that is. The first set will launch at Dublin Comic Con on Saturday and Sunday, August 6th and 7th 2022. We’re in the Artist Alley on the First Floor, tables AA15 and AA16.

Come say hi! And if you like our zines, let us know if we should make more!

Dublin Comic Con: Comic Creators on Creating Short Comics

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This Saturday, Limit break Comics is entering the world of convention programming with a specially curated panel for Dublin Comic Con: Comic Creators on Creating Short Comics.

The panel will be moderated by Seamus Kavanagh, whose latest title Old Game Plus marks his debut with Limit Break Comics. Seamus has previously run panels on writing for comics at Dublin Comic Con.

This weekend’s panel will focus on the craft of creating short comics, with a specific focus on the teamwork involved. Seamus will speak as a contributing writer.

Joining him are James Killian and Alice Coleman, the artist and letterer respectively of their forthcoming story Strength in Numbers, to be published in Down Below later this year. Alice has previously worked with Seamus on his stories for Old Game Plus and Limit Break Presents #1. This story marks the first time Seamus and James will have worked together.

Paul Carroll will be on the panel as an editor, speaking on the ways in which anthologies come together, the sort of things editors look for in submissions, and how creating teams like that of the other panellists can serve to strengthen an application.

The panel will take place from 2pm-3pm in the Geek Ireland Panel Room on the 1st floor in the Convention Centre – outside the entrance to the Artist Alley.

[Press Release] Limit Break Comics to Release Range of New Books for Dublin Comic Con

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Limit Break Comics is set to launch five new books at Dublin Comic Con this coming weekend, March 12 and 13. Among the new releases are second issues to the collective’s 2019 titles, Meouch and Plexus, and the introduction of a new creator.

The five books to be launched at Dublin Comic Con consist of: Meouch #2, an action comedy for grown-up kids; Plexus #2, a science fiction anthology series focusing on human connection; LENS, an espionage thriller collected in print for the first time; Old Game Plus #1, a collection of shot comics inspired by video games, and; Limit Break Presents #1, a new anthology series of stories connected by a theme. The new titles serve to re-introduce the collective to the Irish convention scene following the cessation of events during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meouch #2 picks up where the 2019 issue left off. Creators Gareth Luby (Artist) and Paul Carroll (Writer) teamed up with Rebecca Nalty (IDW, Boom!) on Colours and PanelXPanel Editor Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou on Letters to bring the next chapter in the story to press.

Plexus #2, written and lettered by Paul Carroll, features three stories illustrated by Irish artists: Leeann Hamilton, Barry O’Sullivan, and Donna A Black. The stories focus on human connections, and the monsters we meet along the way.

LENS, written by Gary Moloney with art by Raquel Kusiak, is a one-shot following Jane Danner, an award-winning photojournalist by day, assassin by night. The first chapter of LENS was published in Bun&Tea, with the whole story collected in print for the first time.

Old Game Plus #1, written by Seamus Kavanagh, introduces Kavanagh as a creator for Limit Break Comics. Kavanagh’s stories – illustrated, coloured and lettered by an all-star collection of creators – are inspired by a range of video games across multiple genres.

Limit Break Presents #1 collects three stories, written by Gary Moloney, Paul Carroll and Seamus Kavanagh. The trio of writers are joined by John McGuinness and Rebecca Reynolds on art, Ellie Wright on colours, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and Alice Coleman on letters. The book serves as the first issue in a series, with stories connected by a single theme.

Along with its new titles, Limit Break Comics is bringing Turning Roads to an Irish convention for the first time. The book was featured in the Irish Times list of Graphic Novels 2021 and awarded the Irish Comics News Award for Best Anthology 2021. It contains 18 short stories by 35 creators, telling stories inspired by Irish folklore.

Limit Break Comics is a Dublin-based comic publisher, formed on the back of a shared desire to see small press comics grow in Ireland. It was founded by Paul Carroll, Gareth Luby and Gary Moloney.

Down Below: A Greek Myth Noir Anthology – Coming 2022

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After the success of Turning Roads earlier this year, Limit Break Comics is proud to announce our second open-submissions anthology. Down Below is an anthology of Noir comics, inspired by Greek mythology. The book will be co-edited by Paul Carroll and Gary Moloney.

Noir Hades – Art by Gareth Luby

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Down Below will feature four-page comics. Your pitch should incorporate an element of Greek mythology – a god, a hero, a monster, a story – and put a Noir twist on it. Think The Big Sleep but with an element of the extraordinary. Stories can include elements of science fiction and fantasy, but must be a Noir story. We’re seeking crime drama, not space opera.

Every story should consist of four pages, with page 1 beginning on the right hand side of the book, in full-colour. Note that full-colour does not necessarily mean technicolour, and the Editors are happy to talk to people about the colour design of their comics to engage with the Noir element of the book.

When preparing your pitch, consider:

  • What sort of crime would a particular god, hero or other character from Greek mythology find themselves involved in?
  • How recognisable is the story to the public?
  • Is your story unique enough when compared to existing materials?
  • How can you put a twist on a familiar tale?

Please note that we are not looking for:

  • A rehashing of ideas from The Wicked and the Divine
  • Illustrated prose or poetry
  • Illustrations that are not comics

As with Turning Roads, we are unlikely to accept multiple pitches examining the same aspect of Greek Mythology. Creative teams are permitted to submit more than one pitch.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Pitches are open as of November 10, 2021. The deadline for pitches is January 28, 2022. More details on pitching and the link to the form are below. Please note that the form will close at 11:59pm (GMT) on January 28.

On February 11, applicants will be advised whether they have been accepted into the anthology. If you pitch more than one story, you will be advised specifically which one has been chosen.

On February 23 through to March 25, the book will be funding on Kickstarter.*

The deadline for final pages is June 10 with Kickstarter fulfilment planned for August.*

WHY PITCH TO US?

Limit Break Comics has been building its brand in Irish comics since July 2018, with the publication of three short story collections and the first of three issues in a limited series. 2021 saw the publication of Turning Roads, which received backing on Kickstarter from over 500 people.

Down Below seeks to build on the momentum of the project, to further showcase Irish and international talent. The project timeline allows for the book to appear at Dublin Comic Con, Octocon and Thought Bubble in the second half of 2022.

As well as offering a platform to lots of lovely comic readers, we want to pay contributors!

Payment of €50 per page will be made to each creative team in the book, made via PayPal. Teams are responsible for deciding how they split the payment. It is the intention of Limit Break Comics to increase this page rate through Kickstarter stretch goals and outside funding. Further details will be discussed with teams if they are successful.

Contributors maintain copyright over their work; Limit Break Comics is granted first publication rights.

WHERE TO PITCH

Pitches should be made through this form. You may submit more than one pitch. We are seeking pitches from complete teams for this project.

When pitching, you do not need to submit sample art or a script related to the story. Please provide:

  • Portfolio links for each creator in the project
  • A working title
  • A logline for the story
  • A brief summary of the story
  • The myth your story is based upon

WHY KICKSTARTER?

We want to pay people. It’s that simple. The Kickstarter will enable us to pay contributors and print the book. The intention is that contributors will know with plenty of time before the pages are due that the book will be proceeding as planned.

WHO ARE THE EDITORS?

Paul Carroll is the editor of Turning Roads, as well as the writer behind Plexus and Meouch. In 2021, Paul co-founded IrishComics.ie. When not working in comics, Paul writes prose and publishes short story anthologies through Cupán Fae.

Gary Moloney is Limit Break Comics’ resident law-talking guy, both as a profession and as a genre-expert. He is the writer of Lens, along with a number of crime stories, following his debut collection Mixtape.

QUERIES?

Any queries should be sent to limitbreakireland (at) gmail (dot) com.

*These dates subject to change, but contributors will be notified in advance.

Limit Break Comics to Crowdfund Irish Folklore Comic Anthology – Press Release

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Limit Break Comics to Crowdfund Irish Folklore Comic Anthology

February 26th, 2021, Dublin

Dublin based comic collective Limit Break Comics has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its Irish folklore comic anthology, Turning Roads. The book contains stories by over 30 comic creators, retelling Irish myths and legends in modern and future Ireland. The anthology is due for publication in the summer of 2021.

Turning Roads is edited by Paul Carroll, taking a science fiction and modern fantasy approach towards retelling familiar stories. 18 short comics from Irish and international creators address legends including the banshee, the headless horseman, Tír na nÓg, and the Children of Lír. The crowdfunding campaign aims to raise €6,000 before March 28th 2021, with an online focus on Irish folklore planned for St Patrick’s Day.

“By utilising a crowdfunding platform like Kickstarter, we hope to emulate the communal traditions of Irish storytelling in a distinctly modern setting,” says Carroll.

If successfully funded, Turning Roads will join Limit Break Comics’ previous titles, Plexus, Meouch, Life & Death and Mixtape. The showcase of Irish creators in Turning Roads is set to raise awareness of Irish small press comics talent in domestic and international markets.

Limit Break Comics is a Dublin-based comic collective, founded on the back of a shared desire to see small press comics grow in Ireland. It is made up of Paul Carroll, Gareth Luby and Gary Moloney.

# # #

Check out the Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paulcarroll/turning-roads-an-irish-folklore-comic-anthology

For more info, email limitbreakireland (at) gmail (dot) com or visit our Contact page.

Contact person: Paul Carroll

Creator list (alphabetical by surname):

Ned Barnett, Fawn Blackwood, Hugo Boylan, David Browne, Jason Browne, Brian Burke, Paul Carroll, David B Cooper, Colin Craker, Richard Davidson, Josh Davison, Dominique Duong, Triona Farrell, David Ferguson, Aaron Fever, Clare Foley, Colm Griffin, Leeann Hamilton, Reese Hannigan, Dave Hendrick, Ember Johnstone, Mark Kielty, James Killian, Alice Leclert, Hugh Madden, Pete Marry, Aisling McGee, Gary Moloney, Emmet O’Brien, Colin O’Mahoney, Mari Rolin, Kerrie Smith, Kato Thaggard, Steven Young.

Turning Roads: An Irish Folklore Anthology – Coming 2021

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After a nightmarish year without conventions, we’re delighted to shine a light on a new project for 2021: Turning Roads, an anthology of Irish folklore stories. The book will be edited by Paul Carroll, and is now open for pitches from creative teams.

What are we looking for?

The idea behind Turning Roads is to take old Irish folk tales and elements of Irish mythology and tell those stories in a modern or future Ireland. Every story should consist of four pages, with page 1 beginning on the right hand side of the book, in full-colour.

When preparing your pitch, consider:

  • How would an Irish fairy fit into modern Ireland?
  • How can a story be told using technology instead of magic?
  • What does the world look like in which your story is taking place?

If in doubt, look for a twist on a tale through the lens of science fiction or flowerpunk.

Please note that we are not looking for:

  • An Irish version of The Wicked and the Divine
  • Illustrated prose or poetry
  • Illustrations that are not comics

Project timeline

Pitches are open as of December 9th, 2020. The deadline for pitches is January 29th, 2021. More details on pitching and the link to the form are below.

On February 12th, applicants will be advised whether they have been accepted into the anthology. If you pitch more than one story, you will be advised specifically which one has been chosen.

On February 24th through to March 25th, the book will be funding on Kickstarter.

The deadline for final pages is June 11th, with Kickstarter fulfilment in August.

Why pitch to us?

Limit Break Comics has been building its brand in Irish comics since July 2018, with the publication of three short story collections and the first of three issues in a limited series. 2021 will see the publication of additional books, and our first UK comic conventions – pandemics allowing.

Turning Roads will be our largest project to date, and our first title open to submissions. The project timeline allows for the book to showcase at Dublin Comic Con, Octocon and Thought Bubble in the second half of 2021.

As well as offering a platform to lots of lovely comic readers, we want to pay contributors!

Payment of €50 per page will be made to each creative team in the book, made via PayPal. Teams are responsible for deciding how they split the payment.

Contributors maintain copyright over their work; Limit Break Comics is granted first publication rights.

Where to pitch

Pitches should be made through this form. You may submit more than one pitch. 

Why Kickstarter?

We want to pay people. It’s that simple. The Kickstarter will enable us to pay contributors and print the book. The intention is that contributors will know with plenty of time before the pages are due that the book will be proceeding as planned.

Queries?

Any queries should be sent to paul (at) paulcarrollwriter (dot) com.

Our Online Store is Now Open

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Following the successful launch of Meouch #1 at Dublin Comic Con this weekend past, we’re proud to announce the opening of our online store.

Supported by Gumroad, the Limit Break Comics store features both physical and digital copies of all three titles released under our label: Meouch, Mixtape and Life & Death.

As more titles are released, we will be updating the store. All three of us are busy at work on a number of projects in the post-DCC period, after a much-needed recovery from the convention.

Our table set-up at Dublin Comic Con

This was our first Dublin Comic Con with at least two of us tabling (while Gary had something infinitely more stressful scheduled for the same day!), coming a year and a half after Frankie’s first comic appearance at DCC 2017. We will be back again in force at conventions – and a couple of smaller events – throughout the year. Keep an eye on our social media for information on where we’ll be.

In the meantime, if you missed the chance to pick up any of our books, you can find them in our online store, or in a number of stores around Ireland, including Big Bang Comics, Forbidden Planet, and Dublin City Comics.

Until next time!
Paul