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

7th March 20227th March 2022Leave a comment

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

10th November 202110th November 2021Leave a comment

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.

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

26th February 202126th February 2021Leave a comment

Limit Break Comics to Crowdfund Irish Folklore Comic Anthology

February 26^th, 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 28^th 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

9th December 202010th December 2020Leave a comment

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?

Queries?

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

Thoughts from Thought Bubble 2019

15th November 201915th November 2019Leave a comment

Last year was the first time Limit Break assembled at an international convention. Then, as last weekend, it was Thought Bubble. We weren’t tabling, but we did have comics with us to pass along to friends and other interested parties, and we were afforded the opportunity to meet up with some friends we know the Irish comic scene and from Twitter.

With its new venue in Harrogate, Thought Bubble was all under one roof. This has its pros and cons, of course – the biggest con being that the ATM outside ran dry fairly swiftly and it was a walk to the next nearest! All in all, we were impressed, both with the convention organisers and with the comics and other assorted wares on show. (Ask Paul about his enamel pin haul!)

There’s something special about a convention dedicated to comics. No movie stars, no media guests at all. If you were getting something signed, it was by a storyteller in the industry. Almost every trader had comics to look over. There was an Irish Aisle in the Comixology room.

All in all, it felt like home.

We all take something different away from a convention like Thought Bubble. Some of us got to meet our heroes, some of us upped our game on socialising (while Paul demonstrated a capacity to sleep through almost everything), and all of us had a blast.

We don’t have many photos from the weekend, but Gareth was able to snap a few from inside and outside the convention. The incredibly lovely Kerrie Smith also took a group shot for us at the mid-con party.

Thought Bubble 2019 was a blast. It remains one of the best conventions out there. We’re already looking forward to next year, when we hope to be setting up shop in the trading halls.

Until then, we’ve got some reading to do.

What We’re Up To

3rd November 201915th November 2019Leave a comment

Since our founding in July 2018, we’ve had a busy time pulling together new projects and publishing new books. Today, we’d like to quickly summarise the last year and a half at Limit Break Comics.

We started with two titles: Mixtape and Life & Death, both published in July 2018, and followed up with our first full-length book, Meouch, in March 2019.

Our first event together, in Small Press Day 2018

Since then, Limit Break has been behind the publication of Plexus #1, which successfully Kickstarted in July 2019. Assembled by Paul Carroll, Plexus is an on-going sci-fi anthology series that takes a focus on personal connections within the realms of science fiction universe.

Meanwhile, Gary Moloney is working with Bun&Tea on the serialised publication of his next book: Lens, a spy thriller exploring the concept of What if Lois Lane was John Wick? The first part will be released in November 2019.

Gareth Luby and Paul Carroll are aiming to release Meouch Volume 1 in 2020, along with more comics and stories from all three of us here are LB.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, Paul has also been busy assembling a set of creative resources, launching the first of many at DCAF and Octocon in October: Pocket Prompts.

We’re winding down the year with DCAF on December 14th in Dublin, after two Dublin Comic Con events, several smaller shows around the country, DCAF on a number of occasions, Octocon, and Dublin2019: An Irish WorldCon.

Our Online Store is Now Open

13th March 201915th November 2019Leave a comment

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.

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

Meouch #1 to Launch at Dublin Comic Con in March

20th February 201915th November 2019Leave a comment

Dublin based comic collective Limit Break Comics is set to release its first character comic, Meouch, at Dublin Comic Con on March 9^th. Artist Gareth Luby and writer Paul Carroll have teamed up for the first full length issue in a miniseries titled ‘The Nine Lines’, with colourist Joe Griffin and letter Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Drawing inspiration from Deadpool, Rocket Raccoon and the work of Skottie Young, Meouch is an action-comedy comic featuring a gun-toting, pun-cracking assassin cat named Frankie. In the series’ first issue, Frankie is up against a deadly litter of killer cats known as the Nine Lives, whose handy work is getting in the way of his business.

Meouch joins Limit Break Comics’ previous titles, Life & Death and Mixtape, from writers Paul Carroll and Gary Moloney respectively, and a backlist of zines and short comics featuring Frankie.

[Text from Press Release February 20th, 2019]

Reviewers, retailers and pros, email us to request a review copy at limitbreakireland (at) gmail (dot) com