Liz Rathke and I created Snapdragons a couple of years ago, about a group of gamer kids and the power of imagination. Some strips have run in the back of Dork Tower, but now we've made a quarterly comic book out of it. And I'm really excited about issue # 1 (July), which you can order now from your comic retailer, and is featured in the May issue of PREVIEWS.

The first issue is a lot of fun, and we're hard at work on issue # 2 already. Plus, the amazing Mike Kunkel (HEROBEAR AND THE KID: - http://www.astonishcomics.com/books/herobear/) is not only writing the introduction to the book, he's also doing an alternate cover for issue #1! (Like Dork Tower #17, both covers will be available in a 50/50 proportion).

As well as Snapdragons comics (one main story and some single-page strips). there will be backup features including a brand-new DORK TOWER, Aaron Williams' stunning new comic strip, PS 238, and Scott Roberts' PATTY CAKE.

Many kids (or their parents) tell me they read Dork Tower, and I'm quite proud of the fact that it seems to hit all age groups. Snapdragons will be a similar kind of book, I hope. It will just let me tell some stories of a different side of Mud Bay.

Liz's work is just fabulous, and it's a blast working with another creator on a project. Some preview pages (minus the dialog) are up at

http://www.dorktower.com/images/snapdragons/snapdragons(cover).jpg
http://www.dorktower.com/images/snapdragons/snapdragons01.jpg
http://www.dorktower.com/images/snapdragons/snapdragons02.jpg
http://www.dorktower.com/images/snapdragons/snapdragons03.jpg
http://www.dorktower.com/images/snapdragons/snapdragons04.jpg
http://www.dorktower.com/images/snapdragons/snapdragons05.jpg
http://www.dorktower.com/images/snapdragons/snapdragons06.jpg

32 pages, $2.99. Get YOUR comics and games retailers to order some Snapdragons! I think people will really enjoy this!

SNAPDRAGONS #1
Dork Storm Press DSS 2001
32 Pages B/W $2.99
ISBN 1-930964-48-X
Written, by John Kovalic and Liz Rathke
Pencilled, colored and inked by Liz Rathke
Cover by Liz Rathke
Alternative cover by Mike Kunkel
Release Date June 1, 2002