Canadian Comic Creators Cross Channel to Kill Shakespeare in Bard’s Country

The creators of IDW Publishing’s Kill Shakespeare comic book series look to court controversy this month by bringing their take on Shakespeare and his characters to the birth country of the Bard himself this month on a two-week signing and convention tour of England.

“Colonists” Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col will be appearing at the Bristol Comic Expo as well as the Kapow! Comic Convention this month, along with a number of store signings in London, Manchester, Leeds and Stratford-upon-Avon. Series artist Andy Belangerwill be joining the duo for the Kapow! Convention and a London signing.  The trip to the U.K. is the final leg of their spring 2012 convention tour, which has seen them make appearances all over North America as well as at the Middle East Film & Comic-Con in Dubai last month.

To prepare for the tour IDW Publishing is proud to announce that they are releasing a fourth printing of KILL SHAKESPEARE VOLUME 1: A SEA OF TROUBLES.  Originally released in April, 2010, this is the first half of the series that pits the Bard’s greatest heroes against his most menacing villains in a quest to track down and kill – or save – a wizard by the name of William Shakespeare.

IDW is also proud to announce that Del Col and McCreery have received their second straight Joe Shuster Award nomination for Best Writing in a comic series.  The duo is pitted against such talents asJeff Lemire and Kathryn Immonen in the category.

“We’re quite interested to see what people in England think of our take on the Bard,” says McCreery.  “We expect some nay-sayers but we’re eager to show everyone that this project is just as vital a reflection of the Bard’s work as anything coming out of the Globe Theatre or Stratford-on-Avon.”

Kill Shakespeare has been in hot water before after Shakespearean scholar Kimberly Cox denounced the series as “bullshit” and said that “these guys really are helping to kill Shakespeare.”  However, the adventure series, which incorporates Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Puck and others, has received high praise from media such as the New York Times, NPR, BBC, CBC and Fangoria.  The series has also spawned a 90-minute stage show that debuted in association with Toronto’s acclaimed Soulpepper Theatre company in November of 2011 and is scheduled to tour to various locations across North America this fall.

The current signing schedule includes:

Sat, May 12 – Sun, May 13 – Bristol Comic Expo
Wed, May 16 – Travelling Man (Manchester)
Thu, May 17 – Travelling Man (Leeds)
Fri, May 18 – Forbidden Planet London Megastore
Sat, May 19 – Sun, May 20 – Kapow! Comic Convention

Published by IDW Publishing, more information about the series can be found atwww.killshakespeare.com.  The graphic novel is available at all major comic and book stores and digitally through iTunes or ComiXology.