GENESIS

"...reads like a Harlan Ellison parable and looks like a dream*."

Genesis was the 11th best selling graphic novel in April, according to Diamond. A huge thing for us, given that it beat Justice League and a whole load of other books all with massive profiles. Genesis was also the top teen book in the month, and the only standalone GN in the entire top 50.

Thank you very much to everyone who has bought our book, and indeed to everyone who has sold it. We are blown away by this- to say the least.

It may well be the most visually unorthodox Image book I’ve read. - Bleeding Cool

If you are just coming across this book now, here is that interview here, where they talk about the book a little.

Comic Book Resources reviewed Genesis and liked what they saw.

The Frog Queen interviewed me- here.

The most beautifully tragic comic published in a long time... an instant classic. - Russell Sellers, P2B

Then there was this, which somehow links things up and this review, which says a little about the story:

...a discussion of faith and what happens when it fails and creativity and what happens when it succeeds. This is the book that changes the rules. - Travelling Man

Images above: WIP for the back cover, Adam looking cross, my drawing board fairly early on, Jason's lovely color rough, Shayla Street, WIP designing a spread with Adam and his mum, my good friend Shayla Walmesley (1968-2013) who is remembered on page 30, and my mum Judith Sampson (1937-2013) who the book is dedicated to, and who did not live to see Genesis published, Genesis on the table in Waterstones, and our bear on the window at Gosh Comics of London for FCBD (painted by me).

Forbidden Planet made us one of their four books of the month and put up a whole load of my artwork here, including the back part of the gatefold cover, something we have kept hidden, as it is really cool and I thought it would be nice if people only found out about it when they took the book off the shelf in the shop. I've put the WIP for the line art in the images, above though, so you can get a sense.

There has been some interest in the original art for the project. I can confirm that art will be for sale through Splashpage Art (dealer of Mike Mignola and many more) and I'll put up a link on my own art site when that's more set up. EDIT: buy it here.

I'm also going to be at Thought Bubble in Leeds this autumn and I'll have original art with me then (assuming I have some left).

As ever, Genesis is available digitally here, DRM free and straight from our lovely publisher, Image Comics.

We hope you like it.

Genesis is a staggeringly beautiful book, both visually and thematically. At only $6.99, it’d be a shame to pass it up. - Sam Gavin

By the magic of the internet, I'll be at Keith's Comics in Mockingbird, Tx on Friday night. If you are around come and have some wine and a chat.

Good reviews! from c. 20.04.14.

...uma trama interessante e desenhos fabulosos. - Image BR

a modern fantasy adventure — tripping the mind fantastic. Alison’s artwork is dreamlike and surreal. There is a subtle elegance to her linework that compliments the deep, thoughtful, engaging script. Wordie’s soft palette of colors helps bring the images to life and serve as a great compliment to Sampson’s style. - Comics Bulletin

...will have fans of Neil Gaimans’ Sandman series clamoring for a copy. - Drunk on Comics

Best of the week... A grand idea in a succinct package, an ever moving book of questions and answers and personal belief. - Comics! the Blog

The artwork spoke to me. I wish that happened more often. It called to me like the work of Paul Pope or Nicolas Nemiri. I had to get it. - The Frog Queen

The bear is my (Alison's) bear. He belonged to my dad, is very old, and is called Wobbly. When the script said:

PAGE ONE Panel One - A young child, ADAM, playing with blocks in a toy room. -- 1)Caption: When I was young, I created things. Panel Two

Tomorrow, 1-2 pm at Forbidden Planet on Shatesbury Avenue, Matt Taylor, me (Alison) and Robert Ball are signing Genesis and there will be Ian McQue's variant cover version. Come and get your copy. We will be going to the pub after.

Here's the FP link with all the details.

It's been a bit of a big week for Genesis. I mean, we are blown away, frankly

Thank you so much for all the support- this book has been a long time coming.

I'm attempting a bit of a wrap up of the last day or two on Friday morning, and there have been some reviews. Here we go, in no particular order. Click on the links to see the rest:

One of the highest compliments you can pay a comic is that it achieves broad appeal. Really, this will appeal to any reader...it is the perfect introduction to graphic novels for lovers of surreal and magical literature, and a treat for longtime comics readers as well. - Comics Grinder

It’s a dense and layered one shot that challenges you to ask questions, while treating your eyes to a feast of wild and imaginative design - Bloody Disgusting

I am going in for my second re-read and you need to pick this book up and get lost in the wonderful fairy tale nature it exudes. 4.25/5.- God Hates Geeks

Both premise and promise of Genesis is huge, and it’s something that Edmonson and Sampson are instrumental in delivering.- the FPInternational Blog (in a very rare review of an Image book, and an interview on making Genesis with me, by Richard Bruton).

"Genesis" is highly experimental, both in art and in tone, sprawling over 64 pages in an intensely beautiful jumble. - CBR  (comes with an interview with both of us)

Edmondson takes his writing to a new level with this one-shot... this year's most thought provoking comic. - Kabooooom

..fantastic art by Alison Sampson - Alternate Reality Comics

I would say that if you are a person that reads books from Top Shelf or Fantagraphics then you are on the lookout for this type of book. If you are a more mainstream reader but are open to different experiences then you might want to give the book a try. - Pop Culture Maven

Sampson does good work on the visuals, creating sweeping dreamscapes that tie in nicely to the disjointed narrative. - Newsarama

a fantastical, gorgeous, trippy and sad tale, well worth a read - Panel Patter

This comic is fabulous. - James Romberger

pays homage to everyone from Lewis Carroll to Terry Gilliam to David Lynch - Multiversity

I’m honest in my reviews, and the last thing you want to do is tear apart something someone has worked so hard on... I had nothing to worry about with Genesis...(an) Excellent read - Silver Snail

This is the best thing @nathanedmondson has written - PopCultureHound

It makes you realize that architects, who spend a lot of time designing how human beings should move through a physical space, can also be really good at directing readers through the visual layout of a comic book... a stunning piece of comics work - Mental Floss

Up for #LateNightReads is @ImageComics' Genesis a beautiful trippy tale of absolute creation.- Comixology

Hire this woman - Comics Alliance

Our Picks of the Week! :) #genesis #msmarvel #sexcriminals - Daves Comics

I found myself spending a lot of extra time on each page to appreciate the art. I would go as far as to say it carries the story as much, if not more, than the words do. Sampson’s work is consistently unique and will ensure you pay close attention. - Geekality

Great art can transport you from this world into something completely different and I found myself getting lost in the world that Alison Sampson was able to create.- Coming Up Comics

I cannot stress enough how excited I am to see elements of design find their way into more and more comics. Whether it’s across the oeuvre of Hickman, in the pages of Hawkeye, or here in Genesis, having an artist with a background in design can lead to pages that pop in a way that few comics really do these days.- Loser City

Genesis has some "pretty huge ideas" but it's @itsthatlady's art that really sells it. - Loser City

a tour-de-force debut.., Comic of the Week - Broken Frontier

Excellent presentation! - Alpha Comics

The shining star here is illustrator Alison Sampson who does a Travel Foreman on Animal Manesque style to the narrative bringing to life it’s story with vivid and hauntingly detailed naturalistic imagery that bleeds into mysticism as the parameters of the real and surreal fade into one another. Sampson needs to be put on an ongoing series yesterday. - Nothing But Comics

Genesis from @ImageComics by @itsthatlady and @nathanedmondson Looks amazing. - OK Comics

Whats is everyone after today? We call #Genesis by @itsthatlady @nathanedmondson as our pick this week! - Elysium Comics

Read it. Loved it. Talking about it on @ComicsTherapy this week. - Aaron Meyers

New in the online shop is the beautiful GENESIS- Gnash Comics

Images from Genesis, Daves Comics, Beach Ball Comics, Gnash Comics, Jennifer from Image with a Genesis Cookie*, Genesis via Comixology, Alternate Reality Comics

GENESIS, drawn by @itsthatlady... is a ridiculously beautiful book. (Plus a pinup by @chrisvisi0ns)- Christopher Sebela

Genesis was amazing. The most thought provoking comic I have read since Change. Your artwork inspires me to make more comics.- Justin McElroy

Guys! @itsthatlady + @nathanedmondson have teamed up for GENESIS! Don't be an idiot, go pick this up! ... So happy to see something @itsthatlady has been planning to do for so long is finally something tangible. You HAVE to understand it's BIG! - Jordie Bellaire

Brilliant debut comic from Alison Sampson..(link) - Alex Hern

Genesis...is gorgeous and smart... proof that some of the best storytelling exists in comic books.- All-Comic

Today you guys should def pick up Genesis (1-shot) from Image, arted by @itsthatlady - gorgeous stuff. - Matt Miner

Looks awesome, Alison! Can't wait to get to the shop and find it in my bag ^_^ - Emma Vieceli

Suggest everyone buys Genesis today by @itsthatlady Nathan Edmonsen @whoajordie from @ImageComics http://imagecomics.com/content/view/genesis-will-take-you-on-a-journey-of-creation-and-destruction … - Rob Williams

Comics worth reading this week: Genesis by @itsthatlady Stray Bullets 2 by @DavidALapham Minimum Wage by @fingerbo That's it, really. - Filthy Orphan

There's a lot of Comics out,but Genesis by @itsthatlady @nathanedmondson & Jason Wordie is beautiful.Give it a look. pic.twitter.com/0MyPuy1Ccq - The Big Bang, Dublin

It is very nice to see Image changing again the way comics are made. - Word of the Nerd

...a bunch that intrigues as an industry-watcher. The Nathan Edmondson/Alison Sampson book Genesis is probably the most talked-about of this group in the on-line circles I visit. It's joined by a pair of comics revived from the 1990s -- Minimum Wage and Stray Bullets as leading attractions from Image this week. - The Comics Reporter

Seriously, buy this book. - Jamie S. Rich

The art was well done and reminded me of Travel Foreman and his work on Animal Man. There were lots of out there concepts to draw and Alison Sampson handled it perfectly. The coloring played a huge part in the feel of the story and I suspect that’s why Jason Wordie got cover credits, though that’s not a new thing with Image Comics and is completely deserved here as well. - Love Your Comics

Looks amazing! - Neil Cameron

Hoorah! Can't wait to pick up my copy! - Sally Jane Thompson

I feel like @MorganJeske and @itsthatlady both have pretty spectacular futures in comics with their breakouts. - David Fairbanks

The comics work of @itsthatlady is really damn impressive and I really dug her talking about it over here. http://comicsalliance.com/hire-this-woman-artist-alison-sampson-interview/ … - Joe Keatinge

You should hire @itsthatlady - Justin Jordan

Matt Taylor's pinup for Genesis.

Our little GN is in stores today, and Matt's art is joined by work from Chris Visions, Travel Foreman, Tommy Lee Edwards, Robert Ball, Artyom Trakhanov and Joseph Bergin III. Matt, myself and Robert Ball will be at London's Forbidden Planet on Saturday to sign their exclusive Ian McQue variant and whatever you bring.

Genesis is designed and drawn by me, colored by Jason Wordie, lettered by Jon Babcock, written by Nathan Edmondson and published by Image Comics. We hope you like it.

This is the guy behind ZERO #7. - Ales Kot