Cammy's Comic Corner Interview

Cammy's Comic Corner has just put up their interivew with Josh and I. You can view it below and please visit Cammy's site for more awesome podcast episodes.
http://cammyscomiccorner.com/2009/12/24/cammys-comic-corner-titanium-rain-marsh-rocket-signing/

Signing at Rising Sun Creations December 5th, 2009

This December has been a busy one for Josh and I so I apologize for how long it has taken me to update this blog.

On December 5th, Josh and I along with our very good friend Jules Rivera (of Marsh Rocket fame who also created the promotions poster) had a signing at Rising Sun Creations located in Mission Valley. The turn out was great!! We were busy all day talking to customers and we drew sketches for people. We had a video interview with Cammy's Comic Corner Podcast, and a hip hop band on tour gave us free copies of their cd's. It was a total blast. I haven't had that much fun in... ever sitting behind the table.

Afterwards we went to dinner with Jules and her husband Alex as well as Josh's cousin Chante and her two friends, Kevin and Ihimu who came into town from Orange County.

As soon as I get the link from Cammy, I'll post the interview. Until then, please enjoy this picture slide show. And thanks to Kevin for taking these wonderful pictures.

Illustration of Jetta by Josh Finney of Titanium Rain

Josh has an art piece appearing in the upcoming Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa Graphic Novel. You can check it out HERE.

Lots of Titanium Rain News

Well, first and foremost, IT'S OUT TODAY!!!! Yes, the long wait is finally over. Titanium Rain Double Size Issue 1-2 is out in stores TODAY!!

So if you haven't picked it up yet, do so ASAP!! As well, stay tuned for news on our upcoming signing at Rising Sun Productions in San Diego. Josh and I are making plans to do a signing with this wonderful store as soon as 3-4 comes out, which should be in another few weeks.

Second, CBR has just run an interview with Josh on Titanium Rain. It's called "Archaia Forecasts Titanium Rain". In it, Josh talks about what inspired the story and what his goals were in how he told it. It's an awesome interview and I highly recommend that you check it out.

Last, but not least. We've put in our application for a table at the Comic Geek Speak Super Show Convention in March of '10. I know it's a ways away but we're going to start beating the drum now so that people can make plans to head out to PA and come see us. We'll do sketches, have books, patches, and exclusive swag that you can only get from Josh and I. It's going to be awesome!!

-Kat

Press Release: Who Does What

Due to numerous articles in the comics press containing false or misleading information about Titanium Rain, the creators of the book have decided to step forward and clear up a few things.
First and for most, Josh Finney is both the WRITER and LEAD ARTIST on the book. Along with writing the story, he is also responsible for the panel layouts, digital painting, 3D graphics, graphic design, lettering, and concept art. Kat Rocha's role in the process is as a penciler and flatter. Early in Titanium Rain's creation Josh and Kat had opted to simply list the art credits as being done by both of them. Specifically stating who does which tasks seemed unnecessary. That is until the press repeatedly ran articles crediting Kat for all the art tasks, and on occasion, even credited her for Josh's past body of work as a professional artist.

The truth is, for the last couple of years Josh has been essentially mentoring Kat, teaching her the skills to eventually become an artist in her own right. This is not something Josh or Kat would have wanted to have made public, but apparently the press cannot get it right. Look, we all understand these feel-good "Girls can draw too!" human-interest stories are en vogue right now, but it does not excuse piss-poor journalism.

For the record:
Josh Finney is the lead artist on Titanium Rain. Kat Rocha is the penciler and flatter.

Josh has done past work for Star Trek Enterprise, NOT Kat.

All the Titanium Rain covers are painted by Josh.

The "Digital Realism" style that Titanium Rain is known for was created by Josh Finney, and can be seen in much of his work for game companies such as Spartan Publishing and Rebel Games.

Please of the love of dog, comics press, do your damn homework next time.

LOOK!!!

Titanium Rain AND God Machine are back from the printer!!! YEAH!!!!!!

News Blast: Titanium Rain at the Long Beach Comic Con

NEWS:Josh Finney and Kat Rocha of Titanium Rain are Special Guests at the Long Beach Comic Con!

Come see them at the Archaia Booth #265. by the front entrance, next to Nintendo.

They'll do sketches, sell art prints, and have Titanium Rain Squadron Patches available.

And while you're there, check them out at the "Archaia: The Mouse that Roared" Pannel on Saturday, Room C at 12 Noon.

See you all there!!

-kat

Titanium Rain Now Available Through Amazon.com

Hey Everybody!! Look what's now available through Amazon!! It's Titanium Rain Volume 1. So now, there are even more great ways of getting your copy.

1. Order from your local comic book store using the Previews Code SEP09 0597
2. Preorder through DCBS and pay only $10.97!! That's a 45% savings.
3. Preorder through Amazon.com.

And don't forget. There will be an additional 50 pages of exclusive content.
Two New Guest Stories
Vehicle Stats
News Articles
Propaganda Notes
And an interview with Bramford, the mind behind Prometheus.

Believe me, you do NOT want to miss this book!!

And don't forget to visit the official Titanium Rain Store for cool swag and art prints done by Josh and Kat.




-Kat

Josh Finney Assaulted...

This headline might be at least sixteen years stale but Josh has decided to come forward and talk about how he was assaulted and nearly killed at age 19, and how it relates to our book Titanium Rain.
Read it at ComicRelated.com

It's Official...

Yes, it's true. I know, I can hardly believe it myself but it's real. It's in Previews. Yes... Titanium Rain is coming out in Hard Cover!!!

Over 30 pages of bonus material!
Vehicle Stats
Tech Stats
Informational articles
AND
Two Bonus Short Stories

So head on down to your local comic shop and tell them
"I Want My Titanium Rain!"

-Kat

Interviews and a Sample Page

Hey All!

Well, Josh and I have been busier than ever, what with the book coming out real soon and San Diego just around the corner. But, here is another sample page from Issue 3/4, currently solicited in the July Previews. Shout out time: Damian (aka. Lord Shaper) from the Kryptographiks podcast makes a cameo appearance on this page as a reporter on the scene.

And speaking of Damian, he did a great interview with us on his website, The Furnace. 11 Questions with Josh Finney and Kat Rocha.

Also, Broken Frontier ran a two part interview with us as well.
Titanium Rain: Anxiety for Postmodern Warfare - Part 1
Titanium Rain: Anxiety for Postmodern Warfare - Part 2

-Kat

Titanium Rain Sneak Peaks

Here are some sneak peak pages from Titanium Rain issue #3/4 solicited in the July Previews Page 195, Code: JUL09 0675

Face: Bryan Deemer from Comic Geek Speak



Face: Jamie D. from Comic Geek Speak


-Kat

TIN OMEN

"Tanks arrive! Fire wall! Got to keep the camera alive!
Tell the world! Tell the world what's going on here!"

"Tin Omen"
Skinny Puppy

Reports are sketchy, but word is on CNN that the Iranian government is now using attack helicopters against the protesters in Tehran. Considering the story I am telling with Titanium Rain, the events playing out in the news right now strikes pretty close to home. In Titanium Ran a nation that goes to war with itself when a despotic regime refuses to accept a changing world. It is a clash that symbolizes stagnation vs. progress, religion vs. faith, dogma vs. humanity, nationalism vs. globalism, fear vs. hope. In short, the war Alec is fighting is all about the old world versus the new. The question is, who will win this fight, and what will this new world look like? Of course, Titanium Rain is fiction. The blood running in the streets of the Tehran today is very, very real.

The situation in Iran is frightening, as much as it is depressing. The endless stream of blurry footage coming across CNN -- scenes of fires, teargas, and scream crowds -- as a observer, this moment history has been like one gut punch after another. Over breakfast today, Kat and I both found ourselves having trouble finding our appetites. Or as Kat put it, "I feel like I'm going to throw-up." But as overwhelming as all this is , it also makes proud. Proud to be a part of this nascent species called man.

This is also something I am striving to communicate in Titanium Rain, and that is what it means to be human. We as humans have free will. Unlike any other creature on Earth (except maybe elephants and dolphins) we have the ability to push aside instinct and look beyond our base needs. We can choose to be better. We can choose to stand on the side of right. It not only blood running in the streets of the Tehran, but also the human spirit. These men and women are risking all they have and all they are for a better world, knowing full well they probably will not live to see it. This is altruism in its purest form. People making the ultimate sacrifice in the hope of creating a better, more equitable world for those who will survive them.

For now Iran is in chaos. CNN just said acid is being dump onto the crowds from those helicopters, and tanks have rolled into Tehran. Nobody knows just yet how this will end. But for now I will leave you with a quote from a personal hero of mine, Franklin D. Roosevelt...

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith."

Probably a bit of an odd quote from an atheist like me, but I do have faith. Quite a bit in fact. I have faith in mankind. Faith that we can and will do better. Men have always sought an end to the toil and misery, but it can't be given, it has to be achieved. There is hope, but it has to come from inside ourselves.

-Josh Finney
June 20, 2009

More Podcasts

The Geeks at Comic Geek Speak invited us to join them while they went through this month's Previews. So join us for jokes and Archie "Spoilers" and good good comics. You can go to the website or you can listen to it Right Here. :)


Also, I'd like to thank Bill Doughty (aka. Library Boy on TheComicForums.com) for the wonderful quote: "Josh and Kat are the Nick & Nora Charles of hard science fiction and dark, inappropriate humor."

Disclamer: No actual spoilers were made for Archie #600. It is all a joke. Neither Josh nor myself have any prior knowledge to what is happening. If Archie does wind up a homeless man, it is purely coincidental.

Podcasts and Reviews!

Well, we've been busy getting the word out about Titanium Rain so I've got a few places to point out. This is purely in order of when they came out because we've been busy and hadn't had a chance to update sooner.
First, we chatted with Chuck from ComicRelated.com and had a wonderful discussion, not only about Titanium Rain but a little about philosophy and religion and stories with deeper meanings.

Next, Lord Shaper from Kryptographik podcast gave Titanium Rain a wonderful review on his site, The Furnace.. You can read his review by going to LordShaper.com.

And Finally, we have a KILLER deal on Titanium Rain #1/2. You can order your copy through DCBService.com for ONLY $2.74. As well, if you are one of the first 100 people to order the book you will receive...

I dare you to find a better deal than that!

-kat

Kat Rocha (with a little help from Josh Finney) has made her editorial debut on ComicRelated.com with her article "Power Girl, WTF?!" You can read it athttp://comicrelated.com/news/1564/power-girl-kat-rocha

Review from Ain't It Cool Comics

First review of the "New" issue one of Titanium Rain just came in from Ain't It Cool Comics.
"I’m going to keep my eye on this series. The art is absolutely mouth-watering and the premise is damn strong too. I’ll be checking in on June’s Previews to find out more on TITANIUM RAIN #1 for sure!"

-Kat

Titanium Rain Preview 2

Archaia Roundtable @ The Pulse

Jennifer M. Contino of The Pulse sat down with the creators of Awakening, Lone & Level Sands, Robotika and Titanium Rain and talked about the new Archaia and what they have in store for this year.

As a sample of what you'll read, here is our very own Josh Finney and his answer to what was it about Archaia that made it worth the wait...

"What was it about Archaia that made it worth the wait? Well, I suppose Mark Smylie had a lot to do with it. Those boyish good looks, that winning smile of his, his odd Obama-esque manner of speaking. What other reason does a comic creator need, really? Ask yourself, could Marvel ever promise such a fine, fashionable editor and chief? I can guarantee you Joe Quesada does NOT perform bare-chested tai-chi every morning before a convention. Mark? Well, maybe I've never seen him do this, but I'm pretty sure Mark does. Beat that, Marvel!"

-Kat

Archaia in the News.

With all the news services putting out articles on Archaia's return, I thought I'd make a list of all the places you can read diffrent interviews and news about the company. Of course, this includes info on Titanium Rain :) but it also has some information on other great titles such as Awakening and God Machine.


Newsarama, Comic Book Resource, Comic Relate, ICV2
Broken Frontier

-Kat

Cool TR Swag.

Hey everybody! Look at what we got! Yes, they are official Titanium Rain: Phoenix Squadron Patches. Now you too can be a member of Phoenix Squadron with this beautiful embroidered patch. Designed by none other than that handsome and extremely talented artist, Josh Finney.

Now I bet you're probably asking "How can I get myself one of those nifty and extremely cool patches?" Well, there are not one, but TWO ways you can get one.
1)Simply be one of the first 100 to order a copy of Titanium Rain Prestige Edition #1 (which contains issue 1 and 2) from Discount Comic Book Services this June (more details to come)
OR
2)Come see us at the Archaia booth at the San Diego Comic Con. We will have them on sale along with other great stuff.

Titanium Rain Previews 1

Awakening Vol. 1 in the April Previews

In an effort to spread the word that Archaia is back and all the quality you had come to expect from them is still there, many of the Archaia talent have banded together to help pimp eachother's books and get the word out. So, I encourage anyone who reads this blog to take a moment to view their copy of the April Previews and check out The Awakening.

Below is a press release from Nick (the writer) discribing the book. And, I must say that as a rule, if I don't like something I won't pimp it. I loved this book. It's more of a dark, psychological mystery than a "zombie" book. Kinda reminds me of the X-Files when it was good.

Anyway, I will now leave you to Nick.
-Kat

------BEGIN TRANSMISSION---------

Nick.Tapalansky@gmail.com
http://www.archaiasp.com/awakening.php
For Immediate Release:

Awakening Volume One Now Available for Pre-Order!

March 26th, 2009 – New Paltz, NY. Creators Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn are thrilled to announce that Awakening Volume One, the first of two volumes of the critically acclaimed Archaia series, is now available for pre-order.

"It’s been a long, strange trip getting here," Tapalansky says, referring to the restructuring Archaia (Mouse Guard, Artesia, The Killer, etc.) underwent throughout the entirety of 2008. "Archaia is a fantastic company and all we can say is the wait was well worth it. These guys came out on the other side as a stronger company with some great initiatives for fans and creators alike. We’re proud to be a part of their line-up and can’t wait for people to see what they’ve got coming, especially Awakening. Not that we’re partial or anything.”

The solicitation for Awakening Volume One reads as follows:

“The once peaceful city of Park Falls has been tainted by a series of gruesome murders and missing persons. Cynthia Ford, well known as the town crazy, comes forward to speak with retired police detective Derrick Peters one January afternoon. She claims to have information about the murders, but does she hold the key to unlocking the mystery or has she truly gone insane?

To Derrick’s disbelief she utters one word:

Zombies.

Unable to ignore Cynthia’s information, though not sharing her beliefs, Derrick and others in the city explore the mystery as weeks turn to months and the death toll rises. Could Cynthia have been right? Follow the first half of Park Falls’s year-long struggle for answers here…”

“We’re really taking a grass roots approach to getting the word out,” Tapalansky explains. “We want to reach out to as many fans and retailers as possible. We’re hitting
MySpace, deviantArt, message boards, you name it. We’re hoping that fans of the floppy issues will jump on board and help spread the word. That’s also why we’ve released our fancy pre-order coupon, which is a huge component of that initiative.”

The coupon Tapalansky refers to can be found ----->. It contains all the information a retailer will need to order a copy of the book from Diamond’s Previews catalog.

“All anybody needs to do is print this sucker out and bring it to their local comic shop. That’s it! Come June they’ll have a tome of existential horror and noir mystery to enjoy. We’re hoping that fans and folks interested in the book will feature the coupon and some links on their blogs, message boards, bathroom stalls - whatever it takes to get the word out.”

“We couldn’t have gotten this far without our rabid fan base,” Tapalansky continues, “We’re hoping they’ll turn their unnatural lust for horror and good comics towards spreading the word.”

Those without local shops needn’t worry – as soon as the book is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers, links will be posted to Nick and Alex’s websites, various message boards, and blogs across the internet.

So spread the word and get ready: Awakening is coming.

You’ve been warned.

About Awakening: Chapters 1 – 3 of Awakening were originally serialized and released in 2007 to rave reviews. Fans and critics alike enjoyed the unique take on the zombie genre, focusing on the noir mystery of a city slowly rotting from within rather than the typical mass uprising/fight for survival. Referred to as existential horror by the publisher, critics have said that it’s “The coolest and most original zombie piece since The Walking Dead,” (Broken Frontier), “The next 30 Days of Night,” (The Pullbox), and that main character Derrick Peters is “where Phillip Marlowe meets George Romero,” (Horrorview). Readers can find out more by visiting the MySpace page for Awakening, Nick’s Blog, Truth in Four Colors, or the official Archaia page for Awakening.

Awakening Volume 1 is due in stores this June.

----- END TRANSMISSION -----

Takshaka

Finally. After 8+ years of waiting, Takshaka: Black Feather is now available through iTunes. Takshaka is the IDM musical project of Johnathan Sharp (Bio-Tek, New Mind, Barking at Butterflies) and Josh Finney. They began producton on this over eight years ago and finally it is available to the public. From the futuristic sounds and mood of "Macarther Bart (Forma Tadre version)" to the ambiance of "Curious Yellow", to the Ghost in the Shell inspired "Motoko 2501", Takshaka: Black Feather is an audio journey through the future.

Please take a moment to listen to some samples at the following websites:
Official Site - www.glitchwerk.com/takshaka
Myspace - www.myspace.com/takshaka1
Last.fm - www.last.fm/music/Takshaka

If you like what you hear you can go to iTunes and download the album.

Interview: CBRS/Superheros-R-Us

Lorrie Thomas of Comic Book Road Show and Superheros-R-Us sat down with us for a few minutes at the San Francisco Wondercon. You can listen to the interview at the Superheros-R-Us website.

WonderCon 2009 Update: Part 1

With Titanium Rain up and running again, I suppose I should probably start posting here a little more often. So far, aside from the rare post or two from myself, it has been Kat who has been diligently maintaining this site with regular updates. Anyway, with the two of us returning from Wonder Con in San Francisco, I figured I'd share some observations about our journey up north.
Overall I'd have to say it was a success for Titanium Rain. The book was received VERY well by the Bay Area crowd, which was a relief to Kat and I both, considering we weren't sure how the freaky city by the bay would take to a war comic where America isn't pure evil, and the men and women in uniform are portrayed as good people trying to make the best of a bad situation. Judging by our sales, we had nothing to worry about --our entire stock of issue #1 was sold out by Sunday morning.
As for the convention itself, anyone who can get to Wonder Con, I highly recommend it. This was my first visit, and I was impressed. The floor was well organized, the vibe was good, and at no point did I feel the urge to don a chem suit and start zotting costumed freaks with a stun prod. If anything, I'd describe Wonder Con as San Diego light. It has all the perks of the San Diego con without the horde of unwashed masses, Hollywood hype, or aging porn stars begging for work. Even better, Wonder Con is a comics convention that is actually about COMICS. Most of the fans stopping by the booth actually were interested in media that involves READING, which is a nice change of pace.

The good:
-Punk rockers trying to pick a fight with Klingons. This made my day. "Klingons are pussies, yo! C'mon up here and fight me ya space loser!" It would've been better if the Klingons hadn't wimped out and actually threw down. K'Pla!

-Hanging out with fellow Archaia talent Nick Tapalansky (The Awakening) and Patrick McEvoy (Stark Weather) and getting to know them better.

-The guy who'd built a damn near perfect Tom Servo replica. Hell yeah.

-Meeting the creator of Marsh Rocket, and finding out she lives only a few minutes away from Kat and I.

-Meeting DA artist, Ram Star and purchasing a rather nice piece of art from the man.

-Meeting up with a number of the Geek Speak crowd. Always good to touch base with the geek army!

-Scoring an incredible deal on a 1:24 scale Tachikoma.

The bad:
-Not having enough copies of Titanium Rain to sell. By Sunday morning we were out, and people were still asking for it.

The ugly:
-Seeing 300 sweaty pounds of flab pushed into a size 2 leather fetish one-piece. Please, people, if you've got Jaba's body and Tree Beard's face, you really SHOULDN'T be dressing like Xena Warrior Princess.

-The kid who talked like Truman Capote and smelled like Cheetos who came by the booth to tell us how much he luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuved Jesus and how he was a virgin. And I mean, this kid loved Jesus. Really really loved him. In a Biblical sense. I have a feeling this boy took that bit in Leviticus literally about having to be "in the closet" to pray properly.

-Getting utterly hammered on ONE, yes, ONE white Russian (it reacted bad with the Zoloft) and then telling a very matronly middle-aged Chinese barmaid how attractive I thought she was. Ack.

More soon,
-Josh

So what's up with Titanium Rain?

Since the book's strong debut back in July 2008, this is the question we've heard almost daily from fans, friends, industry and press.

The short answer is, Titanium Rain is back.

After a prolonged delay due to our publisher coming under new management, Titanium Rain will return to store shelve come June with a complete re-launch of the series. As well, with the series moving to a monthly schedule, issue #2 will be out just in time for Comic Con. With Archaia Studio Press (now simply called, Archaia) shifting to a more streamlined and networked operation, expect to see Titanium Rain and other titles receive better support, industry representation, and most importantly, better availability in stores.

So yeah, it's been a long winter, but the winter has passed.

Kat and I both thank everyone for sticking by us as Archaia needed the time to get its house in order. Believe me when I say, the wait was worth it.

-Josh

P.S. If you're going to be at WonderCon in San Francisco this weekend, stop by the Archaia booth, #427. We'll be there all weekend.