http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/61459799/the-black-coat-the-blackest-dye   Hey folks! Big news! We’ve launched our first Kickstarter campaign and, if successful, will be working on a new 66 page graphic novel telling the further adventures of The Black Coat. Check out the Kickstarter page and consider making a contribution – or just help spread the word! Here’s the official press release! =================================== Monday, December 3, 2012 For Immediate Release: The Black Coat slashes his way onto Kickstarter The creative team responsible for The Black Coat comic book launched their first Kickstarter campaign today and plan to produce a 66 page graphic novel that tells the further adventures of America’s first superspy if funded. “We’ve always wanted to pick things up where we left off,” said Black Coat co-creator Ben Lichius, “but producing a book like The Black Coat can be cost prohibitive in many ways and so it just hasn’t been a possibility for us to this point.” The creators are looking toward Kickstarter as a way to raise both funds and awareness for the character and help ease the minds of some eager fans at the same time. “I still get emails on a regular basis asking when we’re going to do more books,” Lichius added. “I think that Kickstarter is a special way for old and new fans to get involved with a project that they love, and in a way they never could before. Obviously the funding is a big part of it, but one of the great things about crowdfunding is the level of interaction that fans get to have – it’s a literal forum for them, as actual investors, to talk about the project, share their thoughts and concerns with the creators, help spread the word about the project… It actually makes fans into fellow creators and I think that’s really cool.” The new book would be written by Ben Lichius, illustrated by Dean Kotz, and colored by Diego Rodriguez. Ape Entertainment has already agreed to publish the book upon completion. If successful, the team expects the book to be on shelves by early October of 2013. For more information about the campaign, visit the Kickstarter Page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/61459799/the-black-coat-the-blackest-dye You can follow the campaign’s progress on the Black Coat’s website or on Facebook at: https://the-black-coat.com http://www.facebook.com/TheBlackCoat And to learn more about Ape Entertainment, visit their website www.apecomics.com. The Black Coat was created by Ben Lichius and Francesco Francavilla. ===================================

Check out the trailer for Ben’s latest comic project! Hero of Alexandria #1 32 PG | Full Color | $3.99 | Sandard Comic ISBN #: 978-1-937676-17-9 DCD ORDER NUMBER: AUG12 0779 Writers Name: Ben Lichius Artist Names: Roberto Ali Colors: Diego Rodriguez Cover Artist: Roberto Ali About this book: When an enigmatic scientist named Heron invented the steam engine in 60 A.D., he began an industrial revolution nearly 2000 years ahead of schedule. After Heron’s mysterious disappearance, his only living relative, a boy named Hero, sets out to find him in an amazing journey that will take him around the world! It’s ‘Amazing Race’ meets ancient, industrialized Rome in an incredible adventure that will test the limits of one man, shake the most powerful Empire on Earth to its core, and rewrite the history books!

The fine podcasters over at Pittsburgh Comics (http://pittsburghcomics.com) have been singing the praises of Francesco Francavilla (BC co-creator) and gave a shout-out to the Black Coat. Thanks for the mention guys and keep up the great work! Here’s a link to the podcast (Discussion starts around the 34:00 mark): PODCAST

The Black Coat will once again have a presence at the annual Pittsburgh Comic-con. This year’s show will be held the weekend of April 15-17, at the Monroeville Convention Center. In more “same-bat” news, we’ll be at booth S089, pretty much the same spot as last year. It should be a lot of fun and we look forward to seeing everyone  – new friends or old. Ben will be there all weekend signing books and doing sketches. Be sure to stop by!! For more info, check out http://www.pittsburghcomicon.com/

Ben will be a guest at the 2nd annual Pittsburgh Comic & Collectibles show at Century III Mall in Pittsburgh this Sunday, November 14th. If you’re in the area, come out and visit. While you’re there, don’t miss a chance to meet other comic creators and industry legends like Jim Shooter, Ron Frenz, and Pat Olliffe! BC books will be on sale and Ben will be signing and doing free sketches! See the full guest list and get directions here: http://ndcomics.com/1110show.html