"Delilah Dirk is a weird little series of books. I mean, I like that about it, and I understand other people do, too. I work hard to make sure it represents my favourite values in the strange ol' comic book medium: like superhero comics, it's colourful, dynamic and exciting. Like newspaper comics, I hope it is funny, accessible, relatable, and maybe even insightful. And like the best "literate" graphic novels, I give it a complete, beginning-middle-end storyline in one book and hopefully some well-rounded characters with depth. Oh, also: no ads.
But since it's weird and hard to pinpoint (like, "who is this book for? Teens? Adults? Kids? Men? Women?"), it's a little bit harder to "sell." Perhaps someone sees the aesthetic, thinks it's a little too Disney, and passes over it. Maybe a boy wants to read it but his mother thinks it's for girls because there's a lady on the cover (true anecdote). Again: weird book.
This is where I ask for your help. If you know someone who might like Delilah Dirk, lend your book to them. Got a niece/daughter/nephew/son/tiny firecracker in your life? It has proven very popular with young readers. They might really like it. Send 'em these links (
DD1) (
DD2), let them read the first parts of DD1 and DD2. Like many things, I think it's a book you don't know if you like until you get through a few pages.
"But Tony," you say, "this is a popular book. I see it on store shelves. I hear nice things about it."
Yep! THE TURKISH LIEUTENANT has been doing way better than I ever imagined it could. But, to make a long story short – and I'll happily expand on this elsewhere – it is not very financially sustainable. I know I am lucky to be able to make these books and make a little money doing it – that feels like a minor miracle.
So: if you feel that DELILAH DIRK is a thing you like and represents the types of comics you'd like to see, please, tell a friend or loved one about it. Do you know someone who writes/podcasts about comics? Recommend this book to them! If you're willing to do so, or to stick your neck out for DD online, I thank you immensely.
Meanwhile, I'm off to work on Delilah Dirk 3. If you want to follow along on my progress, I have a Tumblr for that and a Twitter feed for that.
Enjoy THE KING'S SHILLING!
Your obt. svt.,
TC"
Guys! 'Delilah Dirk' is good! And it doesn't even have ANY robots in it! Go check it out.
