Wasteland #33 Kicks Off Ongoing

Rarely is a visit to a wasteland as exhilarating as when Anthony Johnston describes it. And starting with Wasteland #31 (for $1 mind you), the trip will become a weekly affair. And artist Justin Greenwood is coming along for the ride.

Writer Antony Johnston sums it up pretty simply, “We screwed up. It all started around issue #25, which was double-length and full color, and exhausted Chris Mitten. We should have given him a break after that, but we didn’t, and suddenly he was struggling to hit deadlines. For Chris, that's pretty much unheard of.” To finish out the arc, Antony and Oni Press sought out new talent to give Chris a breather. “Remington Veteto, who came on to finish out the current arc, is a great young artist but simply wasn’t ready to deal with the schedule that we had established. It was around this point we realized just how much of a machine Chris had been for us,” said Johnston.

“That's when it became clear that we needed to take steps to get back on track,” said series editor and Oni Press EIC James Lucas Jones. “We found the perfect artist for the following arc in Justin Greenwood, best known for RESURRECTION, and he started plugging away. Justin has actually been working on WASTELAND for almost a year now, gearing up for the new schedule. We can't wait to get the series back to the fans and to gain new fans with the $1 issue.”

Original series artist Chris Mitten will also be on hand, taking on the cover duties. Wasteland #33 hits stores January 18, proving a great time to throw yourself in the world 100 years after the Big Wet, where Earth has been left broken and infertile. The town of Providens is small and struggling for survival. Their fortunes may change upon inviting a stranger called Michael into the midst.

Full press release after the jump.

"WASTELAND" GOES MONTHLY WITH #33 FOR $1

To celebrate the return of Antony Johnston's WASTELAND, and to kick the series into high gear with a new monthly schedule, WASTELAND #33 will be $1. WASTELAND #33 marks a great jumping on point for new readers with a brand new arc and a brand new artist in Justin Greenwood. So the question becomes: Why the long hiatus?

Writer Antony Johnston sums it up pretty simply, “We screwed up. It all started around issue #25, which was double-length and full color, and exhausted Chris Mitten. We should have given him a break after that, but we didn’t, and suddenly he was struggling to hit deadlines. For Chris, that's pretty much unheard of.” To finish out the arc, Antony and Oni Press sought out new talent to give Chris a breather. “Remington Veteto, who came on to finish out the current arc, is a great young artist but simply wasn’t ready to deal with the schedule that we had established. It was around this point we realized just how much of a machine Chris had been for us,” said Johnston.

“That's when it became clear that we needed to take steps to get back on track,” said series editor and Oni Press EIC James Lucas Jones. “We found the perfect artist for the following arc in Justin Greenwood, best known for RESURRECTION, and he started plugging away. Justin has actually been working on WASTELAND for almost a year now, gearing up for the new schedule. We can't wait to get the series back to the fans and to gain new fans with the $1 issue.”

Original series artist and co-creator Chris Mitten is also returning, to take over covers. “Justin brings a great new vibe to the series,” said Chris. “I'm really excited to see the fan reaction to Justin's take on this world, and to be involved with WASTELAND myself in this new way.”

Jones continued, “The good news is that we’ve learned our lesson. From issue #33 onwards we’re adopting a new and better schedule. Fans of WASTELAND can look forward to the timeliness and regularity displayed by titles like THE SIXTH GUN and SPONTANEOUS, neither of which missed a ship date in 2011. Justin has already drawn up to #37 before we even solicit the arc, and Antony is scripting #41 right now. So we’re all working much, much further ahead than we ever have before on WASTELAND.”

Johnston has already planned out the rest of the series, right up to the final issue #60, saying “I’ve always known how WASTELAND would end, but how long it took -- and the journey from here to there -- was open. Now that we’re more than halfway through the series, I can see the landscape ahead more clearly, and every step along the way is accounted for.”

WASTELAND #33 hits store shelves on January 18th with a brand new arc, brand new artist and covers, and a special retail price of $1. Jump on now to the series that Warren Ellis calls “The best post-apocalyptic comic being published today”!

WASTELAND

100 years after the Big Wet, Earth has been left a broken, infertile world of rock and sand. The town of Providens is like many others on the post-Big Wet planet: small, mostly illiterate, and struggling for survival. When the town welcomes a stranger named Michael into its midst, will the quiet man lead them to a brave new world or shatter what little order still exists?