Blacking Out by Chip Mosher & Peter Krause, Now From Dark Horse

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Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Dark Horse Comics | Tagged: blacking out, Chip Mosher, graphic novel, peter krause

Blacking Out is a noir crime hardcover graphic novel, from Dark Horse Books. Written by ComiXology and Dstlry’s Chip Mosher and Peter Krause.

Originally funded on Kickstarter in 2020, Blacking Out is a noir crime adventure being published for the first time as a hardcover graphic novel, now from Dark Horse Books. Written by ComiXology and Dstlry’s Chip Mosher and Peter Krause, coloured by Giulia Brusco, lettered by Ed Dukeshire with a logo by Tom Muller.

Fire and murder blaze across the deserts of Southern California. A disgraced ex-cop, Conrad, seeks redemption by unraveling an unsolved murder during Southern California’s fire season. Conrad follows a lone clue—a discarded crucifix—to unravel the death of Karen Littleton, whose body was found amid a blaze that scorched 10,000 acres. The search leads him to clash with the victim’s father and prime suspect, Robert Littleton, as well as hostile former colleagues on the local police force. All the while, Conrad combats his consuming alcoholism and fading faculties. Will his “questionable” methods net him a murderer, or will the grizzled detective be brought to his knees by heartbreak and addiction? Find out in this all-new edition of Blacking Out, a scorching crime noir comic set in a small town in the dry California desert.

Having the privilege to attend the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France this past decade, writer and co-creator Chip Mosher has not only fallen in love with the oversized European hardcover format (~12.5″ x 9.5″), but also the creative aesthetic of what the French call bande dessinée or BD. Whereas American comics release on a monthly basis and demand tight deadlines, the standard 48 page BD album is drawn over 6 months or longer, allowing the creators to spread their wings and put their best work forward.

“Blacking Out is a hard drinking, hard boiled mystery with a finale that lands like a ton of bricks—do not miss it.” – Gerry Duggan, Dead Eyes, Deadpool, Marauders
With this approach in mind, co-creator and artist Peter Krause worked on BLACKING OUT over several years, toiling over each page to create a tight 56-page graphic novel. (Note: Chip needed some extra pages, so not keeping it to the standard French 48-page standard is his fault! – Pete.) Working “Marvel-style” (the writer providing the artist a script with no panel breakdowns), Peter was able to exercise complete artistic control over the pacing of the story, a rarity in American comics. Chip then followed with a final lettering draft after Peter finished drawing all of the pages. This creative process ensured a deep collaboration between writer and artist… true co-creators in every sense.

“Ed Dukeshire then lettered the project with Scalped alumnus Giulia Brusco providing colors. Finally, Tom Muller designed the logo and the cover, working directly with Peter. In the spirit of the project, each contributor was guaranteed as much time needed to provide their best work.”

“In total, the team spent more than three full years creating this graphic novel. No expense was spared, no shortcuts were taken. This graphic novel was crafted without compromise; an unrushed, immaculately sculpted book with few peers.”