Dan Hipp of Amazing Joy Buzzards fame announced that GYAKUSHU!, his OEL manga series that got caught up in the Tokyopop implosion a couple of years ago, is returning on the web. While the first two volumes saw print, the third was canceled by Tokyopop along with a lot of their other original English language projects in 2008.

Hipp is launching a site at http://www.thethiefisdead.blogspot.com/, where he plans to post the first two volumes and the first third of the third one starting Jan. 11. Right now the site is invitation only, but there is a way to get early access, as noted here.

He also shared a bit more on the project in the last days of 2009, talking about why he chose to post it on the web.

"Now, to anyone that has suggested I should look into an IMAGE deal, similar to what the amazing Brandon Graham did with KING CITY, well... Thank you so much for the thought and concern, but quite frankly, I did. There didn't seem to be much interest, or maybe the lines of communication were crossed, regardless, after looking around and asking a few questions to people in the know, I realized that I loved the idea of putting a blog together on my own, with no interference, allowing for anyone that reads it to leave comments on any given chapter of the series and to ask questions if they felt the need," he said on his blog. "Hopefully, anyone taking the time to read several hundreds of pages online that liked them, might feel the need to purchase a hard copy (Volumes 1 and 2 still available, more on Volume 3 later (he teased)). GYAKUSHU! was NOT designed to be read as single issues of a monthly comic, and in hind sight, I do not think that going to IMAGE (or anyone else (and I did)) would have been the right choice for the book. The story was designed as a series of graphic novels, and the only alternative I see to that, in print, is the ultimate/absolute/what$@#!in'ever 600 page version. The blog may be up for a long time, or not long at all, only time will tell. Volume 3 will NOT immediately be posted in it's entirety, but rather just the first third."

And if, like me, you've been eagerly awaiting the next Amazing Joy Buzzards book, Monster Love, he also gave an update. "For anyone wondering about AJB: MONSTER LOVE, I'm back on the job and am hoping that 2010 is the year of the Monster(Love). I'm no longer making promises, as I have no more foot to put in my mouth. To everyone that's been waiting, I thank you for your continued patience," he said.

And finally, in more good Dan Hipp news, he also posted several strips on his blog last week: take a look at this Amazing Joy Buzzards strip, this Bonehead strip and this Supernatural (as in the TV show) story, featuring the Ghostfacers!