Oni Press is ecstatic to announce the June release of an all-new original graphic novel by Scott Morse, creator of SOULWIND. A modern-day heist tale, Morse's SPAGHETTI WESTERN is a full-length adventure that tips its ten-gallon hat to the films of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood that sparked a revolution in the Western genre in the mid-'60s.
"Westerns are few-and-far between in any entertainment medium these days, and that's too bad," Morse said. "I wanted to do something that both played on the classic touchstones of the genre, but also was about the fact that there just are not enough cowboys anymore. SPAGHETTI WESTERN came out of that. Two guys who are sick of modern life want to get back a little of that rebellious spirit that made screen legends out of Eastwood, Wayne, and Fonda. And what's more classically Western than robbing a bank?"
"The influence of film on Scott's work is pretty clear," Oni Press editor in chief Jamie S. Rich said. "In LITTLEGREYMAN, he chopped up a lot of his favorite films and fed them into the narrative-with even a poncho-wearing, cigar-chomping loner cowboy popping in for a couple of pages. And this past year, he did the BAREFOOT SERPENT graphic novel with Top Shelf, celebrating the films of Akira Kurosawa through a very unique tribute. To be honest, I was sold on this book at the title. Scott Morse, SPAGHETTI WESTERN – who would say no to that?!"
Beyond being a wild action romp, Morse is also going to give readers a tour of some of the sights in his California home. "There is a lot of culture in California that doesn't get covered in films and on TV," Morse added. "It's not all about the Hollywood glitz. There are places like Olvera Street, where the culture of Mexico is transplanted to Los Angeles. It's so colorful and rich, I want to put that on the page."
2004 is shaping up to be a big year for Morse. DC recently released his graphic novel BATMAN: A ROOMFUL OF STRANGERS to great fan acclaim. Top Shelf reteams with the cartoonist for the LYRICAL WHALES book in the summer, and in August, he will once again work with Oni Press, undertaking the 12-issue trek with writer Greg Rucka, EVEREST: FACING THE GODDESS. Morse will not only paint the covers, but each 32-page issue will feature a fully painted story from cover to cover-presented in color!
"Morse has been one of our biggest bread winners," Oni publisher Joe Nozemack. "From VOLCANIC REVOLVER through all five volumes of SOULWIND, our GHOST DOG comic book and his all-ages MAGIC PICKLE, he's been an Oni mainstay from the beginning, and has one of the most extensive libraries in our back catalogue. The guy is a virtuoso with a brush and an inkwell."
The SPAGHETTI WESTERN original graphic novel ships June 23, 2004, and retails for $11.95. Printed at digest size, 5.5" X 8", it will also be presented in a landscape format-meaning the length of the pages is 8", and the height 5.5". In order to allow retailers regular racking, the book will come in a vertical slip cover featuring a second cover painting by Morse! The story will be 136 pages and carry an ISBN of 1-929998-91-0.