Official Press Release

Having turned the zombie genre on its head in SLG Publishing's Dead Eyes Open, writer Matthew Shepherd returns next spring with a new pirate tale set in the volatile high seas of the Caribbean. Based off of the classic 1922 novel by Rafael Sabatin, Captain Blood: His Odyssey, Shepherd and artist Mike Shoykhet (Tron) bring you an exciting new interpretation starting next spring with the debut issue of Captain Blood #1.

Peter Blood had always been a driven man. He was a soldier, a sailor, a captain, and a doctor. Nothing seemed unattainable for the skilled Dr. Blood. But when an act of compassion during a rebellion thrusts him into the bottom trenches of slavery, Peter must use his wits and experience to fight his way back to freedom. Shepherd's Captain Blood promises to chronicle Bloo's ascension to power as he eventually becomes one of the most notorious pirates to roam the seven seas.

The book will be filled with epic sea warfare, forbidden romance, drunken debauchery, unrelenting action, and yes, even political intrigue. This isn't any ordinary pirate story, however. It's as much a story of one man's journey of transformation and strength in the face of defeatist-inducing circumstances as it is a tail of revenge, violence, and adventure. "Blood is no cardboard-cutout hero," Shepherd says, "he's a tactical genius, but also a rash, bullheaded leader whose sense of nobility gets him into as much trouble as it gets him out of it."

And just how did Shepherd go from writing about zombies to writing about pirates? As part of SLG Publishing's new initiative, internally developed concepts are being pitched to creators. "When [SLG Publishing president] Dan Vado approached me about doing Captain Blood, I'd already been hearing about pirates as an alternate social construct," says Shepherd, "and oddly enough, most of my comics work, especially Dead Eyes Open, has to do with shifting social and political structures, so the book was a perfect fit."

Captain Blood #1 is set for a full-color spring 2009 debut. It will also mark the first of many internally developed SLG projects.

SLG Publishing is a San Jose, CA based publisher of comic books, graphic novels and related merchandise. Established in 1986 some of SLG's more notable comics and creators have included Johnny the Homicidal Maniac by Jhonen Vasquez, Lenore by Roman Dirge, Milk & Cheese by Evan Dorkin and Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks