After a brief stopover at San Diego, the first palette of the SiP Omnibus is in our warehouse now. The rest should arrive the 3rd week of August, at which time we will immediately begin processing and shipping out orders. If you were one of the wonderful people who purchased early then I have something to show you… pictures of what you have to look forward to! I broke open a box and shot a few photos to point out some of the things I love about this edition.
First off, you may have already read that I did a lot of editing on this edition. I corrected as many of the typos as I could find (and there were many), and I put the story in order. For example, issue 25 (which was a summer special one-shot about a Florida vacation week) actually fits into the story directly after issue 12 (the death of Darcy). In the Omnibus, 25 follows 12. Things like that. So when you read the book, the story is in order and flows much better.
I also put the edgier things back into the story. In the original issues, some of the scenes and language were more intense than what made it to the trade paperbacks. This was a case of self-censorship in an attempt to reach a broader audience during some years when competition was stiff and I was determined not to end up with a small underground audience. I wanted a big overground audience! Now I’m pretty sure all my readers are grown up, so the gloves are off. I was delighted to find that in most all cases, the original version is funnier. I hope you think so, too.
The Katchoo Disney dream is back in color (because black & white characters dream in color), as is the Freddie super-hero chapter (issue #33).
And, every page has been redigitized to the highest new standards, cleaned and formatted to show as much of the art as possible. It’s amazing how many pages cropped the art in order to get full-bleeds (art that runs off the paper). In the Omnibus, I managed to show more art and still keep bleeds when necessary. Part of the reason is I’m much better at Photoshop now, but also, the first two volumes and the first 45 issues of volume three were made before I was digitizing my own files. In those early days the art went straight to the printer to be shot on camera. Old school. So, a lot of art on the fringes of panels was lost, and there’s some good stuff out there! So, the artist in me is delighted to get this back into the book.
I have to confess, I have not read the series since I finished. The reason being, I knew all these flaws were in there, and I wanted to wait for the corrected version I knew I’d someday make. This is it. I can’t wait to sit down and read the story from the beginning, without all those subtle things nagging at me to fix or ignore. And, everything SiP is in here. Every short story, even Molly & Poo and Xena. Holding the box set is like holding my baby, and they weigh about the same!
So, the photos.
The Omnibus is six inches wide!
There are three books in the slipcase, Book ONE, Book TWO, and the Cover Gallery. The box is shrink-wrapped to keep them clean and safe.
The back of the box. Every Omnibus is signed and numbered, with a bookplate inside the book One. Your number is listed on the outside. The one I claimed for myself is 060. I like palindromes. #1 went to a close friend.
The entire series is in these two books. Fat books, with beautiful covers. Darcy and David are on the back sides.
I love this. Open the books anywhere and they lay flat. The quality of the book and its binding are superb. No art is lost in the gutter between the pages. This means you don’t need two hands to read the book, so reading while eating or doing your other favorite one-handed activities is now an option.
The Katchoo Disney dream, back in color, the way it’s supposed to be.
The end papers feature the entire cast. The cover art for the SiP Sourcebook was perfect for this!
Book THREE is the Cover Gallery, and it contains every SIP related cover ever published by Abstract Studio.
The Cover Gallery is 168 pages of nothing but cover art. Most of these covers were colored by Brian Miller through his company Hi-Fi Colour Design. So, I’ll bet this is his favorite book in the set, and rightfully so! 
So, there you go. I’m on cloud nine. Soon as your books arrive from China (third week of August), we’ll get your copy out immediately and then it will be up to you to lift and carry this giant 12 pound behemoth around with you. Be careful! Do not drop it on the babies, the puppies, or short husbands!
Looks absolutely gorgeous! I think I may actually have to crack down and get me one of these, especially since I never actually finished reading the series, I”m ashamed to admit! Congrats!
Ooh, the excitement! The omnibus looks absolutely wonderful. Can’t wait to get my copy
Oh boy! Ever since your last blog post (and heck, even before then), I’ve been eagerly waiting for this comprehensive examination of the Omnibus. Details on this edition, info on the print quality and binding, etc. I am SO excited to hear that this is everything you hoped it would be. It sounds and looks absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to get my copy! I pre-ordered it some time ago… and I’ve never even read SiP. I’ve been LOVING Echo to pieces, so I’m going to be an Omnibus reader who is also a first-time SiP reader. I know that it’s going to be a truly singular, wonderful, extraordinary experience. I can imagine how heavy this is… please protect and secure them with lots of bubble wrap for shipping!
Y’know. I think I’m tearing up a little. You’d think it was MY baby!
After seeing this I SO hope my friends picked up a copy for me at SDCC like I ordered them to do. If not there’s going to be some ass-whuppin’.
They look great, Terry ! The perfect way to present the entire run of SiP! I’m sure Francine, Katchoo, and the rest of the gang are tickled pink with how it turned out !
The omnibus looks beyond beautiful. I kept trying to make myself feel better about not buying it (money is too tight) by convincing myself that since the books were going to be so HUGE that there was no possible way it would be “readable” with all those pages, that this is more of a collector’s item than practical. Well after inspecting a copy at Comic Con….I was WRONG. I’m still flabergasted about how flat the book lays, it’s totally readable, and not just meant to look purty on a shelf.
Now I really REALLY have to get one, my poor Bone one volume is getting too lonely being the fattest book on my shelf.
The dustjackets look amazing… and when was the last time you saw such a full piece of artwork on an endsheet?! I’ll admit to also being particularly interested to see how the binding holds up… hopefully the idea is that, when laying flat as you show, the binding doesn’t come apart.
Oh man, this was the best thing in the world to see today. I can’t wait for this to arrive so I can just drown myself in SiP love for like a month!
Well I just hope my LCS has ordered it for me.(I did ask) I couldn’t get one down in San Diego because I couldn’t get it home. Sitting, waiting and with fingers crossed.
Looks great Terry
cheers
Erin
Beautiful book, Terry! Congratulations!
I teared up too, Audra… What a sap
Thanks, Terry, for putting together such a beautiful book. I can’t wait to get mine!
Wow… the photos are incredible! I’m starting to regret not ordering a copy…
One question: why did you choose Darcy for the back cover and not Casey or Tambi?
I has ordered it from last Previews!
I inform you that one copy is directed to italy!!!
Bye
I didn’t want Darcy… but she made a convincing case. I had no choice.
OMG! SIP it’s the greatest Comic book of all to me! I really have to have one of it!!! Specially coz here in Brazil we didn’t get the full story!
It’s so damn beautifull! I love it! When can we get one?
Now. Order now.
Is there any way to get the tote bags you were offering at SDCC?
I live down in florida and couldn’t make it there, and am also a poor college student.
If ordered from your website, does the bag come with it? Or should I try and get a copy from my LCS?
I’m going to have to amazon my pocket books now!
Yes, we have some of the SiP tote bags left from SDCC. We will be selling them through the website beginning this weekend, along with the two new prints and the 2009 Sketchbook.
Oh, and the tote bag is not included with an OMNIBUS order. That was a special premium for con attendees only, since they had to lug the 12 pound box around the show!
Yay sketchbook and new Echo print! Limited quantities! I put in my order
Once you mentioned they’d be in the store beginning this weekend, I started keeping an eye out!
God, I want one of these SO bad, but I just can’t afford it. The pics are beautiful tho.
We’ve bought 4 of then here in brazil at 9/1 … I’m crazy to get my copy.
I finally got my copy (999/1250). It was worth the wait.
Thank you!! ^^
I received my copy a few days ago. Beautiful! Honestly, it was worth every cent. Thanks Terry.