‘True War Stories’ Gets Local Comic Shop Day Release

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Z2 Comics is bringing True War Stories to comic shops. Available for direct order now through Z2, the graphic novel adapting true tales of deployment will be released on November 25th, 2020, also known as Local Comic Shop Day. The book was assembled by Alex de Campi and co-edited by Iraq War veteran Khai Kumbaar.

“True War Stories is incredibly important to me personally, and I’m so proud of the absolutely top-tier work my collaborators have done in these stories” says Alex de Campi. “What makes it really perfect for Local. Comic Shop Day is that not only is it great for hardcore comics fans, but also such an easy book to hand-sell to casual browsers. True War Stories is perfect for the military veteran or “dad who loves nonfiction” or the friend who doesn’t really read many comics. And a big, chunky self-contained 250-page reads that look really nice gift-wrapped for the holidays, just saying.”
Tales included in True War Stories range from Vietcong sappers attacking a fuel point only to be foiled by an unusual alert guard dog and an MP guards’ convoys of mystery bombs in the Thai jungle in 1968 to a young Airman coping with post 9/11 paranoia in Okinawa and a Marine sniper in Haiti facing the repercussions of the shot he never took and much more.

Khai Kumbaar added “To me, True War Stories is a book about making connections. There’s the obvious connection between civilians who get an inside look at real military life and the connection between service members who see themselves reflected in the stories, but there’s also a connection to the medium of comics itself. I think TWS (and books like it) can be an invitation to those who maybe thought comics weren’t for people like them. We saw a bunch of non-traditional comics readers back our Kickstarter. It’ll be fun to see what happens when they wander into their friendly local comic shops looking for more.”
True War Stories features artwork from Peter Krause, Ryan Howe, Skylar Patridge (drawing her own father’s Vietnam story), Eoin Marron, Tish Doolin (a former Army medic), Dave Acosta, A. D’Amico, Drew Moss, Josh Hood, PJ Holden, Chris Peterson, Sam Hart, Jeff McComsey, and Paul Williams and colors by Dee Cunniffe, Matt Soffe, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Tarsis Cruz, and Aladdin Collar. De Campi handles the letters for the entire book.

There are 15 tales collected in True War Stories, clocking in at 260 pages. Nearly every branch of the military is represented. If you missed the Kickstarter, this is the only way to get a copy of the book. Direct orders will be packed and shipped by Z2’s fulfillment center at a 50% discount for retailers. That discount is extended to all existing backlist titles from Z2 at the time of their order. All orders will be shipped on consignment with payment for all books sold due 90 days from their ship date. Retailers will be responsible for shipping costs.
All profits from the True War Stories retail release will be donated to military-related charities chosen by the contributors as personally meaningful to them. These include Objective Zero Foundation, Air Force Assistance Fund, the USO, Armed Services Arts Partnership, and Special Operations Warrior Foundation.