It’s that time once again. After working on it for the last few months with my wife (and the book’s designer) Amber, the fifth print annual for SKTCHD/Off Panel – SKTCHD BOOK 2023 – is effectively complete (there are still some details being finalized, but it’s 99% locked in). That means it’s ready for order, and like with the past few editions, I’m running orders for the book through Big Cartel. You can order it at the link below.

So, what is SKTCHD BOOK 2023, you might be wondering? It’s a print annual collecting five of my favorite pieces from the site and its podcast, Off Panel, all in one unique artifact. It results in a 104 page book (although that’s still officially TBD) that’s A5 sized and printed on 80 lb uncoated paper and a 110 lb matte laminated cover, collectively forming a striking, perfect bound tome. And what might you find inside this book? Well, this year’s edition includes:

• A foreword from writer/artist Liana Kangas!
• My feature on how an influential Pizza Hut x X-Men collaboration came together in the 1990s, with insight from those who helped make it happen!
• A piece on how comic creators like Kieron Gillen, Kelly Thompson, James Tynion IV, and more use page turns to enhance the comic reading experience!
• My career-spanning conversation with writer Rick Remender from Off Panel, with it appearing in print this one time only!
• Creators like Jason Aaron, Gerry Duggan, Joshua Williamson, and more sharing their Stilt-Man, the D-list characters they cannot help but love!
• A retrospective of Top 10, as artists Gene Ha and Zander Cannon share how this project with writer Alan Moore came to be!
• Introductory pieces by artist Tadd Galusha!

Like with the last couple editions, I’m only printing the number ordered, so if you want a book, this is your time to get one. Copies of the book are now on sale on Big Cartel for $22 each (plus shipping), and they will only be on sale for a limited time with orders closing on Tuesday, April 30th at 5 pm Alaska time. Once they’re closed, they’re closed. There will only be one print run. At that point, I’ll print the number of copies ordered on Big Cartel at Mixam, ship them up to Alaska, and then I will distribute them to anyone who ordered a copy. Once orders close, it will be a week or so before they arrive in Alaska, at which point I’ll ship them out, making this a pre-order of sorts. We have this down to a science, though, and went through the same process the past few years. It should be as minimal a turnaround time as possible.

Just a note on shipping, though. American customers can order either media mail (cheaper but slower) or flat rate (faster but more expensive). Unfortunately, International customers do not have many options because I was not given many options. Shipping from Alaska to any other country is outrageously expensive, with it almost always being more expensive than the book itself. I tried to find the most inexpensive options possible, even talking with USPS employees to find better options. There were none. Apologies in advance!

I’ll include some fun bonuses with the books (including maybe a small run of a sticker that’s a bit), as per usual, but the past few years have resulted in an increased number of requests for me to sign the book. If you’d like that, please let me know in the notes of the order. Happy to do so, but I also don’t want to deface the book unless you so desire. Also, I do have a limited supply of SKTCHD ZINES remaining if you’re interested in adding one to your order if you missed it the first time.

That’s it! Want a copy of SKTCHD BOOK 2023? Order it on Big Cartel to do just that, but remember, orders close in in three weeks, so make it happen soon! If you have any questions about the book or shipping or anything, email me at david@SKTCHD.com and I will do my best to answer whatever questions you might have. Other than that, thanks for reading, and I hope you check out SKTCHD BOOK 2023!