John Rozum.com

The Portland Sea Dogs meet Scooby-Doo

2025-07-01T15:20:00.007-04:00

I will be in Portland, ME this coming Sunday representing both DC Comics and the International Cryptozoology Museum, along with ICM founder and cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman.

I will also be doing something I'd never anticipated would be part of my life experience, which is throwing out the first pitch.

The fun starts at 1:00 at Delta Dental Park (Hadlock Field). There will a number of Scooby-Doo themed events and merchandise including, I'm told, an appearance by the Mystery Inc. gang. Jinkies!

Tickets and information can be found here.

Out Next Week

2025-06-12T23:47:00.002-04:00

The Milestone Compendium Four, a nearly 1300 page collection of material published by Milestone Media in the 1990s, and roughly a third of that was written by me, including the second half of my original run of Xombi (the first half is contained in Milestone Compendium One) as well as the remaining issues of Kobalt, and the arc of Hardware that I did with Eric Battle. With the exception of a couple more issues of material, this Compendium concludes the work I did for Milestone back during its original incarnation. This volume hits stores on June 17, 2025.

Here's some additional information pulled from Amazon:

Static, Hardware, Blood Syndicate, and more. Read the original stories of the characters that became Milestone icons in this massive compendium.

The iconic Milestone line that helped define the 90’s are now collected in a beautiful compendium. These brilliant and daring writers and artists brought their own experiences into comics that changed the game forever. Milestone ushered in a culturally diverse mix of superheroes, set in the fictional setting of Dakota, and ushered in the comics that inspired the hit TV series Static Shock. Read the original stories from the Milestone Universe today.

Collects: Blood Syndicate #28-32; Hardware #29-38; Icon #28-37; Static #26-31; Xombi #12-21; Shadow Cabinet #14-17; My Name is Holocaust #1-5; The Long, Hot Summer #1-3.

The Grim Gallery Embarking On Year Fifteen

2025-05-17T13:28:00.003-04:00

Fifteen years ago I began The Grim Gallery, a companion blog where I'd share the thousands of digital images of monsters of the screen, page, museum and art gallery, as well as other sources. As of today I've posted 5097 of them at the rate of one per day. If you like monsters then head on over and dig deep into monsters both popular and obscure.

Big Bang Adventures #30

2025-01-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

Entirely illustrated by Cesar Madarro, Big Bang Adventures #30 contains a story that the two of us collaborated on a couple of years ago just for fun. As a life long night owl, I recalled the time I lived in Ann Arbor and would often see a couple of the neighbors also leading nocturnal lifestyles through glimpses of them seen through their windows. I always wondered what they did for a living that afforded them that kind of schedule. This story addresses that.

I'm also happy this would up in a Big Bang comic. I supported their intentions and their initial comics back in 1994 and still have my Big Bang membership kit, including the mask.

Milestone Compendium Volume Four

2025-01-05T15:25:00.006-05:00

The Milestone Compendium Volume Four will be released on June 17, 2025, rather than in February as the previous volumes had been. This issue contains the remaining ten issues of Xombi that I wrote, with art by J.J. Birch and color by Noelle Giddings and lettering by Agnes Pinaha. It also includes my short run of Hardware with art by Eric Battle and Angel Gabriele, color by Julia Laquement, and lettering by Steve Dutro.

You can preorder it through your local comic book retailer or independent bookstore.

There's also a link below*:

https://www.amazon.com/Milestone-Compendium-Four-Dwayne-McDuffie/dp/1799500268

*A portion of sales via this link will go back to me.

Midnight, Mass. Trade Paperback Collection Now Available

2024-10-01T14:23:00.029-04:00

Collecting the entire 8-issue series, Midnight, Mass., written by me with pencils by Jesus Saiz, inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, colors by Noelle Giddings and Kevin Somers, lettering by Ken Bruzenak and John Costanza, and edited by Heidi MacDonald is now available at your local comic book store and book store.

The series follows the exploits of paranormal investigators Adam and Julia Kadmon as they take on a variety of monsters, strange cults, ghosts, and a new personal assistant.

Scooby-Doo's Greatest Adventures

2024-07-23T15:31:00.003-04:00

Scooby-Doo's Greatest Adventures, a 424 page trade paperback collection of a variety of Scooby-Doo comic book stories will be available on October 29, 2024. You can preorder a copy through your local comic book store, or bookseller.

I assume, but could be wrong, that this is the same collection that was originally published in 2019. If so, the stories included which I wrote are "A Wolf in Creep's Clothing" and "Yankee Doodle Danger."

International Cryptozoology Conference 2024

2024-04-24T15:43:00.004-04:00

Cryptids have appeared in my work for some time, so this weekend I'll be attending the International Cryptozoology Conference.

The ICM's International Cryptozoology Conference will feature engaging talks and presentations by leading Cryptozoology experts on a variety of topics as well as access to the our vendor rooms, hosting over two dozen cryptozoology, science, curiosity, and Fortean themed vendors. This one of a kind event is an important program and fundraiser supporting the non-profit scientific and educational mission of the International Cryptozoology Museum (ICM) - it's also a lot of fun! Get your tickets today: https://cryptozoologymuseum.simpletix.com/

Special rates for kids under 13, as always babes in arms and strollers are free.

Friday Night VIP Event Schedule:
3:00-6:00pm - Vendor Room Early Access (not all vendors may yet be present)
4:30-6:30pm - Meet & Greet Tea Time Fundraiser for Herp Haven - touch reptiles, chat with cryptozoology experts and other enthusiasts
6:00-7:00pm - Casual Pizza Dinner with VIP seating - eat and mingle with over a dozen cryptozoology celebrities! Celebrities include most of our speakers and: Nathaniel Brislin author of "Crawlers: A Conclusive Casebook,” Aleksandar Petakov of Small Town Monsters, Michael Familant of In the Shadow of Big Red Eye, Jeff Foran of Strangeology Podcast, Sam Baltrusis author of Ghosts of Salem, Travis J Hill - artist, and more!
7:00-8:00pm - Keynote Address: J.W. Ocker, author of The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters
8:00-10:00pm - Screening of BIG FUR, a feature documentary movie about taxidermist Ken Walker, Bigfoot and the value of wilderness. Meet taxidermist Ken Walker, filmmaker Dan Wayne, and "Patty" the bigfoot.

Saturday Main Conference Schedule:
9:00-6:00pm - Vendor Room Fully Open Come See Live Reptiles
9:45-10:00am - Official Conference Welcome
10:00-10:45am - "Bigfoot in Maine: Back into the Woods" - Michelle Souliere, author of Bigfoot in Maine & Strange Maine
11:00-11:45am - "Cryptozoology Adventures" - Pat Spain, host of Travel Channel's Legend Hunter, Nat Geo's Beast Hunter
12:15-12:45pm - "Mystery Cats" - Jean Tewksbury, Eastern Cougar Researcher
12:00-1:00pm - Lunch at the Food Trucks, vendor room open
1:00-:1:45pm - "Big Cats are Scary: A case study of cryptozoology & folklore" - Christopher Packard, author, biologist, and folklorist
2:00-2:45pm - "My Favorite 25 Cryptozoology Facts" - Wen Eldridge, cryptozoologist and creator at Facebook's "Cryptozoology Facts"
3:00-3:45pm - "Cryptozoology, Cthulhu, and Lovecraft" - David Goudsward, author and cryptozoologist
4:00-4:45pm - "Digging into Skinwalker Ranch's Cryptozoology: Bigfoot, Dogmen, & Dinobeavers"" - Loren Coleman, author, cryptozoology legend, and founder of the ICM
5:00-5:30pm - Official Closing Remarks

Dinner on your own - offsite - see what Portland has to offer.

Optional Add-on - The International Cryptozoology Museum is open during the conference and Sunday 10-6 and is only a short distance away from the conference and come tour the museum! Separate ticket purchase required.

Special rates available in our block of rooms at the Clarion - room availability is limited so book your reservation now, only rooms in the block include free breakfast.
Reservation link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/YH91V6

Midnight, Mass. Trade Paperback Collection Coming In Fall 2024

2024-03-28T14:45:00.001-04:00

Through it's Black Label imprint, DC Comics will be releasing a 208 page trade paperback collection of the 8-issue series, Midnight, Mass. on October 1, 2024. It will sell for $16.99 retail. You should be able to pre-order it through your local comic book store in the next few months.

Midnight, Mass. follows the adventures of paranormal investigators Adam and Julia Kadmon from their home in Midnight, Massachusetts. It was written by me with pencils by Jesus Saiz, inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, colors by Noelle Giddings and Kevin Somers, letters by Ken Bruzenak and John Costanza, and covers by Tomer Hanuka. It was edited by Heidi MacDonald and Zachary Rau.

Here's DC's press announcement:

The Best Cryptozoology Books 0f 2023

2024-03-12T16:29:00.007-04:00

Loren Coleman has released a list of the best Cryptozoology related books of 2023 which included issue #121 of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You. You can see all of the books on the list here.

The Milestone Compendium - Volume 3 Now Available

2024-02-21T13:00:00.042-05:00

The third huge volume collecting all of the Milestone Media comics from the 1990s is now available. Among the varied chronological contents are issues 1-14 of Kobalt,a series I created and wrote, with art by Arvell Jones, Eric Battle, Jamal Igle,and others. You can order the Milestone Compendium Book 3 through Amazon, and a percentage of that sale will come back to me, by clicking here: Milestone Compendium Book 3 .

Milestone Compendium Book 1 which contains Xombi 0-11, also written by me and drawn by Denys Cowan and J..J. Birch is also available here:

Milestone Compendium Book 1

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #125

2023-12-07T14:00:00.005-05:00

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #125 is now available at a comic book store near you. It contains a new story I wrote, as well as a reprint of an older story I also wrote. The complete credits can be found in the previous post. You can read a preview of this issue's main story here.

Available Next Week

2023-11-30T15:03:00.005-05:00

On December 5th at a comic book store newar you, the Mystery Inc. gang investigates the Hyena Man in "No Laughing Matter" written by me, with art by Randy Elliot (who also did the cover), colorist, Silvana Brys (who also colored the cover), lttered by Saida Temofonte, and edited by Courtney Jordan. This issue also reprints "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" by myself, Robert Pope on pencils, Scott McRae on inks, Heroic Age coloring, Randy Gentile, lettering, and Jeanine Scheaffer editing. This story was originally published back in May, 2008 in Scooby-Doo #132.

The Grim Gallery Enters Year 13

2023-05-16T15:30:00.001-04:00

Do you like monsters? My companion blog, The Grim Gallery is full of them. Over 4300 of them, posted one per day. The Grim Gallery has just entered its 13th year of surving up all sorts of horrors on a daily basis. Go check it out.

Signing at the International Cryptozoology Museum

2023-05-16T00:13:00.002-04:00

On May 6th, famed Cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman and I signed 300 copies of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? #121 at the International Cryptozoology Museum in Bangor, Maine. The comic book, which I wrote, features a thinly veiled version of Loren and his museum.

It was a fun day overall. I got to poke around in the museum library. We met some great people who attended the signing, and afterwards Loren took me on an abbreviated Stephen King tour. (The King household is right around the corner from the museum). Loren also showed me the future museum site and generously sent me home with a pile of loot.

If you were unable to attend, copies are still available at the International Cryptozoology Museum at both its Bangor, and Portland, Maine locations. They are free with a $10.00 donation to the museum. Shipping is additional. Thank you to Loren Coleman and Jean Tewksbury for hosting me. Signing photos by Jean Tewksbury Photos outside the King house by Loren Coleman

Signing at The International Cryptozoology Museum with Loren Coleman

2023-04-29T16:57:00.006-04:00

Next Saturday, May 6, 2023, world renowned cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman, and I will be signing copies of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You #121 at the International Cryptozoology Musuem's neew location in Bangor, Maine. Scoony Doo! Where Are You? #121 was recently published by DC Comics. It features a story I wrote which features a character who is very thinly veiled version of Loren Coleman and also features an equally barely disguised version of the International Cryptozoology Museum. The story was drawn by Walter Carzon, inked by Horacio Ottolini, colored by Sylvana Brys, and lettered by Saida Temofonte. It was edited by Courtney Jordan. See previous posts for more information.

The signing will take place between 11:00 am and 4:00 PM. All proceeds will benefit the International Cryptozoology Museum located at: 585 Hammond Street Bangor, Maine 04401

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #121

2023-04-04T00:26:00.005-04:00

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #121 marks my return to writing Scooby-Doo comics after a twelve year absence. Guest starring a thinly veiled friend of mine, and world renowned cryptozoologist, this issue is available today at a comic book store near you. There's a preview of the first few pages here. Published by DC Comics the issue was edited by Courtney Jordan, drawn by Walter Carzon, inked by Horacio Ottolini, colored by Sylvana Brys, and lettered by Saida Temofonte.

Ask Me Anything #66

2023-04-03T00:00:00.011-04:00

I've been pretty bad about running these, and with blogs being somewhat archaic vs other social media platforms, am not sure there's any interest here. We'll find out. Here's your chance to ask me anything you want, whether it's about my work, influences, what I'm watching, reading, eating, drinking, anything you want at all. Leave me your questions in the comments and I will answer them, either there, or if it requires a lengthy response, in a separate post. You can view previous questions and replys under labels on the right side of this page, by scrolling down. Now ask away.

Available Next Week

2023-03-29T17:57:00.002-04:00

Available at a comic book store near you on April 4, 2023 is Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #121. It contains a tenpage story written by me with art by Walter Carzon, Inks by Horacio Ottolini, colors by Silvana Brys, letters by Saida Temofonte and edits by Courtney Jordan. As many of you know in the early 2000s I wrote over 100 comic book stories for Scooby-Doo. While my stories have been reprinted frequently since then, the last one I wrote was in 2010. I was very happy to revisit the Mystery, Inc. gang after such a long absence.

THE ABYSS #6 is Now Free to Read

2023-02-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

The culmination of the Red King saga is now available to read for free at Interpop Comics. This storyline greatly expanded the supporting cast of The Abyss, revealed a great deal of the mythology behind his group of Acolytes, gave some hints into the Abyss's origins, and provided a key villain, and former ally, in the form of the Red King, while also establishing alliances, betrayals, and suggestions of what's to come. A lot of work went into this book, not just from myself, but from my talented collaborators, Cliff Richards, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos Mangual, Rylen Sigman, and Rachel Gluckstern, and I think it shows. You can read the entire saga of the Abyss, thus far, for free. That includes all six issues of the ongoing series, plus the four 8-page stories starring the Abyss which appeared in Emergents Presents. Give them a read and let me know your thoughts on them.

THE ABYSS #6 Variant Cover Available

2023-01-17T14:53:00.004-05:00

This great alternative cover to The Abyss #6 by Peter Nguyen is now available at Interpop Comics.

THE ABYSS #6 is Now Available

2023-01-16T15:11:00.003-05:00

I was away all of last week with really spotty internet so I did not get to post this. The Abyss #6, which brings the Red King saga to its epic climax with more guest heroes and villains than you can shake a stick at,is now available at Interpop Comics. This issue was created by the usual crew of myself, Cliff Richards, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos Mangual, Rachel Gluckstern and Rylen Sigman. It features wall to wall action and a number of revelations. You can also read the first part of it for free here. If you need to catch up, issues 1-5 are also available under Free to Read, a are the initial 4 8-page The Abyss stories from Emergents Presents. At some point in the next couple of months I will probably put up a post of my process on putting together The Abyss up through the end of this arc. I did something similar with The Hangman way back when. Stay tuned.

THE ABYSS #5 Now Available

2022-11-16T15:56:00.001-05:00

The Abyss's attempts to keep the Red King from returning diminish with the arrival of the Red King's daughters: Mortuaria, Cemeteria, and Crematoria. See what happens in The Abyss #5, now available from Interpop Comics. If you need to catch up, the previous issues are all available for free under the Free to Read category.

THE ABYSS #4 Available For Free

2022-11-07T16:53:00.006-05:00

The Abyss #3 is now free to read in it's entirety here. If you missed any previous issues, including the initial four 8-page stories, you can find them all at Interpop Comics under "Free to Read."

THE ABYSS #4 Variant Cover Now Available

2022-10-12T15:10:00.005-04:00

The Abyss #4 has a variant cover by Miguel Sepulveda and Alex Sinclair which is now availble. You can find it here. The regular edition of The Abyss #4 is also still available here. Earlier issues can be found for free, under "Free To Read."