Read WOLF'S HEAD issue 17 of the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive

Elevator Pitch

“In this special issue of WOLF’S HEAD, four lives collide! Lauren Greene, hunted and desperate, must gamble everything on a dubious ally to protect her dog and a young AI. Richard Blairstone wrestles with his unravelling mind and a dangerous connection to that same AI, uncovering a grim clue from the past. Meanwhile, trucker Super Bob Sanchez scrambles to ditch a truckload of stolen goods before the law catches up. And high-powered CEO Jeremy Hamilton faces his own private reckoning, where one risky act of trust could spell redemption… or ruin.”

Milestone!

It’s a bit of a milestone for the series! While 17 issues probably doesn’t seem all that special, creating 17 issues of a full-colour independent series really is. Honestly, it hasn’t been easy; getting reviews for my work has never been easy, but it’s become much harder over the past few years. I’m not sure why this is (and there are notable exceptions, of course), but it’s a struggle. One of the things I’ve long-loved about comics was that both creators and the media that covered them had a punk/do-it-yourself kinda mentality. I think this partially stemmed from the fanzine roots of comics media combined with how disparaged (at least in the West) comics as a medium often were. Here I’m thinking of Fredric Wertham, the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings on comics books in 1954, and the subsequent creation of the Comics Code Authority. Not to be outdone, the province of Alberta (where some of this issue takes place!) published a pamphlet in the mid-1950s titled What's Wrong With Comic Books? that attempted to encourage educators, parents, and libarians to, as the pamphlet notes, create an “Rx for ‘comics’ — Guiding Your Child to Good Reading”.

I personally find this history pretty repugnant; the idea that comics books could have a potential impact on juvenile delinquency has always struck me as extremely narrow-minded view and, more importantly, certainly not a fact-based view. However, this mentality remained pretty dominant right into the 1990s (one only has to look at Mike Diana’s legal troubles for one concrete example), though fortunately seems to have faded since then. One advantage of all this, though, is that I’d argue many comics creators as well as journalists had (broadly speaking) a sense of solidarity. My feeling, and it’s only just that, is that this solidarity has dissipated over the past few decades.

That’s not to say that there can’t be “good” corporate comics; obviously there can be and certainly are. However, it is to say that the space for independent work seems to have shrunk. Or rather, the space to review and celebrate independent work seems to have shrunk. At the same time, the coverage of corporate comics is all-encompassing and difficult to penetrate.

What can you do? Here are some ideas:

1. If you like my work, then certainly buying it is a good first step.
   
   
2. More broadly, reviewing it and telling people about it is, in some ways, even more important. If you like it, tell your friends and family about it!
   
   
3. And lastly, if you have a favourite comic book site or even a favourite journalist, drop them a line and tell them about WOLF’S HEAD. Despite my best efforts, many people don’t know the series exists. You can help change that!
   

Share the love… because without that, the series will eventually die.

Key Links

Here are all of the key links:

• Internet Archive link for WOLF’S HEAD Issue 17: https://archive.org/details/wolfs-head-017-by-von-allan
• WOLF’S HEAD Volume 9 (collecting Issues 17 and 18 of the series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-volume-9.html
• Shop Page: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/shop.html
• Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/

WOLF’S HEAD Volume 9 Trade Paperback Graphic Novel

For those who would like to purchase a print copy, issue 17 and issue 18 are collected together in a 60 page trade paperback graphic novel. So while you can always read the series for free, print-lovers are well-represented, too! You can learn more about the graphic novel at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-volume-9.html.

Multiple Ways to Read the Series

Digital Comics

You can read every issue of WOLF'S HEAD for free on the wonderful Internet Archive. You can click on any of the covers below to find that issue on the Internet Archive.

           

           

           

           

Trade Paperback Graphic Novels

What if you want to hold these comics in your hand? Easy! Trade paperbacks have been published in nine volumes so far. Each volume collects two issues of the digital series and are 60 pages in length. Most volumes also have sketches, background material, editorials, letters, and whatnot, too! These affordable paperbacks are available worldwide.

To be clear, WOLF'S HEAD is first serialized as digital comic books and then two of those issues are collected into hefty 60 page full colour trade paperbacks! Links to each individual volume are presented below.

Most online retailers regularly stock and carry WOLF'S HEAD. However, occassionaly there are hiccups with this from time to time (typically because the retailer has had a little rush on sales!). So, if you were shopping on Amazon (for example) and discovered that a particular volume is out of stock, there are many alternatives. These include Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Indigo, McNally Robinson, The American Book Center, Waterstones, and so on. In addition to these links, all of the ISBNs for the trade paperbacks and the hardcover are also below, so you can always use that when you are chatting with your local bookseller or comic book shop.

           

           

           

           

           

           

WOLF’S HEAD Book 1 Hardcover Graphic Novel

Aside from the aforementioned trade paperback, the first story arc (consisting of the first six issues of the ongoing series and combining the first three volumes of the trade paperback) is also available! This is a deluxe hardcover, larger than the trade paperbacks, and printed on fantastic paper! For those who would like a more immersive experience, this is a great way to go. And like the trade paperbacks, the hardcover is widely available at better comic book stores, book shops, and online retailers all over the world! You can learn more about the hardcover at https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/2022/01/wolfs-head-book-1-in-hardcover-worldwide.html.

The fourth WOLF’S HEAD Story Arc

And, of course, you can always read the entire story arc for free at the Internet Archive! Please visit https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Von+Allan%22&sort=title for all the download links!