Read WOLF'S HEAD issue 10 of the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive

Elevator Pitch

“Desperate to protect a vulnerable young AI, Lauren Greene flees an old enemy through Detroit’s shadows with only her dog Sankō for support. Just as a mysterious ally, Super Bob Sanchez, offers hope for escape, her best friend is taken hostage in a brutal life-or-death exchange, leaving Lauren to choose between sacrifice and survival as time runs out.”

Key Links

Here are all of the key links:

• Internet Archive link for WOLF’S HEAD Issue 10: https://archive.org/details/wolfs-head-010-by-von-allan
• WOLF’S HEAD Volume 5 (collecting Issues 9 and 10 of the series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-volume-5.html
• Shop Page: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/shop.html
• Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/

SPECIAL STORY

This is a very special story! Why? Well, ten issues in, we see Lauren coming face to face with the antagonist that she’s been dealing with for the past number of issues. And this forces her to make a critical decision, one that will play out over the next few issues.

One of my goals since the series started was to deal with racism in a different way than is usually depicted in comics as well as other media. What do I mean? Well, since Frank McRossiter’s introduction way back in issue 1, I wanted him to be racist without directly saying so. In other words, it’s his deeds that make him a racist, not just his words. At the same time, I wanted it to be relatively subtle; Frank doesn’t wear a Klan outfit. He also doesn’t attend racist rallies, write racist screeds, or any of that. But he is racist and that’s influenced how he’s treated Lauren right from the get-go. In some ways he’s the most heinous antagonist that the series has seen so far and his racism played a key role in that. He’s simply unable to see Lauren as the human being she is. And this is despite the fact that she saved his life back in issue 6.

I’ll leave it to you to judge how I did. I will say that coming up the twists and turns in this issue was a great deal of fun! And I think it pays off a number of plots and character points that I had established earlier. As always, that’s part of the fun of creating comics. Establishing little threads and then paying them off later on. I think (hope!) that it rewards careful reading and works on a lot of different levels.

WOLF’S HEAD Volume 5 Trade Paperback Graphic Novel

For those who would like to purchase a print copy, issue 9 and issue 10 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-5.html.

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 second 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!

Read WOLF'S HEAD issue 7 of the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive

Elevator Pitch

“Lauren Greene has begun working with the young artificial intelligence (AI) she's encountered, but is having a difficult time creating a bond. The AI, similar to a child, either does not understand or simply cannot comprehend everything that Lauren is asking it to do. Frustrated, Lauren realizes that she needs help and begins seeking it out as best she can. At the same time, Lauren realizes that her friends are in danger simply for knowing her and she decides to protect them as best she can… with difficult results.”

Key Links

Here are all of the key links:

• Internet Archive link for WOLF’S HEAD Issue 7: https://archive.org/details/wolfs-head-007-by-von-allan
• WOLF’S HEAD Volume 4 (collecting Issues 7 and 8 of the series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-volume-4.html
• Shop Page: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/shop.html
• Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/

ONGOING CHANGE

In some ways, this is the most important comic I’ve ever written. Wait? Does something world-shaking happen in it? Actually, no, but it still means it’s probably the most important comic I’ve written. Why? Well, to answer this requires a step back to look at WOLF’S HEAD broadly.

Previous to WOLF’S HEAD, I’ve primarily written either stand-alone graphic novels or stand-alone short stories. In other words, stories of variable length that have a definitive beginning, middle, and end. The closest I had come previous to this was my abortive series METAL GODS; while that series did give me some valuable practical experience, it only lasted four issues. And, critically, I had a lot of it mapped out in advance.

The same was true for the first six issues of WOLF’S HEAD. While I didn’t every single issue written before I started drawing issue one, I did have the overall arc in mind that I wanted to do. After that? Well, I had some loose brainstorming ideas… and not much else. Since issue six also resolved a number of storylines, the sky was the limit with issue seven. I could go in any direction. Did I want to keep the story grounded in Detroit? Or did I want to move it to some other location? With Jeremy Hamilton, the main antagonist over the first six issues, sidelined with horrific injuries, who would be the antagonist going forward? Should their even be one? And what about Lauren, the main protagonist? She had faced the death of her mom, the adoption of her mom’s dog Sankō, and the embracing of the young artificial intelligence that her mom had befriended, but where was she going to go from there?

On top of all that, WOLF’S HEAD is an ongoing series. That’s the key word: ongoing. Where do I go from the end of issue six? Figuring that out took some doing and it challenged me in some unexpected ways. That was both fun and a little scary, but I’m extremely pleased with how it turned out. Why? ‘Cuz I think it builds on what came before in logical ways. Lauren continues to grow and change; she’s not the same character as she was back in issue one. That’s exciting to me. I dearly hope it’s exciting to you, too!

WOLF’S HEAD Volume 4 Trade Paperback Graphic Novel

For those who would like to purchase a print copy, issue 7 and issue 8 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-4.html.

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 first 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!

Read WOLF'S HEAD issue 6 of the comic book series for free on the Internet Archive

Elevator Pitch

“Just as things are appearing to get back to some degree of normalcy after the death of a significant loved one, Lauren Greene is confronted by the corporate forces who created the Artificial Intelligence (AI) that she has befriended while they attempt to hunt it down. Forced to defend the AI, Lauren’s life and the lives of those she loves are very much in the balance as Jeremy Hamilton and his henchmen will not stop until the AI is theirs once again.”

Key Links

Here are all of the key links:

• Internet Archive link for WOLF’S HEAD Issue 6: https://archive.org/details/wolfs-head-006-by-von-allan
• WOLF’S HEAD Volume 3 (collecting Issues 5 and 6 of the series): https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/wolfs-head-volume-3.html
• Shop Page: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/p/shop.html
• Wolf’s Head Official Site: https://wolfs-head.vonallan.com/

Milestone

Issue 6! A huge milestone in the life of Lauren and the characters around her, but also a milestone in the series so far. Why? Issue 6 represents the ending of a number of storylines that have been building since the very first issue. A number of things that were set-up quite early on payoff here and that, I think, is pretty damn exciting.

I have a philosophy about ongoing comics that is fairly different than a lot of what I see in the contemporary comics publishing scene. I’m a big believer in what’s called “episodic closure.” It’s a bit of a fancy form for a pretty simple concept: the “piece” of entertainment in front of you (a comic book, a TV show, a story, etc…) should be complete in and of itself. It shouldn’t string you along, completely open-ended. A lot of contemporary entertainment does just that; you watch an episode, and it starts in the middle of something and nothing resolves in that same episode. Is that “bad”? Of course not. We’re talking art here and there are no rules to art. All we have are tools to try and create stronger storytelling (however one might define that), a history of what’s come before us, and our own sensibilities on what works and why.

On the opposite end of all this is the kind of storytelling that did have episodic closure, but the closure was so tight that there was no growth or change at all. Think of a TV show prior to the 1980s, especially but not exclusively sitcoms. Many of them could be watched in any order (even switching the seasons up!) because, from the show’s point of view, there’s no change or growth at all. It’s just stasis; a constancy that prevents real change and real growth. That doesn’t mean there can’t be excellent writing, performances, and top-notch direction and cinematography in these types of TV shows. There often is. It just means that the characters, from the first episode to the finale, don’t change much. They often don’t change at all.

The trick with episodic closure, at least with how I approach my work, is to accomplish episodic closure while, at the same time, constantly building deeper and more nuanced characters, the world they live in, and the stories themselves. With WOLF’S HEAD, I think each issue stands on its own. But when you read them in sequential order, something deeper appears. That depth has a name: real change.

And with that in mind, here is Lauren introducing this issue!

WOLF’S HEAD Volume 3 Trade Paperback Graphic Novel

For those who would like to purchase a print copy, issue 5 and issue 6 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-3.html.

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 first 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 for all the download links!

Press Release Annoucing Wolf's Head

Ottawa, Ontario: Von Allan, an Ottawa-based artist and comics creator, is writing/drawing a brand new comic series, ‘Wolf’s Head.’ The story follows a newly created artificial intelligence (AI) on the run from its creators with the unexpected help of a janitor, her ex-police officer daughter, and their dog. Digital issues of the series recently became available world-wide on Amazon's Kindle devices and their Kindle app.

“It was important to me that ‘Wolf’s Head’ be a fun, thrilling, escapist adventure, but I also wanted my characters and their experiences to feel real,” said Allan. “My favourite stories, even the most imaginative and fantastical ones, have always grounded themselves in reality. Spider-Man heroically saves the world but, then turn the page; he’s home, staring into an empty cupboard because he didn’t sell enough photos in today’s gig economy and can’t afford groceries. This is what I’ve tried to do in ‘Wolf’s Head’; it’s a fun, action-packed science fiction adventure but my characters are living in contemporary America. And contemporary America can be a hard place.”

‘Wolf’s Head’ features Lauren Greene, a young woman who quits her job as a police officer in Metro Detroit after becoming frustrated with growing police violence. At the same time as Lauren is quitting, a secretive corporation across town has managed to create a seemingly perfect AI for war and profit; however, before the corporation can use the AI, Lauren’s mother, Patty, a janitor at the corporation accidentally finds it. Patty is literally the kindest person the new lifeform has ever met and, as a result, it bonds to her, rejects its purpose and creators, and orchestrates a huge accident to cover an escape. Patty, overwhelmed, asks her daughter Lauren for help. Despite being broke and a bit lost herself, Lauren agrees to help; two humans, an AI, and a dog versus a warmongering corporation. ‘Wolf’s Head’ is part action-adventure and part sci-fi drama. It also features strong women of colour as the main characters.

“One of the things I love about ‘Wolf’s Head’ is that it’s about a different kind of AI,” Allan added. “We’re used to seeing evil computers and post-apocalyptic storylines; I wanted to flip that cliche on its head and have an AI that loves humanity. And it’s fun to contrast the AI’s compassion with the flawed people who created it.

About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for “Star Wars: A New Hope.” The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes. Additional information about Von Allan can be found at https://www.vonallan.com/.

Von has led workshops at schools; was featured in “The Exhibitionists,” a CBC Arts profile (https://www.cbc.ca/arts/exhibitionists/as-a-kid-his-mother-s-illness-scared-him-now-he-s-using-comics-to-come-to-terms-1.4281356); was featured in the documentary film “I Am Still Your Child” (http://iamstillyourchild.com/); and was the recipient of the Corel Endowment Fund for the Arts Award in 2014 and the CBC Trailblazer Award in 2019.