about the book
Allison Breaking, a young, talented American journalist, has her own blog, Breaking News. She also has a lot of bills and no way to pay them. That is, until she gets an unexpected summons from a mysterious wealthy figure who offers her a hefty salary to ghost pen his autobiography! This whole set-up has red-flags galore, but Allison really, really needs the money, so she heads for the bloke’s London mansion!
Imagine Allison’s shock when the stuffy butler ushers her into an elegant room occupied by just a cat! Burma, her client, is an ordinary orange tiger-striped tabby…who can talk! A true professional, Allison collects herself and begins to question Burma. He wants her to tell his story because he is nearing the end of his ninth life, and her blog will grant him exposure via the internet as well as in print. Burma prides himself in keeping up with the latest technology, impressive since he began his first life way back in 1180 BCE!
Over the following weeks, Allison learns that Burma has been behind several key cultural and historical moments. He was the inspiration for cat mythology in Egypt, mentored the headstrong Napoleon, and advised Teddy Roosevelt. He experienced World War I trenches and even played the cat in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn. As a cold war mastermind, he even went up against the real James Bond!
As the stories tumble out, Allison stumbles onto to one scary fact. Burma is one very bad kitty! He’s prideful about his superior intellect and his ability to manipulate people. Each of his lives has been full of conniving and intrigue. Now he owns a hospital, a corporation called 9th World Enterprises, and a vast shadowy network of obedient feline and human minions. What is he really up to now? Allison will risk everything to get to the bottom of all this, because she knows if Burma succeeds, it will be purrrr-fectly terrible!
Living nine lives means dying nine times…and in Burma’s case, he never goes gently! Will Burma meet his ninth violent end by this graphic novel’s conclusion?
about the author
Paul Tobin is a very busy man, writing novels, comic books, graphic novels, and video games. On any given day, he works on multiple projects. They might include a dark fantasy novel for adults, lighter detective series for middle grade readers, superhero comics, wacky humor video games, or a horror series about an insane murderer that will keep even the most jaded reader awake at nights!
Born in Charles City, Iowa, Paul has always enjoyed making up stories. He talks about how tales take him everywhere, and he often doesn’t know where his stories are going until the very end. Literally ANYTHING can happen beyond the next page; he finds that intriguing.
He got his start writing an all-ages mini-series called Banana Sunday under the pseudonym Root Nobit, going on to write hundreds of comics for Marvel and DC Comics. He is also known for his extensive work on the Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies video games. He won an Eisner Award for Bandette which is illustrated by his wife, Colleen Coover. He is so busy he claims he has become a “severely cookie-dependent barely-functioning shut-in with a slew of borderline mental problems!”
But he does get out a little; on the first day of a New York Comic Con, he skipped out to visit the Museum of Modern Art to see his favorites—the Impressionists. He also spends free time bicycling, hanging with friends and talking about art…and writing! It’s not just his day job, it’s his favorite hobby! He and his wife, Colleen, live in Portland, Oregon.
Sources:
Author website
Author profile : Top Shelf Productions
Author profile : Goodreads
Also by Paul Tobin:
Bandette : 2 : Stealers Keepers! Dark Horse Comics. April 2015.
Bandette : 1 : Presto! Dark Horse Comics. 2013.
The Bionic Woman : 1. Dynamite Entertainment. 2013.
Spider-Man : Amazing Fantasy. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2012.
Spider-Man : Amazing Fantasy. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2012.
Marvel Adventures : Spider-Man : Friendly Neighborhood. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2011.
Marvel Adventures : Spider-Man : Sensational. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2011.
Avengers Academy : Arcade : Death Game. Marvel Entertainment Group. 2011.
about the illustrator
Benjamin Dewey is an internationally published illustrator who has worked for such big names as Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, and Oni. He is a member of the Periscope Studio, the largest collection of freelance comic artists in North America. Formally trained as a painter, he is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art.
Ben started drawing comics in the third grade, and it wasn’t long before he developed an obsession with superheroes that continues even today. But all his creative work isn’t about guys in tights and capes! He has won rave reviews for his three year long webcomic, The Tragedy Series. Published three times a week, each comic was a single sepia toned panel containing a gag with a short caption. In all there were 500 surreal to genuinely poignant tragedies and 26 “Sadness Reprieves”, panels that were a little more heartwarming. The series has also been published in graphic novel form.
Paul Tobin’s graphic novel, I Was the Cat, kept Ben busy drawing for more than three years. Thankfully he doesn’t mind sketching cats!
Ben lives and works in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Lindsey, and their cats. He loves playing bluegrass and blues guitar almost as much as he loves drawing! He is also a hot cereal, board game, and science enthusiast. Oh, and strong coffee…lots and lots of hot strong coffee. It’s his loyal co-pilot on most of his many creative adventures!
Sources:
Illustrator blog: Blogspot
Book page: Amazon
Illustrator biography: Periscope Studio
Illustrator Video: YouTube
read more!
Avengers Academy : Arcade : Death Game by Paul Tobin
The villain Arcade attacks the Avengers Academy and the Young Allies. After both teams are kidnapped, he makes the remaining free heroes, Reptile and Spider-Girl, play a deadly game in order to save their friends. This graphic novel also includes two classic stories featuring Arcade and his battle against Spider-Man.
Katman by Kevin C. Pyle
Lacking friends and funds, Kit spends his summer tending to the homeless stray cats in an abandoned building in his run-down neighborhood. Stealing food for the kitties, he meets several interesting people, including a crazy cat lady and a shopkeeper who teaches him about Jainism. But most importantly, he is drawn to Jess, a punky artistic girl. She sketches an anime-style avatar, Katman, which depicts Kit’s alter-ego heroic nature and gives him confidence.