Inside the Mind of Kurtis J. Wiebe

It’s hard to believe how fast the time as blown past since we announced the return of Rat Queens back in November. Owen and I had been quietly working away on the series for a long time before the announcement, we’d finished a full issue and most of the second issue by that time. It was really difficult to keep it under wraps because I was SO fucking proud of what we were building.

It was almost therapy to launch Rat Queens at Emerald City Comicon this year. ECCC has always been a Rat Queens kind of crowd. It’s the place where I first noticed how much the fans loved the series, and more than that, they loved Violet, Dee, Hannah and Betty.

I was nervous about the convention this year. Almost paranoid, if I’m being honest. What would people think of the relaunch? And, foremost on my mind, what would people think of me?

To see so many happy faces, so many people genuinely happy we brought the series back, it was a huge relief. A highlight of the entire show was when I received a hand written letter from a reader who couldn’t get me to sign in person, and her friend delivered it. It was first thing in the morning, I was just setting up. I read it and I had to hold back the tears. It was such a beautiful thought for someone to take time to send me. And, if you’re reading this right now, you know who you are, and it meant the world to me that morning.

I’ve been home since Tuesday. I’ve recovered from the show. And now I’m sharing the news that Rat Queens #1 sold out and that we’re going back to another printing. It’s all so surreal.

So, this is a thank you. To the retailers, for continued faith in Rat Queens, to the readers who have loved these characters through everything, and to my publisher, friends and family, for believing in me.

I can’t wait for you to see everything Rat Queens has in store.

PS: Pat Rothfuss has a backup story in Issue #2, out April 12th. It’s super great.

(Pictured: Rat Queens #1 Second Printing [Left] and Rat Queens #2 Cover B [Right])