Bleeding Cool has been hearing for some time there were issues between comic book publishers IDW and their imprint Black Crown run by former DC Vertigo's Shelly Bond. And for another month IDW solicitations did not contain any mention of Black Crown titles.

Their most recently published title, Eve Stranger is delayed. Issue 3 came out in August, but 4 and 5 are scheduled for October 23rd and 30th respectively. There were no Black Crown titles listed in October, November or December solicitations. It was also telling that the Kickstarter-funded Hey Amateur comic anthology does not mention if IDW is publishing it, only that they published the last such-funded volume, Femme Magnifique .

And now the solicitation cancellations are arriving. Diamond Comic Distributors reports that Marilyn Manor, the Presidential punkster comic book series by Magdalene Visaggio and Marley Zarcone for Black Crown is having all orders for issues 2 to 4, and the collected trade paperback, cancelled. The first issue arrived in June to very strong critical acclaim. But, for now, that will be all she wrote.

Recently I talked to Shelly Bond who told me,

Black Crown will evolve and continue to evolve to reach its readers, wherever they may be hiding. Right now the focus is shifting away from monthly comics, but Eve Stranger will conclude as planned and all the existing books will remain supported by IDW. Regarding Hey Amateur!, we're following the successful business model that put Femme Magnifique in front of new readers. The exclusive hardcover is being crowdfunded and IDW will release the softcover next year.

Black Crown has published some fine comic books, and Marilyn Manor was one of them. But times, it seems, hey are a changin'. I very much look forward to what Shelley Bond and her team put together wherever and whenever they turn up.

Former Bleeding Cool contributor, Keith Davidson, now at IDW, told us:

We deeply appreciate all the hard work that Magdalene, Marley, Irma, Tamra, and Shelly dedicated to Marilyn Manor, and the enthusiasm and support from the fans. Unfortunately, with heavy hearts, we are cancelling this project. We hope to have the opportunity to work with these talented creators on future projects.

And regarding Black Crown:



Working with Shelly Bond on the Black Crown line has been a fantastic experience for everyone involved. Her trademark enthusiasm and fierce dedication is evident in every captivating page of the Black Crown library, which will remain available to intrepid readers for years to come. While the current roster of Black Crown titles have come to a close, we wish Shelly great success on her exciting new ventures like the Hey, Amateur! comics anthology — which IDW will proudly serve as the publisher of its softcover edition.

Here's how Marilyn Manor was looking…

MARILYN MANOR #1 CVR A ZARCONE

(W) Magdalene Visaggio (A/CA) Marley Zarcone

Where were you in '81? When the White House goes dark for 17 days in August, the president's spoiled daughter and her best friend Abe-who claims to be possessed by the spirit of Abe Lincoln-throw a rager at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, unearthing long dead historical figures and government secrets that are better off buried. Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll séances, and secret passageways lead to time-bending mystical romps where past and present collide. But at what cost to Marilyn Kelleher, the world at large, and music television?

Uniting the red-hot Eisner-nominated talents of writer Magdalene Visaggio (Eternity Girl, Kim and Kim) and artist Marley Zarcone (Shade, the Changing Girl, Effigy) for the first time, MARILYN MANOR explores identity, classism, appropriation, and friendship. It's a rollicking, neon party gone out of bounds when we need it most-set just in time for the greatest pop cultural marriage to date: MTV.

"We've been trying to capture the feel, the excitement, the energy of the rise of the New Romantics, of the decade that embraced excess and excitement in hugely over-the-top ways, and filled it with chaos and insanity. This is the weirdest thing I've ever written in the best way possible, like an apocalypse directed by John Hughes."In Shops: Jun 26, 2019

SRP: $3.99

MARILYN MANOR #2 (OF 4) CVR A ZARCONE

(W) Magdalene Visaggio (A/CA) Marley Zarcone

What do you do when the lead singer of a world-famous punk rock band keels over from an overdose in the middle of a White House rager? Simple. Call in the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. Also: Marilyn gets eaten by the Fame Monster.

MARILYN MANOR #3 (OF 4) CVR A ZARCONE

(W) Magdalene Visaggio (A/CA) Marley Zarcone

"Live Forever"! It's a long, strange trip through the American Myth as Marilyn and Abe try to bring back the dead! If you are at all confused by that description, please bear in mind that you are correct to be so.

MARILYN MANOR #4 (OF 4) CVR A ZARCONE

(W) Magdalene Visaggio (A/CA) Marley Zarcone

In a manner of speaking, she was to the manor bored. So First Brat Marilyn Kelleher decided to throw an innocent little gathering of a thousand close friends and celebrities and trash the White House while President Dad was away on a trade mission. Throw in some cracked vinyl, a Ouija board, and a few dead Presidents, and the ultimate rager folds in on itself. The question remains -will Marilyn save the day or just save herself-with a little help from her own "Personal Jesus" in the final issue of the weirdest post-punk White House party of the 20th century.

MARILYN MANOR TP (C: 0-1-2)

(W) Magdalene Visaggio (A/CA) Marley Zarcone

Where were you in '81? Politics gets a taste of punk, new wave, and new romantic as First Daughter Marilyn Kelleher is about to throw the ultimate rager at the White House in this rollicking, coming-of-age graphic novel. When the White House goes dark for 17 days in August, the President's rebellious daughter Marilyn and her best friend Abe, who claims she's possessed by the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, throw a rager at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, unearthing long dead historical figures (like Lincoln and Marilyn Monroe) and government secrets that are better off buried. Available in November.