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Out of the Blue is a comics anthology published by Stache Publishing in 2014 that has left readers wanting more. The first volume collected some fine stories under the umbrella theme of strangeness. Now, Stache is back for a second round with Out of the Blue: Volume Two. This volume will be horror themed and the stories will have a scary slant with twist endings. Stache Publishing has announced a call for short works to populate the anthology and preference will be given to works and creators with no previous publication.

Having an anthology championed by a supportive small publisher allows contributors to have their work made available through both the online marketplace and in print, as well as directly to fans at conventions and local comics shops. To find out what is up with this anthology we spoke with Corey Fryia, who is returning as an editor on the book.

Seth Ferranti: What is Out of the Blue about?

Corey Fryia: Last year we partnered with Statche Publishing to produce Out of the Blue: A Collection of Strange Stories. As the title would lead you believe, this book was an unusual assortment of thirteen strange stories that transcend the ordinary. Contributors included New York Times bestselling comic creators, winners of the Eisner and Ghastly awards, and more. Thankfully, the book was extremely well received and we’ve been given the opportunity to produce a follow up.

This follow up book, which we jokingly call “Out of the Blue 2,” will be created in the same image as the first volume, but instead of just strange and unusual shorts, we’re looking to collect a group of strange shorts with a scary edge. If you enjoy reading bizarre horror stories around the campfire then this book will be right up your alley.

Ferranti: What is your role on the graphic novel?

Fryia: The talented Marta Tanrikulu and I share co-editor roles on Out of the Blue and we’re very fortunate to have an extremely supportive and involved small publisher like Stache Publishing to aid us along the way.

Ferranti: How did you get involved with Stache?

Fryia: I actually met Marta Tanrikulu through a Facebook group for indie comic creators called Small Press Commandos. She expressed an interest in compiling a book full of completed comic shorts that “didn’t have a home” or weren’t necessarily available to the public whether that be digitally or in print. I offered to help her in the process and, a year later, here we are doing a second volume of Out of the Blue. Marta spearheaded the effort to get Stache Publishing involved and we both couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.

Ferranti: What is your history with comics and editorial?

Fryia: Technically, I’m more of a writer by trade, but I also enjoy taking a step back and assuming the role of an editor from time to time. As a writer, I’ve contributed work to a number of small press anthologies, including Steampunk Originals Vol. 8 from Arcana Studios. I also have plans for launching a Kickstarter later this summer to help fund a project that I’ve been working on for the past several months which is tentatively titled “The Unworldly Adventures of Dr. Crowe.”

Ferranti: What are you looking for in submissions for Book 2?

Fryia: When it comes to scary stories or just horror stories in general, I personally prefer more classic horror like something you might find in the pages of Creepy. We’re also looking for stories that have unique twist endings, but this isn’t necessarily a requirement. Generally, if you have a scary comic short that you feel is well written, has quality art and needs an audience – we’ll definitely take a look. We’re very open to welcoming any and all submissions in an effort to produce the best book that we possibly can.

Ferranti: Where can people send their submissions?

Fryia: We’re asking that interested parties submit a low-resolution version of their short as an attachment or secure link to [email protected]. If the work was previously published or accepted for publication, please state where. A short creator bio is also requested when submitting. Submissions will be accepted between July 10 and July 31^st.

Ferranti: When do you plan on releasing the book?

Fryia: The plan is to have the book completely wrapped up and ready for readers by Halloween 2015.

Ferranti: What do you like about working on comic books?

Fryia: Without getting in to too much detail, my favorite aspect of working in comics is the idea of world building. I enjoy taking character and placing them in a world that just doesn’t exist in our day-to-day life. I’m fascinated by the amount of effort it takes to create something like George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice and I strive to one day be able to even comprehend how he did it.

I’m also a big fan of collaborating with other creative people and creating comics is by far one of the most collaborative mediums out there. When you really find somebody who clicks and understands your story, seeing it come to life in every stage of the process – whether that’s the pencils, inks, colors, letters, etc. it’s incredible to watch it come to life. And then having a chance to place that in the hands of a reader and seeing how they react?  I love every minute of it.

Ferranti: What comics do you like or read?

Fryia: There isn’t really one type of comic that I’d say dominates what I read. I’m all over the board currently. For example – I really dig what Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have done with Batman since the New 52 re-launch, I’m head over heels in love with Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples’ work on Saga, and what Frank Barbieri and Chris Mooneyham do on Five Ghosts blows my mind. I also thoroughly enjoy what Marvel has done with their new Star Wars books. Ultimately, I tend to gravitate towards creator-owned books. Image has a great crop books right now from a slew of my favorite creators. I’ll read anything Joshua Williamson writes these days. That guy is on fire.

Ferranti: What inspires the work that you do?

Fryia: Perhaps it sounds cliché, but I draw inspiration from the stuff I grew up with, I’m huge Star Wars fanatic, so I feel like there’s always a little bit of Star Wars in every single thing that I write. I also grew up watching classic westerns with my grandfather; so western elements tend to bleed into my work from time to time…especially in my dialogue. Outside of that, things that catch my eye in video games, movies or other comic books usually give me an initial idea and then I just run with it.

You can find more information about Corey Fryia’s work on her website: www.coreyfryia.net.  You can follow her on Twitter @CoreyFryia.  For more information about Stache Publishing, check out http://www.stachepublishing.com.

By Matt O’Keefe

Just a few months ago I came across a call for creators to submit stories to be published in a then-untitled anthology made up of stories that, for one reason or another, had yet to find a home. Before I knew it, the anthology was released digitally on DriveThruComics and sent to the presses for December 1st release. To get my head around the quick turnaround and the quality of a book made up of seemingly “unwanted” stories, I spoke with one of the editors, Marta Goodrich Tanrikulu. She informed me of the process that lead to the creation of the anthology, eventually titled Out of the Blue: A Collection of Strange Stories.

‘Three Sons': Written by Mike Exner III. Drawn by David Newbold. Colored by Joseph Baker. Lettered by Joe Simmons.

I feel like I saw the call for submissions for the anthology pretty recently. How long did it take for the Out of the Blue to come together, from start to completion?

Once we decided to form an editorial team and solicit submissions and production help, it took 3 months from announcing the call to finalizing files for printing. The brainstorming on whether to do an anthology and how to organize the effort started a couple months earlier.

‘Sounding the Deep': Written by Tom Alexander. Illustrated by Jim Giar. Lettered by E.T. Dollman.

How did you turn it around so quickly?The biggest reason is that the stories were all essentially complete at submission. A few stories still needed lettering or coloring.

Did you get many submissions?We kept the call to word of mouth to keep submissions from being overwhelming and ended up with 40 of them. Some creators contributed more than one story.

‘Helping Hand': Written by Brandon Barrows. Illustrated by Johnnie Christmas. Lettered by E.T. Dollman.

What made you want to do an anthology for stories that didn’t have a home?

A lot of creators mention having stories completed that are seeking a suitable home. Since a common goal is having good-quality published versions to sell both at conventions and online, collecting stories as part of a larger book that would attract more readers seemed to be a community consensus. It just required someone to organize the effort.

‘Time Machine': Written by Mick Shubert. Illustrated by Giles Crawford.

Did you worry that people would perceive them as “unwanted” stories?

We did consider using a word like “homeless” or “unwanted” in the title, but that’s not really what defines or holds the stories together. These stories will likely all find more homes. We’re simply fortunate to have the opportunity to house them together.

All the stories in Out of the Blue are strong, so if that stigma’s there it’s unwarranted. How did you find such solid work with the restrictions you had?

The editors, Corey Fryia, Marcus Muller, and myself, all were familiar with the work of over half the contributors. So we knew their submissions were likely to be strong.

‘Deliveries': Written by Mike Isenberg & Oliver Mertz. Illustrated by Jeff McComsey.

What were some of the reasons the stories didn’t have homes?

Some were developed with a different publication in mind, or a publication hadn’t been identified yet, while others may have been experiments in style or genre, independent of other projects the creators are working on.

‘As a Family': Written by Glenn Moane. Illustrated by Tomasz Wites. Lettered by E.T. Dollman.

The theme is “strange stories.” Was that theme determined by the submissions you received, or decided on beforehand?

The theme was determined by what would best unite the most stories as they were being reviewed, though we suspected based on presubmission interest that such a theme would be a contender.

‘In His Image': Written and illustrated by JE.

An indy anthology is always a risky venture. Did you consider either a Kickstarter or digital-only release to lower the costs?

A digital-only release wasn’t of much interest because so many contributors wanted to sell printed copies, though upfront costs were definitely an obstacle. A Kickstarter was considered, but we wanted this anthology printed with no contingencies, such as successful funding. The anthology was lucky to attract the interest of Stache Publishing. We hope it will sell well enough so they have no regrets.

What are some stories from the anthology you want to spotlight?

To give readers a teaser of what’s in the anthology, it includes an intense one-page story called “The Wait,” and a twist none of us saw coming in “Deliveries.” There’s lots more, ranging from family stories to legends and futuristic tales.

‘There': Written by Hansel Moreno. Illustrated by Claire Connelly.

A lot of creators put together anthologies to give home to their unpublished stories, but you don’t have a story in Out of the Blue. What, then, was the motivation for you to dedicate a lot of time and effort to make this anthology happen?

To avoid bias, none of the editors submitted a story. Speaking for myself, this project was another chance to work with comics writers and artists, which was tempting enough. Since I enjoy editing, it was also an opportunity for a proof of concept: developing an enticing, themed anthology around available stories. We hope both the contributors and their fans will consider it a success.

You can order Out of the Blue in print from Stache Publishing and digitally through DriveThru Comics.