The Shepherd Signs With Wise Acre Comics
Exciting News
On behalf of Team Shepherd, I am proud to announce that we have signed a publishing contract with Wise Acre Comics!
This contract is intended to make possible both the publication of new Shepherd stories, such as the full reboot of The Shepherd, Volume 1: Apokatastasis, Volume 5: The Burning Maid, and the recently completed script entitled Volume 6: Ghostherder, but it is hoped that it will open the door to republishing Volumes 2-4 as well!
Why Wise Acre Comics?
“I first met Frederick Littles, the publisher of Wise Acre Comics (https://www.wiseacrecomics.com/), on a podcast interview I did with Max Hoven in April 2026 as part of the Indie Comic Empire Podcast series. As Max and I interviewed Frederick and discussed his understanding of the comic book industry, I realized that we shared a lot of the same concerns and had come to many of the same conclusions as to what needed to be done. Frederick really came across as someone who had thought extensively about how we could proceed. I truly appreciated his approach to both the creative process of making comics and his strategic thinking about both the financial side of publishing and how we could best get the books out there.
He really struck me as a serious person who loved comics and wanted to create his own stories but also wanted to create a platform for others to share their work. When I read his projects and looked at other books he was publishing, it was clear that he was a creator who cared deeply about quality. I liked that a lot.
And like I said before, when we discussed his business ideas, I just felt that he was really interested in building something special. I knew that I wanted to work with him.”
Mutual Appreciation
It seems that Frederick was impressed with The Shepherd too. He said, "There's always a series that comes along and grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. When I came across this submission, the first thing I noticed was the art; it pulls you in from the onset. But what really sold me was an amazingly grounded story. As a father, I felt every ache and pain of this character, who was brought to life in this thought-provoking, riveting story. The question I most certainly think will be at the forefront of every reader's mind is, 'What lengths would a parent go to for their child?'"
What's Next?
Team Shepherd has spent the last couple years working on a complete reboot of Volume 1: Apokatastasis. This involved bringing on Luca Panciroli, the artist of the 12-page Shepherd short adventure, The Egyptian Story, to handle the pencils and inks. When Luca completed his artwork, Manoli Martínez to do the colors, and Juan Torres (elTorres) to letter the book. Finally, long-time friend Marcus Guillory was asked to do the production and design. The results are breathtaking.
The plan is to publish this all-new version of Volume 1 as a five-issue miniseries with Wise Acre Comics in early 2027, so stay tuned!
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