Beasts of Burden: Stray - Read The First Short Story For Free Online
Hey, folks, still in Beasts of Burden promo mode. This time around we have an online preview of the series.

Dark Horse has posted the first Beasts of Burden short story on their site for anyone and everyone to read (and hopefully enjoy). The 8-pg story, Stray, was done in 2003, art by Jill Thompson, story by me. It originally appeared in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, but some folks may have seen it when DHC printed it up as a mini Halloween giveaway comic.

This story was done as a one-shot, when we had no idea we'd continue it, forget one day having a dedicated series. It introduces most of the main characters, and pretty much introduces the concept: animals dealing with the supernatural in a small town. Jill won an Eisner for her painted work on Stray, which has only gotten better and better with each installment (imho). If all goes well, Dark Horse will be putting more of the short stories from the DHC anthologies up on their site in the coming weeks. It's a great way to get to know what the series is like, without spending a dime or searching the bookstore or comic shop. We're doing what we can to get the word out while retailers are considering their orders, so, thanks for bearing with me while I shill for the series.

It was either this or the story of how my car broke down today while I was on the way to my MRI appointment. Yeah, maybe that was funny, but I gotta go with the comics, sorry (my phone was dead and I was stuck in the middle of the street when my car's shut off triggered after I drove over a vicious pothole. Oh, the hilarity! MRI re-scheduled, day partly shot.).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first Beasts story. If you do, please tell a friend or two to give it the once over. It's free. And please consider pre-ordering the first issue of the series, coming out September 16th.

Appreciate it.