Who here has heard of the infamous lost issue of Afterlife Inc.? Not ‘infamous’ in that it contains swearing or nudity – this wasn’t my lost weekend of booze and regret – but infamous in that it’s just something of an oddity. Maybe I should explain myself…
Long, long, long ago I really had no idea how Afterlife Inc. was going to be published. I knew next to nothing about the comic industry, and was fixated on the idea of finding a traditional publisher for the series. Back then, Afterlife Inc. was a much simpler idea – but it was also a lot more… conventional. A bit less interesting. I’d originally planned to open the series with Jack’s death, little realising that the story of how Jack founded Afterlife Inc. was far less interesting than the trials and tribulations of running an undead corporation in its prime. People have often praised the fact that Afterlife Inc. starts in the middle of the action, but this was really just a happy accident. By the time I’d realised that this was a much more interesting way of telling the story, I’d already produced a complete ‘issue 1’ – an origin story that no longer fit within the strange creature that Afterlife Inc. had become.
Cut to the present day and the lost issue remains just that: a curio with no real place in the Afterlife Inc. mythos. That said, it’s still an interesting read, if only to see what young Jon’s idea of storytelling looked like and what the series might have been had things worked out a little differently. Frankly, I wouldn’t change things for the world. Afterlife Inc. has grown and changed in ways I would never have imagined possible, and is so much stronger as a result.
As a thank you to the fans, however, the lost issue is now available exclusively on Patreon. For just $2 a month, Patrons will receive a digital download of the 31-page PDF. Aside from some censored dialogue (removed to avoid any potential spoilers for the main series) the lost issue is preserved in its entirety. Bask in its oddness, but please remember that this is 100% NON CANON, and should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt.
Oh, and before I forget: a big hello to all my new readers! Welcome to Afterlife Inc. – I hope you’re enjoying your stay. If you’re new to the world of Jack and Co. be sure to visit the Archive page for a full list of their adventures to date. Or, if you’re feeling daring, why not click on the story spotlight link on the right to be taken to a random highlight from the vault.
It’s great to have you on board and I hope you’re enjoying the current storyline. If you’re attending MCM London at the end of the month, why not pop by and say hello? I’ll be exhibiting with my partners in crime Big Punch Studios in the Comic Village, and believe me, it’s always a joy meeting you fine folk.
I hope to see you there!
Jon