Oni Press announced a new book, Dark Regards #1 – The True Story of the Viral Hoax So Insane It Could Only Be Told As A Comic Book!, set for release this May. Written by and based on the life of Dave Hill and illustrated by Artyom Topilin, the book chronicles the story of Hill’s creation of an international hoax that involved a fake band and Bob’s Big Boy.
In the press release, Oni Press president and publisher Hunter Gorinson, described the basis for the issue, stating:
“Back in 2018, Dave Hill sat down with noted intellectual Malcolm Gladwell to finally come clean about his double life. A brilliant comedian, writer, satirist, and musician, Dave has done everything from play sold-out shows with Bill Murray and Tenacious D to write the theme song for John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight on HBO. But he’d never before revealed the details of how he’d orchestrated a years-long internet hoax by posing as the frontman of a fictional band, only to accidentally touch off an international trail of mayhem that included kidnappings, attempted human sacrifice, and the vandalizing of the last freestanding Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in the Midwest. Call it a guilty conscience . . . but, to this day, Dave still has only told half the story. Now, at last, the raw fury of the DARK REGARDS can finally be told – and, as visually reconstructed through the brilliant artwork of illustrator Artyom Topilin – rest assured: only the comic book medium can totally capture the depraved intensity of what Dave hath wrought on us all.”
Oni shared a detailed synopsis for the comic and a look at the covers for issue #1, along with the preview of the inter pages, all of which can be seen below:
COVER A BY ARTYOM TOPILIN
COVER B BY ANDREW KRAHNKE
FLYER VARIANT (1:10) BY SCOTT SUGIUCHI
ALBUM COVER VARIANT (1:20) BY BRIAN LEVEL
INTERIOR ART BY ARTYOM TOPILIN
Dark Regards #1 – The True Story of the Viral Hoax So Insane It Could Only Be Told As A Comic Book! will be available in comic shops on Wednesday, May 13.