ROWLANDS CASTLE, Hampshire, August 14, 2021 – Award-winning comic creator Russell Mark Olson returns to the world of booze, gangsters, and aliens in his popular indie comic series, Gateway City, which launched on Kickstarter on 10th August, and was funded in less than 12 hours.
The first volume of Gateway City garnered Olson plenty of deserved attention from the comics industry, and led him to work on projects with creators from around the world. Last year, he took to Patreon to return to the pulpy world of Gateway, publishing quarterly editions of the story.
When gangster aliens turn roaring 1920s St. Louis into their own personal playground, private investigator Lundy Lundqvist leads the resistance allied with a being of immense power and shadowy intentions. But Lundy and his team aren’t the only ones fighting back; mobster Bumper Donati isn’t much impressed by these galactic interlopers.
Gateway City combines all the elements of pulp adventure with a unique SF concept, an adventure story that takes the reader from St. Louis to the furthest reaches of the galaxy in accomplished style. The adventure will appeal to both comic and pulp fans, as crime and cosmic forces collide.
“I’ve loved the opportunities drawing comics for a number of publishers and projects that I’ve had over the last few years, most down to my work on Gateway,” said Olson, “but I couldn’t ignore the allure of writing and drawing the rye-soaked, alien-infested, noir streets of St. Louis any longer. I’m grateful to the readers for their continued support of this story.”
Praise for Gateway City
“Gateway City combines all the elements of pulp adventure with a unique SF concept, an adventure story that takes the reader from St. Louis to the furthest reaches of the galaxy in accomplished style. The adventure will appeal to both comic and pulp fans, as crime and cosmic forces collide.
“It was a pleasure to be asked to work with Russell on Gateway City, because this is an adventure comic that’s a genuine pleasure to read, with a unique concept and possibilities. Russell’s careful research of the setting makes the strip all the more of a visual treat.”
— John Freeman, comics writer, publisher of downthetubes.net
"Russell's pulp world defies easy categorisation. Just when you think you've got it figured out, another element gets thrown into the mix and you realise you're reading something far stranger and more complex than you'd suspected. Add to that a firm grasp of the craft of comics that starts off strong and visibly gets stronger with each new installment, and you've got a very powerful brew indeed."
— Roger Langridge, Eisner Award-winning artist and writer; Snarked, Zoot!
“Gateway City is a comic that *delights* at being a comic.”
— Scott Gray, writer/artist; Doctor Who Magazine, Uncanny X-Men: First Class
"Gateway City is the coolest speakeasy in comics, once you know the secret it is THE place to be."
— Tom Ward, comics writer; Merrick the Sensational Elephantman
“A phantasmagorically imaginative and nostalgic journey through a fully immersive world. A cityscape evocative of the Pulps of Yesteryear, The Great Gatsby and The Wild Party, I highly recommend losing yourself in the world of aristocrats, Fantasy folk and underworld ne’er-do-wells Russell Mark Olson has conjured”
— Frazer Brown, Producer/Publisher; Red Cabin Comics
"A heady, intoxicating blend of period noir and fantasy, Gateway City goes down smoother than a Bee's Knees. With art that evokes the style of masters such as Darwyn Cooke and Sean Phillips, Russell Mark Olson creates a unique and fantastic vision of his beloved St. Louis - a city stuffed with gangsters, talking monkeys, molls and monsters, with danger lurking on every corner."
— Chris Mole, comics writer; Hadopelagic, Brigantia
"Gateway City reads like it was pulled off a Prohibition Era newsstand. Olson mixes up a cocktail of pulp noir with a twist of sci-fi served straight up with his mouth-watering art."
— David Molofsky, A Place To Hang Your Cape
“Cooler than a Charlie Parker sax solo, and harder hitting than a Sam Spade right hook! Gateway City is the ultimate slice of pulp sci-fi perfection!”
— Alex Thomas, Pipedream Comics
For more information and imagery contact Russell Mark Olson at: Russell.M.Olson@gmail.com
About Russell Mark Olson
Originally hailing from eastern Missouri, Russell Mark Olson is a Hampshire, UK-based comic book writer and artist who began publishing Gateway City in 2016. Since then, he’s been lucky enough to collaborate with a number of writers and publishers, including Cult Empire, AccentUK and Mad Robot.
Russell draws inspiration from the EC bullpen of the 1950s, Milton Caniff, Alex Toth and black and white cinema, who also co-founded The Gilded Boar Studios, which allows him to illustrate the macabre and pan-historical work of the wordsmith Phil Breach.
When not writing and drawing comics, he enjoys teaching about the art and history of comic book storytelling and drawing - providing tailored workshops and lectures to children and adults. Russell Mark Olson's experience has also led him to offer creative consultation for exhibitions and presentations. Russell Mark Olson prides himself on attention to historical detail in his work and so it is perhaps of no surprise that when not busy at the drawing board, or hunched over a sketchbook, he can be found visiting National Trust properties or rummaging around junkshops for old photographs, maps and curios.
Russell Mark Olson is online at www.russellmarkolson.co.uk
Follow Russell on Twitter: @russell_m_olson | Instagram: @russellmarkolson | Facebook: @russellmarkolson
John Freeman
The Gateway City collections are edited by Marvel UK and Titan Magazines veteran John Freeman, writer and (very) occasional cartoonist. When not writing comics, or about them for his long-running website, downthetubes.net, John is part of the team involved in the annual Lakes International Comic Art Festival, working on a new interactive gaming platform, and writing and supervising projects for B7 Comics. He enjoys history, SF and escaping the glare of his computer, which has been something of a rare event over the past year.
John Freeman is online at https://downthetubes.net