2517461247_f715b71298Warren Ellis is a brilliantly talented writer who has been responsible for some of my favorite comics, several twisted novels, a few TV shows, and quite a few social media posts, including newsletters and blog posts that predate us ever calling the things they were shared on social media. In the past Warren has had two rather successful and well known newsletters that would pop up right in fan’s email inboxes with all sorts of dark thoughts, twisted humor, and even recipes on an unexpected occasion or two. These were the long running Bad Signal and the shorter lived Machine Vision. Many of his newsletter posts still float around the internet in one place or another, and I believe the comic publish Avatar has even collected a few in print. You can still view a vast majority of his Bad Signal posts on Flirble’s archive.

Earlier this week, Warren announced he was making a new email newsletter, titled Orbital Operations. He described it by saying “It is likely to pollute your inbox on at least a weekly basis, maybe a little more, depending on what’s going on. It is likely to contain work updates, random incoherent thoughts and other mental rubbish guaranteed to improve your life and inoculate your brain against alien spores or god I don’t even know what I’m typing right now. It’s a thing that’s happening.” Over the past 15 or so years Ellis has proven himself to be one of the darker gods of internet prose, writing some amazingly twisted and hilarious, yet often thought provoking pieces. This new venue will likely be the perfect place for Ellis fans to catch up with the creator in a deeper way than visiting his website or following his amazing twitter.

You can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here and filling in your information in the rather minimalist subscription setup put together on Orbital Operations. Sadly though, you’ll have already missed the initial email which just went out and has some interesting news on some of Ellis’ current projects and the status of one long thought dead, Fell with Ben Templesmith. But to prevent any hardcore Ellis fans from feeling left out, we’re going to probably push the sense of decency involved in newsletter distribution by posting the written content of the first letter down below:

++ORBITAL OPERATIONS 8dec13

Hi. I’m Warren. This is the first note from the new newsletter system, ORBITAL OPERATIONS. Let me start first by thanking you for operating the deliberately minimalist website and signing up. Second, this is the first newsletter on a new system — actually a bolting-together of two systems — which can also be described as “minimal.” So anything could go wrong, and probably will, and we must agree now to find the inevitable catastrophes nothing but funny. This system doesn’t even have email templating, and no obvious way to screw one in, OR responsive design for mobile, so I’m writing this in Google Drive, in a large font. I apologise now if anything looks weird. We will get better at this.

With your indulgence, I’m going to open by doing all the new work announcements as of today. We will get to the other things later.

The other week, Wil Wheaton went into a studio and recorded an audiobook version of my horrible little story DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. I don’t know right now what the international provision of this audiobook is, but I do know that it can be pre-ordered in North America right now. This is the Amazon.com link. I’m sure audiobook fans know where else to go.

This was actually all Wil’s idea — I’d never even considered an audiobook version before Wil basically told me that there should be one and that he should do it because he loves it and is richer than me and can presumably have me disappeared if I disobey him. So, this beer is for Wil, who’s saved me from myself once more. And all the people who wanted him to do the GUN MACHINE audiobook because of his voiceover for the Jim Batt/Ben Templesmith trailer will now be happy, I hope.

[FAQ: Ben’s had the FELL #10 script for a couple of years, but his life is massively busy and complicated. I know he’s broken ground on it, and he knows that when he finishes that issue I’ll write another one. But it’s not on any schedule, and will happen only when Ben has time and space in his life. We are good friends and all is well. I believe I’m also set to write the introduction to his next big project.]

I did an interview with the LA Times’ HERO COMPLEX the other week to announce that I’m writing a new MOON KNIGHT series for Marvel Comics, working with artist Declan Shalvey and colourist Jordie Bellaire. Very much a team, those two, and I enjoy being able to write for a colourist again. I presume it launches in the spring, I can’t find a hard date on my schedule right now. I’m working on the script for the third issue at the moment, and Dec just showed me layouts for the second issue. He has a really interesting way of telling a story using stacks of page-wide panels that’s keeping me on my toes.

While in NYC for things, I got to have a couple of drinks with author Cat Marnell, who’s written a frightening amount of material for her first book, HOW TO MURDER YOUR LIFE. If you’ve ever enjoyed my more hauntological and Fortean musings, I’d go looking for that book when it comes out if I were you.

[FAQ: I have a FAQ category on my website.]

I am also STILL getting over a case of Manhattan Swine Flu gifted me by some infected git at my Fclorbidden Planet NYC signing, wherein I defaced comics for more than two hundred and fifty people. Thanks go to Jeff and his team at FP NYC. And one day I will find the plaguebag who gave me this hideous choking disease and cut all their skin off to teach them a valuable lesson about contamination.

[FAQ: I did not just invent Manhattan Swine Flu. Also I have awards and a medal. So shut up.]

With my other hand, I’ve also broken ground this week on a new prose novella, a longish one, which I’ll be doing with Farrar Straus Giroux, also the publisher of DEAD PIG COLLECTOR and the non-fiction book I’m slowly wrestling to the finish line. Not sure what else I can say about that right now — I gave an interview to MTV News a couple of weeks back that was partially about it, but I don’t know when (or if!) that’s going to pop, and we don’t have an official press release yet, so…

Anyway. I’m writing that at this second, here at Mission Control in Undisclosed Rural Location. In a few days, I get on a plane back to my Sea Fort in England, in the sure knowledge that I’ll be on another plane five or six weeks later. There is much happening, and much to do.

I realise this first one might have been a bit dull, but I thought it was worth catching up, for friends new and old. This was also bloody interminably long, too. I will do better.

Hail Ming etc etc,

W

[NOTE: there may or may not be a working unsubscribe link under this newsletter. If not, DON’T PANIC - no need to tell me about it, I will see it and fix it for next time. This is all a bit of a lab experiment.]

Warren is quite the internet personality and his fans are often aware of that, celebrating it with great imagery, short webcomics, and cult-ish idolatry, as you can see below in a few select images.

Obviously this new newsletter is not something you will want to miss, and something you obviously cannot miss if at all a fan of Mr. Ellis. Sign up at Orbital Operations for future emails from Warren Ellis. You likely won’t regret it…that much.