It’s been a little quiet here recently, so here is an update on the state of play for our schedule this year.

The next volume of West (Vol III: Killing) will deviate from the single-issue structure of previous volumes, comprising a four part storyline, a finale, and an epilogue, and the four-parter (Mississippi) is currently being tightly plotted (almost but not quite full script) to conclusion. This takes a fair bit longer than previously, so apologies for the delay.

In the interim, we are finishing off our West: The Train Leaves at Noon contribution from The Newspaper Strip Collection of Oscar Charles Drayton to conclude that story, and are planning to offer it in an Artist’s Edition format, scanned in colour from Tim’s original art, and offered with faux-historical text pages, as if it were a long-lost West newspaper strip from the 1970s.

The Whale House, following the departure of artist Chris Doherty, will also continue later in the year. Chris’s preferred commitment was for a six issue series, though these grew to 28 pages each, and this dictated much of the scripting. I am currently reformatting the plot to reduce the page count of each issue down to a more manageable 20 pages, and making the series a couple of issues longer, giving it a bit more breathing room. This reediting will also aid me in drawing the series and committing to getting it onto a faster and more reliable schedule.

(There is a new interview with Chris over on Beard Rock concerning his Video Nasties series and plans for future comics. I’m doubly glad of this, as I want to see Chris continue in comics, and also it offers some proof that I haven’t murdered him and buried his body in the woods.)

In short, both West and The Whale House will continue once the scripts for both series are essentially complete. Getting the ending of West and the structure of The Whale House is paramount, and I think taking the time to ensure that will be worth the wait.

Again, apologies for the delays.

• Andrew Cheverton