Phonogram (comics)

Phonogram
Cover of Phonogram (vol. 1) #2. Art by Jamie McKelvie.
Publication information
Publisher	Image Comics
Schedule	Irregular
Format	Limited series
Genre	Dark fantasy, contemporary fantasy
Publication date	(vol. 1) August 2006 - May 2007 (vol. 2) December 2008 - February 2010 (vol. 3) August 2015 - January 2016
Number of issues	(vol. 1) 6 (vol. 2) 7 (vol. 3) 6
Main character(s)	David Kohl, Emily Aster
Creative team
Writer(s)	Kieron Gillen
Artist(s)	Jamie McKelvie
Letterer(s)	Jamie McKelvie
Colorist(s)	(vol. 2-3) Matt Wilson
Creator(s)	Kieron Gillen Jamie McKelvie
Collected editions
Rue Britannia
The Singles Club
The Immaterial

Phonogram is a comic book written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Jamie McKelvie. It is published by American company Image Comics.

The first volume, Rue Britannia, began in August 2006 and stars David Kohl, a mage who uses the medium of Britpop music to interpret his magic.

The second volume, The Singles Club, consists of seven one-shots looking at young phonomancers and their experiences over one night at a dance club. Each issue consists of a 16-page main story, rounded-out with features and back-up stories.

Gillen originally ruled out a third volume because sales were just too low:

Best plan I have is just writing series 3 and then writing into my will that assuming I die young and Jamie's still around, lob him whatever's in my bank account to draw it. Which is assuming he'd even becquote willing to do it then. It's not that we're bitter about it – well, not just because we're bitter about it – but that it's been emotionally exhausting. We've been doing "Phonogram" for over 4 years, not including the years before the first series came out. Imagine if we could have just done the comic and not had to deal with any of the shit we've had to. We'd have been up to issue 44 now. Instead, we have 13 issues.

I feel frustrated. Enormously lucky, sure, but frustrated. We've done this wonderful thing we're crazy-proud about. But if the whole economic system was just a couple of degrees to the left, everything would have been different. I mean, just to give you an idea about narrow the margins are between what we are and what we could be, if we were selling 6K instead of 4K, we could have done those 44 issues. The difference between breaking even and actually being able to do it in comics is insane. It's like being kept under ice, clawing. I feel like a bonsai plant.

However, in February 2012 at the 2012 Image Expo, a third series of Phonogram was announced, entitled The Immaterial Girl. On the subject of the change of heart, Gillen stated:

And finally: we said we couldn’t do any further Phonogram. We’re doing more Phonogram. What’s changed? Circumstances have changed. Sorry to play enigmatic, but it’s just financial stuff and the day when the most important thing about Phonogram are lines on a graph is the day the little Phonofairy dies.

The most important reason for our return? Phonogram felt like unfinished business. While each volume stands alone, knowing we were so close to giving a little closure to Emily, Kohl and the rest was more than we could bear.