July 13, 2007

The World Gets a Hearty Helping of Satirical Cynicism with Shannon Wheeler Opera and New Book at SDCC

In an exciting break away from his limelighted character, Too Much Coffee Man, Shannon Wheeler delivers Screw Heaven, When I Die I’m Going to Mars. This masterful collection of intense coffee-fueled cynicism sheds a humorous light on life’s little nuances and annoyances. The trials and tribulations of several featured comic strip characters—including the beloved Too Much Coffee Man—come together to engage readers in a subtly intellectual, yet laugh-out-loud funny burlesque of irony and lampoon.

With an introduction from legendary Operation Ivy singer Jesse Michaels and guided by the editorial genius of Shawna Gore, this hysterical anthology is proudly added to the Dark Horse catalogue. Shannon Wheeler has graced the Dark Horse line with several critically acclaimed Too Much Coffee Man books and, as longtime publishers of Wheeler, Dark Horse is happy to be part of the rich history of Too Much Coffee Man.

An improbable marriage of classical music and comic book characters makes a new life in the Too Much Coffee Man Opera. Presented by Comic-Con International: San Diego–the cross section of mediums takes the stage in a dramatic concert presentation July 27th and 28th at the Horton Grand Theatre. The contemporary opera is based on Too Much Coffee Man. This successful musical experience stirs scrutinizing sidesplitting satire with traditional opera.

Too Much Coffee Man creator, Shannon Wheeler, teamed up with Emmy Award winning composer Daniel Steven Crafts and Damian Wilcox to form this one-act opera. The story chronicles the tragedy of Too Much Coffee Man, a caffeine-addled average Joe in love with a local Barista. Trouble brews when the cynical opportunist Espresso Guy also makes a play for the ambitious but frustrated young female coffee slinger. But the Barista has other plans that have nothing to do with either of the rambunctious men. The characters must resolve the modern age dilemma: Can coffee and romance co-exist?

“I haven’t been this excited since my last press release,” muses Shannon.

In addition to three performances for attendees of Comic-Con, the Too Much Coffee Man Opera will be performed in concert for a five-show run at the Horton Grand Theatre, and two public performances at 11:00 p.m. Friday, July 27th and 11:00 p.m. Saturday, July 28th. Tickets cost $20 and are available through Ticketmaster.

Screw Heaven, When I Die I’m Going to Mars is to be released August 8th, 2007 retailing at $12.95.

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