Monthly Archives: May 2012
Update for 5/31/12
New review today for The Heavy Hand by Chris Cilla, as I’m finally starting to get to this stack of graphic novels.
Cilla, Chris – The Heavy Hand
Crikey, Chris has produced quite a show here. I don’t think I’ve ever referred to a graphic novel as a show before, but I’ll be damned if I know what else to call it. Lazy readers, and I know you’re out there (there are times when I am one of you), best stay away from this one. Chris makes sure that you’re never allowed to get fully comfortable in this story, and that’s a good thing. You get a pretty clear warning right away that traditional narrative storytelling may take a few twists and turns, as we start with a man (with as vague of a face as possible) working on a large electronic device. He pours a cup of coffee, puts a few (what we later see to be) gems into it, takes out his dick and pees all over the device. Welcome to the comic! From there we get to meet our hero (not the guy from the first two pages) as he talks about a new job that he’s picked up with his indifferent/borderline hostile girlfriend. Or not, as he then has a very similar conversation with another lady (this one has a duck bill for a mouth). Suddenly, grinning spiders! Then we’re back with our hero as he tries to get a ride to his new job, but the guy he was counting on ends up abandoning him at a gas station, leaving his looking for another ride. Suddenly, a tiny masked man fighting a spider! Then the ride to the caverns (have I mentioned that his new job is in a cavern?) reveals the history of the town, as we see a patchwork donkey beaten and drowned by a mob, except not really, and an army of eyeball blob creatures are unleashed as payback. And that’s plenty from my end, don’t you think? From there we get to see plenty of those caverns and those creatures, there’s a party, and a strange goat creature is born. Or it evolves from a regular goat. The point is that it’s all up to you to put it together, but holy crap is it worth the effort. $14
Update for 5/30/12
New review today for Ugly People #3 by Zack! Empire. Keep clacking away on those new additions to the sidebar, as they may end being worth the trouble after all.
Zack! Empire – Ugly People #3
Ugly People #3
Since I’ve spent an awful lot of time berating many comics folks for their horrible misspellings and/or incorrect usage of your/you’re, and since I’ve done that in at least two different reviews of Zack’s comics in particular, it’s only fair that I point out that this issue is much improved on that front. In fact, I don’t think there was a single typo, or if there was I didn’t notice it, so kudos to the man. He mentioned in the letter he sent with the comic that he’s working with somebody who proofs his writing now and he’s actively trying to improve it himself, so as far as I’m concerned I’ll never have to mention this again in regards to Zack. Now as to the other members of the comics community who still can’t be bothered with a little self improvement, I’ll keep on your collective cases. Now on to the comic! This issue features the conclusion to the “Bacon on a Bounty” tale from last issue, as our hero and his ridiculous sidekick get actively involved in the case. Well, they try to get actively involved anyway. We get to see BDB’s reaction to that ridiculous sidekick outfit, them mapping out their “strategy,” BDB hitting on some high school girls, and their only (hilariously short) physical confrontation before things wrap up. I was hoping for more mayhem, but who wouldn’t want to see more mayhem involving a roided up gigantic piece of bacon? The other story in here is a day in the life of the crankiest man on the planet. Or at least the crankiest cyclops. Anybody who has had a shitty morning can guess some of the basics, but you’ll definitely be surprised when he punches out a ____. I really wanted to include it here because it’s so damned funny, but you should see it for yourself. And then be happy that you live in a world where such an image exists. $3
Update for 5/29/12
New review today for Troop 142 by Mike Dawson. So yeah, if you look at that sidebar you’ll see that I’m finally experimenting with ads. Feel free to support the site by clicking on them, as I’m looking to maybe get to a convention or two by the end of the year and that seems like a relatively painless way to help me get there. One thing though: if you see one miserable pop-up, or if one of those ads starts playing audio/video when your cursor hovers over it without prompting on your part, or if you just see something offensive (which to me could mean anything from those horrible right wing nutjob sites asking if Obama is either a bad president or the worst president ever to those “order a Russian bride” ads) then please send me an e-mail about it. Or if you run a comic and/or publishing company and would like to put up a banner ad, then hey, get in touch with me. Ideally I’d like any ads on here to be related to comics, but that’s probably down the road a bit.
Dawson, Mike – Troop 142
Troop 142
I recently mentioned (and probably have several other times as well) that I loved this “job” because it gives me a chance to see comic artists at all stages of their careers, from scribbles with all kinds of typos to the eventual polished version later on. The trouble is that, what with this being mostly a mini comics kind of a website and all, I often lose track of people once they start putting out graphic novels on a regular basis. Not so much if I have a regular source of income, but when I don’t they have a tendency to fade into the background for me. This is all a long-winded way of me saying that Mike was one of the first people to send me review comics back in the day, but I haven’t read any of his new comics for at least five years, and I’m thrilled that he’s one of the people from back in the day who “made it.” I have no clue if he’s making a living off his comics yet, but artistically speaking he seems to have put all the pieces together. I should point out that my copy of this also came with a “142” boy scout badge, which was a neat little thing to throw in here, but I’m not sure if that comes with all the copies. This book is all about a week of summer camp for this troop in 1995. A lot of people are probably going to call this a “coming of age” story, but I think that’s a lazy way to look at it, as most of the characters in here don’t come to any serious realizations at the end of the week or change in any significant way. What this book does do perfectly is capture that moment in time, that late adolescent awkwardness where things are starting to change for some people in your age group, but the changes come at a different pace for different people. In this summer camp we get examples of bullying (that mostly (but not always) stay below causing the victim any actual harm), taking LSD and sitting around a campfire, unconscious homosexual experimenting, communal showers (and a communal toilet), living in a tent for a week, and some of the classes needed for Boy Scout badges. But the main thing on display here is the conversations between these kids, and they’re scary accurate from my memories of the time. A lot of adults try to protect the youngsters from foul language and anything untoward, which naturally leads to kids saying the most vile curse words that they hear whenever they get the chance. There’s also a smaller plot in here about a camp counselor (who’s there with his two sons) and the troubles he has fitting in. What’s the etiquette for sleeping in a tent with another man? What are the exact rules for maintaining discipline while not going over the line, especially when it’s your kids that are getting picked on? There are countless quiet (or loud) moments of conversation in here that I’ll let you discover for yourself, but I’d have to think this book would really hit home with people who went through this process themselves. As for the rest of us, you probably already know if you’re interested in this book, as a tale of summer camp for Boy Scouts either interests you or it doesn’t. But if you’re on the fence it’s well worth giving this thing a shot. $20
Update for 5/25/12
New review today for Thurber From Ohio by Bruce Chrislip, and a happy weekend to one and all!
Chrislip, Bruce – Thurber of Ohio
Thurber of Ohio
No, I didn’t forget to add the usual sample image, it’s just that this comic is four pages long and it seemed like cheating if I had 50% of it up here for free. Not that that would cut greatly into Bruce’s profits, as he’s only asking for $.25 per copy of this mini, but it’s more the principle of the thing. Anyway, this comic is a brief recap of the life of James Grover Thurber, a former cartoonist for the New Yorker who died in 1961. There are a few examples of his work (and his dedication to simplicity in his comics), a pretty funny anecdote from his time at the New Yorker and his deteriorating eyesight. This takes up the bulk of the book (he says of a book that is, again, four pages) and we see Thurber trying surgery and different kinds of special equipment before finally settling on a powerful microscope attached to his glasses. In case you were wondering, yes, it is possible to learn something new about the guy even in a very short book. It’s funny, informative and almost takes a turn for the tragic towards the end, so I’d say it’s worth a look. And if you happen to get this at a convention chances are you can get a few more minis from Bruce along with this one for right around a dollar.
Update for 5/24/12
Two new reviews today for Daucus Carota #2 by Brandon Berry and Alex Jones True Adventures #1 by Tom Van Deusen and a gaggle of guest artists.
Berry, Brandon – Daucus Carota #2
Daucus Carota #2
Ah, this is what I love most about running this website and chattering about comics for going on 11 years now. Brandon sent me the first issue of this series years ago, I loved it and never heard from him again. Until now! Scroll through the archives to find my review of #1, but Brandon put together a nice, succinct recap on the inside front cover, which is where such things should go. To sum up, as it’s silent: angry monkeys, confused giant rabbit creature, cartoon cloud of dust representing the battle, giant rabbit creature walking away triumphantly as a monkey arm belonging to a defeated monkey lays on the ground. Perfect. In this issue the rabbit creature is still doing his thing, whatever that might be, and the defeated monkeys return to their leader to report their failure, which goes about as well as you’d expect. The monkey king takes his strangely floating crown (it hovers over his head in most of the panels and he never loses it, no matter how many punches he takes) and goes out in search of our hero. A big old battle ensues with a shocking finale, of which I should say no more. Once again his brief use of colors here and there has more impact than an entire brightly colored comic, and the art is still impressive as hell. Even if he does say in the afterword that he’s embarrassed by the art of the first issue, which is madness, but hey, when are artists ever happy with their earlier work? He implies that the series will continue, which it damned well better now that he’s gone and gotten me hooked. Here’s hoping it’s not another three years before #3. Oh, and some contact information listed in the comic would have been nice, as I had to search around the internets to find it. And in case you were wondering, yes, it is always hilarious when I do a Google search and the first thing I find that I can actually use is a link from Optical Sloth. Funny every time. $5
Van Deusen, Tom – Alex Jones True Adventures #1
Alex Jones True Adventures #1
Ah, Alex Jones. I’m going to happily assume that this comic is supposed to be about the Alex Jones of radio/various conspiracy theories fame and not just a random Alex Jones, mostly because this comic would serve as an excellent origin story for the guy. Scratch that, Alex has a microphone and a tape recorder on the first page, so obviously it’s him. Anyway! This comic reads like a bizarro lament to my opinion that too few comics deal with modern political events or figures. This one has a bundle of political figures show up, and if any of them ever somehow heard of this comic I’d have to imagine that they wouldn’t be too happy about it. Buy hey, fuck ’em. This starts off with Alex on his personal tour of Bohemian Grove, the “play area for the elites,” and his confrontation with a “dandy sex toy” who seems to have stolen Jughead’s crown. From there he witnesses all kinds of horrors involving Geraldo Rivera, Herman Cain, Hilary Clinton and Bernie Madoff that I probably shouldn’t get into because of the dreaded spoilers. I will say that the ending with _____ (I’ll leave it as a surprise) in his “liberty copter” was brilliant, even if the person in question is a goldbug loon in real life. It’s a nice little piece of cathartic madness all wrapped up in eight pages. Normally I’d also complain about the lack of any contact info in this comic, but considering the subject matter I can see why Tom might want to make this a little tougher to find than most of his comics. That being the case there’s no price, but a buck or two should probably cover it.
Update for 5/22/12
New review today for Tabe Collection Volume One by Rio Aubry Taylor, which I just noticed is something that he finished over a span of six months, which is not bad for ten comics.
Taylor, Rio Aubry – Tabe Collection Volume One
Tabe Collection Volume One
Long time readers of this site may recall a few instances when I’ve tried to review abstract comics in (unintentionally) hilarious fashion, and this collected of Rio’s is actually ten comics in one package, so settle in for a garbled treat where I entirely miss the point of a good 3/4 of these comics. First off, the packaging is impressive as hell. This all comes in a large plastic envelope with images of transformers on the flap, and it even comes with a little hole in the flap where you would theoretically hang it on a wall. The packaging for the ten individual comics is impressive too, although if you weren’t a kid who could manage one of those “does he/she like me or not” folding hand thingies (and I clearly don’t know what to call them) then you might have some trouble folding some of these back into position after you finish reading them. On to the comics! #1 is a series of seemingly random images, involving a lot of people in very strange hats and some hieroglyphics. Have I mentioned that most of these comics are only a few pages long? OK then. #2 is a fold out thingie with all sorts of images of various transformers on it. Hey, just like the images on the outer flap of the whole package! #3 is a brief conversation on war and madness and #4 is a series of rorschach blots that are described as “new cave art.” #5 (sampled below, as I wanted to sample the most conventional page in a series of abstract comics just to mess with your head) is an interview with an unnamed person about either Don Juan, Cecil DeMille or both. There are a few interview comics in this set and I really wish I knew the subject in any of them. Hey, I’ve found a complaint! #6 is all about life and love, with an almost criminally adorable main image, and I can’t get it folded back the right way. #7 is a man coming to grips with the rot and taint within him, and it was probably my favorite of the bunch. #8 is a memory, a realization and a maze. #9 is a long interview about art and why to make it, and finally #10 is a message and a poem. With what appears to be that big guy from Katamari Damacy giving the main message. Overall this is an impressive pile of a variety of different types of comics. If you insist on a linear story, you have a few interviews and more conventional stories to win you over. If you prefer your comics abstract, damned near this whole collection has some elements of that. It’s a bit hefty at $14, but you’re also getting a fair amount of comic here. It’s worth a look, unless you really just hate abstract comics.
Crum, Kel – Cornelia Cartoons #12
Cornelia Cartoons #12
You’ll most likely be a bit lost if you didn’t read the last issue of this series, as this is a rare two part story, but I can sum it up for you. A new drug has been introduced that makes people deliriously happy, which really screws up the profits of the drug companies and various other folks who make a living on treating the depressed. This issue starts off with our heroine forced to hand over the formula to this wonder drug to a masked figure, who then loses it to another masked figure, who then loses it to another masked figure. It turns out that each of these people represents one of the many interests that would be adversely effected if this drug goes into mass production, leading to a pretty damned funny scene of them all trying to figure out who would be the most damaged and what their options were. The real fun begins when they each realize that they’d like to try the drug out for themselves, which they all unfortunately do before learning of the many possible side effects from taking the drug. From there things get more or less happily wrapped up, including an incredibly awkward revelation from the woman who was tricked into psychiatric care in the last issue. There’s also a very short story at the end about a man who finds himself trapped in one of those comic pratfalls that happen every time somebody hears something truly shocking. You know, the famous Robert Crumb (among others) habit of having only the upraised feet visible on the panel when somebody faints dead away from shock/indignation/general astonishment. It’s a nice extra funny bit after things got a little heavy in the main story, so no complaints here. This two part story is really worth a look if you’re at all interested in what legal drugs are doing to people and what the next logical step to the whole thing is. Or even if you just like funny bits of conversation about such things, as it’s not all as heavy as I’m making it out to be. The man just had a point that he wanted to make and I think he made it very well. $2
Update for 5/18/12
New review today for Me Likes You Very Much by Lauren Barnett, and your weekend would probably be vastly improved if you had a copy of this to read. Spoiler alert!
Barnett, Lauren – Me Likes You Very Much
It’s unprofessional in the extreme for me to write a review that’s just a long, small childlike squeal of delight, isn’t it? Damn. Perhaps you’re one of the smarter comics readers who has known about Lauren’s comics for some time now, in which case you’re as excited as I am that she’s finally getting a big old book full of these comics of hers. For those of you who have never heard of her, boy are you in for a treat, as this is about 190 pages of pure goodness and light. And, happily, that cover gives several (smaller) examples of her work. If you can manage to read all of those small comics without laughing, you are hereby excused from buying this book. And from having the capacity for joy, you soulless monster you. For everybody else, like I said, you’re in for a treat. Maybe you’re on the fence somehow and I should at least try to make a coherent case for this book, so I’ll give it a shot. Lauren’s comics are generally between one and three panels long and usually involve talking animals. Or lighters, or salt, or many different kinds of food, or just about anything that could conceivably have a mouth and a couple of eyes attached to it. And they’re funny. Really, damned near all of them at least made me smile, and a really solid chunk of them had me actually laughing out loud, which is still a rarity even after all these years of reading these “funny books.” I should point that at least a few of these strips were already published in some of her mini comics over the last few years, but a good chunk of them are in color here, which was not the case for her minis, and wouldn’t you rather have them all in one place anyway? Sure you would. As I really don’t want to ruin anything about the actual strips (why rob you of the joy of discovery?), I’ll stick to the margins. The hamburger asking on the back page if the people quoted praising her book were lying? Well, it’s always impressive if you get a laugh out of me when the book itself is over. Speaking of that, she does have a few random strips before and after the book actually starts, so there’s bonus stuff for you to enjoy. I also loved her chapter listings almost as much as the fact that she actually had an increasingly desperate eggplant (as he realized the reader was approaching the end of the book) introducing the nonsensical chapters. Look, what you have here is a big old book full of the funny, put out by a publishing company that’s just starting out and could use the encouragement, and put together by a woman who’s funnier than most humans have any right to be and who really deserves a big old pile of money for her effort. Help these folks out with that please! $14
Update for 5/17/12
New reviews today for Kekionga Mini Works #13 by Pam Bliss & Jeff Lilly and Window #14 by Dave Lapp. OK, I’ll fess up. The reviews have been slow lately because I’ve been getting paid $25 a piece to write articles for another site, so that has to be the priority until I get some of this “spending money” I keep hearing about. But I’ll always find time for comics! Just maybe not as much time as I would like…
Lapp, Dave – Window #14
Window #14
Aw, I’ve finally reached the last of these Window comics. Dammit. There, I guess I just gave away the direction of this review, for the people who haven’t read my reviews of the first 13 issues of this series and weren’t sure which way I was going to go. This issue has a few different stories in it, and I’d swear that the text size got much bigger this time around, for whatever that’s worth. First up is the sample below, mostly because it reminded me of a friend of mine back in the day doing the same thing to vegetarian friends, and he got the exact same reaction (“this is the best veggie burger I’ve ever had!”) while pulling the same trick. But hey, that’s just a one page piece. The first big story deals with Dave teaching another class, this time in a summer camp where students were with him for several hours a day for two weeks. He talks about the kid who got bullied (and how, even though he was a perfectly nice kid, it made sense that other kids were bullying him because he was so damned polite all the time), how the one kid who was too young for the class had an impossible time trying to fit in, and the time that a staple got into some candy and whether or not it was a malicious act. That’s roughly the first half of the book, and I’m going to be as vague as possible for the rest of it to try and keep some surprises for you readers lucky enough to find copies of this series. There are two other stories about the professor who was thinking of giving his kid back after his wife left the country and the mystery of the thrown shoe, then this series sadly comes to a close. Well, unless he’s planning on making more, but he seems to have moved onto other things, which I probably should have reviewed before this series. Oops. In a perfect world this series would be collected into one volume and then given to all teachers around the country, so any publishers out there with a few extra bucks lying around should make it so.
Bliss, Pam & Jeff Lilly- Kekionga Mini Works #30: Fleek
Kekionga Mini Works #30: Fleek
There are times when a comic just mystifies me. Maybe if I had read some of Pam’s past issues in any kind of linear order I would have a better chance at understanding this, but as it is I’m almost completely at sea. This one starts off with a listing of the cast of characters, which is a damned useful piece of information (brain in a jar, a stuffed coelacanth, flying junkyard rats, two humans and a “Josef). Things start off with one of the humans poking around in a mysterious box with everybody else hovering around, trying to figure out what it is. They start guessing (by throwing out words that sound like nonsense), other characters make fun of them for their guesses, culminating in a page later in the book that looked like a sound effect convention gone wrong. I would have used it for the sample, but it was very late in this short book and I didn’t want to give the whole thing away. So if you’re a fan of wordplay and perhaps have a dictionary on hand that is getting a bit dusty, give this comic a shot. You’ll look up a half dozen words easy. I don’t have a dictionary around so I was mostly just befuddled. Which, again, is quite possibly my fault. $.50
