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Aulisio, Pat (editor) – Dirty #1
Dirty #1
At least I’m pretty sure Pat is the editor for this issue, with all that artistic expression going on around that guy it’s hard to tell sometimes. This is another anthology by what appear to be locals around Philadelphia, as they include a class schedule for people interested in signing up… back in September. Just a note to anybody who sends me time sensitive comics: send me an e-mail mentioning this fact, as if it comes on a note with the comic those two things often get separated. I try to do new releases first and then go back to the older stuff, but what with the whole “Pat Aulisio Tuesdays” theme I’ve just been grabbing whichever book of his is handy. Wasn’t there a comic here somewhere? Ah yes. This is short but tall and vibrantly colorful. There’s Ian Harker with a piece about… yeah, not going to touch that one. Beth Heinly has the sampled piece, as I have an elderly grandmother’s resistance to cat-related strips. Box Brown, Pat Aulisio and James T. Arnold share a page of strips about fantasy, the distant future and animal funnies respectively. Bradford Haubrich then has the bulk of the comic with different pieces using layered techniques to make a better whole. Or something, I’m not so good with the technical descriptions of art, in case that wasn’t blindingly obvious by now. Steven Streisguth brings up the rear with a couple of gorgeous black and white pieces. Pterodactyl is the group putting this together, and their motto is in part: “To revive the enjoyment and practice of creating art for personal fulfillment, to create exhibitions and experiences that resonate with diverse audiences, and to bring people together through the arts.” Sounds good to me and, especially if you know and love the people involved, this is definitely worth checking out. How you get a copy is another question, but I’ll pass it along here if I find anything out…
Harker, Ian (editor) – Secret Prison #2
Secret Prison #2
Here’s hoping it’s still OK to use images from the internets for the review, as it’s impossible for me to scan the newspaper sized stuff. And if you agree with me that Benjamin Marra is tearing shit up with that cover, you should see the back cover by Pat Aulisio. I’m also not entirely sure if it’s possible for any old schmuck online to get a copy of this, as I think it’s only available at cons, but that’s a damned shame for a pile of great strips like this. Share it with the world! If I’m not mistaken (and I probably am) this one is even longer than the last issue, and it’s one of those rare anthologies with no really weak pieces. Sure, some things are better than others, whatever that means, but everything in here has something going for it. Strips in here (and they are strips, nothing is longer than 2 pages) include Pat’s tale of deliciously sorrowful soul, Luke Pearson’s absolutely brilliant “How to Exist For a Day,” Ian’s silent cubed spy story, Josh Burggraf’s text message-a-rific story of need, Cody Pickrodt with some true confessions, Bob Pistilli going a long way for a great ending, Box Brown and his experience with an exotic “delicacy,” the story behind that ridiculously good cover by Benjamin Marra, Art Baxter loving the summer, Simon Gardenfors getting the most out of his page with a series of mishaps involving a round dude wearing underwear, Kelly Phillips wondering if there’s a line cardiologists should not cross, Cyn Why with a tale for the ages, Steve Teare going to heaven, Doug Slack with a pile of funnies, and Jose Mochove & Rusty Rowley using photos to destroy us with reality. I skipped a few to leave some surprises for people who manage to find an actual copy of this, not that I spoiled too much for the other stories, but everybody likes surprises, right? Seriously, show this to the world, you guys! A working table of contents, a huge pile of talent, this should not be kept away from the world at large. Unless it isn’t, and I’m wrong, in which case let me know and I’ll tell people here how to buy it.
Aulisio, Pat (editor) – Philly Alternative Comic Con 2010
Philly Alternative Comic Con 2010
Well, at least I think Pat was the editor. He put the book together, anyway, and that’s basically the same thing. Sadly, it’s one of those anthologies without a coherent table of contents (although I did like the look of the one Box Brown put together), so a lot of these stories are going to be reviewed through a bit of guesswork and process of elimination. Stories in here include a very colorful mess from Pat, Liz Baillie keeping the tradition of record collecting alive, Hawk Krall with some disgusting but hilarious pranks, Dina Kelberman’s inimitable comics (with a drunken disclaimer tacked onto the bottom), Mike Sgier with a futuristic tale of trying to cap an uncontrollably spewing well, Ian Harker’s love of flying, L. Nichols and going along to get along, and Sally Bloodbath & Matt Wiegle with a piece on the most horrible child alive and her fitting end. That leaves a few pieces without a noticeable creator, so in no particular order, the other stories in here dealt with making a friend (literally), trying to make art to please a critic, and two grotesque creatures sharing an apartment and their antics. Chris McDonnell probably did the first two pieces and Lance Hansen probably did the last story (which was actually a series of smaller stories), and I say “probably” because that’s where my coin flip landed, and when has that ever been wrong? Box Brown did the covers and has a lovely group of people at the end of their lives bemoaning their lack of buying quality comics in their lives, something you should all take to heart. As this was from a con I have no idea if it’s still readily available to the world, but as it’s all in color, gorgeous and full of talent, you should hunt it down if at all possible. Pat would probably know if it was around, why not check it with him? Or I can post a little update here if I hear anything, how about that? No price, but $5 sounds nice, if possibly too low.
Harker, Ian (editor) – Secret Prison #1
Secret Prison #1
Ah, the wonders of the newspaper style anthology comic. It’s impossible for me to scan, but luckily I was able to um, “borrow for all time” (sounds so much nicer than stealing, and I’ll be happy to take them down and have this instead posted with no images if necessary) a couple of images, so you don’t have to go into this blind. One problem with this springs instantly to mind: I’m not sure how people are supposed to get a copy of it outside of being at one of the cons where this and the upcoming issue #2 will be presented. I say “presented” instead of “sold”, as this one is listed as free right there on the cover. At the moment Pat is trying to pull together the funds for the second issue. By donating to the cause you can get the first and second issues in the mail, so that’s at least one way to see them, and you have the added benefit of helping out a worthy endeavor. As usual with anthologies, this one is a bit of a mixed bag. More good than bad though, including strips by Art Baxter (dealing with a reluctance to go forward and “living” with the consequences of working up the courage), Box Brown (in which a Googling quest to find news on Audie Murphy turns into self-reflection and slumber), Cyn Why on the high price of becoming Queen on the Internet (at least I think it’s her, if that list of the contributors at the start of the book is the order in which they appear), Kelly Phillips showing the life of a grumpy mountain, Steve Teare with a brutal beating, and Jason Clarke with a problem solver. Actually, looking through the pieces I didn’t mention it’s not like there’s a ton of badness there either. There’s Pat Aulisio’s strip, sampled below, and his art keeps getting tighter all the time. Bob Pistilli’s Skortch seems to be the start of something bigger and at least has the decency to show us lots of naked ladies while we wait for the story to develop. Ian Harker has the quiet, sad life of a super villain (?) on an almost inconceivable world. Beth Heinly has the simplest piece of the comic that I can’t talk about even a little without giving away. Tommy Rudmose has a man literally confined to the panel walls. Andrea Grigoropl & Dan Fitz have a piece of a man, after being hit by a bus, making his own decision about going on with life. That’s everything, and there’s not much bad there at all. Some things need to be fleshed out a bit more, which will have a chance to happen if they can afford to make the next issue, but most everything in there works as a single page story. I’ll update this page if I get a clear idea of where exactly you could get a copy of this and future issues, but in the meantime keep an eye out at cons.
Harker, Ian – Ultimate Peanuts
Ultimate Peanuts
Have you ever wondered what the Peanuts gang would look like when they were all grown up and strung out on drugs? Well, look no further than this delightful comic. Also, if you’re one of the people who think that the Peanuts characters are sacred and shouldn’t be made fun of past a quick joke here and there, run for your lives? Charlie Brown is a pothead, Snoopy is near death and dreams of being Hitler, Patty and Marcie are lesbians, Pigpen is a drug dealer with a creepy obsession with porn and snuff films, Linus is retarded after a tragic tractor accident when he was sleeping in the pumpkin patch, and Schroeder is the gay lead singer in a goth band. You’re either going to love this or hate it, plain and simple. I thought it had quite a few funny parts, which is all you can ask for from a parody, and it’s free. It looks like you can either find Ian at a con and ask for a copy or send him an e-mail and see what happens…
