April 22, 2010
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Maximum Super Excitement #2 (with Maxine Frank)
It occurred to me after reading this that I have no idea of the average age of the reader of this website. I have a general idea of the number per day, but is there any way to tell age? Anyway, I mention that because, as you can tell from the cover, this book is for adults. Trust me kids, if you’re just looking for naked people you grew up with the internets; it’s not difficult. Robin and Maxine have a simple formula: they sit together in a coffee shop, draw a panel and then pass the page to the other artist. Considering that method, this is a remarkably coherent story. This is the tale of a woman who has apparently left an island of librarians. She returns with her slave (pictured on the cover) after the whole of humanity has died out after a disgusting plague that results in maggots bursting from various parts of the body. Like I said, if it’s nudity you’re looking for, you can probably get it without maggots. Lumpino (the returning librarian) has come back for revenge, and it turns out that her slave (who enjoys raping) is infected, so he sets to work on the leader of the group and her slave. From there it’s just sheer mayhem as the rest of the librarians come out, there’s a serious gunfight and brawl, and everybody lives happily ever after. OK, maybe not that last part. It’s a funny story, there’s gore and sex (often combined), and even though this was mostly done in a coffee shop the art looks great. If you’re squeamish you may want to move onto lighter fare, but if you have a good sense of humor and are up for anything, this comic is a blast. Hey, if you can’t figure out from that cover whether or not this is for you, I can’t help you… $4
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Crash
It’s nice to see Craig tackle a serious subject. Not that I haven’t liked the light-hearted stuff, but I’m always looking for range in people. This is the story of the lead singer of one of the early punk bands in Los Angeles or, as the cover calls it, “The Life and Death of a Germ”. When the worst I can say about a book is that it’s too short, I guess that’s a winner. Still, when you reference 6 different books or articles for your comic, it would be nice if it was longer than 12 pages. Other than that, it was well done. It was a tragic tale, but the details of a lot of it were skimmed over. I would have liked to see more about the man and what drove him. The art was great, as always, and it’s a cheap book at $2. Check it out if you have any interest in the history of punk. Look up there for contact info!
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Fuchsia Galactica Summer Special
One thing Craig has no problem with at all is cover design. That’s just gorgeous. The inside is pretty good too, keeping the “all ages” feel that I talked about in his other book. Not that it’s his only other book or anything, just the only other one that I’ve seen. Fuchsia is apparently an intergalactic singing sensation, so most of the stories in here are based off of that fact. There are also a few stories in here about “Soupy -n- Crackers”, two kids who are so precocious that it’s obnoxious, but I guess it fits the idea of maybe getting kids to read this. Fuchsia’s stories involve her getting tricked into performing with a bunch of star imitators, her cat trying to take over the spotlight, and Fuchsia going on vacation with her manager to Venus. Some pretty funny stuff in here, although if you’re incredibly jaded it might be a bit too sunny for you. Hey, I liked it, and the art is gorgeous. Check out the website for more samples so you know if it’s for you, or just send Craig an e-mail. This one is $3…
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Go-Go Girl #3
Another random submission, and it’s another good one. This is the one issue I’ve read, so I’m going to be making a few assumptions here, but the stories are all about one female character and her friends. Apparently she’s horny and drinks alone at bars, everything else is a mystery. Topics dealt with here are hypnotism, child bullies, falling off of bar stools and dates with rock stars. It has an “all ages” feel to it, even with all the drinking and what-not. Probably because it’s a fun read and it extremely good-natured. The art is crisp, the stories are quick and funny, and the layout (look at that cover!) is just incredible. A solid book, I’m looking forward to seeing more. Check out his website or just send him money at: 7 Weld Hill St. #2R, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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The Girl Who Trod On An Oaf
First off, I just don’t get it. I have every mini she ever did, or at least I think I do, and then I see this one from 1997 that I somehow missed completely. Some people, sure, I can see where I would just miss it, but Deep Girl was one of the minis that got me really interested in the whole medium, and how I missed this is a mystery to me. Anyway, this is a shortie, as the $.75 price might indicate, and you can get it at Poopsheet, which has all kinds of great stuff. It’s a modern day fable about a spoiled brat who decides to step on a bum to avoid getting her boots dirty and her eternal punishment for doing it. Another great mini from her, anyway, and now I wonder if she has a whole pile of minis tucked away somewhere that I’ve never seen…
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Raisin Pie #1 (with Rick Altergott)
Ah, credits in comics. It makes reviews so much easier. Raisin Pie is the first issue of the new “regular” series from Rick Altergott and Ariel Bordeaux (sorry, but I’ve been reading independent comics for too long to believe “regular” until I see it). I’m guessing that Rick does the first story, “Blessed Be”, and Ariel does the “Maple Valley Public Library” and “The Ladies Line”. I haven’t seen much of his Doofus work, so I have little to no idea of what’s going on here or who these people are, but I like what I’ve seen so far. It’s the first part of a continuing story about a young kid who’s trying to get back at the judge who sent him to jail and something to do with Satanists. Hey, it’s early yet, I’m not sure what’s up. “Maple Valley Public Library” is basically the story of an irate woman who’s trying to get a book banned and the woman who has to deal with her. Add a cliffhanger ending and you have the second part of the book that’s going to be continued down the road, always a good sign with the whole continuing series thing. “The Ladies Line” reminded me the most of Ariel’s older work, as it’s about two women talking in a bathroom line about all sorts of things that shouldn’t be overheard. Throw in a one page story in the front and the back, one of the most ridiculous back covers in recent memory and you have a a pretty solid book. Keep ’em coming, you two…
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Deep Girl #2
It’s starting to feel like I’m living on memory lane these days, between all these reviews of old minis and my moving back to the town where this website got started (Champaign Illinois, in case I ever start an Optical Sloth trivia game). Anyway, it’s reminding me of why nostalgia is as popular as it is, as I’m loving being (mostly) back in town and am also thoroughly enjoying these oldies. That was expected, but you never know when you go back and read/watch something you enjoyed back in the day if it’ll hold up. Deep Girl holds up. There are a few stories this time around, including the early days of Ariel and romance (her first time, what total losers she hung around and how she finally figured out that sex wasn’t hard to come by), Lovie Doll (who gets sick of a guy berating her for not knowing about politics and current events), and the joy of hunting for a job (in this case applying at a trendy coffee shop and feeling insulted just from the application). Again, this looks a bit cruder than her later work, but it still doesn’t look anywhere near bad and it’s still funny as hell. Hop in that time machine and grab yourself a copy, or keep hoping that something in this indifferent universe hears your pleas for a collected edition of this stuff…
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
Ariel on Facebook
Deep Girl #1
It occurred to me while writing these old timey reviews that these artists might not keep their work in print because they think it was completely awful, and I’m ruining something by posting these old minis at all.  Then again, screw that. This is some funny shit. The art may look a bit crude compared to her later work, but so what? Do you lose points for not being as accomplished an artist when you first start out (as this was done in 1993) as opposed to where you are 17 years later? If anybody out there really hates that I’m posting their older work for all to see, they can let me know and I’ll take it down. In the meantime, I think it serves as a helpful reminder that a lot of these people are still making comics, just in case you’ve forgotten about that. This was one of the first minis I ever bought, and it definitely set the tone for what I was looking for. Here was this woman, putting out her first comic, who fearlessly lays herself bare for all (well, the couple of hundred people who bought this) to see. There’s probably a dozen or so cartoonists who got me interested in this business and kept me interested with how often they put out comics (back then, at least), and Ariel was definitely a big part of that. So what was in here? Pieces about her delusions of grandeur (thinking she is perpetually on the cusp of fame as an artist while working as a waitress), how shopping for a bra has always been a miserable experience, Weepy the Wee-Wee, Smile-O-Matic, and your very own monk. I’m just shouting into the wind here, but if anybody ever wanted to put these into a collection, I think they could sell some copies. Just one man’s opinion…
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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The Ineffables #3
For any ancient historians combing through the internets who are curious about the order of these reviews and why they don’t make any sense, I believe I reviewed the first two issues of this series, followed by the graphic novel, followed by the “secret history” first issue, then finally this third issue of the regular series. And really, anybody studying the history of this time period should have better things to do than be worried about such things, unless of course comics ended up saving the world. Sorry, but it’s impossible to read this series without coming away feeling a little philosophical and/or conceptual. It appears that when I reviewed the first two issues of this series years ago this was supposed to be a “make or break” issue for me, when I decided if I liked the series. Well, other issues have already convinced me that I do, so all this issue does is reinforce that belief. In this issue we try to learn a bit about Chet’s new invulnerability, the strange ghost haunting in a cemetery, and a group of workers who disappeared seven months ago. This is all just window dressing for the high concepts Craig wants to throw at the reader, setups for the punchlines, if you will. This is one of those series that should eventually be taught in schools, as it shows that learning (and conceptual thought) can indeed be fun, while still managing to throw a few fight scenes in. This might not be the best place to start this series for newcomers, but anything you pick up is probably going to make you want to see more anyway, so you’ll get here sooner or later. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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The Ineffables #2
When does a comic cross the line between being too stupid for words and so stupid that it’s hilarious? This one stomps all over that fine line. I’m not going to ruin what the main villain is because that’s the core of my confusion, but I will admit to laughing out loud at least twice during this, so it’s impossible to say that it’s all bad. The issue starts off with an invasion by what appears to be a government source, and they appear to be heading towards a secret government base. Sounds cliche, I know, but Craig manages to keep it fun. We also get to see the character fleshed out a little more, although I was hoping it would start leaning away from a superhero group rather than embracing it fully. And Mason reminds me almost too much of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, although maybe I’m just being paranoid. Good signs and bad signs in this one, I think I’ll have to wait for #3 to be a tie-breaker.
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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The Ineffables #1
Never judge a book by its cover. I say that time and time again, yet this one was still in my “probably crappy” pile from SPACE. I didn’t even realize that I had different piles until I realized that I wasn’t looking forward to reading almost everything in this pile, but decided today that that was silly and took the plunge. And I was rewarded with this which, while not fantastic, was definitely good and shows that he has things going in the right direction. The art doesn’t do much for me. He says that he had to redraw several things because it took him so long to finish it, and it shows. It’s kind of an X-Files with an odder collection of members, if you want the Hollywood description. Smarter than I thought it would be, the adventures just seem to pop up out of nowhere and the whole thing feels wonderfully (and I hope intentionally) random. It’s $2.50 per issue and it’s worth checking out. No website yet, apparently, but you can e-mail him and see what he has laying around. And here’s the snail mail: P.O. Box 13697 Columbus, OH 43213-0697.
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Strange Science Fiction #6
It’s been fun over these last six issues watching Matthew play with various types of science fiction and fantasy staples, so it’s about time that he got to the “a computer that makes dreams a reality” concept. And he mixed comic book stereotypes right into it, as Julie is reading a comic with a generic superhero fighting a Joker-like villain while plugged into the computer, so they pop right into existence. The bad guy must be stopped, and kudos to Matthew for putting together the best ending yet. Look, six issues of a solidly entertaining series isn’t easily dismissed in this business, as it’s sadly not a mark that’s reached by many people. With all the various science fiction cliches out there Matthew should be able to keep this up for ages if he’s so inclined…
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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The Secret History of the Ineffables #1
Oh sure, get a few issues and a graphic novel into a series and then start throwing in mini series to get me all confused. I don’t mind a bit getting to see what this group was like in the early years, as it remains a fascinating concept for a team of superheroes and in this issue we get a taste of the founding members. Just a taste though, I’m guessing the next issue will flesh them out a bit. And is that the end of this series or does this start the series over? Many questions, few answers, and that website doesn’t clear things up at all. In this issue a group of a radical animal rights group frees Schodinger’s cat and the dead start to return to terrorize the living. Not zombies though, just ghosts, spirits and skeletons. Strategy is discussed, old, dead members are contacted, and we’re left with the promise that everybody dies in the next issue. Oh, and that they come back. If that doesn’t get your curiosity up, well, I don’t know what will. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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The Ineffables: Political Science
I seem to have been wishy-washier than usual with my old reviews for these issues. Instead of blaming myself, I’ll just stick with the theory that Craig made a pretty big leap after the first couple of issues (neither of which are reprinted in this graphic novel), not that I was a dope who couldn’t recognize a good thing when he saw it. Granted, it is an odd concept for a comic. A team of heroes, comprised of a living work of art, a fringe journalist, a living totem with a giant head and Abe Lincoln (yes, THAT Abe Lincoln) team up to take on… concepts. Really, all the battles in here are against concepts. No big brawls, I’m not sure there was even a punch thrown in this one, except when Lincoln was fighting his giant mutant clone. It’s one of them there cerebral comics, meaning in this intellectually degraded time that you need to have a basic understanding of some of the core concepts of science and politics. The origin story here deals with an attempt by an advocate of intelligent design to mathematically prove that 0=1, which would destroy the working capacity of the world’s computers. The second issue, Patriot Act, has a conspiracy from the South that involves their decades-long secret plan to come up with the master Southern race, and boy could Craig have been a lot meaner with that concept than he was. Oh, and in that one we get to see Abe Lincoln, who fell into the fountain of youth many years ago after he faked his assassination. A couple of previously unpublished shorties are next, with Moon Tunnel dealing with a master plan of taking over the Earth with mallards (which ended in a hurry and didn’t do much for me as a whole, delightful initial concept notwithstanding), and the best 24 hour comic I’ve seen, at least artistically speaking. It seems that there is a sudden plague of zombies, who have come back for one thing: to fix all the fake science that has been coming out of the government. Again, if you’re slightly caught up on current events, it’s about time somebody tried to fix that. The book ends with Political Asylum, in which Abe Lincoln decides to run against the corrupt local mayor (who had apparently taken over the world in one of the issues not collected here) and learns all he needs to know about the current state of elections in this country. Oh, and he has to fight a giant clone of himself, which proves to be all the bad press needed to sink his campaign. If I had to bitch about something here, it’s the fact that this isn’t laid out in a linear fashion at all, but there is a handy timeline at the start to keep things in context. As a whole, it’s funny, smart and suspenseful, because while we all know how fist fights in comics are going to turn out, how is a fight against a concept going to settle itself? Well worth checking out, unless the whole concept of a super hero team is just too much for you, even one as odd as this… $14
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Less Than Hero #4
Here it is, the last issue of the Less Than Hero series. Before anyone gets sad, they say that they’re hard at work on a new series, so more is on the way. That’s great news as far as I’m concerned, as this is the first superhero series to hook me since… geez, does Preacher count? No? Concrete? Whatever the case, it’s been a while. The reason this one hooked me so thoroughly is that, even though there are costumes, dorky names and fight scenes, this is mostly about the people. And the first scenes, when they’re cool enough. This is the end of the story of this series, so I don’t want to give too much away (as I’m demanding that everyone at least look at an issue of this), but this has one of the best fight scenes involving a whole town that I’ve ever seen. OK, The Sleeper (the main villain here) has made everyone in San Francisco fall asleep, and when people fall asleep they fall under his complete control. The Punk, as he can’t sleep because of the accident that gave him his powers, is all that’s stopping The Sleeper from having complete control of the town. Citizens are thrown at him in a never-ending wave of carnage that has to be seen to be believed. This is $3.25 (I think it’s a little bit heftier than the other issues) and these two should be able to take over the world in the next few years, if they keep this kind of pace up. Contact info is up there, send them some love!
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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The Assassin and the Whiner #11
I was starting to wonder if I would ever find any more of these issues. This is a few years old, granted, but I think she’s still working. This is one of the single most depressing comics I’ve read. She moved to Maryland to be with the woman she loved, only to find out that that woman didn’t really want to be with her most of the time. She gave up everything she knew and this issue is about her dealing with that fact and trying to accept that things just weren’t going to work out, no matter how much she might have liked to believe otherwise. Not that it’s all sad, as there are a few random strips that have nothing to do with her relationship. There’s one about her finding out that an old classmate is a porno star, one about her feelings on porn, a couple with her just walking around town thinking and her trying to adjust to living in cold weather for the first time in her life. Every single one of these that I’ve seen has been a treat and this one was no exception. E-mail the woman and get as many of these as you can, which should be a lot considering that she only charges $1…
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Kekionga Mini Works #24
Sorry, but I’m way too lazy to type out that whole title. I’m sticking with her hidden (on the back cover, anyway) numerical system for these things. This is, as the title would suggest, a collection of pretty crappy werewolf jokes. Hey, she comes right out and admits it on the cover, and after reading this I can’t put up much of an argument. Check out that sample, they’re all pretty much like that, with the slight exception that I didn’t even recognize some of them as jokes. Those are probably the ones that’ll come to me in a few minutes or hours (or days, or years…) and make me groan. I’m not going to go over these one by one, as if you’re the type who likes pun I wouldn’t want to ruin anything. I don’t mean this to sound like I’m trashing Pam, as the art is gorgeous as always and I have nothing but respect and admiration for all she’s done for small press comics.  It’s just that this is one awful, awful pile of jokes. To see her at her best pick up, oh, ANY other mini comic she has lying around, or do yourself a favor and get that collection listed at the top, as that is a wonderful thing. This one is only for fans of the pun and/or masochists. No price, so… $2?
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Kekionga Bug Book
I’m honestly surprised that there is only one review up on this page. I know I have more of her older minis, it’s possible that I read them before I even started this page, otherwise there’s no reason I haven’t reviewed more than one of her pile o’ comics available. Either way I haven’t been keeping up with her stuff lately, so it was a surprise to me that she had decided to make her own world and have it more or less continue through a series of minis (this one is labeled as #19). Hey, it’s better than a string of completely random minis… unless they’re intended only for comedy (like Sean Bieri with Jape). Bugs are the theme for this one, as you may have guessed, and it’s split up into two parts. First up is “Soup” Swann getting a new work truck. The design is based loosely on a grasshopper, you see. Next up is a mysterious man in black who (through an interpreter) demands a caddis worm, and needs the local werewolf librarian to get it. As a stand-alone issue this didn’t do much for me, frankly, but it’s hardly fair to say that about something that’s at #19 when this is the first one I’ve seen. There’s all kinds of room here for interesting back stories for these characters, and I’ll bet plenty of that information has already been established in back issues. Like what exactly is that thing on the cover? A werewolf librarian? And who was that man in black? Possibly all things that have already been dealt with, but they remain mysteries to me. Unless there’s a collection available the casual reader might be a little lost here, but I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt from her last graphic novel that anybody who digs into this world will be rewarded. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Death, Cold As Steel #1 (with Jamie Chase)
First, three cheers for an excellent title, which only gets better when you know that it was set in more appropriate, noir-y times (1946 to be exact) and the story inside deals with the murder of an indestructible man known as the Steel Soldier. It also looks like they followed my suggestion from the last review (although I’m not nearly egotistical enough to claim a direct cause and effect relationship there) to build more on the history of the group in general. This is the first of a three part mini series, and the story is simple enough: who killed the indestructible man? A detective/agent named Mr. Morris is called, and the rest of the story is a basic introduction to the other super powered agents left and the general set-up of the agency. If they’re planning on building their own world here, and it looks like that’s the general idea, they’re going about it exactly the right way. Keep this up for a few years and there should be plenty to work with here, and it’s already, at a minimum, damned intriguing. $2.99
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Posted by Kevin
April 22, 2010
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Coelacanth and Friends (Kekionga Mini Works #16)
In case you can’t read that blurb on the cover, this is a 25 hour mini comic. I’m not sure how that’s much different than a 24 hour mini comic (other than the obvious), but in this case I can say that the extra hour helped immensely with the artwork. 24 hour books often look at least a little bit rushed, this one is gorgeous. The time constraints didn’t slow her down a bit. Pam started this off from a “story seed”, using a disembodied brain, an ugly fish trophy and a plane about to crash. Things start off with the plane, well, crashing, but as we pull back we see that it’s a toy plane with an apparently sentient doll at the helm. A group of entirely too adorable children were playing with the plane, and they take it to a salvage yard in an attempt to fix it up. In this shop we meet the ugly fish trophy (the coelacanth, obviously) and the disembodied brain, two beings who would much rather be in the main part of the store instead of shoved in a storeroom, as they imagine the view would be better. There’s a hefty cast of characters for a fairly simple story: 6 children, the shop owner, his dog and a stockboy. I previously thought (after reading #19 of this series) that these minis all used the same cast of characters, after reading this I have to confess that I have no idea if that’s true. Here’s hoping I was smart enough to get more than one mini from Pam at this SPACE. Anyway, this was a pretty good mini. Decent story, odd cast of characters, and artwork that was way too impressive for the time allowed. Worth a look, and maybe one of these years I’ll just buy a whole pile of these. $1
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Posted by Kevin
