New review for Life is Good #2 on Steve Seck Wednesday, which does take some of the surprise out of things I guess but it’s nice to occasionally not just make a blind grab into a stack of comics.
Update for 10/13/10
October 13, 2010
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Posted by Kevin
Seck, Steve – Life is Good #2
October 13, 2010
Life is Good #2
Hippies! You see a couple of them on the cover, looming over the city like some bespectacled Godzillas. Godzilli? I don’t think there was ever a need for a plural of “Godzilla,” so who knows? Anyway, hippies are a good chunk of the theme this issue, as Charles wakes up from another drunken bender to hear two hippies bemoaning the sad state of his pond before it devolves into an argument about bumper stickers. Naturally, they decide to team up on some sort of crusade that isn’t clearly defined yet, but there are still two more issues to come in this pile, so I’m sure all will be made clear later. Meanwhile Brownie wakes up after that same bender, needing to get down to the unemployment office, with very little time to spare and no money. After not doing much but getting drunk for a few days he doesn’t look all that presentable, and that’s not necessarily the best shape to enter an unemployment office in. Good news follows, unexpectedly so, but you have to realize that this would be a pretty boring comic if it really stayed good news, right? It’s another solid issue, and damned relatable to me in my current unemployed state (except for the whole “getting unemployment checks” angle; no, nobody pays me to write on my own website about comics.) The character development is still a bit on the thin side, but this is a funny book, not something that is designed to delve into the past of these two and find out why Charles is so lazy. A couple of clues would be nice, but it’s early in the series yet and Steve still does an excellent job of nailing the funny bits. Check it out already, chances are it will make you smile, and there’s not a thing wrong with that. $4
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/12/10
October 12, 2010New review for Abstracted Comics on this Pat Aulisio Tuesday. I think I still have another comic or two of his to keep this going, then it’s back to purely random reviews on Tuesdays unless somebody else wants to accept my challenge and send me at least 4 comics of theirs that haven’t already been reviewed on this site.
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Posted by Kevin
Aulisio, Pat – Abstracted Comics
October 12, 2010
Abstracted Comics
If there’s one thing I hate about Pat’s comics, it’s that they’re so linear and easy to understand. Wait, where’s my “snark” button? Yes, that may have been sarcasm, but Pat gives up the ghost entirely here with this comic. The title is absolutely accurate, as this mini appears to have once been an actual comic, then it was printed over with another comic, then possibly another comic. The result is occasionally fascinating (I’m not sure if my scan did the sampled page justice), but in no way resembles a coherent story. If that’s all you’re asking for in a comic, run for the hills! If you’re willing to read something that won’t make any kind of literal sense but that will still leave you with a visceral impression, or if you’re already a fan of Pat’s, then you might want to give this a shot. This also comes with a minier mini, a little black and white things that’s shoved into this color comic, which features abstract art as well, but only one layer of it for panel so at least you have some idea what you’re looking at. Not much more to say about it than that, and I’ll forgo my usual urge to just keep rambling until something stops me. As this can’t be judged against other comics, I can’t say whether it’s good or bad, if those concepts even mean all that much to you. I don’t see this listed for sale on his site (update that list dude, you have all kinds of new comics to put up there!), but I’d say it’s in the $2-4 range.
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/11/10
October 11, 2010No review yesterday obviously, and I somehow managed to pass the whole day without getting that it was 10/10/10. Why? Because I didn’t do an update, obviously. Now I have to wait until 11/11/11 to… what good are those special dates again? New review today for Window #5 by Dave Lapp.
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Posted by Kevin
Lapp, Dave – Window #5
October 11, 2010
Window #5
This mound o’ comics on my desk completely buried my pile of Window comics, so if you were keeping up with my sort of regular updates to that old series, my apologies for the delay. #5 was another solid entry in the series (I’m starting to detect a pattern here) and yes, you should probably get it if you can find a copy or if this stupid, stupid rental idea of mine ever gets off the ground. Stories include trying to avoid a wide range of beggars at a bus terminal, another odd tale about Dave’s time teaching children, a big fish in a little aquarium, and a typical night in that turns ugly. That last one is what really stuck out from me in this issue, as Dave lived high up in an apartment building and had a friend come in saying that he saw fire trucks and cop cars coming in. They hear loud noises, check over the balcony and see a body covered up far below under a pink sheet. They watch awhile, change their mind and go watch a movie, and spend a good chunk of time going back and forth before realizing that they won’t be able to concentrate until this is resolved. The really strange part of it was hit other neighbors pointing a laser pointer at the scene or a flashlight. It was just a spectacle to those people, but really there’s not a whole lot else to be done at that point. Just a haunting and mildly depressing story about human nature. As always buy a copy and enjoy it if you can find one, and if not maybe try bribing somebody at one of the bigger small press companies to put all these back in print. $2ish
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/09/10
October 9, 2010New review for Space Trucking by Macedonio, maybe another update tomorrow before regular programming resumes during the week…?
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Posted by Kevin
Macedonio – Space Trucking
October 9, 2010
Space Trucking
We don’t get to hear enough origin stories about comics. Oh, I don’t mean the crap about how Superman came to Earth or Peter Parker got bitten by a spider, that kind of thing is part of American mythology at this point. I’m talking about where small press stories come from, as much as that question can ever hope to be answered. For example, Macedonio answered a Craigslist ad for somebody who was looking for an illustrator to make a “space panda”, she liked his drawing but didn’t think it was right for the project, he got inspired and drew 80 pages with his own space panda and a friend, she threatened a lawsuit because that’s just what people do these days even if they never pay for an original idea to begin with, and Macedonio ends up with a comic series. This is the first 26 pages of that story, and it follows a pretty clear path, although it gets a little whacked out on occasion. I mean that in a good way, of course. Panda & Monium (no, I can’t tell what Monium is supposed to be either, if anything real at all) come from “an obliterated planet of miscreants and social refure”. Instantly intriguing, and it’s clear that they’re basically wandering around space aimlessly. They are discovered in hostile territory, make their way to the planet more or less as prisoners, leave some, uh, droppings behind, and manage to escape. Still, droppings to you are treasure for certain aliens, so they’re asked back and start a minor revolution of the culture. It’s funny and wildly inventive and Macedonio, if you read the last review of his I posted, is a guy who has more than paid his dues over the years and deserves all kinds of riches. I won’t spoil the ending more than I already may have, but this definitely worth a look, and I will say one thing: three boobs. $2 (or so)
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/7/10
October 7, 2010New review for Who is Amy Amoeba? by Jason Viola, and who else is excited about the hockey season starting today? Anybody? Hello?
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Posted by Kevin
Viola, Jason – Who is Amy Amoeba?
October 7, 2010
Who is Amy Amoeba?
To anybody out there reading this who would like to make comics but who doesn’t think it’s possible because you can’t draw your way out of the proverbial paper bag, I give you “Who is Amy Amoeba?” This isn’t to say that Jason can’t draw; I checked out his website and plenty of stuff looks pretty as can be. It’s just that for this story about amoebas (amoebi?), Jason didn’t need to show all that much. The story begins with Amy Amoeba addressing the audience, telling them that they’re “about to discover the exciting world of unicellular biology” and then, with a mighty f-bomb, splits in two, ensuring that children will never be able to read this book for educational purposes. The two amoebas debate which one is the real Amy Amoeba, one of them splits again, things get even more confusing, another one splits, and soon one of them is made fun of until she leaves the group. Things only get more complicated from there, as there are now two distinct and rapidly expanding groups occupying a small area with a limited amount of food. This could have stayed at the level of an extended “Who’s on first” joke (kids, ask your great grandparents on that one), but Jason expands it to deal with societal acceptance, a struggle between civilizations, slavery and adherence to silly religions. It’s a lot to make out of a comic consisting almost entirely of little blobs (not entirely, but I’m not ruining the surprises on that one), but Jason pulls it off admirably. Again, to anybody out there who thinks they have a story to tell in comics, one look at this will show you that it is possible. Sure, it helps to know how to accurately depict a crowd scene, a range of facial emotions or just have the ability to draw a human hand, but all of these things can be avoided by simply not drawing humans. Oh, and this one also has the benefit of being an educational experience, for those of you who like to learn a thing or two in your comics. $3
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/6/10
October 6, 2010New review for Life is Good #1 by Steve Seck, as it is Steve Seck Wednesday and all.
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Posted by Kevin
Seck, Steve – Life is Good #1
October 6, 2010
Life is Good #1
Ah, the idea of all creatures living together in harmony. I don’t think that was on Steve’s mind as he wrote and drew this, but I generally can’t read minds, so what do I know? I was mostly commenting on the fact that there are so many different anthropomorphized beings in this comic that it has to represent some sort of perfect world. There’s the bottle on the cover (the main character, and that makes it extra funny when he eventually descends into drunkenness), an alligator, a carrot, a cat, snakes, a chicken, an octopus, a dog, an ice cream cone, a turtle, a mustard bottle, a pig, and something that appears to the letter “T” with eyes. If nothing else, the man gets points for creativity. Anyway, things start off with Brown (the main character, also know as “Brownie”) in a meeting with his boss. He obviously isn’t thought of all that highly, as his boss takes a lengthy call with the, um, “guy” still sitting there, and the boss eventually gets down to the business of firing him. Sure, it’s a lousy job, but Brown had always hoped to quit in a blaze of glory, and getting fired has robbed him of that plan. Brown’s friend Charles the alligator (or is it a crocodile? What’s the difference again?) insists that Brown get drunk for at least a week, as getting fired for the first time is a perfect excuse to do so, and Brownie eventually succumbs, but only after a seriously bizarre dream. Hijinx, naturally, ensue. Steve has a great ear for dialogue, as several simple lines left me chuckling that could have been banal as hell in the wrong hands. This is early days of the series (he sent along the next three issues as well), and the backgrounds are occasionally a little scratchy or vague, but the variety of the characters helps a lot, as does the engaging nature of the story. It’s possible you’ve read your last mini comic story about getting fired and moving on with your life afterwards, but if you aren’t predisposed against the genre so far I’d say this is worth a look. It’s hard to hate something that is this consistently funny and engaging unless you’re just trapped in a cycle of cynicism… $4
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/5/10
October 5, 2010New review for Secret Prison #2, edited by Ian Harker (as far as I can tell) and containing all sorts of folks, including Pat Aulisio (who was kind enough to send this to me), so it still counts as “Pat Aulisio Tuesday.”
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Posted by Kevin
Harker, Ian (editor) – Secret Prison #2
October 5, 2010
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.
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/4/10
October 4, 2010New review today for Jumbly Junkery #9 by L. Nichols, still getting back into the swing of things so e-mails outside of the ones that involve money might be left languishing for a few days. Just so you know…
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Posted by Kevin
Nichols, L. – Jumbly Junkery #9
October 4, 2010
Jumbly Junkery #9
Sometimes this whole art form just hits me all at once. L. had a simple note at the start of this mini, mentioning that this was one of 200 copies of this issue and that there were only going to be 200 copies of this issue ever and really, she’s right. Sure, there might be a collection some day, a “best of” kind of thing, but there are 200 copies of this issue in the universe and that’s it. Then I take a step back and realize that I have boxes and boxes full of comics just like that, one of 100 copies ever made, one of 50 copies, sometimes even one of only a dozen or so copies ever made. That’s what this crazy business is all about right there, the love and dedication that goes into making something with only a relative few copies floating around the world. As for why I’m in a “what’s it all about” mood anyway, I blame L. and the latest issue of Jumbly Junkery. There’s a sense to me that something has settled in her life, although a lot is still less than ideal, and yes, that is totally me pulling these ideas out of a few fictional stories, so feel free to laugh at me. Just a general sense of a slowly dawning acceptance of the nonsense in the universe. As for the actual stories in here not related to my opinions, they include worries about a self-perceived lack of originality, wishing for snow but enjoying warm weather, random items and their potential, having to think about how old you are, realizing that life does not pause when you want it to, the vicious cycle of insomnia, all the skinny people, true love, a recent lack of interest in music, all the people trying not to sleep on a train, a lack of truth, trying to trust in a world of internet dating, dance moves, rain, turning it all off, and Outlaw Dog and Knuckles. The range of artistic styles she chose was impressive as hell too, ranging from the simple to the abstract to cartoonish to certain forms that I believe she made up herself. Her feeling of a lack of originality is baffling to me, as people who always stick with their preferred style could learn a few things here. As for the sample, yes, it has very little to do with the rest of the book, but I could not resist that dog shooting at the shark while jumping over it. Too awesome for words… $5
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 9/30/10
September 30, 2010New review for The Visible Rooster Jack by Adam Hansen, Ben Zmith & Sara Witty. I’m leaving town for a birthday weekend, so nothing new will be up here until probably Monday. Happy weekend everybody, if you want to send me birthday greetings just buy comics from the site! Then if the ordering system is still messed up like I fear you’ll just send me the money directly to Paypal and I’ll send you the comics…
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Posted by Kevin
Hansen, Adam; Zmith, Ben & Witty, Sara – The Visible Rooster Jack
September 30, 2010
The Visible Rooster Jack
Ah, now I get the title. Kudos on leaving it a mystery until the end of the book. There’s a lot going on in this comic and there are a lot of characters doing the goings-on (I’m still not completely clear on that first page of wordless action), but Adam was nice enough to list all the characters and what they were all about. Concise but effective, while still leaving the reader wanting more. Crap, I’d better be careful with the “kudos” this early in a review. Anyway, Rooster Jack and his band of adventurers is out camping one night when Razzle Dazzle (the perfectly named magician of the group who is “haunted by visions of a late 20th century world”) dreams of “basket of balls” with the ball and parts of the court being on fire. Luckily Razzle Dazzle is able to undo pretty much all the harm he does to the group, and the group sets out in the morning. What they’re out to do is never made clear, as Jack is attacked by a strange woman who tells them her tale of woe and convinces the bunch of them to travel to her besieged town. Things get a little hairy from there, but you’ll get no spoilers here. The mass of characters introduced later did leave me a bit confused, but maybe I’m reading these out of chronological order and there’s more to the tale. Or Adam just packs as much in as possible and leaves it to the reader to keep up, which would also be a good thing. Plenty of amusing bits are contained in these pages, the writing is smarter than you might think if you zoned out once you read “band of adventurers” earlier in the review, and he managed the difficult task of rounding out 5 out of 6 characters in the group in one mini comic. The tiny fairy got short shrift, but other than that I already have an idea of where all these people are coming from. The art was fantastic too; that hall of horrors in particular was gruesome, the backgrounds were impressive and all the characters were instantly unique. A pretty damned good comic, that’s what I’m trying to say, unless you hate adventure stories of all stripes, even ones that are funny as hell, in which case I mourn the lack of joy in your life. $4
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 9/29/10
September 29, 2010New review for The Trial of Sweetie Snake by Steve Seck and, as Steve was nice enough to take me up on my challenge to send enough comics to make it a weekly thing, it’ll be “Steve Seck Wednesdays” around here for at least the next month. If anybody else wants to take me up on it, I can probably do it for one more day of the week (at least until these run out), then I’m sticking to the random stuff.
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Posted by Kevin
Seck, Steve – The Trial of Sweetie Snake
September 29, 2010
The Trial of Sweetie Snake
It’s not every day that you see a snake with a five o’clock shadow. That’s the adorably named Sweetie Snake on the cover (duh, and no, it didn’t come all crumpled up, that’s just what the cover looks like), and it takes a little while to get him to trial. Sweetie Snake, at the outset, could be mistaken for old school Bugs Bunny, as he is scooped up out of the river by an inbred prospector and goes on to a series of escalating pranks until his true nature comes out. Hey, he is a snake, after all. A sheriff stumbles across the scene, Sweetie ends up on trial for murder, then things get into O.J. Simpson territory, although it’s tricky to say more without giving away the ending. The comic occasionally wanders over the line between funny and mean, but only for a split second and it still manages to keep it funny. That’s probably not going to make sense to anybody without full access to my brain, but it makes sense to me. The art maintains a cartoonish quality, but that probably has something to do with this basically being an illustrated cartoon. I have plenty of other books from Steve to come, as he took me up on my challenge to send enough books along for me to review them once a week, so I should get a better sense of his skills in the coming weeks. As for this one, it was funny, those newspaper titles were hilarious, and he managed to make the very dated O.J. Simpson references seem relevant. Good stuff, that’s what I’m getting at. $4
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Posted by Kevin
