April 26, 2010
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When Are You Coming Home?
Thanks computer! The last time I checked, the backspace key was for going back a space, not going back a page, thereby killing my review dead just after I finished it. Obviously it was a great review, probably the best ever in the history of the page, but it’s out of my head now. Sorry. And it’s possible I wasn’t being entirely serious there, for any incredibly dense readers. So how about this comic? Christine deals with a few fascinating philisophical questions, including trying to understand the true nature of the universe, asking about the value of fear (and whether it’s a good or a bad thing to lose one’s fear), making a landscape from pure thought, and trying to remember the things that her old soul is trying to tell her. Her genuine earnestness kills any desire I might have for a smart-ass comment or two, much as I would like to try based on my conflicting views of some of her theories. Still, it seems like very few books are asking these sorts of questions anymore, and anybody who likes a good, thoughtful comic would love these two books. $8.95
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
A Capella Volume 2: Open Heart
Poetry, to me, can either be beautiful or profoundly annoying, based purely on whatever mood I’m in at the time, which isn’t the slightest bit fair to the book that I happen to be talking about. In this case though, this was the perfect book for the perfect mood. There are three stories in here, all generally about trying to work through things through chatting or in your head. First up is What Price Love, with Christine (I’m going to assume these are all meant to be her, although I’m obviously just guessing) sitting in a field, wandering around nature, and trying to decide if the price for love (and dreams) is worth it. Next up is Open Heart, which takes up the bulk of the book. Christine has her heart stolen, literally, by a passing monk.� It blows away, but she has to chase it, and eventually ends up, in dream-like fashion, entering her heart and talking to a turtle who tells her to trust in herself. Lastly is Do You Believe?, a story about related souls reconnecting throughout the ages. As I most definitely do not believe I’ll resist the urge to say something smarmy, to each his or her own, I suppose. The painted, smudgy artwork is a pleasure to look at, it really leads you through these stories wonderfully. Worth checking out, if you don’t mind the peaceful things in life. $10.95
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
The W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G Technical Pamphlet #1
I’m all for comics people getting into something a bit meatier. One shots about how crappy life/relationships/everything is are fun for awhile, but give me a decent series or mini series any day. Lucky for me, Ed has started an 8 part story detailing the life and eventual incarceration of an infamous computer hacker. Things start off slow in this one, as it mostly deals with the very early years of Kevin “Boingthump” Phenicle (yes, the nickname is explained here). The inside cover wraps around with comments from people who knew the man throughout his life, something that’ll make a bit more sense as the story moves along, and the whole thing is told as part of a radio broadcast detailing his life, although it’s mostly there to set things up and it transitions into a normal comic story smoothly. In here Kevin learns the basics of getting things without paying for them, scamming his way into a free pizza, as much Pac-man as he wants to play with one quarter and an unlimited bus pass with a simple paper hole puncher. Oh, and he gets beat up a lot because he’s much smarter than everybody else and a quiet kid. It’s an interesting start, maybe not the greatest comic in the world as a stand-alone mini, but that’s not what it is, after all. It has all the makings of a great graphic novel if everything keeps up and Ed keeps putting these out on a consistent basis. $3
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Isolation Chamber #2
More diary strips, this time from 12/23/04 to 1/28/05, again with days getting skipped here and there, again with him only chiming in when he actually has something to say instead of just doing a strip for the sake of doing one that day. At least that’s the impression I got. This one is more of the same from #1, but Ed is also dealing with a tiny degree of fame from the American Splendor book and keeping his comics group tiny and elitist after a newspaper article comes out about said group. He also deals with drugged out friends, lending money to his parents, mentoring his baby sister, creeping baldness (at 22), and snowmen on car hoods. It looks like he decided to abandon the diary strip idea after this, which, while slightly disappointing, is OK by me if it means he has more time to do things like Deviant Funnies. In the meantime there are some good insights in here on artistic integrity and the technicalities involved in getting anything sold and/or published. $1.50
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Isolation Chamber #1
After reading the two comics listed above, just about the last thing I expected to see from Ed was a diary comic. Yet here it is, and it’s as good or better than his other stuff. This is a history of his days from 11/19/04 to 12/21/04. Days can take anywhere from a couple of panels to a full page, and this is how diary comics should be done. He has the space to talk about anything that pops into his head and tells all sorts of embarrassing details that he’s probably regretted ever since, especially the stuff about his parents being secret online swingers. Oof, that’s a tough one to live with. The problem I have with stuff like the Kochalka diaries (which I’m aware I’ve praised in the past) is that it’s the same thing every day, four panels and that’s it, often done obviously just for the sake of doing a strip that day. Ed has the space here to dig into his relationship with his father, deal with his book with Harvey Pekar (Our Movie Year) coming out, talk honestly about the seeming futility of the local comics collective, and daily life at 22 while still living with his parents. The lettering is a bit sloppy at times, and that’s just about the only thing to bitch about. If you’re a fan of the diary strip idea, this is what the worst of them could be in a perfect world. $2.50
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Marvel Gang-Bang (with various creators)
If you pick this one up thinking it’s nothing but hot Marvel on Marvel action (sex, that is), you’re going to be sorely disappointed. How you could be disappointed after seeing that cover is a mystery to me, but I’m sure it’s possible. What you have here is an anthology of loose tributes to various Marvel characters and artists. There’s Pat Lewis doing a Spiderman story involving J. Jonah Jameson and Magneto, Anne Moffa showing the day to day life of a few heroes, Ed Piskor depicting Ant-Man as a deranged Bill Nye the Science Guy, Tom Scioli doing possibly the best Kirby tribute ever (and I know that’s saying a lot, but the panels where the action is lost in the eyes of Ikarus are just too much), Mark Zingarelli doing one panel bursts about various characters (sampled below) and Paulette Poullet showing the dangers of Hulk hands vs. Thing hands. As is always the case with anthologies like this, unless you know the subject material a whole lot of this will be lost on you, but if you do know the material (and come on, if you’re reading this you probably know at least some of it) this is a thing of beauty. No real weak piece in the bunch, which is always the bane of the anthology. Oh, and it’s free, so if you can find any of these people at a con or send Ed an e-mail, there’s a decent chance that you could get this fairly easily.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Long Tail Kitty: Outer Space
Now that is one adorable comic. Or disgustingly cute, probably depending on your mood, but I liked it. Kind of reminded me of some of this obnoxiously cute anime cartoons where everyone has the giant eyes and they’re always yelling at each other, but in a good way. The yelling, I mean. Anyway, this is the tale of Kitty getting a “be-boo” out of a tree for some aliens. Yes, that’s already pretty cute. Then Kitty mentions that hr/she has never been to space, so you know what’s coming next. Like I said, more than a little cute, but still well worth a look. It also serves as a pretty stark contrast to her Stories From the Ward. All the contact info you need is above, go check it all out.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Stories from the Ward #4
In case you’re wondering, yes, the cover is supposed to look like that. It has a murky, hazy kind of underwater feel to it. I don’t know much about the background of this book, so I’m going to assume that these are all made up stories and not based on anything else. If I’m wrong, I’ll change this page. Anyway, Lark is a fine poet, and I have to say that I’m tremendously impressed with her art. There are straight lines, solid blacks, and possibly charcoal on the different stories, and she seems to have mastered them all. This is a huge mini (54 pages) with lots of little stories sandwiched between two larger ones. One is about a girl in a mental ward, the other is about the quest for love when there is something irremovable that stands in the way. These were the strongest pieces, mostly because they had time to grow, but there’s a lot to be said for the creepy “Love Conquers All”. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable if disquieting book. E-mail Lark or just go to the USS Catastrophe page to get it and everything else they have available.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Mercury Lounge
Remember back in the day how you would go to all kinds of random concerts, meet girls there who you thought were the best thing ever to happen to this earth that you would then never see again? Oh, you still do this? Well hooray for you. You damn kids! This is a wordless comic about going out to see a show and meeting a girl who’s friends with one of your friends. Sparks fly, smiles are exchanged, she grabs your arm in a crowded club with the band too loud to hear anybody actually talking… and if I go on I’ll ruin the whole comic, as it is just a mini, after all. A pretty good comic that obviously has me a bit nostalgic, although I still think that Marcos should be forced to do Carl Is The Awesome and Tear-Stained Makeup stories until I get tired of them… $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Tear-Stained Makeup #6 Now Available! $2
My saying nice things about everything on this page might be getting old for people, and I apologize if that’s the case. But what’s the alternative? I can lie and say that this one sucked, even though Marcos managed to include everybody in the larger plot (which is saying a lot) and flesh out all of them in this mini, even if only a little bit. I could point to the lack of a recap at the start of the book, but he’s fixed that, putting a concise and informative recap right up front. Or I could bitch about the crappy artwork, which in fact started off fine and has been getting stronger with each passing issue (even if the occasional background do vanish). Sorry folks, this is just a really great comic series, and Marcos (so far at least) can do no wrong. In this issue Stella finally gets her act together to go and see Laura, Tildy gets a makeover, Robert gets a guitar, and just about every little character you’ve seen in previous issues pops in for a panel or two. Oh, and Marcos goes into detail in the end about various panels and pages where he had issues, so it’s even useful as an instruction manual on how to make mini comics, for those of you who think this all looks so easy. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Tear-Stained Makeup #5 Now Available! $2.00
Hey, more flashbacks! A necessary step, as far as I’m concerned, into figuring out what these people are all about. This one deals with the “origin story”, more or less, of Tildy, as well as a bit more of the history of Dee. Marcos has also decided to go with this smaller format (16 pages) in the hopes of getting these out on a more regular basis, which sounds great to me. The cover is also a shimmery silverish sort of thing, impossible for the scanner to pick up but pretty neat when it’s in your hands, if you go for that sort of thing. One minor complaint: for those of us with lousy memories (i.e. me),a handy “previously on” is never a bad idea to sum things up. I love this series and some of the minor details were still lost on me. All in all, it’s another solid contribution to the ongoing storyline, with the promise for more to come on a regular basis, so what’s bad about that? $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Tear-Stained Makeup #3 Now Available! $2
What ever happened to that woman who tried to kill herself in the first issue anyway? Or how about the doctor who is trying so hard to save her, what’s his story? Don’t worry your pretty little heads about these things a moment longer, as they’re answereed here! Well, mostly. Sort of. OK, he at least starts to talk about them. Also, you get to see what a scumbag that singer from the last issue is, but now I fear I may have said too much. Another great issue, all around, with more questions than answers, but still more than a few answers, which is why you keep coming back in a regular series, right? Something about the art wasn’t as crisp in this one either. I don’t know if it was rushed, bad equipment or what, but it looked like it. Which isn’t to say it was awful, as the man has a serious talent with the whole drawing end of things, just that I’ve seen his stuff look better. A blip on the radar once the big collected book comes out with the first ten issues or so, whenever that happens, and it better happen, becauise I find myself already invested in these characters.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Tear-Stained Makeup #2 Now Available! $2
OK, now I’m completely won over. Objectivity has left the building until he does a really crappy comic and loses me. Just a little warning in case you heart negative reviews or something. This one is all about Tildy, the librarian from the short story in the last issue, and the person who’s easily the most intriguing story so far, even if the other character did throw herself in front of a taxi. This is mostly a “day in the life” story, following her trip on the subway to what was meant to be a quiet night at home (after she hears the news about Laura Dee and the taxi). Of course, if that’s all there was it wouldn’t be much of a comic, but why ruin more than that? So far these are great, and most of the fun of reading great comics is that you get to discover things for yourself. So there!
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Tear-Stained Makeup #1 Now Available! $2
You know, if you’re that capable of being (to use a cliche) laugh out loud funny when making the comics, there should be some sort of law saying that you’re not allowed to be able to create an insightful series that isn’t meant to be funny. Just too much pressure on the rest of the folks who are perfectly capable of doing one or the other but not both. OK, maybe it’s too early to say that, as this is just one issue, but it’s one great issue. It looks like this is going to be a continuing group of characters and, as Marcos says that it still has a long way to go, these could be considered background info for the rest of the series. This one deals with a young woman who tries to kill herself when her bandmate (couldn’t tell if he was a current boyfriend) leaves town, another young woman who reads to local kids and has a tough time dealing with an ex-roomate, and a doctor who goes to help the girl who attempts suicide. Great dialogue, really solid and expressive art, once again I have to say that there’s not much for me to complain about here. Well worth a look…
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Carl’s Large Story!!! #1 Now Available! $2
What’s left to be said to convince people that Carl is the awesome? This issue is the start of “Carl’s biggest story to date”, which could mean just about anything, as this issue alone is already Carl’s biggest story to date. I’m hoping that it means an eventual Carl graphic novel, but I’m hopelessly optimistic about things like that. If you’re a big fan of the one panel delights of the first volume of Carls, you may be briefly sad, at least until you read the first page of the book (the one I sampled down there). It tells the origin of Carl, and the rest of the book deals with his formative years starting his own band and helping out his best friend with his hip-hop project. Eventually they use some of their new money to open Carl + Bill’$ Awesome! Cool! Kidz Home!!, definitely the best name for an orphanage I’ve ever heard. This causes some other problems, which leads Carl to run for mayor… and how much longer should I go on before there are no surprises left? Look, by now you know the drill with Carl. Either you’re one of the people who laugh out loud several times by reading these, or you’re filled with bitterness and can’t smile at anything. I sympathize, but that just leaves more funny for the rest of us.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Carl Is The Awesome Volume 1
Where do I even start… well, first off, if you have anything remotely resembling a sense of humor left in you after living in this miserable world, you are going to love this. Carl, you see, is a little… well, dinosaur, maybe. Born of a King and a female dinosaur, Carl is, indeed, the awesome. He has all the confidence in the world, and for good reason, as he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants. This is called “Volume 1” (this automatically implies more volumes, which is sure to elate anyone who actually reads this) because there are four tiny minis in this handy little slipcase. Usually an eight page mini with one panel on each page (at least for the couple of issues) is the kind of thing that bugs me, but it’s the perfect format for Carl. #1 is sort of an intro to Carl and what he’s all about, #2 is more about his awesome band, #3 is a primer on how to get with the ladies, and #4 is Carl entering the world of politics. It was almost impossible to pick just one sample from this, but they’re so tiny that I didn’t want to give too much away for free. If you find it remotely amusing, it’s even funnier in the context of the issue. Seriously, it’s only $2 and I can’t recommend it enough.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Slug #2 (with Austin English)
More new stuff from Paul and Austin. Speaking of Austin, where’s the new stuff from just him? Am I just not seeing it, or has there been a slowdown of some kind? Don’t make me hold your feet to the fire! Ahem. Anyway, good stuff all around in this, at least more or less. There’s another great overheard conversation, and a depressing story about working and wondering what the point of it all is. The bulk of the book, however, is a collaboration between Paul and Austin, and it’s kind of a mess, frankly, but they started without any clear idea of a story. They just switched drawing panel after panel and actually ended up with something pretty interesting, which is no small feat, although it does start off pretty slowly and awkwardly. Overall another pretty good effort, and it’s only $1 to boot. Contact info up there!
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website
Slug #1 (with Austin English)
This is an assortment of stories from Paul and Austin. Most (if not all, I’m not positive) of Austin’s stories are from old issue of his lovely comic, The Tenth Frame, and I already reviewed that on his page, so why get into it again? Instead I’ll focus on Paul. He’s been a fan of minis for about 8 years and this is his first effort. With that in mind… keep it up! Don’t let anything I or anybody else says dissuade you from making comics. Does this warning mean that I hated it? No, but he could still use some work. His comic about how he reads comics was OK, if a little obvious (although that might just be because that’s how I read comics). The strip with the phone conversation was funny, the one about the zen state was just odd, and the one with the overheard conversation was hilarious. Gee, was I saying that he needed work? I must have seen something in here to make me feel that way, hold on a minute… Well, the one that’s called “Lazy Cartoon #1” was pretty stupid, but it looks like I like his stuff overall. Send him an e-mail, it’s $2.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website (sort of)
The New American Splendor Anthology
Oh look, a trendsetter! Which might not be a good thing, because nobody since has done the “nothing to see here” story better than Harvey Pekar. He’s probably most famous for his run-ins with David Letterman, basically taking the show over from the guy on a few occasions. The stories in this large volume mostly aren’t stories at all, at least not in the conventional sense. Just daily, mundane happenings. That doesn’t mean that this book is bad, because it’s a great read. That’s mostly through the skill of Pekar (he has a whole crew of artists who illustrate different parts of the book), who makes you care about little things like him finding a long out of print jazz record, or the walk to work in the morning. Simple, honest stories, this is autobiography at its finest.
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Posted by Kevin
April 26, 2010
Website (sort of)
American Splendor: Our Movie Year
Sure, I’m only about three years late in getting this, but I’ve been wondering since the movie how the whole thing worked out for Harvey and his family, and this certainly fills you in on all that. Everybody here already saw the American Splendor movie I hope, as it’s one of the best comics adaptions ever made, if not the best. This book tells the story of before, during and after the hoopla for the movie, dealing with Harvey’s trademark pessimism and his trying to parlay the fleeting fame from the movie into some longer term deals for work, as Harvey has come to realize that his pension isn’t going to cut it for the rest of his life. Also in here are many stories about jazz and blues legends (some famous, some not so much), and piles of stories about the daily goings-on that make these comics such wonderful, wonderful things. The only small bone to pick I have with this, and I do it with the full knowledge that I have no business criticizing one of the true greats of the art form, is that a lot of these little shortie stories about parts of the movie process repeat themselves. Maybe I’m just too used to reading graphic novels that run smoothly from point A to B, but Harvey has to know at this point that graphic novels are where things have been heading for years now, and that at some point all these will show up in the same volume. As for the rest of the book, I was happy it wasn’t in any kind of order because it’s the slice of life stuff he does so well. I was hoping for a bit more of a linear story when it came to the history of that movie is all. Well worth a look (as always) and I’ll bet it makes a great holiday gift… $16.95
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Posted by Kevin
