April 24, 2010
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Three Fingers
Sure is tough to find pictures of some stuff online, for whatever reason. I did learn that Rich was the guy who did 3 Geeks, which is something that I’ve never read but have seen around the comic store. Riveting, I know, but I’m mentioning that because it always looked forgettable, and this graphic novel is anything but. It’s a story told like a documentary in comics form of the first cartoon star, but obviously all the names have been changed to prevent lawsuits and such. Don’t worry, you can tell who everybody is supposed to be. The title is based on the concept from the book that only cartoons with three fingers would be able to get work and the lengths that they all went to to get it. I don’t use the word “gripping” often in reviews, but there you have it, it was gripping. I was totally locked into the story from start to finish and thought it was a great concept. Anybody who is looking for a change from what the alternative comics scene has to offer should take a look at this, because I don’t think there’s anything like it out there. As for the art, the guy is a professional animator. How do you think it looked?
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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The King
For those of you have seen more than enough stories about Elvis Presley, you can go ahead and move onto another comic, as that is indeed what this one is all about. A washed up reporter gets called out to Las Vegas to do a story on an Elvis impersonator. This isn’t your average impersonator though, as this guy has taken the city by storm and is playing to sold out crowds everywhere. He chooses an old washed up reporter, one whose sole claim to fame is that he followed a lot of dead end Elvis stories for the Enquirer in the 80’s, for his first public interview. This reporter, Paul, comes at this from a cynical point of view, naturally, trying to figure out who this guy is and what he’s up to. There is, of course, always the possibility that this impersonator is the real deal. What follows is an attempt to talk to everybody close to “Elvis” and the man himself, hoping to get real answers on this phenomenon. It’s an interesting story with a great payoff, and Rich does a good job to keep the reader guessing when most of us have some idea where things are headed from the beginning. Oh, and did I mention
that this impersonator is claiming to be the new god of music? Like I said, an interesting story, and it looks great as Rich has done some professional animation work. My problem, and I want to make clear that it’s probably just me, is that I reached my saturation point with Elvis stories years ago. There’s only so many ways you can come at a story about an Elvis impersonator and still have anything remotely interesting to say on the subject. Granted, Elvis on his conscious decision to
become a music god is a new twist, but a lot the background elements here are familiar. The church of Elvis, the disgruntled losers who find themselves saved after seeing the man sing, a lot of it felt like it had been done before. It’s a good read, and you’d probably love it if you haven’t yet reached your saturation point with all things Elvis. If you’re anywhere near that point, however, it’s probably best to move along, or go back and check out his Three Fingers book. $19.95
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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My Plan To Save The Earth
In case you were wondering, yes, this is another one of those 15 minute comics, and this has to be the ugliest one yet. Don’t think I’m talking trash here though, as ALL of these comics look like varying degrees of crap. Hey, you try to do a comic in 15 minutes, see how neat it ends up. This one is all one panel per page, so it takes right around 10 seconds to read it. As for the story, you might think from that title that this has something to do with saving the earth from global warming, or natural disasters, or Republicans. Nope! This is a very brief guide on how to fool the aliens that are inevitably going to come here to enslave/kill us all. All in all just an OK comic, but I highly recommend her 24 hour comic up yonder…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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Omnibus
This might just be the best 24 hour comic I’ve ever seen. For one thing, if it wasn’t mentioned on the cover that it was a 24 hour comic I never would have noticed, which is an incredible thing. Most of the time with these things the art is so rushed and sloppy (especially by the end, and there are exceptions to that rule, of course) that it hardly seems worth the effort. This one breaks a lot of the rules people set up to make this easier on themselves. Almost every page has multiple panels, there’s a huge cast of characters, and there’s an interesting, if not fascinating, story behind the whole thing. What is it? Well, a bunch of people are riding the bus when it crashes, killing a pedestrian. It turns out that that was a good thing, but the end result is that everybody is trapped on the bus, and everybody has their own story. There’s the crazy lady who thinks it’s a sign of the rapture, the disenfranchised clown, the messenger from the mafia… I don’t want to give too much away because there’s a lot to discover here for yourselves, but let me repeat: I think this is the best 24 hour comic I’ve seen, and it’s certainly the best work I’ve seen from Corey Marie. So is it just Corey Marie or is it Corey Marie Kitley, like the cover says? Anyway, it’s $2, you can find it here, and you should think about checking it out.
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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Life’s So Rad #7
Ah, thank you again, o rainbow scanner. No, the cover doesn’t really look like that. This is a zine, technically, not a comic. The first half is a comic about The Beatles, how great they were, how many references they could fit into a comic about them, etc. Sorry, I’m not that big of a fan (to avoid hate mail, I understand their influence on music and the fact that a lot of the bands I like wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for them, it’s just that their music mostly doesn’t do much for me, OK), so the comic didn’t do much for me. The art was cute though, it looked like it was heavily influenced by anime, and there was a great playful spirit about the whole thing, so don’t think I’m bashing the comic or anything. The other half of the book has interviews with bands, ramen noodle recipes, reviews of music, reports of comic conventions and a few rambles. A pretty solid package overall, considering that I couldn’t relate to half the book. Here’s a website, this one was $2. I should also mention that Corey doesn’t do everything in this book but, as with most zines, it’s hard to tell who does. Corey’s name was the one mentioned the most, so she gets the credit until I hear otherwise…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
Life’s So Rad #6
The comic in this one reads just like a sitcom, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on your tastes. Corey’s boyfriend Justin has invited his mother over for dinner, causing Corey no end of stress. Justin agrees to take a cooking class for dinner because Corey has too much other stuff going on, only to break down and take the “How to be a Jedi” class instead. Wacky! Seriously though, it’s not a bad book. I think she must live in a hermetically sealed room, because there are almost no backgrounds to speak of (and I know they take a long time to put in there, but it really helps to flesh out the feel of a book). The rest of the book is zine format, with movie reviews (I still don’t get why so many people didn’t like The Two Towers that much), CD reviews (where I get to feel like an old man because I used to keep up on that stuff), and tips for living cheaply. I’m 29 and have been living cheaply for years, so I already knew the things they were talking about, but there’s all kinds of good tips in here for the young’uns. Oh, and there’s also a “do it yourself” guide to Valentine’s Day. This issue is from last year, but I’m reviewing it at a good time for that to come in handy. $2, contact info is down there…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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Taproot
Anybody out there who has read and loved Spudd 64 has probably imagined it in glorious color, and Matt shows what it would look like in a perfect world with this issue. Well, that and there’s plenty of color pencil sketches of various things from the series, so if you’re one of those people who like to linger over the art, this is the thing for you. And me, as there’s always been something about these characters and these places that has kept me riveted. The color bits of Spudd come from a proposed #0, a bit of an intro to the world of Spudd. If I remember correctly this was $5, which some may think a bit pricey, until you realize that this is all color and a nice companion piece for the series, assuming that the series gets moving again some time soon. Yes, that is my version of a subtle nudge in Matt’s direction, assuming he sees this…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
Spudd 64 #3 Now Available! $2
Have I mentioned yet that every cover has a different image or is a different color, or both? And not juts for this issue, but all three? Thought that was worth pointing out, just to show the level of detail that goes into this. So how about this issue? Well, it’s a (mostly) wordless tale, which is a great idea for Matt. Why? Because I could stare at his art for days, so why clutter it all up with all those pesky words? As with a lot of wordless tales, the story is up for a bit of interpretation, but I’ll give it a shot. Spudd goes into space and eventually lands on a planet. He runs into some Sea Monkey looking creatures, who give him some sort of power. He’s a bit freaked by this, so he runs away, right into a giant monster (who doesn’t look all that intimidating because he looks like he’s smiling), and if I keep going I’m just going to tell you the whole story, and what fun is that? Three cheers for a comic with no angst, no autobiographical stuff going on and no silly drama. This one is 100% imagination and comics like this are a lot harder to come by than they should be. Contact info is up there, this is available in the store, and he has a website that he says is going to launch on May 15 of 2005, so don’t bother to click it until then…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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Spudd 64 #2 Now Available! $2.50
This reference will only make sense to about two people, but this series reminds me a lot of the one I tried to do a number of years ago, but couldn’t pull off because of my lack of drawing ability. Oh, and the story didn’t resemble this one at all. Trust me, there’s a similarity there, somewhere… Anyway, this comic. It’s huge, about 40 pages, with the first half being the ongoing story and the second half being something of an origin story. I compared this to Beanworld in the last review, and that’s still the closest real thing to compare this to, but he’s quickly building his own unique niche in the comics world. Most of the drawings in here are completely unique, obviously coming from his own brain and not just a rehashing of another comic. A number of people do that, consciously or unconsciously, especially when they’re first starting out, but Matt seems to have skipped that step altogether. This series is fantastic in the most literal sense of the word, and I can see from the level of detail in each image just why there’s a long gap between issues. Great stuff and and I couldn’t recommend it more highly if you like truly bizarre stuff. Contact info is up there, it’s $2.50…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
Spudd 64 #1
Before I say anything here, I want you to take a look at the sample:
It’s a bit large, sure, but I think it’s absolutely gorgeous. Look at that detail! This might be Matt’s first book out too, in which case I’m thoroughly impressed. The story here is in its very early stages, as we get to see the birth of Spudd, which is apparently an offspring of a dying… um, giant thing, maybe a ship. OK, some of the finer points were obviously lost on me, but I’m sure they’ll become a lot more clear as the series moves along, and it had better move along! I threaten because I care… Anyway, e-mail him to make sure he keeps at it and to see if he has anything else around. If I had to compare this to anything I’d say it a cross between Beanworld and Neil Jam, but the latter one only because of the giant black eyes…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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Legion of Super-Heroes Sketchbook
You know, I forgot all about the fact that I had two copies of this, meaning… it’s for sale here! Not that it’s the most urgent thing in the world to discuss, as sales have been a bit… um, sluggish up until this point, but there you have it. This is about half of a sketchbook with half comic stories thrown in. You have a variety of super-hero characters in a variety of poses (some of the ladies almost seem a bit risque, but maybe that’s only because they’re drawn with some large boobies), then you have two of the super-heroes having a fishing contest to determine who gets to ask the super-hero lady out on a date. Honestly, I can usually take or leave sketchbooks, but the few pages of actual comic in this are more than worth the price of admission. Contact info is up there, or you could just buy it and be the first on your block to get a comic from me!
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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Cavalcade
Well, it turns out that “Horse and Rider” was a title that was used for “equine pornography”, so David isn’t going to be using that title any more. This book has two stories in it, although I don’t think they’re both “big” in the literal sense of the words. How many times can I use “quotes” in one review anyway? The first story is about a bunch of cute, fluffy animals committing suicide in some fairly brutal fashions. The second story is big, and it’s about a man who’s down on his luck meeting up with a bunch of other people who feel the same way. That’s an incredibly simplistic way to put it, granted, so you should probably read it to see what you think. A bit depressing, I guess, but it’s a great wordless story about fitting in with other people who don’t fit in and being alone with yourself. Contact info is up there, or you could just order it from me. Do it! You know you want to…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
Horse! & Rider #1
Three cheers for random funny books! I think I’ve heard of David King from other Chicago people (or he has a name that sounds like another name, it’s hard to tell with a memory as bad as mine), but I had no idea what to expect going into this. Oh, I should also mention that the book is a light yellow color, not white, but I figured I didn’t need to use up so much space to make it yellow. Executive decision! Anyway, the story in here has nothing to do with a horse or its rider. Instead it’s about a man who decides that , in order to make something of his life, he needs to start stealing pies. I’ll say no more, as it’s too short to go into at any kind of length without ruining stuff, but I will say that I plan on using the word “Piebag” a lot more than I used to, which was never. Check out his website by clicking on the title, or go here to see what the second story in the book is about. It’s $1.50 and absolutely worth it, you can also e-mail him if you’re already sold…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
The Shortest Interval Now Available! $3
One of the most fascinating scientific unknowns in our history is, to me, what happened between the instant of the Big Bang and the point when everything started rapidly expanding. David tackles that idea in this fantastic comic, although I should point out his disclaimer at the back of the book: “The author is not a scientist and does not understand physics or anything. Use this comic book as an academic source at your own risk.” I also feel obligated to point out to any functioning adult who still believes the Earth (and the universe) is 6000 years old to please sit quietly while the grown-ups discuss a scientific theory. So what happened? David says that this interval was 10 to the 34th power seconds long (if I’m even reading that right, which should tell everybody all they need to know about my grasp of science), and proceeds to give a number of theories as to what might have happened during that time. I picked my favorite for the sample. As this is a tiny thing and I have no interest in ruining any of the other theories for readers, I’ll just say that he does bring more than a little bit of science to this as well as explaining who the period is named after. Making science funny can also be a tricky thing, but he pulled it off beautifully. This is well worth checking out if you’re at all curious about that undefined period of existence and how everything came into being. And who isn’t curious about that? $3
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
Danny Dutch Now Available! $5
This is the sort of book that describes any sort of easy analysis, so if you’re not a fan of me hemming and hawing for a chunk of text, it might be best to move onto something else (after you’ve at least checked out the sample, of course). This is a 4 panel strip that David does weekly, and he admits in the afterward that he has no clear plan for the strip in the long term, it’s just something he does to see what kind of comic he can get done in a week. As such, the subjects are all over the place, with the strip I sampled below one of the few examples with what you’d call a punchline, because that’s the mood I’m in today. Other strips deal with utter abstractions that are impossible to summarize, or at least damned difficult, without draining all the joy out of them. OK fine, subjects in here include a man’s first suit, being too attached to things, a rock-thrower, freedom to draw, a dead body, an abandoned boat and, of course, vapors. I feel like you probably understand this book less now than when I started, so let me make this easy on you. You can find a pile of these strips right here and read a bunch for yourself. I applaud what he’s doing, just wandering around and seeing what he comes up with (while still keeping in the four panel format, at least so far). Maybe some of his other stuff is more “accessible”, whatever that means, but this one deserves support, and I’m curious to see where he wanders off to. $5
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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My Favorite (written by Michael Grace Jr.)
Here’s a mini from Dave that’s all lyrics from a band called My Favorite. You can buy the CD here, just in case maybe you want to buy the CD and then try to follow along in the comic. Vampires, hospitals and nostalgia can be found in here. I swear that his art’s getting crisper all the time, and it was pretty good to begin with. Nothing all that fantastic here, but that’s probably just because I’m spoiled with all of Dave’s more personal comics. Probably some great stuff here for anybody who’s a fan of the band and it’s still good to look at. Probably around $1, get it and add it to your pile of Dave’s mini comics.
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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You’re Great
Eek! Sorry about the way my scanner interpreted that cover. This is kind of a rough print of this comic, as Dave is going to try and get a Xeric grant to get it done right, but I think you can still go to his website and request it. It’s a different perspective from his usual comics as this one is written by his girlfriend (or maybe just “female friend”, I don’t know). It’s the story of a girl and a boy who meet in high school. The boy loses touch with reality more and more all the time and the girl has to come to grips with her feelings for him while he slowly goes insane. That’s all you get from me about this as you should all check it out yourselves, as is the case with all his work. I’d guess it’s somewhere between $3-5, and if anybody from Xeric happens to read this page, give this man some love! He’s one of those people that I could see calling “comic genius” in a few years (and am close to calling him that now but don’t want to give him an ego or anything), so give him lots of money to make this comic look nice!
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
Dirtbag #8
Not to air all my dirty laundry here or anything, but Dave’s comics are a great therapy for post break-up blues. Not that there’s much in here that is fantastically cheery, but he has a wonderfully lyrical and poetic view of the world, and it’s nice to see women and relationships look on paper the way I think they should feel. Go ahead, read that sentence over again. I dare you to make any sense out of it, but it sums up my opinion of this comic. More girls, 70’s and 80’s movies and boobs in this issue. Maybe it’s better than his other books, maybe it’s just as good, but a lot of what he said in here either helped me or made me think about things, so I’d like to thank him. Probably a dollar or two, I’m sure you know where to get them by now…
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
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Dirtbag #6
For whatever it’s worth, this review is being done on 1/9/10, far into the future from when the rest of these reviews were written. Why so late? I missed it the first time around, so why not? Reading this now, after Dave has done at least a few really polished books, it’s hard not to notice how raw this is. Oddly, I mean that in a good way, as there are tiny images of all sorts of things all over the place and panels are only occasionally used. The nuggets for his future books are here, as he opines about how he’s obsessed with girls, wishes to be taken on adventures, fears loneliness and wants to throw aside all his responsibilities to become a hobo. Those are the linear, easily understood moments, told in (more or less) a conventional way. The sampled page is a better illustration of what I’m talking about than anything I could say, but there’s something about the simplicity of drawing the random images in his head, putting dreams and bits of reality together and seeing what comes out of it that’s missing in his later work. Granted, his later work is probably “better”, if such a thing can be measured at all, but there’s some serious charm to be seen in his older stuff too. No idea if this is still available to buy, but if it is it’s $1.
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Posted by Kevin
April 24, 2010
Website
Dirtbag #1
I’m not sure how many different ways I can tell you about how great this guy is, so I’ll just tell you about the comic instead. I love his Dirtbag series at least in part because it showcases his obsession with bad TV movies. There are a few little text pieces about them, as well as one about his infatuation with a girl when he was in school. Throw in some loneliness, horniness and general longing and you have another great Dave Kiersh book. Oh, and there’s his love of retards, his worry about pregnancy and his story of the drive-in closing down. This is all great stuff, of course, but the main reason to get this book is the simple interpretations of his favorite celebrities. I was going to sample a page but there are only two pages of them and I don’t want to ruin any surprises. Like all of his other books, this is one that everybody should own, although it looks like it’s not up at the USS Catastrophe page, so you might have to e-mail the man himself…
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Posted by Kevin
