Solomon, Ali – Strings Attached: Amy’s Birthday Party

May 2, 2010

Website

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Strings Attached: Amy’s Birthday Party

Uh oh, the dreaded serial comic strip. People who read this site often know that, generally speaking, that format doesn’t do a thing for me. There are exceptions, but even with the stuff I like the format can wear me down after a while. With that caveat, this is a serial comic about the events of a birthday party, either among people in college or people not far removed from college. Ali gets things off to a great start with the opening strip showing the various characters naked in a tree, locked in a closet, with blue hands and with a pocket full of curry. Right off the bat, the reader has to find out what happened there. From there she manages to put a serviceable punchline in every strip, as things get more and more chaotic and the events from that intro panel come into focus. Some strips are funnier than others and I generally have a problem with punchlines, so people who like that sort of thing would probably love this. As for the art, it’s generally pretty sparse with few complicated backgrounds going on, but it looks like Ali has some skills, maybe a break from the serial format into actual comic pages would give her a chance to shine. $3

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Posted by Kevin

Smith, John Calvin – Dead Tree Comics

May 2, 2010

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Dead Tree Comics

I must be starting to sound like a broken record with these tiny minis. These are, by nature, going to be short reviews, so I’ll just tell you what I know about this guy. I was talking to him at FLUKE this past weekend and mentioned that I had slept in my car the night before, and he was kind enough to offer me a place to sleep. That’s just a good person, folks. He’d never seen me before, all he knew about me was that I had come from Illinois that day and I must like comics, and there he is offering me a place to sleep. I didn’t take him up on it, mostly because I wanted to get back just tired instead of hung over and tired (I knew how the night would have gone. It was at a bar, for the love of Mike). So, send him a dollar or so, and see how you like it. Oh, should I mention what it’s about? Well, most of it is the main character reminiscing about a lost friend or love, it’s kind of hard to tell. Not bad though. Then there are a couple of one page strips about various people, the most interesting of which is sampled here. Just enough to get me curious about any longer comics he might have, basically. E-mail him to see what the has around or send him a dollar or two at P.O. Box 763 Athens, GA 30603.

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Posted by Kevin

Smith, Jerry – Rattletrap #1

May 2, 2010

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rattletrap11

Rattletrap #1

Jerry clearly doesn’t subscribe to the theory that minis need flashy covers to attract attention.  He does, however, believe in cramming as much comic as humanly possible into minis, as it’s hard to get panels much smaller than this unless you want your characters to be dots (and bonus points to whichever reader gets that reference, although in this case “bonus points” means “feel free to feel good that you got the reference”).  There are a measly 7 pages of story here, and it’ll take you a good 15 minutes to read them.  This is mostly detailing the better part of a day in his life, as he talks about the aimlessness of his kids, figures out what to eat for dinner, worries about getting older, and chats with his wife.  No particularly grand insights here, unless you count everyday observances as insights (and you could certainly make that argument), but it’s still an informative an enlightening little book.  Or at least it is to somebody like me with 0 kids, as how exactly do you keep your child off the computer, or if you can’t how do you keep them away from things they probably shouldn’t be seeing?  I don’t think Jerry answers any of that definitively (and who could?), but he does manage to have some honest conversations on the subject.  Oh, and I almost forgot the back cover, in which he tells a completely different story about a local dog and their own dog.  It’s more than a little adorable, and it’s impressive how he manages to jump in himself at the end of the strip to give his address without it seeming forced.  This is listed as being the cost of a stamp, but I think sending the guy $1 is more than fair for this much comic.

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Posted by Kevin

Beaty, Nate- BFF (Brainfag Forever)

May 2, 2010

Website

Brainfag Forever

The good folks at Microcosm Publishing were nice enough to send me a half dozen graphic novels, and I lucked out in the fact that all 6 of them were things that I either was looking for anyway or would have been looking for if I knew they existed.  Take this one, for example.  I had only read two issues of Brainfag, loved them both (although #5 more than #6, according to my ancient reviews) and then never heard another peep.  It’s not that the guy stopped working, as he kept up an impressive pace and even kept most of his older issues up for free online, so it’s not like I had any good excuse for missing his later work.  Still, miss it I did, and it’s a real treat to get everything in one place.  The format of the book is essentially Nate walking us through his life, what his comics were about at the time and what they show him now.  Things start off with bits from Brainfag #1 (mostly just ad parodies, some funny, some not so much), then it skips forward to Brainfag #5.  Why?  According to Nate, it’s simple: #2-4 sucked.  They’ve all up for free at his website and I plan on going there and testing that theory, as artists are notoriously hard on themselves from time to time.  Anyway, he reprints #5 and #6, which I reviewed down below, so I won’t go into too much more detail.  I should note though that I have the same problem: I think my earlier reviews are mostly garbage, but here they sit, for all to see for all time (or at least until I eventually die and/or give up the website), and it’s not like I’m going to rewrite everything, and it’s not like they’d be guaranteed to be much better if I did, so let’s just move on already.  Anyway, he moves on to Brainfag #7… wait, that’s #8.  What happened to #7?  Hm.  OK, he moves on to #8, in which he starts doing a diary comic that is miles above most of that genre.  Why?  He doesn’t confine himself to a strict panel structure, so when he has more to say he spreads it out a bit and when he doesn’t have much to say there’s no sense of obligation to fill in space.  And he’s right, this was a tremendous artistic leap forward, as he asks important philosophical questions while being utterly ruthless in his self-criticism.  The art may have suffered a bit, but it’s a constantly evolving thing throughout the issue anyway and I don’t think he’s fully settled on a style even now.  #9 is the best example of this, as he tries several different ways to draw himself and the things around him.  It was a fascinating discussion for me, possibly because I read so many of these damned things and always wonder about the thought processes behind evolving styles.  It might have been a bit annoying and self-indulgent to somebody who just picked up that one issue, but that would have been their loss.  #10 is more of this sort of thing, but he does settle (mostly) on a style and instead works on finding his place in the world.  Finally there’s a good chunk of short pieces, unrelated at times but that work themselves seamlessly into the larger book.  If you’ve followed Nate’s work throughout the years there’s probably still something in here you haven’t seen, and if you never bought an issue of Brainfag before this is a compelling display of the personal and professional evolution of someone with something genuinely original to say, which is a rarity in this day and age.  All that and it’s a measly $9, and it’s even on sale (as of this writing) for an even measlier $8!

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Posted by Kevin

Smith, Andrew – Sausage Hand

May 2, 2010

Website

sausagehand1

Sausage Hand Now Available!   $6

Do you like mayhem in your comics? Not just a little bit, but a whole lot of it?  Do you also like, along with the mayhem, the occasional deep philosophical musing about heaven, hell, and the costs/benefits of dealing with other people?  Well, then you’re in luck!  You might be thinking that those things don’t really go together, and you’d be right, except for the fact that this comic exists and blows that preconceived notion of yours right out of the water.  There are two stories in this one, assuming that the first one can properly be called a story.  It’s all about a bloody fight between two brothers and, not to spoil the ending or anything, nobody wins.  That’s a small piece though, the meat of this thing is the next story, in which Sausage Hand, after working up the nerve to face the world, eats a rancid pork burger.  He falls into a deep coma (thinking at first that he might be dead, which leads to his philosophical ramblings), meets the other side of his brain and almost makes a human connection with his waitress.  This piques his curiosity about death so he does some research, which again renders him unconscious, and this time he meets his inner child and a strange invader in his mind.  The whole thing reads like a more demented version of a Tex Avery cartoon, with characters growing and shrinking based on their confidence and mood, and with them all being able to pull whatever they need out of their throat at a moment’s notice.  It’s not for the squeamish or humorless, but for everybody else, you’re in for a treat.  $6

sausagehand2

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Posted by Kevin

Small, Scott – Caddy Chronicles

May 2, 2010

Website

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Caddy Chronicles

This comic feels like therapy to me, plain and simple.  Scott (who just so happens to be a caddy (which, for the uninformed, is essentially a slave to any given golfer)) tells the tale here of a group of caddies who, after being treated like garbage for years, finally rise up and fight the golfers.  The art is simple stuff, all stick figures and basic drawings, although he does manage to pull off a mildly impressive stick figure battle.  This is the kind of thing that would probably be funny to golfers and caddies, and mostly wouldn’t get a reaction out of anybody else.  Still, it sure looks like a lot of people are golfing out there, so it’s entirely possible you could find something to love here.  As always, maybe the sample will help you make up your mind…  $1

caddy2

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Posted by Kevin

Slack, Michael – Land of O

May 2, 2010

Website

Land of O

Everybody out there knows how your mood can affect your reading experience, right? Or is that a cop-out? Anyway, I was kind of sick and squeamish all day long, and this book is nothing but one disgusting gag after another, so it didn’t do much for me. That could easily change on a different day. Stuff in here includes a severed head on a tricycle, a baboon heart, plastic surgery, pet babies, and plenty of stuff that I could describe for you, but it would take the fun out of your seeing it for yourself. gee, that sounds kind of like I’m recommending it all of the sudden, doesn’t it? I will say this for it: you’re not likely to see anything else like it. Michael’s mind is certainly a unique thing, and I think most people are likely to love this. Just don’t read it if you already feel like throwing up… Website!

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Posted by Kevin

Skinner, L. – Fitcher’s Bride

May 2, 2010

Website

fitchers1

Fitcher’s Bride

To those of you who think that what the world needs now is a modern reinterpretation of the Bluebeard story, your prayers have been answered!  To those of who are a bit more ambivalent about the question but still enjoy a good 24 hour comic, you’re in luck as well.  Looks like L. managed to finish this with about 3 hours to spare, not a bad total for one of these things.  As is always the case, the art looks more than a little rushed and some of the lettering is bursting at the seams, but a good story trumps all that.  This is the story of three sisters, told from the perspective of the one pragmatic sister in the bunch.  They’re cleverly named (either by familial nicknames or through an impressive lack of interest in such things by the author) Bird (the main character), Sister One and Sister Two.  Sister One dates a man for about a month before deciding to get married, much to the chagrin of Bird.  They are both “lost at sea”, but Bird can’t shake the feeling that she’s going to see the husband again.  She does when he’s courting Sister Two, who can’t seem to see the resemblance between this man and the one who “died” with her sister.  They’re married, they both “die” in a house fire, and Bird decides to do her level best to make sure the man pays.  Her means of accomplishing this turns out to be through marrying him, hoping to learn his secrets before he manages to kill her.  She eventually learns more than she bargained for, and if I don’t quit now you’ll know the whole comic.  Most of the 24 hour books I see are a bit fluffy, plot-wise, but this one has heft.  Plenty of panels, and even if things seem roughly sketched out at times there’s still an impressive attention to detail. Worth checking out, and is often the case when I see a 24 hour book by somebody new now I can’t wait to see what they can do when they’re not under a self-imposed deadline. $2

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Posted by Kevin

Sims, Michael David – One Step Beyond #2

May 2, 2010

One Step Beyond #2 (With Robert Kubkowski)

A good idea would have been to write this early in the day, when I wasn’t falling asleep at the computer. But enough about me, how are you today? Oh yeah, the comic. Well, I’m torn on this one. I liked the story and art just fine. It was basically “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, but with a bit more happening than kissing. It moved fast, had a funny part or two and was just fine. But then Michael thought that it would be a good idea for him to put a running commentary down at the bottom of the book, and it just felt intrusive. I know, you can just ignore it altogether and read the book (that’s what I did after two pages), there’s just something about it that bugged me. There you go, my scientifically proven theory of the night! Seriously though, a neat little Christmas story for $1. Visit the website, look around.

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Posted by Kevin

Simmons, Lance – Speak.

May 2, 2010

Website

Speak.

Sometimes it’s easy as hell for me to ramble on about a book for the length of a review, and at times I have no idea what to say. Guess which one this one is? This book has ten one page strips involving a robot talking to a skeleton head, mostly about the deeper meaning of things and the weight of the world. Or not, it wasn’t all that clear to me. Not bad, and I love the design of the book (there’s a see-through cover with the word bubble on it, the other pictures are on the first page), but there’s not much here to recommend either. So what you’re getting out of me is an “eh”, basically. He might have great stuff out there besides this or he might not, but this is the kind of thing you’d probably enjoy a lot more once you’ve seen what else he’s done. E-mail him to order it, I’d imagine it’s a buck or two.

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Posted by Kevin

Shy, Davi – The Treehouse

May 2, 2010

Website

The Treehouse

See, this is reason #1345 that I love mini comics. I was rolling along in this one, which was pretty average for the first half with promising bits, and then there’s the final story, which completely blew me away. And what’s it about? A goldfish. Never would have guessed in a million years that that would be maybe my favorite story of the week, but there you have it. The rest of the book is far from bad, as it’s all color and has some fairly impressive artwork, just nothing that really stood out to me. Davi’s other stories in here include describing her place in Chicago, being overwhelmed by her sister who had just given birth, trying to avoid the temptation to spend the evening (or maybe forever) watching tv, and the simple joys of cooking. Then there’s the big winner, a two page epic about a fish she had for five years. I confess, I was one of probably most people in the world that thought that fish weren’t much in the pet department, but this comic has me seriously reconsidering that notion. This fish did noticeable tricks and sure seemed to have a distinct personality, and Davi coming to terms with it dying was absolutely heartbreaking. This is $2, and if you happen to get this at Chicago Comics Davi apparently works there, so maybe you could get her to sign a copy…

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Posted by Kevin

Shonborn, Eric – The Red Fox of Kinderhook

May 2, 2010

Website

The Red Fox of Kinderhook

Let me just tell you the concept here: One man controls every aspect of the world, and has for a LONG time. He destroys it every 2000 years and everybody forgets that fact, except for two people. That man? Martin VanBuren, 8th President of the United States. Come on, that’s just funny. How does it work as a story? Pretty well, actually. The memory of the two men is hazy sometimes, but one of them always manages to make it to Martin to try and convince him to let the whole thing go. This was one of six books that I got from these two at SPACE, and I picked it for review because it was the best (I’ll probably put up some of the other ones at a later date anyway). The problem with this one, as with all of them, is that the art looks scrunched. I don’t know if they had to shrink it down from regular comic size, but there are certain titles where it’s extremely difficult to tell what’s going on at all. The production of the comics, other than that, was flawless. Great color scheme for the six books, great covers and boy could those two sell! It’s probably a couple of bucks (I got all six I think for $5, but that might not be right and it might have only been a convention thing, so don’t get all offended if they don’t go for it) and it’s entertaining. Check out the website, plenty to see there if you’re curious.

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Posted by Kevin

Shelton, Dave – This is What Happens When You Don’t Pay Attention

May 2, 2010

Website

This is What Happens When You Don’t Pay Attention

What a great title for a comic. This is about a man named Danny Atlas and his wandering through life without much of a plan. He ends up 30 feet tall as the result of a nuclear meltdown, but still can’t find much to do with himself. He tries to market himself as a superhero but can’t seem to pull off actually saving anyone from anything, so is forced to resort to playing costumed giant monsters. I just realized that I gave away much more of the story than I usually do, but oh well. It’s told with text on one side and the illustrations on the other, which works perfectly for this story. I was thoroughly entertained by this tale, it’s well worth checking out. Send the man an e-mail, I’d guess $3 but there’s no price anywhere…

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Posted by Kevin

Shea, Timothy – Hope 7 #1

May 2, 2010

Website

Hope 7 #1

Once again, I need to explain something before I review the comic. This is issue #1, true, but it comes after a three issue mini-series (even though two of those issues were published in the same comic to cut costs). Got that? The first two issues were drawn by Ed Loven and the third issue (and this issue) were drawn by Darryl Sheakley. It’s not a good sign if you can’t even get the same guy to finish a mini series, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that there were legitimate reasons that he couldn’t do so. The problem is that I got used to the other artist and, well, he’s just better. That’s purely subjective, of course, but there you have it. Don’t get me wrong, Darryl isn’t a bad artist, I just don’t think he’s suited for this project. He has a wonderfully fluid style that would be much better suited to stories that were less about humans. Or maybe he’s just fine and I can’t get over the fact that I liked the other guy better, it’s up to you to figure out. Regardless, the writing is great and the story is interesting, even if I have trouble telling what’s going on here and there. It’s the end of the world and there are only a few people left, along with a crazy lady and a bunch of giant dogs. That’s boiling it down to its bare bones, and that doesn’t really do it justice. You should check out the website to see what it’s about. The picture does look better in the comic than it did in my scanner, naturally, but check out that kiss to see what I mean about the art.

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Posted by Kevin

Sharar, Paul – Clock! #1

May 2, 2010

Clock! #1

Bleh. This seems like one of those guys who would be a lot better served going with the longer stories. This issue has a series of one page strips and slightly longer stories and the longer stories work much better. It has an obvious Hernandez Bros. feel to it, at least for the longer stories, but there are certainly worse people to imitate. His attempts at humor fall pretty flat too. Most of the things that are supposed to be sad strike me as kind of pathetic, unless I’m just reading it wrong. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing other things that he’s done. He can tell a creepy story and has some great insights into the human mind, especially with his “50s” story. His “marketable” character, Floot, is awful. Not funny, not insightful, not much of anything. Here’s hoping he dumps him and sticks to his strengths for future issues. Write him to get this and other stuff that he’s done at PO Box 6322 San Pedro, CA 90734. Or just get it online though Top Shelf like me…

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Posted by Kevin

Seda, Kelley – Rare Creature #4

May 2, 2010

Kelley’s Myspace page

Rare Creature #4

I’m generally not a big fan of the stuff from Slave Labor. Sure, I love the Evan Dorkin stuff, but that’s as far as it goes, unless I’m missing a bunch of good stuff from them. I picked this up pretty randomly a few months ago and think it’s a good little book. Granted, it would have helped a lot if I had paid more attention and seen that it was the last issue of the series, but it still gives a good idea of what the author is capable of. This issue (and this might be a spoiler for anybody reading the series in order, so you might want to skip this) is about the main character, Amelia, and her fear about having a child. She sees horrors for her baby everywhere she goes and is terribly afraid about what her child might be when it comes out. Creepy, disquieting stuff. I’ll have to get the paperback to see what else happened to get her to this point because I’m curious. Not sure if Kelley has done anything else but I enjoyed this one and will pick up anything else that I see. E-mail her if you want to comment on stuff, otherwise just click on the title to get the books.

Rare Creature

Looks like the graphic novel is available, if anybody is interested.

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Posted by Kevin

Schell, Kirrily – Wide Arsed Mole #3

May 2, 2010

Website

Wide Arsed Mole #3

Aargh! OK, for one thing, this was a hell of a book. Probably the best of the random books I got this time around, and that’s saying something. It’s still kind of raw and parts of it are almost too tiny to read, but this girl has all the tools to be a major talent in a few years, and she’s pretty damned good right now. However, after I finished reading this wonderful mini, I realized that there was no address anywhere. Nothing at all. She mentions at one point that she’s living in Melbourne, but that’s as close as she gets to saying where she lives. Dammit, how am I supposed to get the old issues? Or the new ones that might have come out since this was published? No e-mail address, no comic company, nothing. I unreservedly recommend this if you can find it.

What kind of stories are in this? I don’t know, she’s kind of a cross between Renee French and… somebody I’ve never seen before. She has her own unique style and it works for her. Lymph, about a lymph node and some unidentified thing talking, was fantastic. Overall I liked her longer works (like The Donut Hole) better, but the one page strips were great too. I really don’t want to give too much away because this is something that you should all be discovering for yourselves. And, through a little bit of online research, I’ve come up with an address. Send her a few dollars and ask for the latest thing that she’s done.

P.O. Box 495 Brunswick Victoria 3056 Australia

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Posted by Kevin

Santoro, BJ & Frank – Cold Heat #2

May 2, 2010

Website

Cold Heat #2

What a fantastically ugly comic. At times anyway, at other times it’s gorgeous and neat. You do all know that I don’t consider “fantastically ugly” to be a bad thing, right? Good. I jumped into the second issue of a projected 12 part series, and according to their website (which has all kinds of other comics not related to these two, by the way) they’re already up to #4, so it’s moving right along. It’s the story of Castle, a young woman who we meet here taking her morning pills (called Upliftors), learning all sorts of things about life, sex, death, aliens, corporate rock and globalization, at least according to that website I just mentioned. This issue in particular opens with the death of the son of a Senator, with the papers calling him a “loser”, even in death. This is the last straw for this Senator, who promises to kick in the doors of all the drug addicts in town until he finds out what happened to his son. The rest of the issue is cops talking to various kids and Castle sinking further and further into madness, eventually winding up at an institution. The art is risky and all over the place; I can see somebody getting turned off if they open the book to the wrong page. But the visual representation of Castle’s descent, from the giant eyes trying to figure it all out up to the blank, hopeless look on her face before trying to overdose is heartbreaking. The website says that this series is going to touch on all sorts of things before it’s through, and I’m already blown away, one issue in, with an issue that’s narrowly focused. This is something to keep an eye on in the future, that’s for sure. $5

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Posted by Kevin

Sally, Zak – Recidivist #2

May 2, 2010

Website

Recidivist #2

This is going to be a bit tricky, so bear with me. There are plenty of people out there doing mini comics who are just great. I’ll read their books, really like what they’ve done, and go on from there. I won’t, however, think that they should necessarily be published by Top Shelf or anybody like that, at least not yet. I liken it to hockey, mostly because I’m a hockey freak. Some players can be great, but they need to be in the minors, developing their game so that they’ll be better players for years to come. Granted, it’s a lot more glamorous to be playing with the stars, but it could damage their careers irreparably if they just jump to the big leagues and are expected to play at the same level. This might be way off base because there are plenty of people who are doing minis and will be perfectly content to stay in that format for the rest of their lives, but I’ve always seen them as kind of a training ground leading up to eventually being published. Like I said, a lot of people would disagree with me, and I still like minis as a whole better than the published books for the sheer heart involved in making them alone, but there you go. Where was I going with this? Oh yeah. Zak Sally. I don’t know how long he’s been doing this although, if I had to guess, I wouldn’t say it was very long. He doesn’t need any seasoning, he doesn’t have any training that he needs before he gets published, unless he hides it really well. The man is damned good at making comics and should already be rich.

There are three stories in this one. The first part is about a man, after winning a contest, seeing a movie that he considers a masterpiece about Hell. That’s all you get out of me, because I’m not ruining anything here. The second story is about the imprisonment of Fyodor Dostoevsky, which was fascinating to me because I’ve read all his books but have never read about this part of life, and it was done incredibly well. Granted, he said that he let Fyodor speak for himself whenever possible, but it still takes a skilled hand to show what he was going through during this time. The last story is a dream from Zak himself, involving him watching a man go through a life-changing experience, and what happens after. Again, amazing. The art reminds me a tiny bit of Jason Lutes, but more raw. It’s probably just the format. Listen, since I’ve started this site I’ve probably run across a dozen new people or so that I’ve been blown away by. I’m always waiting to be impressed, and I often am, by the stuff I receive, but I’m rarely just completely floored to the point where I can’t wait to see anything and everything else the creator has done. These stories all showed a professionalism, a poise, that’s rarely displayed in the published comics, let alone minis. I shouldn’t keep calling this a mini though, as it was obviously published by somebody, but it still feels like a mini, which is what makes it so incredible. It’s $4, and seriously, if you order it and don’t like it, let me know and I’ll send you the $4 to cover it along with a plea for you to never read comics again. Send money to La Mano P.O. Box 2472 Olympia, WA 98507

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Posted by Kevin

Sala, Richard – Peculia

May 2, 2010

Website

Peculia

Everybody out there already knows who Richard Sala is, right? He’s been around for years, doing some of the creepiest and weirdest stories out there. This is a collection of his Evil Eye series and it’s as fantastic as anything I’ve seen from him. This is ostensibly the story of a nameless girl and her adventures as someone and his assistant try to capture her. Forget all that though, because this is really a chance for Sala to do what he does best. I guess this would be called goth because so many of the themes are dark, but it’s impossible to pigeon hole this into any one category. It’s creepy, funny, disturbing, tense, and a million other things that don’t all go together, yet here they are. Richard is one of the best in comics, and this is a good chance for anybody who hasn’t already read his stuff to discover him. Read it, love it, thank me for it later. Hooray for website!

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Posted by Kevin

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