April 23, 2010
Website
Robot Bildungsroman #2
The comic with the catchy title is back! Seriously, I’m sure some people have skipped this if they’ve seen it at the store purely due to that clunky title, which would be a shame, as they’d only be hurting themselves. Well, and Joe, who I’m sure would like to at least make a few dollars on this. In this issue we get a solid recap of the last issue (hoorah!), see a bit more of the men behind the robots, and get a showdown between the cops and the gang from the last issue, which doesn’t seem to end well for anyone involved. Marci was a bit scarce in this issue, but we do see her getting a “routine” check-up and seemingly forgetting about it once she gets to school, although she is left with the sense that something is wrong. There’s also a short story at the end of the book that deals with a bit more of the culture involved in having robots being readily available all the time, as this tells the tale of… well, you can see it for yourself on the sample page. I probably should have used one of his splashier pages (as this issue really looks great), but I couldn’t resist that description. Anyway, the humanoids don’t exactly work as advertised, but one boy decides to keep the defective creature with him anyway. It’s another solid issue and again, I have to point out that this has all the makings of a really great series. Assuming you like smart science fiction, that is… $3
Comments Off on Davidson, Joe – Robot Bildungsroman #2 | 
Reviews | Tagged: Joe Davidson, Robot Bildungsroman | 
Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Meatcake #12
I think I’ve finally found a good word to describe Meatcake: hodge-podge. OK, maybe that’s two words, but that’s the word this comic brings to mind for me. Every issue I’ve read has had a mix of all kinds of different stories, yet it’s only the size of a regular comic and I’ve never gotten the feeling that I was missing out on something by the stories being so short. I wouldn’t mind seeing a full-length story from Dame, sure, but I like the short stuff she’s doing now just fine. So what’s this comic about? Vampires, dolls, wolves, Sept. 11, absinthe, haunted houses, sex, witches, eggs, and Rapunzel. Go ahead, try to fit more stuff into another comic. Not recommended for people who like reading long stories, but anybody who doesn’t mind their mind wandering around a bit should love this. Any chance of a collection of some kind, Fantagraphics?
Comments Off on Darcy, Dame – Meatcake #12 | Reviews | Tagged: Dame Darcy, Meatcake | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Meatcake #9
Have you ever gone through some old comics, come across something you loved back when you got it and are surprised to see that that’s the only issue you bought? Well, join the club. I remember getting this one for the Alan Moore story, but it’s probably the weakest thing in the issue, and it’s a pretty damned good story. I know I didn’t see this one on the shelves ever, but I certainly sought out stuff that was harder to find than this. Whatever, put it right up there towards the top of the list of stuff I’ll get as soon as humanly possible. So, what about the comic? Well, the story written by Alan Moore is all about Wellington, a little orphaned girl, and what happens throughout her life. He fits with Dame better than anybody, except maybe Eddie Campbell. Then there’s a story about two friends who rob a couple of graves for cool party dresses and the consequences of their actions. Throw in a couple of shorties and a ballad from 1600’s England and you have one great comic. I guess I can’t say for sure that all of her stuff is this good, but I’ve always liked her work in anthologies and I could honestly lose myself in her art even if she couldn’t write herself out of a paper bag. Not sure how she’d find herself in a paper bag, exactly, but she doesn’t have to worry about it as she’s much too good of a writer to ever find herself in that predicament. One of the things that amazes me when people write me is that they spend so much time on this site when I link the websites of everybody that I can. Now those are some pages. Here’s the Dame Darcy page, and good luck not getting lost there for a while. Pardon the first scan, but it’s such an incredible page that I figured it was worth the eye strain.
Comments Off on Darcy, Dame – Meatcake #9 | Reviews | Tagged: Dame Darcy, Meatcake | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
The Changers Book Two: Our Obligation to the Future
Frankly, I wouldn’t have expected this level of competence and ingenuity from somebody’s first graphic novel/mini series. This book ties up all the loose end of the first, and asks the questions: do two people have the right to decide which way evolution is going to go for an entire race of people? Is contentment in the face of constant adversity merely giving up? Why is it so impossible to appreciate what we have when we have it? Ezra has asked these and many, many more questions with this book and the previous one, and I think he’s done a great job of giving answers for a lot of them, while at the same time showing that no matter how much time we have under our belts to evolve, basic human frailties are inescapable. In this book the alien from the altered future undergoes some disturbing changes, and the truth about his people and their place in his world are revealed. All those other questions I mentioned are in there too. I think this book is brilliant. About the only bad thing I could say about it would be that I don’t agree with some of his theories about what mankind would do under certain hypothetical future conditions, such as an inevitable asteroid strike. He seemed to think everybody would collectively give up all their vices and put together their best work, I think everybody would come to realize the futility of their existence and give in to ALL their vices. Anyway, personal opinion, but the argument he lays out for it is still fascinating. This is a phenomenal series. Anyone who longs for smart science fiction should check these out. Contact info is up there, you know what to do…
Comments Off on Daniels, Ezra Claytan – The Changers Book Two: Our Obligation to the Future | Reviews | Tagged: Ezra Claytan Daniels, Our Obligation to the Future, The Changers | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
The Changers Book 1: Evolution is Our Right
Quick, what’s the last really good science fiction comic anybody out there has read? Anybody? The list is pretty small, unless I’m just missing out on a whole bunch of stuff. This one, when it’s completed, could certainly be the best of recent years because of the sheer imagination involved in the concept. I explained the concept for the series in my review for #1, which is above, so check that out and come back. This book collects #1-3, as Ezra decided that publishing the next two issues would be too expensive. Great idea as far as I’m concerned, as that gives me the chance to read everything that’s done so far in one sitting. Anybody who’s ever wondered where humanity might be going or has ever bothered to think beyond next month, let alone next year, let alone a thousand years from now or even three millions years… just read it, OK? My one nitpick in the whole thing is that maybe, for future editions, Ezra should consider putting the text pieces all together either at the front or the back of the book. These text pieces are fascinating two page treatises on death, racial classification and culture and are worth the price of admission by themselves. This is $8.95, go to his website and buy them.
Comments Off on Daniels, Ezra Claytan – The Changers Book 1: Evolution is Our Right | Reviews | Tagged: Evolution is Our Right, Ezra Claytan Daniels, The Changers | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
The Changers #1
What a fascinating concept. Humans have gone pretty much as far as they can go, three millions years now, and have decided to go back in time to help evolution along. Two people from the future are doing this and there is a mysterious creature who’s trying to contact them. That’s the short explanation for this, and that’s all you’re getting out of me because you should really check this out for yourselves. It has one of the oddest cliffhanger endings that I’ve ever seen (you’ll only get that if you read it or check the preview on his website), and there’s also a diary-like entry at the end detailing human history that has yet to happen. Ezra has obviously spent a great deal of thought on this, trying to figure out what could happen to humanity through three million years, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. If there’s one drawback to getting books like these early with this website it’s that I have to wait longer than most people to see how the story continues. Yeah, I know, boo-hoo for me…
Comments Off on Daniels, Ezra Claytan – The Changers #1 | Reviews | Tagged: Ezra Claytan Daniels, The Changers | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Disposable Boy #2
This is the kind of autobio that is almost uncomfortable to read. This guy bares his soul with these books and he doesn’t make anything look better than it is. He’s well aware of his own deficiencies and seems to be almost dedicated to making sure that they continue. In this one he gets invited to a party and can’t seem to make a human connection. It’s depressing to read, but the guy is an amazing writer and he tells you about things that most people wouldn’t go anywhere near. These are a couple of bucks each and, while short, are definitely worth a look. He has an e-mail address and a website, get ahold of him and have him send you some stuff, won’t you?
Comments Off on Daniels, Ezra Claytan – Disposable Boy #2 | Reviews | Tagged: Disposable Boy, Ezra Claytan Daniels | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Disposable Boy #1
This is all about Ezra riding the bus every day. That probably sounds dull as hell, but what I failed to mention is that this is autobiography at its finest, at least in comic form. He speculates about everybody on the bus and is very conscious about how he must seem to the world. I’ll get into more details for the next issue, but the guy is talented.
Comments Off on Daniels, Ezra Claytan – Disposable Boy #1 | Reviews | Tagged: Disposable Boy, Ezra Claytan Daniels | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
E-mail
Lucky Comix #6
Well, I’m probably no closer to finding where this guy currently lives, but at least I was able to post an e-mail address… from 2001. Oh well, you can still buy his stuff at Catastrophe. I wanted very much to like this one (especially after a wonderful editorial to start things off about turning 35 and still doing mostly unnoticed comics), but it left me with the same “bleh” feeling as the last. The Warwold story continues, and I can’t put it any better than he does in the back of the book: “Gratuitous long winded pre-teen sword and sorcery fantasy”. And if that’s a good thing, this book is for you, ast that story takes up the bulk of it, meandering around with the hero and his brain trying to find their way up a mountain, followed by various splash pages of epic battles. It had a few funny moments, in all fairness, but as a whole I could have lived my whole life without reading that. Next up is a story about “real” and “false” people, which is a bit too complicated to go into here, but a pretty good story, if a bit confusing without any sort of recap from previous issues. The last comic here is about Natch being trapped in prison, mostly notable for the giant clown robot/monster/thing that slowly saps his identity. Wrapping the whole thing up is a commentary about the wonder that is Charles Burns, so it’s hard to bitch about that. Overall another so-so issue, with me still hoping that he’s done wonderful things in the years since that I’ve missed. $5
Comments Off on Cunningham, Mark – Lucky Comix #6 | Reviews | Tagged: Lucky Comix #6, Mark Cunningham | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
E-mail
Lucky Comix #5
Ah yes, comics that are five years old. No contact info that I would trust as being current (so I just linked to the USS Catastrophe site up there, where I bought this here comic), no real idea if this guy is still putting out comics. I’m going to assume that he is and he didn’t quit to become a CPA four years ago. This is a collection of stories, I think all by Mark except for a complete mish mash of a comic by Claudio Parentela in the middle, of which we will speak no more. First up is a mostly wordless story about a prisoner watching the world go by as he’s transported on a train. A nice melancholy little story that falls off the rails a bit at the end. Then you have another installment (I missed the other ones) of Warworld, a continuing story Mark was doing about a brain in a jar involving all sorts of intrigue. My only complaint about this one is one that I seem to have a lot: please, PLEASE learn to spell. I know it’s not that big a deal to some people, but it bugs the hell out of me, as all it would take it a simple spell check on the computer or, I don’t know, a bit of proof reading. Also in here is a mystery involving two people trapped in different parts of a house and a phantom baby, along with a few one page comics about a Charlie Brownish character that are mostly funny. Maybe I’d have gotten more out of this is if I wasn’t picking it up at #5, but the whole thing didin’t do much for me. I’ll try to get a real website or contact info nailed down, until then you know where to go… $4
Comments Off on Cunningham, Mark – Lucky Comix #5 | Reviews | Tagged: Lucky Comix, Mark Cunningham | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
E-mail
Website
Another website
I Walked With Robot Monster
Is itpossible for something to be a seamless hodgepodge? This comic has all sorts of unrelated one page stories, yet the ongoing story that weaves through the comic (that of a band trying to get their act together and one member snapping and losing his temper with another member) holds the whole thing together beautifully somehow. His art has grown on me in these two issues too. There’s a smudgy chaos there at times to a casual observer, but a closer look is rewarded with some serious detail. The shorties in here include the Challenger blowing up way back when, Halloween 1985, an overheard conversation about marriage, the Day of the Dead (not the movie) and a completely random fight scene in the end that breaks down in tears. The ending was a bit confusing to me, but everything else, with the exception of the grammatical problems I mentioned in the last issue, held together more than well enough to make up for it.
Comments Off on Cummings, Tyrrell – I Walked With Robot Monster | Reviews | Tagged: I Walked With Robot Monster, Tyrrell Cummings | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
E-mail
Website
Another website
Webb
I do love the random mini comics, and this one is from New Mexico. You know, I should probably get one of those big maps of the US ala The Colbert Report to keep track of what parts of the country exactly I’ve covered at least a little bit here. Anyway, this one is about a band on tour, mostly dealing with one stop along the way. At this stop is a woman who was a former girlfriend (?) of Webb, but things ended badly, so he’s more than a little conflicted about seeing her again. The relationship itself is left more of less to our imaginations, other than the fact that at least one of his bandmates thinks she’s a tramp. It’s a slow moody little comic and a damned good first effort (if that’s what it is). A few problems with spelling and “your” instead of “you’re”, things that are all over the place in the comics world but still bug me every time, but very minor things. Worth a look overall, nothing to necessarily set the world on fire but it shows a lot of promise for future work. $2
Comments Off on Cummings, Tyrrell – Webb | Reviews | Tagged: Tyrrell Cummings, Webb | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Sanity Impaired Cat
For the more literate comics folk out there, this mini is a parody of the old Krazy Kat comics (and by old I mean the turn of last century). These are widely considered some of the best comics ever done and are an inspiration for pretty much every comics person you can think of… and I haven’t read them. I know, every little bit of comics street cred I might have built up over the last 5 years just went flying out the window, but I thought it important to mention the fact that I don’t have enough exposure to Krazy Kat to do an informed review of a parody/tribute to said book. That being said, when has that ever stopped me? The look of this book is eerily similar to the older stuff, and there’s a large cast of characters that I’ll bet parody the original group. There are modern references in here but they still speak in old timey talk and this is just hopeless. Look, I enjoyed it with only a bare knowledge of the source material, I’ll bet you’d get a lot more out of it if you knew the original stuff. If you liked the old strip this is only a buck, so judge for yourself. Then post up a reader review so we can get an informed opinion on this one… $1
Comments Off on Crum, Kel – Sanity Impaired Cat | Reviews | Tagged: Kel Crum, Sanity Impaired Cat | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Cornelia Cartoonz #7
Now this one was funny! Who knows what kind of mood I was in for the other review, or maybe it was just so-so. Whatever the case, I liked this one. Funny, which is always a good thing, and if I’m not mistaken his art has gotten better since that other issue. Three stories in this one. The first one is Cornelia dealing with art school and artists in general, the second is a shortie about a fictional movie, and the last one is Cornelia trying to get her job back at Smallmart (seriously, independent cartoonists, just call it Walmart if you’re going to parody it. It’s not like the CEO of Walmart reads something with a print run in the hundreds, and even if they did I REALLY doubt if they would sue you). She sends in a friend to try and convince the manager, she’s an attractive woman, he’s a sleazy man, hilarity ensues! Here’s an e-mail address in case that one up there is outdated, this is only $1, check it out!
Comments Off on Crum, Kel – Cornelia Cartoonz #7 | Reviews | Tagged: Cornelia Cartoonz, Kel Crum | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Ed Thud #2
There are a zillion average mini comics in the world, and this is one of them. The high points aren’t too high, the low points aren’t too low, it’s just… there. It is kind of cute at times, and there are some inventive moments. Hey, maybe I’m in a crappy mood and unaware of it, who knows? That’ll teach you to listen to a word I say. Anyway, there are a few stories in here. One deals with Ed trying to get people to stop sucking on bamboo sticks, one is about Dr. Kevorkian and the hi-larious plight of assisted suicide, and the last one is Ed’s no-nonsense approach to picking up a woman in a bar. The suicide machine is kind of clever, and the part with the woman in the bar is kind of funny. Hey, what do you want from me? It’s so-so. E-mail him to see what else he has around (I read a couple of his other books and they were equally so-so) or just mail him a dollar or so per book at: 32 W Goodman Apt. 23 Fairborn, OH 45324.
Comments Off on Crum, Kel – Ed Thud #2 | Reviews | Tagged: Ed Thud, Kel Crum | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Puppethead #2
Here’s something completely different from his last comic (that I saw, anyway). There are two stories in here. The first is about WWII, zombies and the Wild West. It turns out that you can get turned into a zombie just by them touching you. Christ! We’re all doomed! The story didn’t make any logical sense at all, but it was still pretty funny. The second story is about a man trying to give a girl, any girl, a flower. A wordless story about spurned love and crappy girls, how could you go wrong? Not a bad effort at all. It’s probably $2 (I’m basing that on the fancitude of the cover) and worth a look. Contact info is up there…
Comments Off on Crowther, Jeff – Puppethead #2 | Reviews | Tagged: Jeff Crowther, Puppethead | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Numb Skull #3
I hate doing this. I’m putting this comic up because it’s the most recent thing I’ve seen from him, but I mostly don’t like it. This is a shame because I loved Narcolepsy Dreams and hadn’t really seen anything bad from him, and I don’t want the only impression on this website of Jaime to be negative. If anybody out there knows of any of his more recent work, or a place online to get his older stuff so I can review it too, please e-mail me. As for this comic, there wasn’t too much for me to get excited about. The two strips with the man sitting in front of his television, complaining, were OK up until the silly punchlines. There was a long text story about a man and his wife sticking up to some people who were assholes during a movie that read quite a bit like therapy… but it was macho, silly stuff. I liked a couple of the shorter pieces, like the one where me mused about things that make him wonder about the coming century (this is from 1999 and I guess it’s entirely possible that he’s just not doing comics any more), but overall there isn’t much here. Like I said, I’ve loved everything I’ve seen from him up until this, so don’t take this negative review as anything more than me not liking most of one issue. If you ever see any old issues of Narcolepsy Dreams, pick them up and you won’t be sorry. Send him an e-mail and see what he has available…
Comments Off on Crespo, Jaime – Numb Skull #3 | Reviews | Tagged: Jaime Crespo, Numb Skull | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Narcolepsy Dreams #4
See? My recent trips down memory lane don’t always show a comics artist who has vanished from the face of the (comics) earth. Jaime has a functioning website and a couple of new minis that seem to be available. He was somebody I always just missed back in the day, as this is his only mini that I managed to get. I remember his stuff was sold out and was supposed to be reprinted, then I got distracted (as I often was back in my college days, not that I’m much better now), and didn’t think of it again until I found that recentish issue listed below. This is a long-winded way for me to say that while I’m not sure of the quality of the new stuff, I’d have to read both books he has listed and hate them both for me to even kind of say that he’s no longer fantastic, and I have some serious doubts about that being the case. This issue was put out in 1994 and has a selection of short pieces and one hefty story. The shorties include a rent party while riding the rails, a historical piece about a Hispanic bandit from back in the 1800’s (why he fought, who he fought, how he ended up), a story about a stupid thing he said to a bully back in middle school (and the obvious result), and a recurring dream he had about working at Taco Bell (in a full mariachi outfit), a horrific customer and the resulting bloodbath. There’s also the main piece, called Sleepwalk, dealing with a man stuck in a lousy job, living in a lousy apartment, and how an ordinary day turns ugly when a crazy person jumps off their roof after he tries to get him down. One thing I’m struck by looking at this now is how professional the art looks. He’d been at this for awhile when this issue came out, and this mini is miles above most of the stuff but out back in that era. Once again, here’s an excellent choice for a hefty reprint of someones old work, if anybody out there with a pile of money and a publishing company is listening. It’s listed at $1, but good luck finding it…
Comments Off on Crespo, Jaime – Narcolepsy Dreams #4 | Reviews | Tagged: Jaime Crespo, Narcolepsy Dreams | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Two Tone Cat (written by Jeff T. Kane)
Well, at least Jamie managed to find an author who wants the pages to be as busy as he does. After reading this book it’s clear to me that there are enough ideas in here for three books, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. It’s fast paced, and it’s full of nonsensical things (the turkey who kills other turkeys at Thanksgiving to become the “Thanksgiving Turkey” being my favorite). I’d probably have to read it again before I have a complete idea of everything that’s going on, honestly, but those are the best kind of comics. Some things are worth studying and reading again, and this is definitely one of them. Busy, chaotic artwork and more story than a man with a brain like mine is likely to understand in one sitting, this is well worth a look. E-mail the writer or the author to see what they’re up to or where you can send the $2.95 for the book, as I’m not sure if they both have copies or what…
Comments Off on Craw, Jamie – Two Tone Cat (written by Jeff T. Kane) | Reviews | Tagged: Jamie Craw, Jeff T. Kane, Two Tone Cat | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Class War Drop Out
This submission from Jamie was a first for me. I’ve gotten plenty of comics in all shapes and sizes, but nobody had ever sent me an unstapled stack of their work on various stories before. As such, I wasn’t sure what to call the one I reviewed, but does anybody even use the “Title Index” page? I doubt it, so all that really matters is the artist and his work. The samples he sent me ranged from goofy to funny to creepy to gross to mediocre, but it was all held together by one thing: his fantastically expressive art. Every page is busy. All kinds of stuff to see in the backgrounds, which is the sign of an artist who really cares about putting the most into his work. He’s also looking to get in on some anthologies, so if anybody is out there reading this who’s putting one together they might want to e-mail him. Anyway, this story is a convoluted tale of popularity, pigs and Napolean. I’ll say no more as I’m sure this’ll be in print soon or you could probably let Jamie know that you’d like a copy of it for a certain amount of dollars (it didn’t say how much but I’m sure he’d respond to an e-mail). Funny, wildly inventive stuff, mostly, and worth checking out. The tiny criticism I have, and I have this with a lot of comics, is to watch the grammar and spelling. A minor thing, granted, but why draw attention away from the story with something that is easily fixed? And it’s not like there was a bunch of it, I’m just picky and feel obligated to say something negative here.
Comments Off on Craw, Jamie – Class War Drop Out | Reviews | Tagged: Class War Drop Out, Jamie Craw | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
