Dreamkeepers
Art by David Lillie
Written by David Lillie
When you have read, collected, and written about comic books for as many years I have, it's not too often that you pick up something new and are completely blown away in terms of both art and story.
However, that was exactly what happened when I began to peel through the pages of Dreamkeepers.
Let's start with the art work.
Lillie has a style that reminds of films such as the Secrets of NIMH, right down to the animated animals who are the stars of the story. So naturally on the first flip through I thought while eye catching in its approach, it would be a story geared to younger readers.
The style is very clean, and shows the action well, although at times the differentiation between one character and the next can be a tad daunting, especially in issue one since these characters are not known. It's a minor problem with a couple of the female critters, but it does require a pause to re-look a couple of times.
From an artistic perspective creator David Lillie has been drawing since he was a small child.
“I started drawing when I was three, and never really stopped, except for a stretch during art college when, ironically, I was too busy with miscellaneous homework to draw,” he said. “When I was growing up my parents never threw out any junk mail, because I would flip that over and use it as drawing paper. My first source of inspiration was the cartoon 'The Real Ghostbusters' when I was a tot, which kicked off my toddler years drafting all types of ghoulish monstrosities.
“More contemporary influences include Bill Watterson, Tracy Butler, Akira Toryama, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tim Burton, H.R. Geiger, Brian Ahern, Will Eisner, Tiny Toons and the pantheon of Disney character animators. I applied my affinity for drawing to longer projects through middle and high school with my first comic series, ’Tech War’.
“After college I had some work in minor studio and freelance animation, which I promptly became frustrated with due to the fact that I'd rather be telling my own stories. I always felt like I was just a replaceable technician when working on someone else's project.
“But the animation experience helped develop my drawing skill and versatility. Also, I'm struggling to improve my work with each successive book release.
“I'm accepting of my work in Volume 1 and 2, but I can do better, and I want to prove that every time I finish a new edition.”
As a reader, I was pleased to find out as I read the story that Lillie was not catering to younger audiences at all, but was instead writing a rather sophisticated story which had enough 'smarts', enough 'maturity' to appeal to a reader like myself, a reader well past my teen years.
The story is about a world on the edge of our own, a world where the residents have powers to battle our nightmares.
The mix or art and the nature of the story does seem at odds in terms of finding an audience for Dreamkeepers, and that is something Lillie said he recognized would be a factor going into the project.
“Choosing the target market for Dreamkeepers has turned out to be an interesting issue,” he said. “I must admit that, when designing the content and style of the series, I disregarded marketing considerations and indulged completely in my own personal taste.
“The original target audience was the guy in the mirror. That complicates things a bit when it comes to attracting the right readership, because the title doesn't fit perfectly within the established genres and their corresponding audiences.”
As a result, Lillie said the audience for the book has sort of come to the story by finding it on their own, rather than through a huge marketing effort.
“To-date, and with our marketing budget, it's been more a situation where readers find Dreamkeepers on their own, and I've been surprised and excited at what an eclectic group that's resulted in.
“I would say that, assuming I’ll have the resources to market someday, our target group would be teens to young adults, although we seem to have caught the attention of some younger, and older readers. There is a risk of potential adult readers disregarding the series at first glance, which is why word-of-mouth and reviews have been so critical in helping us get started.
“I would describe the response to our books so far as small, but powerful. Liz (Thomas, editor) and I have been successful in reaching a minority of convention-goers with the series, and their enthusiasm has been indescribably encouraging.”
In the story it has been ages since nightmares have raised their ugly heads, so using one's power are prohibited.
You can guess the storyline from there, the nightmares are edging back into the picture, and they are after a certain youngster, one we are left believing has a definite role in protecting the world from the coming darkness.
The artwork clearly carries the attention here, but the story is the art's equal once you get into the story. Lillie has created a world very much unique, and interesting, and he has crafted this first two books of the series in a way readers will want more, much more.
Lillie himself sees himself more writer than artist.
“I don't think I'd call myself an artist, because that's such a philosophically loaded word, and I don't have a beret,” he said. “Writer might be closer, but the writing and the visuals are so interdependent that it would be a tough sell to call myself a ‘writer.' I've settled on the term 'creator', but I feel like any descriptive title I adopt begins to sound pretentious. I'd much rather throw a book at someone, yell 'look at this!', and then vanish in a cloud of smoke.”
As a book, Dreamkeepers is the first major work by Lillie.
“Dreamkeepers is my first published work, but I made a bunch of other comic books before college,” he said. “When I was 12, I started a series titled 'Tech War', about the United States fighting a war against international terrorists, and ... Hmm. Prophetic? I guess so. Keep your eye out for a terrorist robot army, my prophetic childhood predicts it! Tech War ran for about six-issues. I also made a quickie comic once where Vegeta fought Barney the dinosaur.”
With Dreamkeepers Lillie has a story that he sees as having a definitive ending, although it does stand to be an epic story.
“Dreamkeepers is definitely a finite story, with the entire plot already set in place, ending and all,” he said. “My personal bias is that stories only count if they have an ending, which is why I have such preemptive apathy towards Marvel and other ceaselessly progressing universes. It's just difficult to take a character seriously when their story arc is a circle of redundancy; it begins to verge on soap opera territory.
“So Dreamkeepers is a finite story, but it's not a small story. It's going to stretch for at least 20 volumes, and possibly more. I believe it's going to be my defining life's work as a creator, which is another reason I'm investing so much effort into the quality of the art and storyline.
“I'm not creating Dreamkeepers to cover the monthly bills. I'm creating it to reserve a spot on bookshelves, and an echo in the minds of others after I'm gone.”
While Lillie sees Dreamkeepers as his defining work, because of it's uniqueness, it has not been an easy book to get published.
“Getting Dreamkeepers created and printed has been my first big adventure in the real world beyond college,” he said. “It's been a struggle, but one that I wouldn't trade for anything.
“Originally planned as a TV pitch, I realized that the best case scenario, possessing no leverage or industry cred, would be selling the idea into ruination, assuming I didn't get flat-out ripped off.
“It seemed the right idea to return to my roots, and create the series in comic form. With the first book nearly finished, I submitted to and was rejected by pretty much every comic publisher out there, save one. That publisher wanted to tweak the book towards kids, and also postponed the print run to a distant doldrums.
“Being young and motivated, I brashly decided to start my own publishing company, regardless of having absolutely no finances beyond massive college debt. Starting a business has been immensely challenging and gratifying.”
Lillie said he took the risk because of the importance he sees in the work.
“I think Dreamkeepers is important to me for a few reasons,” he said. “For one, I had my midlife crisis early, and decided I don't want to be an employed artist-technician. I want to create my own stories, period.
“So as a creator, Dreamkeepers is my outlet for doing what I love. When it comes to career considerations, I have a lot of ambition for Vivid Publishing. Lacking aristocratic senatorial family ties and any good reason for a bank to give me a viable loan, my only hope of success is -- well, success.
“I can’t kick back and bank on bloated corporate marketing campaigns pushing mediocrity onto gullible kids as personally fulfilling as that would doubtless be.
“Instead, I opt to stake my future on offering a product which can only attain visibility by being exceedingly worthwhile. That product is Dreamkeepers. It's my best shot at making a living out of my career. Plus, from a pure fun standpoint, I love the story. I can't wait to read the whole thing. And there's only one way to make that happen.”
This is a winner by any measure. Don't let the art turn you away for fear that it is for kids. Give it a chance. You will be glad you did. Excellent work from cover-to-cover.
Check it out at www.DreamKeepersComics.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Monday, July 27, 2009
Review -- EFFING BRUTAL
Effing Brutal
Art by Jordi Perez
Written by Brian Labrecque
Well when you review indie comics, you can expect some rather 'out there' material at times.
So when a comic, a trade paperback actually, created in a larger page format crosses the desk that has “from the emotionally unstable mind of Brian Labrecque' across the top of the cover, and the book is actually sub-titled 'The epic saga of losers fighting evil', you are pretty sure it's not your run-of-the-mill comic book.
Boy! Is that an understatement.
The book's main character is Josh, who is initially described as 'the visually stunning sociopathic transvestite-in-denial'.
Now if that doesn't peak your interest, the fact Josh's super power is that he thinks he's Tori Amos just might.
OK, so you're starting to understand this is a story that takes you down a pretty bizarre rabbit hole.
The book is populated with the weirdest cast of modern-era characters you are likely to meet.
A couple of the supporting crew are Black Cherry, 'everyone's favourite violent, sassy, manic-depressive fem-dyke', and Larry 'a product of methylphenidate and too many paint chips.”
With such a warped array of characters, you can appreciate the story has a definite surreal feel to it.
Interestingly, the book actually grew out of an indie film.
“Effing Brutal is the continuing story of the characters I created in my film 'Far Too Gone', specifically, the adventures of Josh, the guy in Seattle who thinks he's Tori Amos,” said creator Brian Labrecque. “I shot that film back in 2004 and ever since I have wanted the characters to do more than just walk around Seattle insulting people. So NOW they get to drive around Seattle blowing things up, so there’s some progress! I tried to include as many subversive elements as I could, such as the evil skateboarding cult, the weirdo transvestite cult, and of course, the Pilipino boy-band, the “Shaved Asians”.
“I tried to make the story as “brutal” as possible, but somehow it came out stupid, funny, and mildly brutal, oh well!”
Artistically, Jordi Perez has a style that really fits the material. There is a brightness to the art, achieved through the wise use of colour, and a modern look.
Labrecque said the art has not attracted the attention of major book publishers though.
“Clean? Ahah, well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that, in fact every comic book publisher I’ve submitted this to, has rejected it hands down and middle fingers up because they say the lines are not good and the art is 'not up to our standards',” he said. “.... They have no vision. They are drunk on the steroid/spandex ultra violent homo-erotic imagery which is rampant in the comic world today. Stories mean nothing to these people. I’ve read graphic novels where the art is unimaginably good, yet the dialogue is sparse and dry and crappy. Like a few lines per page, totally uninspired, almost as an after thought.
“It’s as if comic publishers want violent art-books with story lines being optional. Anyways, I’ve been blacklisted by every comic publisher out there, even the ones in Seattle, which blows my mind. They literally want nothing to do with me or Effing Brutal.”
Labrecque added he “met the inkers Jordi Perez and Harrison Wood online through craigslist, and the letterer Kate "Rocket Girl" Fahr is a friend of mine. The colourist Philip Fuller I met online also.
“Everyone was incredibly talented and patient, and now they are all part of history ... and I still owe most of them money.”
This is not a book for everyone. Yes, I know that is a rather obvious understatement. Yet, it does illustrate the strength of indie comics. The big companies wouldn't touch something like this, not in a million, gazillion years. Yet, there is a story here which pushes the boundaries of the medium in terms of going where few would take a comic book. That sort of explorative approach to story telling is critical to grow the medium. Comics are not just about superheroes and Effing Brutal reinforces that to the max.
Labrecque said readers love the work, even if mainstream publishers run from it.
“It’s funny because when people actually read Effing Brutal, they love it and beg me to sell them a copy. I even had one guy who wanted a copy I was showing to him so bad he ripped out a blank check from his check book and told me to write whatever number I wanted on it if I would give my copy to him, but I couldn’t because it was the last test-copy from a printing and it had to go to one of the aforementioned publishers.
“I’m telling you, people are ravenous for this thing, but it’s the ... publishers who are withholding this comic from the fans who clearly want it on shelves.
“Here’s the problem, I know for a fact that none of these ... comic publishers is even reading past the first page. They only see what they want to see and they will never see me because I am not in their visible spectrum.”
While one can appreciate the creator's frustration, this is not a comic for the mainstream. It is not for the masses. It would not sell thousands of copies.
That doesn't mean there isn't something here, but when you go out on the edge of the medium, when you push the boundaries and dare to delve into areas seldom used as fodder for comic books, you create something with limited appeal. This isn't a comic I would normally purchase myself.
That said I'm glad I've read it, just to taste the really strange world in which Josh operates.
So, don't be afraid, OK maybe be a little afraid, but give this one a look anyway.
It is likely Labrecque's only comic too.
“No more comics, they take too long and I don’t like relying on other people. I am an avangarde filmmaker at heart. I am filming a thriller called “Die! Blackbird Die!” in 2010,” he said.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Art by Jordi Perez
Written by Brian Labrecque
Well when you review indie comics, you can expect some rather 'out there' material at times.
So when a comic, a trade paperback actually, created in a larger page format crosses the desk that has “from the emotionally unstable mind of Brian Labrecque' across the top of the cover, and the book is actually sub-titled 'The epic saga of losers fighting evil', you are pretty sure it's not your run-of-the-mill comic book.
Boy! Is that an understatement.
The book's main character is Josh, who is initially described as 'the visually stunning sociopathic transvestite-in-denial'.
Now if that doesn't peak your interest, the fact Josh's super power is that he thinks he's Tori Amos just might.
OK, so you're starting to understand this is a story that takes you down a pretty bizarre rabbit hole.
The book is populated with the weirdest cast of modern-era characters you are likely to meet.
A couple of the supporting crew are Black Cherry, 'everyone's favourite violent, sassy, manic-depressive fem-dyke', and Larry 'a product of methylphenidate and too many paint chips.”
With such a warped array of characters, you can appreciate the story has a definite surreal feel to it.
Interestingly, the book actually grew out of an indie film.
“Effing Brutal is the continuing story of the characters I created in my film 'Far Too Gone', specifically, the adventures of Josh, the guy in Seattle who thinks he's Tori Amos,” said creator Brian Labrecque. “I shot that film back in 2004 and ever since I have wanted the characters to do more than just walk around Seattle insulting people. So NOW they get to drive around Seattle blowing things up, so there’s some progress! I tried to include as many subversive elements as I could, such as the evil skateboarding cult, the weirdo transvestite cult, and of course, the Pilipino boy-band, the “Shaved Asians”.
“I tried to make the story as “brutal” as possible, but somehow it came out stupid, funny, and mildly brutal, oh well!”
Artistically, Jordi Perez has a style that really fits the material. There is a brightness to the art, achieved through the wise use of colour, and a modern look.
Labrecque said the art has not attracted the attention of major book publishers though.
“Clean? Ahah, well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that, in fact every comic book publisher I’ve submitted this to, has rejected it hands down and middle fingers up because they say the lines are not good and the art is 'not up to our standards',” he said. “.... They have no vision. They are drunk on the steroid/spandex ultra violent homo-erotic imagery which is rampant in the comic world today. Stories mean nothing to these people. I’ve read graphic novels where the art is unimaginably good, yet the dialogue is sparse and dry and crappy. Like a few lines per page, totally uninspired, almost as an after thought.
“It’s as if comic publishers want violent art-books with story lines being optional. Anyways, I’ve been blacklisted by every comic publisher out there, even the ones in Seattle, which blows my mind. They literally want nothing to do with me or Effing Brutal.”
Labrecque added he “met the inkers Jordi Perez and Harrison Wood online through craigslist, and the letterer Kate "Rocket Girl" Fahr is a friend of mine. The colourist Philip Fuller I met online also.
“Everyone was incredibly talented and patient, and now they are all part of history ... and I still owe most of them money.”
This is not a book for everyone. Yes, I know that is a rather obvious understatement. Yet, it does illustrate the strength of indie comics. The big companies wouldn't touch something like this, not in a million, gazillion years. Yet, there is a story here which pushes the boundaries of the medium in terms of going where few would take a comic book. That sort of explorative approach to story telling is critical to grow the medium. Comics are not just about superheroes and Effing Brutal reinforces that to the max.
Labrecque said readers love the work, even if mainstream publishers run from it.
“It’s funny because when people actually read Effing Brutal, they love it and beg me to sell them a copy. I even had one guy who wanted a copy I was showing to him so bad he ripped out a blank check from his check book and told me to write whatever number I wanted on it if I would give my copy to him, but I couldn’t because it was the last test-copy from a printing and it had to go to one of the aforementioned publishers.
“I’m telling you, people are ravenous for this thing, but it’s the ... publishers who are withholding this comic from the fans who clearly want it on shelves.
“Here’s the problem, I know for a fact that none of these ... comic publishers is even reading past the first page. They only see what they want to see and they will never see me because I am not in their visible spectrum.”
While one can appreciate the creator's frustration, this is not a comic for the mainstream. It is not for the masses. It would not sell thousands of copies.
That doesn't mean there isn't something here, but when you go out on the edge of the medium, when you push the boundaries and dare to delve into areas seldom used as fodder for comic books, you create something with limited appeal. This isn't a comic I would normally purchase myself.
That said I'm glad I've read it, just to taste the really strange world in which Josh operates.
So, don't be afraid, OK maybe be a little afraid, but give this one a look anyway.
It is likely Labrecque's only comic too.
“No more comics, they take too long and I don’t like relying on other people. I am an avangarde filmmaker at heart. I am filming a thriller called “Die! Blackbird Die!” in 2010,” he said.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Friday, July 10, 2009
Review -- LEEK & SUSHI'S MANGA SHOW
Leek & Sushi's Manga Show
Compiled and Edited by Willie Hewes
Art by various
Written by various
Manga is the Japanese style of comic, so it was with great anticipation I awaited the arrival of Leek & Sushi's Manga Show, since it is a book which brings together the manga-style work of several British artists and writers.
The book is compiled and edited by Willie Hewes, with the works drawn from entries in a contest which celebrated 150 years of friendship between Britain and Japan. The contest was rather open-ended in as much as all the creators had to do was work in the number 150, so the idea range from 150 stars in the sky, to spending 150 days in Japan.
The 150 makes an interesting little twist to look for in each of the 15 stories, but really doesn't influence the works in a major way, which is a good thing, since it allows for significant diversity in the pieces collected.
Editor Willie Hewes explained how the contest got its start.
“The contest is run by the Japanese Embassy,” she said. “The embassy set up an exhibition with the winners, but they do not print the entries in any way.
“That's where I thought I could usefully step in and offer to print a book with the entries of everyone who wanted to be part of it.”
Hewes said inclusion in the book was basically by participation.
“I printed almost all the entries that were sent to me, there were a couple that I felt didn't quite fit, mostly with regards to the quality of the artwork,” she said. “I didn't really have a rigid set of criteria, if I liked it and it looked good, it made the grade.”
In my opinion one of the more interesting works is the story 'Photus' by Volker (Samuel Barker), which was tagged with a special award in the contest for having the most impressive entry from an entrant aged 14 to 16.
I personally thought '150 years of opreshun' from writer Gwen Kortsen and artist Angela Wraight was the story with the most poignant message. Very well presented. Interestingly the piece did not finish in the top-10, so my tastes are obviously different from the judges.
'Stars' by Donna Pesani has beautiful art, in a style that may be as traditionally manga as any in the book.
Watch for Karen Yumi Lusted's works too, with three selected for the book, this creator has a knack with manga.
In general terms the pieces here are generally soft in nature, with only a couple of the stories taking on a darker edge, most noticeably the mood of “Shadows of a Changing Face (Prologue) by creators John Blake and Michael Reid
While Hewes collected the entries for the book, she was not the contest judge.
“Well, the judging of the competition was nothing to do with me, you have to understand'” she said.
“The book contains entries for the competition, but came about entirely separately from it, simply because a lot of us felt it would be a good way to extend the entries' lifespan.
“In putting the book together, I was mostly just looking for stuff that looked good, that you could see people had put a lot of time and effort into. The soft, feel good tone is something I hadn't really noticed before, but I guess you're right. I think that's simply the friendly nature of the manga community shining through, rather than anything else.”
To help tie the book together, Hewes has created Leek & Sushi, two cartoon characters representing Britain and Japan. They appear in vignettes between entry pieces as sort of the comical interlude. Personally they didn't do it for me. I would have much preferred a few more entries than the repeated appearance of the cartoony element.
In terms of her own interest in manga, Hewes said it developed over time.
“I first started reading manga years ago. It was visually appealing to me, and it was nice to start reading comics again, which I hadn't done for years since I outgrew Asterix,” she said, adding, “superhero comics don't mean much to me, but I like manga, and being in comic book shops meant I also discovered some interesting indie comics.”
At 200-pages, and 15 stories, this is an excellent value, and if you want a taste of British manga, this is an excellent starting spot.
Hewes said she isn't sure there are more manga fans in Britain than anywhere else, but added there are certainly those artists and writers who work in the form.
“Hmm, I'm not sure manga is bigger in Britain than elsewhere in Europe, or in Canada for instance,” she said.
“We do have a pretty good number of people drawing manga, and drawing quality manga. I think that's partly due to the strength of the community, amateur manga creators are generally very friendly and help each other out, and we have a couple of examples of people who 'made it', and are now making manga professionally. I think that's very inspiring for people and helps them get from 'well, I have this idea....' to actually doing it.”
Hewes is already planning a similar book in the future.
“This year's Manga Jiman competition has just been announced, and Leek and Sushi will return too,” she said.
“I expect the second volume to come out around May next year.
“There are also some smaller projects I'm tinkering with, but I can't really say where that's going to go yet. You can check out the works at www.itchpublishing.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Compiled and Edited by Willie Hewes
Art by various
Written by various
Manga is the Japanese style of comic, so it was with great anticipation I awaited the arrival of Leek & Sushi's Manga Show, since it is a book which brings together the manga-style work of several British artists and writers.
The book is compiled and edited by Willie Hewes, with the works drawn from entries in a contest which celebrated 150 years of friendship between Britain and Japan. The contest was rather open-ended in as much as all the creators had to do was work in the number 150, so the idea range from 150 stars in the sky, to spending 150 days in Japan.
The 150 makes an interesting little twist to look for in each of the 15 stories, but really doesn't influence the works in a major way, which is a good thing, since it allows for significant diversity in the pieces collected.
Editor Willie Hewes explained how the contest got its start.
“The contest is run by the Japanese Embassy,” she said. “The embassy set up an exhibition with the winners, but they do not print the entries in any way.
“That's where I thought I could usefully step in and offer to print a book with the entries of everyone who wanted to be part of it.”
Hewes said inclusion in the book was basically by participation.
“I printed almost all the entries that were sent to me, there were a couple that I felt didn't quite fit, mostly with regards to the quality of the artwork,” she said. “I didn't really have a rigid set of criteria, if I liked it and it looked good, it made the grade.”
In my opinion one of the more interesting works is the story 'Photus' by Volker (Samuel Barker), which was tagged with a special award in the contest for having the most impressive entry from an entrant aged 14 to 16.
I personally thought '150 years of opreshun' from writer Gwen Kortsen and artist Angela Wraight was the story with the most poignant message. Very well presented. Interestingly the piece did not finish in the top-10, so my tastes are obviously different from the judges.
'Stars' by Donna Pesani has beautiful art, in a style that may be as traditionally manga as any in the book.
Watch for Karen Yumi Lusted's works too, with three selected for the book, this creator has a knack with manga.
In general terms the pieces here are generally soft in nature, with only a couple of the stories taking on a darker edge, most noticeably the mood of “Shadows of a Changing Face (Prologue) by creators John Blake and Michael Reid
While Hewes collected the entries for the book, she was not the contest judge.
“Well, the judging of the competition was nothing to do with me, you have to understand'” she said.
“The book contains entries for the competition, but came about entirely separately from it, simply because a lot of us felt it would be a good way to extend the entries' lifespan.
“In putting the book together, I was mostly just looking for stuff that looked good, that you could see people had put a lot of time and effort into. The soft, feel good tone is something I hadn't really noticed before, but I guess you're right. I think that's simply the friendly nature of the manga community shining through, rather than anything else.”
To help tie the book together, Hewes has created Leek & Sushi, two cartoon characters representing Britain and Japan. They appear in vignettes between entry pieces as sort of the comical interlude. Personally they didn't do it for me. I would have much preferred a few more entries than the repeated appearance of the cartoony element.
In terms of her own interest in manga, Hewes said it developed over time.
“I first started reading manga years ago. It was visually appealing to me, and it was nice to start reading comics again, which I hadn't done for years since I outgrew Asterix,” she said, adding, “superhero comics don't mean much to me, but I like manga, and being in comic book shops meant I also discovered some interesting indie comics.”
At 200-pages, and 15 stories, this is an excellent value, and if you want a taste of British manga, this is an excellent starting spot.
Hewes said she isn't sure there are more manga fans in Britain than anywhere else, but added there are certainly those artists and writers who work in the form.
“Hmm, I'm not sure manga is bigger in Britain than elsewhere in Europe, or in Canada for instance,” she said.
“We do have a pretty good number of people drawing manga, and drawing quality manga. I think that's partly due to the strength of the community, amateur manga creators are generally very friendly and help each other out, and we have a couple of examples of people who 'made it', and are now making manga professionally. I think that's very inspiring for people and helps them get from 'well, I have this idea....' to actually doing it.”
Hewes is already planning a similar book in the future.
“This year's Manga Jiman competition has just been announced, and Leek and Sushi will return too,” she said.
“I expect the second volume to come out around May next year.
“There are also some smaller projects I'm tinkering with, but I can't really say where that's going to go yet. You can check out the works at www.itchpublishing.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Review -- GHOST ZERO
Ghost Zero
Art by David Flora
Written by David Flora
Ghost Zero takes a lot of elements that I have always appreciated, and puts them together in one nice package.
The story is first and foremost a pulp hero one, very much along the lines of The Shadow and The Spirit, and those tales have always been a favourite in terms of action and straight forward story telling.
Writer David Flora has added a layer though, with the hero being a ghostly one. The element of the mystical is excellent here, with the character having just a bit of a Ghost Rider 'feel' without coming anywhere near ripping that character off.
Of course this is only issue one, so there are a ton of questions about the character's complete background, but isn't that what you want, readers to ask questions that they'll return to future issues to find answers too?
That said, Flora does weave a darned good story here too, one rich in background material, and one that firmly establishes mysticism as part of the world in which Ghost Zero resides.
Flora said Ghost Zero arose from several influences.
“The Ghost Zero story is a combination of all the things I enjoy personally; ghosts, pulp stories, and small towns. The idea came from a time in the late '90's when I was writing collaborative pulp stories with an online group of pulp enthusiasts,” he said. “We each came up with a pulp-inspired character set in the '30's, and they formed a group called 'The Midnight Society'.
“The character I created was called 'The Revenant', and was essentially the Charles Pallentine character that serves as Eddie Quick's ghostly mentor. I didn't actually draw the first panel of the webcomic (which was originally called 'The Revenant’) until 2007. So it took about seven or eight years for the idea to come together.”
Flora himself suggests writing is his strength as a comic book creator.
“For me, the art is harder than the writing...which means I'm probably not a good writer,” he said.
That is a statement I disagree with. This man can write a fine pulp comic story.
Flora added, “I usually see the scenes in my head, like a movie. So, while I can remember the dialogue from the movie and write it down, it's much harder to get the art on the page to look like what I see in my head. Most of the time, I'm disappointed, but it's worth it when you occasionally hit the mark.”
In terms of art, Flora does not have a dramatic flare of some of today's comic artist, but his black and white renderings fit the genre, and era of Ghost Zero well. You have the feeling you are looking at a comic drawn a few decades ago, and that works just fine for me.
Ghost Zero is Flora's first work, and while that may show on the art side a little, it does not on the writing.
“I've been drawing superheroes all my life. I guess it was inevitable. My wife commented that Ghost Zero 'seemed to spring to life from nowhere,' until she saw my older drawings and illustrations,” he said. “Like anything else creative, it comes from work spread out over years.”
Flora said as an artist he is learning as he goes.
“Like I said earlier, I've been drawing superheroes since I can remember drawing, especially creating my own,” he said.
“I did get a bachelors degree in Studio Art, but most of what I know I've taught myself. The markers I use, for example, are a result of my attempt to strengthen the shading in my work, which I felt was a weak point.
“That's the wonderful thing about practice, it turns a weakness into a strength.”
The really good news is that there is more Ghost Zero to come from Flora, apparently lots more.
“Oh yes, it's definitely an ongoing series. I have plans to involve Eddie (and Ghost Zero, of course!) in the Korean War, and then on into the '60's,” he said. “Currently, I'm writing a 3-issue story arc called 'Escape from the Vigilante Crypt.' and putting it on the web at http://www.ghostzero.com/.
“It will later be collected into print by Moonstone Books, who publish great pulp stories.”
Flora also has other ideas percolating.
“I'm also currently developing another 1950's pulp/sci-fi story around a character called 'Doc Monster' that I will be submitting to DC Comic's webcomic imprint, Zuda.” he said. “You can see that develop at http://www.docmonstercomic.com/.”
Certainly with the great start to Ghost Zero following Flora's work is a must. Go online and order this one. It's a great tale.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Art by David Flora
Written by David Flora
Ghost Zero takes a lot of elements that I have always appreciated, and puts them together in one nice package.
The story is first and foremost a pulp hero one, very much along the lines of The Shadow and The Spirit, and those tales have always been a favourite in terms of action and straight forward story telling.
Writer David Flora has added a layer though, with the hero being a ghostly one. The element of the mystical is excellent here, with the character having just a bit of a Ghost Rider 'feel' without coming anywhere near ripping that character off.
Of course this is only issue one, so there are a ton of questions about the character's complete background, but isn't that what you want, readers to ask questions that they'll return to future issues to find answers too?
That said, Flora does weave a darned good story here too, one rich in background material, and one that firmly establishes mysticism as part of the world in which Ghost Zero resides.
Flora said Ghost Zero arose from several influences.
“The Ghost Zero story is a combination of all the things I enjoy personally; ghosts, pulp stories, and small towns. The idea came from a time in the late '90's when I was writing collaborative pulp stories with an online group of pulp enthusiasts,” he said. “We each came up with a pulp-inspired character set in the '30's, and they formed a group called 'The Midnight Society'.
“The character I created was called 'The Revenant', and was essentially the Charles Pallentine character that serves as Eddie Quick's ghostly mentor. I didn't actually draw the first panel of the webcomic (which was originally called 'The Revenant’) until 2007. So it took about seven or eight years for the idea to come together.”
Flora himself suggests writing is his strength as a comic book creator.
“For me, the art is harder than the writing...which means I'm probably not a good writer,” he said.
That is a statement I disagree with. This man can write a fine pulp comic story.
Flora added, “I usually see the scenes in my head, like a movie. So, while I can remember the dialogue from the movie and write it down, it's much harder to get the art on the page to look like what I see in my head. Most of the time, I'm disappointed, but it's worth it when you occasionally hit the mark.”
In terms of art, Flora does not have a dramatic flare of some of today's comic artist, but his black and white renderings fit the genre, and era of Ghost Zero well. You have the feeling you are looking at a comic drawn a few decades ago, and that works just fine for me.
Ghost Zero is Flora's first work, and while that may show on the art side a little, it does not on the writing.
“I've been drawing superheroes all my life. I guess it was inevitable. My wife commented that Ghost Zero 'seemed to spring to life from nowhere,' until she saw my older drawings and illustrations,” he said. “Like anything else creative, it comes from work spread out over years.”
Flora said as an artist he is learning as he goes.
“Like I said earlier, I've been drawing superheroes since I can remember drawing, especially creating my own,” he said.
“I did get a bachelors degree in Studio Art, but most of what I know I've taught myself. The markers I use, for example, are a result of my attempt to strengthen the shading in my work, which I felt was a weak point.
“That's the wonderful thing about practice, it turns a weakness into a strength.”
The really good news is that there is more Ghost Zero to come from Flora, apparently lots more.
“Oh yes, it's definitely an ongoing series. I have plans to involve Eddie (and Ghost Zero, of course!) in the Korean War, and then on into the '60's,” he said. “Currently, I'm writing a 3-issue story arc called 'Escape from the Vigilante Crypt.' and putting it on the web at http://www.ghostzero.com/.
“It will later be collected into print by Moonstone Books, who publish great pulp stories.”
Flora also has other ideas percolating.
“I'm also currently developing another 1950's pulp/sci-fi story around a character called 'Doc Monster' that I will be submitting to DC Comic's webcomic imprint, Zuda.” he said. “You can see that develop at http://www.docmonstercomic.com/.”
Certainly with the great start to Ghost Zero following Flora's work is a must. Go online and order this one. It's a great tale.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
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