Cal's Comic Corner

Review -- GRANDVILLE

2010-02-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Grandville
Written by Bryan Talbot
Pencils by Bryan Talbot
Dark Horse Comics
I have to start this review by simply stating that whenever a graphic novel is afforded the luxury of a hardcover printing, it just gains a level of aesthetic enjoyment that is difficult to explain. I suppose in part it’s the satisfaction of seeing a medium I’ve loved for years reach the acceptance level to warrant hardcover treatment.
As you may have guessed by now Grandville is a hardcover. It has a ‘leather-look’ cover, with raised lettering, which gives it an old-book look and feel. That is again an esthetic plus.
However, a cover only attracts the eye to a book. What’s inside is ultimately what’s important.
In this case creator Bryan Talbot has created a tale which draws on a number of classic elements.
The main character Detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard is equal parts Sherlock Holmes and James Bond, and oh yes did I mention he’s a badger.
Yep, Talbot has populated the story with talking critters, who all hold a higher station in life in this alternate reality tale than do humans. That in itself is not new either, but it does add to the fun. Anthropomorphic tales are generally fun romps.
And while this is a rather gritty detective story with blood splashes on a few pages, one can’t help but get a few smiles either.
The setting is a ‘steampunk’ one, set in a more or less Victorian age, in a reality where England and France are not on good terms -- OK that’s pretty standard too.
The art here is lavish and striking, and that will bring a lot of readers to Grandville. Once you get into the story you will enjoy it as a detective yarn in the grandest tradition.
Talbot said a number of classic tales were in his mind as Grandville took shape.
“I got the original idea while looking at a book of illustrations by the early 19th century French artist Jean Ignace Isadore Gerard, who worked under the pen name JJ Grandville. He did many drawings of anthropomorphic animals in then contemporary dress,” said Talbot. “Britain also has a long tradition of anthropomorphic comic characters and I grew up reading comics like Rupert the Bear, Harold Hare and Korky the Cat. By the way, the apparent suicide near the beginning of the story takes place in Rupert Bear’s village, Nutwood, and you can see his dad gardening in the background. So Rupert was a big influence, as was Kenneth Graham’s The Wind in the Willows.
“The French illustrator Albert Robida was another. He was really the first science fiction artist and something of a visionary.
“Other influences are the Sherlock Holmes stories of Conan Doyle and some of Quentin Tarantino’s films.”
Talbot said the development of Grandville was really quite a departure for him in as much as everything fell into place rather quickly in terms of story and design.
“I usually think about graphic novels for a long while before starting them, often for years, but in this case I had the idea in one big rush and sat down and wrote the first draft of the script in a week,” he said. “It was like taking dictation. I was so excited by it I had to do it as my next book.”
The art style came along easily too.
“I did a sample illustration in the style I used in the book at the same time that I did the proposal, so that publishers could get an idea of what the artwork would look like,” said Talbot.
The final result is one the creator is rightfully proud of.
“I’m extremely happy with both. I’ve never really done a book like it,” said Talbot.
For the fans of Inspector LeBrock, and that is likely to be anyone who gives Grandville a read, the good news it that there is more to come.
“In Grandville Mon Amour, Detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard is pitted against a crazed serial killer, an urban guerrilla fighter who’s an old adversary,” said Talbot.
The creator added “there are some sample pages and a trailer here: http://www.bryan-talbot.com/grandville/index.php#grandvilletourdates
Check it out, this is one well worth picking up.
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- LUTU: WARRIOR OF THE NORTH

2010-02-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Lutu: Warrior of the North
Written by Steve Coffin
Pencils by Steve Coffin
Ronin Studios
It’s always refreshing to see a comicbook creator who is willing to go against the grain so to speak. Steve Coffin has done that with Lutu: Warrior of the North.
Lutu is part Xena Warrior Princess and part Groo the Wanderer. That is to say Coffin mixes the tried and true storyline of a warrior that might be Red Sonja, yet mixes in the humour.
Coffin also has drawn Lutu different than you might expect. He uses a more cartoon-oriented style, again reminiscent of Groo. I like that for a change of pace.
And, then there is Lutu herself. The tendency is to draw female warriors as skinny amazons, with overly developed breasts.
Coffin has created a more bodacious, chubby heroine, which is refreshing in a world where we seem preoccupied by some media imposed vision of perfection.
Not surprisingly, the idea for Lutu actually started with a woman.
“The original idea for Lutu Warrior of the North came from my wife,” said Coffin. “She suggested that I do a parody book of all those muscle-bound Barbarian stories but that the central character not be your typical warrior woman.
“Then, over time, Lutu was born and the character became a plus size cook who is the twin sister of a famous warrior.”
Artistically, Coffin said he was trying something different with Lutu.
“Previously I had done the comic Kung Fu Engine which was a very stylized art style the borrowed heavily from the Manga Chibi style,” he said. “This time around I wanted a more cartoon style and I went back to one of my old favorites Asterix the Gaul for inspiration.”
Overall, Lutu is just different enough to make it stand out amid the norm in the current comicbook field. It’s not an overly fantastic story, average really, but the attempt to make it different makes it a title to check out.
Coffin is certainly satisfied with Issue #1.
“I am very pleased with the book. I feel that it establishes the central characters and sets the scene for the adventures to follow,” he said. “The book was completely hand drawn and inked which was a complete departure from my previous digital work. Issue two is going to be half and half thanks to the new pen tablet.
“Also I would like to thank the pinup artists Cal Slayton and James V. West for their contributions.”
And Coffin said he has more story to tell too.
“Issue two is coming next, that is due out in the new year under the Ronin Studios Banner, and this will complete the first part of the story,” he said. “Issue three, which is a one-shot, is in the pipeline and I am also working on a pitch for an independent comic publisher at the moment.”
Lutu Warrior of the North #1 can be found online at www.indyplanet.com
Also the Lutu Website is at: http://www.stevecoffin.com/lutu with the publisher website: http://www.ronin-studios.com/
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- TALON

2010-02-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Talon
Written by Scottie Watson
Pencils by Scottie Watson
Spa Comics Group
If you’re a comicbook geek, the idea of a beautiful woman wearing very little in the way of armor, but carrying a really big sword, is automatically a character that is going to attract attention.
If you fit that mold, you have to take a long look at the promo edition of Talon by creator Scottie Watson. Talon is the atypical medieval sword swinging heroine. Add in a big baddie with magical powers, and you have a storyline that is older than Lord of the Rings, but still as popular as ever.
“Originally, I developed the concept for Talon after being introduced to T. H. White’s ‘The Once and Future King’ by a friend,” said Watson. “I was just a kid and I was so caught up in the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable that I started reading more books set in the medieval time period which eventually led to watching every film I could as well as researching books at the library that was set in that time period.
“It wasn’t until after I read about Joan of Arc years later that I knew I wanted to make Talon a strong lead female character. Her story really moved me. I felt strongly that I wanted the story of Talon to move people in the same way Joan of Arc’s story did with me.
“Joan’s story led me to delve deep into the Hundred Years War and Joan’s role in it. I began developing more characters and working them into the time line of the Hundred Years War mixing fiction with fact. For example: King Gervase, the evil ruler in Talon, is responsible for the creation of the black plague in my story. He’s also responsible for Joan of Arc’s demise. It’s a case of mistaken identity. He believes Joan is Talon.
“There are tons of plots and sub-plots to keep readers interested. By blending fact with fiction Talon's story is sure to entertain readers of all ages.”
That is one of the shortcomings of a preview issue of course, the creator doesn't get to reveal a whole lot of the overall story vision in only 12-pages. That said Watson’s ideas do bode well for the future of Talon.
Artistically, Watson’s renderings are all right here, but in checking out some of his other art online, he can do better.
Talon is in black and white, and at times Watson has used too much black, leading scenes to sort of get lost in the gray zone. I would expect moving forward Watson improves on the art side.
“My artistic style is still evolving really,” he said. “I hope it never stops.
“But as for the look of Talon, yes, there is a plan. In the beginning of her story the art will be lighter because she’s still so innocent but as she see’s more death and encounters even more battles the art will become darker to set the tone and mood, matching the story content.
“Just like in real life where we have days that are joyous and days that are dark so will Talon. Her tale is one that will test morality unlike any before it and the art will reflect this.
“I try to convey emotion within my art by varying the overall look in hopes of creating the visual atmosphere needed to relay the appropriate feeling to the reader. Much like music where certain sounds are used to evoke feelings of anger, love, sadness and fear as examples, I try to do the same with my art.”
While there are shortcomings given it is a promo, Watson himself is satisfied with what he established with the book.
“I’m very happy with the story. Issue 0 introduces readers to some of the characters from the regular series without giving anything away,” he said. “There are so many planned cliffhangers in the regular series that after each issue readers will be asking questions while at the same time others will be answered.
“Since I’m an independent I don’t have the same rules as the mainstream titles have in regards to marketing and can write interesting stories that will shock readers. Who knows what I’ll do with these characters and that keeps it interesting for me and the readers.
“Talon’s look will change as the story develops and situations arise that require her to wear a full suit of armor and just as the story will grow so will the look of the characters. Talon will be a thrill ride from the first issue to the last both visually and contextually.”
In terms of story, Watson really is thinking in rather epic terms.
“Right now I’m writing the 128 page Talon graphic novel, Issue 1 of the Talon Animake Over series which is Talon made over Manga style as well creating a Talon sketchbook,” he said.
“Talon is being published by Dimestore Productions but is also being carried and marketed by Red Handed Studios.
“Unfortunately it’s not being carried by comic shops but the plan is to get them in the stores by fans demanding it. The thing about creating a new property is it doesn’t stop at comics. There are other ways to get the product name out there to create the demand so I’ve been producing Talon eCards and Talon merchandise such as mugs, T-shirts, hoodies etc. All of this and more about Talon can be found on the Talon fan site at http://www.facebook.com/l/b53c2;www.thetalonchronicles.ning.com
The book is available through the same website.
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- DEADLY ARTISANS

2010-02-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

DEADLY ARTISANS
Written by Jan-Michael Franklin
Pencils by Jan-Michael Franklin
Epsalon Press
The idea of a couple of badly injured agents being rebuilt with high tech augmentation is not a new idea, going back farther than the campy Six Million Dollar Man and spin-off Bionic Woman of my youth.
Jan-Michael Franklin takes the same basic premise and shifts it into high gear forcing the rebuilt agents here to be essentially a duo sent out to murder on the orders of their superiors.
Suddenly the main characters are faced with the angst of following orders which essentially has them as hit men. A nice touch indeed.
Franklin said the characters developed over time, evolving as time passed.
“As a beginning writer I think that the characters started out rather two dimensional in earlier manifestations,” he said. “My life experiences and resultant maturity allowed me to inject some depth into the story and characters for the final version. My first wife and I were in a situation with the Army where we were both stuck there. This was a big part of how Malcolm and Sierra eventually turned out. There will be more layers to the characters exposed in later stories as well.”
The influences are those that are more general than being ones he can pinpoint directly.
“It’s hard to pin down exactly what inspired Deadly Artisans (DA). I would say it was most likely a combination of things that I was really into as a kid, such as The X-Men, G.I.Joe, and various other sci-fi creations,” said Franklin. “However, more recently I would attribute the meat of the story to my experience as a criminal investigator and paratrooper for the Army.”
The art is sharp and clean, and Franklin is at his best when the agents, Stiletta and Tangent are in the ‘hero’ costumes and in full action. He can lay down the pencils on a hero action scene very well.
“Early influences are Paul Smith, and John Byrne,” said Franklin. “More recent influences are Brian Stelfreeze and Ron Garney. All of these guys put storytelling before flash, and that’s what I try to do also.”
When a creator both writes and draws a book, it is always interesting to learn which was the hardest.
“I would say that the art is definitely more labor intensive, especially since I do all of it myself,” said Franklin. “As a writer/artist these things happen mostly all at the same time. Paul Pope has a similar process, and I believe that this is the case for many creators that write and draw their own stuff.
“Artists are never 100 per cent satisfied with their work. DA is as good as I could do at this stage in my development, but I am constantly improving. This is as it should be. Artists should always be growing as artists. I don’t do this for the money, so my first thoughts are not about acceptance. I would love to get DA out to a larger audience, and as I learn more about marketing, I believe this will happen. The good thing is that these books don’t get stale. This is also my first project, so I expect constructive criticism.”
The trade paperback, which collects the four-issue mini series in a single 102-page volume is a great way to get this series. A squarebound comic takes it that extra little step closer to being a ‘real book’ (*smile).’
It is a story you are going to enjoy, and Franklin said more is to come.
“This is the first of three volumes for DA,” he said. “I’ll be doing an unrelated project before I return for volume two, but the other volumes will definitely see the light of day.”Check it out at www.epsalonpress.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE DARK DETECTIVE: SHERLOCK HOLMES

2010-02-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes
Written by Christopher Sequeira
Pencils by Philip Cornel
Black House Comics
With the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Jr. being a box office smash, even though the action hero take on the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character is not for everyone, the character is again a household one. That is in itself amazing considering Holmes first came to the printed page in 1887.
Now if you are seeking a more traditional Holmes tale, you won’t go wrong finding The Dark Detective comic from Australian publisher Black House Comics.
The mood, story and look of The Dark Detective sets Holmes in a sort of film noir world of London. There is an edge of darkness to the streets and to the cases Holmes finds himself on.
The preview edition of the comic is entitled The Ghost of Mart Shelley and introduces the Marquis of Frankenstein, while issue one is The Claws of the Chimera. Both offer up images of a couple of famous storylines of horror.
Writer Christopher Sequeira does a smooth job of blending the cerebral detective Holmes with the classic horror elements. It really works perfectly when you consider a classic Doyle tale such as Hound of the Baskerville's has definite horror overtones.
Sequeira said the books actually began because of thoughts of doing a Holmes movie.
“International make-up and creature shop Oscar nominee Dave Elsey approached me about writing a screenplay for a Holmes movie based on a concept of his a few years ago,” said Sequeira. “We started working on the project on spec. We had knocked a big chunk of it when the new Holmes movie got announced - but other than being sure to not do anything that early reports said they were doing it had little impact on my plot or take, other than to make us pretty sure our movie would have little chance of being made as a movie!
“Then publisher Baden Kirgan came along and read my 45-page outline and asked us to do a comic on it -- but to set the story before the events of our movie. The extra background to all of that is that Dave, Phil Cornell and myself have been mad-keen Sherlockians for decades -- so we bring years of ideas to the table that have sat in the backs of our brains waiting to be unleashed.”
When it came to inspiration Sequeira said he basically drew on the character’s rich past.
“This is me writing the way I write, the publisher letting me write the way I write, for characters I love,” he said. “The only influences are Doyle, and perhaps a dollop of inspiration in ‘feel’ from the best Hammer Horrors -- although our pacing is purposefully faster.”
Art wise, Philip Cornel has a style that reminds me much of Classic Illustrated of old, which is where many tales such as Holmes first came to life for young readers in my era.
The covers by Dave Elsey show a painted approach with Holmes the focus. The great detective is dour-faced, grim and determined in the art.
“The art style grew out of Phil Cornell’s ideas and style blended with suggestions from Dave (and the occasional one from me),” said Sequeira. “We wanted something faithful and yet unique, we wanted accurate Victoriana but we wanted an edge. The end result is a superb mix that I bow down to in admiration of; Phil with Dave has produced something masterful.”
This is a great title, one closer to my fondest memories of Holmes than the aforementioned movie. Certainly one to highly recommend for its fresh stories centred on the iconic Holmes.
In true creator fashion Sequeira said he could see things to improve, although he is right this very good as is.
“I’m never happy, we can always reach a tiny per cent more,” he said. “But we’re closer
than anything else I’ve worked on, I suspect!”
And there is more to come, which is fantastic news.
“There are years' worth of stories planned if the market is there; a hundred issues that lead up to the climactic storyline of the screenplay,” said Sequeira. “The current storyline is set in 1887, and the screenplay is set in 1894. All the Doyle stories are woven into our timeline, too. Having said that, issue #4 is a surprise - a real cracker, and issues #5 to #8 are a story we teased in the free preview.”
www.blackhousecomics.com has all the cool stuff and in January sometime international readers will be able to order their hard copies (Aussies can get them from newsstands currently)!
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- ATHRA

2010-02-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Athra
Written by Nathaniel Sullivan
Pencils by Nathaniel Sullivan
Indie
Athra by Nathaniel Sullivan is one of those titles you can tell is being created by a comic fan. I say that because the creator is tossing a bit of everything into the mix.
The story starts out what appears to be a pretty normal medieval world, but about a dozen pages in the full splash page of a woman in what appears a space suit says there are going to be twists and turns along the way.
The creature that appears part demon and maybe a bit vampire also shows Sullivan is bringing a lot of comic ideas together in Athra.
The story, after only one issue, is intriguing enough that you want to find out more though, and that is a key thing.
It is also obvious Athra is near to Sullivan’s heart the way he talks about how the book evolved as an idea.
“I spend a great deal of time, as much as possible, outside, hiking, working, walking with my dogs and I really began to conceive of the story, of Athra, in terms of images,” he said. “Walking through the woods, crossing fields, hiking beside rivers, I more or less filled the landscape with images, with fragments of stories. I've always done that and I've conceived any number of stories that way. By the time I actually began working on Athra, I had a slew of images in reserve.
“So, for my part, I begin with images. In the case of Athra, images of a rather small, isolated, rural, relatively primitive community, mountains, streams, rivers, and so forth.”
Onto the canvas of the idyllic village, Sullivan said he had to overlay a conflict to create a story.
“Understandably enough, I proceeded to introduce change in the form of a very basic threat and a very basic answer,” he said. “Aristotle observed that a man who can live apart from others is either a god or a beast. Needless to say, such a man is a threat because he’s either far better or far worse than man. I chose the latter, a man who’s a beast, a basic threat to the community, a killer that comes in the night and a basic answer, Athra, a soldier, presumably a deserter, who needs a place to hide and in no position to refuse to try to kill the threat.
“I should add that, for the moment, the story is, in essence, Beowulf. That was the basic inspiration for the storyline. And yes, we'll see the monster's mother, Kaldgrani’s mother.
“That said, I decided very early on in the process that that story should, simultaneously, resonate with a much greater, and for Athra personally, altogether mysterious world. Accordingly, in the first issue, Athra briefly encounters a woman in tears, dressed in some kind of astronaut gear, who knows him and claims to have loved him, before disappearing. In short, there will be science-fiction elements as well and any number of mysteries.
“If I had to sum Athra up very simply, then I'd probably describe it as Conan and Lost. Or the thinking man's Conan.”
Sullivan’s vision is one on a grand scale.
“I should add that Athra is caught between mysterious, warring forces, forces he doesn’t understand, and those forces will intrude on Athra from time to time, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in significant ways.
“I should also add that I won't be cheating. Mysteries will be answered. I have no interest in leading readers down rabbit holes and leaving them there. So, rest assured, the mysteries have answers and answers will be provided.
“Think of Athra walking a long a shore. Sometimes slight ripples from a distant, powerful storm will reach him. And sometimes waves will sweep over him and carry him away.
“The book should be very nearly operatic, tremendous soaring highs, abysmal lows, and great passions surging through the story.
“That was a rather conscious choice. If you read Walter Scott’s novels, then you find that the hero is always a middling man, a man caught between great forces opposing one another. And that will be Athra. Athra is caught between opposing forces, some of which are native to his world and some are greater, much more sophisticated warring forces that are not native to his world.”
Sullivan’s art at times seems a little uninspired. There is for example one two-page spread with 10 panels, with all but one basically a head shot. He does a solid enough job of faces, but at time he needs to mix it up just a bit more.
At other times a page can be quite striking. I particularly like the full page treatment of Athra with a bowstring drawn. The concentration Sullivan captured in the character’s eye was dramatic.
“From the start, Athra has been black and white,” he said. “That was a conscious choice. Given that I’m the writer and artist and that there’s no one else, colour just isn’t an option. With that being the case, I set about trying to construct a book that wanted to be black and white. By that I mean that I decided that Athra wouldn’t look like a book waiting for a colorist. I decided that Athra was going to be a book that worked in black and white that wanted to be black and white.
“And making that work required a lot of experimentation.
“Initially, I composed the pages in pencil and then added ink. Frankly, it was a disaster. The pages were just lifeless. There just wasn’t any energy. One of the things that makes a drawing interesting is line variation. If all the lines of a drawing are the same
weight, executed at the same speed, the same amount of pressure on the paper, then the drawing will just be awful. If you look at master drawings, then you’ll see a great deal of variation in the lines. I just wasn’t able to achieve that doing pencils and adding ink. The drawings just looked labored, dead, lifeless.
“So I started over and changed things radically.
“I began doing a lot of the drawing, and eventually most of it, digitally. I begin with very loose gestural drawings and cover the page with sketches, very light, fast lines. Then I tend to add some weight and some of the dark areas. Then I come back with white ink and cut away at the black. Nearly all of this is done digitally. I continue that process until I have a drawing that really has some spontaneity and as much energy as possible. The process is somewhat akin to etching or scratchboard. In a lot of instances, I’ll add
large areas of black, cut away at them with white ink, and repeat this over and over. The real advantage of this is that it’s not mechanical. Working that way, I can add marks, cut away at them, add more, and keep working on the page, really attacking it, until it’s done. That's not really an option with pencil and ink. Working digitally, I can, and I often do, just eliminate huge areas of art, whole pages sometimes, and come in again and again.”
Sullivan said the effort has been worthwhile, since he is satisfied with Issue #1, although as a self-critic he would change some things.
“On the one hand, I worked very hard, especially on the art and I kept working on the art until I was relatively satisfied,” he said. “To be perfectly honest, however, I’m never satisfied. I spend a great deal of time drawing from life and when the drawings aren’t perfect, and nothing is ever perfect, it’s agony for me. Ingre once broke down in tears because he couldn’t get the eyes just right. I understand that entirely.
“With Athra, I tell myself that there are deadlines, that I have to make progress, and, most importantly, that I’ll improve over time.
“With Athra I set out to make a book that I would really like to read and I don’t read many comic books. I decided Athra was going to have to be something that I would really like, that I would really take an interest in and be passionate about. If you’re planning on doing something like Athra, then you’re going to be spending a lot of time on it. With that being the case, it’s a good idea really to enjoy the endeavour. And I enjoy Athra a great deal. Working on Athra is tremendously rewarding. I don’t find myself approaching the task with anxiety or reservations. To be honest, I really don’t think there’s anything else I’d rather be working on.”
As you might expect with a story conceived on a grand scale, Sullivan has much more to come with Athra.
“As far as what’s next for the title, in the short term, romance. We’re in the midst of the first arc which deals for the most part, with the fight against Kaldgrani -- the monster,” he said. “The third issue is, however, a kind of interlude, a love story, a romance between Athra a rather mysterious, and complicated woman, Saegird, pictured standing over him on the cover of the second issue.
“The fourth issue, the end of the first arc, brings the battle between Athra and Kaldgranit to a decidedly violent and bloody conclusion.
“I should stress that we’ll learn a great deal about Athra’s past and his motivations in the third and fourth issues. And some of those motivations may be disquieting. Athra is motivated by a certain ethic, a certain moral code, but it’s a very harsh and demanding code and will probably lead him to engage in some genuinely horrific and brutal acts in fighting Kaldgrani.
“The first arc will end with Athra returning to the village and to the heroine, Hild.”
There is certainly enough here to want to be around for issue two to see how Sullivan handles the varied plot threads he has laid out in the inaugural issue.
Athra is available at www.athra.net. Sullivan posts a new page every Thursday and the entirety of the first issue and half of the second are available there now.
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- HERCULES: THE KNIVES OF KUSH

2010-02-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hercules: The Knives of Kush
Written by Steve Moore
Pencils by Cris Bolson
Colours by Doug Sirois
Radical Comics
When it comes to fantasy, myth, legend and lore, all cornerstones of the comic book industry, few characters are truly more iconic than Hercules. In many respects he was one of the world’s first superheroes, and while he has been used as the central figure in various stories, it’s hard to resist when a new one comes down the pike.
When the new book comes from Radical Comics, a small company with a growing stable of high calibre titles, the allure is even greater.
The Knives of Kush is a follow-up series to the previously produced Hercules: Thracian Wars.
Writer Steve Moore has created a somewhat grittier telling of a Herculean tale. The talk of chopping up the bodies of captured women and children to spread the pieces before the advancing army is darkly descriptive and graphic. It is likely a truer picture of the era than many white-washed telling of Hercules, but it may not be for everyone.
Personally I accept the gritty realism of the story, and quite enjoy Moore telling an adult story.
Asked how it was to write an established character, Moore said he simply focused on his own story.
“Well, actually, I never really thought of Hercules as someone else’s creation. Sure, there are the ancient legends, which I reread in summary before I started thinking about what I wanted to do, and Radical came to me and briefed me on a few basics: that the story should be set in the ancient world, should concentrate more on Hercules’ human side rather than the mythology, and so on,” he said. “But then the development of the storylines, the secondary characters, and suchlike, were all pretty much down to me, and Radical very kindly didn’t interfere in anything I wanted to do, story-wise.
“So I tend to regard these two series (‘Thracian Wars’ and ‘Knives of Kush’) as pretty much ‘my’ Hercules … the story and characters are very much the way I wanted to present them, and I studiously ignored everyone else’s versions of the character, whether that be in comics, movies, TV, or whatever.
“I pretty much wanted to approach this as if I was an ancient Greek storyteller, providing new tales of the original Hercules, and not doing anything stupid like bring him into the 21st century, or turn him into a rubbishy superhero.”
The art by Cris Bolson, aided by Manuel and Leonardo Silva has a sort of Illustrated Classics feel, and those books are fondly remembered from childhood.
Again there are more splashes of blood than those old books, but you are with the same feeling of subdued realism.
Moore said he had input into the art which he appreciated as the writer.
“Yes, I had quite a lot of input into the look, as I decided right from the start that I wanted this to look as authentically Bronze Age as possible, within the constraints of it being a modern comic-book,” he said.
“So right from the start I was providing loads of reference pictures for costumes, architecture, etc. And, of course, being an old-time pro, I write a very detailed script, occasionally with a page or more of description for a single panel.
“Things have worked out better with the second series as well, as the editor, Renae Geerlings, has been sending me everything to look at, from layouts to pencils, colours, etc., so I’ve been able to keep an eye on things at all stages and get things changed if necessary, which wasn’t always the case with the first series.
“So I’m generally happy with the art style and, of course, being set in Egypt, this series gives us a much richer visual texture than the earlier series, which was set in more barbarous Thrace.
“And, Cris Bolson, the penciller, has put in a tremendous amount of work on costume, architecture, etc., while the ‘painted’ finish adds that extra touch of realism. It’s probably about as good as I could have ever hoped for, taken over all.”
Beyond the art Moore, who said he finds himself “in a position where I can retire from mainstream comic-book writing” said his last series is one he is satisfied with.
“Generally I’m pretty happy with things,” he said. “The story’s pretty much exactly what I wanted to write and, like I said, the artists have done a great job. There’ve only been two minor problems. Because of scheduling constraints, the artwork has got a little behind and we’ve had to bring in assistants in the final couple of issues. They’ve done a really nice job, but obviously it would have been great if Cris Bolson and Doug Sirois could have completed the book on their own.
“And because I’m told the distributors won’t allow it, I’ve had to slightly overdress the female characters … there was a lot more nudity in the ancient world, but it seems that modern America prefers to live in a sort of Victorian fantasy-world, rather than face historical facts.
“Apart from that, though, I’m pretty pleased with things.”
The five-issue mini series looks great. The story is great. That just about says it all. Mark this one as well-worth seeking out.Readers can order Hercules: The Knives of Kush from their local comic book store. If they are unable to find it there, they can always order it from http://www.radicalcomics.com or via www.radicalcomics.com. The trade collection of Hercules: The Knives of Kush will be distributed by Random House and will be available in May 2010 in bookstores such as Borders and Barnes & Noble.
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- LACKADAISY

2010-02-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

Lackadaisy
Written by Tracy J. Butler
Pencils by Tracy J. Butler
4th Dimension Entertainment
There are gems among graphic novels, and one of those is the lavish Lackadaisy.
The story runs 68-pages in oversize format, plus several pages of pin-up art and creative sketches. That’s a lot of material, and in the case of this book, more is most certainly better.
The final page of the story states ‘to be continued’. Thank you Tracy J. Butler for that, because this book makes you want more.
“Right now, every ounce of free time I have is devoted to producing Volume 2 of the comic and to completing enough full color art to print an accompanying art book,” she said. “I’m of course keeping the web site updated with new art all the time as well.”
So what makes Lackadaisy so special?
Quite frankly, every aspect of the book.
To begin with the whimsical cats which populate the book are wonderfully drawn.
The use of an antique brown monochrome colouring is a nice touch, since the story is based in the age of prohibition. This is a world where cats run the speakeasies and run the rum.
As I said sort of whimsical, but it works.
Butler said her training helped her develop the overall artistic feel of the book.
“My artistic background is mostly in illustration and animation, so I think it just felt natural to me to approach the art style as a sort of combination of these two things,” she said. “Before diving into formal comic production, I spent a few months nailing down character designs in which the classic animation influence is probably fairly obvious, experimenting with panel layouts and toning.
“In spite of the planning, though, I think the style has continuously evolved from the start – the sort of gradual change that’s probably inevitable with ongoing research and a progressive understanding of the media.”
Over time Butler said she grew more comfortable with Lackadaisy as well.
“I’ve definitely grown more confident about working with the unconventional panel layouts I use, and I feel I’ve developed a better sense for incorporating the art deco stylings of the Jazz Age into the artwork,” she said. “I’ve spent some time indulging in old gangster and noir films since starting on the project as well, and that’s done a lot to inspire me to try to make more artistic use of the monochrome look.
“There’s a lot more emphasis on lighting and visual depth in more recent pages of the comic, and though that diverges a bit from the appearance of earlier pages, hopefully the look has grown to serve the story more effectively.”
The story is one Butler said germinated in her mind years ago.
“Some of the story’s primary characters have been mental fixtures since grade school when I passed the hours sketching them in my class notes,” she said. College-rule notebook paper aside, they essentially existed without context until just a few years ago when I bought an old, turn of the century house in the St. Louis area. I started researching the house’s history, and became subsequently interested in local history in general -- the former golden years of St. Louis, the limestone caves winding beneath the streets, the city’s role in the emergence of jazz and such.
“For reasons I can’t quite put a finger on, all of these elements seemed to naturally congeal into some sort of story in my head, and so I decided to take it a step further and try my hand at putting it to paper in the form of a comic.”
While it might seem Butler has brought some divergent ideas together, the story works because it is an era rich in character and stories to draw upon.
Butler also writes with a good deal of humour interjected into the story, and that meshes perfectly with the fun art style.
As a writer, Butler said the era proved a rich ground to mine.
“Such a variety of things have influenced me, I hardly know where to begin listing them,” she said.
“I’ve gleaned inspiration from a multitude of shady, Prohibition era historical figures and, as I mentioned previously, a host of old films from Cagney gangster fare, to Bogart noir and Marx comedy.
“I suppose it’s almost perfunctory to cite F. Scott Fitzgerald as an influence, if not a resource, for all works of fiction relating to the Roaring Twenties but written in some later decade. Lackadaisy has been no exception. I’ve turned to his writing quite a bit to aid me in tailoring dialogue to match the characters and era.
“Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes certainly bears mentioning too. It was the comic I had the greatest affinity for growing up. My first attempts at even drawing comics as a child were imitations of Watterson’s strips, in fact. As a result, it has probably impacted my artistic approach and even my sense of comic timing (if it can be said that I have one) in ways I’m not even consciously aware of.”
Citing the influence of Calvin and Hobbes is interesting, because while it was not a connection I immediately made it reading Lackadaisy, I can certainly see common elements as I look a second time.
The overall appeal though is what is most gratifying the way things come together, with the exception of a few print concerns, such as word balloons lost under the actual art in a spot or two.
Butler said initially the title did not start as a graphic novel.
“Lackadaisy is a web comic in its native format,” she said. “When I began the project, I really hadn’t considered that it might someday wind up being a print comic as well.
“Lacking that foresight, I took advantage of the flexibility the web format allowed me, letting the vertical length of each page fluctuate in whatever way best accommodated the story.
“As a result, reformatting it into a shape resembling a book proved to be a Gordian knot of an editing job. In the midst of all of the digital chopping and pasting it required, I was concerned that it might lose any sense of cohesiveness.
“All difficulties considered, however, it turned out better in book form than I had expected it to. Credit is due to my publishers for the nicely embellished cover and for the assuring the quality of the paper and color reproduction too.
“Though we’re planning to make some improvements for the second print run, on the whole, I’m quite pleased with the book.”
This is a book that really should be part of a broad collection of simply fine comics. Find it, and enjoy.Lackadaisy Volume 1 is available from 4th Dimension Entertainment (4de.com). The comic is also freely available in its original web format at Lackadaisycats.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- HYPOCRITE

2010-02-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hypocrite
Written by Dakota McFadzean
Pencils by Dakota McFadzean
Indie
It’s always interesting to get a look at a comic from a Saskatchewan creator given there are not a lot of comics created here.
So Hypocrite by Dakota McFadzean was a treat to get a look at.
As a comic Hypocrite is produced in ashcan size, running 22-pages of black and white art.
Stylistically the art reminds of Sunday edition newspaper cartoons, slipping in somewhere between realism and the art of Little Lulu.
It’s not grab you art, but it works.
McFadzean admitted art is something he continues to work at in terms of a defining style.
“'Style is something that I've struggled with,” he said. “When I work on a comic, no matter how hard I try, I often revert to my default way of drawing ... which really isn't particularly eye-catching or unique.
“That said, I tried a little harder to draw naturalistically for this comic. I wanted the Plateau neighbourhood to look real — to invoke a real sense of time and place. I was delighted when a young woman read Hypocrite at the Expozine Alternative Press fair in Montreal and said ‘I used to live in that neighbourhood! It looks exactly like this!’
“In contrast to this, I tried to keep the character's faces simple and undetailed so that the reader would be able to more easily identify with them.
“This was the second time I’ve tried to draw a full-length 24-page comic. Both times, I spent most of the project feeling like I knew nothing. And by the end, I felt like I had learned a little.”
As for McFadzean’s own influence, they are varied.
“There are a number of cartoonists out there who have done really excellent autobiographical work, so it’s impossible not to be influenced by them. Adrian Tomine has become a master of understated, naturalistic storytelling in comics,” he said. “I always tend to over explain things with text, but Tomine is confident enough to allow the story to silently explain itself.
“Robert Crumb is another unavoidable influence on me. I started reading his stuff in my teens, and it's been an unshakable presence whenever I sit down to work on a comic. There have been many artists who have done confessional autobiographies, and Crumb’s work seems to have influenced most of them.”
McFadzean renders a slice of life story here, which rings with truth. It speaks of the reality of relationships in our current world.
At times there are scenes that create smiles and those that tug at the heart, which is of course, a lot like our everyday lives.
I have to credit McFadzean with going with a theme not usually used for material in comics, which tend toward the fantastic.
That said, the audience for Hypocrite may not be vast. That does not mean it should be avoided. In fact, it’s good to expand the boundaries of the medium for comic readers too, and Hypocrite will do that.
“Hypocrite was an attempt to do a straightforward autobiographical story with as little embellishment as possible,” said McFadzean. “The events surrounding my interaction with my former neighbours are true, and I suppose I was trying to make sense of them by putting them into comic form.”
As a book, McFadzean said Hypocrite both impresses him as the creator, but also is a project he would redo differently.
“Whenever I work on a project, I maniacally shift from thinking it's going to be the greatest thing ever made, to thinking that it doesn’t deserve to be run through a photocopier,” he said. “When I finally have a printed copy in my hand, I’m happy for about three minutes, and then I start seeing all the little mistakes, all the things that could have been better, all the bad drawing choices that most readers probably won’t notice but for some reason are all I can see.
“In Hypocrite I wish I had used less text, especially regarding narration.
“Also, I wish I had cross-hatched less. It looks great if you put the time in, but the cross hatching in Hypocrite always looks rushed and flat to me.
“I think these feelings must come from learning so much while working on something. I worked on this thing full time for about two months. I suppose it's natural to feel that I could have done better if I were to do it over again.”
An interesting little book worth a look.Online readers can find McFadzean’s on his website (http://dakotamcfadzean.com), where they can read it for free, or purchase a hard copy. Interested readers can also check out his blog (http://blog.dakotamcfadzean.com), which is updated a little more regularly with information about current work.
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE POSSUM

2010-02-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

The Possum
Written by Blair Kitchen
Pencils by Blair Kitchen
Possum Press
If you like comics heavy on the tongue-in-cheek humour, then The Possum by Canadian creator Blair Kitchen is an absolute must.
Kitchen has a great handle on the stereotypes associated with both superheros in comic books, but also those dealing with comic readers and collectors. He uses both to great advantage in The Possum.
As you might have guessed The Possum is a superhero, well at least he’s a young man that acquires some level of powers and wants to be a typical superhero. He does manage some heroic moments, but in a decidedly Pink Panther fashion. This guy can bumble his way through the bad guys.
Of course the bad guys here aren’t exactly world dominating types. Come on how scary are seven gun toting, masked midget Mexican wrestlers.
At times I am reminded of some past DC efforts with Plastic Man, although this ends up being even more over-the-top, and that’s fine by me.
The idea for The Possum as a character has been with creator Blair Kitchen for some time.
“My original drawing of the Possum was in Grade 10 (1992),” he said. “I drew him in English class, trying to come up with the lamest superhero. It was one of many doodles I would draw during classes. “I never even looked at the drawing again until 10 years later. I had wanted to do a comic book, but didn’t know what to do, and one day as I was preparing to move, I stumbled across my sketchbook and the drawing. “The idea for the comic came really quick after that and I immediately started sketching. I made one attempt to start the comic and got about six pages into it, then put it away for a while. I then started over again fresh, and it took me about a year and a half, on and off, working in the evenings and weekends.”
As humorous as the title is, Kitchen said he drew from more traditional comics in terms of influence.
“Conscious influences are Spider-man, Batman, Groo and Ronald Searle (illustrator), with a bit of Cerebus,” he said. “Mad Magazine wasn’t conscious at the time, but I loved Don Martin as a kid. “I studied animation at Sheridan College in Oakville, ON., and have worked in animation since 1998, animating for movies such as Curious George, and working on many commercials. “I’m currently doing storyboards for television. “My art influences are comics of course, but I also love artists like Mucha and Liendecker, and countless others.”
As for the comic reader angle, there is a supporting storyline around a comic store that is simply a hoot if you are a one-time collector. Inside style jokes, but they work.Kitchen uses a strong cartoon style, which at times reminds of Mad Magazine, and it is absolutely perfect for The Possum. Kitchen said the style just happened for him.
“I love Mad magazine, but it wasn't intentional,” he said. “I work in animation, where you are forced to draw someone else's style, and follow someone else’s story, so I just wanted to draw how I naturally draw and write whatever came out.”
Kitchen said he likes what he accomplished with The Possum.
“There's always things I would like to do better, but overall it has the feel that I was going for,” he said. “I have had very positive feedback from people who have read the book, and the letters pages are an indication. The goal now is to get more people aware of it.”
New readers and old can expect more adventures for The Possum.
“I've got so many stories in my head, but I can’t get into them all here,” he said. “I really want to focus on the Steve Tacola and Stuart Spankly storyline next, and really develop it. I have no intention to stop making these comics, and I'd love to be able to do it full time one of these days.”
As long as you appreciate humour in a comic, then The Possum is an excellent choice. Very funny.
Check it out at www.possumpress.comKitchen also has a blog at www.possumpress.com/blog, and an online store at www.possumpress.com/store
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE OPOSSUM

2010-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

The Opossum
Written by Aaron Moses
Pencils by Aaron Moses
A&A Studios
The Opossum may not sound like a superhero name to be feared, but creator Aaron Moses has actually created a rather dark hero, with the somewhat unassuming name. There is something of the Marvel’s Punisher and DC’s darker Batman efforts in this one.Don’t judge the hero by the name.“The Opossum according to Webster’s dictionary part of its definition is white beast,” said creator Aaron Moses. “I chose that particular animal because of the way it is perceived by the folks in my home town. They are disgusted by that animal. Some hate and fear the opossum; the Aztec’s would curse a family home by releasing opossums into it. So the irony of it was to have a hero in that guise as their protector and savior.”It is always intriguing when you learn the reasons behind a character name. Suddenly The Opossum is not so unusual for a hero.The story is actually inspired by Batman, not so unusual given the iconic nature of the DC character.“I was very inspired by Bob Kane’s Batman produced by DC,” said Moses. “In my troubled adolescence I wished I was a brooding dark avenger so I could get back at all the bullies that had picked on me. Initially when I sketched the idea of The Opossum down on paper, I was trying to think of a look that inspired terror. I looked out my window and my neighbor was trying to kill a three-foot long opossum. The more my neighbor would hit or smash the opossum with a rock, it wouldn’t give up, its’ sheer will to walk out alive… was impressive. “I connected with that event and I understood what that animal was going through. I was that animal at that moment, that moment of creation!”The character took a decade-and-a-half to go from idea to comic.“The idea of this story took place in late March of 1992,” said Moses. “It was drawn as a private comic book/journal that I made for myself. Then life changed for me and I was in a relationship with a young woman, it was one of those young first love relationships where we would end up together-forever, very idealistic. “The whole comic book thing then took a back seat for a while, right up until she left mysteriously in the spring of 1995. “Not knowing how to handle that emotionally I went back to The Opossum story and developed it further in to a vengeful love story of some sort, by that time I had become a huge fan of James O’Barr’s The Crow and the movie. “In spring of 2007 is when it finally became a full fledged comic book.”The story, while not outstanding, is typical of the masked vigilante books. Not the best of the genre by far, but solid enough for an Issue #1 indie release.The art is rough-edged, at times kind of crude. The effect is actually one which sets a dark mood for the book, which does fit with the character. At times a bit more definition to some of the art might be warranted, yet in terms of the book’s overall dark nature, the art is all right.The problem in the rawness of the art might detract a few for picking up the book.“I have not taken any art lessons other than looking and studying comics, movies and Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy,” said Moses. “I am influenced by so many talented artists out there James O’Barr, Todd McFarlane, Joe Quesada, Jim Lee and many more.”Moses says the book works for him.“Yes the book has met my expectations in its final production,” he said. “I love the book. It was a great experience and I learned a great deal about the processes of writing, art and comics. With hind sight I know that there could have been some parts better than others. “When it comes to the readers they are mixed reviews but all in all good remarks. I just hope that readers can give my book a chance on this first issue, issue two will show a great leap forward in improved art and skill of the comic book craft.”There is more story to tell too.“Right now my team and I are trying to finish up issue two,” said Moses. “This first story arc is establishing the character in the contemporary time line, where this is the Opossums’ second run at this super hero business. “I have the series for this first story arc pretty well thought out and I hope to make it roughly six-to-nine issues long, maybe a bit more. After this first arc I want to go back and do a flash back run where we discover what happened to The Opossum the first time around. I have a nice run of villains that I would like to go through that battle up against The Opossum.”You can go to www.theopossum.com for more information about The Opossum, page samples, news updates, fan art and you can also order a copy of the comic from there too, via a link to their online distributor: IndyPlanet.com.
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- CAFFIENE POISON

2010-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

Caffiene Poison
Written by Jason Dube
Pencils by Braedon Kuts
Scattered Comics
It is always a pleasing experience to read a comic book which makes you think. I’m not meaning thinking in terms of great philosophical revelations, but rather the storyline has enough fresh ideas, enough questions unanswered that as a reader you are left wondering.
Writer Jason Dube manages to do that with Caffeine Poison, which two issues in still has you wondering exactly what is transpiring with the characters.
The characters initially seem like rather ordinary teens at a coffee shop, but you soon realize there is more going on -- the small dragon is a dead give-away.
The story has developing aspects of fantasy and the fantastic which you soon realize you want to be around to see unfold.
As fantastical as the storyline hints at becoming, Dube said real life was a definite influence.
“I hung out at a lot of coffee shops in my free time,” he said. “I met a lot of very colourful characters and thought — people that frequent coffee shops are so interesting, they would make great characters.
“Then it was a matter of thinking up a larger story around the environment.”
The larger environment came to Dube rather easily too.
“To be honest, I always dream up these wild stories,” he said. “One time I was writing down a dream I had when I realized that the dream was a great backdrop for the origin of the main characters. From there, the comic started writing itself.”
Artistically, Braedon Kuts is clearly a talent. The work has strong Japanese manga influences, with the work also drawing on North American cartooning. The result is a sort of whimsical style which is ideally suited to the storyline.
The black and white art will catch your attention, especially manga fans, but the story is what will keep you coming back. That’s a rather deadly combination. You have to like it — a lot.
Dube said Kuts was a natural to do the art.
“Working with the talented Braedon Kuts on a short comic before in my ‘Scattered’ series, I really wanted to have her work on this series,” he said. “She has a very dramatic style that gives both the drama and humor I wanted to show in the comic.”
The style fits because Dube said Japanese anime was a definite influence to the overall book.
“I would have to say, I really tried to capture the humor and light-heartedness that I got from watching anime shows like ‘Ranma 1/2’, and ‘Oh My Goddess’. I really like the low-stress feel of shows like that, and wanted the same sort of tone in the series,” he said.
The finished book is also one Dube said works for him as its creator.
“I am so happy and proud with how the comic turned out,” he said. “Everything really seemed to come together in the story and Braedon’s artwork really matched exactly what I was envisioning when I had it in my head,” he said.
There are also many plans tied to the title for the future.
“Well, Issue #3 comes out in a few weeks, with #4 scheduled for a February 2010 release,” he said.
“In the meantime, there is a CD soundtrack being developed to be released along with Issue #4, and I’m going to set up a coffee shop book signing tour for the summer.
“Lastly, I am going to publish a Coffee Table art book which will have artwork from various artists with work that is inspired from the series. Proceeds of the art book will go to a charity.”
The cartoon, teen elements of Caffiene Poison may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but give it a chance. You’ll soon be ordering an extra large cup of this fun comic romp.
Dube said the comic book is sold through Comixpress, Comic Works, and Haven Distribution.
“I hope everyone decides to pick up a copy and give it a read,” he said, adding “don't forget to have a cup of coffee while you read it too!”
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- DEADHEAD

2010-02-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Deadhead
Written by Sebastien Regnier
Pencils by Nadim (Mahi-Bahi)
Scattered Comics
You get the feeling Sebastien Regnier and Nadim are living out the dream of every kid who has ever read a comic book.
There comes that time when you put down the latest issue of Batman, beside the older issue of Star Wars, and a Scrooge McDuck and say to yourself ‘if I did a comic I’d put elements of everything in it.’
With Deadhead the creative duo have a quasi superhero book, starring of course Deadhead, layered with a ton of cheeky humour.
Of course the mere fact there is a talking gorilla is enough for me. Come on, you know talking apes are cool comic fare.
The storyline is not surprisingly pretty over-the-top, but the title would not work any other way.
Once you commit to the crazy, you have to go all the way. There is no half way.
So don’t expect Ernest Hemingway writing here, or even Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman. Regnier is raw, at times tickling the funny bone, and at times managing only a groan at the attempt.
That is the charm of an indie title like Deadhead.
Nadim said the story came about over a period of time.
“Deadhead existed for a while actually,” he said. “It started as a joke we came up with around 2002 maybe. We were big comic readers, and we wanted to do a comic more humour oriented. I guess he is a poor man's ‘Spiderman’. That’s how he was kinda designed; if Peter Parker wasn’t a genius.”
Other characters just sort of happened, said Nadim.
“I have no idea where the apeman is from,” he said. “In the comic world there’s a lot of gorillas/ape characters for some reason. More than any other animal character. I don't know why.
“I guess it was subconscious.”
Nadim is likewise raw in the art. It has the look of the art you might see scrawled in the margin of an artistically interested, but rough-edged high school student’s notebook.
The art while undefined, again fits the weirdness of the title.
“The format rules. It’s really cool to see it as a standard sized comic,” said the artist. “I think that’s great.
“The drawings are getting better I hope. I’m not satisfied 100 per cent with the look of it, but I work on making it better each page.
“If you wait for your work to be perfect to put it out, it will never get out. Maybe if you are a virtuoso but I’m certainly not.”
The book is also Canadian, a bonus in my books.
However, Nadim said it was another barrier to producing the title because the publishing opportunities here are limited.
“It was really difficult to get it in print form,” he said. “I stumbled on the ka-blam.com web site and they rule! I wish there was something like that in Canada/Québec. They are really cool. I could not have printed the comic without them …
“It cost way too much to print them here in Montréal. I would have had to print a 1,000 copies which would not sell. It’s all from my pocket. I ain’t got a 1000 bucks and I don’t want any government subvention for this comic. If someone would finance it, it would be great but I won't hold my breath.”
While there have been challenges to producing Deadhead, Nadim said there is more story yet to tell.
“We have more stories to tell, some, I think, could be really good I hope,” he said.
Deadhead in many ways is what indie comics are about. It’s an expression of raw creativity, sans slick production, and big budgets. It exists because writer and artist made it happen. Not a book everyone will appreciate, but it has the raw charm to recommend giving it a look.
All the links to where to get the comic and the info about it is at www.deadheadcomicks.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- SIVOA

2009-12-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

Sivoa
Written by Heather Scott
Pencils by Heather Scott
Indie
A half year into writing comic reviews, most from indie creators, I have already become a huge fan of those who have the creative drive to continue their ideas.
The indie field is littered with Issue #1s, comics people dreamed would catch attention, and when the reality of indie sales hit home, interest in putting forth the effort to see future issues created wanes and the creators go back to be accountants or bank tellers, or whatever.
So when you get to review a book like Sivoa from Heather Scott you just tip your hat and say great job when you read through Issue #1, then #2, #3 and on to the current Issue #6. That makes the title a winner without even reading a page.
Of course for Scott the genesis of the book was a long one.
“I guess that if I had to pick an absolute starting point for this, it would have been shortly after the video game Mortal Combat 2 came out,” she said. “This is actually very important because the boys that I hung out with when I was little wanted to make the next game in the series. I loved the idea and started churning out character after character for this until Mortal Combat 3 and the game franchise exploded.
“Due to being totally distracted by the Mortal Combat games, movie, and TV series, we ended up abandoning the characters we created. This was, until the second Mortal Combat movie came out and we realized that we were bored with the re-hashed material that we were constantly being fed. It was at this point that we decided to do something totally different with the ideas that we had already came up with.
“Not having been fully-introduced to the idea of table-top or live-action role-playing games, we ended up creating rough character sheets that revised some of our characters (or created whole news ones) and developed back-stories for each of them. We then created a rough idea of the world that would house them and from there we would act them out much in the way that children play pretend.
“That didn’t really carry on to much further than part-way through middle school, when we all had to go our different ways. I kept my character Dragonira in mind on through high-school because I had fun drawing her and revising her story constantly gave me a mental distraction from lessons that I probably should have paid attention to.”
Scott said from that point real life came to influence the fictional fantasy story’s development.
“It was also during this point that the story started taking on darker overtones as I began to discover that my friends led significantly less happy lives than I did. I won't go into any detail regarding that, but my only way to understand even remotely what they were going through was for me to have my main character go through some of it too,” she said. “This ended up depressing me and so I dropped the whole thing myself for a good long while.
“It wasn’t until after I graduated and was already about a year into college before I looked at Sivoa again ... and this is because my friend Sarah had gone through all of my sketchbooks and asked me an almost never-ending string of questions about the characters that she saw within. After finding myself spending hours answering each of her questions, I decided to draw it out as a comic for her.”
So we dive into the story.
You learn pretty quickly that Scott had a long range vision for the story. At times creators have a narrow view, one that gets them through a book, or two, then the story sputters. For the most part Scott exhibits a pretty solid understanding of story pacing. She has the ebb and flow of a good tale here, with moments of tension, countered with the sort of backbeat readers need to take a breath.
The story is a fantasy setting, with Scott’s take on the elf and mixing in cat people. Nothing startlingly original, but they work for the story.
In terms of art Scott uses black and white. The book could be bolstered with colour, but an indie book has to deal with cost realities, so accept the black and white world.
Scott won’t become a household name as an artist based on Sivoa, although the lines do sharpen from Issue #1 to #6, and that’s a good sign.
The work has just a hint of Japanese manga, at times, in a few of the faces. At times Scott is bang on in terms of facial emotions, and at other times seems just a bit off, yet in the end the overall look works pretty well for the title.
Scott talked about the B&W choice in her interview.
“When I first got started with the print comic venture, I realized that printing in colour for the quantities that I needed would have been out of our budget,” she said. “Because of this I opted to go with black and white interiors for the comic.
“With that in mind, I experimented with a number of different styles and techniques including ink washes, tones, markers, etc., and eventually opted to go with a style oriented around hatching.”
Sivoa might not immediately catch your attention if it was in a pile of comic titles, but it is nevertheless a pretty satisfying effort that you have to credit Scott with pursuing.
And, there is more to come.
“Well, the first thing would be to finish the seventh issue in the series so that it's available towards the beginning of next year (2010),” said Scott.
“From there I've been working on revising some of the comic’s pages and organizing the seven issues into a paper-back trade. In addition to that I’ve been tinkering with assembling a sort of notebook showcasing some of the things that were developed for Sivoa, but were ultimately cast aside. I don’t have a definitive date for when either of these are coming out though.
There is a simple archive of the comics online at http://sivoa.dragonmun.com for those that wish to keep up with the comic there. This site does not feature many of the extra materials that are provided in the printed issues, but those can be ordered from there as well.
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- SMUTTYNOSE

2009-12-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

Smuttynose
Written by Bob Oxman
Pencils by Bob Oxman
Indie
Smuttynose is a comic that is one of those that is rather hard to know just how to review.
To begin with the story is basically a historically true one, so you can’t really argue with what unfolds.
That said, I am not sure why two issues in, creator Bob Oxman chose this particular story to bring to life. Frankly, it’s just not all that compelling.
The story is based on a murder case, but the first two issues focus to much on background, and not enough on the action.
Oxman might have wanted to start with the murder, or trial and then fill in the background as flashbacks or court testimony to punch up the book’s tempo.
For Oxman though the story clearly holds interest.
“The storyline is inspired by three things, the court testimony from the transcript in the Augusta, Maine court records, the news and tabloids published just after the murders, and the subsequent books published since then,” explained the writer artist. “There is also an element of fiction blended into the comic which at times fills in the gaps of what is known/speculation. This is where I have taken the most liberties, but I have tried to remain faithful to the facts for the most part.
Oxman said the murders have held an interest for him since he found out about the case.
“I have been interested in the Smuttynose murders since I stumbled upon to the story when visiting Star Island a few years ago,” he said. “I was visiting with the Star Island Hotel’s museum curator to do research for a comic book about New England ghosts. I went to see Betty Moody’s cave and a few other spots. After that she asked if I wanted to see something really scary. Of course I agreed. She got her assistant to check out a rowboat and we were soon on our way to Smuttynose Island. I videotaped the voyage. I was a bit nervous about sharks as she mentioned there were several seal carcasses washed up on some of the other isles. When we arrived at Smuttynose she walked me to where the old Hontvet house used to sit and told me the tale for the first time. When she was finished I put the ghost stories aside and made the decision to make Smuttynose my senior thesis at The Center for Cartoon Studies where I was about to begin my second year in the MFA program.
“I spent that first year researching, writing, and sketching and in June of 2007 I handed in my completed illustrated script. It was around 100 pages of combined writing and drawings, but it was in order to secure the MFA in Cartoon Studies, I had to go back and complete and self-publish the first issue, Smuttynose Issue #1, as CCS is a Comic Book making school essentially. I have been treating that thesis as a template for the comics I’m making now.
Oxman said research has proved the critical element of the book.
“The website, http://www.seacoastnh.com/Places_&_Events/Smuttynose_Murders/ has been invaluable for me,” he said. “The research is still an ongoing part of the process, and a challenge, but as I said before there is an element of fiction in my work as well as filling in some of the gray areas or gaps where the history, faces, or events are unclear. This combination of sticking to the facts while keeping a touch of creative freedom is what keeps the work interesting, as does when some of my questions get answered by other authors on the subject. The down side is sometimes I feel compelled to go back and make changes to maintain historical accuracy, but I will have ample opportunity to do that when all four mini comics are done and I move on to putting them together in a collected graphic novel format.
As a collected story the book may have more action to carry it, but the individual first issues are lacking in that.
The art too is interesting.
The work is again frankly rather crude, but if you think of it as a period piece, it seems to be a fairly effective tool in terms of setting era. Remember the murder took place in 1873, and the art looks like it might well have originated then.
If it’s done for style it works, although in modern terms the art doesn’t rate.
Oxman said the art is for effect.
“In regards to the aesthetic of the comics, my art style is influenced by a number of sources including the news print illustrations and photos that were printed just after the murder but, I also am very fond of old German wood cut prints which a lot of the art is inspired by and I also like William Blake Prints,” he said. “My only formal training in art was the two years I spent at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT. Before that I was a Zoo Train Engineer and Creative Literature major at UC Santa Barbara's Center for Creative Studies. I have been sketching comics off and on since I stopped paying attention in high school math class and started making satire panels in the grid books.
“The art classes at Hanover High were nourishing, but I never became particularly proficient drawing in an ultra realistic style.
“While I wish that I could draw like comic book legends/New Yorker cover artists Dan Clowes (Eighball), Adrian Tomine (Optic Nerve), or Mike Magnolia (Hellboy), I realize my limitations and have learned to work out my own "primitive style" to draw my stories in a way that feels authentic and enjoyable to me. I currently work for an art museum so I am constantly finding new inspirations.”
Even Oxman looks at the result of his work as somewhat mixed.
“Sometimes the results are good and sometimes I don't like what ends up on the page, but the most important thing for me right now is to keep at it, stay inspired, and see this project through to the end,” he said.
Oxman said overall he has created something he said he would like as a comic buyer.
“The Smuttynose comics look like the kind of raw mini-comic book I would have wanted to buy when I was collecting and buying comics every week in the 1990's at The Funny Book Factory in Lebanon, NH (formerly know as Club Comics),” he said. “There was this period of time when all the books were just too shiny or over produced at least, in terms of cover-versus-content. There were too few books that I could sink my teeth into in terms of plot and character development. My tastes are eclectic. I read a lot of Heavy Metal magazine for more underground variety, but I also like Sam Keith's and Jim Lee's work in the mainstream press. I wasn't really aware of self-published comics until much later as it seems the distribution networks were undergoing a slow evolution from the 1960's underground comics/hippie shops to today's modern internet distribution networks like the one that carries my book, iknowjoekimpel.com. ”
There is more of the Smuttynose murder to tell too.
“While the first mini-comic book serves as a prequel/origin story to Maren Hontvet and her family,” said Oxman. “The second book serves to bring Louis Wagner into the lives of the Hontvets and Christensens. The third book will be focused on the murders themselves. It will also begin to more fully depict the divergence of perspective of the characters based on the court room testimony.”
Not a book I can highly recommend, but an interesting one for true murder and history buffs to check out.
The book will be available at: http://www.iknowjoekimpel.com/Bob-Oxman.php
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- ROSE BLACK

2009-12-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

Rose Black
Created by Tom Campbell and Edward Murphy
Written by Tom Campbell
Pencils by Jaeson Finn
Inks by Colin Barr
Rough Cut Comics
Vampire stories are a favourite of the comic writers, and that means such stories are increasingly difficult to make fresh.
There are the trite attempts such as Twilight movies, which are more poppish school girl fare, which has sadly seeped over to television with airways pollution such as The Vampire Diaries.
So, when I have the opportunity to read a graphic novel -- collecting the original 2005 mini series -- such as Rose Black by creators Tom Campbell and Edward Murphy it’s gratifying to see a truly worthwhile take on the genre. The vampire at the heart of this story is anything but ordinary, starting with the fact she is tied to the church, not exactly the usual home of such characters. It’s an intriguing twist which sets the story against a backdrop of the political intrigue of the church hierarchy.
The connection to the religious order also gives Rose Black a mysterious past which is unlike the story of other vampiric characters. It’s a nice call by the creators, and writer Tom Campbell weaves the tale well.
That there is a sort of covert, paramilitary, unit involved here, also works well, when you take into account the political aspect of a vampire connected to religion.
Creator Ed Murphy said the idea for the book actually started out simply with a name.
“I started with the name -- Rose Black -- I thought it had a nice ring to it,” he said. “I wanted to develop the idea of a vampire with a moral, religious zeal. The story didn't come together till my co-writer Tom Campbell hit on the idea of re-imagining vampire mythology to make Rose the only vampire in our universe. We needed a conflict; and once we settled on the notion of modern religion being her protagonist, it all fit into place. I wanted to fill it with religious conspiracies and secret cabals within a ‘spy-girl’ genre format.
“From having the idea, doing development work, and writing the final draft, took about three months.”
Writer Tom Campbell said the name proved a good launching pad for the book.
“I wanted to create a truly British comic-book heroine,” he said. “I think the name was a great starting point; I think it indicated a character in itself; and although she’s a fierce warrior, I wanted to infuse her with a big piece of humanity. The important thing about her is she is at odds with every stereotype in the vampire genre; something I'd like to develop that the villains of the piece have created.”
Artistically, Jaeson Finn is a perfect fit for the story. The black and white art is the right choice for the mileau, actually feeling more appropriate to the eye than would a full-colour effort.
Finn handles the action scenes with ease, showing drama even in the smallest panels. He knows that detail can add to the moment and lend more to the situation in a small panel as easily as using a full page splash simply for the effect of size.
The characters are accurately depicted, and again it fits for a story where only Rose Black is beyond the realm of realism.
Murphy said the art style of the book was one they felt was needed to fit the story.
“Despite being raised on Stan Lee, I've actually been more influenced by the style of the British artists -- Alan Davis, Steve Parkhouse and Garry Leach. Obviously being UK-based, we were weaned on 2000AD, so we've always modeled our styles -- since our debut comic The Surgeon -- on their editorial art,” he said. “So we knew we wanted the book to be black and white and we wanted cinematic action visuals.
“But I think the parameters of our story -- heavily action-orientated and gratuitous -- dictated the way it went forward.”
Murphy said the book turned out quite well in his mind.
“The first part of a story is always the most difficult; and I think I'm happy that I have a story which has some development in it ... and which I want to develop,” he said. “It’s a great grounding to have that with any potential series. I worked on a few things which you can’t look at a year after it’s complete. I don't have that with Rose Black.”
Overall, this is a great book, and the character Rose Black is one which deserves to be explored in future books. The good news more is coming.
“Rose Black: Book II is almost complete,” said Murphy. “I’ve written this one -- it’s subtitled Demon Seed -- and we introduce the concept of ‘organic divinity’ into the mix and introduce a demon clone as a new opponent.
“So much has changed since Book I was originally released (in 2005). We had fantastic sales back then, but B&W doesn't have so much clout these days. So we’re doing the new one in full colour, with artist Joel Carpenter providing pencils and inks; and Derek Dow doing the colors.”
It’s a winner. Check it out.
Individuals can order from www.Smallzone.com as well as www.roughcut-comics.com
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- DEVIL BEAR: The Grimoires of Bearalzebub

2009-12-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Devil Bear: The Grimoires of Bearalzebub
Created, Written, Penciled and Inked by Ben Bourbon
Indie
If you like tongue-in-cheek humour, humour that as the Brits would say is ‘cheeky’ in nature, then Devil Bear should be just the comic for you.
Creator Ben Bourbon has a clearly warped sense of ‘ha-ha’ that is on one hand rather whimsical, and yet has a definite twisted overtone too.
The book is one of those that really heads down a rather weird little road, and just takes every hairpin corner it can to keep things getting weirder.
The storyline is rather straight forward, once you get into the book at least.
The devil is a Teddy Bear named Bearalzebub. That’s a pretty strange launching pad for a book to start with.
Add in a shapely devil-horned assistant drawn in the sexy-toon tradition of Jessica Rabbit, and you start to see where Bourbon is heading with the comic.
When the soul of Pooh the Pimp comes to the burning home of Bearalzebub things just get plain crazy, and totally fun.
Bourbon said the story started off like a lot of creations, with a few sketches.
“Devilbear really started off as a series of doodles that I made during a rather boring lecture about five years ago,” he said. “The idea really stuck in my mind and just kept growing over the years. Other artists and writers that I talked to would always say that they too had ‘great character ideas’ of their own and talk about how they were going to create their own animations, novels, comics, etc around it but they never seemed to actually get around to making anything.
“I knew I didn’t want that to happen to Devilbear. I had to take it past the idea stage.
“By the time I was ready to start the first issue I had several stories in my head. I chose the story that I did because it was a typical scenario and I didn’t really want to start with an origin story. Origin stories are fun but they can often fill up an entire issue with prerequisite material. I wanted to do something that just jumped in and said “this is a typical Devilbear episode. This is what the characters are about.”
Bourbon said he draws on a variety of influences in creating Devil Bear, including some rather classic ones.
“Dante’s Inferno obviously was one of the biggest influences for the first issue,” he said. “Its concept of the afterlife is one that a lot of people associate Hell with so it’s always a good place to start.
“Once I decided that a familiar stuffed bear that gluttonizes honey was going to go to Teddy Bear Hell, it only made sense that he would receive the ironic punishment of being gluttonized by a vicious dog. Having a traditional three headed dog seemed a bit too serious for the story, however, and maybe even a bit cliche so that’s when I created Cerbutt.”
From there Bourbon turned to other supporting characters.
“The job descriptions of the Daivas thus far are also based on the seven deadly sins from Dante’s Inferno,” said Bourbon. “This doesn’t mean that they are supposed to partake in that sin so much as they are supposed to encourage it. Lucy is the perfect example. As the Daiva of Lust, She is very sexy but does not lust after anyone herself. Also, just because it is her responsibility to be that way, doesn’t mean that is the extent of her personality. She also has a logical side and a strong work ethic. This makes her clash with Helle Belle a bit, who actually has given in to her own representations: becoming a rather lazy Daiva of Sloth.
“As we see a little bit in the story, as well as in some future ones, giving in to the sin they represent leads to other problems.”
Bourbon uses a highly cartoon style, which when your dealing with a Teddy Bear as the Devil is really the only way to go.
The pencils here are strong and distinct, with clean lines which make the images pop off the page.
The colouring too is bold and clean, giving the book a very ‘big company-polished’ look.
“I pretty much always knew how I wanted the artistic style to look,” said Bourbon. “It needed to be cartoony and fun but have a little bit of an edge to it at the same time. Colour choices played a large part in that: going for just a bit of a rock and roll poster kind of feel.
“Another really important drive for me though, was to maintain a visual consistency and quality in the characters. I’ve read some comics where a character’s face looks quite different in each panel on a single page. Sometimes to where I could almost wonder if they are really the same person.”
For a first foray into the world of Devil Bear Bourbon said he likes what he accomplished in issue one, noting he put a lot of effort into getting it right.
“I’m quite happy overall with the story,” he said. “I try to add at least a little humor to every page. If a page ends up without humor I’ll deviate from my script slightly and adlib some little pun or gag in there. If I just can’t come up with a pun that makes sense to slip in then I try to find a way to make that page’s art look funnier.
“I spend a lot of time planning out the page layouts. I pin the pages all over my walls so that I can see how the left page compliments the right page and if the number of panels feels balanced and flows in a way that appeals to me.
“As an artist, I could just keep nitpicking on the same story until I died of old age or something and never call it ‘done’.
“It’s all just a matter of reaching a point where I look at the story and the art without seeing anything that is an eyesore and maintaining an appropriate level of humor and then saying ‘time to move on to the next story because there are a lot more stories to tell’.”
This may not be every reader’s cup-of-tea, but if you like soft, naughty humour, with some twists along the way, this is certainly worth taking a read over, and there is more to come.
“There are a lot more teddy bears on their way to Hell,” said Bourbon. “There are also some pop culture icons that are not teddy bears but will be characterized as teddy bears and then be on their way to Hell. So business is good for Bearalzebub. Also expect to see more Daivas and some insight as to where they come from and where the missing ones are.”
Devilbear can always be found at: http://www.facebook.com/l/37dc2;www.thedevilbear.com/
Printed copies of the first issue can also be found at: http://www.facebook.com/l/37dc2;www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2662
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- DOG EATERS

2009-11-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

Dog Eaters
Written by Malcolm Wong
Art by Guillermo A. Angel
Dabel Brothers
Dog Eaters is the kind of book I have to admit being a sucker for.
To start with the art is stunning. It jumps off the page thanks to an obviously manga-influenced style by artist Guillermo A. Angel, and dramatic colour work by Ruben Del Vela and Michael Bartolo. The art really sells this series, including great covers on the first three issues.
“Guillermo Angel was recommended to me by David Dabel, one of the four Dabels brothers,” said Wong. “He sent some character designs and we went back and forth until we came up with the final designs. I tended to lean towards what he does best, rather than try to swim against the current and to demand a vision that he may not be what he can execute.”
Then comes the theme of the storyline. Writer Malcolm Wong is telling a post apocalyptic story, which has seen the people of North America evolve back to a tribal life that has strong native overtones. So you have a sort of post apocalyptic western feel. Come on how cool is that.
The better news is that once you get into the series, you find Wong isn’t going for the big bang story, where every scene is gunfights. Instead, we get a descent look at the life of a nomadic tribe. It is through this story of survival Wong weaves a larger story of a mysterious stranger, and the arrival of an obvious bad guy.
Wong said he didn’t have a particular character pool in mind, instead creating by building off the central premise.
“The characters developed with the script,” he said. “I didn't outline the script. I started writing with just a premise and it was like getting into your car and taking a long distance drive without having a destination. I added characters as the story developed and then shaped them as I rewrote.”
Wong has a fine sense of pacing. He is able to balance the story of just making it through a day in a world gone backwards, with the more action-oriented aspects of the book. That for me sets Dog Eaters a cut above.
You get a feel for the big picture storyline as Wong tells about how he came to do the story.
“I started to write Dog Eaters at a time when I was totally disgusted with what was going on in the USA. The addictive preoccupation with celebrity, the political incompetence and arrogance at the highest level, the needless and endless war, the feeling that Americans were ‘fiddling while Rome burned.’ The U.S. has thrown the Republican party out of power and elected Barack Obama as president, but we are not getting much change, unless you consider "change," meaning that he has changed what he promised while he was campaigning. You could say matters are starting to fester even more.
“I started to speculate about what would happen if this current incarnation of Rome did in fact burn, bringing down the rest of the world with it in a chain reaction of economic collapse, war, disease, and famine, culminating in the ‘Die Off.
“After this second Dark Age, who would rise from the ashes of the destruction? Who would survive in the U.S. Southwest? Prisoners isolated in high-security prisons who interbred to create a super-brutal outlaw. People of native descent who could live off the land. Where would civilization start to coalesce first? Why, around the casino-cities, of course. And how would they be supplied? By armored caravans plying the trade routes by tight-knit groups of people like the Black Dog Clan.”
I always find it interesting that many excellent comic stories start out with the idea being targeted at a different medium. Wong’s story fits that list.
“Dog Eaters was a screenplay first,” he said. “I started writing it probably around 2004. So you see how long things can take, especially with a labor of love. (Quentin) Tarantino worked on Bastards for 10 years before it came to the screen, so this is not an uncommon occurrence. The adaptation from screenplay to comic script was fast, just a few weeks.”
Of course Wong said comics are not exactly where the story comes from.
“Comic writing has not been an influence at all,” he said. “Most comics are serial with the story structure becoming static after the origin story. After that, the story structures: bad guys are dispatched -- is repeated ad infinitum. I suppose, if there was a sequel, that Dog Eaters could be considered an origin story, but that might be trying to fit this story into a framework where it doesn't belong.”
I have always liked the post disaster story, and the western feel is a great addition. Add in the killer art and Dog Eaters is a book I highly recommend.
Wong likes it too.
“I am very proud of the way this book looks,” he said, adding production was a problem in terms of supporting the project. “As far as its acceptance and audience, it is hard to keep a reader’s attention with monthly issues of 28 - 32 pages an issue. And in our case, the gap between Issue 2 and 3 was five-months. In this day of instant gratification, you can't expect readers to stay tuned.”
Check it out at http://www.dogeaters-manga.com/
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- GRIZZLY and CATICUS

2009-11-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

Grizzly and Caticus
Written by Andrew Edge
Art by Andrew Edge
Cool Monkey Press
Grizzly and Caticus is one of those titles that two issues in still has me wondering exactly what is going on. That’s both good, and bad.
On one hand writer Andrew Edge is weaving a rather dark, and twisted little storyline. There are definitely some powers at play here, but Edge is keeping the details deliciously guarded over the opening two issues.
The other hand of the story is a tad confusing in its ambiguity over the first issues, and that may keep a few readers from sticking around, since comicbook readers often want a quick story fix. This is one Edge wants to have readers savor over time.
“The inspirations for Grizzly and Caticus were the culmination of a few years worth of ideas,” said Edge. “I knew I wanted to do something with them in the form of a comic but couldn’t figure out how to make the ideas work together in a story. They just seemed too random to me at the time.
“Two years ago I read ‘Catching The Big Fish’ by David Lynch, and then it became clear how to make the ideas or visions work.
“There is a beginning, middle and end to the story, but I do leave spaces open as new ideas or inspirations come to me so that I can fit them in.”
I have to say Grizzly and Caticus has one other flaw, and it comes from its production. The book utilizes glossy paper, and in issue one in particular, and to a lesser extent on issue two, the pages have sort of twisted a bit, almost like having been wet.
The art is interesting here too. Edge uses a painted style, mixing some black and white pages with coloured ones, to generally good effect.
The brush strokes have a softness, which gives the books a sort of surreal feeling, as if slightly out of focus with the real world. In that regard it fits the twists of the written story.
“As far as the look of the book, I like to use different media,” said Edge. “The hope is that all of these styles gel together at some point, and I can create my own unique voice. It also gives me a chance to test different things out, and keeps it fun as the different sections of the book can have their own style. It was definitely planned out so that the book would have different styles.”
Edge said he feels Grizzly and Caticus is growing as he progresses as writer and artist.
“I am happy that I was able to make two issues so far — the third should hopefully be out in February,” he said. “However, I always want the writing and art to get better. I believe I have achieved that somewhat with the third issue, and hopefully it will continue with the fourth and on.”
And there is more to come.
“I am hoping to make Grizzly and Caticus about 7-8 issues,” said Edge. “Once those are done I will be doing conventions, (as I am now), to help promote the book.
“It is planned to have a second series, but before that I have a couple of ideas that I may do first as one-shots.
“With doing all of the writing, art, and production work, minus the lettering, plus working the regular job it takes awhile to get these out. So I will be busy, but that is the plan.”
You can find the first two issues at Midtown Comics (http://www.facebook.com/l/d2d44;www.midtowncomics.com in the search field type Grizzly and Caticus and search in back issues; or order them directly from Edge at http://www.facebook.com/l/d2d44;www.coolmonkeypress.com. Readers can also learn more at his blog, http://www.facebook.com/l/d2d44;www.andrewedgeonline.com.
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- RAZORJACK -- Collected Edition

2009-11-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

Razorjack - Collected Edition
Created & Written by John Higgins
Art by John Higgins
Comx Comics
All right, time to be a bit of a pure ‘fan boy’ here. While my interviews for these reviews are carried out via email, I have to say it’s still a huge thrill to think John Higgins took the time to support my humble endeavours.
If you are a true comic fan you will recognize Higgins name as the colorist on The Watchmen, one of the true classic comic title. You might know it from a recent movie that garnered some attention too *wink.
Razorjack is Higgins own creation, where he spreads his wings and does it all, create, write and pencil, and he does it darned well too.
I have to say Higgins created a wonderfully dark, twisted and interesting world filled with dark, demonic otherworldly creatures looking to cross into ours, led by Razorjack.
“The Razorjack character was designed before I had written the complete story,” said Higgins. “I needed to visualize for my self a creature that was the essence of evil. I thought long and hard about her, redesigned her a thousand times. Once I had that sense of the protagonist, everything else revolved around her.
“I have been going through style changes since I had first started drawing comics, so every job is a learning curve and I think in Razorjack it shows more than in any other one book, as the first story arc pages were drawn 10 years ago and the last story arc pages this year.”
And of course there is the all too human pawns put into play, against the hero that has to find a way to thwart the end of our world.
While there are elements here you will have read in other comics, Higgins take remains fresh enough to stand out.
Higgins said the title was something he wanted to do because he wanted to explore his own creation for change.
“All I had wanted to do with Razorjack was to create my own world outside of what I had been commissioned to do all my professional life,” he said. “As much as I love working on Batman, Spiderman or even the Watchmen it has always been as a gun for hire.
“So the starting point for the story itself was a long time growing, and is based on what I enjoyed most and had not done yet. Then it grew into a more personal style that incorporates everything I enjoy, SF, police procedure, horror, murder mystery, this I call, ‘hard-boiled, SF noir’.”
Higgins said he used the title as a way to encompass what he personally enjoyed ads a fan of comics.
“I was literally trying to put in everything that I enjoyed doing, stuff that I had previously touched on in my work for other companies, like 2000 AD, which has that science fiction element,” he said. “Also Metal Hurlant, which was a French science fantasy comic book that I first read as an art student, that certainly influenced me.
“And most anything done by Richard Corben influenced me, horror that has an under current of humour.”
As for the art it is clean, dramatic, with shadings which capture the darkness of the storyline perfectly. You might expect that from Higgins given his resume, but trust he does not let that expectation down at all.
With Razorjack Higgins shows he is a complete creator with the ability to envision unique worlds, populate it with compelling characters, and through that combination tell a darned exciting, albeit dark tale.
Higgins then wraps it all in a nice package artistically.
So it’s not a surprise he likes the final product.
“I have always enjoyed as a reader of comic books to be shocked, delighted or amazed; to be taken to a place I have never been to before,” he said. “This is how I tried to make the world of Razorjack. I wanted to take the readers into my world were nothing is as you perceive it to be; to unsettle the readers preconceptions from page one.
“And, talking to readers at signings and conventions, who are now giving me feed back, I appear to have achieved that.”
Readers will also be thrilled to learn the story of Razorjack is not yet complete.
“I have written a new story and created new art for the collected edition. That certainly gave me an incentive to do more in the world of Razorjack,” he Higgins. “I found I still liked these characters, and want to do more. So I am just waiting for the right opportunity. The lead character Razorjack has stepped out side of the pages of the book, and now exists with in our world. She has been created by from my designs by the master sculptor Nigel Booth and formed into a prosthetic head. She is going to feature in a variety of projects. Keep checking at, www.turmoilcolour.com and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Razorjack/56068783540?ref=ts
to see where she appears next.”
Originally published as a mini series, the Collected Edition of Razorjack is a beautiful square-bound collection any comic fan should have in their collection.
Impressive in all aspects.
Look for it at http://www.comxcomics.com/titles
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- SHATTERED REALM

2009-11-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

SHATTERED REALM
Written by Robert Brewer
Art by Damion Kendrick
Damage Arts Studio
The first thing you will notice with Shattered Realm in that artist Damion Kendrick has a thing for oversized ears and swords.
A fantasy tale in the tradition of Dungeons & Dragons, Shattered Realm has a tribe of elves, with ears which remind of a kangaroo. The look may sound funny when described, but artistically, they are a rather dramatic feature that sets these elves apart from the norm.
Interestingly, another denizen looks even more like a kangaroo, minus the tail.
Then like a lot of cartoon-influenced fantasy you add some huge weapons, and arcane magical energies, and away you go in terms of the ‘feel’ of the book artistically.
The colouring here is also bright, in particular the reds and greens, so the art really hits the eye with impact.
“The artistic style is a bit americanized anime,” said Kendrick. “When I started the book, anime was a huge influence for what I was going for because I'm a super fan of Japanese animation.
“My favorite comicbook artist is Joe Madureira and he was also a big influence in my work as well.
“So I would say the look I was going for with this particular story was already planned.
“I was influenced by a lot of movies! I like a lot of fantasy stuff, so I was looking at movies like Beast Master, Krull, and Dark Crystal, just to name a couple. Then there were cartoons like He-Man, and Thundercats.”
The storyline, through one issue, is about what you would expect from a fantasy tale. Demonic bad guy, beautiful damsel in distress, unsuspecting hero drawn into the fray. Yes, it has been done.
But, in fairness the strength of the story will only become clear as writer Robert Brewer takes us through subsequent issues. The series will really live and die on his ability to elevate Shattered Realm above a cliched rehash of other storylines. Through one issue it is impossible to gauge how successful he will be.
Kendrick said the story was initially from his concepts.
“The idea for the story was sort of a process for me, cause for a while I was doing another title called ‘Chang Fury’ and I wasn't really thinking of another project to do until I drew a quick sketch of this little elf warrior character for a game of D&D,” he said. “It was actually suggested that I turn him into a comicbook character, and then boom I start working on a story. I’m not the best of writers and I had a lot of ideas for the story. So a friend of mine Robert Brewer took the liberty of turning my story into something 10-times better!”
While the overall impact of the title will have to wait for future issues, the art and impact of issue one makes it worth grabbing. We will hope Shattered Realm goes in the right direction to make future issues worthwhile too.
Kendrick said the title has been a process to get from idea to print.
“The book took a long while to get out and it was a planned four-part series,” he said. “This being the first I'm very happy with how the story started off, but as far as the art, I’m hard on myself about my work and when I look back at it I cringe because a lot of mistakes I see. I have drawn the next three books and the art has gotten a lot better from the first one.”
So there is more story to be told as time allows.
“Hopefully the next issue of Shattered Realm will come shortly, but there are other titles I'm working on at the moment,” said Kendrick. “I'm finishing up a comic for my buddy Eric Kemphfer who did the inking and coloring in the first Shattered Realm. This will be his first self titled project called Stray! So that's looking pretty good!”
Kendrick added he just hopes readers like where Shattered Realm goes.
“I hope everyone will enjoy my book,” he said. “I put a lot of energy into it and will do my best to excite my readers.”
Check it out. Online readers can find the book Shattered Realm at http://www.facebook.com/l/d2d44;www.comixpress.com
They can also find the preview of Shattered Realm there as well.
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- MILLENNIA WAR

2009-11-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

Millennia War
Created & Written by Ashley A. Woods
Art by Ashley A. Woods
Indie
Combining elements of fantasy into a modern day setting requires a creative vision that is not easily realized.
Ashley A. Woods does an excellent job of carrying it off in her series Millennia War.
The storyline has elves actually existing. They have been pushed to the fringes by past conflict. Not surprisingly they aren’t real happy with the situation.
As a result of an age old conflict which seems to percolating to the surface again, this is a story of political intrigue as much as anything.
Five issues into the series there are more questions being unveiled than answers, which certainly makes the reader want to be around as Woods starts filling in the blanks.
As a storyteller, it is rather obvious Woods has a long-term vision of where she is going with the story. She has an excellent sense of timing with her writing. She is taking her time letting out the story a little at a time, not rushing things for the sake of climactic effect.
Of course Woods worked with the idea for Millennia War for two years before getting it to publication, so she should have a rather detailed vision.
“I began conceptualizing early 2004, round March or April, and kept refining the look and story of Millennia War until I finally published it March of 2006,” she said. “I didn't sell the first copies (issue #0) until May 2006 …
“Back in early 2004, I began drawing random designs for characters and I started becoming attached to them. So I created a story that would link all of their personal stories together. I was always a big fan of fantasy and action genres and I wanted to express that in my own story, too.”
As for her writing, Woods said she uses a number of influences to inspire her work.
“I like to study different storytelling styles in video games, anime, and movies and try to put what I learned into my own work or even take it a step further and create a whole different style for myself,” she said.
The art has a subdued, almost watercolour feel to it, which works well since the story is in a sense subdued as well. The use of muted, generally earth tone colours is also a nice touch given the connection to nature being brought to the forefront as the story of the elves is brought into tighter focus.
Again, there is an intimacy to the art work that tells you Woods has had a detailed idea for the story visually as well.
“I get inspired by my friends and even strangers,” said Woods. “I like to people watch so I try to study different characteristics they may have. I also gather inspiration from different artists Joshua Middleton, Jo Chen, Hiroaki Samura, as well as various anime such as Eureka Seven and Fullmetal Alchemist.”
Carrying both the writing and the art, Woods said both can prove the most challenging aspect of the book at different times.
“It depends on my mood,” she said. “Lately drawing has been harder for me, but I think it's because I've been spending a lot of time coloring that it feels weird for me to try to sketch at times. However during times like these I still force myself to take time out and draw a little so my hand won't continue to feel weird.
“Sometimes writing is harder for me but every once in a while the ideas come flowing out into my notebook so freely which of course gets me fired up even more to give those ideas form in my comics.”
As the book’s creator Woods said she is generally satisfied with Millennia War so far.
“In some ways yes but I know and feel that I can always become better,” she said. “I use every issue of Millennia War to practice my art.
“A lot of people have taken notice to this, too, and even come tell me how my art has gotten better with each issue. It lets me know that I'm doing something right.”
This is an excellent comic series that doesn’t fit into the mainstream because of the more ‘story’ oriented approach. This is not superheros, nor horror, nor comedy. While not fitting the traditional comic sub genres, it is definitely worth reading for those wanting something different, something more cerebral from a comic read.
The official site for the series, www.millenniawar.com
There, you can purchase copies of the comics, as well as read character bios, take a sneak peek at upcoming issues, and visit Woods’ blog to see more of her art and pics of various conventions she attends.
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- LAZERMAN

2009-11-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

Lazerman
Created & Written by Alan Hebert Jr.
Art by Chris Hebert
HB Comics
Talk about a retro feel to a comic, I got that in spades when I read the first four issues of Lazerman created by Alan Hebert Jr.. The story had a sort of early Spiderman feel, mixed with a touch of DC’s Booster Gold, partly because of Lazerman’s yellow costume, but also because of the use of humour as a major element of the storyline.
Humour can be one of the toughest things to carry off, whether as a stand up comic, in a movie, or in a comic book, and Hebert does it rather well.
The story is also about a young man realizing he suddenly has superpowers. He finds out being the hero he always dreamed of being is not as easy as one might expect, even if you have powers. Yes that was the early premise of Spidey, but that element has long been lost in mainstream comics. That innocence is refreshing again with Lazerman.
Alan Hebert said he wanted to create something of a throwback title.
“It really comes down to a love for classic superheros, particularly the classic Marvel and the DC heroes,” he said. “Super heroes made in the last 20 years are not like those iconic characters. I wanted something that reflected them, not the more modern, grittier heroes. My sense of humor made me also want something that I could satire those heroes with. Lazerman is the perfect mix of those two aspects …
“As I stated before, the “classic” heroes are the biggest influences. I’m a huge fan of Stan Lee’s early Marvel work. The writer who had the most influence on me though was Peter David. His run on Incredible Hulk is what got me into comics.”
Alan Hebert said as a result he actually looks at the character as something that has developed since his youth.
“It actually took us 15 years from a development standpoint,” he said. “We've gone through multiple scripts and drafts, but what ultimately happened is we grew up with the characters. We learned a lot during that development phase, and we taught ourselves how to create comics in the process. I think we ended up with a much better book as a result.
“Fifteen years is a long time to work on a character. It’s enough time to think about just about every aspect of him. What we had, before the first issue even hit, was a fully developed character. We knew exactly who Lazerman, and the characters around him were, as well as where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do with him.”
Chris Hebert’s art is perfect for the story. It has a ‘cartoon’ look, reminiscent of Archie comics, and it’s a nice contrast to the ‘steroid-enhanced superhero-look’ of most comics in the genre today.
Matching art-style to the writing is important, and with Lazerman they have achieved that balance.
Chris Hebert said the series brought focus to his work.
“Well, when I first started Lazerman, my own style was very much in flux,” he said. “I had spent a lot of time trying to emulate Jim Lee and what I considered the "standard" comic book style. As I started Lazerman, I had just begun to accept that my own style was a leaning a bit more towards the ‘cartoony’ side, and instead of fighting it had finally decided to embrace what was coming naturally to me.
“Ironically, Joe Maduera and Ed Mcguinist had just come into the limelight at the time, and they have been my strongest influences ever since.”
Chris said the art may not have started out as the vision of the comic, but it has evolved to fit what they are doing with the title.
“It's funny, because Alan has always been a traditional guy,” he said. “I know he always pictured the most ‘classic’ look for what he crafted to be a ‘classic’ feeling character; like a George Perez or a Romita Sr.
“Of course then I came along with a very animation-esque style, something that I think is very different from that classic feel I know Alan favours.
“Ultimately I think like any good collaboration, or developing idea, it takes on a life of its own, and evolves.
“Now I don't think I could picture Lazerman looking any other way.”
So what’s next for the titles? Apparently zombies.
“We have so much planned for Lazerman, and our whole universe,” said Alan Hebert. “Lazerman’s next story arc ‘Night of the Necrolord’, going from issue #5 to issue #7, will involve zombies. I believe we have a completely original take on zombies, and I can’t wait till we publish the issues.”
This is not the best comic I have read in recent months, but for sheer fun it’s up near the top of the list.
It is also enough of a throwback to a subtler time in superhero stories that it is a welcome contrast to what passes as the norm these days.
You can follow Lazerman at http://www.facebook.com/l/cd83e;www.hbcomics.com, and they also run a weekly production blog, entitled the ‘LAZERBLOG’. You can find that on our MySpace page at http://www.facebook.com/l/cd83e;www.myspace.com/surge38
— CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- LEPRECHUAN

2009-11-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

Leprechaun
Written by Zach Hunchar
Art by Kris Carter
Bluewater Comics
Leprechaun is a story readers will at least be familiar with on some level given the character is drawn from the world of movies. Leprechaun is a Lions Gate film property, one of the horror tales which has made it to the big screen.
With the comic version, at least after having read issue #3 of the series, the story line is not heavily horror. The art as well is far from dark, or with a horror mood.
The storyline here is far more mainstream, with the Leprechaun character appearing more as a hero, fighting old tribal enemies set against a modern city landscape.
The storyline is interesting, although I will hedge that by reiterating I have seen only one issue, part way into the storyline.
Writer Zach Hunchar said the idea for the story inspiration was twofold.
“There is the easy answer and then there is the more complex answer,” he said. “The easy one is this series was pulled directly from the horror film franchise of the same name from Lions Gate Films.
“The more complex answer developed from numerous conversations from publisher Darren Davis and myself. We began working with one another when we were both working for Lions Gate so there was shared history involving the characters. We wanted to be as true as possible to our time there but also wanted to create something that lent itself to a mini- or ongoing-series.”
The characters developed at different paces through the creation process, said Hunchar.
“It varied by character. The hardest was the Leprechaun (named Iubdan) himself,” he said. “It was incredibly challenging maintaining the violent and horrific tendencies of the film version, yet finding subtle facets of the character that might show some vulnerability and regret. With a self-contained story, you are less interested in finding a hook to get the reader/viewer to come back again. With serialized stories, little bursts of chaos will eventually bore the reader.
“The human protagonists start out with sort of stereotypical attributes but we worked very hard to have them grow and evolve. We're talking small movement but enough to avoid the sense of stagnation.”
As for the art by Kris Carter, it is clean and crisp, especially for the fantasy races in the story. The look of the humans works a bit less for me.
Still, overall, I think the art works for the way the story line is being developed.
Hunchar said he sees places he could have improved the book, but being a creative person that is always the case.
“From a creative stand-point, I think I'm like most creative types I'm never finished tweaking it. That being said, I think it's still very cool,” he said.
There is more story to be told too.
“Well, I think that there are more adventures ahead with them trying to beat the newest curse placed upon the Leprechaun. Plus more humor and a bit of romance thrown in,” said Hunchar.
The story blends the existing world we live in, and fantasy world of the Leprechaun very smoothly. It is the strength of the story.
Certainly worth checking it out at www.bluewaterprod.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- EMASTE 8

2009-11-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

Emaste 8
Written by Jere
Art by Jere
Pyramid Graphic Novels
There is nothing about Emaste 8 by Jere that I don’t like.
The storyline through the first two issues is intriguing to say the least. There are enough story hooks to keep readers wanting more, more, more.
The characters are on the darker edge of society, a place that always seems the richest place from which to mine good stories.
Interestingly, Jere said he draws from real life for the characters.
“The characters are all based on my siblings and close friends, the hardship and trials we’ve gone through over the years,” he said.
Jere said the book took several years to formulate, growing from a initially perceived solo storyline through to the team title it is now.
As a writer Jere said he draws from both comics and movies.
“My first influences were Chris Claremont, and John Byrne from Uncanny X-Men Brian Azzarello, and from there endless influence including writer/directors like Quentin Tarentino and Martin Scorsese,” he said.
The black and white art is rendered wonderfully as well. There is a darkness which fits the story perfectly.
Jere said the dark film noir look is a definite influence for his art.
This is one of those cases where you can see how the creator Jere has a perfect handle on what he wants from the story, both in terms of text, but equally having an artistic vision which compliments his writings.
I am particularly impressed by the strong facial expressions of the work, and the overall Gothic feel. The results are drop dead gorgeous female characters and strong male leads to balance the story.
Jere said he generally finds writing his greatest challenge.
“It goes back and forth,” he said. “I think the writing is challenging, but I love it. I consider myself a writer who can draw.”
Jere said the story to-date is something he is very satisfied with, adding the response has been generally positive.
“Yes I’m pretty satisfied with the completed look,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. The negative was mostly geared towards the story content.”
The story of Emaste 8 is far from complete said Jere, and that’s good news because readers will want more, much more. He said the characters will be “saving the world from absolute destruction, then after doing so, be hunted down for doing just that.”
Check it out at http://www.myspace.com/pyramidgraphicnovels
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- LAZARUS: Immortal Coils

2009-10-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

Lazarus: Immortal Coils
Created and Written by Joseph Gauthier
Art by Carlos Rafael Duarte
10 Worlds Studio

The idea of an immortal force for good existing to fight a cabal of evil is certainly not a new storyline in terms of comic books.
It’s not even all that new when you add the feel of ‘religious’ birth for the character, and make the cabal a legion of demons.
So Lazarus: Immortal Coils is not breathtakingly new. Who cares.
This is an excellent comic. Creator Joseph Gauthier has taken some familiar precepts in terms of a story, but kept it fresh enough to hold interest through the first four issues at least.
One of the ways Gauthier manages to keep the story working is by using a rather minamalistic writing style. There is, for example, a 12-page section in Issue #1 has barely a written word on them, and only two have any actual character dialogue at all.
I will admit I’d prefer a bit more ‘story’, but I get the feeling these early issues are setting the title’s mood through the art, with the expectation Gauthier will write with greater depth moving forward.
So while Gauthier keeps it simple, writing only when it helps propel the story forward, often doling out the dialogue as if the words are gems, it does put a lot of the onus for liking the books on the artist.
Fortunately Carlos Rafael Duarte carries the pressure of making Lazarus easily with his excellent pencil work. This guy knows how to draw action scenes, and there are a ton of action scenes in this story.
Duarte can capture facial emotion too.
This book is heavily art reliant, and Duarte’s style is hot. A definite comic art talent to watch.
Gauthier said he connected with Duarte through a third party.
“Carlos was hired through Glass House Graphics run by David Campti who helped me put the art team together,” he said. “I went through a lot of artists, but Carlos’ attention to detail was what singled him out. It's hard to ask what his influences are because the relationship for something like this is different from what you expect or read in interviews. I don't want to give the impression there's no personal investment from an agency artist, there has to be, but a lot of weight is put on the client to know what he wants and brings it to the table. You have to know what you want and it has to be in the script. You can’t assume the artist will know a movie, or has read the same book, especially if the artist is overseas. The client, in this case the writer, becomes the Art Director. Even if you don't know much, you have to know what looks right for the book and guide the artist where he needs to go. Because I approached L:IC like a film, I went about it in a similar fashion,
going to different artists to design the elements that made a package I then gave to Carlos who drew from that. Not everything was in there; some things had to be done on the fly.
“Carlos and I didn't have much conversation about style, because I was already happy with what I saw him do. In fact, his style at the time was so classical it got him the job. I knew I wanted flashback scenes and modern scenes to be drawn differently. The flashbacks had to be more classical, and the present more stylized. There were many historical references, like Jesus' hair. Normally done long, I read a Time magazine article that disputed the men of that time would wear long hair, so I gave Jesus short hair. The coloring style was taken from the Kazuaki Kiriya's Japanese live action film adaptation of Casshern.”
As for Lazarus the character, Gauthier said he is one he had in his head for ages before finally being able to bring him to the page.
“A long time; I'd always had the character in mind going as far back as high school, and how he's presented in L:IC was always there, but he was much lighter in color,” he said, adding a laugh. “I started developing Immortal Coils in 2004 with Alex Lugo who was attached as the artist. After the pages, colors, and lettering were done it was 2007. Add another year to get the publishing deal. Then, tack on another year before getting the courage to publish myself, and you’re looking at five years.”
While having nearly a half decade to fine tune Lazarus, Gauthier said he really doesn’t look much different from his original ideas.
“Surprisingly, he hasn't changed all that much since when I first conceived this notion of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus as a more human reaction, that Lazarus can't die, and what it feels like to live forever as this ‘unplanned occurrence’,” he said. “Visually, I always see him as a modern rogue in boots, openly brandishing knives, guns, and riding a motorcycle. His character was always in place and was essential to attracting people to him emotionally. There was never anything overtly courageous about him. In many ways he was suicidal. The world he inhabits changed more than he did as I discussed
telling a straight action adventure story, supernatural horror, or both.
“Characters like the Speaker and the Wandering Jew (Ahasverus/Verus) were later added as flip sides to Lazarus.
“Having Lazarus fight shape shifting demons came from my not wanting to limit the stories in any way. I want the freedom to take Lazarus wherever I can and have him go up against whatever I want.”
Gauthier said the book is one he was proud of as it came off the press, but looking back he sees things he would do differently.
“I am very proud of the work I did on L:IC. It remains a crowning achievement, and the compliments keep coming in,” he said. “Problem is ideas depreciate just like cars and computers. The minute you drive a new car off the lot or buy a computer the next model is already in the works.
“An artist is constantly growing and when Lazarus was in production I saw things I could do better, new angles and perspectives to try, and character dynamics to explore, but it was too late. There's only so much room you have with an artist to make changes once they have the script. I remember in issues one and two there were pages I wanted redone, one being a double page spread.
“Carlos made the changes, but wasn't happy about it. Not after going through the proofing process, drawing, inking, getting the ok, then having to go back and do it again, even if I did pay for the extra pages. He was absolutely right for feeling that way.
“The point is the ideas never stop. The story I would do now is not the same as what I did in 2004, but once it’s out of your hands, you have to accept it's done. Everything you would do differently goes into the next story. L:IC is one of the best looking independently produced books out there, but at the end of a four year process, when the book is in my hand, I know I can do better.
“I’m very happy with the acceptance we’ve received. The people who’ve seen and read the book love it. We had a person who was at our signing in 2008 when issue one was published through Markosia, who came back for the trade this year so he can read the whole story. That really blew me away. I hugged the guy so hard I think I upset his personal space.
“Artists are cynical about their work. It's not often a writer or artist will look at something they've done and say they're proud of how it came out, and when they do it's meaningful. I'm very proud of L:IC. It continues to confirm I'm a writer and that I'm good at what I do.”
Gauthier will have an opportunity to put the things he has learned doing the first story arc of Lazarus as he continues to build on the character’s story.
“The next title speaks for itself - ‘Suicidal Tendencies’. Lazarus is on a journey that will force him to face things he’s avoided for centuries and take him to darker places,” he said. “He’s a walking dead man in a hell of his own making who needs a spiritual resurrection. The next story has him connecting with someone, a woman, for the first time since the death of his friend and family in 33AD. Lazarus is like anyone who has gone through trauma - you get bit by a dog, you're afraid of them. Lazarus feels betrayed by us and distances himself. Right now, he's fighting for himself out of revenge. He can’t fight for us because he doesn’t even like us. The next story is the first turn of the page, the first step in his transformation into a warrior and our hero.”
Make sure you check out Lazarus at www.10worldsstudio.com. You can also go directly to Indy Planet at www.indyplanet.com and search under Lazarus.

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- Adam Wreck and The Kalosian Space Pirates

2009-10-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Adam Wreck and the Kalosian Space Pirates
Art by Michael S. Bracco
Written by Micheal S. Bracco

Sometimes a comic simply encapsulates the heart or the medium. Adam Wreck and the Kalosian Space Pirates is one of those books.
In they're purest form comics are about kids, at least in my mind. Certainly the medium is diverse enough to allow the creation of books for adults, and that's what keeps someone like me interested. But, ultimately there needs to be comics which are the treasures of young people. They need ti be something they look forward to spending their allowance on. They need to have a story a kid can get inside and pretend they are part of the adventure.
When I was young, Batman was that sort of title. They really are more geared to an older teen audience today.
The Phantom fit the bill too.
Today young readers can still find adventures they can daydream over in titles such as Jay Piscopo's Capt'n Eli (previously reviewed here), and a great story like Adam Wreck.
Adam Wreck is the star of the story, a young man in the age of space travel . He is the son of the 'famous geniuses' Albert and Betty Wreck. You can imagine that a young boy with famous parents faces some challenges whether he's able to fly a space craft, or not?
Mix is some evil-type space pirates, and you have a comic that reminds of the Saturday morning space serials of an earlier age.
Wreck is the hero, but there are memorable characters along for the ride, like the sort of anti-hero Voric who is a rogue, but a basically good one, and the despicable Captain Lipos, leader of the pirate scum.
Michael Bracco said the story was something he wanted to do for young readers, but still hold true to his interest in scifi.
“I am a real big science fiction dork. I love to read it, watch it, write it and most especially draw it,” he said. “ For the past four years I have been working on a Science Fiction series that was geared towards an 18 - 35 year old audience. As a full time middle school art teacher, I have also spent the last seven years working with kids and talking to them about art and how it fits into their lives. A big part of how they perceive art is in movies and comics and after spending enough time with them I started to really want to write something that they could connect with, have fun with and learn from.
“Once I started work on Adam Wreck I realized that bringing it to work with me was the best thing I could do. The kids gave me feedback on the drawings and the story and they in turn got to see me making art in the real world. It all came full circle and made the process very meaningful for me and hopefully for them too.”
The art is what initially catches your attention with Adam Wreck. It is rendered in three colours only, black and white, with red added to amazing effect throughout. The art literally pops off the page because of the unusual colouration scheme.
Bracco said the use of red was something he thought would add a unique quality to the book.
“I really wanted to do something that had a signature look and that used color in a different way,” he said. “I wanted something poppy and fun that made the reader feel connected with the world itself. The spot color and the blockier, bolder drawings really felt animated to me and it was a fun art problem throughout.”
Past the colouration, Bracco's art has a 'fun quality' using simpler pencil strokes that gives it more of a Saturday morning cartoon-look, than a book based on a highly realistic style.
“My art tends to be very rendered and detailed and again for Adam Wreck I wanted to play in some uncharted territory,” he said. “I enjoyed using the simpler line work as it allowed me to do so much of the art in the computer. The gray and orange tones play a major role in shaping up the Adam Wreck universe and were just fun for me to experiment with.”
As for the storyline, Bracco keeps it light, but interesting. This isn't a story with guns blazing and blood splattering. Nor, for it's intended audience should it be. There is intrigue, but the young Wreck perseveres and triumphs. Just like any good young hero should.
“Usually my work, which is more geared towards an older audience, tends to be a lot darker and more tragic.” said Bracco. “I take a lot of inspiration from Terry Gilliam, Frank Miller, Brian k Vaughn and Luc Besson.
“In this case I got to really step outside my comfort zone in terms of story and let the kid in me out. I guess it ends up being a mixture between my adult influences and as you said, all of the fantastic Saturday morning hours spent in front of the TV.”
Bracco said the story was one that just came to him one day, more, or less, out of the blue.
“It's usually the art for me but in this case it was the story. It hit me like a brick over the head one day driving home from work,” he said. “From there I immediately started drawing out all the characters. Captain Lipos shot out of my hand, while Voric was a more exhaustive character to nail down a visual for. I think because where Lipos just had to fit an archetype, Voric needed to be a more complex character that could grow with the story and be taken into (if any) future installments.”
Bracco said the finished book is one he likes – a lot.
“It was a heck of a lot of fun to draw and write for and going through it after I finished I found myself chuckling and excited, which I think is a pretty good measure,” he said.
Bracco said he now hopes the intended audience likes it enough to allow him to let Adam wreck continue to explore outer space. One read and you'll hope to see more too.
“This book was Adam's crash course in an alien universe,” said Bracco. “If I get the chance to continue it, I really want to show The vastness of alien society and how Adam and his family would fit in. I think it could be really interesting for the family to integrate into a giant, multi planet, multi species galaxy as strangers and see how another world deals with problems like the environment, energy, war, poverty and all the things that we deal with.”
You can find out more about Adam Wreck at adamwreck.websiteanimal.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs

2009-10-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs
Art by Lauren Monardo
Written by Stephen Lindsay
Brain Food Comics

Sometimes comic books today take themselves too seriously.
Certainly, the medium should be more respected as both an art form, and as a way to tell stories than it is in North America, especially as adult entertainment, but there is also room for just fun-loving comic efforts.
Who will ever forget Scrooge McDuck, or who didn’t love the concept of Dark Wing Duck, even though it started out as an animated series.
Credit the team of writer Stephen Lindsay and artist Lauren Monardo with remembering those simpler comic themes when they came up with The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs.
This is one of those tongue-in-cheek, highly entertaining, sort of spoof, and just plain fun efforts which really make comic books what they are at their heart.
Inspector Ham is a portly piggie who is a direct take on the famous Sherlock Holmes.
Now anytime you use the great Holmes as a template you’re on the right track in terms of doing a good story. Holmes is perhaps the greatest arch type private investigator ever created, and has permeated fiction in many ways. I mean the holodeck episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation with Data as Holmes were among the best of that super series.
Lindsay and Monardo use a world populated by cartoon style animals which is a long way from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original take on Holmes, but darned it’s so much fun it still works.
How can you go wrong with a wild boar bad guy, and his German accented second in command raccoon, and their legion of bad guy rabbits?
Mix in a snappy dressing gorilla thug and an overly enthusiastic hound cop, among the various characters and you start to see the fun.
As fun as it is, the story is for adults, as a few decapitated heads dripping with blood show rather clearly.
Against the backdrop of the characters Lindsay writes a pretty straight forward Holmes-style mystery, although the humour is thicker for obvious reasons.
Monardo said the idea for Inspector Ham just sort of emerged from conversations with Lindsay, and out of a need to do something.
“It's a funny story, actually, well to Stephen and I, anyway,” she said. “I was wrapping up work on Venture Bros. Season 3 storyboards and I knew I needed another job, and soon! Stephen and I tended to IM (instant message) each-other throughout the day and just joke around or discuss comic business, so I was talking to him about other jobs I might do. As a lark I said that maybe I'd become a spy, but not just any spy, a deli spy! I'd work for Boar's Head Brand and spy on other lunch meat companies like Hormel, Oscar Meyer and the like. And my code name would be Inspector Ham. To punctuate this I drew a tiny human detective body with a massive pig's head and a huge magnifying glass. The two of us instantly fell in love with the character and the idea and things just spiraled out from there.”
The characters ended up being designed over the Internet too.
“The character development took place mostly through Instant Messaging between the two of us,” said Lindsay. “We would drop a name and then build the character's personality around that. Lots of banter back and forth simply trying to make each other laugh. When it worked, we went with it! After that, the characters really develop further as the story progresses.
“I take a fairly organic approach to my writing. I don't plan out too far ahead. This way, as I'm writing and throwing the characters into various situations, they start to react almost on their own. It's those reactions that really further the development of them.”
Lindsay said his influences for writing are varied, making it easy to get into something a little off the norm such as Inspector Ham.
“I have a ton of comic writers whom I really respect and look upon as influences. Steve Niles, Robert Kirkman, Frank Miller; all the greats,” he said. “But, then I draw a lot from other areas of writing as well. Influences like Stephen King and Jack Kerouac, all the way back to Mark Twain.
“For this particular book, I draw a lot of influence from the old, campy Batman television series. Not so much with the humor, as Ham & Eggs is a bit more raw than the Batman TV show, but in the interactions and relationships. It sounds weird, but that show carries the same vibe through it that I try to instill within Ham & Eggs.”
Monardo said the first chat really laid the foundation for the book.
“As far as the character personalities and building the cast, I'd say about 85 per cent of the characters were created in that initial chat we had,” she said. “I drew Inspector Ham, then I said about having an evil black boar villain named Baron VonBlackforest. Then Stephen suggested a side-kick, which I opposed at first, until he said ‘No, no, it would be a chubby little chick named Eggs’. Ham & Eggs...how could I refuse?
“We then added, at Stephen's request, the character that became Colonel Strudel, who at first was just ‘a raccoon with an eye-patch and a monocle on the same eye.
“Aesthetically, they started out different than they are. If one were to look at the original designs, I had drawn them with Thomas Nast the political cartoonist on the brain. They all had almost caricature-esque heads and smaller bodies, but not anthropomorphized, just animal bodies standing on the back legs. As I drew the comic and got further into the issue, though, they sort of found their own way of being drawn. The characters started to change bit by bit until they found a comfort zone, and that's where they are now. And I think they're quite happy there.”
Artistically, Monardo could be working for Disney. It’s perfect for the title. The lines are sharp. The ability to instill emotion into the faces of animal characters wonderfully well-done.
Inspector Ham is particularly well-drawn, with the portly hero, memorable for the first look. The shot of him smoking the familiar pipe on the cover of issue one is a classic, and quite frankly I might have made it the entire cover rather than the main element of a collage.
Monardo said she ended up teaming with Lindsay on Inspector Ham after working together on a previous project.
“Well, we had just finished working together on Stephen's first book, "Jesus Hates Zombies: Those Slack-Jaw Blues" and we really had a great time of it,” said Monardo. “Through that I managed to trick Stephen into trusting me enough to do designs etc. I mean ... errr .... all kidding aside, we worked really well together! As far as storytelling, we both came from ‘film’ type backgrounds, he was an independent film-maker and I was an independent animator, so we had a lot of the same sensibilities as far as compositions, pacing, acting etc.
“The look of the series was originally meant to appear like a children's book, bright colors, cute characters, innocent and unsuspecting. Then, due to a major reveal via the splash page on page 4 of issue 1, the reader is quickly informed that it's anything but innocent and unsuspecting. We wanted to let the audience know right off the bat that there would be unexpected twists and turns, and that this wouldn't be your average animal cartoon.”
Like many comics today, Inspector Ham began online, building momentum before going to a print edition.
“We ran it as a web-comic for all of issue 1 and part of issue 2, and if I remember correctly we started doing two pages per week but went down to one since we both had real jobs, and didn't have the time to do both,” said Monardo. “But I'd say that if we came up with the idea in December, I did character designs and Stephen started scripting and we had the first three pages done in January. After that we shopped it around to a few publishers here and there but decided ultimately to self-publish, which is what we're doing now.”
Monardo said the response to Inspector Ham has been beyond expectations.
“I think in a lot of ways it surpassed our expectations,” she said. “Going into this we weren't sure if anybody but us would find it funny, but went ahead with it anyway. I think we both figured if we loved it so much it would come through the work and attract other people to it too and if not at least we had fun.
“I think the real test as far as acceptance and audience will be when the volume 1 trade paperback is released soon. Right now we have the individual booklet issues but they aren't cost effective and they're hard to get massive exposure from. People love buying Graphic Novels and Trades now, more and more people are choosing them over booklets, so we have high hopes for this one.”
Monardo added in some cases people have gone the extra mile in supporting the title.
“Also, I really have to thank our buddy Socko Jones and all the crew at Comic Book Jones for some of the success we have had so far with it,” she said. “They've been a massive support for us and we owe a lot to them. Plus we wouldn't have Detective Jack Valentine Jones if it weren't for them; he's Socko's real dog!”
The good news is there is more to come from the world of Inspector Ham.
“We actually have two Ham & Eggs side dishes in the works,” said Monardo. “One is the origin of Colonel Strudel, called ‘St. Severin's Day Murders’. It'll probably have some humor in it, but it'll be far darker in tone than the core series. I don't know if you've noticed but he's one messed up little dude.
“The side dishes are all drawn by different talented folks, too. For example, I'm plotting the SSDM book, Stephen's scripting, and our amazingly talented friend Daniel Thollin is doing all the artwork. He does amazing work, especially horror stuff, and his promo images have me floored, I can't wait to get this book done.
“The second book planned is actually a bit of an homage to the H&E origin, it's called ‘On the Trail With a Curly Tail, -- the caption I wrote on the very first Inspector Ham drawing-- and will be written half by Stephen and half by myself. We have 12 or so outstanding artists lined up to do five-page stories on this! One of them, Danilo Beyruth, has already completed his story and it is amazing. We're really blessed to know so many talented people.”
Overall, if you like comics that take you back to a simpler time in the medium this is it.
The book, the third issue just coming out now, also provides a darned fine story, coupled with great art. A definite winner of its type of comic.
www.inspectorham.com is the comic's official site, and www.brainfoodcomicsonline.com is their self-publishing site. The booklets can be purchased through their printer at www.indyplanet.com!
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- Webspynn

2009-10-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

Webspynn
Art by Heriberto Bezerril (Issue 1)
Toni Masdiono (Issue 2)
Written by A.J. Hill (Issue 1)
Created by Tyran Eades (took over writing Issue 2)
Indie

An unmined motherlode of inspiration for comic books in the rich First Nations culture. Webspynn, which is a superhero story begins to connect with the myth and culture of American Indians, and that element, while only touched on in the first two issues was certainly a crucial one in grabbing my attention.
Now the name and the look will draw comparisons to Marvel’s Spiderman, but A.J. Hill has a more mature take on the storyline than the original Spidey, and in general than most stuff from that character today. Webspynn stands on its own, even if he is influenced by the spider and has web capabilities.
Eades said the Spiderman comparison is expected, and the old Marvel character was an influence.
“I believe me and A. J. wanted to introduce the character without a lot of the usual Spider-man-like tones,” said Eades. “Granted when talking about Webspynn #1, there are a lot of similar tones to Spider-man, such as the hot female supporting character from next door, the villainy of bank robbers, and the hero springing into action at the hint of danger.
“We wanted a few major points to be made with the first issue. Webspynn is not your typical spider-like superhero. The character’s next door neighbor is actually a stripper. Both the hero and his natural identity will always be balance in every issue of the book. These are just some of the ideas that created the tone of the initial story.”
Hill said the concept is to be darker than most mainstream heroes.
“The need to see a spider-themed hero as Predator, Stalker, Hunter, and Fearmonger. There's no shortage of spider-themed characters in comics but I feel that a great many of these characters gloss over the spider for the most part,” he said. “There's a real emphasis on the spider's webbing, strength, wall-crawling, but not a whole lot about just how creepy they are. Some of our comic mainstays started out that way but the focus either shifted, or the characters are established in such a way now that even their enemies don't pay homage to just how unsettling one of nature's more perfect predators, personified -- talk about alliteration -- is supposed to be.
“This is about a scary vigilante SOB who is made all the more scary by his detachment from the human condition as well as his primal connection to all things that go bump in the night and draw even more fear from us.”
Interestingly Webspynn was actually a character that became more than the creator ever expected it would be.
“To tell you the truth, Webspynn was never suppose to be in his own book,” said Eades. “My original purpose for the character was simple, a hero with a cool costume. The character was originally a part of a group of vigilante teens and in this team, Webspynn was more of a secondary character with little history or background information.
“The idea for Webspynn to receive his own book came at the Baltimore Comic Con in 2007. I decided months before the convention to draw Spider-man, one of my favorite Marvel characters, with a spider-like character of my own. Just weeks before the Con, I decided to have one of our colorist to bring the half Spider-man and half Webspynn picture to life. This picture ended up as a banner at the BCC which attracted the attention of A. J., of course the rest is history.”
Hill picked up on the story.
“This iteration of Webspynn starting taking shape right after BCC '07 and hasn't stopped evolving since,” he said. “It was slow going at first since there was so much ground to cover, and we really didn't want to tread a lot of the same ground we'd seen in other comics.”
Hill said Webspynn as a character developed rather naturally once the idea of creating a book around him came into focus.
“Tyran had an amazing character design on display at BCC '07 and I couldn't pass up the chance to give function to the form of Webspynn,” he said. “It was getting a lot of attention and I thought it was overdue for a lot of concrete answers to stand up to the tidal wave of positive inquiry. I guess I said all the right things and Tyran gave me a shot at putting my own spin on the character. There, that was your prerequisite pun.”
Eades said it was a case of putting the right team together to bring Webspynn to life.
“This matching between creator, writer, and character continued to develop over the holiday season of 2007 to the spring of 2008. Just about once every month, Webspynn, A. J., and myself convened at a local mall to talk shop,” he said. “I’m surprise we got the project off the ground with so much off topic stuff from the happenings of Marvel and DC.”
A superhero’s success is often tied to the look. The Hulk with yellow skin? I don’t think so.
Webspynn has a modern, classic look. What does that mean? Well it combines traditional hero in spandex style, but with a more dramatic white and blue suit with a modern flair. It’s a winning look.
Eades said he simply advertised for an artist and that brought options his way.
“I had an idea of how I wanted the book to look so I posted a note on the website, Deviant Art, for a sequential artist,” he said. “I was looking for a dynamic artist who could deliver great action sequences and show true facial expressions and emotions in their line work.
“The first artist for the project, Heriberto, was great but declined on continuing with the project. Luckily, I kept in contact with one of the other artist from the posting, Toni Masdiono, the current Webspynn artist. Toni and my relationship on the book is almost perfect. He is becoming more familiar with the character and supporting cast, while I get the chance to flex my writing skills.”
Artistically, Heriberto Bezerril did a solid job in issue one, but Webspynn took a major step forward in issue two with Toni Masdiono coming on stream as penciler. The book has typical colour work on most pages, but at times intersperses dramatic black and white pages where he uses the blue of Webspynn’s suit as a highlight colour to great effect. I could get into a whole book done in that fashion.
It is difficult to come up with fresh hero concept these days, and while Hill’s Webspynn borrows from Spidey, this is still a pretty solid effort in creating a new take on the genre.
The strength will come from tieing the story to the old myths and stories of the First Nation’s culture, and hopefully Hill uses that connection to full effect in future issues.
Hill and Eades are happy with what is being created with Webspynn.
“I can't speak for the acceptance/audience part of that question but I can definitely say that the final product blew me away,” said Hill. “The art team, the ones doing the real legwork here, turned out panel after panel of professional work. It's the equal or better of anything I've seen on the shelves at my LCS (local comic shop) and I'd honestly pay to see our penciler on one of Marvel or DC's top franchise books.”
Eades added, “the book has come a long way from the initial ideas to its actual printed form. I am pleased with the response from the many individuals that have bought the book.”
There is more to come from Webspynn too.
“The plan, from where I'm sitting, is to explore more of Andrew's roots and Webspynn's psychology,” said Hill. “I'm not going to call Andrew shallow but he definitely wears his heart on his sleeve. He's a simple man with simple motivations and the potential to be incredibly complicated. It'll be a lot of fun to watch as he realizes what his true power and purpose is.
“Webspynn, on the other hand, is a totally different person. More to the point, he's not so much a person as a force of nature. He's been bridled in the form of Andrew and like any wild animal, he wants to break free. He's an eternal creature in an ephemeral world with people a lot less mighty and a lot less mindful than he is.
“I really want to explore how uncomfortable he feels in Andrew's skin while Andrew discovers the thing crawling underneath his skin.”
Eades said the initial story is laying the foundation for the future.
“The current story arc, ‘Gather the Warriors’, will introduce a lot of supporting characters and subplot elements,” he said. “A lot of these supporting characters will be made up of normal folks like Milani while, the others will be ‘supers’ or ‘baddies’. The GTW story arc is set up from issues 2, the prologue, to issue 6 and issue 7, as the epilogue.”
“Beyond the GTW story arc, I can’t say but my intention is to bring back A. J. to do a story arc or two. This will give me the chance to do some minis and one-shots featuring Webspynn and some of my other characters.”
Check Webspynn out at www.heritagecomicshsq.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- The Book Of Sorrow

2009-10-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Book of Sorrow
Art by Tim Hall
Written by Jason Phillips
Indie

To say I was at first blown away by, and slightly confused by the storyline in The Book of Sorrow would not be an understatement.
Actually in the world of comic book stories I am quite satisfied when a story has the level of complexity that I have to think my way through it, and Jason Phillips makes you think here.
The good thing is that once you fall into the dream world Phillips is building the story around, you find a deliciously malevolent world, filled with nastiness, and yet there is always the side of good which holds out the promise things will work out … although I’m not sure as this story moves forward it’s going to be a victory without its share of casualties.
Against the back drop of the battle in the dream world is a love story, which while the reason the war rages, takes a backseat to the action over the first two issues of this excellent series.
Interwoven into the story are memorable, albeit dark characters like the dangerous jester Despair, and the powerful Grieve.
While a dark story, Tim Hall said the influence was still life.
“Our own personal lives are the underlining engine that drive the story,” he said, adding “outside influences from movies, art, and music help to create the fiction that surrounds it.”
Coming from life, or not, the book took time to coalesce into written form.
“We worked on the initial idea for about two-years,” said Hall. “Neither of us have a ton of time on our hands so when we would get together we would just talk comics and listen to music. We did not want to develop anything that did not have reasoning behind it. We've always hated those ‘just because’ story lines. Because of this it took a little time to figure out were we wanted to go.”
Hall said the characters are an element where they looked inward for inspiration.
“Most of the main characters designs and back stories come from their own personal trials within the world of absolution,” he said. “Every character originated from thinking about how a real person would react in these extra ordinary situations. Some of these characters are reflections of people that have touched our own lives. Secondary characters mainly come from functionality. Most of the characters in our book were thought up by thinking about, ‘how would this work?’ Once you think like that things just kind of fall into place.”
Interestingly, in general terms Hall said as a co-creator, what he reads is not his biggest influence.
“I would say music is probably my primary influence,” he said, adding “a few writers that have influenced me are Clive Barker, not just his novels but also his intricate views on how art is created. James O'barr because he was really the first comic book creator that showed me comics could be more than superheros. David Mack because of his ability to use this medium to showcase his own emotional stories through artistic metaphor. Finally Shakespeare was a big influence on the narrative sections of the book.”
A perfect match to the story is the art provided by Tim Hall, who is also the series co-creator with Phillips.
Hall uses a dramatic, style for the stunning black and white art which immediately draws attention.
I particularly like how he tones down the art with softer shading hen dealing with the ‘real world’ love story, then uses a heavier pen stroke in shading the art on the other side of the veil. It creates a noticeable difference between the worlds which works well since they have a decidedly different dramatic atmosphere.
Hall and Phillips have worked together on The Book of Sorrow from the start.
“At first, just like the story, we literally sat in a room and I drew as Jason sat there looking over my shoulder,” said Hall. “And we would go over everything together. This book is very much the two of us. Later once things got started I continued to draw and would show pages to Jason, as they were being done, to get an opinion on layouts and style. I know he has a vision for the book as do I and I am adamant about capturing both.
Hall said he draws his art influences from a broad spectrum of creators and artists.
“Most of my influences come from various places like movies, music, comics, video games, and art,” he said. “To name a few artist that have inspired me, James O'barr, David Mack, Jason Shawn Alexander, Greg Capullo, Kerry Gammill, CP Smith, James Jean, Random unknowns that I've seen here and there but do not know their names, and the list goes on and on.
“I like a lot of different styles and I think you can take things from all of them. If you ever get to the point were you only like this one guy then your style will probably start looking like that one guy. Having multiple influences really helps to keep your style your own.”
The co-creators are rightfully proud of their effort on Book of Sorrow to-date, and they promise more to come.
“So far we are proud of how it looks and we feel like we have made a major step towards a style that is uniquely our own,” said Hall. “The look is an ever-changing process expect a slight change in style in issue three.
“Acceptance has been surprising because we have only been promoting at our local shop. The audience seems to range from all different types. We have not tried to grab one particular group. With any type of art, you are really trying to produce something that you yourself are pleased with, never thinking about what appeals to others. All you can do is hope people appreciate what you've created afterwards.”
Hall said there is certainly more to come for the title, but he is not releasing any secrets.
“Expect many issues to come,” he said. “We don't want to give away any major plot points so all we can say is there is a lot in store.”
The Book of Sorrow may be dark, but one that you should mark as must read material. A top indie offering which deserve a broad audience.
For more information check out www.thebookofsorrow.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- The Legend Of Isis

2009-10-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

The Legend of Isis
Art by unlisted
Written by Aaron Stueve
Bluewater Comics

Isis is a Goddess and she’s hot, what more could most red-blooded comic book reading males want in a comic.
Sure that might be stereotyping comic book readers a touch, but then I again I was once a young reader, and although well-aged now, I know where my comic book roots are. The same place that makes the comic book humour of The Big Bang Theory so darned funny.
But back to The Legend of Isis, this is a book which is going to draw comparisons to DC's Wonder Woman. They are both Goddesses, and are heroines in our world. Isis is just realizing that, which at least gives the storyline some freshness.
Having only issue three to draw from makes gauging the storyline a bit difficult, because I can’t say how things developed over the first two issues.
I can say I was impressed enough by issue three to want to read more as the story unfolds.
The issue has Isis in a sword swinging battle with the Scorpion Queen which rages through the entire issues, interspersed with cuts outs to the mortal cast of he book. The fight scene art is rendered large and dramatic, and really is the heart of this book. Sadly, the inside book credits do not list a penciller, although I assume his last name is Hernawan from the exterior cover. Whoever the artist is, it’s very solid comic work.
Writer Aaron Stueve said he is working to build the base for the ongoing series.
“Darren (creator Darren Davis) told me to introduce two of his new characters – Tony and Cleo, so I had to do that somehow. Also, I was told Isis needed a bigger supporting cast, so I had to do that too,” said Stueve.
“But more importantly I also wanted to take Isis to some strange places. Basically, I wanted to mess with her head. I like the idea of a woman stuck out of her own time. But that doesn't feel like enough conflict for me, so I wanted to throw a character into the story that would make Isis wonder if anything was real, so the conflict would be more profound than before. By the end of this storyline, Isis is not only a girl stuck out of time, but she is a girl stuck out of time who isn't sure if anything is real. In a sense, I'm driving her crazy, because the next storyline builds on this one.”
Working on an ongoing story, and one not of his own creation, Stueve said he focuses on creating story arcs.
“I plan out an arc with the hopes of keeping it at four issues -- I failed on that point with this arc because it ended up being five,” he explained. “This usually takes a night or two, or three, of just rough idea and story sketching. This is followed by scripting.
“For this particular storyline I wrote a page by page description of what I wanted to happen in each issue, sent it to Darren who reviewed/edited it then sent it to the artist, who drew it.
“When the pages were done, I then went back and added all the dialogue. This isn't normally how I go about writing scripts, however, while I was writing these issues, I was also in the process of earning my MFA in creative writing, so I had a few other things on my plate.
“So from idea to book with this one I would guess it took about six-eight months because after I decide upon dialogue, the letterer letters it, the colorist colors it, the editor signs off on it, it goes to the publisher and ba-da-bing-ba-da-boom, Isis.
“Normally, I like to do page-by-page and panel-by-panel scripting with the dialogue at the same time, and that is what I am back to on Isis, which makes the creative process a little more time consuming. But I think it pays off with the finished product.”
As a writer, Stueve said he is constantly picking up ideas.
“I am influenced by everything,” he said. “I carry a notebook with me at all times and am constantly writing notes. Scenes that play out in some of my stories are scenes I have seen at malls, in stores, or on the street.
“I am also influenced by what I read, and right now I am just finishing Don Quixote, I am reading the third part in the Imaginarium Geographica series, and a wonderful book of short stories by Karen Gettert Shoemaker called Night Sounds.
“As for comics, I'm digging all the zombies in DC right now, more because I like zombie stories than what is actually happening, Evan Dorkin's Beasts of Burden is freaking phenomenal too.
“Then, as much as I hate to say this because everyone seems to hate what's going on in Marvel's Ultimate Comics line, I really liked Ultimate Avengers and Spider-Man. I also enjoy anything Mignola. The list goes on and on really.”
Stueve said so far The Legend of Isis is developing into something he truly likes.
“The final look, particularly this arc, is great,” he said. “It looks like a comic I am proud to be a part of. As far the audience and acceptance, I must admit I would like more fans. Although, there is a Facebook group fan page, which is cool.
“But I hope word gets around with this arc that Isis is going in a whole new direction that will surprise everyone. Hopefully our fan base will keep growing. I like the growth, but I'd be lying if I said I was 100 per cent happy with it. I want more growth! More!!”
Check out Isis at www.bluewaterprod.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- UNMASKED

2009-10-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

Unmasked
Art by John Broglia
Written by Michael Sarrao
Indie

There are tons of superhero comics. Why?
Hey deep down that is what most think of first when thinking about comic books, at least in North America. It is characters such as Batman and Superman that really captured imaginations decades ago, followed by the Marvel Universe many years later.
Over the years you would think most hero ideas would have been exhausted, yet there are still those who can put an interesting spin on the realm of superheroes.
That of course brings us to Unmasked, created by writer Michael Sarrao.
With Unmasked Sarrao has a world where superheroes disappeared for a time, and are reemerging. However, the new generation of 'hero' has a more self-centered view of what they do as heroes. They see violence as a way to create the world they want, more than protecting the world as it is.
OK! the idea of power hungry heroes is not totally unique. The Watchmen coming to mind thanks to the outstanding movie, but it is a storyline far less explored than the general 'do-gooder' vision of the hero we get with Superman and Spiderman.
Only two issues into the title, Sarrao has set up some intriguing plot threads which work as big time hooks to read more.
The heroes may not have a break-out superstar character among them, but they work as an ensemble cast with a story more focused on their mind set than their powers, which is a nice change for the genre.
Not surprisingly Spidey and the Watchmen helped Sarrao in terms of inspiring him to look at the superhero genre.
“The initial groundwork for Unmasked really started during the Spiderman movie hype back in 2002,” he said. “When the movie came out and it was a success it made me think about what I could write that would be just as cool and fun. I had picked up the Watchmen graphic novel for the first time ever later that year and read it twice over. The groundwork was laid in my mind for a series where the 20th Century heroes are gone and now a new wave of violent legacies have appeared in the wake of the world wide economic crisis. Rookie reporter Paige Cruise has taken it upon herself to uncover the whereabouts of the 20th Century heroes and unmask the New Age heroes.”
Sarrao is also keeping the secret identities of the heroes’ secret as a way to build suspense in the story, which is a nice storytelling tool.
“The approach I want to take with Unmasked is that we don’t know who these superheroes are. They can be anyone,” he said. “This is a huge departure from the common superhero mythos as we know who Superman, Batman and Spiderman are. I want to amplify the mystery making their "unmasking" that much more shocking.”
The reporter Cruise is actually a more integral part of the story than the heroes in many ways. Having a now super powered character playing a major role is also not something generally scene in the genre, giving another element of freshness to Unmasked. Sarrao said he saw having that context to the story as important.
“I had always liked the combination of Mulder and Scully from the X-Files and I wanted that same kind of chemistry from Paige and Scott our main characters,” he said. “I eventually threw the 'reformed' super villain Eric Ziest in there to serve as comedic fun and as a bizarre mentor.
“The superheroes developed from the classic archetypes of Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman etc., but with some more realistic costume designs. For example, characters from the 1940s have a very World War II military look to them instead of the undies over the tights.”
Interestingly Unmasked was initially envisioned as a movie, with the story initially developed as a script, but becoming a comic in order to potentially attract movie interest.
“I had been writing notes for Unmasked since 2002. It wasn’t until 2004 where I had decided to write a full length movie script for the series,” said Sarrao. “I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Film from Brooklyn College and I had always wanted to see this story on the big or small screen. I coordinate events at Brooklyn College and I met a fellow alum, Vinnie Favale, a VP of CBS Late Night Television. He advised me to take the screenplays and convert them to comics as graphic novels were starting to gain momentum in Hollywood. After he told me that I was on my way to adapting the scripts and searching for an artist.”
As a writer Sarrao said Unmasked was relatively easy to put into words because the characters became very defined in his mind rather quickly.
“If you know your characters well they start writing themselves,” he said. “Once a writer is in that inspired mode, nothing can stop him/her. I wrote that initial script in two-weeks. When I converted Unmasked from feature length script to comic book form it took a bit longer as the formatting and flow of pages were things that I needed to learn. Creating the Unmasked mini comic has been an eye opening and educational experience. I credit John (Broglia), and my letterer Kristyn Ferretti for helping me along the way.”
Artistically, Unmasked is simply excellent. John Broglia has a style that leaves this story, which I basically set in the current era, with a definite classic, near pulp-feel. These are square-jawed 'heroes' that pop off the page.
The colours are amazing too. Broglia uses muted-orange and yellow as backgrounds on several panels to great effect when doing flashback scenes, and in issue two, scenes in a snowstorm are quite dramatic.
Broglia can draw folks.
Sarrao said he ended up teaming with Broglia on the recommendation of a friend.
“Credit goes to Jacki Berger,” said Sarrao. “She was my assistant at Brooklyn College at the time and she knew I was writing screenplays. I had told her what Vinnie Favale had said and she suggested a friend that was an artist. I emailed John the script, he liked it and we were off and running.
“I like his style as it was very reminiscent of the old Batman Animated Series as well as the other series that had followed.”
Broglia said he just wants to tell a story through his art.
“My influences have always been cartoonists that have not only mastered their own artistic style but the art of sequential storytelling as well,” he said. “Will Eisner, Bruce Timm, Michael Avon Oeming, John Romita Jr, and most recently, Darwyn Cooke. Each one is a master in the field of cartooning and comic book art. If I can accomplish just half of what these talented men have, I would consider myself blessed.”
Sarrao said he certainly is satisfied with the finished product.
“We created this mini comic to pitch to publishers,” he said. “I think it looks gorgeous. John’s art combined with Nick Filardi’s colours and Kristyn Ferretti’s letters are fantastic. I’m sending it out to publishers and hoping that someone will give us a shot. We have over 300 fans on Facebook and hope we can spread the word out even more.”
And, there is more Unmasked story to come.
“As these New Age Superheroes start to force their rules upon society, Paige is going to desperately search for the old 20th Century heroes and try to band them together to face their deadly legacies,” said Sarrao.
This is one of those titles that if it was coming from a big name publisher there would be a significant buzz. The story and art are both excellent, and as a result Unmasked deserves a long look. Find it, and enjoy.
For more information check out http://www.facebook.com/l/8fd21;Michaelsarrao.blogspot.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- TECH STORM: RAGES OF WAR

2009-10-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

Tech Storm: Rages of War
Art by Ryan Crouse
Written by Ryan Crouse
Star Verse Comics

While these reviews are generally an online exclusive of Yorkton This Week's Web Extra feature, since Ryan Crouse is a Yorkton-based creator, this is a review that is appearing both online and in the Sept. 23 edition of YTW.
Crouse is one of those business-minded young men who focuses on taking his talents as far as he can by strong marketing.
As a result of that philosophy Crouse's Star Verse Comics celebrated its 10th anniversary this summer. It doesn't matter how you slice it, but for a small indie comic label to make 10 years is rather amazing. That said Crouse markets his comics effectively through his small label with a website, and being active in supporting others doing what he is doing.
As a side note Crouse uses the same plan in promoting Iron Dragon his metal music effort with Sam Derkatch.
But, back to Tech Storm. The new release is the second of a two-part storyline called Rages of War, the first issue coming out ages ago, which of course is one thing that happens to indie creators doing everything themselves, and needing to hold a job to pay the bills. Getting books out in a timely fashion is hard.
You know it's been a while when the creator struggles to remember when the idea of Tech Storm first came to him.
“Honestly, I can't totally remember what inspired it originally,” he said. “It was probably something to do with watching a lot of the Star Wars Movies and GI JOE cartoons while I was growing up.”
In terms of real time Crouse said, “between issue one and two, I had them both written roughly 10-plus years ago!
“With that said, I began planning and sketching on this issue sometime in 2007, but with all the other side projects going on (The Iron Dragon CD, and inking for other companies around the globe), I kept putting it off to the side.”
As a result, it's a little bit of a challenge as a reader trying to jump back into the storyline after a lengthy hiatus.
That is not quite so difficult here because Crouse's storyline is a rather straight forward good versus evil conflict, and you realize the good guys to cheer for pretty quickly.
As a storyteller there are times Crouse repeats a bit, yes we get it that the big bad guy 'Death' has to be stopped. A few of the panels where that fact is reiterated in one way of another would have been better served expanding the story a little bit.
Crouse said the story did allow him to expand on many of the characters, such as Tech Storm, “you see more of what he is capable of in a combat situation,” he said. Adding with Death “you see more of his fury and rage and you also get to see how tough (he) really is!”
Ridor “takes more lead as he stays more off the battle field and more into the control base to help Tech Storm with tips and directions so to speak.”
There are a few places too where the lettering is just a bit small, or faded, and that tends to slow reading just a bit too.
When it comes to writing, Crouse said he really draws from within, rather than having a lot of outside influences.
“Well, I don't really have any 'big' influences, but I guess ones that helped me along the way would be ones such as Todd McFarlane, Gregory Wright (Original Deathlok Series), Frank Miller, Peter David, Warren Ellis, Chris Claremont, Stan Lee (of course), & J. Michael Straczynski,” he said. “I am probably missing a couple here.”
In the end though Crouse has planted a few seeds to create hooks for Tech Storm to return in new storylines.
Artistically, Crouse shows this is a hobby. The art has a rawness to it. He has the idea of a muscled body under control, but his faces, especially the mouths, are a work in progress. While not an artist, in interviewing many over the years, hands and mouths are two aspects of the human body which are a challenge.
While not the best-looking work, for a futuristic tale it works. Had the story been a passionate love story the art would have come up too-short.
Crouse said among pencilers he looks up to people like Todd McFarlane, Ian Churchill, Rob Liefeld, M.C. Wyman, Gary Frank, Walter McDaniel, Ed McGuinness, Greg Capullo, Jim Cheung, while among inkers others catch his eye including; Mike DeCarlo, Greg Adams, Todd McFarlane, Steve Rude, Tim Townsend, Don Hillsman II, Kevin Conrad.
Doing both the writing and art, I was curious which Crouse saw as the hardest part of the book's creation process?
“Well for me, I would have to say that they are both pretty even,” he said. “With the writing, you have all the research! For example, when I was working on Donar (another title he creates), I studied for hours on Norse Mythology, ancient symbols, languages, etc.
“When doing the art, it basically comes down to time, as in how long it will take to draw and ink. I have had a page take just an hour or two, and another page take over four hours - depending on the detail work that I am laying down.”
In the end, Crouse said he likes how issue #2 turned out.
“Expectation wise, I am very pleased with the turn out of this book,” he said. “Ian Shire of Dimestore Productions and Self Publishers Association (or SPA for short) ( http://www.dimestoreproductions.com ) did a great job making this my first comic book sized comic.”
While this is the end of the current story arc for Tech Storm, Crouse said the character will return.
“Since this was the conclusion of the 'Rages Of War' series, next will be Tech Storm #3 'Cyber Wars' (part 1),” he said. “I will not reveal how many parts the next installment will be, but I will tell you that it will look deeper into the internal conflict between Death and Cyberior.
“It will also be heading in a new direction based on what happened at the end of Issue #2 and the mysterious character at the end.”
Certainly for local comic fans, this should be a must to support a local creator and entrepreneur. I know I look forward to future works from Crouse.
You can check out the title at the Star Verse Comics website at - http://www.starverse.ca.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- R13

2009-10-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

R13
Art by Daniel Bradford
Written by Thomas Hall
Blacklist Studios

When you go into a comic book store and see the shelves filled with titles, something has to attract your attention pretty quickly to draw you away from your familiar titles.
Credit Daniel Bradford for catching the reader's eye with the great cover art on issue #1 of R13. What comic book fan wouldn't be attracted to a giant octopus attacking a ship? Frightened men are seen on the deck. One poor sailor is wrapped in a huge tentacle.
And, in the middle of it all is R13, a robot, with a sort of steam punk, pulp-era look.
The result is a dramatic scene of battle that draws people to look at the book more closely. It's an excellent piece of cover art which does its job.
Flip through the pages, and Bradford's work continues to impress.
Whether a facial expression on a scared seaman, the cool look of the robot with its floating skull head, or larger panels of battle, the art is simply fantastic.
Bradford has a skill that reminds of Mike Mignola's Hellboy at times, and that is about as good as it gets in terms of comparison.
Bradford said Mignola has been a definite influence on his work.
“Absolutely. Mignola is a big influence,” he said, adding, “Stephen Gammell is a huge influence as well as Jae Lee, Jason Shawn Alexander, and Ashley Wood.”
As for inspiration, Bradford said that depends on the issue he is working on.
“It changes. The first issue was very inspired by Stephen Gammell, as well as a steady stream of the 'Mars Attacks!' theme playing in the background,” he said. “... The look of the book was pretty experimental for me as far as the colors go. I was really just making it up as I went along, ditching what didn't feel right, keeping what I thought was working and putting aside things that I thought was pretty cool but would work better in a later issue. So I was pretty nervous about how the book would be accepted artistically.”
Story wise, Thomas Hall has chosen a minimalist style for issue #1 of R13. There isn't a lot of words here, yet the sparing use of text, works.
Often comics today get knocked for relying on art, and forgetting to tell the story in words. Yet with R13, the action-oriented first issue really uses the art to tell the story. When you're looking at a giant octopus in battle, there are not a lot of words needed.
At the sane time, Hall's story leaves enough questions about the unique R13 that you want to read the next issue.
Hall said R13 came about by drawing from several things, include classic horror, to create the storyline.
“Robot 13 was inspired by a lot of things,” he said. “Some of it came from Daniel’s designs and the thoughts that I had when I saw them, and some of it was from things I read about when I did research. We got a bunch of ideas and really started talking about them, and once Daniel and I were pretty happy with the direction, I started writing.
“I was reading Frankenstein when the whole thing started, and some of that factored in, as did some discussions Daniel and I had about Greek Mythology.
“But in the end, everything we do usually builds from the back-and-forth of Daniel’s designs inspiring me and my writing giving Daniel ideas. All we ever care about is the end product. Neither one of us has too much of an ego when it comes to ideas… Sure, I write the script and Daniel does the art, but ideas come from both of us and we just want to do something extraordinary.”
The pair can feel good in the sense they have done just that creating an extraordinary comic.
In terms of influences as a writer, Hall said he has some in the comic world, and some of the world of literature.
“In terms of comics, I love guys like Allan Moore and Grant Morrison who write very literate comics,” he said. “It’s great to see someone take really wild, creative ideas and actually try to push their work into the realm of literature, rather than something more disposable. I also love the writing of Tom Sniegoski, because he takes the stories he writes for comics very seriously in their construction. That’s rare, to find someone who looks at everything like it was a novel when they are “just” doing comics.
“Outside of comics, I read mostly older writers like Edgar Allan Poe or Flannery O’Connor. Today’s writers don’t do too much for me. Maybe I was born in the wrong era, I am not sure, but I love the total reliance on words that people had back in the day. Bending them to do your will… most writers today don’t want to work that hard.”
Once the ideas firmed up, Bradford said they got them onto the page rather quickly.
“Once Thomas saw the robot designs he began work pretty quickly and started banging out script ideas before I even really knew what was going on,” he said. “I gave him some of my ideas, like all the villains and monsters originating from Greek mythology and a few other ideas that are still held pretty close to the chest for the time being, but this was really one of those things that triggered other ideas that were rolling around in his head at the time so he was able to get some pretty incredible background going real quick.”
Getting the book to print was a challenge but one the creators took on by launching their own comic book company with Blacklist Studios.
“From a business standpoint, Blacklist Studios is our baby,” said Hall. “We put up the capitol to start it, and we have been working diligently to get our books out and to do publicity and everything that is involved with publishing Robot 13. So on the one hand, there is nobody to tell us 'No' or to turn us down. We know that issue #2 is coming out and issue #3 will follow that. Nobody is 'firing' us, nobody is canceling our books or hiring another writer or artist instead of Daniel or I. We have that security.
“On the other hand, we don’t have a big corporate bank account behind us, so we have to be wise with our money and follow our business plan for the long haul. It’s not difficult, but it’s a lot of work and we have to take it all seriously.”
This is a story that catches attention. The art is as good as it gets. What more can you say. A great comic creation tandem at work here.
The creators say they are satisfied with the reaction to a book which they admit may not be very mainstream in a comic world dominated by superheroes.
“We felt that we had a pretty strong idea and concept from the beginning but we really didn't know what to expect once the book was introduced,” said Bradford. “We were floored, however, by the overwhelming response we'd gotten, which, of course, increased our nervousness about creating a successful book. Wowing readers from the beginning is great, keeping those readers hooked is even better but far more difficult.
The sentiment of success was echoed by Hall.
“I am very happy that people seem to connect with our book,” he said. “Robot 13 has some elements in it that aren’t the norm in comics, and we have tried to use images very poetically and I am looking to bring out a level in our characters which is a little more sensitive than people may be used to. I think readers have been waiting for that- something a bit deeper than typical action comics. So far that seems to be the case, anyway. We don’t take that for granted, either, because we consciously look to make each book better than the last.”
So what lies ahead for R13?
“Issue #2 brings with it a bit more mystery concerning Robot 13, and we see his personality brought out a bit as well,” said Hall. “Our Hero battles a Phoenix in that, and it’s quite amazing, especially in terms of the visuals. The ending of issue #2 is somewhat of a shock -- I obviously don’t want to give it away, but it will drive the series forward for some time to come. Beyond that, you have to wait and see, but I am pretty sure that fans of the first issue will really enjoy what we have in store.”
Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/l/25800;www.blackliststudios.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE NIGHT PROJECTIONIST

2009-09-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

The Night Projectionist
Art by Diego Yapura
Written by Robert Heske
Black House Comics

Do you like vampires and the idea of evil that is ancient, one which reappears all too often to threaten those who are unfortunate enough to be near?
Yes, it's an old storyline, but one good writers pull off with subtle twists of the tale which offer the reader something fresh.
Robert Heske is promising to be one of those authors which can pull this off with the first issue of The Night Projectionist.
The story begins in Hungary in 1709, laying a few nice teasers of evil, then flashes to the present where that evil appears to have emerged again.
This is one of those books which has 'future movie' written all over it. It has a cinematic feel to it which could translate to be big screen quite naturally, which appears to be in the plans.
“Now that the comic is complete as an OGN, the chances are good it will also be made into a film. Myriad Pictures, whom Studio 407 shares office space with and has a "first-look" deal, saw the galleys and optioned the film rights. I'm working on a draft of the screenplay now. Talk about coming around full circle!,” said Heske.
It however, also holds well as a comic book.
Heske said the idea didn't come from other vampire/horror stories.
“Believe it or not, the classic film 12 Angry Men. For some reason, the idea of a captive audience and a 'convict' wrongly accused inspired the idea about a night projectionist who, in actuality, is a renegade vampire on the run from his coven,” he said. “The dark leader of the coven, Theodore Burak, and his new genetic breed of vampires descend upon the town - and the tiny theatre - to settle an old score. But one question remains for the captive audience to solve - in order for them to survive, is the night projectionist friend or foe?”
That said, Heske does like horror flicks himself.
“My favorite horror movie of all time was the original Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis -- who, ironically, wasn't the hottest teen chick in the film -- and directed by John Carpenter,” he said. “My favorite comedies growing up even had a horror slant - like Abbot and Costello meets Frankenstein -- a 1948 film that I caught as a constant re-run on TV in the late sixties/early seventies.”
The germ of an idea still took time to grow into an actual book.
“This story has been percolating for about 10 years,” he said. “It started out as a movie idea -- I was a screenwriter before I became a comic creator -- but I never quite got it right. I pitched the idea to Alex Leung at Studio 407, a cutting edge comic book publisher with film connections, and Alex said - 'I love it ... as a comic!'”
Helping set the dark mood is the full colour artwork of Deigo Yapura. He uses shading effectively to feed the mood, although never going so dark that the art loses its definition.
Pick up this title, flip through the pages, and the art will make you want to explore the book in much more detail. The art certainly accomplishes its role of grabbing attention.
“I had nothing to do with the selection of the artist,” said Heske, adding, “I am thankful that Studio 407 put Diego Yapura on the job. He's a new artist in the field, very detail-oriented, and his work has gone from very good in issue one to flat-out fantastic in the subsequent issues ... The combination of the artwork by Diego Yapura and the colors by Jorge Blanco is a rare visual treat for hardcore horror fans.”
In the end The Night Projectionist promises to be a bright new retelling of the story of the vampire. That is not an easy feat in a world where vampire stories are legion, but after one issue Heske seems to have the skill to make this a fresh and entertaining book. Definitely worth a look.
Check it out at Studio 407's website is www.studio-407.com. That's where readers can read more abut the story premise and check out a black and white version of issue one online called NIGHT PROJECTIONIST NOIR. Fans interested in buying the book can get it several places, but one good place to start is www.heavyink.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- AMERICAN SINNER

2009-09-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

American Sinner
Art by Edson Alves
Written by Glenn Moane
Indie

Comic books are usually thought of as the place where creators tell fantastical stories, people with superpowers, alien works, strange impossible science.
Then there are comic book creators who simply pick up the local newspaper – no not The National Enquirer – using the headlines there to tell some truly chilling, dramatic stories.
Welcome to American Sinner written by Glenn Moane.
The story is horrific, and sadly all too real. It deals with a serial killer, and that is something scarier than any Frankenstein monster story.
Moane does a great job of weaving a story which rings true, which is essential for a tale which is set firmly in the world just outside our doors. If this story felt exaggerated at all it would quickly fall into the realm of the drek which passes for a horror movie in Hollywood. Moane stick handles past that hole in the ice slicker than Steve Yzerman on a breakaway.
Writer Moane said the real world was certainly something which influenced his work.
“I guess you can say that the news was an influence; in terms of what theme I wanted to write about that time,” he said. “I wanted to write something about a business, preferably in its worst possible incarnation. A nationwide snuff movie network seemed like a natural fit, so I went ahead with that idea.”
The characters simply grew out of the dark storyline, said Moane.
“With the concept in mind, the characters came naturally,” he said. “To me, Frank Manning is a metaphor for just another greedy company that will stop at nothing to increase its profits. Kevin is the disobedient worker, and the women they prey upon can be seen as resources that are laid to waste during the production. It’s not exactly subtle, but I couldn't resist the urge not to be.”
Moane said once the idea got into his head, it made it to paper rather quickly.
“As soon as the concept was clear to me, I started toying with various plot ideas,” he said. “As soon I settled with the present one, after about a month or so, I started to write the script. The biggest challenge for me as a Norwegian was to write dialog that didn’t feel corny or forced. I still cringe when I read some of it today, but I figure it could be a lot worse.”
While American Sinner comes from the headlines, Moane's influences are certainly set in the world of comics and scifi.
“Ah, where to start? I love the work of Warren Ellis, Brian Bendis, Jason Aaron and Brian Wood tremendously, but my favorite writer above all is Garth Ennis,” he said. “His Punisher Max run has a special place in my heart, and it directly inspired American Sinner in terms of the 'mood' I wanted the book to have.
“Also, I wouldn’t be the writer I am if not for the noir elements of Miami Vice, or the literature of (Norwegian author) Dag Solstad.
“The list goes on.”
Since the story is a real one, it was important the art work capture that too. Edson Alves is a nice fit that way. The art isn't fantastical. It's real. Look at the people and they look like you and I. That has to be the way in this book for it to work.
The book is black and white, and that really is a good fit too. Sort of reminds of the old newsreels in terms of looking in on the story.
“I found Edson through a Brazilian studio that is now called Pencil Blue Studios (http://pencilbluestudio.blogspot.com),” said Moane. “I found his samples to be quite charming, especially the way he drew faces. In the book, Frank Manning looks just like the bastard I envisioned him to be, so I’m quite happy with my choice.”
The book stands alone, almost having too given the ending, which is another nod to reality.
“The way we leave Frank and Kevin at the end of the story is the way they ended up, so there are no plans for a sequel anytime soon,” said Moane.
The finished product is most gratifying, although Moane said he sees places he would improve.
“As mentioned, there are some things I would like to change when it comes to dialog, plus some other minor bits,” he said. “Also, I think the book would look great in color, so I’m thinking about doing something about that later.”
That said the reviews have been good.
“Dan Royer’s review of the comic in his 'From the Tomb Magazine' was very kind, which is always nice,” said Moane. “I would like to reach a wider audience with this book, and to do that I have to go through other channels than the print-on-demand route, so that’s also in the works.
“But overall, I’m grateful that nobody has yet to label American Sinner as 'a misogynist piece of crap!'”
Since this is a one-shot, it's a great book in the sense you get the full deal with one purchase. It's a great way to get into the head of writer Moane, and one that while satisfying, will have you wanting more from this writer.
The good news, more stories are to come.
“I have a couple of one-shots on the way, which should interest readers who liked American Sinner, as they take place in the same universe. Frank Manning’s misdeeds will be partly responsible for events happening in The Hit (available early 2010), which again is linked to the book Homecoming (available November/December). I have just received the first pages for Homecoming and they look stunning, so check it out when the time comes,” said the writer.
American Sinner can be ordered through the Indyplanet store: http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2130
For information regarding Moane's upcoming projects, go to http://glennmoane.blogspot.com.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- PHOBOS

2009-09-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Phobos
Art by Jason Brubaker
Written by Jason Brubaker
Coffee Table Comics
Phobos is one of those wonderful stories which really brings a number of very solid elements together.
To begin with, the art immediately catches the eye. Rendered in black and white Jason Brubaker has a style which is reminiscent of Dale Keown on his hit book Pitt. That my friends is high praise in my books.
Brubaker is especially good at facial close-up panels, where he captures emotions such as fear and surprise well.
It is also interesting to note, and to the artist's credit, that issue two of the series is stronger artistically than the first. That shows skill growth with is admirable.
Brubaker said art is his greatest strength at this point.
“I look at myself as more of an artist then a writer and so my influences have always been my favorite artists who wrote their own books,” he said. “When I drew Phobos I was influenced by Sam Kieth, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Frank Miller and Douglas Adams.” He added he doesn't see the Keown influence as much. “Yeah, Dale Keown has some great stuff and I can't say I wasn't influenced by him but Sam, Erik, Todd and Frank were my main guys for Phobos.”
Brubaker is right that many people will also see Keith's The Maxx in this work in terms of style.
Story wise, Brubaker is in the groove to. Phobos is a tongue-in-cheek horror story, that draws much in terms of approach from the old television series The Munsters. The classic horror icons, vampire, werewolf, Frankenstein are all here, but with a definite humourous twist.
Humour on a title which borrows what could easily become clichéd character types is a risk. The story could easily bog down in silly one-liners, and tired jokes heard before. Brubaker does an excellent job of avoiding such pitfalls. He has a good sense of pace in terms of writing the humour found here.
Brubaker himself said his humour writing is something of a work-in-progress in his mind.
“I don't feel like I really have a grasp on writing humor yet,” he said. “I've always liked how Douglas Adams writes humor in the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy books and can honestly say he is a big influence.”
Brubaker added, that writing is still the mist difficult aspect of creating Phobos.
“Writing is much harder for me,” he said, “although I'd have to say that I'm finding it easier the more stories I create. Drawing has always been a natural thing where as writing takes me a long time and 100 per cent concentration.”
Brubaker said the actual influences in terms of story are rather diverse.
“Back in high school when I came up with this idea I was really into the common horror characters like Dracula and werewolves but I wanted to create a world where these characters were more or less good,” he said. “I loved Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein illustrations as well as any old black and white Munsters/Addam's Family type look. And making them all friends was the only right thing to do.”
That said, Phobos directly came about as a result of trying to follow in the footsteps of one of the best indie comic titles ever.
“Phobos evolved from a Cerebus (Dave Sim) style character I was trying to create,” said Brubaker. “I realized that he looked bat-like so I made him into a messed up vampire. The rest of the cast quickly followed with a mad scientist and Frank inspired by Sam Kieth's art.”
There is really no weak element with Phobos. Brubaker takes a familiar group of characters and breathes fresh life into the storyline with humour, while offering a visually impressive book. Highly recommended.
The final product satisfied its creator too.
“The final look of the book looks great in my opinion and I'm very pleased with it,” said Brubaker, adding acceptance has been harder to find. “It's been hard finding an audience though. I have some die hard fans who will buy every Phobos thing I make but they're a rare breed.
“I've only taken it to the San Francisco Ape Con one year to test my market but plan on getting booths at lots of conventions for 2010 along with my upcoming graphic novel called "reMIND". I'll try to have a Phobos trade available by then too.”
And, the story may grow beyond a comic too.
“Believe it or not I have been pitching it around to movie studios this last year with several signs of interest,” said Brubaker. “As far as the story goes, let’s just say there’s a Mummy thrown in the mix. Phobos learns more of his dark past, and Frank has an interesting taste of the afterlife.”
Check it out at http://CoffeeTableComics.com the main website with information about ordering Phobos. Brubaker's personal portfolio site is http://Jason-Brubaker.com which has art, animation, and a blog.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE TWILIGHT AGE

2009-09-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Twilight Age
Art by Jan Scherpenhuizen
Written by Jan Scherpenhuizen
Black House Comics
If you want to be truly creeped out, The Twilight Age is a good comic for the job.
This is a horror story, but one made more horrible by the all too believable storyline.
This is not a tale of scarecrows coming to life. Zombies emerging from their graves, or ghosts haunting a house. Writer and artist Jan Scherpenhuizen has created a scarier take than that.
This is a story of a world where some disease is ravishing the population. When the headlines today are of the H1N1, and the possibility it might mutate into a more virulent and deadly disease, it' a storyline that reads rather close to home.
Now you might think a world in chaos because of a plague killing people would be enough, but Scherpenhuizen ramps up the fear factor by imposing a cereal killer on the overall story. Th killers likes to drain the blood of his victims, and has left a trail of corpses through the preview Zero and Issue One of the book.
Again, any week you can probably find a headline somewhere in North America of some whacked out person visiting unspeakable deaths on others.
Credit Scherpenhuizen for recognizing the scariest horrors are with us. He just put a couple of all too real headlines on a few steroids, and ended up with a horror book based on the possible.
The idea of the book evolved from other efforts, said The Twilight Age's creator.
“Stephen King's The Stand - read it 15 years ago and wrote series of short stories set in Australia based on a similar scenario. When I had the idea for a federal cop getting his man at the end of the world I turned it into a novel of 460 pages - lost the manuscript,” said Scherpenhuizen. “When I spoke to Baden Kirgan about what he wanted to publish I knew this was the time to revive the idea which I always had faith in. Baden wanted it set in the U.S. Other influences: John Wydham's post-apocalyptic novels, HP Lovecraft, X-files, and Twilight Zone.”
The art, this book is in full colour works, although it is not the strength of the title. Scherpenhuizen uses too many close-ups, panels that are from the neck tie up. He also tends to use a lot of smaller panels, which can work if counter balanced by some full page splashes. Here he does not go big and bold often enough.
The result is that you may not immediately gravitate to this book, since art attracts comic readers. In this case though, take the chance. The art is admittedly only average, but the storyline is a compelling one based on it's element of reality.
Scherpenhuizen said he was looking to achieve a classic look with the art.
“I was going for a classic look influenced by Aparo, Buscema, Colan and Adams,” he said, adding he “also loves the Kuberts, Bryan Hitch, Alan Davis, Gibbons and Bolland all of whom have an influence but mainly I'm influenced by the older stuff on this book.”
Scherpenhuizen said he likes doing both the art and the writing himself.
“I like doing both writing and drawing because I get what I want from my artist and I never ask him to draw anything that won't work,” he said. “On the other hand it is a grueling schedule and I'm looking forward to getting an inker/colourist for the next story arc. The writing comes very easy, the art sometimes very hard, other times easy.”
Interestingly, moving forward, Scherpenhuizen said the storyline will veer back to more mystical horror precepts.
“I've about 30 issues plotted roughly for story arcs of three-to-five issues,” he said. “(The main character) Justin will wander the post-apocalyptic world of the twilight age trying to bring law to the lawless. Vampires, zombies, monsters, Mad Max types, a cult led by a Michael Jackson type.
“Essentially, though, the stories are as much character driven as action oriented. The Scarred Man who is intro'ed in issue #3 also plays a major role focusing on the lovecraftian elements and there'll be multi-plot line issues cutting back and forth between different characters.”
Check it out at www.blackhousecomics.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- PROJECT ELOHIM

2009-09-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Project ElOhIm
Art by Eliseu Gouveia
Written by Rebecca Hicks
Strange Matter
When it comes to independent comics, most are never destined to make any money. Sadly, that includes the good ones such as Project ElOhIm.
“This is the harsh truth part of the program, kiddies, the only reason Project Elohim has made it past five issues is because I'm paying for the series to continue,” said book creator and writer Rebecca Hicks. “I love writing it, and I know a lot of people that love reading it. But there aren't enough people that love reading it to offset the cost of art, printing, promotion, etc. It's a labor of love, seriously. I would like it to pay for itself one day, but don't know if it ever will.”
Well, after reading the opening five issues of the series, I can appreciate why Hicks as the creator wants to keep the story going. To begin with she has a rather interesting cast of characters going. While not having one character which really takes the lead to be the focus of the reader's interest, the overall cast is interesting enough to keep you involved.
The book in general terms is a superhero-style tale, that is to say characters have superpowers, but here they don't run around in tights and a cape. Instead there is a covert-ops approach, which realistically is more likely. If someone suddenly manifested powers in the real world they'd either end up on some operating table as government looked to see what made them tick, or they would be pushed into some secret service or another to do government's bidding.
While that may sound rather ominous, Hicks hasn't gone down the darkest road. In fact, she manages to keep the story rather humourous, without having to fall into too many clichéd one-liners.
The end result is a story, that over five issues develops nicely. There are a few mysteries seeded along the way, which help build interest. Everything is not as it seems on the surface, but then it rarely is in a superhero comic.
That edge of intrigue makes you want the next installment.
The idea for the story actually grew out of role playing sessions, something many comic readers will appreciate, since many are RPGers as well.
“I worked my dorm's night shift during my years at the University of Kentucky,” said Hicks. “Not a job that required a lot of my attention (occasionally open door, check I.D.), which meant it was a sweet opportunity to read comic books and get in some role-playing. My friend Randy Yarger ran a Marvel Super Heroes campaign on some of the nights I worked. Those games resulted in his creating his own little comic book world, which later evolved into the Strange Matter Comics universe.
“So the inspiration for my storyline comes from the larger Strange Matter Comics storyline, which was created by Randy. And that is very inspired by traditional superhero stories, but also Arthurian folklore and ancient mythology. I love me some superheroes and folklore and mythology, so I truly dig being able to write stories that are inspired by all three.”
Beyond the university gaming sessions, Hicks said it is rather difficult to pinpoint her influences as a writer.
“This one's tough, because there are so many writers, fiction and non-fiction, that inspire me,” she said. “I'm really influenced by writers that develop great characters, and give each of those characters a unique voice. So Greg Rucka, Jim Butcher, Mary Doria Russell, Joss Whedon, to name a few. I'm also influenced by writers that have a dark and whimsical view, like Sara Vowell and Neil Gaiman. And Carroll and Shakespeare, now that I think about it. Really. I do kick it old school.”
So the characters, or at least some of them in Project ElOhIm have been around awhile.
“The characters, specifically Caitlain, Brian, Alex and Lona, they've been with me since those role-playing sessions,” said Hicks. “They've evolved a bit, but, at their core, they're the same characters I created in the early 1990's. The story that they're involved in has changed dramatically over the years. The Project as a government entity didn't exist until I really started sitting down to write the book, for example.”
As for getting the book from idea to print, Hicks said current technology really allowed that to happen.
“As for getting the book into print, shout-out to print-on-demand services like Ka-Blam! Printing technology has come such a long way in the past five years,” she said. “I paid to get my book printed, it got printed. It was that easy. It's all the other stuff, writing, promotion, that's hard. Oh, and working a 'real' job to be able to pay for the printing. That's hard too.”
As for the art of the book, Eliseu Gouveia brings a smooth hand to the black and white art. There is excellent use of shading here as well. The art doesn't necessarily jump of the page to take centre stage, but the clean renderings are a nice compliment to the pacing of Hicks' writing.
Hicks said the artist came to her, again through the use of modern technology which opens many doors to comic creators.
“When I told Randy that I was ready to contribute my book to the Strange Matter Comics line, he suggested I find an artist through Digital Webbing,” she said. I requested an artist that could tell a story through facial expression, since I write for comics as if they're a TV show or movie slowed down I see my characters as actors, and write accordingly.
“What made me select Zeus as my artist were the sample pages he sent me. He could have chosen any four pages of the first issue script to draw. He could have gone with a big action scene, like the apartment fire, for example. But he drew Caitlain and Brian having a conversation. That choice showed me that he was serious about character, and not just in it for the spandex and fight scenes.
“So there was no doubt in my mind that he was the best choice for Project Elohim. The final look of the book goes beyond my expectations, and that's thanks to Zeu. It's a blast collaborating with him. If I ever go to Portugal, I'm hunting him down and hugging him. Real tight squeezy hug. We're talking spine-crushing.”
While not a money maker for Hicks yet, she is persevering with a solid storyline to pursue into the future. That's good news for readers.
“As for what's next, I'm finishing up the second story arc, which delves into the larger story behind the events that Caitlain has found herself embroiled in,” she said. “Then I'm putting it all into a graphic novel, since those have a better chance of being a financial win.
“Then I need to spend a little more time on promotion. Enough people have told me that it's a good read to warrant me spending some time getting more people to read it! And then we'll see where that takes me. I've got more story to tell, that's for sure.”
Comic fans should definitely give this book a look. Hicks tells a good story, in a solid fashion, and that's enough to create a satisfying read.
Check it out at project-elohim.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- BATTLE CRY

2009-09-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

Battle Cry
Art by Willie Jimenez
Written by Willie Jimenez
When you review independently produced comics, you tend to get a pretty broad range of material, both in terms of storyline, and especially in terms of creative talent.
Battle Cry, an ashcan format book from Willie Jimenez is one of the title which you can tell right away the creator is just cutting his teeth in terms of doing comics.
That is immediately visible in the black and white art. Jimenez is still a touch rough around the edges in terms of rendering his art. The style borrows much from Japanese manga, with a westernized element that makes the art a sort of blend.
It is not the blending that is bothersome, but rather the inconsistent pen strokes. On one panel Jimenez will show a solid approach, especially when dealing with the main human characters. But, on the same page the work can verge on something out of grad school. That is particularly true of the representation of the demons in the book, which seem to hold more in common with abominable snowmen than anything else.
Jimenez said manga is a definite influence on his art. “Of course, some of my favs are Ninja Scroll, Kenshin, Afro Samurai, Samurai Champloo, and basically anything with swords or ninjas,” he said. “I like a lot of action, but I force myself as writer and artist to try to be open-minded and watch everything I can to learn from stuff outside of my genre and put it back in some how.”
Story wise, Jimenez isn't breaking a lot of new ground either. It's a human ninja versus demon, or demon crossbred storyline, with an apparent love story interest already seeded in the first 18-page book. The writing is OK, if not particularly memorable.
Jimenez said he has a number of influences when it comes to writing.
“The movie underworld was big inspiration and so was the anime Vampire Hunter D,” he said, adding, “watching movies and reading are great inspirations for me as you can tell. I like taking ideas and mixing it up into something new, or sometimes I'll take a movie that disappointed me and I'll be like, OK this is how I would have done it.
“This story was more about being fun and entertaining do to the small number of pages, there wasn't much room for a deep story!”
While Battle Cry is not going to rocket Jimenez to stardom, or even to a huge recommendation to go out and buy this book, it is what indie titles are about, a creator taking his early works to the world. He will hopefully grow as both artist and writer, and I have to say good job having the drive to take the story beyond notebook scribbles to a book people can share.
As creator Jimenez is satisfied with the book.
“I think it went beyond my expectations,” he said. “After I posted it on the web and it was printed both independently and by a small company called Purrsia Press, it got picked up but another small company for a series. That company fell apart but by that time I was already working with a super amazing artist called Bernard Llam, and we got picked up for short time by arcana.”
Check Jimenez's work out at http://westwolfonline.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- REX

2009-09-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Rex
Art by Danijel Zezelj
Written by Danijel Zezelj
Optimum Wound Comics
If you like your comics dark, and in this case I reference both artistic style, and storyline, then Rex from Optimum Wound Comics is a must.
The 70-page graphic novel from creator Danijel Zezelj is amazing on several levels.
Since comics are a visual medium, let's start with the artistic style.
Zezelj has rendered Rex in darkly detailed black and white. He uses a definite 'noir' style, which has many panels heavily inked. The art is both graphic, in terms of spattering blood and explosions, yet is sort of surreal because of the heavy inking.
The result is eye-catching, somewhat disturbing, and overall, just plain good.
Asked about where the darkness in his art comes from, Zezelj said that was something he gets asks quite often, although he finds answering it difficult.
“I often hear this question and don't know how to answer it - because I don't see my work as dark at all. I guess something is wrong with my eyes,” he said.
“If it's about influences in art art and comics, it all started from studying old baroque paintings, which are all about light and shadow. The most important comic artists for me are Jose Munos and Alberto Breccia, Argentinian masters of black and white. But I was also strongly influenced by the aesthetic of early silent movies; Russian Avant-garde and German Expressionism ( around 1920.).”
The story Zezelj creates is as dark as the art.
Rex doesn't exactly break new ground, good cop gets framed, abused in prison, then escapes to seek girl and wreck vengeance on those who put him behind bars.
But, it's not the framework of the story that Zezelj makes so darkly delectable. Instead, it's his darkly poetic writing style which sets Rex apart as something special.
There are lots of misty illusions created by the words, and that adds to the story in the sense you feel for Rex, and yet are not quite sure if he has evolved to be as bad as those he pursues.
This is a story you truly can't put down. At times you may wish you could because of the imagery of arts and words, but you won't be able too.
Interestingly, Zezelj dark tale was inspired by a song.
“The story was inspired by Tom Waits song Going Out West (Bone Machine CD), by the lyrics and music as well,” he explained. “The song was the starting point, the whole script grew out from there. It is good old revenge story, one way ticket to the end of the world.”
Asked if current headlines were an influence, Zezelj said not in a direct fashion at least.
“Could be, but it is not specific and it doesn't really matter,” he said. “World news fundamentally don't change, pick papers from 10 years ago, it's all the same, just different names.”
Likewise, Zezelj said hard-edged crime is not his first reading choice, although Rex fits into that genre well.
“I actually don't read much of hard edged crime and especially not horror, although I'm big fan of Walter Mosley and James Ellroy and admire their storytelling skills,” he said.
The story is one Zezelj said came together quite quickly once the seed of an idea came to him.
“It all happened quite quickly once I had the starting point and the end. The rest grew during the working process,” he said, adding “I don't write detailed scripts, just a sketch, the more precise writing happens during the process of drawing and building pages and sequences.”
This is a trade paperback that is only $9.99 US, making it an amazing value for it length, and more importantly its quality. Highly recommended.
For buying Rex check out Optimum Wound at www.optimumwound.com
You can follow the creator at www.dzezelj.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- 13

2009-09-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

13
Art by Sachis Borisich & Donnie Odulio
Written by Dani Dixon
Tumble Creek Press
Wow! How is that for fate. This is the 13th week of this review column, and I'm reviewing the first three issues of the series 13. There's some weird kismet in that you would think.
So what do you get with 13?
Well, writer Dani Dixon has created an interesting take on a world where superpowers are common place, at least for a year in everyone's life. When a child turns 13 he manifests powers, which apparently are only suppose to last a year, although the book hints that may not always be the case.
Now I recall when my two kids were 13, and the thought of them having superpowers at that age is scary – no make that horrifying.
Becoming a teenager is a rather difficult time for children in our mundane world as they start the process of evolving from kids to adults. Add in the prospect of dealing with the ability to telekinetically move objects, or being able to start fires with a thought, and you have the prospect of a world in chaos.
Dixon said her initial goal was to create a superpower book with a different approach.
“Well no 'capes and tights' was definitely in my head,” she said. “There aren’t any secret identities either. With a few exceptions, everything is out in the open - what your power is, how you’ve used it, what the world thinks of what you’ve done.”
In Dixon's world parents actually take a year off in order to supervise their 13s. That makes some sense of course, although any parent will know that controlling a young teen all the time is impossible. Imagine a temper tandem where the 13-year-old can throw the chesterfield with a thought.
The storyline also hints that 13s who do not cause too much damage to the world become more highly sought in terms of career and school in the future, although the details of how that exactly works is not clear in the first three issues. That said, it certainly creates more pressure on the 13s and their parents through the year of power.
The storyline is pretty unique, however, three issues into the story, the pacing is a little slow.
I recognize Dixon is trying to set the mundane world around the 13s, but we all live that mundane world, so that we know.
It may be a case of associating superpowers with superhero comics, but you are left wishing for a bit more action along the way here.
Dixon has a course which starts at point 'A' and is following a rather deliberate course. She would have been better served at times to step forward in time with a bit more action, then filling in a few blanks with a flashback at some future time in the series.
Still, the story is interesting enough you want to stick around to see what the real story of the 13s is, although more action would make the desire to stick around stronger.
Dixon though makes no apologies for the pacing of the book.
“The story dictated it,” she said. “13 is not about one hero facing one villain in an alley. It’s about opening up this entire civilization. Doing that means you can’t front load issue #1 with every character and some issues will have huge payoffs and others will have smaller ones.”
The unique approach to powers and the way the story is rolling out may create a slightly different audience for 13.
“I’ve met a lot of people who wouldn’t consider themselves comic book readers, who can get into the story,” said Dixon. “Some of that is the lack of 'capes & tights', although some people really prefer that, but it is truly serialized, which appeals to people who want to be taken on a journey.”
As for the art, the colours are what strike you first. Bright and bold colours absolutely fly off the page in 13, and that draws interest.
As for style, Sacha Borisich does a nice job with a fairly realistic approach to the world of 13, although I wouldn't say the art is strong enough to sell the book on its own.
The use of glossy paper certainly adds to the book as well, giving in an upscale 'feel'.
Dixon said Borisich has been with the project basically from day one.
“Sacha actually started working on the series when we were doing the ashcan (a small format teaser for the series),” said Dixon. “A couple of years ago, I wanted to have a preview/Issue #0 for Comic-Con. Sacha was the clean up artist on that book -- the ashcan was penciled and colored, but not inked, every issue thereafter was inked. Then she inked the first book. An artist out of Northern California, Donnie Odulio, penciled that one. Sacha inked and co-penciled issue #2 and then issue #3 was all her - pencils and inks.”
Dixon said she feels Borisich's style fits the 13 story.
“I think she’s really great at what’s referred to sometimes as ‘character acting.’ The expressions she comes up with are specific, and age appropriate - which is key when so many of the main characters are minors,” said Dixon. “She’s also good at creating images that really nail the models for each character.”
In the end, an interesting storyline, and solid art combine in 13 to make it worth a closer look.
Dixon said she is proud of the book, which has met her expectations.
“It has. I remember distinctly standing at my printer’s, reaching in the box to pull out, issue #1 for the first time,” she said. “I knew it was going to be 100 lb paper and glossy, and I edited every iteration of the art - pencils, inks and colors, but it still very different to get it ‘hot off the press’ that first time.”
The story of 13 will be ingoing, and Dixon said there is much more to tell in terms of the world and the 13s.
“ They all have very different paths and yet, I’m hopefully telling what is a cohesive larger story,” she said. “Simon, for example, starts off, pretty much as bad as you can imagine. Writing his arc has really been a pleasure, and a challenge. It can't be a simple redemption arc though, because this is a world where it's guaranteed that you will face the consequences of all of your actions.”
Check it out at www.TumbleCreekPress.com where Dixon noted you will find almost everything regarding 13.
“You can buy the books and merchandise, it’ll tell you our touring/appearance schedule. There are trailers, and soon there will be podcasts and some other cool things,” she said.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton Ths Week WebXtra

Review -- ANAFAE

2009-08-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

ANAFAE
Art by Monica Richards & James Neely
Written by Monica Richards

There are comic books which truly ascend above the medium to be more than a book with pictures generally targeted at a younger audience.
ANAFAE is one of those books.
There is so much good to say about this one, it's truly hard to know exactly where to start.
So let's start with the storyline. Monica Richards has an amazing story going through the first two issues of this book; AMAFAE: Liber Prima Awakening and ANAFAE: Liber Deux Recollection.
The story is one which draws on fantasy, with the aspect of Mother Nature playing a prominent role, and mixing that with a sci-fi twist that takes the earth forward to a point technology has all but destroyed everything.
There is of course a huge message in the storyline, one about respecting nature, and being careful where we allow technology to take us. While obvious, the message takes nothing away from the story. In fact, it makes it more compelling, because we can see the cracks which might well be leading us to the dark future the storyline portrays.
Richards said the story for ANAFAE actually grew out of a shorter story she had previously written.
“I wrote a short story entitled 'Spring – Untitled', and the story is actually shown in various parts of the graphic novel,” she said. “It follows Mother Nature manifesting as a woman and walking the earth, but the difference was it was her manifestation that caused the plague - as she took all her power with her. The story was quite vivid enough that the idea of making a graphic novel seemed - at the time - a simple thing to do.
“But, as I began moving towards how I would illustrate the story-line, I was studying Permaculture at the same time - and the change to man-caused plague came about just as Jim and I were getting into the thick of working. It is of utmost importance to me, working with - not against - nature in living one's life.”
The storyline is actually an old idea for Richards.
“I wrote the story about 10 years ago - but began really pondering on the graphic novel in 2004. But I wouldn't have been able to create ANAFAE the way it is without Jim coming in and visualizing the concepts and helping to bring her to life. We began working together in 2005,” she said.
Neely said the story certainly rang true for him as it began to develop.
“I love the old tales and myths relating to lessons and archetypal themes,” he said. “When I read Monica's short story, it all seemed to click with me in an instant. I came on board a bit later, so a fair amount of the concept had been developed by Monica already and it all just floored me.
“I saw it as very intentional with the message. Hopefully to appeal to different folks through this medium of sequential art and storytelling about not only what has been done, but also what can be done to help the Earth.”
ANAFAE's story is matched stride-for-stride by the artwork of Richards and Neely. The art is dramatic, stunning, varied, and absolutely entrances the reader in the world these two are creating on every page. I would like to compare it to something artistically for the reader here to appreciate the work, but honestly I am not sure what other title it looks like. I can tell readers, it is amazing. Just take my word for it.
Richards said in terms of influences, comic books were not really where she draws from.
“That's very hard to say, I am not deeply versed in comics, and we've had comparisons to other artists I am not familiar with - though looking them up, I am a bit blown away,” she said. “The whole thing just slowly evolved, and as we move into types of scenes, such as an action scene we are working on in Book 3, I look at how action is handled in various comics and see what works and what doesn't. It's more like directing that anything else, how do I want to approach a scene? This is where Jim is so brilliant, he brings in views and angles I wouldn't be able to visualize.”
Neely on the other hand admitted comics have been something he grew up with.
“I grew up with Epic and Heavy Metal magazines more than the regular superhero comics,” he said. “I had my share of them, but I tended to gravitate toward what was being done in Europe by the likes of Enki Bilal, Richard Corben, and the insanely detailed Philippe Druillet. Mustn't forget the wonders that Roger Dean came out with for album covers and fantasy art, and Frank Frazetta will always hold a special place in my heart. I loved the bizarre, steampunk/cyberpunk, fantasy and erotica genres.
“As far as writing influences, again, one can never go wrong with mythology. Monica does extremely well as the writer for ANAFAE, and sometimes we work out small details together as it goes.”
The good news with ANAFAE is that there is more to come.
“We are just putting the finishing touches on Book 3 "Dreams of Dragons" - which delves into the minds of both Allaine and Lagan,” said Richards.
“Indeed, Book 3 will hopefully put a very cool spin on the storyline,” added Neely.
Overall the story will roll out over several more issues.
“It will be nine books in all - we have much to finish, I think it will be a book a year, it takes so much work between the two of us,” said Richards. “There are back stories on Fauz, Robo-Kitty, flashbacks, and some mini stories that take place in another time/plane of existence.”
Neely added, “we both work full time graphic jobs, so we work on ANAFAE as we can. It has a huge potential scope, even perhaps epic. We keep it fun, that is the key.”
Richards said in terms of acceptance, she tends to write what she likes, and then hopes people enjoy it.
“We didn't know what to expect. I write and then put things out, I always hope people 'get' what I am up to,” she said. “ANAFAE has crossed boundaries, though - usually it's just fans of my music that buy my writing, now it seems to be comic fans, also environmentalists, pagans - it seems to be existing in its own world.”
Neely added the response has been appreciated.
“For me, it has actually been such a kick to hear from such amazing artists already well known in the industry that have paid such wonderful compliments to the work,” he said. “I didn't expect it to be as wide spread through different walks of life, but I had hoped it would be of interest to anyone that could relate to one simple thing, the Earth.”
If you are looking for something fantastic in way of a comic book, then ANAFAE is a must. The combination of stunning art, and outstanding story makes this one of the best comics I have read in ages, and you should seek it out too.
Check it out at www.monicarichards.com/anafae

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- FINAL BLOSSOM

2009-08-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Final Blossom
Art by Karen Yumi Lusted
Written by Karen Yumi Lusted
Itch Publishing

If you're a reader of comics, and that's likely a given if you are reading this review, then you're probably at least aware that the Japanese have their own rather unique view of comics, to the point the manga style is really now a sub-genre of the industry.
While anime is Japanese in its roots, there are those outside Japan who have taken the style to heart, and are producing some fine manga books of their own.
Karen Yumi Lusted is one such creator, with her one-shot title Final Blossom an example of what she is doing.
Yumi Lusted said manga has always appealed to her.
“I just like the style. I like pretty things and manga contains that whereas western comics don't,” she said. “There are also varied styles in manga which I like, it's nice to be able to read something that has a completely different style to something else you like. Even though I like variation, I can't help but draw in the 'conventional' way, I feel more satisfied with the results.
The simplicity attracted Yumi Lusted too.
“Western comics contain colour which obviously takes up time to do, but manga doesn't,” she said. “I find it easier and quicker to tone in black/white. It helps me concentrate on portraying the story and getting it right rather than messing around with colouring etc.”
Like many anime tales, Final Blossom is very reflective of the interaction of man and nature. The relationship is told through a story that uses limited dialog to tell the story, yet it manages to portray the topic well.
Yumi Lusted said the story was one that came together quite quickly.
“This was initially for a competition, so I thought of it relatively quickly,” she said. “I decided to create a new story, even though I had plenty of others in my head, because it had to fit a number of pages. I also wanted to create a simple story with few characters so I could develop the elements within a short amount of space.”
Artistically, Yumi Lusted uses simple black and white art rendered in a style that uses long flowing strokes. The faces are typically anime with the large expressive eyes, and often pronounced expressions such as when a character smiles.
For a story which relates to nature, the art seems perfectly in tune with what Yumi Lusted is after in terms of telling the story.
The overall impact of Final Blossom is good. The art work while appearing simple in many of its renderings, shows a practiced touch in terms of its lines, and is appealing to look at.
The story too, works based on its simplicity, and message.
Still, this is a book that is anime, and you best be a fan of that genre of comic to truly appreciate what Yumi Lusted has created here.
The creator said she is OK with the way Final Blossom turned out.
“I'm relatively happy with it, I try not to look back on my work too often,” she said. “I at least wait a bit before I do just so I don't criticize it too much and get myself depressed over it because I can see all the mistakes that I made, and realizing, everyone else can see those mistakes! There are things I'd like to improve but I'm concentrating on my future works to even care anymore.What's done is done!”
With an eye to the future Yumi Lusted said she has many ideas at play.
“I'm working on my next project, that I'll hopefully get done for next London Expo,” she said. “It's about Superheroes, and is loosely based on a friend who likes her Superhero comics. This is the first of many ideas that I want to get done -- that is not motivated by any competition.”

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- NEO-DAN

2009-08-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Neo-Dan
Art by Nichx
Written by Carlos Rivera
Dark Vision Comics

Neo-Dan is a new limited series (it is touted to be a 12-issue set when finished), with issue #1 produced in the smaller 'ash can' book format.
The smaller format might be considered a drawback in the sense ash can books are often seen as primarily introductory offerings, or special edition products, rather than as a style for a series, but hopefully people will still give this book a look.
Neo-Dan is worth a look because it could be the basis for a pretty solid comic book career for its creators. This series may not be top-calibre, but it hints better may yet come.
As a story, Carlos Rivera relies a bit too much on the tried and true. An evil entity returns to threaten the world, one warrior is left to stand in evil's way.
Now Rivera may throw a few curves in future issues, but in issue one the plot moves rather expectedly.
Rivera said the story really grew out of the art.
“I would explain it as I was chatting with an artist friend of mine and he was showing me his portfolio until I came across three drawings of the main characters of the book and for some reason something clicked when I saw them and began to flesh out the story until I ultimately came to the book your reviewing right now,” he said.
“The influences to me as a writer are very many. I read a lot of books when I was younger like Stephen King and J. D. Salinger when I was in high school, and of course many of the great comic book writers of the past like Gardner Fox, Stan lee, Len Wein to the modern writers who showed me there was a bigger world of story telling than just the standard characters at the big two companies like Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, and Neil Gaiman.
“And right now I'm really getting into Geoff Johns and Brian M. Bendis works.”
Artistically Nichx's work is solid, if not yet spectacular, although you get the feeling the art would be aided simply by a larger comic format so that certain panels were allowed greater impact.
The art and story have a Japanese-manga 'feel' if not being truly in the eastern-style.
“Yes I am a fan of manga titles like Naruto, Lone Wolf and Cub and of course Dragonball and the subsequent anime's that are based on those manga titles but I feel that I have easier access to anime than the mangas and of course the storytelling in these books and/or shows are impeccable from the most mundane life situation to the extraordinary life and death choices these characters have to make long story short they are very compelling stories with complex characters,” said Rivera.
For both Rivera and Nichx Neo-Dan is a nice little book that I hope is just a way to cut their teeth in the buisiness, and to gain experience.
Rivera said he is satisfied with the first issue of the series.
“The moment I held the first issue in my hands I felt a sense of accomplishment, and it has been well received by the small group of fans who have actually picked up the book,” he said. “Most of the fans I continually see at conventions regularly ask me about futures issues of Neo-Dan. So I would have to say yes the response has been good and we hope to branch out to more fans out there.”
Certainly Rivera needs to take the story into a few unforeseen twists to make the story a better effort, and Nichx will grow as an artist as he gains confidence with the material and is allowed bigger format to express his art.
Fans can look at a five-page preview at www.comicspace.com/neodan and can purchase a copy at WWW.COMIXPRESS.COM and type in the search bar for Neo-Dan.

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE DEVIL'S OWN

2009-08-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

The Devil's Own
Art by Brian Beardsley
Written by Pete Mesling

All right, let me preface this by noting I am not a huge fan of EP CDs, as anyone following my music reviews in the paper pages of Yorkton This Week will know.
I am no more a fan of 'Issue 0' editions of new comic titles. Issue 0 books are generally short-form books which are designed to give a taste of a new story to potential fans. Sorry, comic books are a short-form medium when full-length, so when I have only 10 pages to get a feel for a title, I am left wondering just what it is I've read. It's rather difficult to get a 'feel' for a character in 10-pages, at least to knowing whether you like it enough to want to but the next issue.
“With issue #0 of The Devil's Own, we wanted to produce something right away, while the idea was hot, and we didn't yet know the scale of the series, so we did a fairly modest print issue that wouldn't commit us to any one narrow path,” said Mesling. “We also wanted to use it to feel out our working relationship and so forth. It's an integral chapter in the overall story now, as is the follow-up web issue that lives on our site. In fact, those first two short issues have set the tone in a much more significant way than either of us imagined going in. Nothing in this series gets thrown away. It all connects.”
The story here though is interesting enough from the outset that you are quickly drawn into the story.Beardsley's black and white art is expressive, and yet had a touch of cartoon to the strokes that really fits a title which will obviously take on horror with a healthy dose of humour.
Mesling said the germ of the idea for the story came from Beardsley.
“Brian pitched the idea to me of a witch and warlock who are married and spend much of their time battling demons, and he encouraged me to think of the old television series Hart to Hart colliding with Hellboy,” said Mesling. “From there the questions just started to flow. Why would a witch and a warlock be fighting against evil? What kind of balance might be struck between humour and supernatural terror with a premise like this? What kind of settings and characters would it entail? Before long, some answers began to emerge. I suppose Robert Bloch was looking over my shoulder as I wrote much of the first story arc. Maybe we've ended up with something like two parts Norman Bates to one part Lefty Feep.”
The suggestion of Hart to Hart and Hellboy influencing the storyline is quite appropriate, since there is a definite taste of humour, and fun supernatural overtones to the storyline.In terms of the book, Mesling said he and Beardsley have meshed well on the book.
“Brian and I were put in touch by a mutual friend,” said Mesling. “It's really a lucky thing the way we fell into sync. Brian has such a passion for, and understanding of, comics, and I come from a mostly literary -- especially horror -- background. It's been a really good fit that I wouldn't know how to begin to duplicate. We're fortunate to be able to meet in person every other week, and it's always a thrill to see how Brian goes about capturing in images what I've written.”
Beardsley said he found the book easy to get into in terms of art because he was in the loop from the beginning.
It was “easy, since I was already here and I was apart of the creation process,” he said. “For me it was making sure I bring enough experience and really push myself to bring quality and good storytelling abilities with hopefully enough talent to bring the story and the characters to life. I want this to be something that will make a mainstream comic publisher turn his head twice and see the potential in the work and the story.”
Overall, The Devil's Own is a story that catches your attention, and leaves you wanting to learn more about the unusual couple, Dominic and Claudia Hechs. Nicely done.You can learn more about the title at HTTP://www.facebook.com/l/; http://www.nightrailpress.com

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- WITCH DOCTOR: New Strains

2009-08-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Witch Doctor: New Strains
Art by Lukas Ketner
Written by Brandon Seifert

Witch Doctor: New Strains is an interesting book simply because of the approach the creators have taken in producing the title.
Most comic titles are of course episodic in nature. They start a story in one issue, and that story arc progresses over a number of issues.
And, of course there is what comic fans know as a one-shot, a story told in one issue, an issue which is generally thicker, having more pages than the general comic book.
Witch Doctor fits neither mold.While the Witch Doctor title will be produced over a number of issues, each one is a stand-alone story. However, writer Brandon Seifert is keeping the stories short. The book weighs in at only eight pages.
It is interesting how Seifert manages a rather nifty little medical horror tale in only pages, in this case one dealing with a golem. The problem though is that in eight pages one only gets the most rudimentary charact
er development. Frankly I don't end up knowing much about the doctor here, and so I am not sure whether I like him, or not.
Lesser light supporting characters are even less developed, and become pretty unmemorable as a result.With anything that asks you to dole out cash on a regular basis, there has to be a connection. In eight pages you don't get much of one here. Now I will note this is the second stand-alone book, so if you have both you might start to grow some affinity for the cast of characters. The question is would I buy issue 2, after reading only eight pages?
To be honest it would be a tough decision, and Witch Doctor could easily get scratched off the list if I was a collector on a budget.Brandon Seifert sees the shorter books as a way to grab readers and build a following as he develops his own skills in the medium.
“Witch Doctor: First Incision was the first comic both Lukas and I did. And as for the page count, I think biting off more than you can chew is the biggest mistake a comics creator can create when they're starting out,” said Seifert. “Doing a short story with a definite beginning, middle and end is less work than doing a long-form story, it takes less time, it's more accessible for readers (and for editors, too), and it means you can really focus on making the entire thing good. I think a few well-done short stories can go an amazing distance towards starting a career and building a fan base.”
From Seifert's perspective it has worked.
“I honestly had ridiculously high expectations for how well Witch Doctor was going to do... and it turns out I was actually underestimating things,” he said. “The response has been amazing. We've gained a bunch of fans, we've got the attention of publishers, we've both received praise from some of our biggest artistic influences, and we've made friends with the creators of some of our favourite comics. Plus, we've both received some paying work in the comics field just based on the strength of th
e first Witch Doctor issue — and Lukas got nominated for the Russ Manning Outstanding Newcomer Award, which is being given out at the Eisner Award ceremony at Comic-Con (last weekend).”
Seifert said the stories for the series draw from the inspiration of a number of well know horror franchises.
“For Witch Doctor the inspiration is partly the sort of horror and dark fantasy Lukas and I each like — Hellboy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Goon, Lovecraft — and partly how bizarre the world of biology is when you really study it in depth,” said Seifert. “The fact that the skin of a tapeworm is basically like one of our intestines, only turned inside out? That's great inspiration for a horror comic. Combining the sickest things in biology with standard monsters from horror fiction is the biggest inspiration for the project.”
As a writer Seifert said he also has various inspirations.
“As a writer, there are a bunch of creators who inspire me: Warren Ellis, Joss Whedon, Matt Fraction, Dou
glas Adams, Neal Stephenson,” he said. “But beyond that, what influences my writing is the sorts of things that interest me in the world. Writing is the one thing that unifies all my interests, so something like Witch Doctor doesn't just stem from things I've read, it comes out of the appeal I find in Victorian architecture, the aesthetics of abandoned buildings, the eccentricities of cities I've visited, and lots of other details that have caught my eye.”
As for the artwork, Lukas Ketner does a wonderful job of proving the book with an Edwardian-era feel. The doctor has a sort of 1940s film look, in part due to the black and white art which is very appropriate for a soft horror title.
“In the case of Witch Doctor, the project was conceived as something specifically for Lukas and I to do together — so the whole thing was designed with Lukas' style in mind,” said Seifert. “We discussed a number of ideas when we first decided to try working together, and Witch Doctor was the one that stuck for both of us. It plays to both of our strengths, especially Lukas' heavily retro-horror-influenced art style”
The art draws you, but the story comes off a little thin for me. Definite talent though which begs for a bigger book to really shine.There are more stories planned for the title.
“We're also continuing to work on Witch Doctor; we plan to continue releasing short, self-contained stories spotlighting different medical interpretations of traditional horror tropes. (The next three stories we've got line up feature a riff on The Exorcist, a story based on well-known European folklore, and a piece inspired heavily by the concepts and ambiance of H.P. Lovecraft.) Ideally, the future will feature a mix of Witch Doctor and non-Witch Doctor work,” said Seifert.
The first, 16-page story is available at www.witchdoctorcomic.com, and more stories will be appearing there in the coming months. You can also find them on MySpace (www.myspace.com/drvincentmorrow) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/drvincentmorrow

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- FEARLESS DAWN

2009-08-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

Fearless Dawn
Art by Steve Mannion
Written by Steve Mannion
Asylum Press
Now this is what comics should be about, pin-up babes, Nazi zombies and simple nonsense. I mean how can you go wrong with a scantily clad heroine who is out to foil an equally gorgeously drawn Nazi femme fatale?
Mix in the fact the Nazi femme is in control of a serum which turns her ordinary soldiers into hulking zombie brutes and you're simply in for a rollicking good time.
Now I will grant you that writer Steve Mannion isn't breaking any new ground here, but seriously, do we care?
Mannion stays to the tried and true in terms of a story like this, using a familiar plot line, good girl hero goes into steal dangerous serum from evil Nazis and gets caught, etc., throws in a few corny but still funny one-liners, and then turns over the appreciation of the story to his art.
Artistically, Mannion has a sort of 1960's Weird War feel going on. The work has a cartoon meets realism approach, which simply means it's appealing.
Mannion said Weird War was likely an influence.
“Years ago, I found an issue of Weird War #1 and often think somehow it invaded my subconscious,” he said. “I've had a strange desire to draw Nazi zombies ever since.”
In terms of the actual story line, Mannion said one character kind of led to the entire book
“The Helga (Nazi) character spawned this particular arc, she just seemed to materialize out of the pencil easily. I just had pin-ups I brought around to shows,” he said.
“The fan response was overwhelming for that bad girl!..I quick got to drawing this arc. The jet's real cool too. Again, just stuff I'd want to see in a comic.
“And it all sort of came together at the same time I must say.
“Might I add I would be a liar if I said I wasn't a fan of Good Girl art. Dave Stevens, Adam Hughes, Wallace Wood and Frank Cho. Those guys always inspire me to draw cool gals!”
The first issue of Fearless Dawn is too much fun not to want to see how the story line plays out. Yes you know the sexy Dawn will prevail, but you want to be along to find out just how she foils the Nazi plan.
“The next arc's flesh out our characters quite a bit more, there's flashbacks. And a finale I have to keep under wraps for now!” said Mannion.
Check it out at http://www.fearlessdawn.com/

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- DREAMKEEPERS

2009-07-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

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

Review -- EFFING BRUTAL

2009-07-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

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

Review -- LEEK & SUSHI'S MANGA SHOW

2009-07-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

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

Review -- GHOST ZERO

2009-07-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

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

Review -- JOHNNY VEGA: Man of the Future

2009-06-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

JOHNNY VEGA: Man of the Future
Art by Alan Bennett
Written by Alan Bennett
Johnny Vega: Man of the Future is a comic which reminds of both serial television, and comic books from the 1970s.Creator Alan Bennett has developed a main character Johnny Vega, a swashbuckling space ranger, who pays homage in my mind to the likes of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.
However, Vega is not a solo star. He brings with him a cast of Ranger cadets, most alien in nature, from an alluring female cat alien, yes that's not particularly new, to a bipedal crow creature through to the obligatory strong guy in the form of a rock-like humanoid. The cast is a tad clichéd to be sure, but then that is part of the fun here too.
While more alien in nature, I do get the feel of those mid-1970s Legions of Superheroes (from CD Comics) in this book. The characters aren't super powered as was the Legion, but there is a somewhat similar approach to the group dynamic. Bennett himself said he draws on three main influences in terms of the work.
“As to my influences there are a number of them but three that really stand out are; the Original Star Trek series with interesting story lines and Kirk getting the ladies and the fights.
“The sci-fi movies of the 1950's in particular. "When Worlds Collide" (which John Deere is the basis for Johnny) and "War of the worlds". "Forbidden Planet" was later on as I got older.
“(And) the works of Al Williamson and Wally Wood. These two - particularly Williamson set the standard for me. I collected anything I could of his. Thankfully there was quiet a lot of artwork I could find.”
Johnny Vega is not Bennett's first work, but it is his most challenging effort to-date in the sense he has gone with a full colour book.
“Vega isn't the first project I worked on,” he said. “But, I will say that it was the first one I ever did in full colour. “The first one I ever worked on was a book called 'The Citadel' back in '98. It was a 48-page stand-alone story. There have been seven other comic books I had worked on called 'Guilded Edges' 1-7 between the time of '99 and '01.”
In terms of story, Bennett keeps things pretty standard, a planet in peril, bad guys on the loose, the Rangers, even though just cadets, are thrown in to the breech to stop the evildoers. That said, I have only issue #2 to draw from, so the story may develop along less familiar territory as it moves forward.Bennett said he has the storyline thought out through to a conclusion for the main character.
“Johnny Vega, Man of the Future is a self contained series,” he said. “Though there are a number of stories planned for him there is an end to the character's being. That's why I developed a chronology of stories and major plot points that I have mapped out for Vega. “Basically, the three stages of man but it's my answer to the riddle of Sphinx. You'll know when the change happens when I change the hair style of Johnny that he's sporting.
“But, I will say that once that last story sees print that's it. No crazy resurrections like you see in so many characters out there. Of course this doesn't include the occasional cross over, or the spin-off of the supporting characters like Corvis Corrax, Johnny's crow headed friend/sidekick. But, that is a long way off there and there is a lot I have planned for the Man of the Future.”
Artistically, Johnny Vega is a book which I found interesting to say the least. When I first thumbed through the pages I was captivated by the pastel-like digital imagery.
However, as I settled into to give the book a more thorough perusal, I found the lack of detail in many frames disquieting. There seemed too many instances where details in a frame were limited to the focus character. I felt initially that the lack of detail in some of the alien cadets in particular stole from the overall artistic affect.
That would change though as I came to appreciate the art as a whole, rather than as a specific part of a page.
The art is a bit of an acquired taste, but the bright dynamic colours, and near watercolour art effects win you over.
Bennett said going digital was a change for him, but not one which prolonged the process.
“The work on Johnny Vega in colour actually didn't take that long because I was working directly over the original in digital right over my scanned in penciled layouts,” he said.
“Lately though, I have shifted to more attention to the detail. So it takes taking me longer for each book to come out. Right now I would have to say it talking about 2 to 2 1/2 months to get a complete 24-page book to be done and off to the printer.”
In the end the art style was created in an effort to stand apart, something I feel Bennett did accomplish well.
“One of biggest issues (not a pun) I found with the readership - not the companies or the editors, is that they all want something that's new and different that they feel they can make a worthwhile investment in, not a copy of say like a Michael Turnner or Mike Mignola or any manga but something that stands apart,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with those art styles but I have a problem when companies hire on knock off artists rather giving other talented artists the chance just because it's the flavour of the week.”
Bennett said in his case art has always been an interest, and comic books are a medium to express that interest through.
“My background goes back as far as I can remember from finger painting while I was going to wash my hands,” he said.
“But officially, I studied at the Art Institute of Seattle for about a year and a half out of a two-year program. The rest of my comic book knowledge comes from me asking questions to professional comic illustrators living in my area. The other was simply picking up a book on the subject.
“My art technique is always evolving which should be goal of any artist. In looking at both issues #1 and #2 you'll see a very big leap in the art. In doing the story I realized I was no longer simply doing a black and white comic with colour added but a full colour digital book. So I decided to do away with the heavy black eclipse line around the figure. Let the colour and shade define the character. Since Vega is a science fiction story why not use the tools of science like the computer to work for the story? The same is true when you are working for a horror story. You don't want to use bright and cheery colours to evoke a sense of impending dread do you?”
You can check out the book, and find out how to acquire a copy at http://blackboxcomix.vpweb.com/

-- CALVIN DANIELS

Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE PISTOLEERS

2009-06-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

THE PISTOLEERS
Art by Dan Nokes
Written by Dan Nokes
You can rarely go wrong with a comic based on the old west. At least from the perspective of a 49-year-old reviewer who grew up on books such as the Rawhide Kid.
So I was pretty excited when The Pistoleers (Chapter One of Three) arrived.
Interestingly artist/writer Dan Nokes said he wasn't a western fan as a kid.
“The Pistoleers was originally like my previous series 'The Paranormals' derived from a single sketch I did back in 1996, or so that got buried in an art bin for about nine years,” he said. “In 2005, or so, I was half way through 'The Paranormals' when I came to the conclusion that I was sick of The Tolkienesque fantasy epic and wanted to do something more grounded. I dug through said storage bin, saw the pic and was inspired to elaborate.
“As to being a western fan, I can say now yes! Most definitely.
“When I was a kid no, most certainly not. The fascination came in my early 20s for sure.”
Now a comic tends to live and die by its art work. Let's face it we all thumb through the pages to check out the art before we shell out the green to take it home.
With The Pistoleers Nokes offers up an artistic style which sort of has a feel of something done in an earlier era. There is a roughness to the art, a sort of simplicity which hearkens back to a different time.
“As to artistic influences I am self taught,” said Dan Nokes in an email interview. “It's a matter of the Edisonian method of trial and error as to how I learned to draw. “
Nokes said as a youth it was some well-known comic artists he admired most, and that has tended to be the same as he as matured, always being influenced by good artists from the comic genre.
“As to artistic influences, when I was a kid it was John Byrne, and Walt Simonson all the way.
“As a teen I was caught in the 90's boom and became a huge fan of Jim Lee, as well as Mark Bagely, Sam Keith and others.
“These days guys ranging from Chris Bachallo to John Romita Jr. to Jack Kirby, and John Cassaday influence my art.”
In some respects I think of the early Steamboat Willy cartoon art, when looking at The Pistoleers, in respect to its rawness.
Rendered in black and white only adds to that 'feel'.
The look tends to grow on one, although it doesn't necessarily impress at first glance.
Now to overlook this comic would be a mistake, because Nokes writes a darned good tale of the old west, tieing the story's roots to the Civil War, and including the interaction of a black youth, and his adopted white family.
Of course there is a reoccurring villain, tied to the war, who resurfaces by the book's end, which might be a bit clichéd, but some genres survive because there is a formula which works.
I will say there is one panel early in the book, that of an old photograph that foreshadows the answer to the question at the end of the book 'will the Marcus Brothers Escape From Their Bonds?' but otherwise the suspense builds nicely.
Like a lot of indie comics, The Pistoleers took some time to go from idea to comic book.
“As to putting together a clear picture of what I wanted to do with the series, it was cultivated, outlined, and formulated over a three-year period, while I was working on Paranormals #6-12,” he said.
The western is the third title for Nokes in his career.
“As to my pre-history with comics, that started in 2002 with my 67 page one-shot 'The Reptile and Mister Amazing',” he said. “It was a straight out superhero comic about a geriatric ex-superhero teaming with a dinosapien janitor from a parallel earth to take on an omnipotent homicidal game show host.
“The Paranormals came next. It was a 12-issue maxi series I did between 2003-2008.
“In short it's an end of the world story where your heroes include: A feeble minded robot, a chain smoking English vampire, an alcoholic binge eating Australian Aborigine werewolf, a teenage witch, and angry Scottish dwarf. I just collected and will be releasing the first six issues of the book in TPB (trade paperback) format.”
As for The Pistoleers, Nokes said it is a finite story.
“The series will definitely end with issue #3!,” he said. “It's rough to do a continuous series in the indie comic world. You have to compete with the big boys for shelf space which is like a local microbrew cola competing for shelf space at the 7-11 against Coke and Pepsi!
“Besides after 'The Paranormals' I want to keep down to one shots, graphic novels and mini series of four issues or less.”
Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.myspace.com/21sandshark
-- CALVIN DANIELS

Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI

2009-06-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI
Art by Jay Piscopo
Written by Jay Piscopo

Oh man does Capt'n Eli bring back the memories.
This is a comic which is really ideally suited to younger readers, and I initially wondered how I would get through the book, being well, a long long way from being a younger reader.
Yet, the story just pulled me in, part because it's a darned good yarn, but also because it has a nostalgic feel to it.
This is a story that is reminiscent of old television series like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and comic books like Charlton's The Phantom. When I was young those were much enjoyed shows and books because they opened a world of adventure, mystery and fantasy, all things Jay Piscopo wraps up nicely here as well.
Capt'n Eli is a genius kid who is in the midst of a grand undersea adventure, complete with secret submarines, unknown undersea races, mystery and intrigue.
Accompanied by his trusty mutt, and a 300-year-old talking parrot, Cap'n Eli moves through the adventure with the awe of a kid, and the savvy of a hero.
Interestingly, Capt'n Eli spun out of an ad campaign.
“Initially Capt'n Eli was created a a mascot for Captn Eli's Root Beer. Fred Forsley wanted to create an entertainment property in support of the soda,” explained creator Jay Piscopo in an email interview. “... Fred brought me in to help develop the project and basically gave me free reign to create what I wanted.”
Piscopo said he basically drew on those shows and books which captured his imagination as a kid.
“The time I grew up in was pretty magical for superheroes comic books, cartoons and movies. The Silver Age was still in full force. Hanna Barbera cartoons designed by the one and only Alex Toth dominated Saturday Morning. Star Trek was in syndication, and had a mystique to it that was there before the word trekkie was invented. Ray Harryhausen movies were the epitome of adventure to me.
“So characters like Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, The Fantastic Four, Captain Nemo, were imprinted in my brain at an early age.
“I rolled all this up and The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli was the result.”
Once read I knew this book was ideal material for young boys aged seven to 13, and Piscopo said that was a market he wanted to focus on.
“That's the ideal audience, but at the same time I'm trying to adopt the attitude of creators like Jack Kirby who understood comics of their time to be a children's medium, but adults would read as well,” he said. “That's why we describe the book as all ages. Involving kids back into comics is very important to me, as well as creating something for the kids that never grew up.”
In terms of art, Piscopo keeps it clean, and varied, just right to hold a young mind's attention, drawing on a number of styles.
“Well, the obvious influence is Doug Wildey's Johnny Quest and Alex Toth's Hanna Barbera work,” he said. “A big Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood influence too.
“And, a huge influence from Japanese animation and European comics with the 2D and 3D integration.”
At more than 100 pages an issue, in square bound trade paperback format, these are as much a children's storybook as it is a comic.
“We describe it as a Graphic Novel series,” said Piscopo. “Tintin is a big influence, but unlike Tintin, each book is a part of a much bigger story.”
In terms of the bigger story Piscopo said more is certainly on the horizon for Capt'n Eli.
“We have plotted up through issue 4 with concepts to go beyond,” he said. “I'm working on issue 3 right now, as well as a spin off Sea Ghost comic book
“And, another spin off of Commander X Adventures free online comic for this Christmas.”
As for the first two issues of Capt'n Eli, I know I would have reread this tale until the pages were ragged when I was a kid, and it is certainly recommended since Dad won't mind reading this one to younger children either.
Check it out at www.captneli.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week Web Xtra

Review -- THE HUNTER

2009-05-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

THE HUNTER
Art by David Golding
Written by Adam Hamdy

It's always a good thing when a comic book goes back to the good old basics of what makes the genre click, strong storytelling, and clean, effective art.
That is exactly what the team of Adam Hamdy and David Golding have done on their four-issue series The Hunter.
Hamdy has created a believable superhero storyline simply by playing off many of the political realities of the real world, including former United States – Soviet Union distrust, and the current threat of terrorist attacks. Set against a world very much mimicking our own, the writer has created a realistic vision of why and how those with superpowers came to be.
In an email interview Hamdy explained, “this is my first published book, and I’ve been blown away by the response. Ain’t It Cool News compared it to the best of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s work at Marvel, which is unbelievable praise for a first effort – I had to pinch myself.”
In some respects the approach isn't so different from that taken with early Marvel comics where superheroes such as Spiderman faced some of the real world's realities and problems, making the character more believable and accessible.
That is the same feel you get with The Hunter. It's easy to buy into the story here because so much of the world is familiar to us.
“The Hunter was inspired by what’s been happening in the real world; the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the end of the perverse balance provided by the Cold War,” said Hamdy. “I used super villains in place of WMDs and gave the story a lone superhero, because at the moment it seems real heroes are in short supply and the odds are stacked against them.”
It is interesting The Hunter was not initially envisioned as a comic book, although it blossoms with the medium.
“The Hunter started life as an original feature film screenplay, but it was such an obvious candidate for a comic,” said Hamdy. “I started work on the screenplay in the late summer of 2006 and we started production on the comic in Spring 2007.”
That said the writer from Britain said he has always been a fan of comics, and it shows in the detail afforded The Hunter.
“I first started buying the Beano and Dandy when I was six, (and, yes, I was a member of the Dennis the Menace fan club),” he said. “When I was eight my family moved to Egypt and the only comics I could get were MAD Magazine and mainstream DC and Marvel titles; Spiderman, Thor, Fantastic Four, Superman, Batman etc. That was my first exposure to superheroes.
“I started getting serious about comics when I was 12 and would go to Calamity Comics in Harrow, West London to add to my out of control collection – Calamity was a great shop that started life as a small market stall. I was drawn to the medium by the fantastically escapist characters and stories. Extraordinary themes to inspire the imagination."
Artistically, Golding has a perfect hand for this tale. He has a clean approach to putting together a page.There is fine detail in the work, and he moves from full page art splashes, to multi panel montages easily, mixing the two to create a great story.
On flashbacks he uses a style that hearkens back to an earlier time in comics and that is a sweet touch too.
Check it out at http://www.darecomics.com/

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra

Review -- FACELESS SOLDIERS

2009-05-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

FACELESS SOLDIERS
Art by Steven Golebiewski
Written by Steven Golebiewski

Period piece stories are always intriguing to me and that is the first thing which caught attention with Steven Golebiewski's Faceless Soldiers #1. The writer/artist has set the story in Poland in the years just after the First World War. It's an interesting locale and era against which to set a story.Golebiewski said the setting was one he had a connection too, so he used it.
“Being 100 per cent Polish myself, I already knew a decent amount of Polish history and geography ... but I still studied extensively,” Golebiewski explained via email. “Library books, Internet, interviewing relatives, you name it. Since my story has large amounts of horrific fantasy, I wanted the real stuff to be as real as possible.”
In the case of Faceless Soldiers, we have a story which draws on the reality of a post-war era in a volatile area of Eastern Europe, a foundation Golebiewski uses to good effect, as he begins to create a nicely twisted tale of weird undead creatures harrowing a village.
Again Golebiewski draws on his heritage for inspiration.
“The story was sparked by a combination of my love for the supernatural and the stories told by my grandparents. My grandfather and grandmother were raised in Poland, and were only children when World War 2 hit them,” he said. “Needless to say, they've seen a lot in their time. “Their stories always involved the military (their own or foreign), survival, and hard times.
“The idea for my story first came to me when I realized something; all of their stories were extremely down to earth. No fantasy, no mythical monsters, no ancient folklore. My grandparents were faced with real horrors for their entire lives, so any kind of fantastical horror just seemed childish to them.
“That's when I got the idea, what if those supernatural horrors weren't so mythical? What if my grandparents were faced with inhuman enemies? Would they know what to do? Would they know where to start? What would they even call these monsters? With those questions, Faceless Soldiers was born.”
With an already stark time in terms of real history, and the addition of undead, the black and white rendered art works well here. Golebiewski's style has just the right blend of realism and interpretative flare to work. The art has just enough crudeness to fit what the story is portraying. It wouldn't work as well for a costumed-hero tale, but it works here.
The book is quite unique in its blend of historical era, and realism twisted with myth. It fits into a niche where there is a ton of comics, and that too is good, since variety is generally a positive. Golebiewski said that was sort of what he himself looks for in a comic.
“This book is my dream book. It's the type of book where, if I didn't make it myself and saw it on the rack, I'd b-line to it,” he said.
As a creator, Golebiewski said he is also pretty happy with what is his debut comic release, although he notes “I've been making comics since I was eight-years-old all the way to the end of college. However they're all locked away securely. For my own sake, as well as the sake of others..”
“Overall, I'm happy with it's turnout and how it's coming along,” he said. “The story, as I've said before, is my ideal mix of supernatural and real life horrors. My art style has always had a dark or evil twist to it, which also caters to the story. I've had some criticisms about both departments, but I've been working everyday to improve. The great thing about drawing, and writing your story is you can always change or tweak things at the last minute. It's insanely hard work, but there's nothing like having complete control over your own idea!”
The entire story will be told in the span of five issues, which the creator said will later be condensed into a graphic novel. He added, he already has ideas for potential sequels as well, which is intriguing news given the hook of Issue #1 of this tale.
This is definitely an independently produced comic that should be found and enjoyed. A very solid debut, and a story that leaves you wanting Issue #2 to arrive soon.
You can purchase Faceless Soldier at http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1781

-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra