The Pistoleers #1 by Dan Nokes.

The Pistoleers #1 by Dan Nokes.

21st Century Sandshark Studios

Black and white standard pamphle sized comic with cover colors. $5.00

Dense is the main word that comes to mind when I think about this comic. Everything about it is dense. The story, the writing, the drawing, the inking, the layouts, the lettering and even the page count. I like this comic a lot more in theory than in reality. It's a Civil War era western style story so that's cool with me. I'm all into that. I also like a lot of the character designs and the drawing has a lot of life and motion to it. My problems with the book are the same problems I have with just about any Marvel or DC book I've picked up in the past five or so years. The storytelling seems like it was learned from reading nothing but current mainstream comic books. What I mean is that it has a lot of dynamic panels but as a reader, trying to follow from one panel to the the next, the pacing does not make much sense and I often have a hard time figuring what is going on. Simple things like not being able to figure out which character is speaking seem to be totally acceptable in mainstream comics today so it was probably not something Nokes put a lot of thought into himself.

I am impressed by the ambition of the book. Fifty pages crammed full of art and words and all that other stuff you'd expect in comics with a pretty big cast and a complex story. It also has a neat blank page in the back where Nokes was able to add a nice custom drawing. Nokes can draw but there is a lot of inconsistency. I can imagine putting together a book this ambitious as a one man team can be a big challenge but I think the best thing Nokes could have done would be to slow down and simplify. Simplify page layouts. Maybe four to six panels a page. Simplify the drawing. There is a lot of unnecessary rendering and I get that. Mainstream comics are all about unnecessary rendering. The difference is that the mainstream guys have a team doing all that and when it's just one guy you see some weaknesses. Some of Nokes panels are great but there are lots of spots where the inking is inconsistent. There are also spots where a lot of the pencil under drawing is still visible. That in and of itself is not a bad thing. It is actually an en vogue style at the moment. The problem is that when it is not consistent from panel to panel it can be distracting. There are also some distracting little things about the print of the book. I'm seldom a fan of computer lettering and in this case the printed lettering came out pixilated or something. It reads okay. It's just not as sharp as it could be.

For me what makes me love an artist is never about the drawing chops. It's about an artist that can create a consistent cartoon world from panel to panel so that I can escape to that place and watch the story happen. Nokes has come up with a place I would like to visit. I like the idea of the thing but I think if he would relax a bit, take it down a notch and simplify, then the comic would be a much more enjoyable place to escape.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

Knocked 'Em by Patrick Dean

Big Deal Comics & Stories No. 10 "Knocked 'Em" by Patrick Dean.

http://patrickdeancomics.com/

Huge tabloid sized single story comic book. Hand painted with spot coloring.

Possibly on sale here.

One of the main things I look forward to at each year's Fluke show is getting Patrick Dean's latest comic. Patrick's Big Deal collections usually contain short stories and strips full of wacky robots, monsters and hillbillies but this edition of Big Deal is a big departure. Big as in huge. You really have to see the thing. "Tabloid" does not properly describe it. It is very tall. It is a great looking book with an awesome color cover. The interiors are black and white with some red in the appropriately gruesome spots.

Patrick's style is a fusion of all the best lurid elements of silver age sci-fi and horror comics fused together with all the best lurid elements of men's magazine gag comics. Most of his comics are packed with jokes and clever banter but this book is a more serious silent piece. Still, it's got the wacky situations and monsters I expect in an issue of Big Deal. I don't want to say too much about the story because it would ruin the wicked ending but I'll just say that it explores a situation where two lovers are hiding things from each other... and monsters. It is a really fun read and every panel is beautiful. It's the type of book you will want to flip through over and over again each time you pass by it.

We are only about five months into 2009 but I already think that this book is going to be one of the must have minicomics of 2009. I seldom tell my readers how to spend their money but I seriously recommend you visit Dean's website and request a copy. He was only charging five bucks at Fluke but really, he should be charging at least twice that. While you are there you can check out some of his other Big Deal stories. Enjoy.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

Two books from Z Metro Tales reviewed at Poopsheet Foundation.

Yep they sho nuff is. Click clack.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

Three more minis from Silber Media

worms #3 by Brian John Mitchell and Kimberlee Traub.

Lost Kisses #7 and #8 by Brian John Mitchell.

Published by Silber Media.

Brian John Mitchell sent in three more matchbook sized minis from Silber Media.

worms #3 "inside me" continues a Lynchian thriller. The writing is in a stream of consciousness style and it is unclear what is real, metaphor or illusion. This issue includes and IV full of snake headed worms. The images are minimal but stylish. You can see the tattoo art influence in Traub's drawing. At this short length it is hard to tell if the story is going anywhere. It feels like episodic television and would probably process better if each issue could be read within a week or so of the last.

The Lost Kisses minis continue Mitchell's series of one panel gag comics. The gags are linked together by a typed statement at the bottom of each gag. These statements reinforce the gag but more importantly link the gags together into a loose narrative. Maybe a little too loose in #7. The book was a bit confusing and felt like the pages might have been out of order. #8 is a lot tighter and sticks to a consistent theme throughout. Most all of the gags in both books are funny but I think #7 might work better without the typed statements. What I like most about Mitchell's comics is that he is able to make light of mundane relationship moments without being to cute or too bitter.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

Ditkomania 71 reviewed at Poopsheet.

I've posted a review of Ditkomania #71 over at the Poopsheet Foundation. Check it out.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

FCBD for the Indie Hipster

Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow so I wanted to mention a few things my minicomics lovin' pals should be on the look out for.

The Candy or Medicine FCBD book will be in an impressive amount of shops. You can see the list here. I'm fortunate enough to already have a copy and it is a good little introduction to this great minicomic anthology series.
I've already mentioned the WAP FCBD book here but I'll remind you again that you can download The Ancient Age for free this Saturday. Brad McGinty posted some samples and they look great.
I think my pal Jeremy Massie will have a FCBD sample version of his upcoming graphic novel at a couple of stores. His publisher, Alterna, is going to have an 80 page FCBD book that you should be able to find at your nearest comic shop and I assume it will have some samples of Jeremy's book. You can check out a preview here.

If I had the time and money to drive the kids to Charlotte I would go visit Heroes Aren't Hard to Find to check out their staggering list of guests for free.

And of course, there are the books from all the other publishers to look for. I have not had the time to check out the main FCBD site to study what will be available but I'm always happy with whatever I can get for free from Fantagraphics, Dawn & Quarterly and Top Shelf. You can check out the list here. I personally am desperate for the free Love and Rockets and Nancy books but I kind of doubt I find them in my area. So, if you see them in your store, grab a hand full and mail me one. I'll send you something cool back in return. Honest!

I always look forward to FCBD. It started the same year my oldest daughter was born and I've taken her every year. Even when she was a baby. I don't always get every book I want but she is always happy to have new comics and she will go back to them over and over and enjoy them for weeks, months and years. If you have kids and don't take them out for free comics then, well, I really just don't have any hope for you. I don't know how you can live with yourself. I hope your kids will forgive you. Someday.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith