(Captain America #344 1988. Cover by Ron Frenz and Al Milgrom. Stolen from Cover Browser.)
Here are some things I found interesting in the world of minicomics, comic books, graphic novels, small press, self publishing, zines, webcomics, cartoons, digital comics, other, etc. during the week weeks ending 01232017.
"Brutal. The guy likes being the top of the heap and he likes staying there. He’d be an all-term president and probably serve as vice president and most of the cabinet too. Except secretary of agriculture. Bane has no interest in where his food comes from. Only that it’s hit when it arrives. Or someone will pay." -Chuck Dixon on what President Bane would be like.
Hello sisters and brothers of teh intronets and welcome to another episode of your Other Comics News Parade-O-Links. My name is Shannon and I'll be your host. Last week was pretty crazy huh? But here we are. We made it. Most of us. Saturday was an inspiring day. Millions of people around the world making their voices heard. Millions standing together. I didn't march anywhere. I took care of my two daughters though so that has to count for something right? I'm not a woman (spoiler) but I am a dad and I tell you this, kids notice. Kids notice when women or minorities create their favorite comic books, cartoons, music, movies and video games. They notice when people stand up for themselves or others or for what they believe in. They notice when people march for a cause. They notice and it shapes their reality. The reality where it wasn't impossible no longer exists the second they see the one where it is possible. Much thanks to all of those that fight the good fight. It's bigger than you know.
Lots of talk this week about "breaking into comics". I guess everyone on twitter had the same new year's resolution to finally get their act together and get paid to make comics. There were some good tips in there and some decent jokes. I recommend Robert Venditti's testimony on the subject. I don't know how to group tweets together or whatever but you can find his story of how he "broke into comics" on his twitter feed. He has what I think is an ideal comics career; mainstream work with multiple publishers as well as creator owned work. Read his story for yourself but the short version of how he built that career is that he 1) worked hard and 2) he put himself and his work in physical proximity to world of publishing. You might make it with either one of those two things but I doubt you make it without doing both. Especially the work. Even if you get lucky, and fool your way in, without the work, it will catch up to you.
The Dollar Bin's Adam Daughhetee and company are making a documentary on comics creators that will include Laura Martin, Sanford Greene, Van Jensen, Joey Weiser, Andy Runton and others. The production blog has started here.
Now you can easily make sure that everyone you know is aware of your feelings about Josh Latta.
You comics folk are all reading Grant Morrison's The Savage Sword of Jesus Christ in Heavy Metal magazine right?
Bane creators support Trump. I'm pretty sure Chuck Dixon has supported all the Republican presidents. I support Chuck Dixon Punisher and Batman comics but was kinda bummed out by Chuck Dixon Green Arrow comics. I vote against Chuck Dixon Green Arrow comics.
And finally, our man Francis bids a fond farewell to 2016...
Remember pals, life is hard. Never stop running unless it's to pick up a friend. Read comics and chew Glorp every day and you'll keep on livin' until you're dead.
(Star Wars issue 106. Cover by Cynthia Martin. Image stolen from Rebel Scum.)
Here are some things I found interesting in the world of minicomics, comic books, graphic novels, small press, self publishing, zines, webcomics, cartoons, digital comics, other, etc. during the week weeks ending 01/11/2017.
Hello sisters and brothers of teh intronets and welcome to another episode of your Other Comics News Parade-O-Links. My name is Shannon and I'll be your host. I've been away for a bit. Well, I've been right here. I've just been busy. September through November is my busiest time of year at work. Then after that holiday and family stuff took over. Family first right? But 2017 will be a big year for file under other. 2017 is an anniversary year so more on that down the road.
So, here we are. My head and my heart are in knots. I appologize in advance that this Parade-O-Links will be short on comics. That's not comics' fault. It's my fault. I'm dealing with some things. I'll get better. For the 2nd time in the last five Presidential elections the person that received the largest amount of votes will not be our next President. It happens. Some people are concerned. And with good reason. Imagine the riots in the streets if two out of five Superbowl Championships were handed to the team with less points. The last time this happened we invaded the wrong countries and went to war for fifteen years. So... good luck? Look, our democracy failible. Our democracy is fragile. It's scary. But one of the main reasons these United States have been safe from tyranny is that every four to eight years we have the peaceful removal and replacement of our top leader. So whether your candidate won or lost, remember, this is temporary. Maybe.
And by Maybe I mean please remember that Vladimir Putin circumvented Russia's constitution and appointed himself Prime Minister and then President after having exceeded Russia's term limits. Again, democracy is fragile.
Kompromat.
Don't take democracy for granted. It can end. Democracies end. Some times by force and sometimes by will. Sometimes they get pissed away.
Friends. This isn't a political blog but I'm reporting to you live right now from the Unites States of America and this is just the world around us right now. I know a lot of very smart people discourage artists, creative types and well, basically anyone that would like to attain employment at some point, to keep the political opinions off social media because it could be held against you and cost you gigs. I get it. I get it. But if we live in a country where you have to be afraid to speak your mind then we've already lost. And personally, I don't want to work for or with people that don't respect my opinion. My mind, my glorious freaking mind, is exactly WHY you SHOULD want to work with me. And if you're paying me to shut up then you're wasting your money.
Guys. I just need to take a moment to say that this webpage is doing some weird things with font that and alignment that are driving me crazy but I just don't have the patience to figure out right now. Sorry.
Enough about the future/end of the free world. Let's talk about me. I recently drew a four page comic about "Handsome" Jimmy "The Boogie Woogie" Man Valiant and Magnet Man having a monster truck sumo battle for Brien Wayne Powell's Boogie Jam 4Ever. It's great. You should buy seven copies. Brien also has what has to be one of the longer running ongoing webcomics about Magnet Man and the Boogie Woogie Man's adventures over at Boogie Jam Online. I've got some other wrasslin' comics in the works but they are top secret so you will have to wait to find out about them. (Or, ya know, just ask me.)
Speaking of the word "handsome". Does the way Taylor Swift pronounces "handsome" weird anyone else out?
2016 was a rough one for a lot of us. It was a rough one for the world. A lot of people have it worse than I do and I can be pretty miserable. There's a solid chance that tomorrow I'll wake up and my county's schools and hospitals will still be standing. That's not true everywhere. So many have lost so much. We focus on the death's of famous people because those folks are like our shared extended family. There is a commonality there that we can empatize with. I may know know you but if I know you loved David Bowie then I can understand how much it hurt a year ago when he left us. You may not know me but if you loved Prince then I can tell you about how I bought my first guitar because of him when I was 15 and that I picked out a white one because of Purple Rain. Carrie Fisher meant so much to so many of us around the world. She was the first girl I ever wanted to marry. She never stopped inspiring. We need a million more of her. Especially now. Comics also lost a lot of great ones. We will press on. Forward. Forward. But don't forget. How could we?
Those of you have been reading file under other for a while know that I usually end these posts with a video from our youtube pal Francis. I hate to break internet kayfabe but Francis is just a character. The man behind Francis is Steven Williams, also known as boogie2988. I grew up in the same small town, watchin' cartoons and readin' comics at the same library. He was a year behind me in school but I've know him since pre-school. He's a sweetheart and was always the funniest guy in the room. This past year he received one of the highest honors you can receive in video games without actually making them. I'm proud of ya' Boogie. Ya done good. Saint Paul High School represent!
And now ladies and gentlemen...
THE BEST NEW semi-recent COMIC comics I READ THIS WEEK recently.
Disney Pirates of the Caribbean issues 1 and 2 by Chris Schweizer, Joe Flood and Marissa Louise. Published by Joe Books LTD. $2.99.
I didn't know much about this comic going into it beyond the fact that Chris Schweizer was writing it. I missed the whole Pirates of the Caribbean movie phenomenon at the time the films came bout because my kids were not at the PG-13 age yet. Those movies came out during a time when I pretyt much only saw talking animal movies. But, I'm a sucker for any movie with a boat in it so I watched the 1st movie on Netflix recently after I bought these comics at my LCS but before I read them. I liked the movie a lot. It had boats in it.
I loved both issues of this comic. I think is really lovely from cover to cover. I don't know anything about the publisher Joe Books LTD or why they publish Disney comics instead of a comic book publisher Disney paid billions of dollars for but, the books are as good from cover to cover as anything on the stands and they cost a dollar or two less. Consider me a fan.
Schweizer's writing is as great as I expected it to be. Each comic is a fully realized self contained speedy adventure with a full cast of individually motivated interesting characters. The character's speech and motivations are consistent with the one film I saw. The wit is very sharp. Schweizer doesn't go too many panels without a punchline.
I was a bit dissappointed to see that Schweizer was not also drawing this book but Joe Flood does a great job. The design is solid and pleasantly consistent with the Disney Infinity video game style that I love so much. The real challenge with this book is capturing Captain Jack's mannerism's Flood never drops character.
The book looks great cover to cover. Marissa Louise is credited with the colors on the first issue and I'm assuming Flood did the colors himself on the second. I like the style of both. My personal preference in colors is for them to be very flat. I don't like colorists that are into rendering. I like flat colors with a bit of that enhance the light and dark of the inks. That's pretty much the style we see here. The pallet is a bit brown for my personal tastes but it fits the story, time and location and is consistent with the movie I watched. Interior and night time scenes are appropriately dark but the characters still pop.
As I said before, I really don't know anything about Joe Books or these Disney comics yet (I'll look it up eventually) but if they put out 20 more issues of this with Schweizer as the writer I'll be sure to buy them and they'll probably be the first books I read from the ol' pull list any time they come out. I couldn't find these on Comixology so if you're interested in them I suggest you ask your LCS to snag you some copies.
And finally... Hey guys, 2016 wasn't all bad. Francis made a friend!
Remember pals, life is hard. Never stop running unless it's to pick up a friend. Read comics and chew Glorp every day and you'll keep on livin' until you're dead.
