Friday, February 28, 2003
< comics/x >
TRUE FICTION #4: Electric Coffee 1.0
($3.00 from The Squid Works / PO Box 480463 / Denver, CO / 80248-0463 USA. Web: www.squidworks.com. Adults Only)
"Electric Coffee" is an ongoing jam project with a cool twist. Each cartoonist draws a daily-newspaper-format comic in which the action happens between two comics already done. So, instead of moving the story forward with no end in sight, the artists are continually adding to the middle. This means the jam can go on indefinitely even though the ending has already been presented. As with any jam comic, some parts work very well and others not so well, but it's all fun. There are 32 individual strips and contributors include editor T. Motley, Sean Bieri, Thien Pham, Brad Foster, Craig Gassen, Bret Bertholf, Matt Feazell, Tim Winkelman, Monobrain, Lonnie Allen, R. Florence and loads more. I encourage you to take part and be included in the next version.
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< film >
CINEMA SEWER #12
($4.00 from Robin Bougie / #320-440 E. 5th Ave. / Vancouver, BC / V5T-1N5 / CANADA. Web: www.geocities.com/robin_bougie/index.htm. Also available at Tower Records)
Here's another great issue of this perverted film mag, heavy on the porn this time. Some of the contents: bumfight videos; a rant about moviegoers (Amen!); memories of the now-closed Fine Arts theater (Hempstead, New York); obscure, uncredited films of Lee Frost and Wes Bishop; made-to-order porn starring Matt Daddy Deluxe; Britni, the new Queen of Nasty (and how); an interview with director/writer Trent Harris ( Rubin and Ed); a look at Fight for Your Life, a movie Robin believes to be at the top of its class in terms of racism-exploitation "for sheer audacity"; an indepth article about The Taming of Rebecca starring Sharon Mitchell and scary guy George Payne; and the list goes on. Robin always covers the weirdest shit there is and, in some cases, uncovers stuff that should probably stay buried. And, as always, there's a muy entertaining letters column and plenty of great Bougie drawings and cartoons. Sick stuff, kids; not recommended for the faint of heart.
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< comics/x >
GET BENT! #10
($4.75 ppd from Ben T. Steckler / PO Box 7273 / York, PA / 17404 USA. E-mail: bsteckler@suscom.net)
This is a really cool package. It's five 16-page mini-comics, each with a color cover and they're wrapped in a full-color sleeve. What's more, the titles of the five minis make up the phrase "Can Anybody Find Me Somebody to Love?" and each mini begins with a line from the Queen song of the same name. Ben calls this his "Valentine to the world". It's a clever concept and, based on at least a couple of the minis, is probably the best thing from him that I've read yet. In one of my favorite stories the artist himself ponders his life and, in the other, an elderly woman does the same but from a completely different perspective. I really appreciate the care and planning that went into this edition of Get BenT! and look forward to what's in store for future issues.
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Tuesday, February 25, 2003
< comics/x >
TRIGGER #4
($2.00 from Mike Bertino / 3060 Suncrest Dr. #9 / San Diego, CA / 92116 USA. E-mail: triggercomics@hotmail.com)
Alright, wait a minute. This issue is supposed to be the end of the Everyman storyline, but man, what a wacky twist! Okay, it does end the story, but there's obviously much more that can be dealt with. I hope creator Mike Bertino returns to it. If you haven't read the previous issues, look for my review in the January 23rd entry. This is good stuff – engaging story, great art – and I'm definitely looking forward to what's next (and if you want to know what that is, find out here).
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< comics/x >
YAHOO! #10
(Just-Fo'-Fun / Irenestraat 9 / 4551 GN / Sas van Gent / HOLLAND. E-mail: rebelfanzine@hotmail.com)
Solid cartoony fun here – mostly in Dutch, but lots of fun to look at. Great comix and drawings by Zookie, Claudio Parentela, Mars Gremmen, Marc de Hay, T.M. Products, Marc van Monobrain, Marcel Ruijters and others. I'm not sure if it comes with the issue, but I also received a fun mini from T.M. Products. It's all good stuff; if you like it on the cartoony side, I recommend you check this out. On this page are a few of Zookie's drawings (plus a biography in Dutch).
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Friday, February 21, 2003
< comics/x >
STRIPBURGER #34
(Strip Core / Forum Ljubljana / Metelkova 6-1000 / Ljubljana / SLOVENIA. Web: www.ljudmila.org/stripcore/com.htm. Distributed in North America by Top Shelf)
Stripburger is a very good international artcomics anthology. So why don't I hear more about it? The magazine is celebrating its 10th anniversary and special features in this one include a full-color pull-out poster comic by Valium (it's a thing of beauty), inside covers featuring self-portraits of past and present contributors (Ruijters, Schoofs, Doucet, Suicide, Bolino, many more), a section devoted to Actus and a section devoted to female cartoonists. My very favorite piece in this issue is Yirmi Pinkus' "The New Girl" which examines the relationship between a lonely woman and the employees of a café she frequents. There's lots more to take in, though, including work by Joe Sacco (a Gorazde story), Lars Sjunnesson, Maaike Hartjes, Caroline Sury, Kati Rapia, Batia Kolton, Itzik Rennert, Rutu Modan, Max Andersson and still more. There are a few pieces in Slovene, but the majority is in English (and a translation sheet is provided for the few that aren't). Recommended.
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< comix/art brut >
HEADHUNTER #6
(Marc van Elburg / PO Box 68 / 7700AB / Dedemsvaart / NETHERLANDS)
My copy of this latest issue came in a gorgeous full-color package designed, I imagine, for hanging on pegboards at the weirdo shops that'll sell it. The book itself has a color cover and is packed with drawings of monstrous heads and crazy-ass designs by Monobrain (with a few guest drawings by Jan Novak). It also comes with a noise CD and I guarantee that listening to the disc while looking at the booklet is a sure recipe for madness. I don't know what these cost, but I'd send at least $4-5.00 US or try trading something similar.
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< misc >
DAGLOZE KRANT #3
(Tilanusstraat 246 / 1091 DZ Amsterdam / HOLLAND. E-mail: daglozekrant@lycos.com)
A wacky collection of cartoons, modified photos, text, Christmas and moustaches. Yes, this is the Christmas issue and also the moustache issue and moustaches abound. Also: a Strange Story and drawing by Ewan Cameron, Xmas tunes, Hasil Adkins, a live show review and more. The coolest thing about this is how the cover was fashioned from a discarded envelope. Paste something on the front and – boom! – you've got a unique package!
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SAVAGE JUNGLE TALES PRESENTS LEANA
(€3/$3.00 US postpaid from B-Brand Comix / Enrico Teodorani / Via Ca'nova 215-S. Andrea in Bagnolo / 47020 Pievesestina di Cesena (FC) / ITALY. Web: http://digilander.libero.it/mupis)
T&A comic starring a musclebound, large-breasted jungle girl who fights poachers. Bondage, torture, humiliation, etc. Story (in English) uncredited, art by Silvano. From the publisher of the recently-reviewed Djustine.
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
< comics/x >
LUMAKICK #1
($4.95; www.lumakick.com)
(This is a collection of short stories, most of which feature a little man who seems somewhat confounded and overwhelmed by the mysteries and injustices of life. Written in an airy, poetic style, the drawings are light and airy, but with a lot of interesting texture. In most of these pieces Richard Hahn seems to be musing on love, happiness and other sentimentalities we all concern ourselves with whether we admit it or not. There are also several one-pagers throughout featuring "Clemenza & Tessio", which are quite different from the rest of the book. These two guys sit at a bar and talk about women (neither has a clue). This is interesting work and before I finish I should mention the beautiful watercolored covers. My guess is if you go for, say, John Hankiewicz' Tepid or Thomas Herpich's Cusp, you're going to want to check out Lumakick.
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< comics/x >
WATUSI THE TALKING DOG #1
($1.00 from Dale Martin / PO Box 442612 / Lawrence, KS / 66044 USA. Web: http://home.swbell.net/grizmart)
This is a collection of four-panel jam comics starring the titular character. The format was devised with the intention of using it in a classroom environment as publisher Dale Martin has recently held cartooning workshops for junior high students. In addition to Dale, jam participants include B. Winter, Mike Leuszler, Mike Goetz and others. What makes this different from most jam collections, though, is that there are several unfinished jams that Dale encourages the reader to participate in. I think this is a great idea and it should be interesting to see how different cartoonists take the jams in different directions. Kudos to Dale for promoting interactivity amongst comics readers and artists.
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< comix/art >
PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP
(Souther Salazar / 106 N. Chester Ave. / Pasadena, CA / 91106 USA. Web: www.southersalazar.com)
Wow, this is something else. I gushed the other day about Souther's The Monster That Ate Stars and it looks like I'll be gushing about this one, too. Please Don't Give Up is something like a pleading song on paper that's carried along by exquisite and fanciful drawings. It's beautiful stuff. My only wish is that it was in color (which is super expensive), but that's really only because I've seen the color version of the fold-out centerpiece and it's absolutely stunning. While I was reading this the Peter Gabriel song "Don't Give Up" was playing in my head and seemed like a nice accompaniment. If you've never read Souther's work, I'd say that if you like Dave Kiersh or John Porcellino, you'll dig this. And if you've never read them either, get crackin'! Recommended. Be sure to ask for a catalog, too; he's got lots more good stuff available.
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< comics/x >
DAYS OF WINE AND ANTHRAX
($3.50 from Dale Martin / PO Box 442612 / Lawrence, KS / 66044 USA. Web: http://home.swbell.net/grizmart)
I enjoyed this a lot more than I imagine I'd think I might if I'd known it was a collection of editorial cartoons. In 2001, Dale Martin began "Continuity and Vine" for an alternative weekly that folded within six months. Unphased, he continued to produce the strip and this is its first collection. Most of these strips deal, naturally, with the post-9/11-pre-war world we're living in, but Dale tackles it with humor. The government, Bush, Big Business, Ashcroft, patriotism – the usual suspects – are all mocked, but there's also a series of desert island gags (that are actually funny) in the middle that breaks up the political commentary nicely. Good stuff.
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Wednesday, February 12, 2003
< comics/x >
SMEARY SOAPBOX PRESS-ENTS #1: The Human Spring
(35¢ + a stamp from Dale Martin / PO Box 442612 / Lawrence, KS / 66044 USA. Web: http://home.swbell.net/grizmart)
In the tradition of goofy Golden & Silver Age superheroes with ridiculous origins, here's Dale Martin's Human Spring. Fun stuff, but my favorite bit is the small peek at next issue's villain, Dr. Preparedness.
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< comics/x >
AMAZING ADULT FANTASY #17
(Free for a stamp from Tim Doyle / 924 E. 40th, #106 / Austin, TX / 78751 USA. Web: www.lowfashion.com/timdoyle)
Another fun installment of Tim Doyle's monthly diary comic. The cool thing about the monthly issues is that the events are all recent since Tim prints up each month as soon as the new month starts. He writes (and draws, of course) about work, what movies he saw, gallery shows, a crazy businessman and lots more nuttiness. Also: a couple of local articles about him, a couple of tribute drawings (one from Wayne Alan Brenner), the Hall of Shame (this month: the FOX News Channel) and a then-amusing-now-hilarious pep-talk letter from Mike Tyson that came with the '87 version of Nintendo's Mike Tyson's Punch-Out ("Never become angry – it will inhibit your ability").
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< misc >
CABOOSE #3
($1.00 from Liz Saidel / PO Box 476802 / Chicago, IL / 60647 USA. E-mail: lizsaidel@prontomail.com)
The bulk of this, the "modular karaoke issue", is a transcription of a conversation between Liz and several pals about karaoke and what it means to them. As someone who's never done karaoke, I found the discussion pretty interesting – not so much for karaoke itself, but the passion of the enthusiast. They talk about favorite songs, techniques, how to work an audience, karaoke etiquette, philosophy and basically every other aspect one could discuss on a personal level. The conversation is broken up into segments that focus on different aspects and the whole thing just begs for a documentary-style video treatment.
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< comix/resources >
OUT OF THE BLUE #13
($3.00 from Larned Justin / PO Box 471 / House Springs, MO / 63051 USA. Web: http://candidcartoons.bizhosting.com)
My favorite pieces in this issue are the full-page illustrations by Andy Nukes and Claudio Parentela and Matt Holdaway's "Firefighting" story about a near-tragedy in the forests of Wyoming. Other stuff in this issue: cartoons by the late Floyd Choat, articles by Joseph Shea (a rat mishap) and Steve Skeates (on artist Tom Sutton), a bunch of reviews (with cover and/or art repros) and art/comix by Mike Goetz, John Miller, Dale Martin, Joel Orff and others.
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< comics/x >
ELEANOR E. IS HOME
($2.00 from John Hankiewicz / 18 W. Traube Ave. / Westmont, IL / 60559 USA. Web: www.geocities.com/tepidcomic)
Of the three pieces in this thick mini, the titular story is the longest but is part of a longer story from the upcoming issue of Tepid. Like other stories in Tepid, the events portrayed are a bit mysterious and sometimes confusing. Certainly it'll give you a different perspective on what a narrative can be – if you can find it. It's experimental work (to say the least) that does evoke emotion even if I'm not always sure if it's the correct emotion. My favorite piece in this book, though, is a shorter one called "You or I". It's also experimental in nature, but the dialogue is fascinating and the narrative more tangible. You can also check out John's work at The Holy Consumption.
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Monday, February 03, 2003
< misc >
THE HUNGOVER GOURMET #6
($4.00 ppd from Dan Taylor / PO Box 5531 / Lutherville, MD / 21094-5531 USA. Web: www.hungovergourmet.com)
As you may guess from the title, THG is a magazine about food – well, mostly – and I'd recommend it to anybody who likes eating, b-movies or personalzines. My favorite features in this one:
• The fifteen pages devoted to snacks. Among others things: William P. Tandy on snowballs (shaved ice), a Delaine Derry Green cartoon, a frozen snack report, Davida Gypsy Breier's chip habit and recipes (from those old pamphlets that used to be all over everybody's kitchens) for such tasty treats as Watermelon Pickle in a Blanket, Shrimp and Grapefruit Whip, Joan Crawford Dip and Cannibal Beef.
• Two vacation journals, one by Dan Taylor (Cabo San Lucas), the other by Evan Ginzburg (Southern California). Both are amusing and informative.
Some of the other features you'll find in this issue involve Yocco's hot dogs, beer can chicken, grilling a turkey, Kathy Mosely on bars she loves, a primer for the Daredevil movie and zine, CD & DVD reviews. This issue is a pretty hefty read and provides a lot of bang for the buck (and I say that without having read a couple of the more intricate cooking articles).
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< comics/x / words >
BEER BREATH
(Jim Conatser / 302 N. 3rd St. / Bellevue, IA / 52031 USA)
My only complaint about Jim Conatser's work is that I don't see enough of it. Beer Breath features a couple of humorous and twisted short stories in which beer plays a supporting role. Funny and slightly disturbing. Of course, you also get illustrations (and cover cartoons) done in Jim's somewhat primitive style which I like a lot. This actually came out a couple of years ago, but I just got mine, so I'm guessing there are still copies to be had.
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< comics/x >
HEATHEN #2
(Morgan Parducci / PO Box 25 / Batesville, MS / 38606 USA. E-mail: heathencomics@yahoo.com. Mature Readers Only)
Heathen is an anthology of comics by brothers Morgan and Simon Parducci. Kid-n-Play, "snappers", Lab Rat Man, a bad joke and Granny Flapjacks, the world's oldest hooker and porn star. It's fun stuff. My favorite bit, though, is probably the cool cover illustration.
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< words >
THE DIE Vol. 2, #1
(Free, but be kind and send $$ or stamps to Red Roach Press / PO Box 764 / College Park, MD / 20740 USA. Web: http://redroachpress.tripod.com)
According the The Die's mission statement, its goal is to "[make] you think about things you may not have considered and think twice about the things you take for granted." The leading article offers editor Joe Smith's take on the ISBN/ISSN/UPC debate recently highlighted on alt.zines and in The Free Press Death Ship, among other places. It's an interesting subject to say the least. The second feature details Smith's preference for typewriters and the permanence of their by-products (as opposed to the electronic limbo of a computer's hard drive). The issue finishes out with with letters and several pages of fairly indepth book reviews. Good reading and certainly worth much, much more than the asking price.
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< comics/x >
DAMN WEIRD #18, 24
(Try Buzz Buzzizyk / PO Box 2452 / Butler, PA / 16003 USA or Jim Siergey / 4135 N. Hermitage / Chicago, IL / 60613 USA)
These are both fun collaborations between Buzz Buzzizyk and Jim Siergey. In #18 Siergey draws the rhyming story of a one-eyed fish named Pete and #24 is a jam comic drawn by both. Damn weird? You betcha.
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< comics/x >
THE MONSTER THAT ATE STARS
($1.00? from Souther Salazar / 106 N. Chester Ave. / Pasadena, CA / 91106 USA or online at the Catastrophe Shop. Souther's website: southersalazar.com)
Souther Salazar is a genius. This micro-comic, drawn in a sketchy, primitive sort of style, is one of those projects that shows the creator hasn't forgotten what it's like to be a kid. I really dig that, too, and think that remaining in touch with one's inner child (if you'll pardon the new age-y term) is pretty important. Life isn't about growing up, wearing a tie and making money; it's about remembering what it was like before you ever knew about any of that. And Souther captures it perfectly. Highly recommended.
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Sunday, February 02, 2003
< comics/x >
COMIC EFFECT #32
($3.50 from Jim Kingman / PO Box 2188 / Pasadena, CA / 91102-2188 USA. E-mail: jkcomeff@aol.com)
Comic Effect is a place where comics readers of all sorts (but mostly mainstream) reminisce about, review and analyze things they've read. It's a nice dose of nostalgia that makes for a fun read. Between covers by Mike Hall and Dan Duncan this one's got: Hall on comics and other media; Dan Beck on Lois Lane, Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl; Carol Pond's "My Ten Favorite Small Press Creators"; a history of Ambush Bug by Michal Jacot; Tony Seybert's "Asian Stereotypes in the Comics, 1937-1956: From Fu Manchu to Jimmy Woo" (the most interesting feature this time around); and plenty more, including reminiscences of Whodunnit?, Green Lantern, The Shield, Captain Future and others. Comic Effect is going bi-monthly this year and Jim is looking for articles from you readers of comics to fill those pages.
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< comics/x >
BEG THE QUESTION
(Fantagraphics Books, www.fantagraphics.com)
Beg the Question, a nice hardback collection of Bob Fingerman's Minimum Wage series, is almost like a more vulgar version of Alex Robinson's Box Office Poison. They're really different works, but they do have some striking similarities. They both: seem to be semi-autobiographical, offer a fictional (?) "inside" look at the comics industry and feature a cast of believable characters (including a short, dark-haired, insecure female romantic lead), some of whom are incurable media geeks. As I said, they're very different works (the important similarity is that they both appear to be at least partly based on fact), but I find the comparison interesting.
Beg the Question follows the day-to-day life of Rob, a cartoonist, and his partner, Sylvia, who works in a beauty salon but is dissatisfied with her career. These two, with supporting cast tagging along, work their way through love, lust, jealousy, angst, nightmares, potential parenthood and all that other relationship-y stuff. Oh, and there's a lot of humping – quite a lot of humping.
I'd read part of this in pamphlet form and am pleased I got to read the whole story in this collection. It's an enjoyable comedy-drama (to borrow a tv term) with realistic dialogue, gratuitous sex and pretty pictures. What more do you need?
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