Friday, May 30, 2003
< comics/x >
RANDOM ORDER COMICS AND GAMES #3
($2.00 from James V. West / PO Box 241 / Somerset, KY / 42502-0241 USA. Web: www.randomordercreations.com)
I really don't see that many comics in the fantasy/sword & sorcery vein these days, but I'd definitely like to see more if they're as well done as James West's. My favorite pieces in this issue are the first and the last. The first is the beginning of "Sword of the Red King" in which Our Hero, whilst working on just another job, finds himself possibly joining the cause of those he was to steal from. I suppose the story is not exactly groundbreaking, but I enjoy the ease with which it's told. James' artwork has a nice clean cartoony look with lots of texture; it's good stuff. The last feature is a selection of "Trollbabe" strips (in a daily format, written by Ron Edwards) in which the heroine falls in love with a looney (or does she?). These two features make this issue worth it for me, but you also get four more pages of comics by James, a fully-developed role-playing game by Eric Carl Alexander (that he illustrates) and covers by Will Terrell and Paul Laine (plus a pin-up by James and Dawna Keeney). Good stuff.
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< comics/x >
SHOT BY A RAYGUN #2
($1.00 from Billy McKay / PO Box 542 / N. Olmsted, OH / 44070 USA)
This is pretty cool. Billy likes to experiment with format and I dig that. The interior of this issue begins with a whimsical, Silverstein-like poem that unfolds (literally) as you read it. When it's done you're left with an 11×17" sheet of color drawings of people, monsters, aliens and other thingies. Billy says the drawings were originally done on letters as color experiments. I wish more artists would scan and publish their letter art. If you like Billy's work, then I don't even need to tell you to check this out. If you've not seen his work, this is as good a place as any to introduce yourself.
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< photography >
CHERRYPEPPER #2
($7.00 from Marc Calvary / PO Box 11923 / Eugene, OR / 97440 USA. Web: www.cherrypepper.com. Age Statement Required.)
Now here's something I'd like to see more of. Marc Calvary (of The Carbon Based Mistake) is, among other things, a photographer. Perhaps I'm just missing the boat, but it seems that the zine world is severely lacking in photographers who publish their work. If, however, that idea isn't novel enough, how about this: The focus of cherrypepper is the female body. I don't mean puerile T&A (though I wouldn't have a problem with that). The photos here – of five different women in 50 pages – are respectful, mostly-interesting portraits of natural, unenhanced models. The photographer himself says " cherrypepper is about the sexy innocence of the classic pin-up magazines and a heartfelt tribute to real women." This is good stuff and I hope it encourages a trend. As for production, it's a pretty nice package – squarebound, black and white halftones (it is a zine after all), with each photo a full bleed – so you can understand the price tag. Go check out the samples on the website, then send Marc your money. And if it inspires you to publish something similar, send a copy to me!
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Wednesday, May 28, 2003
< comics/x >
ATOMISER #1
(Rabid Publishing / PO Box 93 / Paddington, NSW 2021 / AUSTRALIA. Web: www.atomiserzine.com)
Stratu's Sick Puppy is dead (Long live Sick Puppy!), but has been rebirthed in the form of Atomiser, a new anthology with a different theme each issue. Like its predecessor, Atomiser features comix of the ugly, sick and depraved variety and publishes some of the top cartoonists in that arena. The theme for this issue is "Ancient" and, under a tasty cover by Marcel Ruijters, you'll find the repugnant, the beautiful and the beautifully repugnant by such folks as Doug Iannucci (whose "Stan and Edna Nats" bit is one of my favorites in this issue), Gregory Mackay, Ryan Vella (my other favorite, a mini-biography of Roman emperor Elagabalus), Mike Diana, Neale Blanden, Anton Emdin (man, this cat is slick), Glenn Smith, Josh Simmons (easily the most repulsive strip this time around), editor Stratu and several others. Also thrown in, and much appreciated, are five pages of reviews of like-minded publications. So, not only is this a fun anthology, but a good resource. Atomiser isn't for the faint of heart (you know who you are), but if you like a little perversion in your comix, you might want to check it out.
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< resource >
TEN PAGE NEWS #32
($1.00, 3 stamps or a trade from Owen Thomas / PO Box 9651 / Columbus, OH / 43209 USA. Web: http://members.aol.com/vlorbik)
Good to see a new Ten Page News, Owen's zine of informal reviews and whatever else. Under a cover by Matt Holdaway this one's got a handful of reviews, a three-page response to a particular position on classroom learning, a one-page comic and "Why I Teach Such Good Classes", an encouraging one-page statement of purpose that reads as if being delivered to students. More, Owen, more!
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Thursday, May 22, 2003
< comics/x >
AMAZING ADULT FANTASY Vol. 3
($3.00 + post.? from Tim Doyle / Lo-Fi Comics / 924 E. 40th, #106 / Austin, TX / 78751 USA. Web: www.lowfashion.com/timdoyle)
Tim Doyle, the guy behind Sally Suckerpunch, does a monthly diary comic and this is the third six-month collection. It's done in a daily three-panel format, which makes for a brief look at the day, but it's fun reading. In this collection you'll find stuff about work ( Funny Papers in Austin), hanging out with pals, movies he sees, art shows, his love life, smoking cigars, etc. Plus, you get cameos by local cartoonists, the regular "Hall of Shame" and guest art by Drew Weing, Jen Frost Smith, Laura Pace, Wayne Alan Brenner and others. This collection also contains the issue that was split with Ben White's Snake Pit #29 (all left intact). If you're not convinced mail Tim a stamp and he'll send you the current monthly issue to check out.
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< zine:personal >
MR. PEEBODY'S SOILED TROUSERS & OTHER DELIGHTS #17
($2.00 from Jay / PO Box 931333 / Los Angeles, CA / 90093 USA)
This is Jay's long-running perzine in which he dishes the dirt on his daily deeds. This issue covers October and November of 2001 (he's a little behind) and deals with, among other things, unfortunate public nudity, bad vibes, the early stages of putting a film together, food (and places to get it), his job as a commercial scanner (wacky!), hooker trouble, celebrities, football, dreams and his sex life (which is either very active or very fictional). Jay also does something I wish every zine publisher would do: includes zine reviews in the back (about 20 this time). If you dig that diary sort of thing, this is one you should check out.
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Monday, May 19, 2003
< comix >
COMIC BOOK HEAVEN #8
(SLG Publishing, www.slavelabor.com, http://comicbookheaven.net)
As longtime readers may remember, I dig Comic Book Heaven. Clearly a labor of love on the part of editor Scott Saavedra, CBH humorously looks at the quirkier side of (mostly) mainstream comic books throughout the years. In this issue you'll find the regular feature "Me Am Weird" (an always chucklesome collection of plot synopses and art repros), rootin' tootin' (and I'm from Texas, so I should know) quotes from Western comics, sexy facts from Stan Lee's recently-published biography, uncharacteristic (nowadays, anyway) Superman covers, and a whole mess of other stuff like letters, the Caped Crusader and Wonder Boy (Batman & Robin knock-off wrestlers), old ads and plenty more. It's a whole lotta fun, kids.
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< comix >
JACK AND LUCKY #1
($2.00 from Anthony Hon, www.motenai.com)
This seems to be the beginning of a Hollywood-style loser-boy-meets-hot-girl sort of story that would probably appeal to young males everywhere. I can easily see it as a movie or a sitcom. What the reader knows right away is that Jack can't seem to score with women and that he's got a pretty juvenile, hormone-addled view of them. Also, his cat, Lucky, is humanoid, maybe seven feet tall and 300 pounds (I expect a "that's a lot of pussy" joke to show up at some point). The comic is slickly drawn (maybe too slickly at times) with lots of pop culture references, a little manga influence and its fair share of Frank Cho-style T&A. Anthony also sent the Motenai Comics Sampler ($1.50) which includes, among other things, a preview of Jack and Lucky #2.
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Saturday, May 10, 2003
< resource >
ZINE WORLD #18
($4.00 from Jerianne / PO Box 330156 / Murfreesboro, TN / 37133-0156 USA. Web: www.undergroundpress.org)
I think it's safe to say that Zine World is currently the closest thing we have to what Factsheet 5 was in its mid-'90s heyday. I don't know how many zines are reviewed in this issue, but it's a lot. They review underground and alternative publications (very few UPCs, ISBNs or ISSNs) in an A-Z fashion (I'd like to see categories, but I can live without them). There's so much stuff in here, in fact, that I can easily see how putting it all together must be a major headache, so I encourage you to send your support. In addition to hundreds of reviews, there's also a really good news section (Patriot Act, censorship in schools, obscenity bust, etc.), a healthy letters section, various articles and more, all under a striking apocalyptic 2-color cover by Bobby Tran Dale ( Homoeroticon). This issue also comes with a 12-page supplement with still more information. Highly recommended.
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Sunday, May 04, 2003
< comics/x >
THE ROCKET'S BLAST COMICOLLECTOR #4
($9.95 + $4.00 post. from James Van Hise / 57754 Onaga Tr. / Yucca Valley, CA / 92284 USA. Web: www.jamesvanhise.com)
During the '60s & '70s heyday of comics fanzines, one of the most popular and well-known was the RBCC. James Van Hise has wisely revived it at a time when a market has been shown to be there for publications like The Jack Kirby Collector and Comic Book Artist. Even though my interest in superheros and many other mainstream comics genres has certainly waned over the years, I'm still fascinated with the history and continued existence of true fan publications. This issue, in between painted covers by Mark Schultz and Al Feldstein, offers such features as a lengthy examination of Steve Ditko's Amazing Spider-Man work (including detailed summaries and notes for the first 38 issues), a rundown of Ditko Spider-Man reprints in Marvel Tales (and the discrepancies between printings), a look at Reed Crandall's superhero work in the '40s (with lots of art samples), an eight-page horror comic by editor Van Hise and the late Tom Sutton, a pulp-comic preview by Stuart Hopen and Russ Martin, an interview with Mark Schultz ( Xenozoic Tales) and memories of CC Beck. You'll also find illustrations by Eduardo Barreto, Ron Wilber, Andy Warner and others. Obviously, if you don't like what's generally thought of as genre material then this isn't for you. But if you're nostalgic for the stories of yesteryear or interested in current related projects, I recommend checking this out.
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< resource >
OUT OF THE BLUE #14
($3.00 from Larned Justin / PO Box 471 / House Springs, MO / 63051 USA. Web: http://candidcartoons.bizhosting.com. New website coming soon)
In this 52-page issue we've got columns by Christoph Meyer (one on books, the other on strange phone calls), Steve Skeates (tales of the comic book industry) and Joseph M. Shea (a curious history of the house next door); a great short autobio story about camping by Matt Holdaway; comics/art by Rick Howe, Mike Goetz, Joel Orff and Andy Nukes; around 20 short reviews of comics and zines (with art repros); and a "Student Guide" to zine publishing by Matt Holdaway that he's used in a classroom setting.
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< comics:resource >
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMIC ART Vol. 5, #1, Spring 2003
($30.00 per year from John A. Lent/IJOCA / 669 Ferne Blvd. / Drexel Hill, PA / 19026 USA. Web: www.comicsresearch.org/ijoca)
The International Journal of Comic Art is, as near as I can figure, an academic publication for those who don't like academic publications. In fact, its own description reads thusly: "International and multidisciplinary in scope, IJOCA aims to publish scholarly and readable research on any aspect of comic art, defined as comic books, newspaper and magazine strips, caricature, gag and political cartoons, humorous art, animation, and humor or cartoon magazines."
The result of such a commendable goal is an amazing collection of information. This issue weighs in at 426 pages and easily satisfies the above aims. Contributors include editor Lent, Ana Merino, Leonard Rifas, Bart Beaty, Maurice Horn, Gene Kannenberg and a host of others. This issue contains so much information, in fact, that I am forced to admit that I haven't even finished it yet. But I've read enough to recommend it.
Some of what you'll find in this volume: interviews with Fantagraphics publishers Gary Groth and Kim Thompson (these are entertaining, informative and conversational); "Swedish Comics and Comics in Sweden" (a history by Fredrik Strömberg); two overviews of comic art in Malaysia; a fascinating look at the connections between "British Girls, American Superhero Comics and Identity" (interesting questions and theories regarding roles and rebellion); and a summary of the Library of Congress panel "9-11 Comic Book Artists and Illustrators" that focused on the industry's response to the events of September 11, 2001.
The previous paragraph only covers what I've managed to read thus far. Other topics include: comics in Swahili and their connection to Asterix; Chantal Montellier; Uchida Shungiku; Tezuka Osamu; modernism and Chris Ware; William Faulkner adaptations; Kalimán (race and identity in Mexican comics); political cartooning in Indonesia; editorial cartoonist Clay Bennett; Malaysian cartoonist Rejab Had; fascism in comics; and, well, I could go on.
As I mentioned earlier, it's an astounding collection of information. This volume deals with comics in East Africa, Indonesia, Sweden, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, England and the United States. Anyone with a serious interest in the artform or its historical and social relevancy should be reading this journal. I have tremendous respect for Dr. Lent and his contributors for producing such a work and I wish them many years of success.
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