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Friday, April 15, 2005
< comics/x >  SHORT STACK 2 by Duane Ballenger (Wide Awake / PO Box 14234 / Greenville, SC / 29617 USA. Web: wideawakepress.com) Reviewed by Rick BradfordInserted into every copy of the fourth issue of the Wide Awake anthology were original sketches by Duane Ballenger. Short Stack 2 is the second collection of drawings from that batch. It's a fun idea and encourages me to just doodle, actually (I've got perfection and impatience issues). Being that it's a collection of doodles, it's a little light on content but if you've read this far you already know if you'd be interested or not, and if you are, then heavy content probably isn't a priority for you. Like I said, it's fun. My favorite bits are the deranged-looking Frankenstein, most of the pencil-drawn stuff and the muppet-y type characters that Duane's fond of drawing. Another thing to note is the production of this mini. If the kids at Wide Awake know anything it's how to make a swell-looking publication.
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< comics/x >  A YEARLY TREATby Sean Frost and Wendi Strang-Frost ($1.50 from Hula Cat Comics) Reviewed by Mark CamposA tidy, short, spooky anecdote from the Frosts, reminiscent of those Bruce Jones-scripted stories Eclipse used to publish back in the late '80s. Nice art and splendid use of color. What intrigues me about this one is a) the atist's statement at the front of the book, in which Wendi refers to the story as "visual poetry"; b) the portentious Joyce Carol Oates quote that prefaces the story; and c) the information that Hula Cat Comics is an LLC! Law firms are LLCs, internet startups are LLCs; an imprint formed to sell dollar-fifty minicomics, no matter how nicely drawn and packaged, should not have to be an LLC, there's something wrong with that to my way of thinking. The Frosts might be taking this game of comics a mite too seriously – at the end of the day, it's not about art nor business, it's the lines on paper.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
< comics/x >  WANDER #1 by Nathaniel Pollard $2.50 from Nate Pollard) Reviewed by Mark CamposA collegiate white Rastahead wakes from a disturbing dream to prepare for a trip, dealing with his guilt-tripping housemate and an enigmatic, argumentative hipster babe. Nate clutters his pages, and carelessly placed word balloons lead the reader's eye into the wrong panel often. Yet the tension between his characters glitters enough to make you wonder when the second part of this story will be available.
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< comics/x >  ROCK & SOUL #1 by Ryan Claytor ($3.00 ppd. from Ryan Claytor / Elephant Eater Press / PO Box 1854 / Santa Ynez, CA / 93460 USA. Web: www.elephanteater.com) Reviewed by Mark CamposThe most lavish cover you will ever see surrounding a 24-hour comic: double-sided full bleed flood spot green on textured paper. Nice work! The story itself is your usual rough-edged 24-hr effort – a guy visits the Grand Canyon and has a vivid memory of his family – it's slight, floating away before it's finished. But whaddya want from a 24-hr comic, Proust? A note at the back details Ryan's involvement with National 24-Hour Comics Day in 2004, including his memory of getting donuts from Scott McCloud. Unique.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2005
< comics/x >  PROJECT: SUPERIORby various (288 pages, $20:00, AdHouse Books) Reviewed by Matt DembickiThe small-press/alternative comics world seems to go through theme fads. Travel was the hot subject for a while, but it looks like the superhero parody is here to replace it. Some titles leading the way include Bizarro World and Bighead, but Project: Superior pulls ahead of the pack. AdHouse culls the works of high-profile creators and lesser-known talents and produces another beautiful book packed with two-color stories and a good number in full color. (For such quality, it’s a bargain at $20.) Unfortunately, while the art for all the pieces is top notch, a number of them fell short on their stories. Some of them seemed to have been whipped up at the last minute or with little thought. (Jim Mahfood’s submission was especially disappointing.) Perhaps it’s the format; obviously, stories in anthologies don’t have the flexibility to offer incredibly intricate stories. However, several of the creators prove you can make a damn good story in the few pages you have. Mike Dawson’s “Ace-Face,” Tony Consiglio’s “Titanius” and especially Jim Rugg’s and Brian Maruca’s “Afrodisiac” rise to the top.
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Monday, April 11, 2005
< comics/x >  THREE VERY SMALL COMICS Vol. 2 by Tom Gauld (three, um, very small comics, £4.00 from www.cabanonpress.com) Reviewed by Matt DembickiPackaged in a 3.5” × 5” manila envelope, these comics are indeed very small. And very fun. Gauld has a wonderful artistic and storytelling style reminiscent of Ed Gorey and Chester Brown. “Invasion” is a typically side-stitched comic book about a farmer “liberated” from an invading threat. “The Robots Broke Out of the Factory and Fled As Far As Their Batteries Would Allow” is produced in an accordion-fold style, with five panels depicting various places where the rebellious robots were when their batteries conked out. “Our Hero Battles Twenty-Six Alphabeticised Terrors” is a mini-poster. Its 26 panels show our sword-wielding hero preparing to battle various hilarious enemies, in alphabetical order. (My favorites: “N” for necromancer, and “Q” for queen ant.)
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< comics/x >  ASTRONAUT ELEMENTARY #4 by Dave Roman (Dave Roman, www.yaytime.realmsend.com) Reviewed by Mark CamposIt's kawaii as all get-out! From the virtual pages of girlamatic.com comes this ultra-cute tale, what Dave calls "mini-manga" but which is closer in spirit to the Tom Hart atelier. Though the happenings here – a panda Spanish teacher, a visitor from the recent future, rivalries between schoolgirls – could fit comfortably in the pages of CoRo CoRo Magazine. It's fun to read and re-read.
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