SPACE Anthology 2012 review, part 2

This is the second and final part of my review of the SPACE Anthology, available as a free download here.

Siegfried & Humie by Matt & Jeanie Bryan

A story of a…hmmm…that’s giving too much away.  I’ll just say this is a neat little comic with humorous, surprising little twists.  Well rendered and well told, also!

A Cornelia Story by Kel Crum

I’m a bit disappointed…that Kel only did two pages for the SPACE Anthology!  His Cornelia character is kinda a strange girl who always seems to get in trouble.  Sometimes her fault, sometimes not.  Be sure to check out his website for lots more laughs!

Nocturnal Contemplations by Kris Lachowski

Ah, the things people say in bed!  This story sums it all up nicely in two pages!  In a blue hue, but I’m not sure why!

Oddly Matched Even by Mike Carroll

Mike Carroll has literally created a bazillion stick figure characters and he uses about 100 of them in this little story!  Okay, slight hyperbole there.  But Mike always entertains and Oddly Matched is a funny story that should make anyone smile!  (When you’re feeling down, reading some of Mike’s stuff is sure to pick you up!)

The Possum in I'll Take Door Number Four, Bob by Blair Kitchen

Blair Kitchen’s art reminds me of a Mad Magazine humorous style.  His Possum character is a nerdy kid who cannot be killed due a zombifying tic tac.  Really!  Go to his website and read some Possum!  It’s really good stuff!

Tales of the Night Watchman - The Long Fall by Dave Kelly & Lara Antal

The one thing I don’t like about Kelly & Antal’s strip is that the “cover art” is much different from the art in the story.  But this little tale about a zombie-fighting mystery man called the Night Watchmen is well told. The interplay between the two leads is very good.  The philosophical narration I liked less, but it does set a tone.

Nothin' but a Hound… Something by Joseph Davidson

Max is an alien plant in the shape of a man traveling with a man called “Old Max” and a dog with no name.  This tale is of their encounter with a broken down bus.  It reminds me of some of the little tales in Paul Chadwick’s Concrete series.  Great character interaction!!  Perhaps my favorite story in the book!

Occupied by Ray Tomczak

I laughed.  I think you will too.

Fibula by Maryanne Rose Papke

A story about a soap bubble.  Proof you can take any topic and turn it into an entertaining comic!  But that might be over analyzing things…

And that’s it for the SPACE Anthology!  Next weekend I’ll be at the SPACE convention (table 130) and I’ll post a report as soon as I can!  (I also have to review the latest episode of Out With Dad soon….)

Here’s some links for the artists mentioned above:

Matt & Jeanie Bryan

Kel Crum

Kris Lachowski

Mike Carroll

Blair Kitchen

Dave Kelly & Lara Antal

Joseph Davidson

Ray Tomczak

SPACE ANTHOLOGY 2012 review, part I

The SPACE Anthology is a collection of comic stories by small press comic creators that are attendees of the Small Press and Alternative Comics Exposition (SPACE convention).  The Anthology is available as a free PDF download here and will also be available in print form at the SPACE convention.

I have set upon myself the task of reviewing the comics contained within the SPACE Anthology 2012.  There are a large variety of strips, so anyone should eb able to find something they like.  Then, you can follow up with these creators to get more information and more comics from them!!

Iris by John Steventon

Iris is an interesting combination of whimsical artwork and a serious story.  The story is about a man who’s wife has gone into early labor, and the consequences thereof, including having a premature, fragile child.  It’s a very sentimental story that is very emotional for such a short page count (6 pages) and it’s something I can empathize with.  I’m not familiar with John’s work, but I really like the look of this comic. 

Her Eyes by Jon Michael Lennon & Thor Fjalarsson

This comic, on the other hand, sound like it would be sentimental, but is in fact a more philosophical account of the fate of mankind.  Well…that’s not really true, either.  It’s really a very PG-13 set up for a punch line I won’t spoil.  I thought it was rather clever, if brunt.

Cowboy by Leslie Anderson

Cowboy is a whimsical story about death.  Really.  It has scratchy, black and white art and the lettering is a bit hard to read at times, but that is typical of traditional small press comics.  If you like such things, you’ll enjoy this little story and its nice little ending.

Whatever by Shawn "Scott" Smith

Whatever tales advatage of the color format of the SPACE Anthology by utilizing simple, colored pencil art.  It looks to be a set up for a nice comic about single Mr. Bear, but I was disappointed in the abrupt ending.

Vugz by Bob Corby

I own a lot of Bob Corby’s work.  In addition to running SPACE, he’s a very talented cartoonist and his Vugz short shows he hasn’t lost his edge.  Vugz is a little alien guy trying to take over the world.  And he’s funny.

Kathleen's Patronus Memory by Kathleen Coyle & Jason Young

If (like me) you love Haryy Potter and (like me) you love Star Wars, or if you know someone (like me) who does, you’ll get this comic.  If not, I feel sorry for you….

Shimmer by Brian John Mitchell

Is a rather philosophical poem with little pictures that help with the meaning.  It’s neat.

Dragon's Breath by Mari Naomi

Dragon’s Breath is a well-told and well-drawn story about a difficult, tragic situation.  It’s about a girl’s memories of the Grandfather and how those memories do not reflect the true person he was.  Mostly I thought it sad.  I applaud Mari on her storytelling here.  Very well done!

Spy Guy in Paper vs. Pad by Mike Kitchen

I have Spy Guy #1, and I love the artwork of Mike Kitchen.  His work is a very neat combination of reality and absurdity.  His work has a very crisp, clean look. This short tale is about the obsession some people have with modern technology.  I can relate!  Definitely!

Mutant Elf by Steve Myers

Is my story.  I’m not going to review it, so it’s a good place to stop today.  I still have 9 more comics to go, so I’ll continue as soon as I can!

For now, here’s some websites for the artists reviewed above:

John Steventon

Jon Michael Lennon & Thor Fjalarsson

Leslie Anderson

Shawn "Scott" Smith

Bob Corby

Kathleen Coyle & Jason Young

Brian John Mitchell

Mari Naomi

Mike Kitchen

F.E.D.s #16

Premiering at SPACE this year! This is it!  The most shocking development ever for John Chisolm and his friends!  It’s the twist you never could have predicted!  Could this be the beginning of the end for the F.E.D.s???

The Federation of Extra-normal Defenders #16 is a comic I’ve been waiting to make ever since I began the F.E.D.s back in 1999!  This is the type of story that can only work if there is a build-up over time, and the time for this story has finally come!  My overall plot for the F.E.D.s was determined before I began writing issue #1, though little details needed to be fleshed out.  This issue is one of those big turning points in a story that was planned from the start!  I hope it satisfies and surprises those who read the book.  If you aren’t coming to SPACE this year you can still order the book directly from me via e-mail for $1 plus shipping and/or trades are welcome!

Here’s a few non-spoiler panels:

SPACE Anthology: Mutant Elf has arrived!

Mutant Elf is a new project I’m working on that premieres as a chapter in the SPACE anthology comic.  The SPACE anthology is currently available for free online here at the SPACE website.  And just to make sure you’re tempted to go and download the SPACE anthology here’s the first page of Mutant Elf, scanned before it was colored:

Mutant Elf is a project I plan to continue, since it seems like such a neat idea to me.  It’s also the first story I’ve worked on in quite a while that is totally separate from the F.E.D.s.  Usually when I do a story for an anthology title, as I have for the SPACE anthology the past two years, I do some super-hero idea that doesn’t quite fit in the F.E.D.s but I want to get out of my head and onto paper.

 

By the way, the SPACE anthology is full of great work by lots of creators.  The thing that makes such projects fun is the variety of works you get within.  The SPACE anthology acts as a promotion for the SPACE convention (the Small Press and Alternative Comics Exposition), but also allows artists to showcase their works to those of you who won’t be able to attend the SPACE convention in Columbus (April 21^st and 22^nd).  After you look at the anthology, be sure to check out the websites for the various creators involved.  And if you check back here in the following weeks, I’ll be sure to post some reviews of the work in the SPACE anthology!

Don't hate Vanessa

If you don’t watch the web series Out With Dad, you might find this post a bit difficult to follow.  But even if you choose not to watch the series, I hope you’ll stay to the end, because I think there’s a universal quality to my mental meanderings this week.

I noticed looking at comments online concerning episodes of Out With Dad that many viewers make negative remarks about Vanessa.  The comments concern how mean Vanessa has been at times towards Rose and how it would be better for Rose to just forgot about Vanessa and moved on to pursue another girl (Ah, if only our hearts worked in such a way…). While I do think there’s cause to be upset at Vanessa, I don’t think she’s a character that should really be hated.  I think she’s a character for which you should feel sorry, or pity.  To explain my thoughts I think first we need to compare Vanessa and Rose.

Rose struggles a lot with life and the hand she has been dealt. It isn’t easy being young, being raised by your widowed Dad, being shy, being different from those you see around you, and being attracted to a person who refuses to love you back.  Though the thrust of the series involves Rose’s sexuality, this is just one of her challenges.  But as I watch Rose, I have no doubt that, despite it all, she will-somehow- manage to end up okay.  Maybe everything won’t work out as she hopes, but in the end, she’ll be all right.  My belief of this is because she has, via just two people, an awesome support system.  Her father and her best friend Kenny give Rose the unconditional love and support that she needs.  They aren’t perfect, but they will always be there for her.

Vanessa, with her much larger family unit, does not have this kind of support.  Her father is weak, her mother is controlling, and her younger brother is too young to understand her plight.  The two people that could understand her situation the most, Rose and Vanessa’s older brother, are forbidden to be near her.  Vanessa is the type of young person that, lacking a good support structure, all too often ends up doing something self-destructive as a way to deal with problems.

 

I don’t think writer/director Jason Leaver will do anything too extreme with Vanessa’s character.  But we do see this in real life all too often.  Especially with young people and many times involving teens who are dealing with their own sexuality.  Reflecting on this makes me want to make the world better.  I don’t have an answer that will suddenly solve everyone’s problems, but I do think one thing we should all think about is just being nicer to each other.  Supporting people and being understanding of people who are different from us can go a long way.  Reach out a hand to someone who might need a little support.  And stand by those who do go out of their way to help others.

And finally, I hope everything works out for Rose and Vanessa.  Just like I want everything to work out well for everyone in the real world, too.  And allow me one minor postscript: If Rose and Vanessa don’t end up together, at least I feel confident Rose will find happiness someday.  After all, how many of us marry the person we were in love with when we were fifteen?

New look, Straw Man & Sketches

First thing today is the new look for my blog.  I thought I’d try it out and see if I like it.  The first thing about the new look I’d like to point out is the buttons beneath the posts.  These buttons allow viewers of my blog to give immediate feedback and sharing.  The +1 button gives a plus to the post’s counter and adds the profile picture and name of the person who clicks the button will appear.  The other buttons allow sharing on Twitter and Facebook.

The other neat feature is in the upper left corner.  By mousing over the leftmost portion of the black bar (where it says “classic”) you can choose the way you want to view my blog.  My favorite is “flipcard” which shows threads with pictures and titles.  Try it!

Next I thought I’d mention Straw Man issue 10.  Straw Man is an independent comic written and drawn by David Branstetter.  It’s about a super hero with no super powers.  It’s hard to describe but it’s really fun.  Straw Man issue 10 includes the work of 9 other independent artists.  To publish Straw Man #10, David has started a kickstarter campaign to raise funds.  You can check out this campaign here and you can find out more about Straw Man here.

 Next, I wanted to post some sketching I did recently. Sometimes I think it’s nice to compare pencil work to inked work.  So here’s a Mutant Elf drawing I recently did in pencil:

 And here it is inked:

 Maybe I’ll color it someday!

 Finally this week, I noticed when reconfiguring my blog that my post from last week (this one) has over 200 views!  That’s record for this blog, and that’s in the first week! Thanks to everyone for reading my modest words and opinions.

Review: Out with PFLAG, Part I

First thing: in this review of Out With Dad episode 2.07 I’m going to spoil the entire plot of the episode, so if you haven’t watched it, go to here, watch it, and come back and read my review.  I think you will find it worth your time.

To an extent, Out with PFLAG was what I was expecting it would be.  By this, I mean I am somewhat familiar with the type of support group meeting depicted in this episode (I took some counseling classes years ago.) and I knew there would be stories based on real experiences of viewers of Out With Dad.  I also figured out the “girl from the washroom” would be at the meeting.

Yet despite this episode meeting certain expectations, I think it was one of the most heart-wrenching episodes of the series.  The viewer-submitted stories that were dramatized were the types of situations that are far too typical for people who are homosexual.  There are far too many barriers in our western society for people who are “different” and these stories also remind us that in other societies things are worse.  Much worse.  I applaud the people who submitted stories to writer/director Jason Leaver for inclusion in this episode.  Sharing such life events can be wonderfully informative and helpful to others, and it also takes a lot of courage to speak up about such events, especially when they are not about the happiest times in your life.

Seeing and hearing from Claire was an excellent development.  Her story puts her character in an interesting position of being the middle between Rose (supportive parent) and Vanessa (non-supportive parent).  I am very interested as to where Claire’s character will go in the future.  I’m sure there are fans that are screaming for her and Rose to develop a romantic relationship.  Right now, I think a friend going through the same thing she is would be nice.

And about Morgan, the final speaker before the end of part I.  I don’t know if I can articulate my feelings. I know this is a fictional account, but I also know there are so many abused kids in the real world, and sexuality is one if the things kids get assaulted for.  I’m sad but I’m also angry.  I’m very angry that people can do such evil and that other people, by their own stupid words and deeds, encourage abusive behavior towards people who are “different”.

Kate Conway did an excellent job in her portrayal of Rose in this episode.  And she did it with mainly body language, as Rose doesn’t have many lines this time.  The mannerisms of Rose really show how shy and unsure of herself Rose can be.  It’s easy to see what she’s thinking as she reacts to the other members of the group telling their stories at the meeting.

Will Conlon also did a top job with just body language.  I can imagine Nathan wondering if bringing Rose to this meeting was a good idea.  It’s certainly good for Rose to see that there are other people who have gone through or are going through similar situations as hers.  However, some parts of the stories are scary, especially to a shy kid who has just discovered her sexuality.  But the negative stories should also remind Rose of one thing: she’s not going to have trouble with her parent not accepting her, even if she encounters other people who do not accept her.

The biggest strength of this episode, as with the series, is the writing.  Jason Leaver tells a tale that makes the viewer care about the characters.  And, like always, I end up thinking a lot about the circumstances in the episode.  It’s what I like the most about this series: it makes me THINK!

 And hey, there’s about a month to go until the next episode.  Which gives me some time to think.  Maybe I’ll finish my other Out With Dad-related posts I’ve been working out.