Reviews: Fantasy Theater, *PPFSZT! and The Scavengers

Today I’m back to my reviews of comics I picked up at the SPACE convention.  I have three more to review, so I shall begin now with no further delay!

J. Kevin Carrier’s Fantasy Theater #22 features two tales written and drawn by Kevin Carrier (of course!).  The first is about the sword wielding Glorianna, who is hired to save a young noble from an assassination attempt!  There are surprises and lots of action in “The Art of Murder”! The second story is about Capella who is a half-alien super-powered girl who gets airsick when flying.  In this story Capella’s mind has been switched with a villain and she must find a way to get her (half-alien) body back!  I am a big fan of Kevin’s work.  His art is cartoony and fun, and his stories always entertain.  He doesn’t do anything spectacular in this issue’s plots, but the stories remind me very much of older comics, when things were more fun and wrapped up neatly in the end.  I highly recommend Kevin’s work.  I have previously mentioned his webcomics, which include regular installments of Glorianna and mother/daughter super-tea, Lady Spectra and Sparky.  If all goes well, I’ll have my own Lady Spectra story done soon too!!

*PPFSZT! #36 is a western-themed anthology comic.  There are about 50 pages of stories and illustrations so forgive me for not reviewing them all.  But here are some of the highlights:  Magnet Man & Smokey Gunn by Brian Wayne Powell is a joke strip that uses only 2 visuals.  A format like this means the story must be good.  And it is!  Not great…but good!  RIP in “Weird Western Falls” by Michael Anthony Carroll tells a story about Death in the old west.  It has a clever ending I won’t spoil!  Notches by Roger Keel, Tony Lorenz and Scott Shriver is well told, though kind of predictable and has very nice art with very effective gray tones.  Counting Coup by Robert J. Sodaro and John Lambert was my favorite story in the collection.  The story is good and I really really like the art style!  *PPFSZT!  Is worth checking out!  With so many contributions, you’re bound to find something you like!  Look here for details.

The Scavengers by Bill Volk is a 24-hour comic.  Which means it was done in less than 24 hours. It is only 12 pages though, not 24.  Anyway, it tells the story of a ragtag group of heroes including Octo-Lincoln, The Hodag, Chixon, and Kevin Costner.  It reads almost like a jam comic, probably because Bill was making things up quickly as he created the story.  It’s a funny story with goofy artwork.  Lots of fun!  See more stuff by Bill on his website!

Well, that’s it for this week!  I’ve got lots of artwork to do and hopefully I’ll be able to show some stuff here soon.  See you back here soon!

Motor City Con Recap

This is my report about the Motor City Comic Con.  I had a table at the con last weekend.  My short version recap is: BEST CON EVER!!  But I would be remiss if I didn’t go into some details about this!

Table set!

 The crowd at Motor City Con was absolutely amazing!  The most amazing aspect was the size of the crowd.  I’m sure there were some people in Michigan that didn’t come to the Con.  Maybe.  One attendee told me he spent 45 minutes in line to get in the door on Saturday and the line was wrapped around the building when he got in!  There were times I couldn’t see the table across the aisle because of the congestion.  The Sunday crowd was understandably smaller, but it was still pretty amazing.  Perhaps as big as most Saturday crowds I’ve seen.

But it wasn’t just the size of the crowds that was great.  It was the people who made up the crowd.  First I must say I was impressed by all the people getting their geek on with the amazing costumes and cool t-shirts.  I especially love to see the little kids just having a blast all decked out better than Halloween night!  And the crowd was very diverse.  I recall how when I was a teenager, comic conventions were attended almost entirely by teenage boys.  The crowds now are full of people old and young, male and female, and entire families are often seen traveling the floor.

I'm ready for a great con!

Finally, the crowd was so very nice and fun!  People who came by to take a look at my table, chat with me, or buy something from me were extremely friendly and it was a pleasure to meet you all!  The other artists and vendors I got to talk to were just as pleasant as can be also!

I made a lot of sales at Motor City.  It was definitely my best numbers ever.  It’s a great feeling as an artist to know there’s something you made that is sitting on someone else’s table, desk, or shelf somewhere!  Taking a look at the statues I posted in my last entry, the only ones I still have are the Black Widow, Cyclops, and the Cthulhu statue.

I did not get smashed by the super-cool giant balloon Hulk!

As a final note I’d like to give a shout to my friend and helper Dan Moyer who came with me Saturday.  Dan’s not a big comic book guy and he’s never attended a comic con before, and I can tell you he was rather blown away!  His interest is more in the celebrity guests who attended.  Dan has written about classic Hollywood in his biography of actor/producer Jack Webb , which you can find on Amazon here.

Well, that’s all for now.  Once again, it was a great great con!!  And to all the folks who purchased my works thank you thank you thank you!  Excelsior!

Clay Avengers Assemble!

Here's some pics of my most recent polymer clay creations.  I'm stocking up in preparation for the Motor City Con.

You may notice I gave them all similar stances.

A view from the side.

With my hand to show the scale.

Top view.  I don't know why.  I just wanted to take a picture from this view. 
If only I had a little table to put in the center!



More statues.  Do you know who they are? (Answers below.)

Monochrome Cthulhu on a stand and Cthulhu (with glow-in-the-dark eyes!) charging

Mario and Link of Nintendo fame.

Cyclops being held to show scale.

Reviews: The Possum, Plastic Farm, and Nervenkrank

It’s time for me to review some more of the comics I picked up at SPACE this year!  I have 3 comics to review this week and they are very different from each other.

The Possum #2: Mexican Smackdown chapter 1 by Blair Kitchen is the first book on the list this week!  Blair did a short Possum story in the SPACE Anthology that I reviewed here.  The first issue of the Possum is available to read for free on Blair’s site, and I highly recommend checking it out!  Issue #2 pits our hero against a group of bank-robbing midget Mexican wrestlers.  Almost the entire story involves hilarious action with The Possum (Stuart Spankly) holding on to the hood of the villains’ getaway car.  The poor police in hot pursuit have little chance against the clever wrestlers, but The Possum cannot be killed (thanks to a zombiefying tic tac).  Not that he can do much to stop the wrestling robbers, but at least you can count on him surviving!  The story is mostly told with just pictures, and the midget wrestlers speak Spanish almost exclusively.  Even if your Spanish is as poor as mine, you should be able to get the gist of the villains’ dialogue and laugh along at the sight gags that fill the pages of this comic!  Then, like me, you can find someone fluent in Spanish to re-read it with you, and enjoy it all over again!

Plastic Farm One: Prolog by Rafer Roberts is very weird.  It’s mostly a story about the Kamakaze Kid, an old west drifter with some strange mystical-type abilities thrown in.  And that description doesn’t begin to explain him, or the comic.  I’d say Plastic Farm is one of those comics with the select audience, because I realize some people would be put off by the strangeness.  And it may be a little too strange for me, I’ll admit.  However, I found the weird story easy to follow and was surprised at some of the plot twists.  The art is weird too but tells the story well and fits right in with the story.  I think some people will totally love this comic, so check out the information at the Plastic Farm website for more details!

Nervenkrank May 2012 Preview by Katherine K. Wirick is the story of John Heartfield getting out of a military mental hospital. John Heartfield  was a real person, and though this story is based on fact, the author does not consider it strictly nonfiction.  So I’ll call it historical fiction.  This preview looks great!  I love the black and white artwork.  I hope the full version uses the same palette.  The atmosphere of the asylum is well depicted in both the well rendered expressions of the characters and the choice of camera angles.  Heartfield would eventually become an artist and political activist in Nazi Germany, but this story takes place in 1915 after Heartfield has been declared insane by the German army.  Check out more on Katherine’s website, of course!

Well, I have more comics from SPACE to review, but right now I need to get back to work on some statues for the upcoming Motor City Con!  I’ll show you the statues next post!  See you then!

Review: Out With Dad 2.10: The Museum Outing

You know when you watch a show and as soon as it’s over you’re eager for more?  That’s the experience I had watching “TheMuseum Outing”, the latest episode of the award-winning webseries Out With Dad!
The museum outing begins with Rose (Kate Conway) and Kenny (Corey Lof) approaching the Scarborough Museum in Toronto.  Kenny has realized Rose has tricked him into going somewhere “educational” and he’s not too happy about it.  I was very surprised by this the inclusion of this scene, it really wasn’t how I expected the episode would begin.  However, it’s a perfect way to begin things!  This shows how well writer/director Jason Leaver knows his characters and how well he presents them to the viewer.  Kenny’s reaction is funny and spot on with what we know about the character!  Excellent!  (This is a good time top mention that Kenny is my favorite character on the show!  Somewhere in my brain I have an essay on why that I’ll write someday…) Anyway, Rose does not give in to Kenny protests, and they enter the museum.  Rose’s reason for going to the museum is to see her new friend Claire (Caitlynne Medrek).  Right away they see Claire.  And Rose panics!  Again, a perfect character moment done perfectly!  And Kenny’s reaction is great.  No wonder she wanted him along, she needs him to speak for her.  When Claire sees Rose and Kenny, she doesn’t just say hi.  Rather, she volunteers to personally escort them around the museum.  This is Claire’s personality of not holding back her ideas and feelings.  She just jumps at the chance to spend some time with Rose!

The activities the trio partake in remind me very much of what they have at similar locations near where I live.  Which means pioneers in America and Canada were just about the same.  That shouldn’t be a shock, huh?  Rose and Claire grow a little closer during the tour, including some tentative physical contact, and Kenny seems to be having a good time—though I’d say he’s more interested in watching Rose’s actions than the historical reenactments!

And then we go to Nathan's (Will Conlon) and Angela’s (Kelly-Marie Murtha) second date.  Yes!  I don’t remember Jason indicating we would get back to this relationship this episode, so this was a pleasant surprise!  Nathan may believe he’s a jackass, but he does a great job making sure his relationship with Angela will continue.  Because these two have the common experience of being very close to someone who is gay, and trying to figure out the proper way to handle things, it gives them a real bonding opportunity.  Also, I like the conversation about the experience of having a gay parent.  That’s a perspective that hadn’t been addressed yet.  Oh, and I still think it’s time for Nathan to tell Rose he’s dating!!  I hope we see such a scene soon.

The ending was nicely done, and there was another little surprise that I really liked.  The campfire smell.  Not the fact that Rose likes campfire smell, but the CGI graphic.  That was totally unexpected and perfectly executed!  Bravo again, Jason!

But it makes me want more!!

Now allow me to end this review a little off-topic.  The historical nature of this episode and the American/Canadian observation above brings to mind that I recently read an article about how, 200 years ago, the United States and Canada were at war!  It’s hard to imagine such a things was ever possible considering our friendly relationship now.  The great thing is that we’ve been at peace ever since, and both nations are certainly better because of this.  (And by the way, we totally kicked your butts last time, so don’t even thin about it!)

Reviews: Blink:WWK, Night Watchman, Homegrown Alien

This post begins my series of reviews of comics I picked up (bought or traded for) at the SPACE con in Columbus last weekend.  There will be more to come in later weeks.

Wonka Wonka Kochalka by Max Ink

 Wonka Wonka Kochalka is a tale in Max Ink’s “Blink” series.  Specifically it is part of a multi-chapter saga titled “So it Goes”. Blink is the name of one of the characters.  It’s a nickname.  (Her real name is Merle, hence the use of the nickname.)  Anyway, the series is about three twenty-something friends and their lives and conversations in Columbus.  It’s a very sweet, thoughtful series.  There’s no strangeness such as zombies or mutants or anything that’s usually associated with comic books.  It’s just a story about some people’s lives.  It’s a very well told and excellently crafted series.  Truth is, I absolutely love Max’s ink work.  His drawings are amazing!  He does amazingly detailed backgrounds and excellent character expressions.  My goal in doing these reviews of small press comics is not to compare them to each other, but I will say out of everyone at SPACE, I think Max and Blink are most deserving of some real attention in the comics fan world.  This is great stuff!  And I should add, Max now ties with Jason Leaver (writer/director of the webseries Out With Dad) for the best use of the word “awesomesauce” in a dramatic work.

This particular story tells of Blink and her friend Sam going to see their other friend Hank play guitar and sing at a small venue.  There they meet a few of Hanks friends, who are a rather geeky bunch.  Sam is rather antagonistic towards the other, perhaps seeing Hank as a force that may interfere with Blink and her friendship.  No real resolution in this tale, but a nice ending nevertheless.  Find out more about Blink and Max’s art at his website.

Tales of the Night Watchman Vol1 No 1, “The Long Fall” by Dave Kelly and Lara Antal.

This comic proves that there are still fresh ideas in the “super-powers” genre.  The Night Watchman is a time displaced zombie-fighter who also works at a coffee shop with his roommate (but not romantic partner—at least not yet!) Nora.  Nora can get a little annoyed when she’s left fending for herself while Charlie (the Watchman’s real name) is off doing his heroic duty.  This issue sets up some future storylines, including a look into Charlie’s dreams and past, introducing a boy thief and the mystery of a murdered woman.  I like the plots and the characters.  The art is a bit cartoony but clear, except for some perspective issues—which is something every artist should think about working on!  Dave and Lara have a website here where you can find out more about the Night Watchman!

Homegrown Alien Minicomic by Joe Davidson.

This is the story of a plant and his friend.  Specifically, Little Max was an alien seed that took human form after being found by Old Max, a drifter.  The two travel about the country finding adventures on Joe’s website.  The minicomic I got at SPACE was a free introduction to Homegrown Alien and a very nice tale about a monster hunter looking for a lost Yeti.  Joe’s art is nice and clean with a style I like very much, and his writing is great!  I’ve enjoyed all the Homegrown Alien stories I’ve read so far, and I have a lot to go through on his website!

And that’s it for reviews this week!  I don’t know what exactly I’ll have up next time, so just keep checking back, okay?

Reviews: Out With PFLAG, part II & Chatting with Claire

This is my blog entry to review the latest episodes of Out With Dad.  I expected to get the review for episode 2.08 done before 2.09 was released, but 2.09 got released a bit early and I’ve been busy reviewing small press comics.  So allow me to digress a bit first.  Small Press comics are to mainstream comics what web series are to television series.  It’s something I discussed last year in this blog entry.  So, if you come to my blog looking for my commentary on comics, I suggest you spend some time checking out a web series, such as Out With Dad.  If you come here looking for my commentary on Out With Dad I invite you to check out some small press comics, like the SPACE Anthology you can find for free here!

Though it was originally my intent to discuss episode 2.08 of Out With Dad on this post, I find it impossible to think about ep. 2.08 without thinking about ep. 2.09 also. There’s just so much in both about Claire, everyone’s favorite new character.  So this review is just going to have to discuss both episodes together.  Now—on with it!!

I've been waiting to talk about this scene since I first saw the picture, so long ago...

“Out With PFLAG, Part II” begins with Rose talking to Claire on break from the group discussion.  There is just so much good stuff (meaning well-written interactions) in this conversation.  First, I just love Claire’s personality!  She has a “talk first think about it later” attitude towards life!  (In episode 2.09, “Chatting with Claire”. We see this even extends to “type first think about it later”!)  The contrast with Rose’s quiet, contemplative manner works great. I also love the way Claire doesn’t know why Rose is at the PFLAG meeting, and guesses it has something to do with her dad and Johnny.  Such an assumption is in character and understandable I think.  Rose mentioning her mother was a touching moment, too.  Rose and Claire seem to have a nice chemistry.  Ah, but how much chemistry??  (By the way, Claire, as portrayed by Caitlynne Medrek, really is adorable.)

Maureen’s story reminded me of something I was commenting on recently (here), about how someone’s life can take a very tragic turn when there’s a lack of support from family.  And knowing this is not a fictional account, but rather a dramatization of a true account shared by a viewer makes it even more tragic. I’d like to especially thank the people who were willing to submit such stories.  I know that if they affect me so much, they must really mean a lot to people who are going through situations like the characters in this drama.

It was nice to hear a light story like David’s.  I think for every person who treats someone badly because of their sexuality there are many more of us who treat such persons as we would anyone else: with dignity and respect.

Rose was true to character, with her hesitancy to speak.  Nathan was excellent, saying all the things he needed to say (though I keep thinking he still needs to tell his daughter he’s dating!).  When Rose did speak, her words were profound.  Her desire to put the Genie back in the bottle is sad but understandable.

The portrayals by the actors in this episode were fantastic. Just fantastic!

Chatting with Claire was a lighter episode, but still very compelling.  As I’ve noted before, my favorite thing about this series is how it makes me think about things.  It’s amazing how much a little 7-minute story had me thinking! The details put into this little episode with very little spoken dialogue and only one character present are amazing!  And I’m not just talking about the cameos by other Toronto web series on the Facebook page!  The little things like Rose deleting half of what she types while Claire types away then apologizes for what she has said are the little things that make this show so engaging.  Even Rose’s hesitancy when befriending Claire is so spot on and so well acted by Kate Conway! I love the focus on her wringing hands.  Allow me to digress a bit while I gush about how well Kate does in this episode with very little actual dialogue!  You can see everything Rose is thinking and feeling!  Just a wonderful job!  I even think it’s worth mentioning that many times in movies and television when a character types the character says aloud what they are typing. Director Jason Leaver doesn’t use this convention, though, and I think the episode is more realistic and dramatic because of it.

The two main plot threads of this episode are setting up the trip to the museum next episode and Rose’s Facebook information.  Claire notices that Rose’s info says Rose is interested in men.  Certainly something Rose entered before she realized her own sexuality.  In the end Rose decides not to mention who she’s interested in.  I like her decision.  I don’t see a reason for her to have to be public with such information.

I really like the relationship between Rose and Claire and it will be interesting to see how it progresses.  I know there are many people out there who want them teamed up romantically instead of Rose and that other girl…you know…what’s-her-name…the redhead…

In conclusion, both episodes were great!  I’m really looking forward to the next episode, coming May 3^rd!  The show is wonderful.  In fact, It’s totally….dare I say it??

Awesomesauce!!