The F.E.D.s: Two (old) Reviews

Since I haven’t done so on my blog, today I’m going to write about what my mini-comic, the F.E.D.s , is about.  Recently I was re-reading some old reviews of the F.E.D.s, which I think do a good job describing the series.  They are a bit dated, both being written when I had just 5 issues finished, in 2008.  It is now almost 2012 and I am finishing issue #16!  But before I go on I should give you links so you can read the reviews.  I’ll discuss more when you get back:

 http://www.opticalsloth.com/?p=13915

 http://candyormedicine.blogspot.com/2008/10/mini-comic-monday-feds.html

 I see that you’re back.  I’ll discuss now.  The reviews are amazingly similar I think despite them coming to very different conclusions about the book.  First off, I’ll admit my scripting and art are always aspects of my work I’m dissatisfied with and striving to improve.  I hope I’m better now than I was 4 years ago.  But there’s always room for improvement.

(Cover art from F.E.D.s #14.)

The F.E.D.s is a comic that I intentionally try to write and draw with a particular tone.  I prefer the label “old school” to “campy’, but either fits pretty well.  When I set out to do a small press super-hero comic, I wanted to do a comic like those older comics that I love so much.  Specifically, I’ve been reading a lot of Marvel Essential volumes and back issues over the last 10 years, enjoying the heck out of writing and art from the 60’s and 70’s. There are certain conventions that I use that reflect these comics.  I try to include things like big sound effects, subplots, bombastic dialogue, big fights, character monologues, thought balloons and exclamation points!!! These were standard conventions of comics from a few decades ago that are used less and less today.  To me, not seeing these conventions is a shame, since I enjoy the comics of years ago much more than those produced today.

I think of the F.E.D.s as “a super-hero comic that isn’t afraid to be a super-hero comic”.  And, yes, I think some writers at big companies who currently write super-hero comics seem embarrassed to be writing a super-hero and try to make the comics anything but.

In conclusion, I thank anyone who reviews my work and I understand not everyone is going like the style.  But I hope people continue to read my work and have fun while doing so!!

(F.E.D.s #12 page 4)

Happy Holidays to Out With Dad!

I’ve been thinking for a while about another drawing related to Out With Dad, and I got an idea.  Unlike many a television series, Out With Dad doesn’t have a “Holiday episode”, so I thought it would be nice to see Rose and Vanessa giving each other Christmas gifts!

If you haven’t seen my other Out With Dad-related posts, here’s some links:

http://fedscomic.blogspot.com/2011/10/labors-of-love.html

http://fedscomic.blogspot.com/2011/10/likenesses-and-zombies.html

http://fedscomic.blogspot.com/2011/11/thank-you.html

Superhero Snowmen

I drew these at school for my students.  Feel free to copy and print and let your kids color them!

How the Grinch stole Cthulhu

I thought I'd try to post some holiday-oriented art this month. Plus I just love the Grinch! I could just see him saying "I must find a way to stop Cthulhu from coming!"

Review-Nocturnal City

I’ve written before about independent comics and film projects.  Today I’m writing about an independent film project I received at a comic book convention.  I picked up Nocturnal City at the Detroit Fanfare convention earlier this year.  Actually, I traded a Donkey Kong statue for a DVD of the movie.  (Part of my new “Donkey Kongs for DVDs” special offer!)

Nocturnal City is an independent film written and produced by Chris Jordan and Savanna Kemp.  The film is a short mystery/thriller that has a noir-ish feel despite its modern-ish setting.  The main character is a Bogart-type private investigator with one big difference from the classic character archetype:  In this case, the PI is also a vampire! And he certainly doesn’t sparkle in sunlight!

Vampires may be overly used nowadays, but Nocturnal City does something with them I haven’t seen before.  The film uses vampirism as a metaphor for homosexuality.  To an extent it reminds me of the way Marvel comics uses the X-Men to stand in for minority groups (or used to when I read the book.)  The film vampires live alongside “normal” humans but have their own sub-culture, where they interact mostly with each other in places such as vampire-oriented bars.  Some humans accept the vampires, but there is also a lot of prejudice towards them.  The point of conflict in the film centers on a case where a human is murdered and vampires are suspected.  The main character must find out who the killer is before tensions between humans and vampires reach a boiling point.  Our protagonist gets involved because of the noir-staple ex-girlfriend.

I’ll say outright that this film is not the most professional-looking production.  It doesn’t always look great, and some of the acting is very weak.  But that’s part of the film’s charm.  In fact some things, such as a simplistic fight sequence, work because they are reminiscent of a simpler style of earlier Hollywood film.

In conclusion, I’d recommend the film if the genre interests you at all.  It’s a short film, so you might as well invest the time and give it a shot.  It’s definitely of Donkey Kong value!

Statuary musings

As a break before posting my next character biography, I thought I’d discuss my statue art today.  Recently I did a two piece commission of Colossus and Juggernaut.  The really cool thing about doing such work is knowing someone wants the piece when I’m working on it.  I have a “list” of sorts that I made up of which pieces I should create before exhibiting at a show.  The X-Men are on that list because 1) I love the characters and 2) they are popular and therefore generate interest and sales.  I’ve done the original X-Men and my current goal is to make the original X-Men in their second generation uniforms.  I’ll probably continue chronologically.  Unless I get an out-of-order request.  Making a Colossus statue was great partially because the character, especially in the original Cockrum uniform, is just awesome, but also because he wouldn’t have been on my table for a while otherwise.  Commissions and suggestions allow me to create pieces I would not have thought of making by myself.  In addition to stretching my creative abilities, such input has allowed me to focus on work that others want to see as much as I do.

Oh, and Juggernaut is just too cool also!

Character Bio- John Chisolm

Name: John Chisolm

History: John is a physics professor and researcher at a New York State University.  He was working on an alternative energy project with his graduate/lab assistant Arielle Burks when he was caught in a blast of extra-dimensional energy.  The experiment involved producing energy from generators in a secured lab area, called the “floor”.  John and Arielle were to control the energy flow and observe from a booth.  However, there was a malfunction during the experiment, and John, after donning a protective suit, went to the floor to correct the problem.  While he was on the floor, he asked Ari to cut back the power, and turned to look at her in the booth.  When he looked back, he thought he saw two people in the booth.  He was unable to further communicate with Ari as that was when the blast of extra-dimensional energy occurred.  John found immediately afterwards that he had gain extra-normal powers, and used them to take an unconscious Ari to the hospital.  So far he has kept his powers secret to all but a few, including a few other extra-normal powered people and his best friend Roger.

Powers: John’s powers appear to be identical to those of the hero known as 1^st Man, and include the ability to morph and stretch his body and great strength when he does so.  His body transforms when he morphs, becoming glowing and featureless.