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The New Normal
September 8, 2020 in Reviews
The New Normal https://www.grantthomasonline.com/product/the-new-normal/ is a 12-page, pocket size, pop up, black and white, mini comic by Grant Thomas.
Here’s a neat little unique comic, it’s a pop up! Grant explains “The New Normal is a pop up book about living in my tiny house during Illinois’ Shelter-in-Place order and the days that followed.” In the pages Grant recounts the events of the last few months and how he and his family are coping with the unusual circumstances we all find ourselves in. Grant also turns a curious eye toward the future and ponders what it may hold for all of us.
The comic is designed like a tiny house. The pages serve as walls complete with furniture and art. They also contain the narrative of the story. Between the pages illustrated floors pop out to support the walls and give this mini comic a truly one-of-a-kind look!
You can buy this tiny house at https://www.grantthomasonline.com/product/the-new-normal/ and find more from Grant Thomas at https://www.grantthomasonline.com/ or you can join Grant’s Patreon account and get even more at https://www.patreon.com/mylifeinrecords
GENU Volumes 1 and 2
September 5, 2020 in Reviews
GENU Volumes 1 and 2 https://markosia.com/ are each 56-page, black and white, Sci-Fi comics written by Tommaso Todesca, Alex Franquelli, and Giulio Srubek-Tomassy with art by Aleksandra Fastovets and lettering by Francesca Colasanti. Published by Markosia Enterprises.
Settle in for some well thought out storytelling and superb art as the science fiction saga GENU takes you a world away in these 100+ pages spread across two volumes and two planets!
The creative forces behind GENU tell and illustrate an intriguing and smartly written tale of a future where technological advancements have propelled humankind into a spacefaring species. These planet hopping colonists now inhabit Mercury and harvest energy for earth. During a routine mission catastrophe strikes and soon a trio of colonists find themselves under scrutiny, along with an unexpected guest!
Anthropology, bureaucracy, and science all contribute to this intelligently told story in such a way as to give it a believable foundation that grabs the imagination! The characters are written and drawn as diverse individuals, each with their own history and motivation, although not completely revealed. The central story has several tendrils that reach out in different directions involving different characters, but at no time becomes confusing. In fact the complexity of the story makes this series an absorbing read, and it’s complimented by exciting and gorgeous art!
You can venture into the future with GENU at https://markosia.com/books/worlds-of-wonder/genu-volume-1/ and https://markosia.com/books/worlds-of-wonder/genu-volume-2/ and find more at https://markosia.com/ and https://twitter.com/Markosia and https://www.facebook.com/Markosia-Enterprises-36669536301/ and https://www.instagram.com/markosiauk/
The Flood That Did Come
August 24, 2020 in Reviews
The Flood That Did Come https://averyhillpublishing.bigcartel.com/product/the-flood-that-did-come-by-patrick-wray-pre-sale is a 72-page, perfect bound, full color, stamp art comic written and illustrated by Patrick Wray. Published by Avery Hill Publishing.
This is a neat little story told through various compositions of blue and red stamp art. The tale is set in the future where we find two children living in a valley protected from a devastating flood that has overtaken surrounding villages. The children go about life as usual until one day when two other children arrive by boat. Soon the children learn of plans that threaten not only their safe haven, but their future as well!
Patrick Wray spins a yarn here that warns of technology’s inability to stop nature, human greed and deceit, the never ending reach of bureaucracy, friendship, sabotage, and death. All this and it’s told entirely through stamp art neatly wrapped around a little British flooding!
Your can get your feet wet with The Flood That Did Come at https://averyhillpublishing.bigcartel.com/product/the-flood-that-did-come-by-patrick-wray-pre-sale
Cactus Planet No. 3 and ¡Sombreros from Outer Space!
August 11, 2020 in Reviews
Cactus Planet No. 3 is a 36-page, black and white (with color covers), pocket size, mini-comic, gag cartoon anthology edited by Tom Scarecrow.
Accompanying Cactus Planet is ¡Sombreros from Outer Space!, a 12-page, black and white, mostly silent, pocket size mini-comic written and illustrated by Jamie Crespo.
Cactus Planet features a plethora of mostly single panel prickly puns from a ginormous list of cartoony creators. The guilty parties are: Betty Jewel; B. Deets; Jim Siergey; Ozone A.; Tom Scarecrow; George Erling; E. Buzzizyk; Carol Pond; Marc Myers; Gary Fields; Matt Feazell; Wayne Gibson; Carrie McNinch; Jaime Crespo; Jerry Sims; Andrew Goldfarb; Steve Lafler; John Porcellino; Cowboy Brut; Delaine Green; Clark Dissmeyer; Mike Hill; Kelly Froh; Jim Mackey; Joel Orff; Rani Goel; Sean Bieri; Max Clotfelter; Billy McKay; and Chad Woody (hope I didn’t miss anybody).
As a fellow cartoonist I’m really impressed with how many cactus cartoons these folks were able to come up with! The wit and cartooning skills in this mini are something to behold! With so many different styles on display I found myself lost in studying how each contributor constructed their gag and drew their cartoon. Great stuff full of funny gags and awesome art!
Then Jaime Crespo offers up a long form gag comic with ¡Sombreros from Outer Space! In this mini Jaime serves up one funny possible explanation for how the saguaro cactus came to be the desert feature it is today. With very few words Jamie manages to tell a truly unique story through superb art and flawless pacing! Another cartooning treat for the eyes!
You can find more from Jaime Crespo at https://www.corntortillapress.com/ and you can reach Tom Scarecrow by old fashioned postal mail at:
Tom Scarecrow
130 Short Street
Butler, PA 16001
Tatanka
August 6, 2020 in Reviews
Tatanka https://www.grantthomasonline.com/shop is a 16-page, pocket size, black and white, historical mini comic by Grant Thomas.
In this little mini Grant educates readers on the near extinction of the Buffalo (known as Tatanka by the Lakota people) and the ethnic cleansing of the Lakota people themselves. Over the 16 pages Grant explains the close relationship between the Tatanka and the Lakota, and how the U.S. government used that relationship to expand the nation and make way for settlers.
Grant does a great job here summarizing and illustrating a dark chapter in American history. You can learn about that time in the pages of Tatanka at https://www.grantthomasonline.com/shop for just $1, or you can join Grant’s Patreon account and get even more at https://www.patreon.com/mylifeinrecords
What We Don’t Talk About
August 4, 2020 in Reviews
What We Don’t Talk About https://averyhillpublishing.bigcartel.com/product/what-we-don-t-talk-about-by-charlot-kristensen is a 108-page, full color, perfect bound, slice-of-life comic written and illustrated by Charlot Kristensen. Published by Avery Hill Publishing.
This comic explores prejudice and racism through an interracial between a white man and black woman. The couple have been in what appears to be a loving and mutual respectful relationship, but the girlfriend has never met her boyfriend’s family. Once she does, it becomes obvious to the reader why the boyfriend was reluctant to bring his girlfriend home, but the characters don’t seem to recognize their own racism, or how their actions (or inaction) nurtures an environment of bigotry.
Charlot Kristensen’s intimate look at racism focuses on the subtle prejudice that permeates society. The vague remarks, the generalizations, and the insensitive dismissals of historic and cultural differences. We are treated to these observations through the eyes and reactions of the main character, but we also experience the dismissive justification of the parents from their perspective, and the boyfriend’s hesitation to confront the racism he clearly sees.
You can delve into this complex issue through the pages of What We Don’t Talk About at https://averyhillpublishing.bigcartel.com/product/what-we-don-t-talk-about-by-charlot-kristensen
The Strong Baked Defenders #3
August 3, 2020 in Reviews
The Strong Baked Defenders #3 https://buff.ly/30m67VN is a standard size, full color, 33-page comic created by “Red” Fox and Matti V with line art by Zdravko Jandric, colors by Milan Rogulja (Cover) and El Zorro Rojo (Body), lettering by K’Eyi K’Ebero, character development by Rob Thibodeau, and modeling sheets by Vincent Marchesano. Published by Cor Industries.
After developing super powers while stoned, four friends start to figure out how to control their new abilities and work together. As the team begins to come together, the secret organization behind their super powers sends the group out on their first mission. Things don’t exactly go as planned and as they recover from their failures the guys find themselves in the middle of an even more dangerous situations!
Light up and take on the bad guys with The Strong Baked Defenders at https://buff.ly/30m67VN!
Demi the Demoness Rarities No. 1
July 31, 2020 in Reviews
Demi’s Rarities #1 https://buff.ly/2E1tMSD is a 48-page, black and white, standard size ADULTS ONLY comic with full color covers and inside covers. Features the talents of creator SS Crompton, and Randy Vogel, Perry Lake, Philo, Ron Fontes and others! Published by Carnal Comics.
This is a great collection of never before seen art and pages from Demi-Zine and other Demi comics spanning more than 20 years! Plus color images from the Demi the Demoness movie, and more! SS Crompton not only fills this comic with long lost art, but he also annotates each rarity with personal notes explaining why the pieces got the axe! There’s also plenty of background provided on a bunch of supporting and cross-over characters that really document just how far reaching Demi’s universe is!
The wealth of information packed in Demi’s Rarities makes this a treasure for any Demi fan, but even those not as familiar with the Demoness will enjoy the variety of art styles and exquisite ADULT drawings, plus all of the other extras! You can get Demi’s Rarities at https://buff.ly/2E1tMSD and see even more of Demi and other offering from Carnal Comics at https://demicomix.com/
My Man Jean
July 23, 2020 in Reviews
My Man Jean is a 30-page, single sided, black and white, mini size, picture storybook zine. Published by The Bubblegum Dada Corporation.
A little dark humor in this mini picture-book of love, jealously, and murder! Through a series of black and white vintage illustrations that look as if they were taken from Victorian books, a story unfolds as told by a young woman infatuated with her step-brother. The woman’s passion for her step-brother is not returned, instead his head is turned by another. Out of desperation the woman tells her tale of pursuit, crime, escape, and the assumption of a new identity…all because of love!
Tune in to a torrid tale of tempestuous fixation in the pages of My Man Jean at:
The Bubblegum Dada Corporation
c/o 15 Dartington Walk
Leigham
Plymouth
Devon
PL6 8QA UK
Cornelia Cartoons No. 16 by Kel Crum
July 20, 2020 in Reviews
Cornelia Cartoons No. 16 http://www.dangerousbird.com/ is 16-page, digest size, black and white, all ages humor comic written and Illustrated by Kel M. Crum. Published by Dangerous Bird Productions.
It’s Cornelia’s 30th birthday! Cornelia has been around for 30 years and her creator, Kel Crum, celebrates this monumental milestone with a new comic featuring six short funnies! Cornelia recalls being a young girl and making friends, learning about what it means to be “an artist,” movie appreciation, comic collecting, the perils of department store shopping, and even Ed Thud makes an appearance! Each story is a quick, fun read sure to make you chuckle!
Kel has a knack of turning ordinary and otherwise mundane circumstances into comical situations at the expense of his girl Cornelia. The comedic timing works great throughout each piece and the cartoony art completes the gag every time!
You can experience a temporary escape from the depressive news of the real world through the pages of Cornelia Cartoons by Kel M. Crum at http://www.dangerousbird.com/ and reach out to Kel at e at kmartin1001@yahoo.com
The Island of Dr. Miro by Grant Thomas
June 1, 2020 in Reviews
This little mini is expertly illustrated in gray tones by the talented Grant Thomas. Within the foldout pages Grant combines elements and influences from surrealist Joan Miro and Where the Wild Things Are writer/artist Maurice Sendak. Grant’s flowing compositions and washes of gray gradients create a dreamlike quality to this comic that perfectly pair with the Miro and Sendak inspired art!
You can get your hands on The Island of Dr. Miro for just $4 (or $3 if you join Grant’s Patreon account) at https://www.patreon.com/mylifeinrecords
Not My Small Diary No. 20 – The Power of Music by Delaine Derry Green
May 25, 2020 in Reviews
Not My Small Diary No. 20 – The Power of Music https://www.etsy.com/listing/788277285/not-my-small-diary-20-the-power-of-music is a 136-page, digest size, black and white, perfect bound comics anthology edited by Delaine Derry Green. Cover by Ben Snakepit.
The Strong Baked Defenders #2
May 25, 2020 in Reviews
The Strong Baked Defenders #2 https://buff.ly/2WVfV6l is a standard size, full color, 28-page comic created by “Red” Fox and Matti V with line art by Zdravko Jandric, colors by Milan Rogulja (Cover) and El Zorro Rojo (Body), lettering by K’Eyi K’Ebero, character development by Rob Thibodeau, and modeling sheets by Vincent Marchesano. Published by Cor Industries.
It’s issue two and the four friends that got high and wandered into an ambush in the last issue now find themselves in an even more perilous situation! One can’t stop eating, another keeps leaving his body, a third is causing gravitational disruptions while having moments of philosophical clarity, and the fourth guy is falling apart…literally! On top of all that this quartet learns they’re now part of some bizarre experiment to turn them into heroes! Secret organizations, transformative pills, and too much THC are the ingredients that baked into this issue of The Strong Baked Defenders!
The writing continues to build the suspense as the characters undergo intriguing changes leaving this issue with another effective cliffhanger. The concept behind The Stone Baked Defenders is becoming clearer and taking a really original and funny approach to the whole superhero mythos!
You can join the The Strong Baked Defenders at https://buff.ly/2WVfV6l and find more at https://www.facebook.com/CORIndustries/
Freaky, Strike Three
May 25, 2020 in Reviews
Freaky, Strike Three http://theslowpoisoner.com/freaky.html is a 60-page, full size, Black and White, comix magazine anthology printed on glorious News Print! Featured artists include Carl Alessi, Johnny Brewton, Kyle C. Bridgett, Nik Caesar, Tommy “T-Shirt” Cannon, (An) Eel, Casanova Frankenstein, Paul Friedrich, I. Kinzer, E. Francis Kohler, Billy McKay, Darren “‘King” Merinuk, Karla Paloma, Dalton Vaughn, and Editor-in-Chief Andrew “The Slow Poisoner” Goldfarb. Whew, that’s a lot of groovy people!
What do you get when a guy like Andrew “The Slow Poisoner” Goldfarb brings together a bunch of talented artists with a penchant for the unusual and let’s their collective insanity spill out onto paper? Freaky Magazine! It’s like a two-dimensional asylum for the artfully inclined !
I dig indie comix that embrace the weird and Freaky does exactly that! This collection of insane comix is overflowing with weirdos, monsters, beatniks, and bozos. Every page is a twisted treat of the bizarre, the odd, the curiously peculiar that grabs you by the neck and pulls you into its altered reality of ink and absurdity! There’s just so much here it’s nearly impossible to do it justice with words. Aliens, mouth creatures, and an Onion Head are just a few of the delights that await you freaky fishes that like to swim outside the mainstream! But don’ just take my word for it, visit Freaky Magazine at http://theslowpoisoner.com/freaky.html and check out some of the inards of this rag for yourself!
The Strong Baked Defenders #1 by “Red” Fox, Matti V, Zdravko Jandric, Milan Rogulja, El Zorro Rojo, K’Eyi K’Ebero, Rob Thibodeau, and Vincent Marchesano
February 25, 2020 in Reviews
The Strong Baked Defenders #1 https://buff.ly/3a7OCL7 is a standard size, full color, 28-page comic created by “Red” Fox and Matti V with line art by Zdravko Jandric, colors by Milan Rogulja (Cover) and El Zorro Rojo (Body), lettering by K’Eyi K’Ebero, character development by Rob Thibodeau, and modeling sheets by Vincent Marchesano. Published by Cor Industries.
This is the first issue of a three-issue volume that I’ll be writing about over the next few weeks. In this issue we’re introduced to a group of four friends going about their normal lives. One of the friends is convinced aliens are among us, another is being bullied at work, while another is struggling at university, and the final friend is most interested in staying stoned. Everything seems to be going well as the group make some decisions about the future…then they unexpectedly wander into the middle of what appears to be an unrelated ambush on a bridge!
The writing quickly establishes the setting and characters and provides just enough detail to make you comfortable with the unfolding story, but without overwhelming you with backstory. An effective hook is planted at the end of this issue to make you want to read the next and find out how this peculiar quartet will fare!
You can join the The Strong Baked Defenders at https://buff.ly/3a7OCL7 and find more at https://www.facebook.com/CORIndustries/
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