ComiXology is making a big splash at this year’s Festival de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême. In connection with being a part of the Angoulême Comics Festival, which runs from January 30 thru February 2, ComiXology presents some top picks in French comics selected by Joe Keatinge (writer on such titles as TECH JACKET DIGITAL, BATMAN INC. SPECIAL, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN). ComiXology is proud to present a fine selection of French comics. You can read Keatinge’s thoughts about some of his favorite titles (all available at ComiXology) here.
“Boobage,” is a mini-comic by Monica Gallager that covers, or unveils, a very personal preoccupation with a lot of wit and humor. So, what do you instantly think of when you put such greats together as Kate Hudson, Clare Danes, Gwen Stefani, and Bridget Fonda? The one thing that Gallager used to have trouble with was their (and her own) relatively small breasts, or “tits.” It’s okay, she says “tits” a lot. Gallagher isn’t afraid to tackle the tit issue, large or small. This won’t really be of interest to those who objectify and sexualize but it may give them some pause. Hey Jimmy, or whoever, those hooters you salivate over belong to a real human being.
This is exciting news for comics writers and artists looking to connect on a project. ComiXology is sponsoring the Comic Creator Connection at Comic-Con International 2013. This is a one-of-a-kind meet up for up-and-coming creators. ComiXology will guarantee marketing support for qualified participants.
As part of this week’s ComiXology Submit releases is “The Fez #1.” Roger Langridge has a lovable cartoon style, nice and rubbery, and absurd. “The Fez #1” is a mini-comic in search of a home and maybe you’ll take it in. Mr. Langridge has all his papers in order, mind you. He’s a Harvey and Eisner Award-wining cartoonist and you’ll see he’s got the chops and the sharp humor to prove it.
I don’t know how some critics measure this sort of thing, especially if they’ve never come near ink in their lives. But, as a cartoonist myself, I can tell you that what you see here looks effortlessly smooth, as if the ink just glided onto the page. It’s perfect to evoke this feeling of spontaneous slapstick humor. A villain quakes in his boots at the sight of The Fez. A beautiful woman, an unrequited love, drives our hero over the edge. Simple but fun stuff.
This is a 12-pager and that might be just what you’re in the mood for. You get two full stories and a one-page story. They are silly but also poetic in a way. It sort of reminds me of Kaz’s work but in a more gentle and innocent way. Among the work that Mr. Langridge is known for is “Thor: The Mighty Avenger,”and “Snarked.” You can find a bunch of his work at ComiXology here.
Becky Cloonan is a masterful cartoonist. She has a very loose and confident line that comes from years of love and practice of the comics medium. Ink gets in the blood and, like a painter, you’re always ready for your next chance to put brush to ink and paper. Becky Cloonan adds another short story to her Ink and Thunder presence at ComiXology Submit with, “The Demeter,” which runs 31 pages, and you can purchase for only 99 cents here. It is supposed to be the third and final book of a trilogy. While all three books under the Ink and Thunder umbrella are not related, they all share a similar spooky vibe.
Cloonan’s love of ink is infectious. She keeps creating opportunities to dive into that ink. Her artwork is gorgeous and her stories are platforms that allow that artwork to flourish.
That’s not to say that the stories aren’t compelling in themselves. Having read the three books she has with ComiXology, “Wolves,” “The Mire,” and now, “Demeter,” all three are very impressive, and even poetic, horror stories. Cloonan is a pro and she’s managed, over the years, to tap into some quality storytelling chops. She’s as good with words and she’s with artwork. “Demeter” runs very smoothly and naturally. At its heart, it’s a simple little story told with elegance and nicely paced. It’s a cautionary tale warning you to be careful about what you wish for.
Like Paul Pope, you get that unique view from one person as artist and writer. The words, the story itself, comes that much closer to the art compared to a team of artist and writer. That’s just how it is, no matter how closely a team works together. Only you know exactly how to scratch that itch. You can see it on the page.
“Demeter” is far and beyond well worth the price of admission. So, if you haven’t already, you definitely want to go ahead and get the other two books, similar in size and same price point. Just visit ComiXology here.
An odd little old gentleman proves to be very entertaining in this week’s releases from ComiXology Submit. “Short Hand #1” is a breath of fresh air. The main character has star power even if he can barely reach for the stars or just about anything else for that matter.
Meet Oscar Lindstat. He is one big ball of mischief and that has landed him a twelve-month house arrest. He’s 80 years old but he can still give the likes of Lindsay Lohan a run for her money. At the start of our story, “The Toothless Fairy,” we find Oscar is two months into his arrest and he’s triggered a visit from the sheriff and a deputy for tampering with his ankle monitor. Oscar looks sickly and vulnerable but surprisingly spry.
Sheriff Sumner looks worn out just looking at Oscar. That’s why he’s brought in backup, Deputy Woods, who is being lured into making Oscar his very special responsibility. Little does Sumner or Woods know that Oscar never gave up solving crimes and a little ole ankle monitor sure isn’t going to stop him for long. Thanks to crisp writing, by Jason McNamara, and engaging artwork, by Rahsan Ekedal, we quickly buy into the premise.
This comic has a sharpness and confidence to it that serves it well considering that you have a subject that you would suspect to tread along slowly. Yes, Oscar doesn’t move all that fast but this is definitely one of the most quick-witted comics you’re going to come across. “Isn’t it the little crimes that matter the most?” asks Oscar. It’s not a concept that resonates all that well with Deputy Woods. But maybe the guy just needs a little time to figure out what matters the most.
“Short Hand #1” is 25 pages, priced at $1.99, and you can check it out at ComiXology here.
Among this week’s ComiXology Submit releases is “Hell’s Brew #1” with this synopsis: “This is not your history…but it is your nightmare! Double-crossed and kicked in the dirt, Gabriel Garcia is out for revenge. He’s looking for the man who killed his brother come Hell or high water…but there ain’t no water in the desert!” Now, that’s a good kind of crazy to start with.
This 18-pager, priced at $0.99, is full of the stuff you’d hope to find from something this far on the edge. Liggett takes it to the limit but he doesn’t fly without a parachute. He’s laid down a solid foundation. The first page gives us a fine scenario: an alternate America, 1968, where the power grid has gone berserk and the Southwestern region is all but forgotten. Electric cars are dominant. For kicks, the lost kids create gasoline-fueled hotrods. They race all night through the forgotten desert highways.
Gabriel has just been let out of prison and this dead-ender is pissed off! Somebody killed his brother! He’s going to knock heads until he finds his bro’s killer and then he’s going to…kill him! I love it. We really cut to the chase with an unambiguous mission. Of course, there will be side trips, detours, and maybe even some romance, along the way but we’ve got a confident cartoonist behind the wheel to see us through. The art is sharp and the plot is priceless. We’re off and running.
There is definitely more going on here than just an action-packed adventure in some crazy wasteland, although that already sounds like plenty.
Visit our friends at ComiXology. And check out the first issue of “Hell’s Brew” at ComiXology here.
“Secundus” is another one of those spare, and seemingly simple, works of comics with deeper levels running through it. Mike Thomas wrote and drew this story about a gladiator who, on the day that he should have earned his freedom, the court magician, eager not to lose the emperor’s favor, hathces a way to interfere.
Giving it a careful read, I found this to keep to a slow but steady pace. There are enough little clues to future developments to keep me interested. It would be unfair to write this one off, especially since it clearly has a wider scope in mind and we’re only 32 pages into it.
The cover, and the synopiss, got me. For only 99 cents, you can check it out for yourself at ComiXology’s Submit, a new platform for emerging comics talent. You can check out “Secundus” here.
“The Grove Nymph” is a delightful new comic by an emerging talent, Jecaro, that will especially appeal to fans of fantasy, particularly Wendy and Richard Pini’s “Elfquest.” It’s a nicely spare drawing style with a direct point of view, one action quickly leads to another. In a manner of moments, you go from two beautiful little nymphs in the woods, sisters Mira and Mari, to an assertion from Mira that she’s bored as hell and wants to interact with the world. It’s a big jump going from no concerns, not even a need for clothes, to deciding to take on the world, but this is what Mira wants and so off she goes.
Readers will appreciate the boldness of our main character, Mira, and the rapidly unfolding narrative. Given that this is a fantasy, full of sprites and goblins, of course, you have a certain pace to adhere to. Hobbits, for example, aren’t your most spontaneous of creatures now, are they? Well, so is the case with the pomegranate sprites, these very twee little things, that bumble and fumble about until Mira steps in.
We make good time in this first issue of a three-part story. We find that Mira has found her way and has found herself a purpose. She takes to it like a duck to water. For all its simplicity and gentle quality, this comic proves to be engaging and well worth following to its conclusion.
You can read Issue One of “The Grove Nymph” now at ComiXology.
Alternative Comics is well regarded as a publisher of some of the best independent comics you’ll find. Now, ComiXology has partnered with them so you can enjoy Alternative Comics digitally.
Press Release For 8 May 2013:
Key titles from creators Sam Henderson, Steve Cerio and Karl Stevens released today!
May 8, 2013 – Cupertino, CA / New York, NY – ComiXology and Alternative Comics announced today that the long-time independent publisher Alternative Comics has entered into an all-new digital distribution agreement with comiXology, the revolutionary cloud-based digital comics platform available across the iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8 and the Web.
Independent comic fans will be reading Alternative Comics in an all new dynamic way with comiXology’s cinematic Guided View™ technology. iPad with Retina display users will experience every fine detail of indie comics with comiXology’s high definition format dubbed CMX-HD!
To celebrate the announcement, Alternative Comics is releasing five titles on the comiXology platform from independent comic luminaries, including Karl Stevens’s Failure, Steve Cerio’s Pie, Sam Henderson’s Magic Whistle series including the Humor Can Be Funny collection and 2012’s twelfth issue of the long running humor comic.
“Alternative Comics has an extensive, hilarious and thought-provoking catalog of work by tremendous independent creators and we’re excited to be able to share these stories worldwide on comiXology,” said comiXology’s co-founder and CEO David Steinberger. “Now fans and newcomers alike will be able to get access to these great titles and experience them in a whole new way with our Guided View reading technology.”
“Making Alternative Comics available digitally on comiXology is a big step for us that we are truly excited to take,” said Alternative Comics General Manager Marc Arsenault. “Bringing high-quality independently created comics to a larger readership has always been our mission and having our extensive back list and all of our new books available through comiXology will give a whole new generation of comic fans access to our catalog.”
Here’s a full list of the Alternative Comics titles debuting today across the comiXology platform:
Failure GN by Karl Stevens
Humor Can Be Funny (Magic Whistle) GN by Sam Henderson
Magic Whistle #7 by Sam Henderson
Magic Whistle #12 by Sam Henderson
Pie #1 by Steven Cerio
Future digital releases from Alternative Comics include their first day-and-date release Alternative Comics #4, coming June 26, 2013. The all-ages graphic novel Peanut Butter & Jeremy’s Best Book Ever, by 2012 Eisner Award winning creator James Kochalka (Dragon Puncher, Johnny Boo), is also scheduled to debut digitally this year.
Alternative Comics is an independent comic book publisher with an extensive back catalog of humor, satirical and original creator-owned titles. Jeff Mason ran the company from 1993 until 2008, and it was re-launched in June 2012 by industry veteran Marc Arsenault.
About ComiXology
Founded in 2007, comiXology revolutionized the comic book and graphic novel industry by delivering a cloud-based digital comics platform that makes discovering, buying, and reading comics more fun than ever before. ComiXology’s Guided View™ reading technology transforms the comic book medium into an immersive and cinematic experience, helping comiXology become one of iTunes’ top 10-grossing iPad apps in 2011 and 2012. Its new comiXology Submit platform enables independent comics creators to efficiently self-publish and immediately profit from their work. Offering the broadest library of comic book content from the top 75 publishers, plus leading and emerging independent creators, comiXology will not stop until everyone on the face of the planet has become a comic book fan. The privately held company is based in Gotham City. For more information visit ComiXology HERE.
About Alternative Comics
Alternative Comics is an independent publisher of creator-owned graphic novels and comic books based in Cupertino, California. The company was founded by Jeff Mason in Gainesville, Florida in 1993. Alternative Comics’ creators and books have been nominated for and won multiple comics and publishing industry awards. Alternative Comics’ publications are distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors, Inc. and Last Gasp.
