Guest Review by Brittany DeSalvo
Star Power is a new futuristic sci-fi comic, the first issue of which came out in February 2013, by writer Michael Terracciano (Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire) and artist Garth Graham (Comedity and Finder’s Keepers). On the web, Star Power is a webcomic which updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. To date, issues one and two have been released in print at conventions and the webcomic is on chapter #3 as of October 3rd.
Filed under Brittany DeSalvo, Comics, Comics Reviews, Guest Column, Sci-Fi, science fiction, Superheroes, The Nerdy Bomb
It is fascinating what can develop during a 24-hour comic. I knew, going in, that I was doing a comic that was going to take me to some interesting places. It ended up being a journey in search of the heart and soul of Ballard, Washington, once a mellow destination with a history of saloons and bordellos and coasting along as a blue collar hangout, it became a prime target for developers. The rest is history: a slew of trendy boutiques and restaurants that have brought a whole new dynamic to the area.
Is this a question of whether it is good or bad? Are their lessons to be learned? Well, one person, Edith Macefield, who defied the developers and would not sell her home, has become a symbol for independence and the theme for my 24-hour comic.
24-Hour Comics Day is celebrated around the world on the first weekend of October. This is when all cartoonists join together in the pursuit of a full comics narrative during a 24-hour marathon. The timing was just right this year to take on such a substantial and compelling subject as Ballard, Washington. It is a place that perhaps never thought it would go through dramatic change and yet it can’t come as a complete surprise given its location and demographics.
But, in the past, locals didn’t really have intense concerns over location or demographics. It’s a very laid-back culture. It is something you’re not supposed to be able to manufacture. But, oddly enough, marketers and developers have done their level best to tap into the Ballard experience. Fascinating stuff.
Hattie’s Hat in Ballard, Washington
A new friend made, at Conor Byrne pub, during my 24-hour comics journey in Ballard, Washington
First Annual Macefield Music Festival in Ballard, Washington
Exploring the character of any place is such a fun thing to do. You don’t have to have any expectations. Or, if you do, see where that takes you too. As for Ballard, I know that area quite well. I can see it from various vantage points. No one is going to seriously argue against Edith Macefield, right? Another thing that is hard, or impossible, to argue against is comfort, good food, and fun items to buy now and then. It seems you can find just about anything in Ballard.
Ballard, old and new: Hattie’s Hat bar and restaurant; and the new Hotel Ballard
Stoneburner restaurant, part of Hotel Ballard
I will run the whole “Ballard” comic here at Comics Grinder in the coming days.
Filed under 24 Hour Comics, Alternative Comics, Comics, Comix, Henry Chamberlain, mini-comics
Guest Review by Brittany DeSalvo
At 2,505 comics and counting, Questionable Content (QC) http://www.questionablecontent.net is a popular “slice of life” webcomic written by Jeph Jacques that has been going strong since August 1, 2003. (QC’s 10 year anniversary was actually August 1st of this year.) It’s a semi-complicated storyline, so if you’re planning on reading the comic, which you should, make sure you start at the beginning. It may take a while, but it’s well worth the read because it is hilarious. I laugh, I cry, I laugh some more, and I then wish he could update every day of the week.
The comic follows the life of Marten, a music-obsessed 20-something trying to muddle his way through jobs, relationships, and life in general. He lives with a crude anthropomorphic sidekick named Pintsize, who happens to be a tiny robot, and a slew of other roommates throughout the comic. The other main characters are Faye, the aerodynamically curvaceous and snarky love interest; Dora, the dark and skinny coffee shop owner; and Hannelore, the OCD and slightly stalkerish neighbor. Other characters come and go, but they’re each well-developed and interesting. As there have been many story arcs throughout the life of the comic so far, it’s hard to accurately describe the plot. It’s a very fluid comic, but after going off on a random tangent arc for a while, it always comes back to the main, ongoing story line.
There is a definite undertone of indie rock music references that may throw you off if you don’t follow indie rock, but other than that, the comic is easily understood by all. The art style changes minutely in the first fifty comics, and then remains the same until around comic number 200, when the characters become full-sized and a little more detailed. It slowly morphs into the current style, which isn’t visible until the early 1,000s, then remains pretty much the same. The early style is a little rough, as is the case with most webcomics, but the current style is well-developed and shows how far the artist has come since starting the comic.
As of this past March, the archive of comics is accessible by left and right arrows. As Jeph says: “Welcome to the future.” If you just read all of the available comics and want to know when you can read more, QC updates Monday through Friday around midnight. If you’re already a die-hard fan, you’ll know QC merch is available on TopatoCo. As of recently, Coffee of Doom, Dora’s coffee shop, has an official logo now that is available on mugs and t-shirts! If you can’t wait until the next comic comes out, entertain yourself by checking out some of the other awesome comics suggested by Jeph on his website; follow the QC character Twitter feed (like here); or check out the QC forums. You can also occasionally see Jeph at conventions, mostly in the New England region.
About the Author: Brittany DeSalvo is a freelance writer and editor for the start-up nerd site TheNerdyBomb. Her author page is accessible at http://thenerdybomb.com/author/brittany-desalvo/.
Filed under Comics, Entertainment, Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content, Webcomics
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.
Filed under Becky Cloonan, Comics, Comics Reviews, Comixology, Comixology Submit, digital comics, Horror, Webcomics
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.
Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Comixology, Comixology Submit, digital comics, Humor, mystery, Webcomics
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.
Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Comixology, Comixology Submit, digital comics, Grindhouse, Sci-Fi, science fiction, Webcomics
“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.
Filed under Comics, Comixology, fantasy, Webcomics
Ellen Lindner is an accomplished illustrator and cartoonist. She is a cheerful, passionate, and whipsmart person with talent to spare. It was very nice to get to meet her and her friend, Robin Ha, an excellent artist in her own right. You’ll definitely want to check out the work of both of these ladies.
In the above interview, we focus on Ellen’s work on the anthology series she co-edits, THE STRUMPET, which showcases women cartoonists. To do justice to this project, I’ve written a separate review that you can scroll down and find or you can read it here.
Ellen’s work has a bold and joyful way about it and a keen sense of humor. Ellen has an intriguing webcomic you’ll want to check out, THE BLACK FEATHER FALLS, on ACT-I-VATE Comics. It is set in the aftermath of World War I. It revolves around, Tina Swift, a woman who is caught in a web of intrigue surrounding a murder in 1920s London. You’ll want to jump in on a read if you haven’t already. You’ll be hooked.
You can follow THE BLACK FEATHER FALLS HERE. The series will be collected by Soaring Penguin Press. And you can visit Ellen’s website HERE.
BALLARD COMICS: Drawing Ballard in 24 Hours, #1
And so it begins, a look at Ballard, the cutting edge scene for foodies and hipsters in the midst of a mellow blue-collar world. We begin with a 24-hour adventure in search of the very soul of Ballard.
Photo by Zachariah Bryan, Ballard News-Tribune
Yours truly made the local paper, The Ballard News-Tribune. The story was published online this week (which you can read here) and the print edition of Westside Weekly came out today, Friday, October 11, 2013.
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Filed under Ballard, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Humor, Satire, Seattle, Webcomics
Tagged as 24 hour comics, 24 Hour Comics Day, Art, arts, Ballard, Ballard News-Tribune, Blue-collar, cartoons, Comedy, comics, Commentary, Entertainment, Foodies, Hipsters, Humor, Pop Culture, Satire, Seattle, webcomics