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April 30, 2011
Myths & Legends #1 This mini-comic features 23 illustrations of well known (as well as obscure) characters from mythologies, legends, folklore and tall tales. A fine roster of talented artists are included: Jeff Austin, Rock Baker, Troy Boyle, Dave Farley, Michael Grassia, Rusty Gilligan, Doug Holverson, John Lambert, John Larter, Joe Martino, Jeff Mason, Terry Pavlet, Rick Pilote, Steve Shipley, Dan Taylor, James Taylor and JTW. $2.75 (postpaid) from Main Enterprises.
Jim Siergey's newest Cultural Jet Lag icon: Trump. Available on Ts, mugs, etc. at Siergey's TeeMee Shop. Get 15% off Ts with the codeword SPRUNG.
Review Alterna Titles
President and Publisher Peter Simeti is asking readers of Alterna Comics to add their reviews to Amazon. To check out their available titles visit Amazon.com.
Black Gate #15
From the website: Black Gate #15 is another massive issue: 384 pages of fiction, reviews, and articles. It contains 22 stories, totaling nearly 152,000 words of adventure fantasy. Jonathan L. Howard returns with “The Shuttered Temple,” the sequel to “The Beautiful Corridor” from Black Gate 13, in which the resourceful thief Kyth must penetrate the secrets of a mysterious and very lethal temple. Howard Andrew Jones bring us a lengthy excerpt from his blockbuster novel The Desert of Souls, featuring Dabir & Asim. And Harry Connolly returns after too long an absence with “Eating Venom,” in which a desperate soldier faces a basilisk’s poison — and the treachery it brings.
What else is in BG 15? John C. Hocking kicks off a terrific new sword & sorcery series with “A River Through Darkness & Light,” featuring a dedicated Archivist who leads a small band into a deadly desert tomb; John Fultz shares the twisted fate of a thief who dares fantastic dangers to steal rare spirits indeed in “The Vintages of Dream,” and Vaughn Heppner kicks off an exciting new sword & sorcery series as a young warrior flees the spawn of a terrible god through the streets of an ancient city in “The Oracle of Gog.”
Plus fiction from Darrell Schweitzer, Jamie McEwan, Michael Livingston, Frederic S. Durbin, Chris Willrich, Fraser Ronald, Maria V. Snyder, Brian Dolton, Sarah Avery, and many others!
In our generous non-fiction section, Mike Resnick educates us on the best in black & white fantasy cinema, Bud Webster turns his attention to the brilliant Tom Reamy in his Who? column on 20th Century fantasy authors, Scott Taylor challenges ten famous fantasy artists to share their vision of a single character in Art Evolution, and Rich Horton looks at the finest fantasy anthologies of the last 25 years. Plus over 30 pages of book, game, and DVD reviews, edited by Bill Ward, Howard Andrew Jones, and Andrew Zimmerman Jones—and a brand new Knights of the Dinner Table strip.
Black Gate 15 is $18.95 for the print edition, $8.95 in PDF, or shipped right to your door as part of a 2-issue subscription for just $32.95. We’ll have a detailed sneak peek, with tantalizing story excerpts and artwork, right here in a few days. Stay tuned. And don’t forget our back issue sale—any two back issues for just $25, including our double-sized BG 14.
Black Gate #15 with cover art by Donato Giancola is available from the Black Gate website.
Heeby Jeeby Comix #2 s the second installment of comics created by four bizarre cartoonists: Dan Moynihan, David DeGrand, Chris Houghton, and Bob Flynn. This latest offering includes a new batch of Halloween stories and an assortment of weird, twisted, and funny comics for all ages. 32 page comic book in full color. $5 (plus postage) from Heeby Jeeby Comix.
Subterranean Summer 2011 Guest editor Gwenda Bond provides the Summer edition with a Young Adult fiction focus with a mix of SFF work. Content is released in weekly additions until the entire issue is complete. Read it online at Subterranean Press.
This Town Digital
Anthony Woodward is offering his book, This Town, as a free digital download for a short time. It's formatted for an iPad, but also works on an eReader. For linkage visit AW Comix.
Recent micro minis from Silber Media are available for $1 each in print or as free PDF of CBZ downloads: Star #1 by Mitchell and Kurt Dinse and Vigilant #1 by Brian John Mitchell and P.B. Kain.
April 23, 2011
Maybe Getting Paid for Artwork Will Help
John Porcellino is selling a collection of posters, photographs, and collage art to help raise money for his upcoming May book tour. You read more about it on his blog at Maybe Blogging Will Help.
Hive #5 (April 2011, Grimalkin Press) Gorgeous 192 page anthology, available for $10 from the Grimalkin Press shop. or for $3 as a PDF.
Comical Animal #3 (April 2011, Jim Medway) A bi-monthly online publication for comic, cartoon and kids books afficianados. Free at Comical Animal.
Multnomah County Library Podcast
Recorded live on April 14, 2011. From self-published mini-comic zines to traditional comic books, manga and graphic novels, comics are a seriously big deal in our community, home to big-time publishers, small presses and independent artists. Speakers Dylan Williams, of Sparkplug Comics, Dark Horse Executive Editor Diana Schutz, PSU Special Collections Librarian and Archivist Cris Paschild, and independent comics creator Julia Gfrorer discuss the cultural and economic significance of comics. The panel discussion was followed by Julia Gfrorer reading her comics Too Dark to See and Ariadne auf Naxos, with the assistance of Jesse Reklaw. Thanks to Dylan Williams for the tip.
Funny Times May 2011. A monthly forum for humor and satire. Compiled from thousands of cartoons, editor/publsiher Ray Lasser and Susan Wolpert select the "best of the best" each month. 24 page tabloid, 12-issue subscriptions for $25 from the Funny Times website.
Eaten by Planet 29 with story and art by Kevin Atkinson. Free at CO2 Comics.
Fender Tucker Speaks
Ed (there) interviews raconteur Fender Tucker about publishing and his Ramble House imprint, on, where else, Ed Gorman's blog.
A new batch of micro mini comix are available from Brian John Mitchell's Silber Media. $1 each for the printed versions, or free PDF or CBZ digital files from the comics page on Silber Media website.
Built #1 by Brian John Mitchell and Joe Badon and Monthly #1 by BJM and
Eric Shonbon.
Lost Kisses #21 by Brian John Mitchell and XO #7 by BLM and Melissa Spence Gardner.
Stumptown
Dylan Williams had what I thought was a very good post about comic book shows this week on his Sparkplug Comic Books blog.
April 16, 2011
Main Enterprises' Coming Line-up
Editor/Publisher Jim Main wrote this week with news about his upcoming crop of small press titles. The next edition of *PPFSZT! is at print now and a new title, Myths & Legends, will be ready for ordering within the week. His production team is also finalizing work on Chase #13, Main Enterprises Presents #4 and the second issue of The Gallery. This time out the spotlight shines on the work of Rock Baker, with inks by Jeff Austin, Dan Taylor, Rusty Gilligan and Steve Shipley. Keep an eye on the Main Enterprises Store for additions.
Needle #3 edited by Steve Weddle
Dec. 2010, Needle Publishing
202 pages, plus cover
5.5" x 8.5" perfect bound book
$7.50 from Lulu.com, where a preview is available
Needle—Magazine of Noir is a thrice-yearly publication featuring tales of murder and mayhem. New fiction by Graham Powell, Matthew C. Funk, Sophie Littlefield, Graham Bowlin, Michael Gonzales, Kieran Shea, Richard Godwin, Anthony Neil Smith, Matthew Mayo, Matthew McBride, and Libby Cudmore. And featuring Part Oone of the new novel by Ray Banks—Wolf Tickets.
Free Tripwire
From the Tripwire website: At long last we’ve gotten our heads wrapped around a digital strategy. During WonderCon we will unveil the first all digital all original issue of Tripwire.
Tripwire April 2011 is packed with all sorts of articles like a feature on Marvel’s upcoming Thor film (as you can see from the cover) as well as a look at legendary Golden Age artist LB Cole and an examination of Britain’s own 2000AD. We also have interviews with BOOM!’s Marketing Director Chip Mosher and nerd rock band Kirby Krackle, and take a look at Source Code as well. And of course there are some original strips in the back and a re-run of BOOM’s excellent Hellraiser prelude. I’m sure I forgot something but you won’t when you get the chance to read it!
Visit Tripwire Magazine to download the free PDF copy (44MB) of the April 2011 edition of this 56 page digital edition.
Aftershock Update
Adam Pasion sent an update on the Aftershock Anthology this week. He wrote: "Quite a few submissions have begun pouring in and I am so impressed with the quality of the work. To speak honestly, it wasn't until I started seeing people's personal reactions and feelings that the scope of this project hit me—I think the book has enormous potential on an emotional level, and seeing each person's connections to Japan in so many unique ways shows just how far reaching the impact of Japan has on the world. There is a little over a week left until the deadline, I cannot wait to see what everyone comes up with."
[Paraphrased] "I am happy to announce that it looks like Top Shelf Productions is interested in distributing this book. After much personal deliberation, and talking with the folks at Top Shelf, I am convinced that at least initially this should be a digital release. It will coincide with Top Shelf's new digital distribution network. We can benefit a lot from the publicity of that as one of the first books released from their new system, which as I understand it will also make use of existing digital vendors as well."
Pasion is also exploring potential print methods, but the digital approach will be the primary delivery method of the project.
April 9, 2011
Josephine
Press Release: On May Day 2011, Stately Homes of England and Hunt Emerson release the single to end all singles: Josephine, a song by John Otway, is an epic tale of innocence lost set on a village green during traditional revels. Dripping with pagan passions, Josephine comes in a variety of mixes and several desirable editions including:
• 8 track CD in beautifully designed sleeve (£5)
• CD plus 4 signed A3 prints by Hunt Emerson (£20)
• 8 track download (£2) or individual tracks (79p)
• Deluxe CD edition limited to 10 copies only, which includes CD, A3 prints, an original drawing by Hunt Emerson, and a top quality Spritely Records apron, all packaged in a special envelope. Along with the regular 8 tracks, the Deluxe CD includes two extra mixes, one of which will be exclusive to each CD. The highly collectable Deluxe CD edition of Josephine is priced at £100.
Pre-orders for the Deluxe edition are available now, at The Crowd Screams or direct to Hunt Emerson. For more information, and to hear the short version of the track, listen here.
Aftershock
Adam Pasion sent an update this week on the Aftershock fundraising anthology he's speaheading::
"Already a lot of the artwork has started coming in. There have been a total of 20 pages of art submitted! I started the preliminary layout and those pages look great. It reaffirmed in my mind what I already knew—this is certainly a project worth doing, and I am so thankful to everybody on board. There are now over 35 contributors! Just a reminder that the deadline is coming up in a little over a week. I cannot wait to see what everybody comes up with."
To stoke the creative fires, he attached a couple pages (previewed above). For more information and background visit Aftershock Comic.
Copic Interviews Theo Ellsworth
Copic Marker user and cartooonist/illustrator Theo Ellsworth was interviewed on March 31, 2011 on the Copic Markers website.
Writer's Digest
May/June 2011
80 pages, plus cover
Subscribe at Writer's Digest
In addition to the usual columns this issue includes the following features:
Food Writing With Flavor by Dianee Jacob. Use these 5 steps to transform any meal or day in the kitchen into a written experience that will leave readers hungry for more.
Wish You Were Here
by L. Peat O'Neil. The best travel writing transports readers far from their armchairs. Pack these essentials into every piece, and soon you'll be filing both your passport and your portfolio.
Eating Your Words by Art Spikol.
The non-foodie's guide to writing restaurant reviews.
The Best of Both Worlds by Roger Morris. By writing for consumer and trade publications, you can maximize your markets—and reap twice as many benefits.
The WD interview by Lynn Seldon. For literary fixture Pat Conroy and fellow novelist Cassandra King, the writing life is an integral part of the married life—and they wouldn't have it any other way.
101 Best Websites for Writers by Brian A. Klems & WD Staff. WD's most popular roundup of resources is back—and better than ever.
Long Story Short by Melissa Wuske. The results of WD's 11th Annual Short Story Competition are in—and our grand-prize winner packed a novel's worth of emotional weight into fewer than 1,500 words.
Writer's Workbook this issue features contributions from Larry Brooks, Hallie Ephron and Leigh Michaels.
One Fine Sunday in the Funny Pages
Press Release: Art Exhibition Travels to the Boston Center for Adult Education (Boston, MA) It comes once a week: the weight of the oversized newspaper, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the ease of a perfectly acceptable “pajama day.” Sunday mornings give us the chance to forget the past week, look ahead to the next, and lose ourselves in the exploits of our favorite cartoon characters such as Garfield, Curtis, and Arlo & Janis.
Relive all of your favorite memories from the Sunday “funnies” at the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) beginning May 2nd, 2011, as it presents “One Fine Sunday in the Funny Pages,” a free, one-of-a-kind exhibition featuring the original artwork of more than 130 nationally syndicated comic strips, all published in newspapers across America on the same day!
Having already delighted audiences across North America, “One Fine Sunday in the Funny Pages” will be in Boston for one month only before retiring at the end of 2011. Curated by John Read, comic artist and editor of Stay Tooned! magazine, “One Fine Sunday” provides a snapshot of virtually every American comic strip currently being published. Whether you’re a fan of Garry Trudeau's "Doonesbury,” Jeff Keane’s “Family Circus,” Jim Davis’s “Garfield,” or Brad & Paul Anderson’s “Marmaduke,” you will find something you love in this one-of-a-kind exhibition.
Not only will the original artwork don the walls of the BCAE during the month of May, but the BCAE will be hosting a free reception on Sunday, May 29, 2011 (the last day that the exhibit will be displayed) from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, providing the general public with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to mingle with many of the famed cartoonists whose original work is exhibited. RSVP is required and can be done by visiting www.bcae.org or calling 617-267-4430!
To honor the exhibit and comic fans alike, the BCAE will be offering several comic-inspired classes throughout the month of May for those looking to take their interest one step further: “Creating a Comic Strip,” “Cartoon Drawing Workshop: Make Them Laugh With Your Pen,” and “Comic Book Art Workshop.” Please see below, or visit Boston Center for Adult Education (122 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116) for more information.
April 2, 2011
The Next Day
Press Release: The Next Day is a groundbreaking graphic novella constructed from intimate interviews with survivors of near-fatal suicide attempts. In this poetic and profound philosophical exploration, four seemingly ordinary people each offer haunting personal insight into life, the decision to end it, and what comes after...
The Next Day graphic novella is an exciting hybrid of documentary film and comic book, cowritten by former social worker Paul Peterson and filmmaker Jason Gilmore, and illustrated by acclaimed cartoonist John Porcellino ("Porcellino creates some of the most thoughtful, intelligent and beautiful comix in America" -Time Magazine). It is produced and published by Pop Sandbox, the award-winning company behind KENK: A Graphic Portrait.
The initial idea for The Next Day originated with Paul Peterson over ten years ago, after witnessing firsthand the devastating impact of suicide on a family. According to the World Health Organization, suicide rates have increased by sixty percent worldwide in the last forty-five years; an estimated one million people die from suicide every year, and more than twenty times that number try. Acclaimed cartoonist, John Porcellino was attracted to the project based on his own lifelong struggles with depression.
The Next Day was developed simultaneously as a separate interactive animated documentary online, allowing audiences the opportunity to create their own path through the original audio interviews combined with stunning animations based on John Porcellinoʼs illustration. The Next Day interactive experience is a co-production with the National Film Board of Canada in association with TVO as part of the NFB-TVO Calling Card Program.
The Next Day graphic novella releases on May 2nd at the NFB Mediatheque in Toronto, which will include a two-week immersive exhibition of original artwork from the book, as well as animations, soundscapes, projections, and more from the upcoming interactive experience. The entire creative team will also be guests of the Toronto Comics Art Festival May 7th and 8th, and appearing at the Drawn & Quarterly Bookstore in Montreal May 10th. More information is available at The Next Day website.
The Next Day graphic novella will be available in Canadian bookstores and comic shops across North America in early May. The interactive experience will be launch in late May at NFB/Interactive and TVO.
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