Reviews - Illustrated Fiction 20

If you think twice before heading out to the movies, Hard TImes #10 may be just the alternative you're looking for. It's a brilliant editorial about everything that's wrong with today's movie going experience. No wonder the home theater business is booming.

Cool cat Jay and his partner exploit the whole experience from deciding what to see all the way to the aftermath and recovery. It's a biting, satirical rant in comix form, loaded with juicy quips and Jackson's usual assortment of peripheral jerk-offs that add to the main characters' angst and infuriation.

Hard Times #10 is 12 b&w pages, including the self-cover. 5.5" x 8.5", handmade, and may or may not be stapled. To order send $1 per issue to Ed Jackson, PO Box 3243, Oak Park, IL 60303. He's also open to trade. Click on the link to send email to Ed Jackson.

Panels from Hard Times #10

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Edgar Allan Poe
edited by Jim Main

This tribute to the works of Edgar Allan Poe was published late last year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the famed author's birth in 1809. In addition to his well-known stories of the macabre, Poe is also credited with inventing the detective fiction genre and contributing to the emergence of science fiction.

His early detective stories featured a character named C. Auguste Dupin, who made his first appearance in The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and returned in The Mystery of Marie Rogêt and The Purloined Letter.

Main's mini comic opens with a recap of his introduction to Poe's work in middle school. He soon became an admirer and eventually read all of his published works. No wonder he was inspired to put together this mini tribute for the rest of us to enjoy.

The first half consists of full page drawings and comics. Leonardo P. Vidal provides a few scenes from The Tell Tale Heart, John Lambert a portrait of Poe at his desk writing with a feather pen, Marc Haines a collage of images from The Raven, Tim Temmel a moody portrait of Poe, Jack Bertram two pages of select scenes from the short horror story Berenice, and Temmel returns with The Conqueror Worm.

The mini concludes with a four page adaptation of The Cask of Amontillado by Rob Imes. For me, this was the book's highlight. While I appreciate the fine artwork from the other contributors, I felt myself wanting more to actually read.

The front and back covers each feature portraits of Poe—front by Terry Pavlet and back by Brad W. Foster.

Edgar Allan Poe: A 200th Anniversary Celebration is 16 b&w pages, including the self-cover. 4.25" x 5.5", handmade with saddle stitch binding. Production management by Marc Haines. It's available for $1.50 (plus 50¢ postage) from Main Enterprises.

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Noys Sommes Toys deux les Mêmes by Lara M-R

The small print along the binding of his mini comic reads "The LMR Sketchbook, Smaller Horizontal Edition." That's a good description of this collection of drawings and comic strips.

In essence. this mini is a random group of highlights from Lara's sketchbook. The subject matter is as varied as the drawings. Some of the jokes dance around the search for meaning while others are just spontaneous gags or smarty-pants remarks inspired by a sketch.

There's also a gag on haiku with a half dozen of examples Lara wrote to accompany the comic strip. All and all it's a fun little mini comic.

Noys Sommes Toys deux les Mêmes is 8 b&w pages, including the self-cover. 7" x 4.25", handmade with a single saddle stitched staple. This was produced in a very limited edition. If you'd like one for trade or cash you can contact Lara via her Poopsheet Foundation page.

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Decaff Blues #1 & 2 by Ed Jackson

Decaff Blues is a new title featuring the same cast as Jackson's Hard TImes comics #8 and 10. Jay, a giant cat who looks and acts just like a human being, except for his feline head; and his significant other. I'm not sure if she's his wife or live-in partner, but she's a regular human just like the rest of the characters in the stories.

In the first issue Jay is laid off from his office job because someone had to be let go and Jay drinks so much free coffee he's costing the company a small fortune. With that set-up, the rest of the issue explores Jay's attempts to find a new job in the midst of the great recession.

Panels from Decaff Blues

In the second issue Jay has a hot job interview lined up. He gets an early start and encounters a series of set backs on this travels through Chicago's public transportation system.

Jay is a well-educated cynic with blue-collar sentiments and a distinct distrust of big government and big business. His resigned, sarcastic quips are the main event as he traverses the depressed job market and its requirements.

Jackson's writing is witty and seems somewhat cathartic, as Jay snipes and dings his way through every encounter with strangers, the system, and the man. His cartooning is sketchy, but well drawn with an appealing spontaneity, a touch of shading, and nice compositions.

Decaff Blues #1 and #2 are 12 b&w pages each, including their self-covers. 5.5" x 8.5", handmade, and stapled on the side. To order send $1 per issue to Ed Jackson, PO Box 3243, Oak Park, IL 60303. He's also open to trade. You can send email to Ed Jackson.

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Red Star
Over Kearney
by Clark Dissmeyer

Clark Dissmeyer (aka CAD) sent me a batch of comix that I've been reviewing over the past several weeks. (See earlier reviews of Phantom Girl and Weltschmerz.) I've enjoyed them all, but Red Star Over Kearney is my favorite so far. It's really just a collection of single-page gags, but it's a hoot. CAD touches on several of his favorite topics and situations, but keeps the pace moving briskly so each new gag provides a fresh perspective. Some exist solely for laughs, while other provide an additional sarcastic jab at political correctness or popular culture.

CAD also experiments with different techniques in delivering his gags and drawing. He uses a variety of layouts and goes from traditional pen and ink, to brushes with wash, and even a page of what looks like white grease pencil on black.

CAD lives in Kearney, Nebraska, so the title and cover art may be intended to suggest a voice for social justice on his home turf. The fine print advises the cover is an "actual view across the street from my porch". The English/German mix translates as "Victory in the Class War . . . my white trash and biker comrades". The red star is hand colored. It bleeds through the page and is used effectively for both the cover and inside cover.

Red Star Over Kerney is 16 b&w pages, including the covers. 5.5" x 8.5", handmade with saddle stitch binding. It's available from the artist through his page on Poopsheet Foundation. He'll take money, but prefers trades.

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Today is the Shadow of Tomorrow
by C. Ché Salazar

If you enjoy experimental storytelling, here's a mini comic you may really like. In fact, to use the term "comic" to describe this zine is misleading. Shadow of Tomorrow is inspired by the comics form, but it's really a graphic presentation of ideas. There are panels, but they're filled with geometric shapes and type—and in a few cases—images and word balloons. Few or less drawings were harmed in the production of this art zine.

Salazar must've had a lot of fun putting together this pamphlet of short episodes. Some are funny, some are poignant, and some are simply fun to read. Salazar breaks conventions on nearly every page inventing new ones or inviting readers to read in a new direction to find meaning. I guess his first effort (The First Transmission of the MCC) garnered some tough reviews but he seems to take them in stride, incorporating quotes with detailed attribution into this zine.

The minimalist approach to the graphics may limit what's possible here, but it's playful and fun to read, and it gets you thinking about how to communicate on paper. Because you have to work harder to read it, this sort of experimentation may work best in short bursts. Still, it would be interesting to see how far and how deep Salazar could take this sort of thing in a longer piece.

Today is the Shadow of Tomorrow is 16 b&w pages, including the self-cover. About 5" x 8", handmade, saddle stitch binding, with trim. The zine is very nicely produced for a self-published effort. It's available from DIY-Jet.

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Odd Comics by Dan Burke

Odd Comics is an over-the-top collection of screwball send-ups of heroes and advertisements from classic comics and pulps. Cartoonist Dan Burke's enthusiastic buffoonery bursts off the pages as he lampoons Superman, zombies, Doc Savage, Fantastic Four, Master of Kung Fu, and Mister Miracle in a series of gag-driven misadventures.

Burke's writing is a wacky melange of mirth. His gags ricochet off each other with unexpected mashups—bits pulled from today's and yesteryear's popular culture. His storylines owe what little logic there is to the source material that inspired them. Burke delights in gag-driven improvisation on paper. It's all about having fun and satirizing our comical traditions.

Burke's artwork is a perfect match to his banter. His engaging comical style morphs to mimic classic comic ads, Paul Gulacy, or Jack Kirby as needed—all without losing his own unique style.

Odd Comics is 28 pages (24 b&w, 4 full color), plus a color cover. 6.75" x 10", POD, with machine trim. Published by Allen Freeman's Fan-Atic Press, it's available for $5 (plus $1.50 postage) from the Fan-Atic Press Store.

Dan Burke is one busy guy. Check out his website Attack Earth, his talkshow about comics and animation craft The Art Studio, sketch blog for The Art Studio, and his Animation Film School for Lazy Animators.

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Big 'Un Visits the City by Brian Leonard

Here's a mini comic that is a perfect example of a self-publisher putting together a book for the fun of doing it. It's short and the production values are modest, but Big 'Un Visits the City has a lot going for it.

Leonard is a great cartoonist. His drawings of the "big 'un" are very nicely rendered and he captures the scale of his giant behemoth against the backdrop of the city very effectively.

A page from Big 'un Visits the City

The format of the book fits the subject matter well and figures into the overall success of the effort. The build-up of this gag-driven storyline recalls the giants of an old Ray Harryhausen flick and the pay-off provides a satisfying chuckle.

Big 'Un Visits the City is 12 b&w pages, plus a color cover. 8.5" x 4", it's hand-trimmed and stapled on the left. It's available for $1 from Brian Leonard, 6507 Wheeler Drive, Charlotte, NC 28211

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Just A Man #2 & 3 by Brian John Mitchell and Andrew White

Brian John Mitchell publishes an ever-growing collection of micro mini comix through his Silber Media outfit. Just A Man is western written by Mitchell and drawn by Andrew White. The story is continued from issue to issue, but each one features a full chapter that can be appreciated on its own. Mitchell provides an opening recap of past events on page one, so it's easy for old and new readers to get (back) up to speed quickly.

Like Mitchell's other titles each page of Just A Man features a single illustration with narration below. Most of the story is narration, with only occasional dialogue that appears in word balloons inside the full page panel.

In issue #1 our Man returns from tending his crops only to discover his family gone and his farmhouse in flames. He kills the local land baron McTeague and is left homeless and alone.

In issue #2 our Man makes his way across the plains, finds a new town, and a new job. Of course, it's not an easy job as issue #3 reveals. It's a rescue mission, but as our Man gets deeper into the assignment he finds himself struggling to untangle the truth.

Mitchell's story unfolds at a steady pace with each chapter taking the unlikely hero in new directions. By the third installment complications arise and the already shaken hero wonders what's real and who can be trusted. Like good pulp fiction, each chapter ends with a cliffhanger leaving the reader anxious for the next installment.

White's artwork is simple but effective. Much of his part of the storytelling is conveyed in long shots. He keeps the characters distant except for an occasional dramatic close-up. Likewise, he concentrates on a straightforward approach to the action, occasionally lingering on a symbolic image like a whiskey glass or a raven.

Just A Man #2 (48 pages) and #3 (56 pages) are b&w micro mini comics with self-covers. Approximately 2" x 2.25", handmade, and stapled. Each issue is slipped into a tiny plastic bag. They're available for $1 each from Silber Records. Also see the Andrew White's LiveJournal.

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Rotten Sandwich #01
by Daniel Lam and Shogo Kadoya

This mini comix is a collection of short comics created over several years by two friends. The content runs of the gamut of finished work to rough stuff; both in terms of the artwork and the writing. Some well thought out and some improv. The cover is one of the highlights. Nicely designed and rendered.

The first half of the mini belongs to Kadova. He starts with a three-pager called Eighteen: Bring the Trouble! Two college students head into the city to shoot pictures and soon find a world of pain. Kadova concludes with Eighteen: B-Sides, a one-pager with the mini's best gag.

Lam's pages consist of some sketches made to look as if they were drawn on lined notebook paper. The gags are quips between the cartoonist and his doodles.

The final page provides a short bio on each of the contributors, contact info, etc. Lam also drew an original cartoon on the envelope the book came in. I thought it was pretty funny so I'm showing it here.

Rotten Sandwich #01 is 12 pages, including a color cover. 4.25" x 5.5 with saddle stitch binding. It's available for $2 from Rotten Sandwich. Check out the website, there's some nice flash animation and you can read several pages of comics by Lam and Kadoya online, including all the pages included in this mini comic. For more comics (without waiting for Flash to load), see the Rotten Sandwich sketch blog.

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Joe Wehrle Jr.'s Website

Brian Buniak's Website

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Hard Times #10 by Ed Jackson

Edgar Allan Poe edited by Jim Main