Midnight Ramblings - January 2010

Wildside Joins Blogosphere
The publisher of Weird Tales (Wildside Press), has started a new pulp fiction blog called The Salon (although the URL is SteampunkSalon). Publisher John Betancourt plans to provide a free PDF file of a classic pulp fiction yarn every week. First up is a tale called The Tapir by Arthur O. Friel who was a real-life adventurer who explored the Amazon.

Preview of Holiday Out
Michael Lail's Holiday Out is a new comic book from Main Enterprises. Holiday Out began as a comic strip that appeared in a few newspapers including Alan Light's The Buyer's Guide. The first issue opens with a nine page comic book story written by Michael Vance and drawn by Richard "Grass" Green.

The comic strip is featured in a six page section reprinting thirty episodes. Then it's a return to comic book pages with Where Bright Angel Feet Have Trod, written by Vance and drawn by Chas Smith. Publisher Jim Main is accepting pre-orders and the book should be available in about a week. Cost is $3.00 (plus $1.25 for shipping) from Main Enterprises.

Chicago Zine Fest
Cartoonist Neil Brideau and three of his friends (Ramsey, Matt, and Leslie) have organized the Chicago Zine Fest. The Fest is an independent event creating an outlet for small press and independent publishers to showcase their work. Their goal is to make DIY zine-making accessible, highlight the talents of self-published artists, and give independent artists a chance to interact and swap skills through tabling, lectures, and workshops. Here's how the event will play out: Friday, March 12th—zine reading at Quimby's and art show followed by Gadabout Film Fest screening at Johalla Art Gallery. Saturday, March 13th—day of exhibiting and workshops at Columbia College's Conaway Center. For more information see Chicago Zine Fest.

Goodbrey and Azzopardi Tell All
Matthew Badham interviewed Daniel Merlin Goodbrey and Sean Azzopardi this week on the Forbidden Planet International Blog. The two comic creators talk about their collaboration on Necessary Monsters due in late February from AiT/Planet Lar.

Ditkomania #77
Editor and publisher Rob Imes has released his latest issue of Ditkomania. This one explores copyrighted characters by the renowned artist. If you haven't kept up with Ditko's later career it looks like this issue could go a long way to bringing you up to speed. I've never heard of The Hero, The Cape, Miss Eerie, The Outline, D. Skys, The Mocker, Static, or The !? but this issue covers them all. In fact ,The !? is featured on the cover drawn by Dave Sims. There's also a never-before-published cover of Mr. A #1, drawn in 1991 by Ditko himself, featured in the centerspread. Javier Hernandez, Jason Sacks, Nick Caputo, Rob Imes, Bryan Stroud, and Michael Aushenker contribute articles. Hernandez, Lynski, and Jim McPherson contribute artwork. There also a generous selection of panels pulled from Ditko's comics. This edition is 28 pages, plus cover. Single copies are $1.50 (plus $1 postage) or buy a 6-issue subscription for $15 (postpaid). Order by mail or online at Ditkomania Returns. Readers can chat about Ditkomania at Imes' Yahoo Group.

Hembeck Originals
Fred Hembeck is auctioning off some of his original cartoons on eBay. Hurry and get your bids in, this stuff won't last long!

Call All My Dawgs
Rick Bradford added Sam Gaskin's 26-page mini comic Call All My Dawgs to the Poopsheet Comics Distro this week. Be sure to check out the preview pages of the listing and Gaskins' other mini in the distro Pizza Wizard #1.

Also in Poopsheet Foundation news this week: Cartoonist Russ Maheras joined the mini-comics networking site and highlighted his blog on Open Salon. His Dec. 1st post provides a profile on the late, great indie cartoonist Alan Hanley, whose work was constantly in print during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s.

Ink Stains #10
Ken Meyer Jr. featured Bald Ego #2 in his tenth installment of Ink Stains on Comic Attack. Published in April 1981 by Earl Geier and featuring original comic stories by Geier and one with both Dave Heath & Jerry Collins. Meyer provides a full description of this old fanzine with lots of help from Geier himself. When you've finished reading the backstory you can download a PDF of the issue and read the closest thing to a vintage copy of one of the 80's great zines.

Chapman and Mays Up Next
Molly Lawless reports she's hard at work on a book about baseballers Ray Chapman and Carl Mays. Round about 1920, Mays pitched a spitball that struck Chapman in the head and the Cleveland shortstop died the following day in a New York City Hospital! Lawless a terrific storyteller and her previous baseball pages for Infandum are some of her best work. So this ought to be terrific. She's posted samples of her comics work on Flickr and you can read the latest news about her projects on Hooray for Mollywood.

Corrigan Goes Viral
The prolific Tim Corrigan has launched a Mightyguy webcomic on Smack Jeeves. Don't worry, he hasn't abandoned print. He just released the new issue of his Comics and Stories (#42). This one features the conclusion of the two-part epic, I Want to Hold your Tenticles. And with a title like that, you already know it stars Mightyguy along with his usual entourage of nitwits. See New Voice Media for ordering info.

Solipsistic Pop Line-up Announced
Scheduled for an April launch, Solipsistic Pop #2 will include work by Becky Barnicoat, Kristyna Baczynski, Adam Cadwell, Marc Ellerby, Liz Greenfield, Philippa Johnson, Daniel Locke, Lizz Lunney, Jack Noel, Mark Oliver, Luke Ferenc Pearson, Octavia Raitt, Julia Scheele, Matthew Sheret, Matilda Tristram, The Girl, and Tom Humberstone. Short bios of each of the cartoonists appear on the Solipsistic Pop website.

Thick Mutt
The story of how the new zine, Thick Mutt by Tony Remple and Jason T. Miles, came together is featured in a recent post on the Profanity Hill blog. Thick Mutt is available from the Hill for $5.

So Super Duper #9
Brian Anderson announced the mid-February release of the ninth issue of his superhero comedy comic So Super Duper. Anderson was interviewed recently on the UK's radio/podcast PanelBorders. For more info on Anderson's creations see So Super Duper.

Crimefactory
Resurrected by Keith Rawson, Cameron James Ashley, and Liam Jose, the first issue of Crimefactory is now available as a free PDF download. With new fiction by Ken Bruen, Frank Bill, Dave White, Hilary Davidson, and Steve Weddle, it also includes features by Scott Phillips, Adrian McKinty, Gordon Harries, and the Nerd of Noir. Get it at Crimefactory.

I'd Buy That
I met Jeff Ellis at last year's Portland Zine Symposium and picked up his Dreamgirl comic. Ellis part of the Cloudscape Comics collective in Vancouver, BC and has contributed to Historyonics, Funday Sunnies, Robots, Pine Trees & Broken Hearts, and Exploded View. He drew Dreamgirl as an attempt to do a 24-hour comic late in 2008. Things didn't quite go as planned but he finished the tale a little after the deadline. Nevertheless it's a fine comic in both storyline and artwork. It's about an extremely introverted artist who goes to a party hoping to meet the girl of his dreams. You can read the unfinished version (the part that was completed within 24 hours) on the Jeff Ellis website.

24-Hour Grocery Nightmares
Rough Grocery Digest Bonanza #1 is a fairly recent mini comix by Max Clotfelter. It's filled with spineless anthropomorphic creatures, over the top sleazeballs, and despicable degenerates—the kind you expect to meet at a rough grocery late at night—only worse. Clotfelter is a master at capturing humanity's worst sides and making you want to read more about their inane observations and barely-gettin'-by lifestyles. His fanatically detailed artwork only makes it better as he exposes every flaw and bulging obsession of his helpless cartoon puppets. Clotfelter is a member of Scubotch and Friends of the Nib, and runs a sketchblog called Snake Meat. Yes, I paid cash money for Rough Grocery Digest Bonanza #1, and I'd gladly do it again damn it.

Small press comics reviews from around the web:
Rob Clough reviews work by Justin Giampaoli (writer) who teamed with Grant Lee and Tim Goodyear (artists) respectively for Blood Orange and The Mercy Killing on Poopsheet Foundation

Richard Bruton's reviews on Forbidden Planet International Blog
David Hughes' Walking the Dog

My review of Raighne Hogan's Beard Growing Contest on Comic Related

Carrie reviews JT Yost's Old Man Winter on Inkstuds

Reviews on Stumptown Trade Review
Derek Kirk Kim & Gene Luen Yang's The Eternal Smile

Rob's reviews on Panel Patter
Jessica Abel's Soundtrack

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January 23, 2010

I Want to Be Special to You
Noah Van Sciver has released another new mini entitled I Want to Be Special to You. Van Sciver announced the comic on his blog where he laments the fate of his mainstay, Blammo (Noah Van Sciver The Little Blog). You can order Special for $2 plus 50¢ postage from the Noah Van Sciver website.

Scribble Junkies
Indie animators Pat Smith (Blend Films) and Bill Plympton (Plymptoons) have started an animation blog called Scribble Junkies. Here's a statement of intent by Mr. Bill himself: "Our hope is to explain what the reality is in the cartoon world, and point out all the bullshit that bombards our eyes and brains. We want the blog to be visually and emotionally exciting—we'll show clips from our new projects, whether they be pencil tests or finished art. So, tell your friends , get the kiddies and watch this space for the most amazing and bizarre information!"

Chase #9
Jim Main's Chase series graduates from mini comic size to standard comic book size with issue nine. The new format will allow larger pages of John Lambert's terrific artwork. Chase #9 is now at print through Dime Store Productions and should be available soon. In the meantime, you can still purchase the original eight issue run of mini comics as a bundled set with a bonus, one-of-a-kind index card-size original of one of the series' characters by artist John Lambert. The bundle is available for $12 from Main Enterprises.

Small Press Distributors
Ryan Claytor posted part one of How Do I Distribute My Small Press Comic? this week on his Elephant Eater Comics website. The kick-off post is an excellent primer with advice and contacts where small press publishers can explore options.

MYX
I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but Jamie Chase published two issues of his MYX comic under the Inks, Inc. nameplate in 2009. The title (pronounced "mix") comes from a mixture of myth and mystery. It's an anthology of strange stories and twisted tales. You can see a video preview of MYX on YouTube and read an interview with creator Chase on Sequential Tart. Chase is a member of the 7000 BC comic collective based in New Mexico. MYX #1 and #2 ($2.95 each) are available through Jamie Chase Arts.

Poseidon
Jarod Rosello announced a new mini comic this week called Poseidon. It's an adaptation of Franz Kafka's short story that Rosello created as a paper for a graduate seminar on Kafka. The 48-page comic is $4 with a black-and-white interior and a 2-color silk-screened cover. See his announcement on his Poopsheet Foundation blog for preview pages.

Piskor Speaks
Indie cartoonist Ed Piskor (Wizzywig) was interviewed by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in a 3:51 minute video (see left sidebar). Thanks to Mike Lynch for the tip.

Wanted: Mini-Comics and More
Rick Bradford over at the Poopsheet Foundation Shop is very interested in buying your unwanted mini-comics, fanzines, pre-1990 convention programs, APAs, original Morty Comix by Steve Willis, and lots more. For a full list see his Poopsheet Foundation call to action.

In other news from PF, Bradford has published a limited edition run of another new mini comic by Noah Van Sciver. This one is called Complaints. Anyone placing an order in the Poopsheet Shop will get one free for as long as supplies last.

Lafler Gets a Scanner
Bughouser Steve Lafler reports on El Vocho he's returned home with a large format scanner that will enable him to get several of his older comic stories back into print. The Dog Boy collection he mentions sounds particularly exciting!

My Favorite Beetle
Profanity Hill proprietor, Jason T. Miles has released My Favorite Beetle, a definitive record of Yoko Ono's spiritual awakening. The new 12-page mini comic written and drawn by Miles is available for $2 from the Profanity Hill website. For more on Miles, take a listen to his recent interview with Robin McConnell on Inkstuds.

Also new at the Hill, is Adam Grano's Sublim8 the Liter8 wordart zine. The 24-page zine sells for $2 direct from Profanity Hill.

Preview Next Week
Watch for a preview of Jim Main's new title Holiday Out in next week's edition of Midnight Ramblings. We'll have the cover and a few select excerpts.

I'd Buy That
Here's two comics that couldn't be more different. They're even from different eras, but each is really special in its own way. Valiant Varmints was published in 1998 by Shanda Fantasy Arts. The company was founded by Mike and Carole Curtis and began publishing comics in 1996. Their most recent titles are Shanda the Panda, Atomic Mouse vs Power Jack, and Katmandu. The company specializes in anthropomorphic or furry comics. Valiant Varmints was a one shot and features a team of super heroic animals created by a great collection of independent cartoonists. The story unfolds in segments with a different artist handling each chapter. The creative team includes Mike Curtis and Shane Fisher (Chasne Carter); Carl Gafford (Moon Mouse); Jeff Wood, Dave Lind, and Charles Ettinger (Snowbuni); Taral Wayne (Beatrix); Gary Fields (Superswine); Kjartan Arnosson (Savage Squirrel); Chuck Fiala (Bullet Crow & Phantom Bunny); and JP Morgan (Fission Chicken). The book concludes with a one-pager by Mike Curtis and Carla Speed McNeil. There's a nice credits page at the back that lists a few other comics each of the contributors have worked on. If you enjoy funny animal comics, this one's a gem. You can still find it at places like My Comics Shop for a couple of bucks.

Sleeper Car
This one by Theo Ellsworth came out last year. The format is very close to regular comic book size, but the heavy weight cover stock and uncoated white paper it's printed on make it feel more like an art comic. The contents are wonderful. It's a collection of short stories of varying lengths. Ellsworth's writing and storytelling is as imaginative as his highly detailed artwork. Every page holds surprises―some big and some little―all charming. The worlds Ellsworth creates are so steeped in dreams and fantasy you can't help but be transported there as his strange but captivating characters pull you into their adventures. There are several great stories in this book, but Norman Eight's Left Arm is an absolute joy. Two robots having tea in the forrest make a bet and things just get more phantasmal from there. Sleeper Car is published by Secret Acres and is available for $6.

Small press comics reviews from around the web:
Joe Palmer reviews Howard Cruse's From Headrack to Claude on Gay League

Richard Bruton's reviews on Forbidden Planet International Blog
Rob Jackson's Great Deeds Against the Dead #2
Andi Watson's Glister and the Faerie Host
Francesca Cassavetti's Sole Searching
Dave Candlish's Paragon 4
Leo's Betelgeuse the Survivors

My review of Unico Comics' Collections Two on Comic Related

Kevin Bramer's reviews on Optical Sloth
Scott Mills' Memory Palace of Rocket
Brad Johnson's Itchy Scaly #2

Rob's reviews on Panel Patter
Mark Kneece and Robert Grabe's adaptation of The Twilight Zone:
The Odyssey of Flight 33
Anne Thalheimer's Booty #22
Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber's Whiteout Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

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January 16, 2010

Newave! in February
Fantagraphics announced the preview and pre-order taking for Michael Dowers' massive Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s this week. The nearly 900 page hardcover book will ship in early February. The announcement includes the full contents page, a 36 page preview PDF, and the introduction by editor Michael Dowers (Brownfield Press) The video preview on Flickr gives you a good idea of the size of the book: a big little book anthology of newave comix. I can't wait to see this!

Ramona Falls T's
Indie band Romona Falls is selling some nice looking T-shirts with art by the Thought Cloud Factory's Theo Ellsworth. The five-color shirts are available for €18.00 from Bingo Bazaar.

Zines for Radio
Julie Sabatier, host and impetus for the Destination DIY radio show/podcast is selling a nice collection of zines to help finance production of more shows. Her How to Make Radio is a great primer on how to write for the airways as well as a guide on broadcasting equipment on a budget. Check out all her zines on Destination DIY.

The Tower
Tom Lechner has posted his "first comic of the new year". Check out The Tower on the Tom Lechner website.

Anthony Woodward Speaks
The Comic Spot's John Retallick interviewed Anthony Woodward on his program this week. Tune in on iTunes.

Slam Bang #5
Allen Freeman of Fanatical Press . . No wait, it's Attic Fan Press. No, that isn't write either, it's Fan-Atic Press. Fan-Atic Press, home of Slam Bang, the explosive comic anthology, has extended the deadline for submissions for issue #5 to mid-February. If you'd like to whip up a comic based on the fast food theme, contact Mr. Freeman for more details.

Noah Van Sciver
Caleb Goellner posted an interview with Noah Van Sciver this week on Comics Alliance. The Denver-based indie cartoonist discusses Blammo #5 and work on his graphic novel about Abraham Lincoln called The Hypo.

Webcomics Against Evil
Lora Innes has completed her wallpaper project to raise awareness and funds for Love 146 and Gracehaven for victims of sexual slavery. The Comic Creator's Alliance site provides a preview of the collective piece that includes contributions by an impressive list of webcomics creators. The wallpaper can be downloaded following a donation to the fund raising project. Thanks to Indigo Kelleigh for the tip.

Main Enterprises Update
Jim Main reports his zines in progress are: Comic Fan! #6, 'Zine of Bronze #7, Dark Corridor #4, The Big Book of Small Press #1, Boot Hill #2, Strange Space Stories #2, and Chase #10. Check the Main Enterprises shop for past issues.

Nimbus
Matt Dye reports he's started work on a three issue series of mini comics called Nimbus. It's a science fiction story set in a future when mankind no longer inhabits the Earth and has moved to orbiting space colonies. The story will follow the adventure of a boy as he attempts to leave his life in the colony behind to explore Earth. Stay turned to Matt Dye Comics for details.

Lara M-R has published Noys Sommes Toys deus les Mêmes and The LMR Sketchbook Sampler (vertical edition). She can be contacted through her Poopsheet Foundation page for pricing or trades. While you're there check out her comic photo albums.

Rashy Rabbit Returns
Josh Latta reports he's working on a new project called A Rabbit in King Arthur's Food Court. He's posted a few sketches and a finished panel on Lattaland.

20 with Koth
Scott Nickel (EEK!) played twenty questions with Brett Koth this week on his A Nickel's Worth blog. Koth is the creator of the Diamond Lil comic strip and the Diamond Lil Blog.

Zine World Calendar
The good folks at Zine World have created a new desk calendar for 2010 that features covers from past issues of Zine World. The free PDF file can be printed and cut into individual month or used with three months to a page.

Short Attention Span
Marc Haines is a busy man. His artwork has appeared in several of Jim Main's zines and he's recently signed up as production manager for Main Enterprises. Today, he's hard at work on several of the titles mentioned earlier in this edition of Midnight Ramblings.

Haines also collaborates with Jason DeGroot on several Repercussion Web Comics that runs on the SmackJeeves webcomics site.

Ealier this month Haines collected several of his comics and full-page pin-ups and put together Marc Haines: Short Attention Span. The book is published under the Deadly World Productions banner and is available directly from Haines for $4 (postage paid). To order contact Marc Haines. For a preview his work visit the Deadly World website.

Small press comics reviews from around the web:
Justin Giampaoli's reviews on Poopsheet Foundation
Steve Higgins and Nick Main's Myriad #1
Steve Higgins and Stephanie Richardson's Myriad #2
Matt Runkle's Runx Tales #2

Harry Chamberlain's reviews on Poopsheet Foundation
Kevin Scalzo's Sweat Book Vol. 2
Paw Quality Comics' Garden Funnies #2 anthology

Richard Bruton's reviews on Forbidden Planet International Blog
Virginie Sélavy's Electric Sheep Winter 2009
Richard Appignanesi and Emma Vieceli's version of Much Ado About Nothing
Schmurgen Jonerhaffs' Uncompromising Comic!
Hugh "Shug" Raine's Find Comet, Hit Comet, Watch Comet, Sleep #1
Gruff79's Hiyama Vol. 1 & 2

Kevin Bramer's reviews on Optical Sloth
Dave Keirsh's Dirtbags, Mallchicks & Motorbikes
Ben Steckler's Unshaven Chi #4
Matt Dye's Nathan and the Land of Robots

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January 9, 2010

Two by CAD
The second issue of Clark Dissmeyer's (aka CAD) Weltschmerz is out, along with another mini called Country of the Dead. Order or trade, you can contact CAD through the Clark Dissmeyer page at the Poopsheet Foundation.

Plymptoons' Channel
Indie animator Bill Plympton has launched a Plymptoons' Channel on YouTube. It includes pencil tests for his current work in progress, Cheatin', The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger, and several other shorts and clips.

End of January Release for Zine World #28
Zine World is working hard to wrap up issue #28. If you've had an address change or want to place a classified ad, display ad, etc. Get in touch quick, time's running out!

Wooweekazowie #3 & 4
Ken Meyer Jr. is back on Comic Attack with another installment of Ink Stains. In episode #9 he highlights two issues of Woweekazowie that featured the work of Gene Day, Gil Kane, Jerry Ordway, John Byrne, Kurk Busiek, Mark Gruenwald, and Mike Machlan. This classic fanzine was published by Pete Iro in 1978.

Poopsheet News
Four of Jon Chad's mini comics added to the Poopsheet Comics Distro recently. Whaletowne in which a tiny comic unfolds to reveal progressively larger pages. Bobo Backslack a 28-page comic in which Bobo makes a boo boo. Shortstack (Kukoc Award nominee), a handmade card game featuring panels from the journal comics of Major Robert Shortstack, a NASA astronaut trapped in the future. The Ruby a short horror comic that deals with the power of possession and family. In addition, the new Baltic Comic Magazine #5 is now available from the disto.

Rubin Tell All
Scot Nickel (EEK!) interviewed Leigh Rubin, who draws the Rubes panel, on his blog A Nickel's Worth this week.

I'd Buy That
Here's a couple items I picked up on a recent trip to Reading Frenzy. I'm really not sure what the title of this 12-page comic is, but let's call it Limp Dingle is the BMX Bandito! A recent work by Tim Root, it's a comic story told in full page panels that begins with the cover image and concludes on the back. The centerfold sheet is by Fudge and features two gag cartoons that surround his center spread cartoon.

Carry On, Carrion is a new book by Reid Psaltis. The story revolves around a funeral for a crow. It's told with dark humor and it's beautifully illustrated by Psaltis. You can preview and order it for $4 from the Reid Psaltis website, which was recently redesigned.

Small press comics reviews from around the web:
Justin Giampaoli's reviews on Poopsheet Foundation
Adam Pasion's Sundog #9
Outbound: The Science Fiction Comics Anthology
Tim Corrigan's Mighty Guy: Out to Lunch
Clark Dissmeyer's Red Star Over Kearney!

Richard Bruton's reviews on Forbidden Planet International Blog
Alcante and Radovanovic's Pandora's Box Vol. 2
Dave West's Strange Times
Tom Humberstone's Solipsistic Pop Vol. 1
Patrick Brown's The Ulster Cycle: Ness and The Cattle Raid of Cooley #1
Leah Moore, John Reppion, and Aaron Campbell's Sherlock Holmes Vol. 1

Kevin Bramer's reviews on Optical Sloth
Free Lunch Comics' Beyond the Kuiper Belt

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January 2, 2010

The January image of the 2010 Midnight Fiction Desk Calendar was drawn by the reknown British cartoonist Hunt Emerson.

Inspired by the early underground comix revolution of the 70's, Hunt was a leader in the scene in Britain. I think I first saw Hunt's work in the fifth issue of his self-published Large Cow Comix aka Zomix Comix. Whether I ran across it in a Head Shop or ordered it by mail in 1975 I can't recall. But I've been a fan of his work ever since.

By 1979 Hunt had gained enough freelance work to quit his day job and rely on cartooning full time. That was also the year Tony and Carol Bennett formed Knockabout Comics, where Hunt was a major contributor. Also in 1979, Everyman Studios began their run of mini comics. Hunt 's Calculus Cat was featured in issue #10 with a six-page adventure.

I connected with Hunt in 2008 and he agreed to contribute to the MF Desk Calendar that year. I'm delighted to have him return this year, getting 2010 off to a sweet jazzy start. For more about Hunt check out his website Large Cow, About Hunt Emerson, Hunt Emerson's Bibliography, and his profile page on Read Yourself Raw.

Hunt is a long-time contributor to Beano (Little Plum), Fortean Times (Phenomenomix), and Fiesta (Firkin the Cat)(adults only).

Many thanks to those who ran news items on this year's calendar. Chuck Moore at Comic Related gave us a great write-up in a recent blog post along with a photo. Joe Gordon at The Forbidden Planet International Blog gave us a sweet item in his Dec. 31st post that included the January page. Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter gave us a nice mention in a recent post as well. Thanks for all the coverage folks!

New Buzzpops
Matt Chicorel has opened up an Etsy Store for Night Light Comics to provide a convenient and easy spot on the web to order his comics. Just completed is the third issue of Buzzpop along with a new version of Buzzpop #1, the Deluxe Edition. It includes everything from the original issue #1 plus Drop Dead Dumb by Travis T. Both comics are available for $3 each. You can keep up on the latest news from Chicorel on the Night Light Comics Blog.

Chase #8
Jim Main announced the debut of Chase #8, just as the first decade of the new century ticked away. This special triple-size issue features 24 pages of adventure written by Main and drawn by John Lambert. This issue will be the last in the mini comic format, as the series will grow to standard comic book size beginning with issue #9 (with color covers). Issue #8 features embellishments for the cover by Dan Taylor who passed the baton of production management over to Mark Haines. Chase #8 is available for $2 (check made out to Jim Main) from Main Enterprises.

Alameda Preview
Martin Buxton of C2D4 (Comics To Die For) provided a preview this week of Tony Wicks' upcoming comic Alameda as a free PDF download.

Prize Comics #2
Hawk Krall recently published the second issue of Prize Comics. If this was the 70's, this would be called an Underground Comix. It's filled with sex, drugs, and rock & roll—in that order of priority. Strictly adults only, outrageous fare. The majority of the pages are comics by Krall (including Summer 7-11, Living in Flith, and Dirty Dish) along with a few short contributions from Benn Ray, Ryohei Tanaka, Eric Clarke, Kris Chau, and Gene Krall. $6 from Hawk Krall Shop or Poopsheet Comics Distro.

Drawing Technique
Comic Monsters ran a nice piece on how Sean Azzopardi drew Necessary Monsters from Daniel Merlin Goodbrey's script this week. It's an excellent article filled out with detailed step-by-step examples along with Azzopardi's comments.

Mini Comic Rental
Kevin Bramer wants to start a subscription service for mini comics with an option to buy issues you like. You can read more about the idea on Optical Sloth and in his follow-up post on Dec. 29th.

Cartoonist Interviews
Master caricaturist and Mad Magazine cartoonist Tom Richmond was interviewed recently on Tall Tale Radio by Tom Racine. And don't miss Neptune graphic novelist Aron Nels Steinke's interview with Robin McConnell on the year-end episode of the Inkstuds podcast.

Corrigan Hits 41
Tim Corrigan kicked off the new year with the new issue of his long-running Comics and Stories—#41. This one's a 16-pager with eleven pages of comics, four pages of letters, plus cover. I Want to Hold Your Tenticles Part One launches a brand new Mightyguy adventure. $1.50 from Mightguy Comics or $15 for a twelve-issue subscription.

Candy or Medicine #8
Sending out the decade in style, Candy or Medicine #8 was announced this week. It features 16 pages of all new artwork including Wandering Through the Terrain by Pat Aulisio, some office life slice-of-life by Jessica Seck Marquis, Epicurus on God by Cliff Lipp, another tale of love gone awry by Kevin Richardson, an obtuse toon by Mister Ben, more of the wokka wokka humor you’ve come to love from Ray N. and Josh Blair, a back page pin-up from mini-comic veteran Brad W. Foster plus a cover from the wild and crazy JB Sapienza. All new, all ages, all for a dollar from Candy or Medicine.

Comic Creator's Alliance Wallpaper
Lora Innes is leading an effort with a group of webcomic creators to raise money to fight human trafficking. UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children are sold into slavery every year, most of it sexual. The US Dept. of Justice estimates 16,000 victims are brought into the US every year. Innes' project is to gather contributions from webcomic creators from all over the world to create a downloadable wallpaper for readers who donate to the cause. To participate or learn more contact Lora Innes. Thanks to Indigo Kelleigh for the tip.

Always Somewhere Nearby and Tripe covers

I'd Buy That
I'm always happy to write about books by the two cartoonists in this week's IBT segment. In this case, both comics were published in 2007, so they may not be easy to find. Always Somewhere Nearby by Theo Ellsworth features a typically amazing collection of cartoon-illustrations and concepts that his growing list of readers has come to expect. What's different about this collection is that the work is a little rougher than the tightly rendered work in comics like Sleeper Car or his book collection Capacity. The "sketches" are much more finished than the work in most sketchbooks. In fact, they're drawn in ink, not pencil. Still, they're rendered in that not-quite-polished space between a pencil sketch and a finished piece. As such, they're a treat for any fan of Ellsworth's work.

The cover of Tripe by Josh Latta, proudly proclaims it's the first last issue. It's a collection of previously published stories and one new one. Latta is both an expert writer and cartoonist. His stories are offbeat, but they're well crafted and always funny. His artwork is some of the best you'll see in small press comics. Tripe is still going for only $2 from the artist's website Lattaland or from the Poopsheet Comics Distro.

Small press comics reviews from around the web:
Shannon Smith's review on Poopsheet Foundation
David Robertson's Dump #1

Justin Giampaoli's reviews on Poopsheet Foundation
Amy Godfrey's The Laundromat
Brian John Mitchell and Jeremy Johnson's Marked #1

Richard Bruton's reviews on Forbidden Planet International Blog
Matthew Craig and Jack Davies' Bostin Heroes #2
Alan Martin and Rufus Dayglo's Tank Girl: Skidmarks

Dan Royer's reviews on Comic Related
Stephen Lindsay and Daniel Tholin's Happy Panda Funtime Show #1
David Hine and Roy Allan Martinez' FVZA #1 and FVZA #2
Bruce Brown and Renzo Podesta's Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom