Midnight Ramblings - October 2009

Happy Halloween! Tomorrow November begins. Our November calendar image is a griffon based on a medieval engraving. You can still download copies of the 2009 Midnight Fiction Desk Calendar.

The month ending was so busy MF.com's third anniversary passed by on the 21st without me even noticing. Appropriately, October was a record month for the site, with a little over 100 visits a day. Thanks very much forbrowsing over and please make it a regular stop. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed, if you'd like to stay up-to-date through your feed reader.

Thanks to everyone who's added links to MF.com on their sites and to those of you who have sent in review copies of your zines and comix this year. I'm slowly working my way through the backlog and I will get to everything. If you want to check out what's coming, just take a look at the "On the bedside table" sidebar on the Review Index page.

Good news, work on the 2010 calendar has begun. This year will include a variety of small press cartoonists. I'm very excited by the stellar line-up of contributors coming your way. Watch this space for future announcements.

Strange Space Stories #1 cover

Strange Space Stories Begins
Jim Main reports that the production work on the first issue of a new title called Strange Space Stories is complete and it's heading to the printer. The new book features a Wood-inspired cover by Floydman (KaWhump!), inside cover work by Jan Johnson and Jim Pack, a six page comic by John Lambert, a thirteen page fiction by Sam Gafford, a nine page comic by Floydman, and a back cover by Tim Tobolski. SSS #1 also includes pin-ups and spot illustrations by Larry Tisch, Marc Haines, Miguel Guerra, Dan W. Taylor, Rene Blansette, and Jason Gillespie. The cover price is $3.25, plus $1.50 for postage. Pre-order from Main Enterprises.

Free PDF Comic
The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli has made an interesting publication available, that you can read online or download as a free PDF file. It's a sort of comic/pulp hybrid with work by Jay Fife, Ron Fortier, Mike Fyles, Lauren Mondardo, Jay Piscopo, Michael Thomas, and Joe Zierman. Commander X Advenutures includes comics, two pulp stories and a handful of covers and pin-ups.

NMSD #15
As mentioned last week, Delaine Derry Green's Not My Small Diary #15 is out. Between its two volumes it's 140 pages of original indie comics created by many of the best on today's scene. Obviously it's a terrific sampler and with all the websites listed it's a catalog for hours of fun online as well. The theme of the issue is brushes with celebrity. My latest story, Curry With Fury, leads off the second volume. At $7 a copy NMSD #15 is one of the best buys you're likely to find. So send your dough now to 459 Main St., Ste 101-263, Trussville, AL 35173 or get it online at My Small Web Page, where you can see the full list of the cartoonists inside. Covers by Fredrick Noland.

Alameda
Tony Wicks of C2D4 Comics (Comics To Die For) reports he's hard at work on a new project called Alameda. For a preview of C2D4's projects download their Project Catalog.

Cragmore
Pat Lewis (The Claws Come Out) has posted the first twenty pages of his graphic novel online at Lunchbreak Comics. A comedy about eternal damnation, it's all about Cragmore.

Imaginary Homework and I Cut My Hair #2 covers

I'd Buy That
Cartoonist, illustrator, and teacher, Theo Ellsworth has an amazing imagination. He's produced a wonderful comic workbook of Imaginary Homework assignments. Besides being full of his incredible artwork and ideas, the collection is hilarious. It's a self-published work and may still be available if you contact him. His website Thought Cloud Factory is undergoing a redesign, but his blog Thought Cloud Factory News is up to date.

Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg is back with the second issue of I Cut My Hair. I love the uniform linework of her cartoons. With no blacks or shading, the texture is created by the density of the what she chooses to draw. Her pages are just beautiful to look at in this diary comic with highlights of her adventures in late 2008. She has a website up, but the store section is still in progress. She can be contacted via her About page.

Another review from Midnight Fiction:

Comic Related Jason M. Burns and
Dustin Evans' Imaginary Friends

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October 24, 2009

Big Plans #4 and What is This? covers

Big Plans
Aron Nels Steinke strikes again! The fourth issue of Big Plans hit newsstands this week. This one includes a full-length adventure about a break-in, stolen property, and a police-led manhunt to bring the perp to justice. Great story and artwork throughout! The mini comic is 48 pages thick with a heavy weight cover. As usually production values are top notch. This is a commercially printed comic with crisp machine-trim and gorgeous reproduction. A great read for $5. Available at the usual places. Aron Nels Steinke's Blog

What Is This?
Neil Brideau recently published What Is This? An inquisitive alien's spaceship crash lands in a kid's bedroom. Originally drawn for Uncle Envelope, the 16-page mini comic is available for $1 from Neil Brideau's Esty Shop.

El Vocho T-Shirt design and Ambulance Chaser mini comic cover

El Vocho T's
Steve Lafler's webcomic El Vocho is a delight. The recent increase in posts have been a welcome sign of his progress on the project. He reports a new episode will be added every Wednesday. He recently created an El Vocho T-Shirt design that's available from Steve Lafler's Cafe Press store.

Ambulance Chaser
I missed Noah Dorsey at the Portland Zine Symposium this year, but I found a copy of his mini comic Ambulance Chaser at Reading Frenzy earlier this week. It's a short comic, but it was fun to read about his obsession with a Cadillac Criterion ambulance and his adventures trying to locate one both in the area and reasonably priced. He's an animated filmmaker too. You can read about him on his Nathan & Nordrich MySpace page and see a cartoon on the Noah Dorsey Channel.

Blammo #5 and Papercutter #11 covers

Blammo Five is Near
Denver-based indie cartoonist Noah Van Sciver continues his impressive track record for great comix with Blammo #5. This one is published by Kilgore Books, a Denver bookshop that actively supports alternative comics. Blammo #5 is 24 pages and for the first time, will be printed in color. Of course the comix will be available at Kilgore Books , but for those of us not based in Denver, it will also be available directly from Noah Van Sciver. Blammo #5 is due out Nov. 20th.

A few panels from the Chicken Strips continuing adventure in Blammo #5.

Papercutter #11
In case you didn't know, the eleventh issue of Greg Means' outstanding comics anthology Papercutter is now available. This issue includes a 26-page story written by Amy Adoyzie (Lululand, Post-It Diaries, SCRAWL) and drawn by Jon Sukarangsan (Hurricane Season, Monkey Man, etc.). Lulu's land offers up a slice-of-life story about a young woman working her way through college. Occasionally she seems to catch a break, but there are always strings attached. Like they say, it's a great life if you don't weaken. It's a beautiful, but melancholy story, wonderfully told. Next, Dustin Harbin (Dharbini) provides a one-page gag strip and Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg (I Cut My Hair) wraps things up with a five-page classroom encounter. Papercutter #11 is beautifully printed and produced with inside covers by Nate Beaty. $4 from outlets listed on Tugboat Press.

Short Notices
Cartoonist and painter Dan W. Taylor posted a self-portrait titled An Expounded Consciousness on his blog Art of Dan W. Taylor. It's part of the Slideshow exhibit in Ohio and will entered in the Preble Counry Art Association's Me, Myself, and I Self-Portait Challenge. Darryl Cunningham posted a beautifully disturbing comic story called Suidice on Darryl Cunningham Investigates recently. (Thanks to the FPI blog for the tip.) Editor extraordinaire Delaine Derry Green is wrapping up another giant issue of Not My Small Diary. Keep an eye open for further details. Issue #15 is about brushes with the famous.

I'd Buy That
Kelly Froh's recent mini comic Debbie's Story is another one of her compelling biographical looks into a familial character. The opening sentence sets the tone: "She's my mom's sister, who kinda let herself go." Froh's account is unsentimental and honest. It's a fascinating character study. You can't help feeling a bit voyeuristic, but you can't put it down either. The cover captures the picture of Debbie painted inside perfectly. She's got quirks, but beneath the surface and the forces that shaped her is a glimmer of her essential spirit. Will she move beyond the forces that define her? We can never know, so we're left to create our own epilogue. Debbie's Story is just $2. It's not listed in the Scubotch Shop, but you can inquire there or through Slither Art and Comics.

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October 17, 2009

Weltschmerz and Ditkomania #75 covers Newave cartoonist Clark Dissmeyer recently joined the Poopsheet Foundation. He's still making comix and recently sent me a batch of his self-published titles (Thanks CAD!). One of his latest comix is called Weltschmerz. It's available for $3 or contact him about trading. CAD can be reached through his Poopsheet page or at CAD, 917 E. 25th St. #5, Kearney, NE 68847.

Rob Imes recently published a special anniversary issue of DitkoMania. Issue #75 takes a look at a single year in the career of Steve Ditko: 1975. Trevor Giberson provides a complete list of Ditko's work that year with DC, Charlton, Atlas, and Bruce Hershenson. Other articles include Ceylon Anderson's piece on Stalker, Jason Sacks and Nick Caputo on the Destructor, and Michael Aushenker on Tiger-Man. The issue is nicely illustrated with spot art and page and panel repros of Ditko's comics. Larry Blake provides the front and back covers. It's available for $2 (plus $1 for postage), or as part of a 6-issue subscription for $15. Send email to Rob Imes for details.

Lauren Barnett, who runs the comic blog Me Likes You Comics has collected her cartoons into a mini comic. It's available for $2 from Forbidden Planet, Jim Hanley's Universe, or Cosmic Comics in Manhattan and Rocketship in Brooklyn. Send an email to Lauren Barnett if you'd like more information.

Short Notices
Noah Van Sciver posted a report on his recent book tour with King Cat's John Porcellino on what else, the Noah Van Sciver blog. Gary Fields posted another great dog comix on his Gary Fields Studios blog this week. Mark Monlux's recent 24-hour comic is yours for the reading online along with the inside story of his motivation and true confessions.

Tim Corrigan's Comics and Stories #38 and Sex and the Superhero covers

New Voice Media has published the 38th issue Tim Corrigan's Comics and Stories. This is a very special 12 page issue with all the emphasis on stories. In fact, the only "comic" in the issue is on cover. Inside are several real life adventures from Corrigan's life in the 80s and 90s. It's available for $1.50 from Mightyguy Comics. (Please note Corrigan moved recently, so use his new mailing address on the site.)

Brian Anderson, who will be tabling at this year's APE (Booth #517) is offering a preview of his latest comic Sex and the Superhero on his website. The comic features artwork by Neftali Centeno.

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October 10, 2009

Poopsheet Milestone
Congratulations to Rick Bradford and his Poopsheet Foundation. This week the mini comics hub's membership topped 200! The site continues to gain momentum and is quickly becoming the premier site on the web for mini comics readers and creators to post announcements, read reviews, and discuss their favorite topics via the forum. Join the cult here!

Tetragrammation Fragments #208 and Comet Tales #21 covers

The United Fanzine Organization (UFO) kicks off October with the latest checklist of member's small press books. Their newsletter, Tetragrammation Fragments #208, includes review columns and artwork from the group's members. It's available for $3 from UFO Chairman Nic Carcieri, 42 Bellevue Ave., Warwick, RI 02888

Comet Tales #21 The Martian Cat and Major Revenge meet in the lead story, written by Jim Pack and drawn by Larry Blake. Also, Part 2 of the Manjack saga by Jim Pack. 28 page b&w digest-size comic (with color cover) for $1.00 postpaid from Jim Pack, 787 Bay Harbor, Maineville, OH 45039

Deadly World Man #3 and Ditkomania #74 covers

Deadly World Man #3 The saga continues as agent Zach Baxter comes “Face
to Face” with General Warren Mills and a deadly invitation. 16 page b&w digest-size comic (with color cover) for $2.00 postpaid from Marc Haines, 5008 Pin Oak Trail, Longview, TX 75604

Ditkomania #74 This issue’s theme is “Ditko at DC” with articles on Stalker, Batman, Charlton vs. Watchmen and more. 40 page b&w digest-size fanzine for $2.50 postpaid (in the USA) from Rob Imes, 13510 Cambridge #307, Southgate, MI 48195 Check out subscription rates at Ditkomania Returns.

Hero Central Universe #0 and Hollywood Highways #1 covers

Hero Central Universe #0 A superhuman being awakens an ancient evil with an
explosion that shakes the Hero Central Universe to its core. Now it is up to a group of long-forgotten heroes to rise up and meet the evil head on. Written and illustrated by Jason Bullock and published in conjunction with GIRAF Network, available for $3.00 postpaid from Jason Bullock, P.O. Box 2684, Loganville, GA 30052

Hollywood Highways #1 It’s the late 1970s. Two professional vampire hunters
must team up with a beautiful roller derby superstar to track down a vampire Prince on the open highways of southern California before a prophecy is fulfilled that will grant him near limitless power. Written by Nic Carcieri, with artwork by Jerry Gaylord, HH #1 is available for $5.00 postpaid from Nic Carcieri (address above).

Satyr #9 and Super Skunk #1 covers

Satyr #9 An off-beat and humorous anthology (with some mature content) featuring work by BeBop, Jack Bertram, Brad Foster, Richard Krauss, and more. A large b&w 40-page magazine available for $5.70 (check only) postpaid from Jim Main, 13 Valley View Rd., Brookfield, CT 06804 Main Enterprises

Super Skunk #1 From the mind of cartoonist Tim Kelly and the pages of Max
and Zook, comes the newest and perhaps most fragrant anthropomorphic super hero. Follow the adventures of Super Skunk, along with his supporting cast including Rebecca Raccoon and goth-girl Schizandra. 12 page b&w digest-size comic. For ordering info, email Tim Kelly.

I Know Joe Kimpel Comics on Tour
Cat Garza, Mario Van Buren, Colleen Frakes, Denis St. John, Caitlin Plovnick, and Jeff Lok will all take part in select cities on IKJK's upcoming NE book tour featuring Dark Corners and Funny Animals. See the I Know Joe Kimpel Blog for details.

Dark Corners is the newest 4-Square Anthology, coming to you from the darkest recesses of our imaginations. Four stories take four different approaches to horror, combining good old–fashioned blood-and-guts tales with suspense, surrealism and whimsy. The fourth of the IKJK 4-Square anthologies, this oversized (10" x 10") volume contains the latest, most terrifying work from Denis St. John, Jeff Lok, Caitlin Plovnick and Mario Van Buren. Also included are original sketches from the legendary Steve Bissette (Swamp Thing, Tyrant), who draws the loveliest creepy things we have ever seen, and a gruesomely beautiful back cover by John Nicoll. 62 pages, color cover, $12. I Know Joe Kimpel Store

Funny Annimals is brought to you by CCS graduates and Sunday’s Co-editors Bryan Stone and Jeff Lok and their bestest forest friends. Contributors include 2009 Ignatz award winners Colleen Frakes and Cat Garza, as well as Brandon Elston, Emily Wieja, Jose Luis Olivares, Denis St. John, Kubby, Penina Gal, Bryan Stone, Jeff Lok, Morgan Pielli, and Dane Martin. With a cover by Cat Garza, an essay on the history of the funny animal comic by Steve Bissette, and games and puzzles! Plus extras! 72 pages, 8.5” x 11”, color cover, $8. I Know Joe Kimpel Store

End of the Line
Tom Lechner took part in 24 Hour Comics Day in Portland, held at Backspace Cafe and created a comic called End of the Line. He's posted the whole 24-page mini comic on Tom Lechner's Art

NESPA
The first New England Small Press Assembly will be held Sunday, July 18, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, RI. NESPA is bringing together the best in small press publishing and indie comics in the New England area. Watch the NESPA News Feed (right sidebar on the site) for all the up-to-date information about who's coming and what's being planned for the event.

Nancy's Guy
Cartoonist Scott Nickel (EEK!) posted 20 Questions with Guy Gilchrist, who writes (along with brother Brad) and draws today's version of the Nancy comic strip. The same creative team who delivered The Muppets comic strip. You can read Gilchrist's Drawn to Success online at his Cartoon Academy website.

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October 3, 2009

Fall is Flung
Our October calendar illo features a mask for Halloween with hair inspired by an 18th century depiction of Kali, the Hindu god of death and destruction. Download the whole twelve months of the 2009 Midnight Fiction Desk Calendar.

Head of the Class
Gag cartoonist Bob Vojtko is one of the contributors to Head of the Class, the Collected Kappan Cartoons for Educators published by Phi Delta Kappa International. The collection is available from Amazon.com and includes cartoons by George Abbott, Charles Almon, Aaron Bacall, Edouard Blais, Art Bouthiller, Martin J. Bucella, Ford Button, Martha Campbell, Dave Carpenter, Frank Cotham, James Estes, Randy Glasbergen, Patrick Hardin, Jonny Hawkins, Nick Hobart, Norman Jung, Kyle Kaser, Scott Arthur Masear, Stephanie Piro, Robert Schochet, H.L. Schwadron, Al Sens, John R. Shanks, Mike Shapiro, Mike Twohy, Bob Vojtko, and Alejandro Yegros. The cover features one of Randy Glasbergen's gags.

Steinke Interview
While creating material for the next Big Plans, Aron Nels Steinke drew up a thinly disguised interview with himself. When it was finished he thought better of himself and decided to put it online instead of in-print. At conventions, I've asked him a few of these questions myself, so I thoroughly enjoyed this cartoon interview. Aron Nels Steinke's Blog

Stay Tooned #4 and Self Employment for Bohemians covers

Stay Tooned #4
Already the premier magazine of the newspaper and magazine cartoonists, the fourth issue of Stay Tooned is now shipping. The 88-page issue is available for $11 (postage paid), but I'd recommend the 4-issue subscription for $40. For its excellent coverage of the top newspaper and magazine cartoonists, Stay Tooned is well worth supporting.

Self Employment for Bohemians Buy the Book
(Press Release) Cartoonist/business man Steve Lafler has published Self Employment for Bohemians under the Manx Media imprint. The new book is part handbook for the freelancer, part swashbuckling memoir of Lafler's career in the comics industry and as the owner of a wholesale T Shirt business.

Lafler offers practical business advice with inspired concepts such as "The Zero Overhead Model" and "The Win - Win Deal". He also the regales the reader with narrative about his adventures in self employment with pieces like "Low Rent Startup" and "Spontaneous Entrepreneurship". For those who consider the nine-to-five job on a par with living death, this is a must have book.

Lafler is the author of several graphic novels, including BugHouse, Baja, Scalawag and Tranny, and is the illustrator of 40 Hour Man by writer Stephen Beaupre.

Lafler has owned and operated a wholesale T Shirt printing business near continuously since 1980. His client list has included comedian Margaret Cho, Sony Music Distribution, Apple Computer, legendary underground band The Residents, and Haight Ashbury T Shirts.

He began blogging under the title Self Employment For Bohemians in December 2004 as a way of sharing his insights into successful freelancing. Ever the clown, Lafler also thought he could write entries that would make readers laugh while providing inspiration. Self Employment For Bohemians is a 102 page trade paperback, available from Lulu.com for $12.

Fanzine Classics Rediscovered
Ken Meyer Jr. has launched a wonderful new column that explores the early days of fanzines, called Ink Stains. The first edition covers Bill Wilson's The Collector and the second installment highlights Jerry Weist's Squa Tront.

Comic Fan Five
Jim Main reports a digital version of his classic-style fanzine, Comic Fan #5 is now available for $5. Just follow the directions on Main Enterprises and he'll email a PDF file of the 160 page zine. If you want the print version, it'll cost you $14.95 plus $4 for postage when it debuts in 3 or 4 weeks. The 160-page, magazine-size issue will be perfect bound and features a tribute to the Silver Age of comics.

Ochre Ellipse 3
Jonas Madden-Connor completed the third issue of his award-winning Ochre Ellipse comic. The experimental storytelling of issue #2 earned Madden-Connor an Ignatz Award nomination for Outstanding Mini-Comic and an Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics. For ordering info: Family Style Catalog

Bastards and So Buttons #2 covers

Anthology Bastards
The British Artists Standing Tall And Reaching Distant Shores collective announced a new comic anthology to be published on October 10th. Check out the Bastards Blog for all the bloody details.

So Buttons #2
(Press Release) Inspired by the works of Harvey Pekar—with whom he has been compared—Jonathan Baylis’s So Buttons #2 features six autobiographical stories, wry observations on marriage, Vietnam, Republicans, Forrest J. Ackerman and John Lennon.

The book’s opener, So… She Married Me Anyway, relates the moments leading up to the author’s intended elopement, and is a perfect example of Baylis’s prowess as a storyteller, deftly handling the layers of emotions that accompany such an auspicious event with his signature economy and restraint.

In the collection’s tour de force So… I’m Standing on the Deck of the USS Intrepid, Baylis revisits the historic battleship with his uncle, who served on the ship during Vietnam.

Four additional tales round out the collection. With a cover by T.J. Kirsch (Uncle Slam Fights Back by Oni Press), So Buttons #2 features color and black-and-white interior art by Kirsch, David Beyer Jr. (Tales of the Starlight Drive-In by Image Comics), and award-winning illustrator Tim Ogline. So Buttons website

Herman Two
Jason Viola has released the second collection of his web comic Herman the Manatee.The 28-page mini comic is available from the Herman the Manatee Shop for $3.

Homeland Security Fundraiser
Webcomicer Indigo Kelleigh reported a (thankfully) failed home break-in this week. The attempt left a door badly damaged. You can read about it (with photo) on The Adventures of Ellie Connelly website. To help pay for the damage, Kelleigh is holding a sale with 20% off everything in his Lunar Bistro Shop until the end of next week.

Nightlife & Hat Trick covers