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December 29, 2007
Happy New Year!

I Am RSS (And So Can You!)
RSS - Why should you care? Most webheads visit their favorite sites on a regular basis. If you have more than a handful the disadvantages with the manual approach are: 1) it usually involves a lot of mousing/clicking and 2) you may visit a site that hasn't been updated since your last visit. RSS Feeds solve both problems by providing a way to consolidate all of your sites' content on one page that's automatically updated when new content is published.

What you need is a Feed Reader. There are many free Feed Readers available on the Web. I looked at several before settling on the Google Reader. Since it works well and Google is my homepage, it was a good solution for me.

Once you've logged into your Reader, you can begin subscribing to Feeds from your favorite sites. To subscribe, click on an RSS Feed button on one of your favorite sites. Your browser will display the Feed. Copy the URL and paste it into the appropriate box in your Feed Reader. (For Google Reader, the box that appears when you click the Add Subscription link.) Continue adding Feeds until you've subscribed to several.

Now whenever you visit your Feed Reader you can view the content from numerous websites on one page. You'll know automatically if a site has been updated. Viewing items in a List or an Expanded view is just one of the many display options most Readers provide. Anytime you want to read an item on the originating website, just click the link and you're there.

For website publishers, creating the RSS Feed involves writing an xml file, or subscribing to one of several services that automate the process for you. I looked at several and settled on one called RapidFeeds, that was suggested to me by Rick Bradford.

Ed's New Year's Prescription
Ed reports that he's received a lot of letters this week. Here's one about setting realistic goals for the New Year:

Dear Ed,
I’ve decided to make 2008 a turning point in my life. This is the year I’m finally going to get less exercise, spend less time with my family and friends so I can work more, and eat whatever the Hell I want, whenever I want. Wish me luck!
Sincerely,
One Year Left

Dear Lefty,
Don't be a fool. Here's my 5 Keys to Successful New Year's Resolution:
1) Quit Scheming - People are always trying to turn over a new leaf, write a fresh chapter, or start over. It's way too much work and it almost never works. Why not quit while you're ahead?
2) Give Up Early - The early days of the New Year will tempt you to reform. If you can resist impure urges early on, the rest of the year will take care of itself.
3) Put the Pen Down - It's bad enough obsessing about this stuff, but writing it down only makes things worse. How will you feel 5 years from now when you find that crumpled paper with your 2008 goals and realize you haven't made any progress at all? It's devastating. Trust me, I've been there.
4) All or Nothing - The so-called experts will try to lure you in with advice like, "one step at a time." Blah, blah, blah. This is just a bait and switch tactic to sell you a book or a program. "All" is a tall order any time of year. "Nothing" is much simpler and better yet, it's a done deal.
5) Don't Ever Change, Baby - "The only constant is change." "No man is an island." Ack! Don't be a sucker. Staying flexible may sound good, but it's not. Once you've made up your mind, stick to your guns. Just remember, it's always better to be rigid than limp. There's even a prescription for it. Ask your doctor.
Your pal,
Ed

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December 22, 2007
Merry Christmas!

Ed's X-mas cartoon

(In spite of Judge Flagstone) I hope you enjoyed Joe Wehrle Jr.'s Christmas yarn in today's site update. It's a nice preamble to the holidays and a great segue into the next series. My thanks to Joe for permission to run it here on MF.com. Next week, instead of our usual comix feature, we'll begin a 4-part interview with Joe that explores his comics and illustration work from growing up in Punxsutawney to his latest projects. The permanent home for the new Wehrle pages is in the About section.

Poopsheet Foundation Website Revamp
Rick Bradford has just completed a major revamp of the Poopsheet Foundation website. Besides offering the web's best selection of collector's mini-comics for sale, Bradford has added a section on mini-comics history and a cover gallery. As Bradford explains, "I've felt for a long time that both the history and evolution of the mini-comic need to be more aggressively documented and easily accessible. Over the years I've been greatly inspired by the research of folks such as Bruce Chrislip, Gary Usher, Dale Luciano, Jay Kennedy and Mal Burns (not to mention Clay Geerdes and anybody else who has contributed to the documentation of the scene past or present) and I want to do my part."

Poopsheet's new history section includes bibliographies for Mike Cody, David Miller, John Porcellino, and Souther Salazar, plus a biography on Michael Roden. Bradford's also republished several articles by Tom Spurgeon; a 1991 letter from Jay Kennedy in which he describes his plans for the second edition of his Official Underground and Newave Price Guide; and publisher's indexes for Wow Cool, Comix World, and Starhead Comix.

The new Gallery section provides over 700 mini-comics covers from Anthrax Press, Bruce Chrislip, Comix World, Dada Gumbo Press, Everyman Studios, No Way Comix, Ozone, Phantasy Press, Slice o' Life Press, Starhead Comix, Wow Cool, and XEX Graphix! Bradford adds, "My intention for the new Poopsheet site is to collect as much relevant information as possible and make it available to all interested parties (collectors, fans, researchers). To that end, I'm certainly open to submissions and suggestions, corrections and additions to the existing content, as well as any cover scans missing from the gallery."

When asked about the site's registration option, Bradford explains, "Although the new site was built on the Ning social network platform and signing up with Ning is an option, registration is not required. The Poopsheet site itself may be freely enjoyed without signing up." The new Poopsheet site is a great resource and archive on the history of mini-comics, and Bradford's blog entries on the home page also provide news of current projects being developed and published by today's mini-comics cartoonists.

Perhaps the best news about the revamped Poopsheet Foundation website is that it's just getting started. Bradford has lots more planned, so if you're into minis, underground, self-published, and alternative comics, start making it a regular visit!

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December 15, 2007

Believe it or not, there is not a review of a Main Enterprises zine in this week's site update. (Although I still have a couple to read before I'm caught up!) If you'd like a preview of what's coming, I've updated the "On the bedside table" list on the Review page. Of course, I reserve the right to slip something in unexpected, as my mood changes.

I have several pulps and crime novels I'd like to get to as well, but with holidays upon us it's probably not realistic. I admire avid readers like Ron Fortier and Troy Holaday who somehow manage a book a week. Fortier reviews his latest reads at Pulp Fiction Reviews and Holaway has challenged himself to complete 50 for 2008. And he's not the only one. He lists nearly a dozen other folks with similar goals on his blogroll.

Next week in place of a comix, we'll have a special Christmas tale written by Joe Wehrle Jr. entitled Christmas Spirit in a Speakeasy. Don't miss it!

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December 8, 2007
Who was that small claims court Judge I saw you with last night?

Judge Ed Flagstone I've been using this cartoon of Judge Flagstone as the logo for MidnightFiction.com since the site was launched over a year ago. But where did he come from?

When I started lining up material for issues of my newave comix, Funny Paper, I decided it would be fun to have a letters column. However I knew from previous experience, that small press comics seldom receive letters, let alone enough to fill a page every issue. But so what? Taking a page out of National Lampoon's playbook, I decided to write them myself. The column was christened "Small Claims" with his honor, Judge Ed Flagstone, presiding. In the column, Ed replied to every insulting, sarcastic missive in kind.

The cartoon of Ed sitting behind his bench, waving a gavel, with a looming, bright yellow moon behind him always struck me as iconic. (Naturally, Ed works the night shift. In fact, he's never been able to hold down a day job in his life.) So when the MF.com site was launched it seemed like a natural fit to sentence Ed's crusty good looks to another few years, with no parole in sight.

Even with the modern convenience of email, it's still a challenge to get letters of comment on small press projects. Nevertheless, let me know if you'd like me to reinstate fake letters of comment on MF.com. Or better yet, send me your own.

Happy Holidays at MF.com
MF.com celebrates the holidays with the December 2007 desk calendar artwork by Bill Shut. (You can click on the image to download the free PDF version of the desk calendar.) We also have a special treat lined up for the Dec. 22nd update: A Cauliflower Catnip hardboiled holiday yarn by Joe Wehrle Jr.

eCrater Shop Addendum
A few weeks ago, I wrote an entry about online shops like Midnight Fiction's. However, I failed to mention, that shops hosted by eCrater also offer handy RSS feeds for each category of merchandise. Once you've subscribed, you don't have to check back at the shop to see if anything new has been added. The updates for a given category will show up in your RSS reader automatically as soon as anything new is added.

Cartoon Christmas Cards
Hogan's Alley is hosting "A Cavalcade of Cartoonist's Christmas Cards" from the collection of Rick Marschall. It's quite an impressive collection, so check it out!

TwoMorrow's Sale Extended
TwoMorrow's Publishing has extended their 50% Off Sale to Dec. 15th. They have some great zines on sale like Comics Introspective: Peter Bagge, Image Comics: The Road to Independence, and many others. Top

December 1 , 2007
Bob Vojtko's Suzy

Suzy is Here!
In 1985, Richard O'Brien and Bob Vojtko launched a newspaper comic strip called Suzy. Ramble House has just released the complete collection of 216 daily and Sunday strips for $15.99, from Lulu.com.

You can preview the book online and read O'brien's introduction with the background on how the strip came to be and their struggles with the syndicate to get it placed. The preview also includes sketches of the cast of characters and a couple of pages of strips.

This is a rare opportunity to add another fine Vojtkomic to your bookshelf - don't miss it!

2008 Desk Calendar
At $6 postage paid, our desk calendar makes a great stocking stuffer or inexpensive party favor for anyone on your holiday list. Most calendars of this type cost anywhere from $12 - $18 in retail. It comes in a special jewel case that folds out to make a stand. Click here to see how this works. As a desk calendar its useful to anyone, so it's a great way to introduce your friends to over a dozen of the best small press cartoonists around. Each month includes the URL to that cartoonist's website. Available online from the Midnight Fiction Shop or at these retail outlets:
Quimby's in Chicago
Reading Frenzy in Stumptown

Cute as a Button
but Tiger Tough
Self-employed indie cartoonist, entrepreneur, and Self Employment for Bohemian blogger, Steve Lafler has launched a new webcomic called Nina Funnies about a cute little redheaded toddler and her teddy bear. Nina Funnies joins Lafler's other ongoing webcomic, Diva Funnies.

Main Enterprises Offers Original Art
Publisher Jim Main has added the original artwork from several of his titles to his online shop. Color cover art and black-and-white spot illustrations by Dave Farley, John Lambert, John Mundt, Mike Tuz, and more are available now at very reasonable prices.

Zine World PDFs
Zine World's website offers some great resources for zine publishers and readers. To name a few: US Postage Rate Chart (PDF) and The Zinester's Guide to the US Mail (PDF). Just click on the Resources link from their homepage.

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