Midnight Ramblings - February 2009

Thrilling Adventures and Stay Tooned #3 covers Thrilling Adventures is Back
Wayne Skiver reports The premiere issue of Thrilling Adventures hits the stands March 1st. This new, quarterly magazine resurrects the classic pulp title of yesteryear with a combination of retro and new adventure stories in both prose and graphic style. Thrill to the first pulp-tastic Prof. Stone comic book story ever. Flashback to a classic Dan Turner Hollywood Detective comic strip. New fiction featuring the Rook by Barry Reese. The saga of Sun Koh, the "German Doc Savage" continues from Dr. Art Sippo. Weird Western Heroics from Teel James Glen, plus more. Watch Bill Thom's Coming Attractions and the Age of Advenure for ordering info. Each big issue sells for $9.50 (plus shipping).

Stay Tooned #3
Now available, John Read's Stay Tooned #3 features profiles of Chad "Tundra" Carpenter, magazine gag cartoonist Benita Epstein, freelance Nebraska cartoonist Paul Fell, character designer Cedric Hohnstadt, editorial cartoonist R.J. Matson, Jim "Gasoline Alley" Scancarelli, cover artist Richard "Cul de Sac" Thompson, and webcomic creator Mike Witmer; plus articles by Mark "Lio" Tatulli, comics historian R.C. Harvey, Norm "Retail" Feuti, Tom "MAD Magazine" Richmond, and freelancer Mike Edholm (who reports on Toonfest '08). Also, the art of John Kovaleski and Stephen Silver is spotlighted. The 88 page magazine is $11 (postage paid) or better yet subscribe and get four issues for $40. Website

Sites to See
Rick Bradford added a bibliography on newave cartoonist Par Holman's published works on the Poopsheet Foundation website this week. And over at Comic Foundry, they've put together a slick bundle that provides all five issues of the comics culture confab for $20. That's around $10 less when purchased as individual issues. Author Shirley Wells is sponsoring a competition to win a copy of her third mystery featuring Jill Kennedy and DCI Max Trentham, Where Petals Fall. The odds are excellent, so if you're a crime fiction fan check it out. For a review of her previous novel in the series A Darker Side, click here. Jim Main, John Lambert, and Dan W. Taylor completed the sixth issue Chase, the latest mini comic from their ongoing adventure series. It's available for $1.75 (postage paid) from Main Enterprises.

Comic Effect #47 and Infandum . . . ad Infinitum covers Recent small press comic reviews:
Jim Kingman's Comic Effect #47 on Poopsheet Foundation
Molly Lawless' Infandum! . . . ad Infinitum on Comic Related

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February 21, 2009

Dark Worlds
The third issue of Dark Worlds magazine is now available. Filled with science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery stories, this issue features work by Michael Ehart, Jack Mackenzie, David A. Hardy, E. P. Berglund, Nick Andreychuk, G. W. Thomas, Lee Beavington, Joel Jenkins, and Martin Edward Stephenson. With a cover by Aaron Siddall and interior llustrations by M. D. Jackson, Aaron Siddall, Sam deGraff and G. W. Thomas, it's available in print or download from Lulu.com.

Guns of the Black Bat
These 100 page digest sized books are full of all new slam bang action, mystery, and suspense and all for only five bucks. The first release features the hero from the classic Black Book Detective, The Black Bat in two mysterious thrillers by Wayne Skiver. Guns of the Black Bat releases from the all new Age of Adventure storefront this March, but you can pre-order now and receive a free catalog featuring artwork and upcoming releases in this exciting new line of Pulp Adventure fiction!

Full Throttle Space Sirens
Flying Pen Press is offering the second issue of Full Throttle Space Tales featuring Space Sirens for sale beginning next week. The new issue, edited by Carol Hightshoe includes stories by W.A Hoffman, Sarah A. Hoyt, David Boop, Terri Pray, Anna Paradox, Bobby Nash, M.H. Bonham, Alan Lickiss, Barbara Johnson-Haddad, Selina Rosen, Calie Voorhis, Rebecca Lickiss, Carol Hightshoe, David Lee Summer, Laura K Deal, Julia Phillips, David B. Riley, Lindsey Duncan, and Laura Kjosen.

Zine World #27
It's out! With over 200 reviews of zines, comics, books, DVDs, and other self-published works—and lots more—the 27th issue of Zine World is now available for $4 or as part of a three-issue subscription for $10.

Free PDFs
Download a free PDF copy of John Porcellino's A Day in Vancouver Towne from The Walrus magazine website. Fantagraphics has posted a 32-page preview of their new Humbug hardcover collection of the great Harvey Kurtzman's humor magazines, Humbug, Help!, and Trump.

Sites to See
Andrew Waugh has started a new sketch blog. Meghan Hogan is drawing a new full color mini comic called Manny + Bigfoot. She and Raighne Hogan are busy with the final production tasks getting it ready it for the Walker Art Center's bookfair. CNN Money interviewed Douglas Edwards, CEO of Uclick and Jeremy Atkins of Dark Horse Comics about mobile platforms like the iPhone. The Spam Team is calling for submissions for their follow-up to the Bam! mini comic anthology, Bam Too. Blurred Books is also soliciting comikers for comics for their website and potential inclusion in their print anthology, Blurred Vision.

SPACE Program Ads
Bob Corby announced advertising rates for the Space Program this week. The book will be given out free at the door and will contain the programming for the panels, the seating chart, ads and possibly some one page strips and articles. The book will be 5.5" x 8.5" photocopied with a color cover.

Daily Cross Hatch
Now on Fridays, the Daily Cross Hatch, is feeding their readers fresh comics, pulled straight from the oven. Guest Strip Fridays continue to bridge the gap between artist and aficionado by showing totally original comic strips by anyone and everyone making comics today. Since not every mini submitted can be reviewed, it’s a nice alternative for cartoonists trying connect to Daily Cross Hatch readers.

Recent small press comic reviews:
Juan Miguel Carillo's 24 Hour Land #1 & 2 on Poopsheet Foundation
Edward & James Noel's Noble Head Funnies on Comic Related
Bob Corby's Oh, Comics! #17 on Comic Related

This week's hat tips: Rick Bradford, John Glynn, Bobby Nash, and Cartoon Conspiracy.

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February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!
Jim Main launched another holiday-themed mini comic this week—this one celebrating Valentine's Day. However, the cartoons and comics inside this 24-pager are more along the lines of classic gruesome greeting cards featuring monsters and mayhem. Contributors include: Dan Taylor, Carrie Taylor, Sam Gafford, John Lambert, Dave Farley, Rick Limacher, Noor Hafizah, Terry Pavlet, Brad Foster, Jack Bertram, Brien Wayne Powell, Tim Tobolkski, Tim Temmel, J. Dultz, and Steve Skeates. It's available for order now for $2.25 (postage paid) through Main Enterprises.

The Darkness from Warsaw
Also out this week is the latest graphic novel by Bram Meehan and Jamie Chase, a tale of the casebook of the Special Qualities Research Lab (SQRL). It's a supernatural thriller that combines WWII history with fantasy in a world where there's more than even the super-science of 1946 can explain. Preview and Ordering

ZineWiki Back Online
Jarianne Thompson, editor and publisher of Zine World and Dan Halligan, co-founder of Tablet, along with help from Denny Crawford announced the return of their popular ZineWiki this week. With thousands of articles already, ZineWiki is an open-source encyclopedia devoted to zines and independent media. It covers the history, production, and culture of small press. Announcement and ZineWiki.

Bash! Magazine Goes All Digital
After seven issues produced in both print and web versions, Washington, D.C.-based Bash! Magazine is moving to web-only delivery. Powered by the Issuu online viewer, you can read all seven issues online.

VIP Cartoons
Harry Lee Green posted pages from gag man extraordinaire, Virgil Partch's The Dead Game Sportsmen on Hairy Green Eyeball this week.

Covers of Side B and Slam Bang #4

Theme Music
Two new small press comic anthologies with music themes are in the works. Robin Duke's Side B is a follow-on project to Side A: The Music Lover's Graphic Novel. It's scheduled for a Summer release and includes work by 60 cartoonists, who are listed on the Puseur ink website. The fourth issue of Allen Freeman's Slam Bang features a cover by Charlene Chua as well as comics by Chua, Edward Bolman, Larry Blake, and many more. It will also include a CD of tunes by up and coming artists.

Recent small press comic reviews:
Josh Balir's Candy or Medicine #6 on Poopsheet Foundation

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February 7 , 2009

Crime and Science Fiction
A new crop of eZines were announced this week. The second issue of Crooked includes work by Clair Dickson. Eric Beetner. Jake Hinson, Patricia Abbott, Keith Rawson, Michael S. Chong, and Barry Baldwin; plus Thirteen Questions with Sean Chercover. Editor Geoff Eighinger is also seeking submission for next issue. Send a Word or text file of previously unpublished work with a hardboiled or noir kick to them. 2,000 words or more. Email for more info. Website

Ray Gun Revival #50 includes stories by Lou Antonelli, Jeff Schnaufer, Robert Evans, George S. Walker, Andy Heizeler. M. Keaton, Keanan Brand, L. S. King, and John M. Whalen. The featured artist this issue is Inga Nielsen. The 81 page issue also includes a review section by Matthew Winslow. Website

Thuglit #29 features eight bone-shattering stories by Albert Tucher, James Walton Langolf, Gerard Brennan, Man Martin, Matthew Fries, Tyler Midkiff, S. Craig Renfroe, Jr., and C. G. Bauer. Website

Jobs and Joblessness
Indie artist Leann Leake is calling for submission of articles, essays, fiction, reviews, artwork, or whatever for the theme "Jobs and Joblessness" for her new zine Hot Tea, Cold Water #1. She wants content by February 20th. Email for more info.

Recent small press comic reviews:
Brian John Mitchell's super mini comics from Silber Media on Poopsheet Foundation

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