Midnight Ramblings - April 2009

Rachel Dukes' massive collection, Side B the music lover's comic anthology is now available. It features over 50 contributors filling over 200 pages. Side B is an impressive package that I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing. It's published by Poseur Ink.

J.T. Yost announced the release of Old Man Winter and Other Sordid Tales this week. Winner of the 2009 Xeric Award, OMW will soon be available for $6.95 from the publisher Birdcage Bottom Books and select bookstores.

Hard-Times #8 & 9 covers

Ed Jackson completed issue #9 of his Hard-Times comic. It's available for $1 or trade from Ed at PO Box 3243, Oak Park, IL 60303. For more information send him an email.

Joseph Patrick Larkin and Also Ran has published a huge collection of cartoons, cultural commentary, comics, and collages called The Arcade of Cruelty. Weighing in at just over 260 pages the new book is available for $18 from Also Ran.

Noah Van Sciver mini comic and Lucky Man covers

Noah Van Sciver produced a limited edition mini comic that includes "a bunch of stuff I had drawn for a comic book that never came to be" and "a bunch of letters I've received from girls throughout my life." He's selling it for $3 from his website.

Steve Lafler reports Ben Tanzer's first novel is back in print through the magic of POD. Lucky Man follows four friends from their final days of high school through their first couple of years out of college. Each has personal demons—anger, substance abuse, sexual identity, and detachment. It's a story about friendship, growing-up and trying to move on. Interwoven throughout are explorations into dreams, The Twilight Zone, the Grateful Dead, and The Greatest American Hero. There are drugs, road trips, breakdowns, violence, and adultery. Fathers and sons try to make sense of their relationships and characters question what it means to know God. It is a quintessentially American tale and at the end only one character remains on his feet. Whether this means he is lucky, or not, will need to be decided by the reader. $16 in print, $3.75 to download from Manx Media.

Book Three
Sophie and Celso released the third edition of their The River and the Sea mini comic this week. Send $2 or offer a trade. You can email them for details.

Weird Tales on Sale
Wildside Press is having a 25% off sale when you purchase two or more items from WildsidePress.com. The sale includes issues of Weird Tales, Prime Books, and Juno Books, just enter the coupon code "april" at checkout. The sale runs through April 30, 2009.

Call for Small Press Historians
Doc Boucher of Inter-Fan is working on a Small Press History Section on the IF website. He's looking for information on the early days when small press comics first began and any cover scans you can send his way. He's also interested in stories about how you got involved in small press and how it's kept your interest or helped you. To contact Doc check out the Inter-Fan website or send him an email.

SPACE Premiers
Stumptown dominated my mind over the last week, but there was another major creator-driven show that also hosted hundreds of short-run comics fans: Bob Corby's SPACE. Like Stumptown, dozens of new titles made their debut at the show. The SPACE website includes a list of a few dozen. I was luck enough to receive review copies of a few of them, which I'll highlight here:

Kenn Minter's I'm Not From Here provides the first published collection of his semi-autobiographical webcomic that began in 2001, from Near Mint Press.

Brian John Mitchell sent Lost Kisses #7 and 8 for review this week, but he's already beyond that according to the SPACE website. To get your copies of these micro minis check out the Silber Media website.

Jim Main attended SPACE this year and introduced attendees to Cosmic Man #2, Chase #7, WTF!?! #1, and dozens of comic and zines from the Main Enterprises publishing powerhouse.

For more SPACE reports check out Allen Freeman's blog and Comic Related.

The Bedsit Journal #3 and Uncle Tickle #1 covers More small press reviews from Midnight Fiction:

Richard Cowdry's Bedsit Journal #3 on Poopsheet Foundation

Unico Comic's
Uncle Tickle #1
on Comic Related

Top

April 18, 2009

Chase #7 and WTF!?! # 1 covers Chase #7
The seventh issue of this award-winning adventure series is an extra long edition. Courtesy of Jim Main, John Lambert, and Dan Taylor this 16-page issue is available now for $1.75 from Main Enterprises.

WTF!?! #1
This brand new mini comic from Jim Main features 32 pages of bizarre and bawdy humor from BeBop, Lance "Doc" Boucher, Wade Busby, Brad Foster, Noor Hafizah, Richard Krauss, John Lambert, Sam Gafford, Tim Tobolkski, Bill Shut, Michael Marcus, Dan Nauenburg, Rick Limacher, Al Limacher, Barry Southworth, and Dan Taylor. It's available now for $2.75 from Main Enterprises.

Candy or Medicine FCBD Special and Lunarcy covers

Virtual Free Comic Book Day
The virtual version of Free Comic Book Day is growing every year. Josh Blair is offering a special edition of his anthology mini comic Candy or Medicine to celebrate FCBD. Check out his website on May 2nd to download a free copy of this eight-pager. Contributors include Isaac Bidwell (cover), Noah Van Sciver, JB Sapienza, Morgan Kessler, Kyle Browne, Alex Chiu, and Alberto Pessoa, & Josh Blair. Blair also recently completed a solo effort. His new mini comic entitled Lunarcy is an existential tale about our lonely lunar neighbor. It's available for $1 from the Candy or Medicine Shop.

Mini-Comics Book Club #2
Indie Spinner Rack presents the second installment of the Mini-Comics Book Club as issue #153. Guest Alec Longstreth reveals valuable tips on how to make a mini-comic and discusses the work of John Porcellino with hosts Charlito and Mr. Phil. Listen here or via iTunes.

String #13
Bram Meehan announced the posting of String #13 this week. The free PDF, 32-page comic anthology from the 7000 BC Comic Collective is now available to download. Contributors include Meehan, Jamie Chase, Monica Meehan, Shirl Sazynski, Nick Sedillos, Adan Rodriguez-Herrera, Peter Ziomeck, Courtney Angermeier, Jettboy, Danny Green, Jeff Benham, Paul Ziomek, Sykryk, and Andy Kuhn. The stories inside range from a chapter from The Darkness From Warsaw to standalone pieces, plus jam sessions by collective members. You can download the full set of String back issues from the same location. The group loves feedback, just scroll down and leave your comments in the comment box.

Lovecraft Magazine and Jim Anthony covers

HP Lovecraft's Magazine
Weird Tales is offering a free PDF download of issue #5 of H.P Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror. Unfortunately, they're no longer able to publish the printed version. Plans for future digital issues are under discussion.

Super Detective Returns
Airship 27 and Cornerstone Books announced the return of pulp hero Jim Anthony this week. This new pulp magazine features three all-new adventures of the super detective written by Erwin K. Roberts, Andrew Salmon, and B.C. Bell. The first volume also includes an introductory article on the character written by pulp historian Norman Hamilton. Edited by Ron Fortier and designed by Rob Davis, the book contains eleven illustrations by Pedro Cruz and a cover by Chad Hardin. Ordering information here.

Another small press review from Midnight Fiction:
Carrie McNinch's YDGTFH Goes to Oaxaca
on Poopsheet Foundation

Top

April 11, 2009

Cosmic Man is Back
The second issue of Cosmic Man from writer Steve Keeter, artist Tony Lorenz, and publisher Jim Main is now available. With additional art by Jack Bertram and Scott McClung, Cosmic Man #2 is available in a print or PDF version from the Main Enterprises website.

Set Your Clock
Small press stalwart Tim Corrigan continues his amazing on-time delivery with another issue of Comics and Stories. Issue #32 is available for $1.50 or by subscription: $15 for 12 issues. Website

Sweet Peaches!
Indigo Kelleigh's Ellie Connelly webcomic is just getting started with a new story Eye of the Vortex. Catch up here.

Gabriel Hunt and Jagger Time Served covers

Publisher's Weekly on Gabriel Hunt
Hard Case Crime Editor Charles Ardai's latest project is an adventure series featuring a character named Gabriel Hunt. The first volume in the series, Hunt at the Well of Eternity, will hit bookshelves in May. Publisher's Weekly gave a recommendation for the premier volume in a recent review (scroll down to Mass Market).

If They Did It
And speaking of reviews, Time Out Chicago posted a fine one of Jim Siergey and Greg Simetz's new book, If They Did It. It's ten moments well spent, here.

Jagger Time Served
Pulp novelist Jared L. Cantin made his debut in a new Airship 27/Cornerstone Books production launched last week. Jagger Time Served is a fast paced, modern thriller that echoes the suspense of classic pulp adventure. It's available from Airship27.

More Worms
Part three of this coming of age story about a girl losing her everyday life is now available. Originally based on a dream, the third issue of Worms by Brian John Mitchell and Kimberlee Traub begins with the heroine waking up in a hospital bed only to find herself hooked up to an IV drip full of trouble. Worms #3 is available through Silber Media.

Writer and Artist Too
Author and illustrator G.W. Thomas added a portfolio of his artwork and cartoons to his website recently. His site also hosts a portfolio of fantasy/horror illustrations by Seth Thomas.

Busted and Hot Tea, Cold Water artwork

powerHouse Magazine #5 Busted
To celebrate all that goes wrong when you're up to no good, powerHouse Magazine introduces Issue 5: Busted, a sometimes serious, often hilarious look at failure and fiasco from around the globe.

Call for Entires
Leann Leake issued a call for work for the second issue of Hot Tea, Cold Water. She's requesting fiction, research, comics, articles—anything—related to the theme of Transportation. More information and contact information here.

How Did You Ever Get Started in Zines?
Nicole Introvert put out a call for zinesters to explain, "How did I get into this mess?" She's compiling the results for a new zine called Entry Point, just in time to celebrate International Zine Month in July. See her post for all the details. Submissions are due April 30th, so act now!

Links to this week's reviews

More reviews
from
Midnight Fiction:

Pat Moriarity's Drifting with
Buzzy Linhart on Poopsheet Foundation

Unico Comic's Borderliners
pilot issue on
Comic Related

Top

April 4, 2009

New Comics
Several new small press comics were announced this week. Reid Psaltis has completed his latest comic and shipped off the pages to the printer. Check out his website for a preview of The Goat, which will be available for sale soon!

Covers of Trivial and Portals #1

Trivial, a new anthology from the folks at Four Square Press held its launch party at Thompson Street Comics. The group's third edition includes work by Alex Kim, Alexis Frederick-Frost, Sean Ford, and A.L. Arnold. Cruise over to I Know Joe Kimpel for more details.

Nic Carcieri has begun an ambitious new bi-monthly title called Portals that features four individual continuing stories—each exploring a different genre. Nic is chairman of the United Fanzine Organization.

Covers of Jigsaw #2, Attack of the Alterna Zombies, and Where Have All the Vampires Gone?

Comic Related posted a great preview of the second issue of Ron Fortier and Gary Kato's Mr. Jigsaw this week. The book can be ordered through IndyPlant!

Peter Simeti reports that Alterna Comics will offer a hefty sampler on May 2nd to celebrate Free Comic Book Day this year. It's called Attack of the Alterna Zombies. The 80-some page volume provides an excellent overview of Alterna's complete line-up.

Members of the St. Paul Cartoonist Conspiracy are offering a PDF version of their latest jam session, Where Have All the Vampires Gone? It's available to download here.

Thuglit Hits Thirty
Big Daddy Thug reports Thuglit hit the big Three-O this week. The online pulp fiction fest features yarns by Jason Duke, Jedidiah Ayres, Sophie Littlefield, Eric Beetner, Patrick Cobbs, Hilary Davidson, Myra Sherman, and Robert S.P. Lee. Get it here.

POD for Magazines
The New York Times ran an interesting article this week on a start-up called MagCloud that uses HP's Indigo digital presses to print magazines on demand.

Mike Barrier Speaks
Animation historian Mike Barrier was interviewed on RadioWest this week. You can listen online for a limited time. Barrier was editor and publisher of Funnyworld and author of several books including Carl Barks and the Art of the Comic Book. His newest book is The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney.
Thanks to Jerry Beck of Cartoon Brew for the tip.

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