Panel Patter at Poopsheet: Pork Belly 1

Now that Poopsheet is back, I'm also back doing reviews for them again.

My first is a short 8 page mini-comic that's definitely for a mature audience but should appeal to those who are okay with Frank Zappa-like humor.

You can find my thoughts on Pork Belly 1 by Dan W. Taylor and others here.

Have a look-see!

Dope Fiends of the Zombie Cafe!

Written by Sean Frost
Illustrated by Rafer Roberts
Hula Cat Comics

What do you get when you cross Reefer Madness with Zombies and throw in some other drive-in movie cliches? A really fun mini-comic that is just about as insane as you'd expect when one of the creators from the ongoing series Plastic Farm is involved.

As our story begins, the typical wise old man warns the reader of deadly dangers of the Zombie Cafe. Not unlike a certain criminologist, he'll float in and out of the story, and serve as both a framing device and a parody of those devices. In that role, Frost's script and Roberts' subtle artistic decisions succeed extremely well.

Within the framing device are a group of horrible school children, a mad scientist working with forces beyond his control, a clueless set of teenagers, and of course, a whole bunch of brainless beatniks. None of these folks are people you'd want over for dinner, but their twisted antics come together in unlikely yet well-plotted ways to create a new crop of zombies that must be stopped before they spread across the nation and destroy our wholesome country.

It's really hard for me to get excited about a zombie story these days, because they're all over the place. Want to bang out a comic? Add zombies to it. This comic actually dates back to 2004, before this really became a problem, but I could see it getting lost at a festival where zombies rule the day.

That would be a shame, because the skill here is quite strong. Frost's premise for how the zombies are created (let's just say it involves rabbits and leave it at that) is absolutely inspired and the complete amorality of the doctor makes you want to turn the page to see how horrible he can get. In the other half of the plot, the parody of beatniks, while familiar, has quite a few great one-liners, especially when the zombies start going to town in a coffee shop.

Not everything is original, of course, but that's okay. You can only kill a zombie so many ways, for instance, and the breaking of the 4th wall has been done so many times if anyone had copyrighted it they'd be richer than Bill Gates. However, Frost's writing and Roberts' ability to portray these terrible characters doing awful things raise it to a level above the competition.

You really have to have an appreciation of old horror movies for this one to work best for you, though zombie story fans can also find a lot to enjoy, if they're looking for serious instead of silly. If the idea of a zombie parody with movie homages on most of the pages appeals to you, give this a try if you can find it. Your life may depend on it!*


*Probably not, actually. But it sounds cool!

Manga Movable Feast: After School Nightmare

It's Manga Movable Feast time again, and I'm happy to be back in the mix again after missing a few months.

For those unfamiliar, the Manga Movable Feast (or MMF) is where those of us who hang out together in the blogosphere pick a title to talk about all at the same time. Perspectives and approaches will differ, which is part of the fun. You can reach the MMF homepage for After School Nightmare here.

In a lot of cases, the title is new to me, so I do a volume by volume review. I already started reading After School Nightmare, so here in my intro post of sorts, I'll show you the links to my previous two posts and talk a bit about why I like this series, even if it's something you may or may not be able to find and read.

You see, After School Nightmare is/was published by Go Comi!, and they appear to be defunct by all accounts. That means this title is very out of print, and thus difficult to find, unless your local library happens to have it in stock. I own most of the series, and am lucky enough to be able to read the rest from my library. Since I like this series a lot, I hope that's the same for you, too.

Here's the link to my review of Volume 1.
Here's the link to my review of Volume 2.

So for those looking for the short version, here are some thoughts on why I like After School Nightmare:

First of all, I'm a sucker for horror stories. This one's a bit more muted than others because it has a strong shojo vibe running through it. However, the more you read, the more you see that the horror is building up to something big, and you want to find out what that horrible thing is that lurks in the shadows of the pages. I need to see what kinds of terrible things are going to happen in this series, after the hints we've seen.

That brings me to the second thing I like about After School Nightmare, the building sense of mystery. We learn a little more about this strange school every time, but never enough to know everything. Every character in the book harbors a secret of some kind, and unlocking those secrets as we progress through time really appeals to me. Every time I read a volume, I start thinking about what's going to happen next. Sometimes I'm right...but more often I'm wrong. For me, that's the sign of a good story, and one I'd recommend to others.

Speaking of those characters, I enjoy the fact that our protagonist is not meant to be taken at face value. He has issues to work out, and his reactions are definitely undermined by the plot and pacing of the book. What looks at first to be outdated values mouthed by the characters quickly become statements we are meant to doubt. At least that's my interpretation. We'll see what finishing the series finally brings.

Finally, the artwork is quite pretty and scenes of horror are matched up well with typical school settings, making everything look perfectly normal while being about as unrealistic as possible. Mizushiro's line work compliments her story extremely well, which is not always true of manga books that I read (or Western comics, for that matter).

Put these four conditions together, and you get a solid manga offering that has a definite beginning and ending, 10 volumes in all. This is a manageable level of content for someone who wants to read a manga but not get bogged down in 40 or more trades to read just to get caught up to the present day.

I'm a fan of After School Nightmare, even if not everyone is. Why not pick up a volume (if you can) and try it for yourself? Shojo fans wanting a twist and those who like psychological horror should definitely give this series a look. I think you'll be glad you did.

rum-muffel

Written by Steve (Rum Lad) and Isy (Morgenmuffel)
Illustrated by Steve (Rum Lad) and Isy (Morgenmuffel)
Self-Published

This zine/mini-comic is a collaboration between two zinesters, neither of whom I'd read before, something that I definitely need to correct soon. The two met together for some travels across the countryside, a DIY festival and more. Part travelogue, part informational comic, our creators alternate pages but things link up amazingly well, despite their slightly differing artistic styles.

After a brief introduction to the comic, Isy begins by relating how she meets up with Steve, and soon the two are hiking in the winter--in exactly the wrong kind of clothes. They carry on, however, and press on to the next part of their trip, tabling together.

Steve's discussion of the joys of tabling are similar to my (very) limited time going to zinefests. They're so much fun to go to, and you always get to meet and talk to interesting people, some of whom are "fest friends," people you see a time or two a year.

The zine ends with some discussion of sustainable food, a noble effort that I wish had more likelihood of being used across the board.

Though I have little connection to their experiences, I was able to understand exactly what Steve and Isy were trying to get across, which shows their skill as writers and illustrators. They both use fine lines, though Steve's work is even finer than Isy's. My only small complaint is that Steve's words are really tiny to read, and I'm starting to get old. Otherwise, this zine looks great and has a compelling story that should appeal to both fans of zines and mini-comics.

I really enjoyed reading this zine, and I definitely will read more from both creators in the future.

Disclosure: I got this copy for free from Black Light Diner, my wife's Zine Distro. If you'd like to buy a copy of rum-muffel, you can order a copy from her.

Sunday Readings 9-26-10

[I haven't done one of these in forever. Time to tweak the format a bit.]

Here's a few odds and ends from this past week that I've been thinking about...

The excellent myth-debunking site Snopes had a feature on the music from the Batman TV show recently. The idea that anyone, particularly Adam West, could think those voices were horns is really beyond me. I had no idea there were so many people involved in the singing of the one-work song, though. A nice bit of trivia for your Sunday morning.

Two of my Twitter pals are trying to understand the visual aspects of manga better via a set of columns. I think this is an awesome idea. You can check out the latest installment here. Speaking only for me, I know I often struggle with how to comment on the visual aspects of a book, whether it's manga or western. Getting two perspectives on the same set of panels is really cool. They'd love for others to jump in on the discussion in the comments section.

I passed on going to two book festivals this weekend, after a lot of thought. While the idea appeals to me, I realized that, no matter what the type of book, I rarely read anything new. Since festivals are all about the new, it just didn't make a lot of sense. I'm usually at least a few years behind, sometimes more, in reading good books. I keep trying to read more currently, but it just never seems to happen. I think part of this is a result of how many different types of books I read. The downside to reading manga, mini-comics, indie stuff, mysteries, horror, and history (just to name a few) is that it's neigh on impossible to keep up. Still, I can't bring myself to stop reading any particular genre, because there's so many good books out there. How do others handle this problem?

No, I didn't write that last paragraph just to use the phrase "neigh on impossible." I did write this paragraph so I could use the phrase twice.

I would never have thought about this as a subject, but All About Manga's Daniella Orihuela-Gruber takes a look at prostitution in manga. It's an interesting read.

Comicsgirl doesn't seem to have that issue with reading behind that I do. Here's her reviews (part one and part two) of her SPX mini-comics pickups. In proof that there's stuff for everyone, we only picked up 1 of of the same titles.

Finally, speaking of mini-comics, I am looking for where people find their mini-comics. Please share in the comments if you have some suggestions and ideas!

The Quite Tame Times of Sir Fluffington McKitty: Bad Date

Written by Sean Kelley
Illustrated by Sean Kelley
Self-published

Sometimes I have to flip through a mini-comic to tell it's something I'm going to like. In other cases, the cover is all I need.

Please look at that cover to this text's left. Now tell me how anyone could pass that up if they saw it at a con. I mean, "Sir Fluffington McKitty?" A tuxedo cat with a bowler? Either might warrant an impulse purchase, but both together? How fast can I hand you my dollar bills?

Needless to say, I picked this one up quickly, and now that I've had time to read it, I'm very glad that I did. Sir McKitty's absolutely droll and mundane adventure is a study in British sketch humor, and it works extremely well on the printed page.

Our hat-wearing protagonist is ready for a night on the town with a new date. He's going to take her to the finest establishments, all to show his affection. But is she up to his standards, or is she just an alley cat looking for a mark? As the story progresses, it's clear that things just aren't going to work out quite right, and the punchline at the end is absolutely perfect.

Sir McKitty's upright stance and proper looks (his patterning even suggests a monocle) contrast so well with his date, and their reactions to the various events of the evening could not be more different. Kelley gives us just the right balance of dialog without overshadowing the pictures. That's a good thing, because his illustrations, such as the one at left, really make this mini-comic worthwhile.

It's hard to go wrong with a premise like Sir McKitty, but Kelley doesn't just leave it at that. This story, while short, has perfect pacing and action, just like a comedy sketch should. You could easily see this as an animated feature on a hip variety show, and I mean that as a compliment.

In addition, the production value is excellent. Despite heavy use of black ink, the pages all look crisp and clear, with no bleeding. I don't normally look at that, because I'm easy to please when it comes to comic production. But the job Kelley did here is so good, it would be a crime not to mention it.

The only thing I can find wrong is that Kelley is not selling these minis on his website. However, you can read an e-version here, along with other McKitty stories. If you are ever at a show where Kelley is producing minis, look up this tale of a night gone wrong. You'll be glad you did!

Ice Haven

Written by Daniel Clowes
Illustrated by Daniel Clowes
Pantheon Press

I know I lose a bit of indie comics reading street cred because i am not a big fan of Ghost World, but for whatever reason I just wasn't able to get into
the characters. However, since everyone including my wife seems to like Daniel Clowes, I figured I'd give him another shot. Turns out that was definitely the right move, as this book worked for me on many levels and showed me why Clowes is so well-regarded as a creator.

Ice haven has the same type of unlikable characters as Ghost World but the addition of style parodies and a variety of quirky (if horrible) characters gives this a feel that differentiates it from its better known cousin. A send up of both old comic strips and Our Town (one of the characters is an unlikable poet with the last name of Wilder), Ice Haven focuses on several
members of the town, each of whom get their own style of comic strip. When one of them goes missing and is presumably killed, a detective strip enters the mix to solve the mystery. Of course, because this is a Clowes book, these new protagonists do not help in any significant way.

Among the brilliant send ups are evil theories about comics from the 1950s, several Charles Schultz pastiches, riffs on old romance strips, soap opera strips, and of course the detective
comics of the period Clowes is aping (my guess is that everything is to mock the Eisenhower years, but I could be off a bit on this analysis). Each of these pieces is drawn in a style designed to be a twisted homage of the artistry that marked those strips, yet also mercilessly making fun of how stilted they were by using them for the worst possible characters Clowes can dream up.

Not one to let anyone off the hook, Clowes even inserts a comic book critic, who is careful to note he only reads comics for adults. (I see this as a subtle jab at Clowes' own readers who steadfastly insist that they only read "important" comics. A man who appears on the Simpsons certainly doesn't take himself too seriously, and neither should his readers.)

Despite the varying style and constantly shifting point of view, the reader is easily able to follow the narrative and Clowes never allows his tricks with style to override his point--namely that an innocent looking town is often the one filled to the brim with petty people leading petty lives. We've seen this idea going back at least to Mark Twain, so it's not exactly original. However I love what Clowes does with it here. The commentary works on so many levels, from the artistic innocence to dark secrets kept until someone gets hurt.

If you weren't a big fan of Ghost World, give this a try. If you do like Clowes and you haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for? This was a great book, and I need to read more of Clowes in the future.

Girl Ninja and Girl Ninja Presents Corporate Ninja Saga

Written by Rebecca Simms (with Patrick Lewis)
Illustrated by Rebecca Simms
Self-Published

Before there were zombies, before there were pirates, there were ninjas. I have a funny feeling that ninjas will outlast both of those other fads, not the least of which is that they are cool to draw.

That's especially true in the case of Girl Ninja, because she's not only stealthy and deadly, she's also a shopaholic that spends most of her time in a mall, dueling with others for fashion rights. Sometimes she's tricked into other locations, such as in the Corporate Ninja Saga, but for the most part, our heroine is looking for a great deal on an expensive purse, and yes, she'll cut you if you get in her way.

The premise of Girl Ninja, which is also a webcomic, should produce a lot of laughs. After all, what good are your ninja skills if you can't get out of the upscale mall? Simms finds ways to keep her character battling, but sometimes they're a bit contrived. I was also a bit disappointed that the jokes reinforce negative female stereotypes about clothes. I think it would have been funnier if the ninja stopped other women from falling into the traps of corporate consumerism.

But hey, it's not my comic, and I can't draw with a darn. That's not true of Simms, who uses an eastern-influenced style in her character design within a more traditionally western layout. Girl Ninja and her cast are sleekly presented, if a bit stiff at times. The visuals are often a big part of the gags, such as when the ninja reacts to a hairdresser's scissors.

I thought the first book was okay, if not spectacular. The strips felt a bit forced to end at 4 panels, because of the webcomic trappings, which is a bit unfortunate. (If you are doing a continuing story, there's no need to cut off the joke or hasten the punchline.) Some of the jokes were pretty good, and I liked the setting. Unfortunately, the Corporate Ninja Saga bogs down pretty badly early on, and took some of the luster off this series for me. The commentary on office life is pretty standard and that means that the payoff needed to be bigger. Sadly, it just sort of peters out, feeling kind of like the storytellers boxed themselves in and needed to find a way out but weren't able to do it cleanly.

Overall, Girl Ninja isn't bad, and those more likely to be okay with typical girl-boy humor definitely should check this out, as I think they'll find a lot to like about the series. I may check in on the webcomic version to see how things have progressed. Ms. Simms's art works well for this premise, and I'd be curious to see how time has changed the pacing and story.

These mini-comics may be not be the best way to approach the material. If you're curious to see what Girl Ninja is about, head over to the webcomic version. After all, it won't cost you anything to look. You may find a new favorite, or you may just find it okay, as I did.

Poopsheet Foundation is Back

After a brief hiatus to upgrade the site, Rick Bradford's Poopsheet Foundation is back in operation.

The new site features a slicker interface, with many of the old features, such as the ability to upload photos and be friends with different users on the site, still intact. An old-school forum takes the place of the former blog, from what I can see, but this allows for more topics of discussion and allows the reviews to be situated in their own forum for easy reference and commentary.

Poopsheet's focus is on mini-comics, and often features reviews on works that you would not be able to preview elsewhere. Some are fairly well-known, such as Moore's Dodgem Logic, while others probably can only be found in small pockets of the country.

There are also forums for zines, conventions, artwork and more. If you want to buy some mini-comics, Mr. Bradford does this as well and you can find his store in the shopping section.

Though I am a generalist by nature, it's nice to see a site like Poopsheet that gives mini-comics their day in the sun. If you are interested in reading more about the format, definitely have a look-see and maybe even register for the forums to make a comment or two.

[Disclosure: I am an occasional reviewer for Poopsheet.]

Hello, Again

Written by Max Estes
Illustrated by Max Estes
Top Shelf

William is a man that, like so many other people, has a life that isn't quite how he hoped it would be. Harboring a dark secret and fooling around with a friend's fiance, Willy is not exactly leading a charmed life.

How to fix that problem? Well, sometimes a guilty conscience isn't the worst thing to have, as Willy will soon see.

Most of the comic is devoted to Willy's look at his life from a frank perspective. Starting on the day he was part of a group of kids that does a terrible deed, Willy has slowly made his life worse. Whether or not he can turn things around is a question that's only partially answered, as the focus is on the mental lightbulb that goes off for Willy, whether he wanted it to or not.

I enjoy reading stories that look at a person's life, but this one just didn't grab me. The problem, I think, is that Willy's just not all that interesting. When we meet him, he's basically a borish jerk who is committing one of the things that really gets to me--cheating. The story tries to make him a better person, but when things don't work out quite how Willy hopes, it's hard for me to feel sorry for him, or even care that's it happening at all.

I understand that Willy is meant to be a wimpy guy, but he's just too wimpy. I don't want him to win, and I don't care if he loses, and that's a real problem for me. It just doesn't make for an interesting comic, at least for me.

The story itself is paced pretty well, and Estes' artwork does the job while still being fluid enough to keep the whole thing seeming like a dream, which works nicely with the theme. He does a great job of making Willy look like a pretty miserable man, which again fits the point of the narrative.

Unfortunately, the problem for me is that the narrative just doesn't have anything that spurs my interest, as the progression from child who hides a crime to a man who lies on a regular basis just isn't shown. I think that would have made a huge difference in terms of my enjoyment. Hello, Again just wasn't what I look for in a story, but if you like stories where the protagonist must take a good hard look at himself, this might be something for you to try.

Essential Super-Villain Team Up

Written by a lot of people, including Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart, Bill Mantlo, Jim Shooter, and Roy Thomas
Illustrated by even more people, including John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Gene Colan, Keith Giffen, Carmine Infanto, George Perez, Jim Shooter, Herb Trimpe, and Wally Wood

I love the Essentials series because I get to read old comics that I'd never have a chance to read otherwise. Given how violent and "edgy" most capes comics are now, even the ones written by the many good creators working today, it's always fun to go back and read stories from the days when heroes only threatened to kill, but never did.

This collection was especially interesting to me, because it's an attempt by Marvel to start working with the idea of anti-heroes, a concept that would gain a lot of traction in the 1980s. Dr. Doom is a famous villain, but he's also a man of honor, however twisted. Namor was both hero and villain for many years up to the point, even having his own series for awhile. Pairing the two prideful people together should have been a match made in heaven, but the trouble is, there's just no consistency.

The writers listed above are wonderful people, but their styles don't match at all. Thomas looks to the past, while Conway looks to the present. Peter Gillis' warped scripting is light years away from Englehart's more traditional framing. If the stories were self-contained, this wouldn't be a problem. But even though we're talking about four different titles, there is an overarching plot that ties everything together--and that plot is strained to the breaking point by the varying perspectives.

There are some cool moments here, most notably Conway's story that completely humanizes Doom as he vies for his mother's soul. Tony Isabella, someone I don't even know, works from this page, but as the story changes hands, Doom becomes less and less sympathetic until he's pitted against the Red Skull, and really, who doesn't look good compared to him?

Those latter issues are by the usually reliable Mantlo, who fails miserably here. The collection falls off the rails in a crossover with the Champions where humanity can only be saved by Magneto and the Beast, because Doom uses gas to get everyone under his thrall. It's Magneto he chooses to keep free, rather than Richards, for one last challenge. Really?

Englehart's issues are also a bit suspect. They lose some of the depth and add a Batman clone, the Shroud. Part of the big issue is a desire to really integrate the series into the Marvel Universe, kind of like a big crossover, but without the level of editing care we'd see when items such as Secret Wars got started. Characters run in and out of the books, often crowding our two main characters to the sidelines.

It's all just a bit too muddled, and the art doesn't help. Again, it's a who's who of Marvel stars, but when you add in the lesser names and the fact that some of the others look rushed, the end result is disappointing.

Overall, the idea of Doom and Namor interacting while debating a partnership, is a pretty cool idea. Had it remained the two of them, working with only a few writers and artists, I think thin would have been a great series. As it is, it's just okay. There are flashes, such as when Namor and Doom wrestle with their desire to be their own man and their constant failures when they try. Had these issues been more psychological, they'd stand out. Instead, they're just more comics featuring characters I like doing things that really aren't all that special.

I'm not sure I'd call these issues Essential, but I enjoyed reading them to see how the concept played out. I don't think I'd recommend it to others, unless you're really in to Marvel comics of the 1970s. Put another way, they are stories I am glad I read, but I don't see any big need to re-read in the future. You'll probably feel the same way, should you decide to find out.

Recommendations for the Drawn and Quarterly Sale

Missed the Small Press Expo? That's okay, Top Shelf and Drawn and Quarterly are giving you a chance to make up for it by holding some big sales this month. Despite being a regular at SPX these days, I love these sales as a chance to pick up either older books that I've missed or to take a second look at a comic I was considering in the past.

You can reach Drawn and Quarterly's sale here. It's running through September 27th.

Here's a few things I'd grab, if I were you...

Aya of Yop City and Aya the Secrets Come Out are both absolute steals at $10 each. Here's my review of the first book in this series.

I've only read shorter works by Gabrielle Bell, but I've liked everything I've read by her. D&Q has two of her book-length comic collections on sale, and if you like autobiographical comics, hers are very good.

Didn't grab Dan Clowes' Wilson yet? You can do so for $15.37 and get in on one of the top books for the year.

I had a few issues with Hicksville, but it was still a great book. Fans of old capes comics will find the winks and nods irresistible. You can find my review here.

Several Moomin books are on sale, and if I can fit it in my budget, I'm going to give the series a shot. I've heard lots of good things, but never read one myself. You can fix my mistake now, at a pretty healthy discount.

My wife is always reminding me to read John Porcellino's works, and her ability to judge the quality of zines is second to none, given her lengthy experience in the zine world. Both of Mr. Porcellino's books are on sale right now, and you should trust her judgment and pick one up for yourself.

I read Wimbledon Green a looooong time ago, so long I'm pretty sure it was before I was even doing reviews. It's Seth's book about collecting comics, and like Hicksville, there's a lot of references for long-time comics geeks. Definitely worth grabbing, I need to re-read it some day.

Masterpiece Comics on sale? Man, these comics companies really love their fans! This parody of both classic literature and classic comics is one of the best things I've read in ages. If you haven't picked this up yet, go for it right now!

Rounding up my recommendations is A Drifting Life, the massive manga autobiography that has gotten rave reviews from those brave enough to read the entire thing. Someday, that will be me as well. If you're into comics history, this is a great pickup.

There are a lot of other great comics in this sale, but these are the ones that catch my eye. Happy buying, and even happier reading!

Recommendations for the Top Shelf $3 Sale

Missed the Small Press Expo? That's okay, Top Shelf and Drawn and Quarterly are giving you a chance to make up for it by holding some big sales this month. Despite being a regular at SPX these days, I love these sales as a chance to pick up either older books that I've missed or to take a second look at a comic I was considering in the past.

You can reach Top Shelf's sale site here. It's running through September 24th.

Top Shelf's $3 and up sale may not have a lot left for me that I don't already own, but here's some things for you to get if you don't have them already.

The Non-$3 Stuff:

Eddie Campbell is an amazing artist, and the Alec: The Years Have Pants collection, while being $20 instead of $3, is a book I've been coveting for some time. I'll be grabbing this one finally, as the artist who might best be known for working with Alan Moore is fast becoming one of my personal favorites.

If Rick Kosolowski's King is anything to go by, then you'll enjoy BB Wolf and the 3 LPs and Three Fingers, which feature some re-imagining of some familiar characters. They're both $10, and are high on my to-read list.

I really enjoyed Carnet de Voyage by Jason Thompson, as his introspective travelogue takes the reader to places that I have a feeling I'll never make it to in my life. This is $10 well spent if you are a big fan of travel writing. The illustrations make this even better than reading a "book book" as I like to call them.

Unlikely and Undeleted Scenes, both by Jeffrey Brown, can give you your fill of autobiographical comics. Each is $10, and you can read my review of Unlikely here.

The $3 Titles:

At only $3 each, the Surrogates and its prequel, Flesh and Bone, are an absolute steal. These are great noir-inspired stories with a sci-fi feel. My reviews are here and here.

I mentioned King above, and I'm happy to see it's part of the sale, too. This story, that may or may not be the lost last years of a rather famous singer, is a tale of faith and redemption, and is amazingly deep. My review is here.

Fox Bunny Funny is another story that's deeper than it looks. It's a cute allegory at first and then moves in more philosophical directions. I raved about this one, and I should re-read it soon.

You can grab the "lighter" side of Jeffrey Brown by checking out Sulk. All three volumes are in the sale.

This sale is also a chance to sample James Kochalka. There are lots of smaller sketchbook diaries as well as a few others. Any one of them is worth a look.

These are just some of the items in the sale that I wanted to highlight. Some are on my to-read shelves (that never seem to shrink!), like Van Helsing's Night Off and Trenches. If you're putting together an order, take some chances. Grab a book or two that looks interesting that you know nothing about. It's only going to cost you a cup of coffee or two if you're wrong. If you're right, that's a new favorite creator to add to your list.

Tomorrow, we'll look at Drawn and Quarterly's sale.

SPX 2010 Review

It's hard to believe that my favorite show of the year, the Small Press Expo, is already over with for 2010, at least for me. We made a tough decision to only go for one day this time, since with my new responsibilities I need one day per weekend to have time to sit down and work. After all, if I'm not working, it's awfully hard to support my comic habit. ;)

Some folks reading this will already be getting themselves some breakfast and preparing for another day of fun, and though I know this was the right call, I'm definitely a bit envious. Enjoy your day, guys!

The first thing that was strange for me is that I didn't have to get up at 7am to make it to SPX on time this year. With my new, closer location, I was able to relax a bit and be nice and refreshed for the show itself. I think it made a big difference--I was not as fatigued at all by the time the show was closing, even though I hadn't eaten anything for hours.

SPX seemed a little less crowded this year in comparison to 2009. I felt like I had an easier time overall negotiating the hall, especially at the start of the day. That might just be my inability to gauge crowds, though. I'll wait to see what what others say. I love the venue, however, and the extremely well organized show. People always know where to go, and the staff is extremely polite. There was plenty of room in the aisles, too, which was nice. I hate being on top of people all day. After so many years, I think SPX does a great job of getting things right, with the exception of cross-programming, which can make panel decisions quite difficult.

The only thing I noticed, especially as the day went on, is that while it's cool that the webcomics folks tend to be grouped together, it makes for very crowded parts of the show. There were times when I couldn't get near to buy things from anyone around the Malki!-Beaton-Goats-et all region of the show. That's not helpful for the creators, the show, or the fans, and I hope that the organizers think about breaking things up a a bit more.

I have no data on this of course, but from looking around the past few years, it doesn't seem like there is much of a crossover between webcomics readers and mini-comics/indie comics readers as I wish there were. Mixing the booths up might help each fanbase try something new. Just as superhero comic readers seem as a rule to only stick to their comfort zones, it feels like a lot of the attendees at SPX only stick to those items they can relate to, whether it's swarming the Fantagraphics table or picking up anything with a simple cardstock cover or nabbing a sketch from the Questionable Content guy.

This leads me to something that came up at the critic's panel, the only one I attended at SPX this year. It seems, particularly in critical circles, that there is a strong bias towards specializing. If you look at a lot of reviewers, they tend to specialize in one particular area. This leads to some interesting issues when they review outside their comfort zones, as many manga fans will tell you. The impression I got, which I may be totally wrong on, is that it's implied that the best way to be a comics fan--and to be able to talk about comics on a high level--is to only like and read one particular kind of comic sub-genre. With so many comics out there, if you try to read too much, you're going to miss out on good material.

I've wrestled with this one a lot, but here's the thing: If you only read one type of comics, think of the ones you miss! I can't imagine giving up manga to make sure I read everything Oni Press puts out, much as I love Oni's stuff. I just feel that sticking to a sub-genre or two leads to both missing great comics and to being snobbish about your specialty, and that bothers me more than anything I might omit by reading as much as I can of everything.

But that's a discussion for another day. I'd love to hear what others think.

The critic's panel was much better this year, and had more open discussion. I'm glad they retooled things, but I also wish they'd shrink the total number of panelists. All seven folks got to talk, but no one had a lot of time. There was a lot of discussion of the idea of quality, comics cannon, and print versus online reviewing/commentary. If I could have said one thing to the group, I think it would be that the internet is here to stay, and working with it, rather than sniping at it, is probably a better strategy. I'm just saying.

It was a hard call on my part to only go to one panel, but given my time constraints, I decided to spend more time looking at books and talking to creators. Had I stayed for Sunday, I'd have checked out more of them. I hope those who came to both days of the show took some time out to hear panels on Jamie Hernandez, Kate Beaton, kids comics, and more.

The vendors area was as lively as ever, and from informal discussions, folks appeared to be doing pretty well. I noticed several tweets on the #SPX hashtag with creators mentioning various sold out books, and at least one person who felt they'd had their best sales day. Given that the economy isn't the best, that's great news.

It was a lot of fun to get to see some folks that I remembered or whom I chat with from time to time on Twitter. I was also happy to grab new things from them, adding to the never-ending "to read" and "to review" lists. I'll get to as much as I can as soon as I can. There's a lot of great books I'm just itching to read. I hope my reviews, even the less-than-positive ones, help draw some attention to what you do. Even if I don't love the book, I always appreciate the hard work. I know what goes into making a comic and I know that thanks to a lot of you.

In general, I thought the quality of the artists represented was quite high. Even though I didn't always buy--after all, I do have some semblance of a budget--I saw a lot of books that were well crafted and well drawn. It was rare for me to put down a book before I didn't care for the drawings inside. Most of the time, my decision not to purchase came because I just wasn't into the concept of the comic. That's a good problem to have, since there's all kind of people at SPX with all kinds of different tastes.

If I had one disappointment from SPX this year, it was that I didn't find a lot of opportunities to sample new creators. A lot of the folks I hadn't seen before had comics that looked cool, but the entry price to see if I enjoyed their work was just too high for me. I realize that making comics costs money (see my paragraph above), but if you don't have something small for me to sample, it's hard for me to find out.

The best advice I can give, as a person who *wants* to buy lots of comics from unfamiliar names, is to give me a $1, $2, or even $3 comic to try you out. If I like it, I'll be back, I'll be telling others, and I'll even see if maybe I can order it from you on Etsy or something. If your comics are $7 or $10, I'm going to look, but you'll have to knock my socks off to get me to reach for my wallet, when a few dollars more gets me something from NBM or Top Shelf or any other number of places that have a reputation already established.

I don't say this to discount your efforts. I'm just offering this out there as something to think about. You're working hard and want to be rewarded accordingly. In a lot of cases, the comics looked appealing, but there's more to comics than just the art, and it's rude to read it in front of you. Postcards and bookmarks are fine to get me to come to your site, but it's the actual physical books I remember the most.

Overall, I had yet another wonderful time at SPX this year. I don't have a lot of shows to compare it to, but I am always impressed by the civility displayed at the show. People apologize if they bump into you! There are a wide variety of people in terms of age and gender. I'm sure it still happens but you don't get the sense that every man at the show wants to ogle the girls. You can take the kids, though be careful which comics they pick up. It's a safe, welcoming environment.

SPX is like going to a family reunion without having to bring lukewarm potato salad. I can't wait to go back next year!

The SPX 2010 Haul

I just got home from yet another great trip to the Small Press Expo, which continues tomorrow. You can still make it!

It was a one-day show this year for me, but I packed as much as I could into that one day. This post is dedicated to listing what I picked up this year. I think I came home with just about everything I was hoping to get, which is pretty darned cool.

Top Shelf Owns My Soul:

Undeleted Scenes by Jeffrey Brown
The Playwright by Eddie Campbell and Daren White
Far Arden by Kevin Cannon
Hey Princess by Mats Jonsson
Moving Pictures by Kathryn & Stuart Immonen
The Troll King by Kolbeinn Karlsson
Dragon Puncher by James Kochalka
Ax by Various

Other Bigger Books:

Freewheel by Liz Baillie
Never Trust Anything from History by Kate Beaton
Trickster edited by Matt Dembicki
Cat and Girl Volume 1 by Dorothy Gambrell
Love and Rockets New Stories #3 by the Hernandez Brothers
The Annotated Wondermark by David Malki!
Afrodisiac by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca
Broadcast by Eric Hobbs and Noel Tuazon
My Mommy is in America and She Met Buffalo Bill by Jean Regnaud and Emile Bravo
The Walking Man by Jiro Taniguchi
Korea as Viewed by 12 Creators by Various
Cavemen in Space by Joey Weiser

Mini-Comics and Stuff:

Cometbus 53 and Mixed Reviews by Aaron Cometbus
Magic Bullet #1 by the DC Conspiracy
Xoc #4 by Matt Dembicki
One Year in Indiana 1 and 2 by Kurt Dinse
The Worst Kind of People 3 by James Cuerto
Stitching Together by Ed Choy Moorman
The Very Real Story of a Real...Gay Kid by Katie Omberg
Great Caution by Nate Powell
A to Z in the Monstrous Manual and Brood by Bill Roundy
Alpha City Comics Issues 1 and 2 by Kevin Sciretta and Neil Brideau
The Cat Came Back by Tim Stout and Laura Terry
Blammo by Noah Van Sciver
Booty #24 by Anne T
Carnival Anthology by Various
Daily Catch by Various
Messed Up Fairy Tales by Various
Mix Tape Vol 1 by Various
Rabbit Shadows by Jason Viola
The Ghosts, Head to Head, and Wiegle for Tarzan by Matt Wiegle

Whew! That's a lot of reading! Can't wait to get started! Did you get some of the same, or other things? Share in the comments, I'd love to hear. I am always looking for new things to grab at future shows!

SPX 2010 Preview: Creators You Should Visit

The Small Press Expo is almost here, and in my final preview post, I wanted to highlight some of the creators who will be there with cool stuff that I think you should check out. There's so much, I need two posts to do it!

I just want to mention here that everyone who tables at SPX has worked so very hard on what they are presenting to you, and also, paying for that privilege. Take some time to look at unfamiliar things when you are there. I always find a few new gems every year, and you will, too.

Also, I apologize in advance, because I'm sure I'm going to miss someone I wanted to include here. The trouble with lists is that it's always so easy to omit something. Kinda like going to the grocery store, and realizing you forgot to buy more eggs.

So let's get started, shall we? I'm going to use alphabetical order, just to be nice and neat.

Kate Beaton is a person who's really on the rise, and deservedly so. Her webcomic features all sorts of historical figures acting rather sarcastically. I need to do a full review some day, but for now, just have a look at her stuff. History buffs really owe it to themselves to do so.

Anthony Clark is the man behind a twisted webcomic that haunts my RSS feed, Nedroid Picture Diary. His characters are horrible to each other, and that's the key to keeping me reading on a regular basis.

James Cuartero can make you feel a lot better about yourself, with his series, The Worst Kind of People. Enjoy laughing at the horrible actions of others. It's therapeutic!

I'm going to put in a general plug here for the gang at the DC Conspiracy, a loose collective of comics creators from the Washington area. I don't have all their stuff, but I really dig most of what I've picked up from their tables. They're definitely worth spending some time at, to see what might interest you.

Matt Dembicki should be somewhere near the DC Conspiracy folks, with his mini-comic series Xoc, about the adventures of a great white shark in its natural habitat. Dembicki also has an anthology of Native America tales, Trickster, that looks pretty cool.

Roger Langridge is listed as being at the show as an exhibitor, and I really hope that's true, because I want to meet the man behind the flabergastingly awesome Muppet Show comic, which was one of my favorite comics of 2009. I've yet to read anything by Langridge I didn't like.

Sara Lindo's Lobotomy tells a touching story of two brains, and was one of my favorite pickups last year at SPX.

David Malki! uses all sorts of vintage sources to put together Wondermark, a webcomic that is one part old-school Wendy's table, one part absurd, and several parts hysterical. When Victorian men discuss blogs, hilarity inevitably ensues.

Katie Omberg has a lovely sense of humor that comes out in her comics. She does a mix of styles, and I'll be curious to see what she has available this year.

Tim Piotrowski was out of Kool Aid Man Gets Fired last year. I hope he's got it this year, because it's one of the funniest minis I've read, and I want more folks to see how good it is. Beware of being a commercial icon past your prime!

Rafer Roberts is the main man behind Plastic Farm, a completely twisted story that weaves in and out of several narratives, only to show why everything from start to finish has been so important. And that's just in book one! I love the complex nature of this series, and am happy it's continuing to grow. I took a chance on the trade, and it was well worth it. Roberts also has a mini I haven't reviewed yet, about zombie dope fiends. See why I like this guy so much? Oh, and he's also a DC Conspirator.

Bill Roundy has a number of fun mini-comics, dealing with everything from pirates to the troubles of being a gay superhero. He also writes diary comics, for those who enjoy that genre (I know I do).

Tom Scioli draws in the style of the King, Jack Kirby. His work stands out from the rest of SPX as a result, because there aren't a lot of people doing what Scioli does, at least not at this level of quality. He creates space epics in the old-school cape comic tradition, and fans of those stories by Kirby, Starlin, and others should really dig his stuff.

I can't tell if the Subterranean folks will be at SPX this year or not, but I've enjoyed their anthologies for the past few years, so I'm listing them there as a group to check out. Look for the really impressive silkscreen covers, which are hard to miss.

Raina Telgemeier's Smile should really win some book awards, at least if I had something to say about it. (I don't.) This look at growing up and dealing with being different through no choice of your own really registered with me. It probably helps that we're roughly the same age.

Rob Ullman is a big hockey fan, and a Penguins fan to boot, so I may be a bit biased here in telling you to go see him. But if you like hockey too, his mini on the sport is really cool. Rob also draws very pretty women, and those who are fans of the female form should check out his table for his comics of that kind. Rob's women are not only very attractive, they also look like real people. More creators could learn from that.

Matt Wiegle is up for an Ignantz this year. See why with any one of his mini-comics, but I particularly recommend Seven Days of Not Getting Eaten. He has a plethora of mini-c0mics in all sorts of styles, from the serious to the silly. If you need a guide to bacon, this is the man to see.

Joey Weiser may be towards the end of this list, but don't let that stop you. Grab some Mermin while the series is still new, and be sure to check out Cavemen in Space, a book I'm definitely looking forward to getting on Saturday.

Xoc Numbers 1, 2, and 3

Written by Matt Dembicki
Illustrated by Matt Dembicki
Self-Published

It's really hard for me to get into a nature comic, so I was not 100% sure about Xoc. However, I took a quick peek at the insides and was impressed enough to give it a try.

I'm really glad I did, because Dembicki's ongoing comic about a great white shark's quest to cross the ocean is not only an intriguing one, it's also informative, and beautifully illustrated, to boot.

Xoc is another name for shark, and is most likely (as Dembicki explains), our source for the name of these incredible dangerous creatures. We meet our protagonist on the better side of an attack on some small mammals, and in short order, our shark is crossing the ocean and encountering everything from a crafty tortoise to killer whales to jellyfish.

Like a good nature documentary, our story informs us of the surroundings, either with narrative boxes or by brief snippets of dialog, primarily between the shark and the tortoise. We see the life of the sea from the perspective of a sea creature, and it works very well for the reader.

Perhaps the best example of this is when our shark meets up with the great garbage reef. I'd heard of it before, but Dembicki's portrayal is both well drawn and horrifying, all at the same time. There is quiet commentary on humanity here, but it's not preachy. Dembicki lets the facts stand for themselves. We are to appreciate nature, but that comes from the narrative organically, not with a sledgehammer.

I mentioned there is dialog, but those who aren't fond of talking animals should still check this comic out. The animals speak only in terms of how they might if they had speech. They are *not* anthropomorphized at all. These are not Disney sea creatures; they see life and death as Dembicki imagines they would. It helps to keep the comic flowing, and I thought it worked well.

My only "complaint" is that issue 3 (not pictured) ends on a cliffhanger, and I really want to know what happens next. Otherwise, this was a very solid mini-comic find that I'm quite pleased to own, and I definitely recommend it to others, especially if you like nature documentaries. Xoc is a well-drawn comic that will remind you fondly of Nature or other similar programs. Grab a copy for yourself--you'll be glad you did.

You can pick up a copy of Xoc at the Small Press Expo on September 11th and 12th!

The Worst Kind of People Issues 1 and 2

Written by James Cuartero
Illustrated by James Cuartero
Self-Published

Sometimes you read comics to learn about different cultures or time periods. Sometimes you read comics to be entertained by fantasy. There are times when you read comics to share painful moments with a stranger willing to reveal themselves to an anonymous reader.

And then there are times when you read comics to feel superior as a human being.

That's the best reason--though certainly not the only one--to read The Worst Kind of People, a set of mini-comics that feature some truly awful people getting into some terrible situations.

There's the teacher who sells her students' art as vintage work on E-bay for instance, or the man who quite literally is messing around with his video game system. Or Emo kid who won't change, regardless of his age. Some folks are cruel, like the man who commits his wife for a bad dinner and others are just plain stupid--see the situation depicted in larger detail from the cover image.

Cuartero manages to capture truly awful people quite nicely, which either means he's very observant or a total jerk in real life. Since he was nice enough when I was buying the comics, I'm going to guess the former.

His comics all feature things we can relate to, taken to the extreme. Fake Facebook status updates lead to a work fight while another person refuses to be supportive of another's plans. A grown man wants toys from Santa, while another uses his aged mother to get a better parking spot.

These are the kinds of folks who exist in real life, though probably not quite so violently as depicted here. There are cheaters and jerks and creeps strewn across both volumes, drawn just well enough for us to get the point of the extremely short, one page stories.

If you want to get a cheap laugh at others' expense, pick up a copy of The Worse Kind of People. It will make you feel better, even though that makes you little better than those in the comic. It's that little part that makes all the difference.

You can find The Worst Kind of People at SPX.

SPX 2010 Preview: Publishers You Should Visit Part 2

As part of my run-up to the Small Press Expo, I'm going to be featuring some things that I think you need to check out when you're at the show. Today I'm going to finish my look at the "bigger" (big being a relative term when you're looking at independent presses) publishers and talk about some of things I think you should find at their booths. A few of these of these I already own, some my wife has read and enjoyed, and of course there are things I'll be considering purchasing myself, budget permitting.

It was so hard choosing only a few things to recommend! If anyone else has any ideas, please leave them in the comments!

NBM

I was delighted to discover that NBM was coming to SPX this year. NBM seems to fly under the radar a bit, which is a shame. I'm pretty sure I skipped their table last year, a mistake I won't be making again.

Things to look for: To the left is a brand new book that's debuting at SPX and sounds great. I don't know anything about Eric Hobbs or Noel Tuazon, but The Broadcast, about a family dealing with what they think is the War of the Worlds sounds really cool. I definitely want to check it out.

These are the folks who publish Rick Geary's excellent crime books, which I definitely recommend if they have any handy. Old-fashioned block illustrations meet killer intentions in Geary's tales, from Lizzie Bordon to Charles Lindbergh. You might also get lucky and be able to pick up some of the Dungeon series, too. Start with Zenith first, but don't hesitate to experiment. Lewis Trondheim is pretty prolific and imaginative, to boot. They also have books by David B and political agitator Ted Rall. There's plenty of good stuff to be had from NBM, and I urge you to see what books might interest you there.

Oni Press

Oni Press is the home of this little comic series called Scott Pilgrim. Perhaps you've heard of it? All jokes aside, I'm quite happy for Oni Press that they've had yet another book make it to movie form, even if the ticket sales haven't been the best. I'm a bit concerned because I can't find anything about Oni actually being at SPX this year, which would be a shame. Their books are priced at a very affordable level, and in my experience are usually quite good. I hope it's just an omission on the vendor list. [EDITED TO ADD: Oni will not be at SPX this year, which is a shame. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't grab these books anyway some other time!]

Things to look for (if they are at the show): Don't worry about Pilgrim, you can get that anywhere. Try some of Oni's series on for size. There's my current favorite, Salt Water Taffy, about two boys learning that living in a land of legends might be the coolest thing that ever happened to them. I've heard nothing but good things about the Crogan Adventures, and was hoping to grab that this year. Like Greg Rucka? So does Oni, with Queen and Country as well as Whiteout. If you like manga-influenced comics with a lot of sarcastic wit, Blue Monday is perfect for you. Best of all, as I mentioned, most of these books are fairly inexpensive, which means you can stock up on a few and pick out your favorites. That's worked well for me over the years, and I look forward to being able to do it again.

Top Shelf

Top Shelf is the home of two of my favorite alternative cartoonists, James Kochalka and Jeffrey Brown. But that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Things to look for: AX is at the top of my want list for SPX this year. I've known about this alternative manga collection for awhile now, since it got delayed a bit in production. It's a chance to see manga that's probably a bit too edgy to end up on the shelves at Border's, and I'm so glad Top Shelf is taking a chance on it. Manga/alternative comics fans need to make this one a big seller, so we can have more.

Speaking of Moore (terrible pun, I know), Alan's zine is going to available as well, Dodgem Logic. I'm really not sure what to think about this one, but I may give it a try. Let me know what you think if you do.

Jeffrey Brown's newest, Undeleted Scenes should be available, though unfortunately he won't be making the trip this year. [Edited thanks to info change.] I'd also suggest grabbing Incredible Change Bots and maybe even Cat Getting Out of a Bag.

I got a copy of BB Wolf and the 3 LPS recently, and can't wait to read it. I loved artist Rich Koslowski's King, and if you can grab a copy of that book, too, don't hesitate. Elvis will thank you.

As you can see, there's a lot out there, and that's just from the bigger names. Tomorrow, we'll examine some of the individual artists I think you should seek out, with some links to past reviews.

7 Minicomics by Matt Wiegle

Written and Illustrated by Matt Wiegle
Murder: Written by Sean T. Collins and Illustrated by Matt Wiegle, Matt Rota, and Josiah Leighton
Self-Published

Matt Wiegle was one of the first mini-comics creators I picked up material from back at SPX 2008, my first visit to the show. I liked them quite a bit, and made sure to get more of his books last year. The following is a brief review of the seven books I have so far. Mr. Wiegle is pretty prolific, so there's a lot of mini-comics to choose from. I think these books are a pretty representative sample.

Is it Bacon? reminds me of a 1950s informational short. We are told we are being given "the gateway to bacon" just like those old film reels, and the text and illustrations match up with the theme nicely. This one had me laughing from start to finish, and I am pretty sure I will never mistake trees for bacon ever again. You have to love a comic that keeps throwing jokes out there, right up until the last page.

Why Did I Put This Town on My Face? is yet another comics with a question mark in the title. This one captures a variety of short projects, including one from Elfworld. The opener, "A Story," is just funny in how it ends so abruptly, and "Salt Lick" is just a cool idea. The story about prairie dogs reminds me of something Kate Beaton would do and a tale of a tattooed man is just offbeat enough to work. (David Bowie identifying a formerly animated portrait of himself is a great moment.)

This book really shows Wiegle's range, from the strange to the silly to the crude, and is probably the best thing to pick up if you want to see if he's the kind of cartoonist you want to follow from comic to comic.

I wish Your Karate Vacation was a bit longer, but the jokes are perfect. Watch as a master of karate moves from place to place, bringing his skills into play to ensure the best possible vacation. If you follow his directions, you, too, can enjoy rest and relaxation--in jail. Another nice parody comic, with really funny illustrations to match the text.

Monsters & Condiments was a bit of a disappointment for me. I think it might have worked better with a splash of color, even if it had added to the comic's cost. There are some inspired matches, such as Lovecraftian guacamole, but the contrast just isn't there to get the full effect of the silliness. However, for some reason, I now have a strong urge for fish sticks...

Sean T. Collins takes the writing reins for Murder, which also has cameos by two other artists. This was one of the ones I grabbed in 2008, and I think it opened my eyes to what mini-comics can do.

The opening story, "Destructor Comes to Croc Town" was one of my favorites from Elfworld, reminding me favorably of a Jason book. Effectively a silent work, Wiegle does a great job showing the action going on in the tale. Destructor returns in a nifty prison break that features all sorts of delightful creatures.

There's a definite sense of the macabre in the next two stories, and I'm still not sure I understand "The Real Killers are Still Out There" even after re-reading it a few times. "Kitchen Sink" shows a total lack of morality in the most banal way possible, which I thought was really cool.

This collection isn't going to be for everyone, as the quality is, I think, a little uneven. Wiegle's art is far more advanced than the other two contributors, and that hurts the flow. Still, that Destructor story is so good, I'd say pick this one up just for that tale alone.

Underpanting seems like it has its roots in a Gorey anthology. A pair of haunted underpants brings doom to all who wear it, along with a few cartoons featuring folks in their skivvies. It's cute, but the joke wears thin after awhile. I love the last two pages, though, where we even get a brief-wearing Pacman in a set of sketches featuring everything from a flamingo to a cactus sporting boxers or briefs.

Last up is my favorite Wiegle book so far, Seven Days of Not Getting Eaten. The most fleshed out of any of the mini-comics I have from him so far, it follows the story of a very clever fish who is able to outwit the humans who want to turn him into dinner, at least for a week.
The fish uses all sorts of tricks that have their inspiration in fairy tales, folk tales, and other legends, from requesting he wear a different fish suit ("I always wanted to die a trout") to logical arguments (get a bigger net) to some dumb luck. But will his schemes get him into a fine kettle of fish, when some of his victims dabble in the dark arts at his request?

Silly and simple, yet with a great plot that ties up neatly in the end, Seven Days is the mini-comic I'd most recommend for those new to Mr. Wiegle's work. When I read this one back in 2008, I knew I'd found a creator who made things I'd enjoy. Several other comics later, I'm ready to go back for more in 2010.

Matt Wiegle has been nominated for an Ignantz this year, and I wish him the best of luck. You can find him at the Small Press Expo September 11th and 12th, 2010 or pick up his comics here. Try a few, and see what you think. I bet you'll be glad you did!

Triple Play Number 1 and Triple Play Number 2

Written by Corey Sauer
Illustrated by Corey Sauer
Self-Published

It's September, a time when baseball settles in to a few teams walking away with their championships and a few others trying like mad to grab the glory.

Any team I root for is long since out of it, so at this time of year, I turn to baseball literature for my solace. I picked up these mini-comics a little while back, and figured now would be a good time to read them.

Corey Sauer really loves baseball. He loves it so much that in these two issues, he's even willing to let others see his admittedly limited poetry ability. They are by no means the worst poetry I've ever read, but they definitely wouldn't win any awards.

Sauer's sketches, on the other hand, are a completely different manner. Portrayals of classic players from Honus Wagner to Hank Aaron are rendered in detail so well that you could use them as photo references. I could pick out the names before reading the captions, which is always sign of skill as a portrait artist. For those less familiar with the names of the former national pastime's pantheon of greats, Sauer provides a brief biography under each picture.

There is definitely a sense of nostalgia in these pages. The players featured are all older, and the poems focus on things like inside pitches and knuckleballs. Sauer clearly looks backward to baseball before the scandals of today.

I really wish Sauer had concentrated on the pictures and less on the words (they're split about 50-50), because the drawings are so much better than the poetry. If so, I'd definitely tell any baseball fan to grab these without hesitation. As it stands, I'd still say to pick up the comics, as the illustrations are just that good. Just be aware that the poetry is well-meaning, but pales in comparison.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be off mourning the plight of the also-rans, while thinking groundless hopes of next year as the diamonds get repainted once more...

SPX 2010 Preview: Publishers You Should Visit Part 1

As part of my run-up to the Small Press Expo, I'm going to be featuring some things that I think you need to check out when you're at the show. Today I'm going to look at the "bigger" (big being a relative term when you're looking at independent presses) publishers and talk about some of things I think you should find at their booths. Some of these I already own, some my wife has read and enjoyed, and some are things I'll be considering purchasing myself, budget permitting.

It was so hard choosing only a few things to recommend! If anyone else has any ideas, please leave them in the comments!

AdHouse Books

AdHouse Books is centered out of Richmond, Virginia, and offers a wide variety of comics in all sorts of styles, from better-known names like Paul Pope to stranger, offbeat works like Jamie Tanner's Aviary.

Things to look for: Brian Maruca and Jim Rugg's Afrodisiac (pictured at left) is, from all indications, amazing. I am way behind on getting a copy of my own. I've seen Rugg's work on Street Angel and The Plain Janes, so I'm not surprised at all that he's drawn another cool book.

There may also be copies of Paul Pope's new comic to be had, depending on what was left from the Baltimore Comi-Con. I'd also be on the lookout for Johnny Hiro, and you can't go wrong just picking up something randomly. Chris has good taste in comics!

Drawn and Quarterly

There's a lot of good things from Drawn and Quarterly, but I have to be honest, their prices tend to keep me from buying more from them. However, this shouldn't prevent you from checking out their table. It just means that to make sure you can sample from all of the publishers, you might have to make some hard choices. I know I do every year!

Things to look for: If you are a lover of classic literature or genre mashups, then you must get a copy of Masterpiece Comics, one of the best blendings of style I've ever read. If they have them at the table, I'd also suggest Aya, a great story of growing up in Africa. They also are reprinting Nancy, for those who are into archival editions of old comics. I'm betting we'll come home with Daniel Clowes's latest, Wilson.

Fanfare/Ponent Mon

It was great to see a manga publisher come to SPX last year, because I think there's a lot of crossover between the two audiences. (Maybe that's just who I talk to, but it sure seems like indie comic fans also tend to dabble in manga.) Fanfare/Ponent Mon have published several books that I think are good introductions to manga for new readers, not the least of which is because they frequently "flip" their books into a left-right reading format.

Things to Look for: I'm not sure which books they'll have with them this year, but I hope A Distant Neighborhood is one of them. One of the best books I read in 2009, it made my favorites lists. Have you ever wanted to go back and redo things? So does Neighborhood's protagonist. The Walking Man is also a great book, and was the first I read from this publisher. I am going to see about getting Summit of the Gods Volume 1, of which I'd heard great things but haven't managed to pick up myself.

Fantagraphics

If you are into indie comics just a little bit, odds are you have a Fantagraphics book on your shelf somewhere. They publish everything from Peanuts reprints to edgy anthology works that probably wouldn't see the light of day elsewhere. Any reader is likely to find something to interest them, and Fantagraphics usually brings quite a bit of their catalog with them to SPX.
Things to look for: If you have a thing for Charles Schultz, definitely grab a Peanuts reprint or two. They're amazingly presented and the comics are good, too. Fans of pre-code comics should look for the Fletcher Hanks volumes, or perhaps a work on Steve Ditko. Silent comics more your thing? Grab a book by Jason, such as The Last Muskateer. Fans of anthologies have plenty to choose from, such as Blab! or Mome. There's also the Ignatz series, which spotlights creators such as Kevin Huizenga. Oh yeah, and that little series called Love and Rockets, too, which I promise to read someday.

These are just a few of the great books you'll find at SPX this Saturday. Tomorrow, we'll look at some more of the bigger small presses.

Mermin Volumes 1-3

Written by Joey Weiser
Illustrated by Joey Weiser
Self-Published

[A disclosure seems fair here: I helped support one of Mr. Weiser's projects, and my reward for doing so are Mermin comics. This reward was worth it, as you will see. -Rob]

I've been a fan of Joey Weiser since I read The Road Gnome back in 2008, and anytime he has a new project, I'm always excited to read it. Weiser's characters always have a sense of innocence to them, but not in a way that's annoying to the reader.

In the case of Mermin, that veneer of innocence hides quite a bit of danger, as we discover over the course of the first three issues of this ongoing mini-comic series.

Mermin, whose name is not only a clever riff on mermaid but the source of a delightful joke in issue three, comes out of the water mysteriously, looking for dry land. He's taken in by kids, and immediately starts getting into trouble.

At this point, you're probably thinking about how this is both literally and figuratively a fish out of water story, which we've seen before. To some extent, that's true. Mermin quickly doesn't fit in at all, and his hijinks cause all sorts of trouble.

However, what makes this story work is that not only does Weiser pull off one of the best illustrations of his life towards the close of issue one, he adds an element of mystery to the whole proceedings that's genuinely interesting.

Sure, escaping your past is a familiar riff, but Weiser's take on it works well for me. All we have right now is Mermin's word that things were bad, which is backed up in the aggressiveness of the efforts to get him back. But there's still a chance that Mermin may not be all that he seems, and even if that doesn't turn out to be the case, the fact that Weiser leaves secrets out there for the reader makes this a good story.

In addition, Weiser's lighthearted sense of humor aids in the story's construction, as it keeps the pacing light despite the problems for our characters. There are several jokes related around Mermin's misunderstanding of human life, and scenes where an indignant Mermin is told to get his feet off the table, just like any child, balance well against the darker parts of the narrative.

Artistically, this might be the most action-oriented book I've read from Weiser. Mermin battles in two of the three books, and it's funny to see Weiser's innocent-looking (for the most part) characters getting drawn with capes-comic action lines. I'm happy to report that the fighting in here does not seem stilted at all, which can be a problem for indie creators at times when they want to have an action scene. You're not going to mistake Weiser for George Perez (unless he starts making fish-filled splash pages a habit), but he gets the job done and doesn't throw me out of the narrative with awkward pencils.

Mermin is a work in progress, and as of the end of issue three, things aren't looking good for our hero. His past won't let him go, and now those who've befriended him may be in trouble, too. I'm not sure what happens next, but I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. Mermin is a delightful series that uses the mini-comic format to good effect in this multi-part drama. I can't wait to find out where Weiser goes with his little green fish-man, and I hope the story continues on for a lot more issues to come.

You can get Mermin at the Small Press Expo or at Joey Weiser's website.

Mini-Comic Marathon and SPX Previews

So we're a week away from one of the best comic shows of the year, the Small Press Expo. It's September 11th and 12th, and those who like indie comics, mini-comics, under-the-radar work, and a chance to be closer to the creators than at just about any other show should definitely do their best to stop by for one (or both!) of the days.

In celebration, I'm going to go on a blitz here at Panel Patter, featuring reviews of mini-comics I've picked up and also some spotlights on folks who I expect will be tabling at the convention.

I'm planning to be there both days, if all goes well, both to visit with familiar faces and to find a few new ones, too! If you want to say hello, ping me on Twitter (@panelpatter). Enjoy the reviews and features this week, and I hope to see you there!

Spider-Man, Hulk, & Iron Man

Written by Paul Tobin
Illustrated by Alvin Lee and Terry Pallot
Marvel

I've verbally (and here and there on Twitter) sung the praises of the late Marvel Adventures line, but I'm not sure I've shared any reviews here on Panel Patter. Let's correct that now, shall we?

Marvel Adventures is a series of comics that look backward to a time when folks like Peter Parker and Tony Stark were appropriate for anyone to read. There's no blood and guts, no horrible people, and no heroes who are little better than the foes they fight.

This does not mean that there's no life in these books. Far from it, in fact. They are exactly what they say they are, all ages. A child can have fun reading this, and the adult that reads it to them will enjoy the book just as much. They're "hoo-ha" comics, to put it in Tom DeFalco's words.

Plus, some of them, such as this combination, are just so silly they make the unlikely pairings in Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-in-One look logical. Take Mr. Tobin's pairing of three Marvel movie stars, the Hulk and his more successful friends, Iron Man and Spider-Man. The three of them just hang out together, in Spidey's case, quite literally. Why are they together? Who knows? Who cares?

Hercules shows up to ask the boys to babysit, with hilarious results. Some rather strange rock creatures get us into extreme sports, and Kang buys out Lay's potato chips, with possible world-changing results. The premises are there mostly to see Spidey crack wise, Hulk to be funny in his limited understanding of the world, and Tony's straight man caught between the two while also trying to save the world.

I love seeing Stark portrayed this way, incidentally. He's part Felix Unger, part Bud Abbott, and part Bert, running around in an iron suit. Tobin's characterization is inspired, even if it would never work in the "real" Marvel Universe.

The final story shows that these stories can also teach a lesson while entertaining. Klaw, the master of sound, decides to try his hand at making his most horrible construct yet--country music. Our heroes aren't sure about his motives, but their quick judgment (interrupted by Hulk trying to buy a truck) could make matters worse. The point of the story is clear, but it isn't preachy at all.

To go along with Tobin's sharp, silly, and witty writing, artists Lee and Pallot do a great job drawing this book. In fact, I'd argue the art here is better than on a lot of the mainstream books from the same time period. The Hulk is huge, but still within proportion. Peter is wiry but you can see his brawn, and Iron Man looks sleek enough to function. Plus, people have muscles in the right places, to boot!

There are a lot of Marvel Adventures books out there. If you've never tried one but you're a fan of old-school comics, grab one as soon as you can, either this one or any of the others in the line. They're cheap enough that you won't be out much if you don't like it, but I have a funny feeling you'll dig them. I know I do!