The Eavesdropper Cafe

The Eavesdropper Cafe
Story and Art By Brian Koschak
headmedicine.blogspot.com

Almost every comic book creator I know has one special story locked in the depths of their mind, perpetually sitting in a state of arrested development. Each of these stories has been attempted and encountered some impassable obstacle. For some it may simply be an issue of time or money preventing them from moving forward, but, whatever the reason, the frustration creators experience at not being able to pursue their pet project often fuels further creative endeavors. One of the best examples of this phenomenon may be Brian Koschak's Eavesdropper Cafe.

The first time I read Eavesdropper I was blown away and not for the usual reasons. The story is short, so the characters and plot don't have time to develop, leaving us feeling as disconnected from them as the protagonist feels toward the rest of the world. However, the possibilities for what is to come seem endless. Koschak uses his first issue to lay a foundation for future storytelling as vast as the horizon. I can think of very few instances where I have been more excited about a first issue than Eavesdropper Cafe; this is exactly what a first issue should be.

The story begins with a self-confessed misanthrope taking us on a back alley journey through the city to a hidden bar. Unfazed by the debauchery of its patrons, our unnamed guide leads us into the private back room of the private back alley bar, where a select few gather to listen to its patrons through hidden microphones. They aren't police or government spooks, but private citizens unable to connect to society through conventional means. The issue ends with our protagonist putting on his headphones and lighting up, preparing for a night of eavesdropping.

As I said before, the potential is boundless. First, just think about the storytelling currency of secrets. Forbidden knowledge provides us with a wealth of opportunity to put our eavesdropper into situations in the world outside the cafe where he may suddenly find himself feeling more connected to the world than he is comfortable with. He may recognize a voice over the headphones that he knows from the outside world or he may in the outside world recognize a voice he knows from the cafe. What if he overhears a younger sibling getting involved in something they shouldn't or mysterious voices plotting his own death? There are so many avenues to explore, it's frustrating this book doesn't come out on a regular basis.

From my perspective, the set-up alone should be enough for you to download the first issue at the criminal price of FREE, but if I have so far failed to impress upon you the greatness that is Eavesdropper Cafe, let me talk about the art. It's quite clear from reading this book that Brian Koschak hates panels. For most of us, panels are a necessary evil of comic book storytelling, Koschak attempts to reject that fundamental notion and weave his panels into the artwork itself. At times a line on one panel may represent a completely different idea on the next, making our journey across the page and through the story fluid. I cannot help but remember a famous quote from Bruce Lee, "You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend." In this regard, I would say Brian Koschak's artwork is like water.

As I stated in the beginning, nearly every comic book creator I know is obsessed with one idea. For Brian Koschak, Eavesdropper Cafe is that idea. It's been thirteen years since Brian put together the first issue. He hasn't exactly been sitting on his heels in the years since. Koschak is probably best known for his work on the Darkhorse Star Wars books, but he also collaborated on Narcoleptic Sunday with Jeremy Haun, and produced a wealth of comic style art both commercially and privately. Despite all that, Eavesdropper Cafe is the one project he can't (won't) leave behind, and for good reason. In the 10th anniversary edition of his book, Koschak said Eavesdropper was well received by readers, but "considered universally 'unmarketable'" by publishers. It's a conflict that predates published storytelling, commercial success vs. artistic fulfillment. The thing I enjoy about small press comics is that you are more likely to find those stubborn creators who are unwilling to sacrifice their vision just to sell more books. Brian Koschak is one of those creators and I hope one day he reopens the well hidden doors of the Eavesdropper Cafe and invites inside for drink.

I told Brian I was planning to review his book a couple of months ago and, honestly, I've felt a bit guilty that it was taking me so long. Now, it seems my procrastination may have been serendipitous, this Friday Brian Koschak is having his first gallery showing in Springfield, MO. For those not from Springfield, the first Friday of every month is designated the Art Walk and all of the downtown galleries open their doors to showcase local artists. This isn't something unique to Springfield, but we're fortunate to have it. Brian's art will be displayed at BookMarx (325 E. Walnut St. in Springfield) for the month of September. If you're in the Springfield area, stop by and check it out. If not, do yourself a favor and download a FREE copy of Eavesdropper Cafe.

Superman vs Straw Man

Superman vs. Straw Man

Last week Fox News posted an article which claims the recent issue of Action Comics (42), “has been making waves for its controversial theme as the parallels to the riots in Ferguson and St. Louis are impossible to ignore.” Making, what Fox contributor Brian Henry sees as, a departure from Superman's traditional foes, this new issue sees the Man of Steel squaring off against police in his home town of Metropolis. Intrigued by this accusation, I did something I have not done for more than a decade; I purchased a copy of Action Comics.

This was the first DC comic I have read since their relaunch a few years ago. While it is true Superman has abandoned the cape and tights in favor of a t-shirt and blue jeans, as well as having his identity revealed to the world and powers diminished, I don't think it will shock anyone for me to say I don't believe that much has changed when you get down to the character's core. I'm going to summarize the two issues I read to provide context, so if you have any intention of reading them and do not wish to be told what unfolds, consider this your spoiler alert.

Picking up the story with issue 41, I found Superman stumbling through the wilderness, weakened and trying to get home. He stops in a small Alaskan town to find food, clothing and transportation. From there we travel cross country in a montage/ map sequence to Metropolis. Upon arriving home Superman is met by a xenophobic police force who reluctantly allow him to enter the city. Clark bumps into his dear friend, Jimmy Olsen, who escorts him back to his neighborhood, which is now dubbed “Kentville.” People have swarmed to the area to show support for Superman, decorating the streets with lights, balloons and a giant banner that reads, “We Stand With Superman.” Fire fighter, Lee Lambert, greets Clark, confronting him with the realities of what has happened since his identity was revealed. Their conversation is cut short as a “Shadow” begins attacking a nearby pier. Superman leaps into action to fight off the creature as the police march down the street to Kentville, intent on breaking up the mob.

Issue 42 picks up with the police confronting Superman's supporters as Clark finishes off the shadow thing. Tension builds as the cops demand the assembly disperse. A tear gas canister is accidentally fired into the crowd and deflected by an agitated supporter, named Dante. Superman returns just before things turn ugly, using an anchor and chain to create a physical barrier between his supporters and the police. As he tries to talk them out of what they're doing, a sergeant, named Binghamton, steps forward to threaten the Man of Steel, ordering a power-armored S.W.A.T. team to beat him down. Superman takes the beating on behalf of the crowd, until the police resume their assault. The issue ends with Clark dramatically punching Binghamton.

First, let's address the accusation that parallels to Ferguson are “impossible to ignore.” I would never have drawn that conclusion from this issue. I don't think anyone would have made a connection to the protests in Ferguson, let alone the riots, unless they were looking for it. In my view, it would be far more accurate to compare Superman's supporters in Kentville to protestors from Occupy Wall Street. The events in Ferguson were far too somber to be inspiration for this fictional assembly of people. I will, however, grant that Ferguson was the catalyst that recently drew national attention to abuses of authority perpetrated by law enforcement, which could accurately be identified as a theme for this story. Having said that, there's a world of difference between the Fox headline that reads, “Superman fights the police in new comic paralleling Ferguson riots,” and something like, “Superman defends protestors from riot police in new comic.”

The article goes on to quote Patrick Colligan, president of the New Jersey State Policeman's Benevolent Association. Colligan was, understandably, frustrated at seeing law enforcement portrayed in this negative light, especially considering recent media attention on police corruption and abuse of power. “We are, once again, painted with the very broad stroke nobody wants to be painted with," he told Fox411. He went on to say, “Comic books are taking on social issues lately and maybe they should get back to taking on superheroes and making people laugh.” This second statement, an ironic “broad stroke,” characterizes an entire medium of storytelling as being incapable of addressing serious issues, which is as illogical as believing a story about Superman standing up to corrupt police is an attack on all police. Besides, comic books addressing social issues is hardly a recent trend.

Superman has fought everything from Nazi's...

...to racism...

...to world hunger...

...he paid tribute to police and fire fighters in the wake of 9/11...

...and took a stand against radical Islam.

Okay, I'm just kidding about the last one, but my point remains, comic books have a long standing history of addressing social issues. In fact, I would argue that is when comics are at their best and, regardless of whether Colligan likes it or not, law enforcement abuse of authority is a hot issue right now. Beyond Ferguson, MO and the death of Michael Brown we have the deaths of Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Samuel DuBose and Sandra Bland, just to name a few. Upon reflection, I would say not a week has gone by all summer in which I did not see at least one news story regarding some form of police abuse of authority. In light of these tragic events, is it any surprise police corruption has manifested itself in the popular culture?

This week, Newsarama released a preview of Action Comics 43. Bleeding Cool News was quick to point out the situation unfolds in a way that may surprise those looking for the Ferguson connection.

So, did Fox News just bite the hook on an Action Comics cliffhanger? I cannot help but be reminded of Solon's advice to Croesus, "Look to the end, no matter what you are consdering."

Finally, I've tried in vain to discover with whom this issue, “has been making waves for its controversial theme.” In fact, the only source I can find for this statement is Fox News itself. Every blog or news article I have read that casts these recent issues in negative light quote from the Fox article. I'm left to conclude the entire premise of this argument is a Straw Man, an informal fallacy which seeks to create a false position for one's opponent with the purpose of easily defeating it. In his long history Superman has fought Nazis, bank robbers, giant robots, super-powered aliens, Lex Luthor, Doomsday and even Muhammad Ali, I'm confident it will take more than Straw Man to stop him from defending Truth and Justice.

Here

Here

Art and Story by Richard McGuire

I haven't posted an entry in months and now I'm returning with a review that breaks the format of my fledgling blog. In my defense, the purpose of this project is to highlight innovation in comics, I chose to focus my attention on “Small Press” because I feel those creators are making greater gains in exploring the frontier of our imaginations. Further, Here did originally appear in Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly's comics anthology magazine, Raw, in 1989. So, I think it's still fair to say Here was small press before being released in this current, and greatly expanded, work published by Pantheon Books in December of 2014.

Not long after Here's release I took a promotion with my company and moved into a new house, conveniently just a few blocks from comic artist Brian Koschak. After I had settled into my new space, I invited Koschak over for a visit. He handed me a copy of Here, along with a couple of other books to borrow. Like most things that are loaned to me, the book sat on the mantle over my fireplace for months before Brian finally asked if I going to actually read it or allow it to continue collecting dust. So, this morning I sat in the living room and began reading Here, mere feet from where I was sitting three years before, watching a movie with my former boss after a night of drinking. At this point you may ask, what does that have to do with anything?

Here is the story of a place. Sometimes that place is occupied by people who have tamed it and made it their living room, other times it is overrun by nature. On one page a dinosaur may stand in the same place children will sit watching television sixty-five million years later and on the next page the same man may occupy multiple spaces in the same living room, years apart, reading a book. Imagine setting a camera in one place and taking a pictures at random intervals of time to see how it changes over the years. From this timeless vantage point we are afforded the opportunity to witness the intimate lives of multiple creatures occupying the space at different points in history. It challenges our micro perspective that is locked in the present by allowing us to see what came before and what may come in the future.

So, back to my living room. I should at this time explain that I have known the previous three tenants who lived in this house before me. As I read Here I found myself wondering, did any of them sit in this spot and read on a Sunday morning? Are there patterns in my behavior that are echoes of theirs due to the layout of the house? In what ways did we occupy this space similarly and in what ways differently? Who were the people who lived here before my knowledge? Who will live here after me? When was the house built and by who? Beyond my house, I found myself asking the same questions about other places I have lived or family homes we have purchased or sold and how those places now exist outside my memory.

These questions, these thoughts, are part of a universal thread that binds all of us together. Nearly every comic I have read has a targeted demographic, but this book has the power to be picked up and understood by anyone; Here transcends the barriers of comic book social stigma to become not only a great comic, but an impressive piece of literature. The best stories we will ever read are those that challenge us to reevaluate our perception of the world, Here achieved that for me.

Task Force Rad Squad #1

Task Force Rad Squad #1

Written by Caleb Goellner
Art by Buster Moody
Colors by Ryan Hill
www.taskforceradsquad.com

Comic books lend themselves to a greater variety of storytelling than any other medium I have ever encountered. We see this diversity in small press books far more than we do from major publishers. The reason why is simple, untested ideas put profit margins at risk. I'm not trying to be cynical, but I think we can all agree the major comic publishers are structured to generate revenue. That's not to say small publishers aren't interested in profit, but for them the game is different; the little guys have to stand out among all their peers while competing with marketing teams representing interests from Time Warner and Disney. That's not an environment where playing it safe yields results. So, in order to gain attention these creators need to break new ground. I think this week's selected title illustrates that idea clearly.

The universe was safe, until Cody released all those imprisoned monsters during his space wizard training. Now, Cody, his sister, Kate, and their friends must save Earth from Mistress Flagitiox, but, hey, maybe that will help Shinji conquer his boredom and give Clint more time to perfect his music.

I'm hard pressed to pin a genre on Task Force Rad Squad, I think a safe description would be that it is an action/ comedy in a fantasy space setting. However, casting such a broad explanation fails to highlight the nuances that make this book interesting.

The story is framed in a Power Rangers-esque setting, complete with color indexed uniforms and Rad Rides that merge together to form a Radbot, for dealing with larger foes. This accessorizing of the heroes' arsenal harkens back to marketing strategies deployed a couple of decades ago to sell merchandise for television shows. While it is strange to see the same storytelling device in use without the corresponding toys, this adds a level of camp that feels almost necessary for the kind of story they are trying to tell. I don't know what to call this subgenre, but I've seen it used in other small press books recently. To see multiple people drawing inspiration from the same source seems to imply that this idea has infiltrated the popular culture, meaning we're likely to see more, not less, of it in the future.

I imagine writing a book like this would be deceptively difficult. The setting lends itself to a certain degree of exposition, however too much would slow the story down. In Task Force Rad Squad, Goellner has found an effective balance in the economy of his words; there's just enough clunky dialogue to achieve comedic effect, but not so much that you become impatient reading through it. Also, I enjoyed the inclusion of “net speak” into the book, it adds a youthful tone to characters that may have otherwise been lost.

Buster Moody seems at times a mad genius to me. His artwork is reminiscent of someone like Robert Crumb, but for Moody the psychedelia is infused with a gritty realism that creates his own, unique, style. Simply put, Task Force Rad Squad doesn't look like a mainstream comic book, it looks better. Moody's attention to detail breathes life into the world they have created. Perhaps my favorite example of this comes from how he incorporates sound effects into the art.

Finally, a lot of small press books avoid color because of the cost in printing, but the style of story the creators have chosen to tell here requires color. Ryan Hill goes beyond the norm to making even the most mundane background a flurry of color. Perhaps one of the benefits of having a color indexed cast is that it allows your colorist the opportunity to express himself.

As I said before, small press creators have to take risks in order to get noticed and I believe the creators of Task Force Rad Squad understand that, how else could they create such a “radical” book? If you want to check it out for yourself, head over to their website where you can download a digital copy or buy one in print.

Mike and the Ninja Volume 1: San Francisco Fracas

Mike and the Ninja Volume 1: San Francisco Fracas
Art and Story by Brian Rhodes
www.mikeandtheninja.com

One of the things I think I love the most about small press comics is seeing the title evolve. To be clear, I'm not talking about plot progression, but the skill with which the creator is able to express himself. Mike and the Ninja is a great example of this.

Recently fired from his dead-end job, Mike befriends Stu the Ninja at the Stumpville unemployment office and the two set off on a cross country quest to restore Stu's honor. Along the way, they make new friends and must thwart several strange, and unstable, foes in order to reach San Francisco to expose the city's corrupt mayor.

In the earliest strips, the page design, layouts and artwork are amateur. Many of the jokes here are self-deprecating reactions toward plot holes or Brian's skill as an artist. If there's anything about the book I genuinely don't like, it's that. I fully understand why it's there, it's frustrating to embark on any artistic endeavor when your ambition exceeds your skill, but you have to start somewhere. All Rhodes began with was a desire to draw comics, a loose idea for a story and the courage to put himself out there. That's all he needed, no apologies required. Fortunately, as our creator's talent grows, so does his confidence toward his work.

One of the most common pieces of writing advice I have ever heard is to avoid using cliches. The story's comedic nature allows Rhodes to defy this old adage by embracing the overused and forcing it to serve his needs. In doing so, he creates a strange world that discards conventional rules and replaces them with its own. Despite its highly ordered structure, where every group has a union and must be aware of their contractual boundaries, the bureaucracy of Rhodes' world is just as disorganized as our own, often leaving it the butt of his jokes.

The most crucial thing I look for in any story is whether its characters grow. If the characters aren't challenged by the events happening around them, if they're not forced to re-evaluate themselves in some way, it makes us wonder why the story was worth telling. Again, this is a rule that can be overlooked in some genres, comedy included, because those stories are not always character driven. Regardless, I believe Rhodes pulls it off with Mike.

In the earlier strips Mike is largely a viewpoint character and seems to have little influence on what is happening around him. Near the middle of the book, when Mike asks Renee to stop the truck, the situation changes and Mike no longer simply questions the world around him, but demands answers. This trend continues as the group arrives in San Francisco and faces off against the mayor. It's not the kind of character transition that will jump out at you and, to be honest, I'm not sure if it was intentional or further reflection of Brian's evolution as a storyteller. In either case, it improves the strip overall and transforms it from being a series to comedic situations into a cohesive story.

So, perhaps Mike and the Ninja is not just the tale of a recently fired guy and his ninja friend traveling across the country on an honor quest, but it is also the story of a fledgling creator honing his skills. I don't believe this observation is unique to Brian Rhodes, it applies to every creator who has publicly shared their early work, but it's quite easy to see here.

You can check out Mike and the Ninja for free, but I encourage you to buy a printed copy to help Brian support his video game addiction (or you can make your own comics and he might trade you at a show sometime).

Project Tracker #1

Project Tracker #1
Written by Chuck Gower
Pencils and Inks by Mike Jackson
Lettering by Robert Jackson

If you know a comic book fan, ask them if they remember the first issue they ever read. They will. Their eyes will gloss over in a nostalgic haze and they'll recall, with astounding detail, how the experience made them feel. It's really something, I think, that can only be truly understood by other comic book fans. I'm not going to tell you about my first comic book experience, at least not this time. Instead, I would like to tell you about the first small press comic I ever read, because that's who this blog is about, the little guys, the underdogs.

It was the early 90's and the comic book industry was restructuring. In a move that echoed the formation of United Artists over eighty years before, top industry talent were turning their backs on major publishers in order to pursue their own interests and publish their own independent comics. It was an exciting time to be a fan. In the wake of this event, small press creators were empowered to dream of telling their own stories. After all, if going independent was good enough for Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee, it should damn well be good enough for everyone else.

Now, don't misunderstand me; I recognize that independent and underground comics had been around for years and some creators, such as Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, had gone on to overwhelming success. But from my perspective, the formation of Image brought greater attention to independent comics than they had ever seen before and I intend to stand by this opinion... until someone pokes a hole in it.

It was during this supposed independent comic revolution that I received news of a locally produced, small press comic book, called Project: Tracker. While I had already picked up several titles from Image, I would say this was the first truly independent comic book I ever read.

It was terrible. The panel work was stiff, background art was largely absent and the narration was full of exposition. The quality was so poor, I felt robbed of my precious $2.00 and swore to never buy another issue (I don't think there were any). In the years that followed, I have attacked this book relentlessly; it has been the butt of countless jokes amongst my friends for over twenty years now.

Earlier this year I posted on Twitter and Facebook, asking if anyone knew where I could find a copy. A good friend, Andy Borders, just happened to have a copy and dropped it by our booth at Cape Comic Con. When I made it home, I sat down, cracked open and beer and, for the first time in twenty years, I read Project: Tracker #1.

It is with great humility that I tell you, it's better than Helock Comics #1. It's better than Helock Comics #2. Hell, it's better than Wexler's Follies: Domestic Goddess, which I am incredibly proud of. All of my earlier criticisms are true, the panels are stiff, the background art is largely absent and the narrative is exposition heavy, but there is an understanding of comics that we at Helock did not possess for nearly three years. For all the disdain and mockery I shoveled on this book and it's creators, I can honestly say, it's not that bad. Hell, I wish they had kept going. I enjoyed reading it.

My point, and the moral of this little exercise, is an old one, to paraphrase: don't judge an independent comic until you've tried to make one yourself. For every snot-nosed brat like me that scoffed at Project: Tracker #1 there are likely an equivalent number of Helock haters. I accept this as a given , but for myself, I am ashamed to have held such a negative opinion. There are far worse books out there and I'm responsible for some of them. So, with that humbling thought in mind, I'm dedicating this new blog to the small press comic creators, the little guys, the underdogs.

Every comic book fan remembers their first book, most probably remember the first independent comic book they read. But all of that pales in comparison to asking a creator about the first book they made, because that's not nostalgia talking, it's love.

Mission Statement

My name is Justin Colburn. I'm a writer. For the past five years I've been working with a small press comic book publisher out of Poplar Bluff, MO called Helock Comics. In that time, I've made several attempts at blogging, each short lived because, ultimately, I felt they were interfering with my fiction. Now, I find myself here, making yet another one. I can't say with certainty that this attempt will not eventually share the same fate as the others, but I hope it doesn't.

The goal this time is to review and promote small press comics, like the ones I'm writing. Through my attempts at self-promotion, I've met a lot of people like me at comic shows. Each of these people have two things in common, a love of comics and a desire to get readers to check out the stories they've worked so hard to tell. Maybe a blog like this will help them get the word out or, at the very least, maybe it will help me to find some cool comics and new friends. Let's see what happens.