The Benevolent #1

The Benevolent #1
Art and story by Rodney Richardson

So, every time new books are released through Comixology Submit, John Roberts, the director of that program, gives a shout out to all the new creators on Twitter. I discovered this the day our book was released on Comixology (available now!) and went back through some of his previous tweets to check out other creators. One guy in particular caught my attention, Rodney Richardson, and I started following him on Twitter and Instagram. After seeing several updates for his upcoming issues, I decided to give his book, the Benevolent, a chance.

Abelinda is being haunted by her grandmother's spirit, manifesting through her dreams. As she tries to decipher the meaning behind these cryptic messages she meets two strange men. The first, Anubian, seems to be trying to protect her, though his motives are unclear. The second is a serial killer, the Urban Animal, stalking the streets of the California town in which she lives. How are these seemingly unrelated events connected? Read the Benevolent to find out.

Much of the story is narrated to us by Abelinda and in the beginning I felt like her exposition was a little heavy. However, as the story progresses the author finds the character's voice. By the end of the book, Abelinda is playing her thoughts a closer to the chest, I found myself looking more out of the narration and and happy author wasn't giving it to me; some things should be left for us to interpret or to wonder about. The thing that sets indie comics apart from the main stream is the willingness for the creators to take chances. Richardson's confrontation between Abelinda and the Urban Animal risked coming off as cliche, but his execution was anything but. For $0.99 the book is worth checking out for that scene alone.

Regarding composition, Richardson keeps things fresh by changing up his layouts on each page and does a good job of keeping the structure playful without interrupting the flow of the story. Most pages run eight to ten panels, so there's a lot of story packed into twenty-four pages. It's a smooth read.

The only complaint I can truly find with the book is that I felt the coloring detracted from Richardson's artwork. However, seeing the preview images for upcoming issues it looks as though this problem has been resolved. To be honest I can make that same comment on a lot of industry professionals.

Witches, hauntings, and serial killers are all familiar territory in the world of comics, what makes the Benevolent unique are not the elements Richardson chose for his story, but the way in which he utilizes them. There is thought behind the decisions made and he teases us with just enough information to keep us reading, as any good storyteller should.

Sanity & Tallulah: Plucky Teen Girl Space Detectives #1

Sanity & Tallulah: Plucky Teen Girl Space Detectives #1
Written and illustrated by Molly Brooks

A detour on the way home quickly becomes an adventure when Sanity and Tallulah discover a derelict ship. What lost treasures await within? What dangers creep through its silent corridors? There may only be one space suit and thirty minutes of oxygen, but the girls are determined to make the ship give up its secrets!

This isn’t something I generally discuss, but let me begin by saying, this is the most aptly titled comic I have ever read. Seriously, when Spider-Man is squaring off against Stilt-Man it’s not generally what one would call amazing, nor is every member of the X-Men uncanny, and sometimes the Hulk is merely credible. However, with Sanity and Tallulah: Plucky Teen Girl Space Detectives, you are told exactly what you’re getting. Modern authors seem to avoid using this kind of tagline within the title you see here and it’s easy to understand why, used incorrectly this device could come off as campy or expositional. In this case, however, the author sets the tone for her light-hearted adventure immediately and in the process makes the characters feel endearing. Too often in science fiction do we find old characters living in an young world, but Brooks turns this on its head right in the title by implying her young characters are living in an old world. It was a bold choice and I believe it serves her well.

This theme continues into the story as we find Sanity and Tallulah engaged in the tedium of space chores as they assess the risks and rewards of breaking the rules in order to earn a little freedom. As teens, believing themselves to be on the verge of adulthood, they feel confined by the strictly regimented rules those living within such a society would be expected to adhere to. These struggles are the essence of what it is to be young, they could just as easily be painting a space fence with Tom Sawyer; it is a timeless conflict. Just as one would expect Tom, Huck and Becky to abandon their chores in search of pirate treasure, Sanity and Tallulah discover a derelict vessel as enticing as any cave Missouri river dwelling children could imagine.

As for the characters themselves, the relationship dynamic between Sanity and Tallulah is just as classic as any odd couple pairing. Thankfully, Brooks is able to express these differences without having to resort to plates of spaghetti being smashed against walls. Instead of making us suffer through manufactured conflict, we are shown how each character's strengths make up for the other’s weakness. Those tensions between the characters are still present, but by expressing them with subtlety and trusting her audience the author is afforded the opportunity to reveal character traits without having to sacrifice pacing.

While there are certainly aspects of Sanity and Tallulah I find reminiscent of other stories I have encountered, the finished product serves as an example of what comics are capable of achieving as a medium. Entry level college writing courses are fond of reminding students that all stories can be reduced to seven basic plots, emphasising the key to good storytelling lies not in the events of a story, but how they are told. Brooks provides a textbook example of this old adage by breathing new life into old ideas, much in the same way her young characters find an old derelict ship and make it new again with their fresh perspective.

The one piece of stern criticism I can offer Ms. Brooks comes from my profound disappointment that there is only one issue to purchase. It is my hope, that by returning to my severely neglected blog I may drum up enough additional sales that she feels obligated to return to the series and I will be able to buy a second issue. I can think of few books I have read in the past year which I have enjoyed so much as Sanity and Tallulah.

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.

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.