tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42692115497459150912024-03-14T00:36:19.403-07:00El Jack's Comics BlogEl Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-25654733546109358242024-02-22T07:51:00.000-08:002024-02-22T07:51:09.272-08:00Obscure Comic of the Month - Coal Face<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-----------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Coal Face -
The Devil in the Smoke by Jay Gunn - MoonAlp Books 2023</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFR_nIue3rtxGxSSEhJ_tor_GNOuMY9WzaaI3DDlnuJrIOyPwK3ItdN7MGQ63HKzj6iTgKGXLgN2e3lnFxt3rnMPCDQv6UbJsrc9ScpIsA9NG1sU6R6Hzr7dsSeUxWCtwu2GwKovGX1mJO01UQ2lvCLANa7M35lsy0ym5dgIxaIn0QvwYmp4kOu2njlAM/s701/CoalFace1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="701" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFR_nIue3rtxGxSSEhJ_tor_GNOuMY9WzaaI3DDlnuJrIOyPwK3ItdN7MGQ63HKzj6iTgKGXLgN2e3lnFxt3rnMPCDQv6UbJsrc9ScpIsA9NG1sU6R6Hzr7dsSeUxWCtwu2GwKovGX1mJO01UQ2lvCLANa7M35lsy0ym5dgIxaIn0QvwYmp4kOu2njlAM/w640-h342/CoalFace1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
'Miner' Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">There's
always been a somewhat oversimplified framing of the 1980s miners
strikes as a simplified David vs Goliath story in popular culture,
but it's easy to forget that things were much more complicated. Even
more so when it comes to the legacy of those strikes and the industry
they were connected to.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The book
I'm looking at today isn't a comic pre-se, though it did start life
as one, and ultimately it's final form as an illustrated prose story
is close enough as far as I'm concerned. It's my column and I can do
what I like. Written and illustrated video game developer and
National Coal Board work-experiencer Jay Gunn, who uses his own past
and family history as a jumping off point into this period fable of
teenager Tony Gray's maybe real, maybe imagined, adventure into the
ancient cursed history of his town's local and currently be-striked
coal mine.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Gunn weaves
a great deal of tendrils throughout the tale, having Tony not just
have to deal with the local strife and uncertainty around the strike,
but also, and not limited to, his parent's broken marrage, health
problems caused by local pollution, class divides, family
expectations and his desire for a future in programming video games.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> From these
themes weave out the fantastical. From the vampire-esque Fancy Man
representing corporate (and personal) greed, to Maybell The Wooden
Girl speaking for the blighted rural areas, to the dragon Coal Face
itself becoming the nexus of pain from which radiates from the coal
industry, long term respiratory problems and premature death.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2v5f8ZD2sp1TlCuzRRL-R-ZPA2zebeRRwW-UUGoO9tlVpjiDgCuKiM6GuhxgUJ7PH3aQ45Ef9iLoVs_slGhtxMzTj7_Ug7j-rztXcRiwytUiX4nVSkdcM3e4V4n8iFbxnnA87tGNAmGy752cM0gv4Hlfb5xn0OiCDjbBzkZOYHZPU40aT32_Ub3yZCVQ/s592/CoalFace2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="592" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2v5f8ZD2sp1TlCuzRRL-R-ZPA2zebeRRwW-UUGoO9tlVpjiDgCuKiM6GuhxgUJ7PH3aQ45Ef9iLoVs_slGhtxMzTj7_Ug7j-rztXcRiwytUiX4nVSkdcM3e4V4n8iFbxnnA87tGNAmGy752cM0gv4Hlfb5xn0OiCDjbBzkZOYHZPU40aT32_Ub3yZCVQ/w400-h206/CoalFace2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Gunn plays
with a lot of threads and does so pretty effectively for a story that
isn't all that long. It's works for the most part given the ambiguity
of the fantastical elements, which may be no more real than dreams or
part of Tony's imagination, especially given that he is seen working
on a video game with a story that exactly mirrors the adventures he
is supposedly experiencing for real. This allows Gunn to frame these
fantastical elements as a child's rationalisation of the difficult
reality surrounding the pit closures.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Whereby the
striking workers through noble cause can give in to their worst
impulses, it is easier for someone like Tony, who lost his
grandfather to the pit and saw his parents ripped apart by
idealogical divide, to rationalise the whole thing as the schemes of
a legendary beast that can poison the mind as easily as it can poison
the body.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> In that
respect, you might expect that Gunn is going for easy answers here,
but in fact he is doing quite the opposite. All through the story
Tony shows little desire to follow his father and grandfather into
the mining industry, clearly not having the temperament or the
physical health to do so, yet he is treated with suspicion and
destain for wanting to seek a future in video games. Likewise, Tony's
lower class upbringing is mocked by those more well off who never
have to worry about work like coal mining, and Tony is tempted away
from class solidarity with the promise of luxuries and frivolity.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtUUY1idwYFROE5mTL_5jRu3IKVX2BZMFM9tvDPDDq6QCDzHQ_MVZPNytYE3hFeBu0l00VzL2IF10ZtzNXtJ4xkq3NPI37B-ZkJIMdyw6a3NZ8grd7WRy9hyWUp23aHj3SJfDJ9ptlUFN0VfxiElp9PR_Q5FTeEHJpC620L82BWrLunTPwmt4QuyWxGM/s576/CoalFace3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="576" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtUUY1idwYFROE5mTL_5jRu3IKVX2BZMFM9tvDPDDq6QCDzHQ_MVZPNytYE3hFeBu0l00VzL2IF10ZtzNXtJ4xkq3NPI37B-ZkJIMdyw6a3NZ8grd7WRy9hyWUp23aHj3SJfDJ9ptlUFN0VfxiElp9PR_Q5FTeEHJpC620L82BWrLunTPwmt4QuyWxGM/w400-h293/CoalFace3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I love the
intricacies and difficulties that Gunn explores here. I'm no stranger
to striking myself, and have little sympathy for scabbery, but even
I'm not so foolish as to think people slot into easy roles. My town
is a former mining town. I have family member who have died due to
the health problems their work down the pit left them with. There are
constant promises of re-opening the coal mines, and despite the fact
that we are in desperate need of more jobs, I absolutely do not want
to see that industry return to blight this town.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> If I have
one criticism of the story, it's that this attempt at showing the
shades of gray comes with the risk of walking away from this story
with anti-union sentiment. Of course, Gunn makes it pretty explicitly
clear that the true villain of the story is the pursuit of capital,
but we do unfortunately live in a world where folks will ignore the
moral of a story if it doesn't suit them.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> However,
I've only talked about the text of the story so far, when there is so
much more to it with the art. Gunn's illustrations bring to life an
already enthralling story, with a vibrancy and texture. The
characters are animated and believable, the blighted landscapes
drawing you in and cementing you into a specific place and time. The
fantastical elements have an otherworldly, uncanny feel to them that
emphasises the ambiguity of how much of what Tony is experiencing is
entirely from his imagination.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA80jWUSUqzHh1oztQ-dS1dt4Q17QgwVRUhsonPax1Zh4B-RAp0nZnM0EI_4Zi5IR_0Ptjpc51yyMGVi0VyqjeWx_ACMsj-1EPWj0MOirl4MGrhor2Iyo5KFwngreafquTSujbtvaj987sBfsRelL_wlR6EAutm6tFRwkafApdtW4eFtZfA1BudBbzfA/s636/CoalFace4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA80jWUSUqzHh1oztQ-dS1dt4Q17QgwVRUhsonPax1Zh4B-RAp0nZnM0EI_4Zi5IR_0Ptjpc51yyMGVi0VyqjeWx_ACMsj-1EPWj0MOirl4MGrhor2Iyo5KFwngreafquTSujbtvaj987sBfsRelL_wlR6EAutm6tFRwkafApdtW4eFtZfA1BudBbzfA/w326-h400/CoalFace4.png" width="326" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The story's
other big subplot, that of Tony wanting to get into programming, is
emphasised and reinforced through the illustrations also. The stark,
primitive visuals of the Atari days glow in neon green, feeling
almost pre-historic by today's standards. This adds to the feeling
that Tony's character is no weak and frightened fool, as even just
through the visuals we can understand the skill it would have taken
to programme a video game in those days. Tony might not want to go
down the pit, but that doesn't mean he lacks willpower.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The visuals
and the text work in tandem to create a tale that feels very simple
and easy to digest in it's delivery but that contains a history with
great depth beneath. The story closes with a bittersweet ending. The
monster defeated, but Tony's personal strife continues, as he is left
still finding his way in the world where he has to try and show
solidarity for a line of work he knows is doomed to closure. The
story does not let you off with any easy answers, and doesn't sugar
coat that the world is not so easily fixed.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Coal Face
is a finely executed all-ages tale that creates a perfect snapshot in
time to emphasize that while heroes and monsters exist in both
fiction and reality, it's only in fiction that these distinctions are
so easily spotted. Right now, as it was in the 80s, being a hero is
not as easy as simply picking up a controller, and defeating monsters
can't be done with simple button presses.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">----------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2024. Coal Face (c) 2023 Jason Wilson. Images used under Fair
Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-40225296252709569842024-01-18T08:35:00.000-08:002024-01-18T08:35:28.598-08:00Jack's January Update!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-imN_VT6p3cbLiYEbvCiEKWIbgoMRo4UsiQb5J68V5HHCRdJ2PBUGYI-VUeSrFNMJfQZqgIghycE9EF3nHdckS0gh5tRVKRs_cXk9DOW-8F9WhS8tH-slSrrfmthu_o9vjG6ibJ7guCm6pE2hHBg7vIjsK0aaqh6Y-BCjLKbmrsCpDaJWObX0KuNHF4/s1203/JANUPDATE2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="1203" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-imN_VT6p3cbLiYEbvCiEKWIbgoMRo4UsiQb5J68V5HHCRdJ2PBUGYI-VUeSrFNMJfQZqgIghycE9EF3nHdckS0gh5tRVKRs_cXk9DOW-8F9WhS8tH-slSrrfmthu_o9vjG6ibJ7guCm6pE2hHBg7vIjsK0aaqh6Y-BCjLKbmrsCpDaJWObX0KuNHF4/w640-h344/JANUPDATE2024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Hello all.
It's the start of the year once again which means we're currently
stuck in the doldrums of the post festive deflation. So what better
time to steel ourselves for the coming months with a look ahead at
the good stuff in store. For me, it's going to be a busy year. Here's
a few thing you might want to keep an eye out for.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- My final
Sea of Spheres short story, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/52193128/chapters/132016891">Choose Your Weapons</a> wisely, has now been
posted in full, and can be read here. Updates for it are not yet
complete, however, as <a href="https://twitter.com/MusketAnna">Windlass</a> is still cooking up some final artwork
for the starting chapter, which should be coming soon.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- The
magnetic <a href="https://twitter.com/bamccray">Brian McCray</a> is currently working on the artwork for a four
page comic script of mine. I'm super excited to see the final piece
and if you're a fan of my writing I think you'll get a particular
kick out of this one. Watch this space.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- I'm
currently working on a <i>secret project</i> with <a href="https://twitter.com/Turbomiracle">Turbomiracle</a>. This may or
may not happen, depending on how things pan out, but It's an idea
with legs, and will no doubt see the light of day in the long run if
it doesn't happen this year. You can see a sneaky peek at some blueprints for this up above.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- With all
that in mind, writing will be taking a bit of a back seat this year
as I move some pieces from here to there on some more physical
projects. Information will be here as it comes through, but Obscure
Comic of the Month will still continue as normal.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I'm always
looking to pencil myself in to as many convention appearances as I
can, and this year is no different. While I've had to deal with some
moved dates and cancellations, so far I can confirm three as being
set in stone.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WCCosplayUK/">Whitehaven Mini Con is back on February 24th</a> for it's third year and a second at
the Civic Hall. Always really happy to see this convention do well,
and I'll be there showing my full support. Also, I'll have an extra
table selling second hand graphic novels and books for low low
prices, if you fancy taking a peek.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- I'll be
returning to the 6th April <a href="https://goldenorbit.co.uk/event/sheffield-comic-sci-fi-fair-2/">Sheffield Comic and Film Fair at the Showroom Cinema</a>, which I had a fantastic time at last year. For such
a small venue it managed to see a turnover of varied and interesting
people, and I'm eager to jump back out there to reconnect with those
audiences.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- For
October 11th - 13th I'll be attending <a href="https://britishfantasysociety.org/fantasy-con/">FantasyCon at the Chester Hotel</a>. This one I'm particularly looking forwards to, as a lot of my
prose writing tends not to do a lot of action at comic conventions,
so an event more dedicated to fiction writing will hopefully be a
good chance for my more wordy works to find an untapped audience.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I hopefully
will have more conventions lined up as the year goes on, as well as
some podcast appearances and whatnot as things tic over. As ever I'll
be posting critical updates here, but you can find more off the cuff
comments, rambles and doodles over on <a href="https://twitter.com/El_Jackinton">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/eljackinton.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://eljackinton.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> and
<a href="https://www.deviantart.com/elpresedente">Deviantart</a>.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Happy New
Year and Stay Cool</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-26246426148794438372024-01-11T07:48:00.000-08:002024-01-11T07:49:09.751-08:00Obscure Comic of the Month - 20th Century Men<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">20th Century
Men by Deniz Camp and Stipan Morian - Image Comics 2023</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zCkAWarmQiFRAl-m2xRM7p74qNexIv99xzY4t5T-ibLR5LBZMbNPTz5myZeGNZ_NfjKBmadY6pxsphFhRpD51HqtA1XmelS1wAmYLD56Vw868gSodSwkemG-ZyGQ8kYReV3_6AD4B7XytotkK__k0gBH93pnYiYII_ruW8sVeVWuYy05MGqf2-8jFn8/s651/2CM1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="651" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zCkAWarmQiFRAl-m2xRM7p74qNexIv99xzY4t5T-ibLR5LBZMbNPTz5myZeGNZ_NfjKBmadY6pxsphFhRpD51HqtA1XmelS1wAmYLD56Vw868gSodSwkemG-ZyGQ8kYReV3_6AD4B7XytotkK__k0gBH93pnYiYII_ruW8sVeVWuYy05MGqf2-8jFn8/w640-h245/2CM1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Mild Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I wasn't
expecting to write about 20th Century Men for this column. I had
already seen quite a bit of buzz about it within the general comics
community and expected that it would explode into the mainstream as
soon as the series had hit critical mass. Instead, however, it
doesn't appear to have reached the wider audience I was expecting it
to. So, here I am, doing my part to try and evangelise a comic that
far more people really should have heard about.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> 20th
Century Men is, in short, a riff on Alan Moore's Watchmen. The story
takes place in an alternate cold war where super-science and
adventuring heroes turned the tide of history and their legacy causes
a chain of events that dooms us all. The twist this time is that it's
the Soviet Union who got the immortal supergod this time around and
it is through communist eyes we experience most of the story.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnsX9qr0RqwCykigtdGz5VClzpRcS0pi_xLEzCYgM4h9dozq0e4jPSdTj5pH2jCbyHyblcpTAUFzbSsN13qW0ViuWWB9o0BXuOFL3uGHGYuV_cgv0gaVnWZhX4SOPoh_QOu-CRK9TcM19E8kxDBbVwxD7qedPsF7v1dX3VZdFcKafxQLLji72v_Zwy7c/s474/2CM2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="474" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnsX9qr0RqwCykigtdGz5VClzpRcS0pi_xLEzCYgM4h9dozq0e4jPSdTj5pH2jCbyHyblcpTAUFzbSsN13qW0ViuWWB9o0BXuOFL3uGHGYuV_cgv0gaVnWZhX4SOPoh_QOu-CRK9TcM19E8kxDBbVwxD7qedPsF7v1dX3VZdFcKafxQLLji72v_Zwy7c/w400-h217/2CM2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If that
makes it sound like 20th Century Men is a simple 'what if' then stay
with me a little longer, because while Camp displays the Watchmen
influence pretty proudly it is very much not trying to do a simple
palate swap. The Dr Manhattan analogue only plays a minor role in the
plot, more homage than anything, while the main crux of the story is
centred around Platonov, a sort of analogue Iron Man if Tony Stark
was a communist and also a Warhammer 40'000 Space Marine Terminator.
While Watchmen was a murder mystery, with most action taking place in
flashback, 20th Century Men is set during the Soviet expansion into
Afghanistan, and the blood soaked conflict is very much front and
centre.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The chosen
perspective is definitely an interesting one, giving the Soviets a
somewhat sympathetic point of view during a conflict that pop culture
has frequently painted them the villains of. Depicted far more
villainously in this story is US foreign policy, embodied by
President Goode, part Captain America, part Lex Luthor, part Gary
Busey, an institution and character more interested in proving their
superiority as opposed to a utopian ideal.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7G1jvMDe-zptPfEPc-NQh6cUE9BE05FXv6wL5wIix3wP74PNDspniLcrvu1was4fHyyLKTO9E_-iO2XrJSqByiEbYwXuCG0_qLhkvWR_T4C6qxDPwluW6el3QlBHpf6HM272gKRGAOD9A0I2s60VikUy6JcUI0v6M783wEybNiRpPjViKzBrRK7emWc/s978/2CM3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7G1jvMDe-zptPfEPc-NQh6cUE9BE05FXv6wL5wIix3wP74PNDspniLcrvu1was4fHyyLKTO9E_-iO2XrJSqByiEbYwXuCG0_qLhkvWR_T4C6qxDPwluW6el3QlBHpf6HM272gKRGAOD9A0I2s60VikUy6JcUI0v6M783wEybNiRpPjViKzBrRK7emWc/w366-h640/2CM3.png" width="366" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Still,
while not apparent at first, it quickly is made clear that it is
Afghanistan itself that is the true protagonist of the story. The
so-called 'Graveyard of Empires,' home to people deserving of life
just as much as their American and Soviet counterparts, yet treated
as little more than pawns by those who see themselves as the 'true'
civilisation. It is at this point the meaning of the title becomes
clear, and that it is the 'civilised' world's failure to treat
Afghanistan as anything other than a tile on a game board to be
fought over that has condemned us to the doom in which we now find
ourselves.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The comic
is blisteringly harsh in that regard. A real road to hell paved with
good and not so good intentions. The line "A million of us dead
and millions more to come because you couldn't imagine a civilisation
without flush toilets," is particularly scathing and will
probably stay with me for the rest of my life. Camp aims high with
what he wants to do with this comic, and frankly, he hits every
target he shoots for. 20th Century Men is a comic that left me with
literal chills and made me ask things about myself that I'd rather
not ask.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7jd8aJ0uHAkrqvpKA1icTZJJnBmhH5Yf_GDp7emLMsqKTqVCdrqcm3y2fS1bQdSrIQPLGpNaHsMRigqWaWY6He2ucwMgdmu9npfLqP_0h4E94VAcnu7noHj2dfqaI-aw5ikzOoTLWaLDup9tOjnvow2TDGPVK4fBczf8CKszmKqm4w_1s54B7YsyzvE/s534/2CM4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="418" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7jd8aJ0uHAkrqvpKA1icTZJJnBmhH5Yf_GDp7emLMsqKTqVCdrqcm3y2fS1bQdSrIQPLGpNaHsMRigqWaWY6He2ucwMgdmu9npfLqP_0h4E94VAcnu7noHj2dfqaI-aw5ikzOoTLWaLDup9tOjnvow2TDGPVK4fBczf8CKszmKqm4w_1s54B7YsyzvE/w313-h400/2CM4.png" width="313" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Which
brings me on to Stipan Morian's art. It feels like the ultimate
combination of 1990's Vertigo at it's best with the contemporary grit
of current generation 2000ad all wrapped up slickly to the kind of
standard Image comics is known for these days. Simultaneously retro
<i>and </i>modern, Morian has to tackle a lot over the course of this
comic, from blood soaked battlefields to utopian communist farmland
to sleazy boardrooms and the dusty streets of Afghan villages that
feel more real than real. Morian slips between the majesty of a
techno-future past that never was and the grime between our
fingernails of a tragic present that probably is.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> That 20th
Century Men hasn't become one of our seminal texts already is
unconscionable but also probably unsurprising. As a Watchmen riff it
already finds itself in the company of a billion other superhero
comic deconstructions that we have seen in the years since. As a
condemnation of the western world it covers subjects that one can
easily find all too popular YouTube know-nothings arguing about for
hours on end. In a lot of ways 20th Century Men has become
lost in the shuffle, struggling to find a niche in areas already
stuffed to the gills with diluted and far inferior products.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgfypzLy9kqZXxFgIlJK5kXX0hwhrR1KthMskWwcW8VRc4g1jeJSYbiloYRJeGQc58-_alkHPghM4lEsEZf-W9Lbtneh0BDRjsCca6BxRu80M4w5F0UB3NjyJ9_oEZy5zTEtfmSA7S6besLcuZLpYqhKy-1bSS_fCVpDt5OVl08E1jBr4w2Pse8NSNGA/s303/2CM5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="303" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgfypzLy9kqZXxFgIlJK5kXX0hwhrR1KthMskWwcW8VRc4g1jeJSYbiloYRJeGQc58-_alkHPghM4lEsEZf-W9Lbtneh0BDRjsCca6BxRu80M4w5F0UB3NjyJ9_oEZy5zTEtfmSA7S6besLcuZLpYqhKy-1bSS_fCVpDt5OVl08E1jBr4w2Pse8NSNGA/s1600/2CM5.png" width="303" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">So here I
go, ranting about it in the humble way as best I can and trying to
sell it to my motley collection of followers. 20th Century Men is a
monumental piece of work. You can feel the sheer force of will from
Camp, Morian and letterist Aditya Bidikar bringing it to life. It
should be a shoe in for every 1001 Comics to Read Before you die list
and frankly if I don't see it enter on the 2024 edition I'll 'insert
humorous self-deprecating action here.'</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> There's
probably a billion other things I could string out to try and
convince you to read it, but I dunno, I guess I'm just hoping my
words can burst out of the page even a fraction as strongly as they
do in 20th Century Men. Even holding the book in my hands feels like
I'm carrying the weight of the world within it. It's a tome that
almost refuses to be ignored as our civilisation spirals once more
towards it's darkest impulses.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> It's a good
comic you should read it.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">--------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2024. 20th Century Men (c) 2023 Deniz Campbell, Stjepan
Mihaljevic, and Aditya Bidikar. Images used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-51592926878353318562023-12-11T09:01:00.000-08:002023-12-11T09:06:37.155-08:00Sea of Spheres - Choose Your Weapons Wisely<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3guyBaok1roE3o_OD79Z_LrBXtmieJzons8IGOQH6RsrfEOSuJotJL9likEgdAP5EGbuAo4Vh6gG-TGqufFw2k_gEj6uwSmax2XKYJv3r3itVCKQ_mzpcigLls8J1U-rfQ-MM2emNuFhdhnAK9pj5DEDsR5xVTsyzACGqxD9HHNGAk44Ts7Sul60Oos/s3953/Showdown.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3953" data-original-width="3508" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3guyBaok1roE3o_OD79Z_LrBXtmieJzons8IGOQH6RsrfEOSuJotJL9likEgdAP5EGbuAo4Vh6gG-TGqufFw2k_gEj6uwSmax2XKYJv3r3itVCKQ_mzpcigLls8J1U-rfQ-MM2emNuFhdhnAK9pj5DEDsR5xVTsyzACGqxD9HHNGAk44Ts7Sul60Oos/w568-h640/Showdown.png" width="568" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>All things come to an
end, which is why it's bittersweet for me to bring you the final (for
now) story in <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021137">my Sea of Spheres series</a>. So far we've seen stories
from the point of view of those within the various factions and
societies across the elevated sea, but in this final tale we get to
witness it from the perspective of an outsider</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">With amazing art once
again by <a href="https://twitter.com/MusketAnna">Windlass</a>, I bring you the conclusive Choose Your Weapons
Wisely.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i>Grigda Longstride
has been running and fighting for a long time, first from her home
world of magic and myths, then from the gothic city of Haemoheim,
besieged by war machines and fighter jets. As Grigda seeks to cut and
run once more, a chance encounter leads her to travel to the
mysterious and physics-defying Sea of Spheres, where everything she
though she knew about survival would quickly be put to the test.</i></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">(more info below)</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjg3FIr8-HSewYlybhlRUAekcKq8wh2osqqY5MpTKZ-wnYXKYAhod-teFsyCoGEhDBQ7mz9HLPLm2XyQ91tL9A6psy4BjSOJSd1VTQXJAS8g2qvh12g69g1cI8ARqTnAKCM_holMb1JsN7xrURKBDegn6nnrofAlXAyzcSQ1X580R8B0xulcimXDLU4A/s4961/The%20Viscount%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4961" data-original-width="3508" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjg3FIr8-HSewYlybhlRUAekcKq8wh2osqqY5MpTKZ-wnYXKYAhod-teFsyCoGEhDBQ7mz9HLPLm2XyQ91tL9A6psy4BjSOJSd1VTQXJAS8g2qvh12g69g1cI8ARqTnAKCM_holMb1JsN7xrURKBDegn6nnrofAlXAyzcSQ1X580R8B0xulcimXDLU4A/w283-h400/The%20Viscount%20(1).png" width="283" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Inspired by the Doctor
Who story State of Decay, Deadwood and, as ever, Planescape Torment,
Choose Your Weapons explores the risks you have to take when all you
have is the road ahead of you and the road behind you.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/52193128/chapters/132016891">You can start reading
it here and it'll update every Monday (with a break for Christmas
week.)</a></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGd3aOXvmeJa08IRz5JWsJMawVY7oWm1QNDP71gAkJmOyeXw88B4Ds0uoo9cHqYqoPp6M_0MQQG6_O9dc34CiFhI0_73VZx_OPur3DpVwjGTUOj-A4zOg8Eis7hqqhwrisvyuvNV8Y2nD9KSQputxsuKi3EZlzfKYRbzhOp5RDh9UIFgkIUSY4EItEXg/s4961/Bordello%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3508" data-original-width="4961" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGd3aOXvmeJa08IRz5JWsJMawVY7oWm1QNDP71gAkJmOyeXw88B4Ds0uoo9cHqYqoPp6M_0MQQG6_O9dc34CiFhI0_73VZx_OPur3DpVwjGTUOj-A4zOg8Eis7hqqhwrisvyuvNV8Y2nD9KSQputxsuKi3EZlzfKYRbzhOp5RDh9UIFgkIUSY4EItEXg/w400-h283/Bordello%201.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-68648939379245679892023-12-06T08:59:00.000-08:002023-12-06T08:59:32.872-08:00Obscure Comic of the Month - Squire<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">----------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Squire by
Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas - 2022 Quill Tree Books</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfvSUEaJN9X27QsVn6d7XKx0mST18j9xvEW9eyy-QZ_89Q4HGzEDg29Ev1MhKQwcbp_iq1fjKYJ6ZMWEm0mT4j6xaADRpBINjdQDfPufePg5b7PC8PqYWsFrWduRDSQl2ReXhrx3wFvz6xDwZSU1OoRtyV2SLoyDHapCMnZVDj-Lw7D7ranoFSVk-yQ8/s445/Squire1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="445" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfvSUEaJN9X27QsVn6d7XKx0mST18j9xvEW9eyy-QZ_89Q4HGzEDg29Ev1MhKQwcbp_iq1fjKYJ6ZMWEm0mT4j6xaADRpBINjdQDfPufePg5b7PC8PqYWsFrWduRDSQl2ReXhrx3wFvz6xDwZSU1OoRtyV2SLoyDHapCMnZVDj-Lw7D7ranoFSVk-yQ8/w400-h235/Squire1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">There's been
a topic of conversation floating around recently putting forth the
idea that stories with a 'message' are somehow compromised by their
decision to prioritise some kind of 'personal opinion' over the
'telling of the story.' Now, anyone who has at least paid half
attention to what they were told in literature class can tell you how
silly of an idea that this is, but it is increasingly depressing to
see how many people are parroting such nonsense.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The idea
that 'the story' and 'the message' are two separate entities that can
clash makes about as much sense as implying that 'the mechanics' and
'the movement' of a vehicle have no impact on each other. While, yes,
it is possible for stories to tell broader tales with no great high
minded purpose, even something as simple as 'this is funny' or 'this
is exciting' still constitutes a 'message' and intent.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Really, I
shouldn't have to waste my time going over this, but I felt it a
particularly pertinent point to begin on given I'm about to cover
Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas' Squire, a fun, simple adventure
story with a capital M message.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTslpqFogUZkSS7XA1AhaMwdoJYXK6Ii5SyvrCCwIhqW8512onBjLbFjnTw3mUmZnUSyPGrZEKI3iAQABSO3RXGSxLb_ETamA_RKjq1XY77LIwycY9JSLAbvHtpN6Qn2kQIzzVWTdVBFf6oKNvPn9TdwqROAqS5cGIisHTPXygXIvQXCXTh7GPXZFfc-0/s349/Squire2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTslpqFogUZkSS7XA1AhaMwdoJYXK6Ii5SyvrCCwIhqW8512onBjLbFjnTw3mUmZnUSyPGrZEKI3iAQABSO3RXGSxLb_ETamA_RKjq1XY77LIwycY9JSLAbvHtpN6Qn2kQIzzVWTdVBFf6oKNvPn9TdwqROAqS5cGIisHTPXygXIvQXCXTh7GPXZFfc-0/s320/Squire2.png" width="306" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Squire
tells the story of Aiza, a young girl who lives on the fringes of the
Bayt-Sajji empire and a member of the Ornu people, a colonised
minority within the empire. As an Ornu, Aiza is a second-class
citizen and is forced to hide her identity due to being treated as a
potential insurrectionist, guilty until proven innocent. Aiza seeks
to become a squire and later knight within the empire's ranks in the
hopes of gaining full citizenship and proving to the greater populace
that her people can be loyal subjects.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Aiza's
attempts, however, soon prove to be in vain, as no matter how hard
she tries she realises that she alone cannot gain acceptance for her
people within the eye of an empire that calls for blind obedience.
That no matter how far she goes to try and show that the Ornu can
assimilate her masters will be more than happy to demand she take up
arms against her own people.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Reading
that short plot description you can see already that Squire is no
entirely constructed fictional world, as if such a thing could exist.
There are probably more than a dozen historical and contemporary
conflicts that you could map Aiza's dilemma on to. Given that
Alfageeh and Shammas come from Jordanian and Palestinian backgrounds,
respectively, you can probably reason out yourself what history the
story has been inspired by.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XuHlEZdIpUF63dcVsPQzWsrsvn8u1DpQ0QQ05ilgDCkINZoc6x2TLhdbi4G7r28lf847MYsJxD8KJ-ufKXziBnAhAcLQNNfC4xC8mBSIpd9zYnpqNgMoej9yW3ulvlitSIv2pxVqs7LaFxlmVFtvIsrq8tODad6-2FjsJdNuOUTVtQONIPR0ec5ykys/s864/Squire3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="382" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XuHlEZdIpUF63dcVsPQzWsrsvn8u1DpQ0QQ05ilgDCkINZoc6x2TLhdbi4G7r28lf847MYsJxD8KJ-ufKXziBnAhAcLQNNfC4xC8mBSIpd9zYnpqNgMoej9yW3ulvlitSIv2pxVqs7LaFxlmVFtvIsrq8tODad6-2FjsJdNuOUTVtQONIPR0ec5ykys/w176-h400/Squire3.png" width="176" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If all this
is making Squire sound like a dour treatise on the nature of
colonialism then fear not, because it's quite the opposite. The story
is light, breezy and fun, with optimistic but well rounded
characters. The story falls pretty heavily on the idealistic side, a
much needed take given our current propensity for cynicism right now.
It's a rip roaring adventure full of excitement and heart. You could
easily consume it in one sitting, cover to cover.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Alfageeh's
artwork brings a magnetic, animated style to the proceedings. There's
a feeling of constant motion to the panels that emphasises Aiza's
energy and optimism. As she refuses to be beaten down by the world,
refuses to give up, we believe it because of the energy and dynamism
Alfageeh give to her movements. Add to that the use of several real
world locations as inspiration for settings of the comic, and it
almost feels as through the panels are moving in front of us.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> This is not
to say that Squire takes it's own subject matter lightly, however. As
mentioned, Shammas has put great deal of intent into the words and
world in which we see this plot through. By choosing to set the story
within a constructed, fictional conflict, the story takes on a more
universal context. The injustices that Aiza faces mirror a great many
injustices across the world, and her refusal to back down and be
beaten into cynicism has likewise a universal appeal.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzes3uGhoJKBmj5ocGUmbCo-tvG6K5teeKW0HYbMIvl5q54a2OITH8HHxWyzVTzB9mIvzwcNAcQB8cTX05p0t9mpRyIgEUzqPiXG7krNtBATNF96VN_v6FOLLDBMcC-xHoXSoCALWSybVwxHlunM_vVGh2dIcMyHkVagHa0tKgUNeRIPNZO6EDdXpqSqw/s685/Squire4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="271" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzes3uGhoJKBmj5ocGUmbCo-tvG6K5teeKW0HYbMIvl5q54a2OITH8HHxWyzVTzB9mIvzwcNAcQB8cTX05p0t9mpRyIgEUzqPiXG7krNtBATNF96VN_v6FOLLDBMcC-xHoXSoCALWSybVwxHlunM_vVGh2dIcMyHkVagHa0tKgUNeRIPNZO6EDdXpqSqw/w159-h400/Squire4.png" width="159" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">As Squire's
story continues, we get drawn further into not only the empire's
crimes, but also their justifications, and the apparatus in which
evil is done and is continued to be done, sometimes by the most well
intentioned of people. While the story concludes into a neat and tidy
ending, it does not leave the reader with the suggestion that the
evils of the world are so easily defeated through a single sword
fight. Aiza's story may be over (for now) but her fight is far from
done. Yet in spite of such insurmountable odds, her refusal to give
up is a victory in and of itself.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Squire is a
solid, fun, exciting and at times intense and emotional story that is
wrapped entirely around it's message and it is all the stronger for
it. Taking out the real world subtext of the story would be like
taking the engine out of a car and expecting it to still go. It's a
damn shame that we're still having silly arguments about how stories
are 'ruined' by 'messages,' but I take heart in knowing that we have
works such as Squire to prove that such an attitude is balderdash.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. Squire (c) 2022 Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh. Images
used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-55213642418477635272023-11-26T04:53:00.000-08:002023-11-26T04:53:45.082-08:00How COPRA Redefines the Sincerest Form of Flattery - An Obscure Comic of the Month Special Edition.<p>This column
normally takes a look at obscure comics. For every every sixth month,
instead of taking a look at a comic that nobody talks about, this
special edition will take a look at a comic I feel not enough people
talk about.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">COPRA
by </span></span><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Michel
Fiffe</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
2012 - Present</span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2RJIc0kep2m4kQIcnteLzAuWoLqEsS0ccrpxqzyLgU5LbV6s65ETMvOEg5X8X0lIOHjGpbO5ZXDj4Wvvf5krpoG3RShP9_tyFBsuOG5em-hjvFJ0Fm8YE3gMjI4IEGkraSwzobhJos5IQ_y2Vwh0wcxfY-rN47hysjWUFBb7hk4UaHosQ6i_mZxxggw/s649/Copra1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="152" data-original-width="649" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2RJIc0kep2m4kQIcnteLzAuWoLqEsS0ccrpxqzyLgU5LbV6s65ETMvOEg5X8X0lIOHjGpbO5ZXDj4Wvvf5krpoG3RShP9_tyFBsuOG5em-hjvFJ0Fm8YE3gMjI4IEGkraSwzobhJos5IQ_y2Vwh0wcxfY-rN47hysjWUFBb7hk4UaHosQ6i_mZxxggw/w640-h150/Copra1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
minor Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If you've
been into comics for a reasonable amount of time, especially
superhero comics, then discovering a story that involves thinly
veiled versions of pre-existing characters will come across as
nothing new. Heck, it's common knowledge by now that Watchmen,
considered by many to be the Citizen Kane of comic books, was
originally conceived as involving a bunch of Charlton Comics
characters that had been recently acquired by DC before Alan Moore
decided to change them in order to tell a more definitive, daring
story.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Still, the
act of 'poaching' characters from other publishing lines and altering
them just enough not to trigger a copyright case is, if not looked
down upon, certainly considered less artistically valid than creating
a cast of unique characters from whole cloth. In instances where the
duplication is more blatant, then the more people view the writer's
legitimacy as suspect (See basically anything Rob Liefeld created for
his Extreme Comics line.)
</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lIiQ_ZkSobGPjSg8B3P-Mo5o5Tit5FkOLygBFju_UXuLxt2BQUP-t-seoWQw5KX4c5MvOB0nvvK6SdfGyAqVtwsZC1Eils4CFe30Yv5hyphenhypheniSfz-wBRAvAmANmweFW0vk3IhFyAGucI2jCWs7n1CHx32I6gm0mcJOPVz_zLbisRrj01d73G1HJwAN6AuI/s327/Copra2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lIiQ_ZkSobGPjSg8B3P-Mo5o5Tit5FkOLygBFju_UXuLxt2BQUP-t-seoWQw5KX4c5MvOB0nvvK6SdfGyAqVtwsZC1Eils4CFe30Yv5hyphenhypheniSfz-wBRAvAmANmweFW0vk3IhFyAGucI2jCWs7n1CHx32I6gm0mcJOPVz_zLbisRrj01d73G1HJwAN6AuI/s320/Copra2.png" width="298" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In this
regard it is somewhat difficult to explain why COPRA is one of the
most fantastic, unique and creative comics out there, because, gun to
my head, if I had to explain it in one sentence it would be "Suicide
Squad with the serial numbers filed off." And to be fair Fiffe
has no interest in disguising these inspirations. The story follows a
top secret government taskforce led by a stern, stout black woman
who's only different from Amanda Waller because she's called Sonia
Stone. Deadshot, Deathstroke, Vixen and more, the line that Fiffe is
willing to walk at times feels almost arbitrary.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Of course
this is all in service on one singular goal; to write the greatest
Suicide Squad story that DC Comics would never allow him to write.
Unburdened by corporate oversight, publisher targets and the cyclical
nature of comic book continuity, Fiffe is limited by only his own
imagination, and folks, let him take you down because we're going
to...</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> 1987 was
the year that John Ostrander's run on Suicide Squad began, and is
considered by many to be the definitive take on the characters and
setting. Hailed at the time for being dark and uncompromising, and
willing to kill off it's characters permanently at a moment's notice,
it's a formula that many later revivals have tried and failed to
replicate, not least because the series has become somewhat of a
Harley Quinn side comic in recent years. DC's own editorial mandates
have ensured that the kind of environment that might produce such a
comic might never be seen again.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUUnIggEfl0flqU1WIfG3M18O7dQGi60Mz2Hv0SuwzUF_eC9Jm_W3Dr7McFjsRRfbeKUZt1FOlPXNCSzD2TXxPQuXWxZGryd5_CQfFDOY-v8s8-4FO2EhpmzLUIwCUzoRoZFj_cI2oRScg4UR_Mj7Mc4gCpTdyUpPSSPKMbqjN_coX6uF7o70_zaM71w/s519/Copra3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUUnIggEfl0flqU1WIfG3M18O7dQGi60Mz2Hv0SuwzUF_eC9Jm_W3Dr7McFjsRRfbeKUZt1FOlPXNCSzD2TXxPQuXWxZGryd5_CQfFDOY-v8s8-4FO2EhpmzLUIwCUzoRoZFj_cI2oRScg4UR_Mj7Mc4gCpTdyUpPSSPKMbqjN_coX6uF7o70_zaM71w/w278-h400/Copra3.png" width="278" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And so,
stepping from the shadows like a nebulous government agent, came
Michel Fiffe, a renegade who answered to nobody, seeking only to
bring back that feeling of John Ostrander's comic from 1984. If you
were expecting a simple homage, however, you'd be dead wrong. As dead
as many of the unfortunate characters in this very comic.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> While COPRA
lifts the premise and many of the characters from Suicide Squad this
is no simple homage. It is clear from the get go that this universe
is much grittier, much bleaker, and much more surreal than that of
the mainstream DC line. If I had to compare it to another comic, it
actually feels more like Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol at times than
Ostrander's Suicide Squad.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The very
first story involves the shard of ancient power being fought over
with an eccentric mass of brain in a jar called Dy Dy and it only
gets stranger from there. What I find really interesting about the
comic is how it reinterprets the fundamentals of the superhero shared
universe into something more frightening and unknowable. Fiffe
doesn't just pull characters from the Suicide Squad but also brings
in a Dr Strange-like character. Unlike in Marvel Comics, however,
where no matter how dangerous the magic we know the good doctor will
survive, the magic Vincent deals with constantly feels more
threatening and malevolent given that we know his survival isn't
guaranteed.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKa24l3l01ZG6hLKiCoV1rXhqBt7WEEx78GkKgE5BlyM7vzSRXkPKaWER2m49qrIuooSyG7wHZ0s9-j8YQaKXv_Aj9TrWQQ-bxDx8lPJIIzpOB8lX1fkG7Ql4pMbqj_yRoqBrcttt5pWMDBXsUqvYjduqO02YsU03WL6B8sJ0-godkf9eLr_splpuJ4-M/s668/Copra4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="327" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKa24l3l01ZG6hLKiCoV1rXhqBt7WEEx78GkKgE5BlyM7vzSRXkPKaWER2m49qrIuooSyG7wHZ0s9-j8YQaKXv_Aj9TrWQQ-bxDx8lPJIIzpOB8lX1fkG7Ql4pMbqj_yRoqBrcttt5pWMDBXsUqvYjduqO02YsU03WL6B8sJ0-godkf9eLr_splpuJ4-M/w196-h400/Copra4.png" width="196" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Additionally,
a form of Apokolyps and the mythology of Kirby's New Gods is likewise
reinterpreted as a strange and unsettling dimension whose inhabitants
are utterly confused and out of their depth once stranded on Earth.
Fiffs' take on a superhero universe feels so utterly unique in what
it decides to explore, to the degree where I'm not really sure it's
accurate to say it actually does takes place in a superhero universe,
given the lack of many of its more traditional archetypes.
Superpowered universe might be more accurate.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The idea of
being surrounded by mystical and para-natural forces that could
change an individual's biology at a moment's notice is treated as
nothing less than harrowing. The fact that multiple crime syndicates
and enemy government forces are made up of unkillable agents and mind
controlling parasites is shown as being as horrific as you can
imagine. The fact that the forces of good have to resort to the most
repulsive methods to hold the world together shows us clearly that
they are barely the forces of 'good' at all.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> So COPRA
continues. Characters die, suffer life altering trauma and carve out
lifelong grudges in the wake of failed and barely successful
operations. Yet life goes on, and the pain never goes away. COPRA is
not a happy comic, though it can be laugh out loud funny in it's
comedic moments. Unlike the big two, where a status quo needs to be
maintained, COPRA can genuinely explore the consequences of it's
arcs. It's why, going back to read it, I'm surprised how plot much
unfolds over the course of six volumes.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcikX2UDNCFm_z0z1W0Zt__5Q6D95Kf9poGJGOSEXaQ6Muhkncgq9IdVQefMwJ_c6RRh7SKKr9qthzfAdEPSzpigGMM_VZfWPyp_j1P8Bnsb1I3DxH7HlhI8dUUnjI_4wdeHkGUTs6gKQggPmCfbviMYKINlefnv8nQPjNS0Eec_6qk5hGA5YnaGIIEo/s631/Copra5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="491" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcikX2UDNCFm_z0z1W0Zt__5Q6D95Kf9poGJGOSEXaQ6Muhkncgq9IdVQefMwJ_c6RRh7SKKr9qthzfAdEPSzpigGMM_VZfWPyp_j1P8Bnsb1I3DxH7HlhI8dUUnjI_4wdeHkGUTs6gKQggPmCfbviMYKINlefnv8nQPjNS0Eec_6qk5hGA5YnaGIIEo/s320/Copra5.png" width="249" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And I
haven't even spoken about the art yet. If what I have written above
already has you interested, let me just say what Fiffe achieves in
his writing he achieves doubly through his art. I've never seen
another comic artist do it quite like Fiffe. He pulls out every
visual technique in the book. Panels will duplicate and multiply, or
split into mathematical grids. Characters and speech bubbles will
warp with every thrown punch or broken wall of reality. Whole swathes
of story will be rendered in different shades of single colour,
sometimes to represent a mystical forces, sometimes to represent a
character's psychological mood.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Let me be
utterly clear here. Fiffe's art grabs you by the neck and refuses to
let go. His interdimensional forces and eldritch horrors genuinely
feel beyond human comprehension in the way he depicts them, the
structure and consistency of the pages breaking down in front of our
eyes. Yet human frailty and psychological damage is depicted in much
the same way. He understands more than anything that art can convey
emotions in more ways than just drawing a pained expression on a
character's face.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv18t2P3f2eFWWELP3oicRkZj_LRt2IM19CXnckN8KNJs_juR2CvU_O94fIvb0weT0J3RuicQFb3xszvd2to1vvFqLmRKKv7iOcmjU_eIgimlz5HNYHcYhzdKQDrn-_4TEQ9Teaiv8ekAw7Bbt3QTIsot3e0BaG0fbPmGd4LKE06lm7DNWPMaRVPRM-ug/s332/Copra6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv18t2P3f2eFWWELP3oicRkZj_LRt2IM19CXnckN8KNJs_juR2CvU_O94fIvb0weT0J3RuicQFb3xszvd2to1vvFqLmRKKv7iOcmjU_eIgimlz5HNYHcYhzdKQDrn-_4TEQ9Teaiv8ekAw7Bbt3QTIsot3e0BaG0fbPmGd4LKE06lm7DNWPMaRVPRM-ug/s320/Copra6.png" width="305" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If all that
wasn't enough, even the feel of the pages between your fingers is a
small part of COPRA's storytelling. Right from the get go Fiffe
decided that he wanted the comic published on rough newsprint like
the comics of old, even in the collected editions. There's just
something about that feel, that coarseness, that feels missing on the
shiny laminated pages of contemporary comics. It's why I felt it was
a bit of a shame that COPRA lost that once Fiffe scored the deal with
Image to get it a greater distribution. Then again, I don't blame
him. This is the reality of comics. You gotta' take what you can get.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> I hope all
of the above helps to emphasise how calling COPRA "Suicide Squad
with the serial numbers filed off," does it a disservice even
when it's at it's most blatant in it's replication. Just because
Guthie is obviously Duchess doesn't make her story any less heart
breaking. Just because Castillo is obviously The Punisher as played
by Sylvester Stallone doesn't make his fate any less gut wrenching.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxLYUuZgoGkFzPtnWveW1QUZiCM_19a5wYD67EZEGZNUU7ufKJbDg2DIFU7DzmtEoIizdBRQbVWXoDiokBfD_iP1-xsmvMb_E5ToDGzCUJ9PA2YnJhaCqsiLrtpa_0k955tolqojSAApb5e_Y4AmQeU78BL9Bk5sEqt4lZTDAUYsYhyBwNdTMDHiwC8g/s319/Copra7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="305" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxLYUuZgoGkFzPtnWveW1QUZiCM_19a5wYD67EZEGZNUU7ufKJbDg2DIFU7DzmtEoIizdBRQbVWXoDiokBfD_iP1-xsmvMb_E5ToDGzCUJ9PA2YnJhaCqsiLrtpa_0k955tolqojSAApb5e_Y4AmQeU78BL9Bk5sEqt4lZTDAUYsYhyBwNdTMDHiwC8g/s1600/Copra7.png" width="305" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">What Fiffe
achieves goes beyond simple homage. It is comics uncompromised. It is
storytelling where the rules can be broken. It's a superpowered
nightmare world where no twist, turn or reveal can be predicted,
because the boundaries don't exist. It's the artistic equivalent of
choking down oysters doused in Tabasco and following them up with
harshest of whiskeys. Each turn of the page feels like I'm getting my
teeth pulled out and I am desperate for more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> COPRA is
probably one of the greatest comics out there right now and I
genuinely don't think it's getting the respect it deserves. If you've
been burned out by predictability and the lack of experimentation in
mainstream comics of late, COPRA is the perfect cure. Michel Fiffe
has given us six volumes so far, and I'd happily eat up sixteen more.
Read my lips: Make mine COPRA.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. COPRA is (c) Michel Fiffe. Images used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-83960257409998039692023-11-11T06:07:00.005-08:002023-11-11T06:07:40.393-08:00A Perfect World<p> We may be winding down
the last few months of 2024 but it's always a good time for
unsettling stories of existential dread. I'm delighted to bring you
this tale with phenomenally suspenseful art by <a href="https://twitter.com/ax3lax3l">Lexa</a>.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A Perfect World tells
the story of Leon, a cynical loner with a distaste for classic tales
of good vs evil. Leon's humble life begins to crumble as he starts to
discover that the fantastical might not be as fictional as he
believes.
</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">(click to enlarge)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwSs9sy1CrYFr19L98ldFJtHgGH1CvwK7aR5I5WlTX-3QMjm3CUhNtt1t74-HUWGxHo-6U3DdMYG-2MHy3W_m4PpGtP-tIZovKSfquYBSf56NndkTQ7QIzI6gZkqEbTXropofzytzsZTBBCvPLSFSfjI-gTY20DLAVNX2OWQfbsNeN2qwOp01oVYXZBQ/s5000/01_full.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="3293" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwSs9sy1CrYFr19L98ldFJtHgGH1CvwK7aR5I5WlTX-3QMjm3CUhNtt1t74-HUWGxHo-6U3DdMYG-2MHy3W_m4PpGtP-tIZovKSfquYBSf56NndkTQ7QIzI6gZkqEbTXropofzytzsZTBBCvPLSFSfjI-gTY20DLAVNX2OWQfbsNeN2qwOp01oVYXZBQ/w422-h640/01_full.png" width="422" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9uuGFIiIelj1zz9_GxKFyVUm8wnV8jOPnHkkddgKzCwkJhQavG2JOhmZtnTk2YdzBb_91N-KG0phyfqAPC6Ejf3I5as5qUi1zl4N_BhFfM7a68B1eoSMyAfMTXC9jJUK67LwQt0F-04jIXjlWD8R3EfZP7URou3ZymFYRnheNubmSPHThKvckh0jpZs/s5000/02_full.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="3293" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9uuGFIiIelj1zz9_GxKFyVUm8wnV8jOPnHkkddgKzCwkJhQavG2JOhmZtnTk2YdzBb_91N-KG0phyfqAPC6Ejf3I5as5qUi1zl4N_BhFfM7a68B1eoSMyAfMTXC9jJUK67LwQt0F-04jIXjlWD8R3EfZP7URou3ZymFYRnheNubmSPHThKvckh0jpZs/w422-h640/02_full.png" width="422" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGNeSgrFxnvimyxmsGrkKIUvXbuoNO7Ky4N2RyjwgHY88gXXOad4LuelIHw__2uz1z6nOt58QcLB1SVCofinUWljsB9Pj_kCpVTzM5nN6D5t7DWyekkTUbgV1j3sI3w92tYTJjirJq_jCajBAxWWcAqa5tvSEgoUql4vFJZJ6TbepjCtd5we2cbMH21Q/s5000/03_full.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="3293" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGNeSgrFxnvimyxmsGrkKIUvXbuoNO7Ky4N2RyjwgHY88gXXOad4LuelIHw__2uz1z6nOt58QcLB1SVCofinUWljsB9Pj_kCpVTzM5nN6D5t7DWyekkTUbgV1j3sI3w92tYTJjirJq_jCajBAxWWcAqa5tvSEgoUql4vFJZJ6TbepjCtd5we2cbMH21Q/w422-h640/03_full.png" width="422" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmQgY9tmVTB8UkWHIZNR_6NFdJb84u2oUUtAvmNP9iZ5ljXu6GjKIESUsg3UyyRvLEmG_jRgf3nvFRhpavhUM2aTQaYBvlcYG7XXJ9Uls5q1m9gAAyDqfGccvZ0uB73CnznuDcaC804UybBlkO_56ehVV_lsy1Jaxildfpb08BApGRg5mxRz0cmqfDfY/s5000/04_full.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="3293" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmQgY9tmVTB8UkWHIZNR_6NFdJb84u2oUUtAvmNP9iZ5ljXu6GjKIESUsg3UyyRvLEmG_jRgf3nvFRhpavhUM2aTQaYBvlcYG7XXJ9Uls5q1m9gAAyDqfGccvZ0uB73CnznuDcaC804UybBlkO_56ehVV_lsy1Jaxildfpb08BApGRg5mxRz0cmqfDfY/w422-h640/04_full.png" width="422" /></a></div>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I can't say enough good
things about Lexa's art on this one, who absolutely knocked it out of
the park. I love the dreamlike quality they brought to the story,
which is exactly the kind of mood I wanted to bring across in the
script.</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I highly recommend you
check out their other work, <a href="http://linktr.ee/jzps">which you can find all of the links to here.</a></p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-57561106561505116962023-10-26T07:54:00.005-07:002023-10-26T07:54:51.096-07:00Obscure Comic of the Month - X, Y, Z<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">----------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">X,Y,Z by
Iqbal A. and Aleksandar Bozic - 2018 Mild Frenzy</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDc4qTMZdWTpzV4bEL-Hi9AUwRrjSOpb9HJ7PT3oqsZAnKLxJVe1Db0U-a6qY1F3bQDwbZXoCTynNEI85j9AAb2iXaG4XHfELuQidnRXTzGFotLXiAaVon6jGW07USdC0svbd7wHqm0PfQ4qDDtwgJkf9IylNTr4CA_pbao10HdY5_248yViRtbUAINU/s642/XYZ1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="642" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDc4qTMZdWTpzV4bEL-Hi9AUwRrjSOpb9HJ7PT3oqsZAnKLxJVe1Db0U-a6qY1F3bQDwbZXoCTynNEI85j9AAb2iXaG4XHfELuQidnRXTzGFotLXiAaVon6jGW07USdC0svbd7wHqm0PfQ4qDDtwgJkf9IylNTr4CA_pbao10HdY5_248yViRtbUAINU/w640-h244/XYZ1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Mild Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">One of the
great things about exhibiting at comic conventions it that if you're
lucky you end up with a table adjacent to somebody really
interesting. Sometimes they're an artist who's been on the convention
circuit for a while, sometimes they're a creator fresh out of art
school, sometimes they're <a href="https://twitter.com/catastrotaffy">the person that ran the Fallout themed 'Ask
Caesar' RP Tumblr account back in 2014.</a></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> For 2023's
Lakes International Comic Art Festival, I was seated next to Iqbal
Ali, who I had a great time chatting with as a fellow creator. We
traded stories about the woes of getting decent printings while self
publishing, working with artists and just getting the work out there.
That and dealing with the dodgy condensation under the marquee that
we had to deal with.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> But never
mind how we got along personally. This column isn't for that. This
column is about the comics themselves. Iqbal had a lot of decent
stuff out there, but it was X,Y,Z that immediately drew my eye. It's
stark, moody cover immediately intrigued me, and I was willing to
jump right in even before I knew what the premise was.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5aYlLy8UEHWtCSyOiulnjRt0L6uXUlSDI4R1eGffQ6wsM8ADAkMAw65tDyPz3QgA8F7S4ABwjeVHnR4qz8QeJbf9M57gZZ1I0q4fbO5yPcghQOiN01Mh0YrzF4oYuQXvjgT34lH8zmQddAm6KMjgNGc_3cOjsVvNmcNWA1Rx0YUog_NUyLHpO4fMkGk/s318/XYZ2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="318" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5aYlLy8UEHWtCSyOiulnjRt0L6uXUlSDI4R1eGffQ6wsM8ADAkMAw65tDyPz3QgA8F7S4ABwjeVHnR4qz8QeJbf9M57gZZ1I0q4fbO5yPcghQOiN01Mh0YrzF4oYuQXvjgT34lH8zmQddAm6KMjgNGc_3cOjsVvNmcNWA1Rx0YUog_NUyLHpO4fMkGk/s1600/XYZ2.png" width="318" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">X,Y, Z
tells the story of Abn. An Asian student at an otherwise all white
school who, already under immense pressure from the prejudices of his
peers and teachers, finds himself drawn into a supernatural mystery
surrounding a mysterious book 'How to Disappear Completely.' Soon
enough Abn has to contend with the manifestation of unusual powers
and the machinations of a nefarious entity that may be a
representation of his own secret desires.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Textually
X,Y, Z operates on a weirdness level equal to 2001's Donnie Darko
(With a touch of 2015's Life is Strange). A socially awkward young
man finds himself entangled with powers beyond his comprehension.
X,Y, Z's characters have a great amount of depth, even the most
antagonistic have at least some degree of sympathy to them, and Abn
often finds allies where he once expected to find enemies. There's
action, drama, disaster and epiphany. All good stuff in a comic that
is direct and to the point.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Bozic's art
is suited perfectly to the story, harkening just enough back to the
traditional style of old 'school boy' comics from Britain's
yesteryear while still giving it a sharp grit to keep you grounded in
the story. Simple but palpable expressions help us experience the
inner turmoil within the characters, while supernatural entities
whizz from panel to panel, drawing our eye from action to action. All
in a crisp black and white that gives the story an almost timeless
quality.
</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHQinD06mufE3pj6Z-3MpdNLk013jLIEUuPMyOPGEyczRVflhUSgX9ppoFmVRMhHx3xG1XlzRFkxzRxlKI4k2PJOozjZvqhyin_j1qcmyocWJV5MM70jIYlGViHI-KT6FAd_mG99l6Fq3V9QyB30_PjTPYRk5UaW8jn3OPuvdg6AwwlWiHTg-Np26dKA/s407/XYZ3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="407" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHQinD06mufE3pj6Z-3MpdNLk013jLIEUuPMyOPGEyczRVflhUSgX9ppoFmVRMhHx3xG1XlzRFkxzRxlKI4k2PJOozjZvqhyin_j1qcmyocWJV5MM70jIYlGViHI-KT6FAd_mG99l6Fq3V9QyB30_PjTPYRk5UaW8jn3OPuvdg6AwwlWiHTg-Np26dKA/s320/XYZ3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It's
sub-textually that X,Y, Z's greater strengths manifest, however. The
meaning of the story is right there in the title. X,Y, Z with three
arrows pointing across three different axis. This is representative,
of course, of the subjects of maths and physics that Abn studies and
also harnesses in his search for a higher purpose, but the three axis
also represent his struggle for direction.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> All
throughout the story Abn is tormented over which direction he wishes
to take his life. X, Y or Z. Assimilation, Rejection or Destruction.
The staff and students of the school are constantly pushing Abn to
change and become one with the crowd. To disregard what makes him him
and ultimately become someone else in the name of an easy life.
Conversely, the dark force inside of him wants to push Abn on a path
of vengeance and accumulated power. To go beyond ambition and give in
to anger and aggression.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Abn himself
merely wants to, as the book he wields promises, disappear
completely, but as these two forces begin to influence his life in
greater ways, he realises such an escape is impossible.
</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHORDdtK6SmDwPcnzk2RW71ZY_1KYG_nHL1Ca7T9o1hMKlSoH-g_UDrN1ADtjMLuSSIxp97YDGnEGiEd-oMudfoF4C1r8SNjIgM9BNnwat2XOUwapvjE6JekN_hc5gPiqr7vR12onmnjDHN6J531DQbGiROlcm8vKatdU2GJAZsBmGVpoFQhZiPDxiMcs/s562/XYZ4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="562" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHORDdtK6SmDwPcnzk2RW71ZY_1KYG_nHL1Ca7T9o1hMKlSoH-g_UDrN1ADtjMLuSSIxp97YDGnEGiEd-oMudfoF4C1r8SNjIgM9BNnwat2XOUwapvjE6JekN_hc5gPiqr7vR12onmnjDHN6J531DQbGiROlcm8vKatdU2GJAZsBmGVpoFQhZiPDxiMcs/s320/XYZ4.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Ultimately,
the story is about realising that such binary direction is a false
conclusion. Abn doesn't have to choose, life isn't about absolutes,
and in the end he overcomes the pressures of all three demands to
become his own person, driven only by his own decisions and his own
road.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> X,Y, Z is
an absorbing comic with a sharp script and sharper pace. It handles
it's subject matter with a maturity that doesn't easily give in to
nihilism, and it's themes are both specific and universal. I had a
great time with it.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Iqbal Ali
is going to be at <a href="https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/">Harrogate Thought Bubble</a> next month, so if you're
passing by be sure to check him out. I highly recommend X, Y, Z and I
can't wait to see what he comes up with next.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. X, Y, Z (c) 2018 Iqbal Ali. Images used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-73951340216768967432023-10-04T09:44:00.005-07:002023-10-04T09:47:43.612-07:00Bigger Guns<p>A brand new tale is here to grace your eyeballs, with art by the fantastic <a href="https://twitter.com/Turbomiracle">Turbomiracle</a> and written by yours truly. Bigger Guns is a story of infernal action and cultural change, where shifting politics of the 1960s didn't just affect the earthly realms, but those beneath them too.</p><p>(click to enlarge)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6o8c3p1H5ivjKqn0_ig9LdZ0KPs1BTPyE3vEV7jVca_h71qo7WUpHcZpZfJu4H3UhIAJjVSpqMu6D1FWyhx5BM0oBFm5zUxuYUllCEdme1QAP4sJwIpeZPF94Lc4erczNaX2FlUJGsnXc6prtZzqJyg2UGv40TO7fDtETzAce8oUA7GGISkYh8KbxD8/s1800/01%20FINAL_web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6o8c3p1H5ivjKqn0_ig9LdZ0KPs1BTPyE3vEV7jVca_h71qo7WUpHcZpZfJu4H3UhIAJjVSpqMu6D1FWyhx5BM0oBFm5zUxuYUllCEdme1QAP4sJwIpeZPF94Lc4erczNaX2FlUJGsnXc6prtZzqJyg2UGv40TO7fDtETzAce8oUA7GGISkYh8KbxD8/w426-h640/01%20FINAL_web.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTveeTa55zOzwq4cB_jaKG8NOL-8wl1gZoG0lb-o7ZPSLcgqYBLms3AVsT_hRcK8DAOYVCuQomC8oIKaB2sSyMb7BQ1Ks7WlbItSIZ9gZyKjNY4H3N_z9YE8m6gE0o5te8WKVh0FfDKlbCppBYZiEH8abpE6Q8YfAsHoGyU8QPZY2T0fnUzYJphObiqv4/s1800/02%20FINAL_web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTveeTa55zOzwq4cB_jaKG8NOL-8wl1gZoG0lb-o7ZPSLcgqYBLms3AVsT_hRcK8DAOYVCuQomC8oIKaB2sSyMb7BQ1Ks7WlbItSIZ9gZyKjNY4H3N_z9YE8m6gE0o5te8WKVh0FfDKlbCppBYZiEH8abpE6Q8YfAsHoGyU8QPZY2T0fnUzYJphObiqv4/w426-h640/02%20FINAL_web.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9jHWQ9jrR95qi_kxe1KL14gfYE1o8m5caxlM8njcHOLpj7VSj8QEfHWa_z0HIUh2pqjegdnKKnr7gfjgO4TqUnL4lF_LmD3Rfeht5nP3LBh208GTKzHwslVbvddDyYaSCdPf9BpWk9Ha8Q-UbIJhCyC4YlJTRNjKF5zmN4n3cT8rugMRFvGFyx_S8rg/s1800/03%20FINAL_web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9jHWQ9jrR95qi_kxe1KL14gfYE1o8m5caxlM8njcHOLpj7VSj8QEfHWa_z0HIUh2pqjegdnKKnr7gfjgO4TqUnL4lF_LmD3Rfeht5nP3LBh208GTKzHwslVbvddDyYaSCdPf9BpWk9Ha8Q-UbIJhCyC4YlJTRNjKF5zmN4n3cT8rugMRFvGFyx_S8rg/w426-h640/03%20FINAL_web.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvROasCog6uPZFHjNT1GDMfS-8gEb4gxX-JZJW_36xWNHobooC6_IFcg2ls9snvpckheWA_MgFtPDju_M1-Pj5DJdnqkhG_p_SjyZmCPonO2ucw2O8aXBJ8jIN1hyphenhyphenB0qJnanhYFtrTuo2IXfDvE_zYZ1jtqQr2NRW1icHOBr9XRKNqC24ffBVtAQoR2c/s1800/04%20FINAL_web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvROasCog6uPZFHjNT1GDMfS-8gEb4gxX-JZJW_36xWNHobooC6_IFcg2ls9snvpckheWA_MgFtPDju_M1-Pj5DJdnqkhG_p_SjyZmCPonO2ucw2O8aXBJ8jIN1hyphenhyphenB0qJnanhYFtrTuo2IXfDvE_zYZ1jtqQr2NRW1icHOBr9XRKNqC24ffBVtAQoR2c/w426-h640/04%20FINAL_web.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was an absolute pleasure to work with Turbormiracle who did an incredible job with rendering such detailed scenes like the club interior and the minute to minute action. I've admired their work for a long time, and it's been great to see them illustrate something I've written.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's to moving on! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-90175550599169522922023-09-27T08:18:00.002-07:002023-09-27T08:18:17.293-07:00Obscure Comic of the Month - Acceptable Losses<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-----------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Acceptable
Losses by Joe Glass, Danny Flores and Moose Baumann - 2020 Queer
Comix</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-F5Zs1SrfPIBVAFzyMjq6iAyqvAAzrfuINs08Jln019jT2cgefATIAfIq4shmvc_WAUtwMyFXQoXlll5SaIeHcPml49m-PBACq_d1njSOjhnlfPjm_Pk73EnEeUYpmJL7zh6wo-2UyH7II9do2sKg8u138HtzM9fUU98C2R76BCgVtzSQ_HeI3VrvKI/s499/AL1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="499" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-F5Zs1SrfPIBVAFzyMjq6iAyqvAAzrfuINs08Jln019jT2cgefATIAfIq4shmvc_WAUtwMyFXQoXlll5SaIeHcPml49m-PBACq_d1njSOjhnlfPjm_Pk73EnEeUYpmJL7zh6wo-2UyH7II9do2sKg8u138HtzM9fUU98C2R76BCgVtzSQ_HeI3VrvKI/w640-h264/AL1.png" width="640" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Heavy Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Last year I
spoke very highly of Joe Glass' seminal superhero deconstruction The
Miracles, and so today I'm taking a look at one of his smaller works,
the self-contained one shot, Acceptable Losses, a comic that is
probably easiest to describe as <i>What if Captain America Became The
Punisher?</i></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The story
of Sam Tyler, AKA superhero super-solider U.S Eagle begins in medias
res as he undertakes a mission in the Middle East to eliminate a
dangerous terrorist leader. Deliberate parallels to the hunt for Bin
Laden are obvious here which we'll dig into more later. Tyler's
mission goes awry, however, in part due to his unwillingness to
endanger civilians in the crossfire, including a nearby school.
Meanwhile mission command, overseen by the all too believable Senator
McKeen, has little concern for collateral damage, the titular
'acceptable losses.'</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX_JXAoVdWuFdlQNWAk2OOcEuwlcD4Asc-IXM5ZnDq0Y9dn0HbE009O5MxVYpng-Pk3GVDnvIZybFpMg8DlEUIIp8K4BcrTfvh2PGxtDC2vAf5tBtkf5ca-qcaUWa6Y50vh63TW2BECJauSJlDKYr9k5zy4IFGmnP5Cw9V-Dsmm9O_GI9zRypHiIXBV4/s297/AL2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="215" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX_JXAoVdWuFdlQNWAk2OOcEuwlcD4Asc-IXM5ZnDq0Y9dn0HbE009O5MxVYpng-Pk3GVDnvIZybFpMg8DlEUIIp8K4BcrTfvh2PGxtDC2vAf5tBtkf5ca-qcaUWa6Y50vh63TW2BECJauSJlDKYr9k5zy4IFGmnP5Cw9V-Dsmm9O_GI9zRypHiIXBV4/w290-h400/AL2.png" width="290" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">As the
terrorist leader looks to slip out of Tyler's grasp, McKeen orders an
air strike, seemingly killing the hero alongside innumerable
civilians, children included. From this opening sequence it is very
clear the type of story that we are in for here, and the perspective
in which it views the 'necessity' of the 'war on terror.'</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Tyler, of
course, didn't die, and the story's focus shifts to cover an extended
revenge scene carried out against McKeen interspersed with flashback
as Tyler is nursed back to health by the very people that he was
deployed to treat as 'enemies of America.' What follow is a gorgeous,
if extremely brutal and harrowing, sequence of events which Danny
Flores' art and Moose Baumann's colours are expressly suited to. As
the story jumps between the dark night of revenge to the comfortable
browns of Tyler's recovery, it is almost sub-textually saying that we
cannot view geopolitics in simple black and white.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL_xTU7_YhlTLSNgT3pnVSpLlhxRLNJNIYBCqUg3I4ZNCX7nNiwqBUpeJoPQXs-yv4MNlhU2Jb9hu2IAxjhHP6cBLCocl5387d7jIkp67f01Q6W_M9hIBlpHjVbnRy2xVDPWjlTu2icQpoWnf0U1_MjCv9M6k5smlx_cORlIrmifCaRdhb2fFj0gYit8/s315/AL3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="174" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL_xTU7_YhlTLSNgT3pnVSpLlhxRLNJNIYBCqUg3I4ZNCX7nNiwqBUpeJoPQXs-yv4MNlhU2Jb9hu2IAxjhHP6cBLCocl5387d7jIkp67f01Q6W_M9hIBlpHjVbnRy2xVDPWjlTu2icQpoWnf0U1_MjCv9M6k5smlx_cORlIrmifCaRdhb2fFj0gYit8/w221-h400/AL3.png" width="221" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">This is
easily the darkest of Glass' stories so far, and sits at an
interesting point between his more optimistic and celebratory stories
from The Pride, to his idealistic but still more grounded and
pragmatic work in The Miracles. The story is vicious in it's
storytelling, and definitely feels like somewhat of a rebuttal to
modern superhero stories being muted and soft in their criticisms of
American foreign policy and unquestioned patriotism.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As a one
shot the story is sharp and to the point, done in one and complete in
it's message. In all respects but one does this work in it's favour,
but if I had to levy one criticism at the story it would be that the
later reveal that Tyler and his 'inside man' Private Krinsky are in a
relationship together, is covered somewhat too briefly, if for no
other reason that so many incredibly interesting stories could be
spun off from such a twist.
</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1tA3kK34FRmtIaiEajP3VJdu7r-fox5A_cccGx8EIa9S_ZwYuDO7XeK3nubNtMRVmhvgtqfhUFrSezix1btAkY1XIUsiqCj8nBi6SbqMxu49qVwi4QhE7YpLjVOHi6shGHuQ4JlMo4Gfx_qIQbohRAl4RDqlNniwqh6Z10zEwoAsZ6rhr6li3szI3xo/s586/AL4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="586" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1tA3kK34FRmtIaiEajP3VJdu7r-fox5A_cccGx8EIa9S_ZwYuDO7XeK3nubNtMRVmhvgtqfhUFrSezix1btAkY1XIUsiqCj8nBi6SbqMxu49qVwi4QhE7YpLjVOHi6shGHuQ4JlMo4Gfx_qIQbohRAl4RDqlNniwqh6Z10zEwoAsZ6rhr6li3szI3xo/w640-h330/AL4.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The
depiction of a gay Captain America is not something that is
particular new (look to Andrew Wheeler's Soldier Sailor for another
such example) but the idea of one explored through the Acceptable
Losses' grounded and gritty lens would certainly be a unique one.
Still, that's far from a deal-breaker, and if anything it feels as
though Glass has more of these types of stories in him, it just being
a question of when he's ready to write them.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Acceptable
Losses is a brutal bullet to the head of a comic that doesn't pull
any punches. If you felt like bigger franchise fair has been skirting
round the subject of the war on terror for a while now, then this is
a fine antidote.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. Acceptable Losses (c) 2020 Queer Comix. Images used
under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-86462312316126729202023-09-24T10:49:00.007-07:002023-09-24T11:00:42.002-07:00Warhammer 40'000 - Who Killed Warboss Badgutz?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5JkXwIERZ8bgxv0GK_Ty_s5VpY_Zx_j73_P0goMnYi8edUlbbH4f5DgeimGopJN6FIl93nV26Xpo3jiDOXnX86sDqrXzN4ZQ4b-OtLWQ4-MqqR5UGbNbamvbcYUL2g28N7Yggl3Gk7Cc_gngeYgeLOMBC4lFnOJtefwA9f9VTwV3IJWpTGQ5V_344gE/s4122/Harvey%20Mystery%20Cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4122" data-original-width="2550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5JkXwIERZ8bgxv0GK_Ty_s5VpY_Zx_j73_P0goMnYi8edUlbbH4f5DgeimGopJN6FIl93nV26Xpo3jiDOXnX86sDqrXzN4ZQ4b-OtLWQ4-MqqR5UGbNbamvbcYUL2g28N7Yggl3Gk7Cc_gngeYgeLOMBC4lFnOJtefwA9f9VTwV3IJWpTGQ5V_344gE/w396-h640/Harvey%20Mystery%20Cover.png" width="396" /></a></div><br /><p>It gives me great pleasure to finally get the chance to introduce you all to Doctor Grotson, the intrepid Gretchin detective who as you can expect doesn't exactly fit in easily with the rampaging hoard of Orks he has found himself in the company of.</p><p><i>When Warboss Badgutz is found dead with no clear culprit, the Ork rules of succession are thrown into confusion. Desperate to stop the Ork forces from fracturing, Doctor Grotson takes it upon himself, with a little help from the Warbosses prospective replacements, to to find out who exactly had offed the vicious leader, and more crucially, find out why they haven't claimed his throne.</i></p><p>This was a real fun little story to write. Both comedy AND murder mysteries are difficult to balance, and that's before you throw in the Warhammer universe's most raucous inhabitants to the mix. It was a real experiment in seeing what I could get away with while holding the story together.</p><p>To top it all off, we have some amazing artwork by Ork artist extraordinaire <a href="https://twitter.com/crippled_giraff">Alex 'Crippled Giraffe.'</a> He did an absolutely steller job of bringing the characters to life. If you're in the mood for more Orky antics I highly recommend you check out his work.</p><p><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/50303950">Who Killed Warboss Badgutz? can be read full over on AO3.</a></p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-35953635108971859962023-09-19T08:14:00.001-07:002023-09-19T08:14:39.370-07:00Jack Minute - Mask of the PhanTekWar<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9gbdqWBZamFYKli7Q6Zbpe8J9IEPEmdt7hFq7vnRuyFk07KCsgd55MvG_vKyD8OYZsIsmrcWaSiuSuEyZNwDHjhiovNcayS8FBMlJT9ZNCaH0y-cGTc2QIEgmYDtcTfOfbXeTk_tId590KZPHgc4N8_-YIxb5C7pM1zEENA6cvxplo7VStuRVXYZgmUQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="110" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9gbdqWBZamFYKli7Q6Zbpe8J9IEPEmdt7hFq7vnRuyFk07KCsgd55MvG_vKyD8OYZsIsmrcWaSiuSuEyZNwDHjhiovNcayS8FBMlJT9ZNCaH0y-cGTc2QIEgmYDtcTfOfbXeTk_tId590KZPHgc4N8_-YIxb5C7pM1zEENA6cvxplo7VStuRVXYZgmUQ" width="228" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It's been a hot (bat) minute since my last podcast appearance, so I am delighted to announce that I have once again joined the Batminute boys as guest of honour on their latest episode on Mask of the Phantasm, a film I hadn't seen in years and found surprising to experience again.</p><p>In the episode we discuss James Bond minute and the history of the jet pack in popular culture, Mark Hamill's strange relationship with independent comics and a discussion of what makes a 'so bad it's good' vanity project.</p><p>Always a pleasure, never a chore to join Niall and Jon in taking 60 seconds of a film and going down so many rabbit holes we end up with tunnel vision.</p><h2 class="section-heading" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 5px 0px 25px;"><a class="read_more" data-iframe-id="embed_28058865" href="https://thebatminute.com/bat-minute-of-the-phantasm-minute-67-not-everyone-can-be-william-shatners-tekwar-with-jack-harvey" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(196, 21, 230) !important; outline-offset: -2px; outline: -webkit-focus-ring-color auto 5px;">Bat Minute of The Phantasm - Minute 67: Not Everyone Can Be 'William Shatner's TekWar' (with Jack Harvey)</a></h2>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-50160153385909620832023-08-16T08:40:00.002-07:002023-08-16T08:40:08.951-07:00Obscure Comic of the Month - Knights vs Pirates<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">--------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Knights vs
Pirates by Jay Martin, Chris Imber and Chris Jenkins - 2020 Reckless
Hero</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzORJ8yw7rwA3DJbO6v5lwMCVfYWOO8qAN760Tcd7NBkua_ON3IxgmnISpMz6rOMQWoxwBlFxE_5QOVZyFeNhwPd9dEahZ8guh2Z8pliyIvtG-oMJ__teZ3KMYnnU2p-BRxhhhPWq3A8VZmbo7uXRpMizP60ngNCTpyrhlQercPcCSvGYtA22FCQXMxWM/s655/KVP1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="655" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzORJ8yw7rwA3DJbO6v5lwMCVfYWOO8qAN760Tcd7NBkua_ON3IxgmnISpMz6rOMQWoxwBlFxE_5QOVZyFeNhwPd9dEahZ8guh2Z8pliyIvtG-oMJ__teZ3KMYnnU2p-BRxhhhPWq3A8VZmbo7uXRpMizP60ngNCTpyrhlQercPcCSvGYtA22FCQXMxWM/w640-h234/KVP1.png" width="640" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Mild Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We like to
get somewhat intellectual here at Obscure Comic of the Month (and by
we I mean me.) Whether it's dissecting the Life is Strange comic's
criticism of it's own source material, or discussing what the alien
societies of Prism Stalker have to say about mankind's inhumanity to
man, dissecting themes, subtext and metaphor is what a lot of this
column is all about.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Sometimes,
however, along comes a comic that is shaped exactly as it is. Where
there are no depths to plunge. What you see it what you get. Knights
vs Pirates is one of these types of comics.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Pitting
King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table against the crew of
legendary pirate Blackbeard, Knights vs Pirates steps into a long
standing genre of historical mashups that we have previously seen in
such things as the video game For Honour, the tabletop game Unmatched
Battle of Legends and the Half-Life mod Pirates, Vikings and Knights.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rblvwuEqZQg4GuGVhXdh_JseUioB8qC9FK166UT-H6NHZRxSSegR4_dHcaR99cZzDR8cReVs_hcs57zptBc6edfvZJUAgkvDk4sK293qSq95AjnVViZxcEwA6okyzBhb4xb17_gcrYlbzuGaK2vYi1EcFmZp4xaje4axPwBft0ezS939aMLe9QDL5xY/s578/KVP2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rblvwuEqZQg4GuGVhXdh_JseUioB8qC9FK166UT-H6NHZRxSSegR4_dHcaR99cZzDR8cReVs_hcs57zptBc6edfvZJUAgkvDk4sK293qSq95AjnVViZxcEwA6okyzBhb4xb17_gcrYlbzuGaK2vYi1EcFmZp4xaje4axPwBft0ezS939aMLe9QDL5xY/w249-h400/KVP2.png" width="249" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The video
game comparison is apt, really, as Knights vs Pirates is all about
the action. Jay Martin isn't here to bring us a story about the class
differentiation between noble knights and stateless pirates. He's not
here to bring us any kind of exploration of each character's mythic
qualities and the legacy they left in historical folklore. He's here
to have a bunch of cool looking guys with swords smash up against a
bunch of cool looking guys with guns, on boats. It's not dissimilar
to downloading a skin pack for Unreal Tournament 2004 so that you can
have Gordon Freeman fight the Master Chief.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If it
sounds like I'm counting all this as a negative against the work of
Martin, Imber and Jenkins you may be surprised to find out that I'm
not. If you know me, you know I actually love downloading skin packs
for Unreal Tournament 2004 so that I can have Gordon Freeman fight
the Master Chief.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Is there a
reason that King Arthur here wears the St George's Cross and a
crusader's bucket helm, despite predating both those things by
centuries? Because it looks cool that's why. The historical and
folkloric perspective doesn't really matter. This is pure popcorn
munching entertainment. It's smashing action figures together in
comic book form, and Knights vs Pirates manages to excel at such
goals with high speed and panache.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61TLd6dI-M6UZcWxOgdwVb70FEc-t7r-CA6XzurFydaeRBmhgcgcJ5kG8Ky1i3QkjIpsQiWnK2UqcefkBj8hDSTGpS2nbOV-ocVpg78zqxtOYbtXtEGSjTvLdSytMc60-BgEt7nNd_lBIv-t5pB5Gg6fxkLVnIuqSNsu-TgwJZ6nOeYootGgz0-_sDyo/s408/KVP3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61TLd6dI-M6UZcWxOgdwVb70FEc-t7r-CA6XzurFydaeRBmhgcgcJ5kG8Ky1i3QkjIpsQiWnK2UqcefkBj8hDSTGpS2nbOV-ocVpg78zqxtOYbtXtEGSjTvLdSytMc60-BgEt7nNd_lBIv-t5pB5Gg6fxkLVnIuqSNsu-TgwJZ6nOeYootGgz0-_sDyo/s320/KVP3.png" width="260" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The story,
such as it is, takes place during Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail,
as pestilence stalks the land. However, he and his knights become
embroiled with the machinations of Poseidon of Atlantis (Why is there
a Greek God here and why does he also happen to be a fish man?
Because it's cool, that's why,) as has, centuries later, Blackbeard
and his crew, who are lured to the Bermuda Triangle and sent
backwards in time with the promise of riches and glory.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As the
Knights come to terms with gunpowder weapons and the pirates
capitalise upon the confused forces of the past, so proceeds a series
of battles and skirmishes between Arthur and Blackbeard's forces. The
characters are all larger than life, more akin to Street Fighter
characters than their historical counterparts, with their own
colourful set of unique designs, motivation and gimmicks.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Chris
Imber's fast and bold art really stands out in these battles. Keeping
a sense of movement and logic at the same time, while making every
bloody strike and blow feel heavy and visceral. Likewise, Jenkin's
vivid colours really pop out of the page, and bring to life the
personalities of these colourful characters (pun intended.)</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7KnadlOyJptR2jSng3HGfN2ATEGu7lIoIm6a1eTLjGUnY88Uu1WXlFQTY_AWEoKgiHuDEzxhVFD3KOSyE2jDvNL-GX7GLEJKwbPmMG6Pgrk2vgSJPnOUCvAUoEwOnpAprSUkZH0ejBfJZ15j8QWCBHicQcPPg0T8HHUqELZwn6lIzm87NWa5bWk4jsA/s503/KVP4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7KnadlOyJptR2jSng3HGfN2ATEGu7lIoIm6a1eTLjGUnY88Uu1WXlFQTY_AWEoKgiHuDEzxhVFD3KOSyE2jDvNL-GX7GLEJKwbPmMG6Pgrk2vgSJPnOUCvAUoEwOnpAprSUkZH0ejBfJZ15j8QWCBHicQcPPg0T8HHUqELZwn6lIzm87NWa5bWk4jsA/w188-h400/KVP4.png" width="188" /></a></div>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The writing
is archetypal with Arthur so noble it's almost maudlin, and
Blackbeard very much the pantomime villain. Still, there are genuine
moments of pathos here and there, such as Blackbeard expressing his
past admiration for Arthur when he read stories of his adventures as
a boy, and being nightmarishly torn between the optimism of his youth
and the cynicism and selfishness that has overtaken his life.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Like any
good versus story, after many bloody losses, the two sides eventually
join forces to fight the real villain. Poseidon rises at the end to
reveal the full extent of his schemes, which primarily concerned the
retrieval of Excalibur, the sword having been constructed from his
three pronged trident (Why? Because it's cool, that's why.) The
climax brings an action packed battle as Imber really pushes the
visuals to create a striking melee between Knight, Pirate and aquatic
sea-folk.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzMXPBgFoJjXAtaXNbdsNDYo9SGZS4CukuTatMrmql7ljQa-7UY5BH3LPDEQ7-43yHWunFHBJSDBh9TlXWkV2XAqf-cEveM0IIXiyDRnhsg-MY-zbUQnRJ2qEysrdNEfbPxOkpHxRmZggLcoPAu5p-ZRcIDZVOkfojVXP7h6THovVcWJy7-dm2qeAhgM/s452/KVP5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="312" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzMXPBgFoJjXAtaXNbdsNDYo9SGZS4CukuTatMrmql7ljQa-7UY5BH3LPDEQ7-43yHWunFHBJSDBh9TlXWkV2XAqf-cEveM0IIXiyDRnhsg-MY-zbUQnRJ2qEysrdNEfbPxOkpHxRmZggLcoPAu5p-ZRcIDZVOkfojVXP7h6THovVcWJy7-dm2qeAhgM/w276-h400/KVP5.png" width="276" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Knights vs
Pirates is excellent evidence that you can produce a story that is
silly and over the top without being dumb. It's shallow only in the
sense that greater depth would actively make the story worse. The
story need not be saddled with attempts at highbrow storytelling.
This is a monster truck rally. This is professional wrestling. This
is a visual cavalcade of larger than life characters carrying larger
than life weapons.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> I can
safely say that if I had read this as a sixteen year old I would have
easily become obsessed with it, and sometimes, you just have to give
the sixteen year old inside yourself something like this every now
and again, as a treat.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. Knights Vs Pirates (c) 2020 Reckless Hero. Images used
under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-48672286111647455222023-07-29T04:22:00.001-07:002023-07-29T04:22:13.254-07:00Obscure Comic of the Month - No Romance In Hell<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">--------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">No Romance
in Hell by Hyena Hell</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fC6iVVlihNLwTpbewQ0LjzBEq2vBCoVE7oe_kwe6YiE8ZhVoJkAdBOHdrDG6cSb3TRrpCKDsGQvsQfchoAmCfapKjSqw-nydvsbXZuWSDZlHfZsIvkz48DltBcKvTTVOhh2DxuuLbaEjeE4A-sRxILILS2xt6X-i1OwS4gesHMng_QvRqcvG1IBvOtg/s560/NRIH1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fC6iVVlihNLwTpbewQ0LjzBEq2vBCoVE7oe_kwe6YiE8ZhVoJkAdBOHdrDG6cSb3TRrpCKDsGQvsQfchoAmCfapKjSqw-nydvsbXZuWSDZlHfZsIvkz48DltBcKvTTVOhh2DxuuLbaEjeE4A-sRxILILS2xt6X-i1OwS4gesHMng_QvRqcvG1IBvOtg/w400-h225/NRIH1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Mild Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">No Romance
in Hell tells the story of an idealistic demonic woman, while unnamed
in the comic itself, we do quickly learn of her love for romances
and her longing for a similar experience. Having failed to achieve
any meaningful relationships in the bowels of hell, she travels to
earth and blends in as best she can, with the hopes she can strike up
a whirlwind romance there.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The comic
is, frankly, the best possible execution of such a premise, in my
opinion. As you may or may not know, I am not unfamiliar with
writing <a href="https://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/one-hell-of-night.html">demonic</a> <a href="https://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-stones-throw-away-grantia-story.html">romances</a> myself, so when I saw Hyena Hell's comic sitting on
the shelf of Newcastle's Travelling Man, stereotypical romance novel
text above a scantily clad green-skinned woman disintegrating a
helpless suitor, I knew I would have to check it out. It was
absolutely my jam.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqIA2h9-prsUMc_t7PsQx6tURa2SJa8CMjM2MZ16M7xvTk3axsEgiblAhb61jtWRStjJFRKUtINUvvuIFWO-jqQND2PSFsh09Go2EXeqzMRirV-42NVXrqbKTWhEJcCFpnjQzwwhImIZNh9U7MBxpZVR8O7wp8ortuuCT0pQ6cVzVx2oDoZUu4plZmwA/s555/NRIH2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="555" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqIA2h9-prsUMc_t7PsQx6tURa2SJa8CMjM2MZ16M7xvTk3axsEgiblAhb61jtWRStjJFRKUtINUvvuIFWO-jqQND2PSFsh09Go2EXeqzMRirV-42NVXrqbKTWhEJcCFpnjQzwwhImIZNh9U7MBxpZVR8O7wp8ortuuCT0pQ6cVzVx2oDoZUu4plZmwA/w400-h153/NRIH2.png" width="400" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Not an inch
of space or time is wasted within the story, which serves as a razor
sharp satire of modern dating culture. From the vapidity of online
dating apps, appearing here as the fictional 'burner' app, to the
insecurities facing the vast majority of of those singles today
embarking upon such a chaotic and daunting endeavour, Hell manages to
condense perfectly our own anxieties into this lumbering, clueless
dolt that we can't help but grow attached to.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Every joke
manages to land perfectly. There's visual comedy, as the demonic
woman struggles to get dressed by clumsily liberating clothes and a
wig from a shop window dummy. There's the classic repetition of her
constantly disintegrating people who insult or displease her. There's
the aforementioned satire, covering both the fast paced, no strings
attached attitude towards modern relationships, as well as the
heightened idealism of classic romance comics of yesteryear. The
writing is never too overwrought or corny, never spoon feeds the
reader, but isn't afraid to go for those easy laughs when the chance
arises.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLA8kJxD_sxOwDhMAqHYLS4hAYPQ59QUqT8Q1AgX9BGq3dV6GiKEH10W22CRmb27Uqv0DJmo8crR00S2wJMoW1PrGyHCre7sWKpx70SmikJC-cIwf5jo25WZ3eHInB6-xgwVCsX1ODS9lfCIkMm5Wcfm69NMAYrsZP0L_zjPfegyCtoG_ofzFyGTwEsA/s563/NRIH3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="563" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLA8kJxD_sxOwDhMAqHYLS4hAYPQ59QUqT8Q1AgX9BGq3dV6GiKEH10W22CRmb27Uqv0DJmo8crR00S2wJMoW1PrGyHCre7sWKpx70SmikJC-cIwf5jo25WZ3eHInB6-xgwVCsX1ODS9lfCIkMm5Wcfm69NMAYrsZP0L_zjPfegyCtoG_ofzFyGTwEsA/w400-h253/NRIH3.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The art too
is just wonderful. Every character is eye-catching and full of
personality. At all times it manages to be grotesque and vulgar and
sexy. Hell is a realm of flimsy boob tubes, thongs, jock straps and
codpieces, while Earth is a realm of casual hookups and disappointing
sexual encounters. Nudity is presented unceremoniously throughout
the story, while the idea of objectively 'beautiful people' exists
purely within outdated romance comics, which both fits with the
story's themes and helps humanise these characters. In a world where
nobody is beautiful, there is beauty in everyone.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> If there's
a moral to this story, it's very much in line with that way of
thinking. In the end our demoness realises that she wouldn't actually
enjoy living the happy ever afters of her romance comics anyway, and
concludes that actual happiness can come from something more humble.
Hell manages to tie the whole story together with the final pages
into a nice little bow, fittingly, and still manages to get a good
few final gags in there for good measure. If you don't have a smile
on the face by the time you get to that final panel then you have no
soul.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNVD1jX7j8UA5k2uR10RyYyJ4ia9c26vTZ_cQKt8tPp20XybrBf5dmO0HXrcLhVQsfBPp7pifxXGc_mazPJXsIl_638QBH7uJphTL-fYbgd2Ip3SF87SF5kqSxm9yWqDXWy3xR8MAnbPgbC_8DUkidx4rHbk_ORuylL8CGQy1c7hYVbXI7ut94W91v-Y/s2232/NRIH4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1587" data-original-width="2232" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNVD1jX7j8UA5k2uR10RyYyJ4ia9c26vTZ_cQKt8tPp20XybrBf5dmO0HXrcLhVQsfBPp7pifxXGc_mazPJXsIl_638QBH7uJphTL-fYbgd2Ip3SF87SF5kqSxm9yWqDXWy3xR8MAnbPgbC_8DUkidx4rHbk_ORuylL8CGQy1c7hYVbXI7ut94W91v-Y/w400-h285/NRIH4.png" width="400" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The
adventures of our wayward demoness are not over just yet, as it
appears that Hell has more stories to come, if recent art previews
online are anything to go by. After No Romance in Hell, I'm really
excited to find what existential crises she ends up falling in to
next.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">---------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. No Romance in Hell (c) 2020 Hyena Hell. Images used
under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-72229888946650553222023-07-02T10:31:00.004-07:002023-07-02T10:31:44.171-07:00Jack's July Update<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtkTysyptCeTS5406RNybzQbGLNl-IzBUQ2Oxqr8Z_JQmD8gVmDPxey3kLPWuFMiJmbAGE7mcrbqA3ecglK32BKSPfgh_QcZRAJ0gCQ8Cpdl18mX9chP3jxOP_bn9-K1kltnz4Ldf_yCvuQMwAxBU2fLkkwWt47D4KIRlNERCpivULRkUf8JFjE7UxV8/s1444/JulyUpdate2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="844" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtkTysyptCeTS5406RNybzQbGLNl-IzBUQ2Oxqr8Z_JQmD8gVmDPxey3kLPWuFMiJmbAGE7mcrbqA3ecglK32BKSPfgh_QcZRAJ0gCQ8Cpdl18mX9chP3jxOP_bn9-K1kltnz4Ldf_yCvuQMwAxBU2fLkkwWt47D4KIRlNERCpivULRkUf8JFjE7UxV8/w234-h400/JulyUpdate2023.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">We're living
in uncertain times folks, but you know what you can count on? Me
continuing to write and draw. Here's an update on what's coming up.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- I'm happy
to announce that <a href="https://twitter.com/Turbomiracle">Turbomiracle</a> is working on the art for a comic
script I wrote. We've got a short four-page supernatural action story
in store for you, and you can see some of the concept art above. I'm
really excited for this one and can't wait for you to see it when
we're done.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- In case
you missed it, another short four-page comic, Precious Resources,
dropped last month with art by the ever fantastic <a href="https://twitter.com/K_Iragana_A">Kristina Amuan</a>. You
can read it here.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- My sixth
and, for now, final <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021137">Sea of Spheres</a> story is currently in the works.
It's called Choose Your Weapons Wisely and I expect it'll be dropping
some time before the end of the year.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- My
Warhammer 40k short story, Who Killed Warboss Batgutz, is ready to
go, and I'm just waiting on the amazing artwork by <a href="https://twitter.com/crippled_giraff">Alex Crippled Giraffe</a>, which is shaping up to be something special. You can't rush
these things.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- All of my
comics currently in print are now available at the small press aisle
at Travelling Man Newcastle. So if you've wanted a physical copy of
The Whitehaven Siege, An Illustrated Guide to Drinking Beer, or One
Hell of A Night, you can pick them up there while stocks last.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- The
<a href="https://thebatminute.com/">BatMinute Podcast</a> is currently on it's run of Mask of the Phantasm,
and as you can expect I'll be gusting on an episode later in the
year.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- As
mentioned previously I have two more convention appearances lined up
for this year. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/carlislemegacon/">Carlisle Megacon</a> on 19th August and <a href="https://www.comicartfestival.com/">The Lakes International Comic Art Festival</a> on 29th and 30th September. I'm toying
with maybe squeezing one further appearance in somewhere before the
year is up, so you'll hear here first if that happens.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- Most of my
ramblings and periodic updates can be found on my <a href="https://twitter.com/El_Jackinton">Twitter</a>, but given
the current instability of that site who knows how much longer it's
going to be sustainable. Either way, I'll still be uploading most of
my art to <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/elpresedente">Deviantart</a> and posting regular updates on my <a href="https://eljackinton.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>. As
usual, it's here where all the definitive updates will happen.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">That's all
for now, hope you've had a good first half of 2023 and if not here's
hoping you have a good second half.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Thanks for
reading!</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-72638125232199729862023-06-25T09:15:00.004-07:002023-06-25T09:19:22.196-07:00Obscure Comic of the Month - The Envoy and the Warrior<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Envoy
and the Warrior by Simon Roy and Linnea Sterte</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALt5GQTDr6fyAy1S6QUM4Wp9dTIKAkrS_HWIgXbva0kCq5TeEYVQQyedwqHQTfr4qnrrb90wABNVYRsxe3PKaWRztYySw-Z-IJTlts2VX7cz6gNufjpq6k0vzq33v9SLCUkZHgDcP5j8_zIePj83rs4p_HaWDM4hc69cfbMsm8Gx5F0m8IP805VsSOmc/s660/Envoy1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="397" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALt5GQTDr6fyAy1S6QUM4Wp9dTIKAkrS_HWIgXbva0kCq5TeEYVQQyedwqHQTfr4qnrrb90wABNVYRsxe3PKaWRztYySw-Z-IJTlts2VX7cz6gNufjpq6k0vzq33v9SLCUkZHgDcP5j8_zIePj83rs4p_HaWDM4hc69cfbMsm8Gx5F0m8IP805VsSOmc/w384-h640/Envoy1.png" width="384" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Way back in
my second entry in this revived series of columns <a href="http://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/obscure-comic-of-month-habitat.html">I took a look at
Simon Roy's Habitat</a> and came away with the feeling that I really
wanted to discover more about this strange, seemingly galaxy spanning
dark age. In the years since then, Roy has given me exactly what I
wanted, with his webcomic Griz Grobus showing us more of these
strange and wonderful feudal societies living within the ruins of a
half-forgotten high tech civilisation.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> It is not,
however, Griz Grobus I am here to talk about today, but the short
comic The Envoy and the Warrior, which came as a bonus with Grobus'
Kickstarter campaign. In my last entry on Habitat I talked about
being fascinated by the reawakening of what seemed to be some kind of
eldritch star god that got little explanation by the story's closing
pages. <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/elpresedente/art/Habitat-878536680">So fascinated was I that I even did fan art of the creature</a>.
So imagine my delight to discover that the short comic itself
focusses entirely on these enigmatic beings.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yDgJeXAgM-Eh5pNmdMj8i0AlaQaFlFIzllQcmUKZVSRDsdbG3qdx2JzVXaq_xCtu3qBUx2XZLJhftcuy_7CJQaWjj1zketIXwBMuVmGAxpH_uEStJWqDEitnIY3edfiUAUoOEMSCd3LzDj2ieCc-JWABfH6UAwr_jT-jO-CqhfphEmr6vN9mnxgau8w/s550/Envoy2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="550" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yDgJeXAgM-Eh5pNmdMj8i0AlaQaFlFIzllQcmUKZVSRDsdbG3qdx2JzVXaq_xCtu3qBUx2XZLJhftcuy_7CJQaWjj1zketIXwBMuVmGAxpH_uEStJWqDEitnIY3edfiUAUoOEMSCd3LzDj2ieCc-JWABfH6UAwr_jT-jO-CqhfphEmr6vN9mnxgau8w/w400-h236/Envoy2.png" width="400" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> One of
Roy's greatest strengths is to leave an element unexplained and allow
a certain degree of ambiguity to generate around an aspect of the
story. He trusts the audience to pick up on what they're reading.
While the origins of the star gods is never fully spelled out, the
story heavily hints at their nature as artificial beings. There's a
heavy does of Iain M Banks' Culture series in this story, tapping
into the idea of artificial intelligences as benevolent, but not
benign, custodians of mankind's future.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The story
begins with two such gods meeting, approaching first in physical
space and appearing as unsettling, and nightmarish looking creatures.
They then manifest as more recognisably humanoid once they pass into
another plane of existence. A paradise, once again heavily hinted,
but never outright confirmed, to be a digital space.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjniUr6JzE2aW5R0509gfr6_cXa-0nvZ19QxsmyJcJQw9bnpx1xpVJ-9lguPAVxG1c7fKlxU3lKgw1SeNZK9XzzYGMKMcKPdRRqDpZw1cV4wR1jvNaP0DYEKJNtxVGsebY5TqtfCK0NI3xaa_xY0lHXP0nbMdxOrJajoEJr-nflAxBpV9mz5vklgMWDk0/s392/Envoy3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="392" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjniUr6JzE2aW5R0509gfr6_cXa-0nvZ19QxsmyJcJQw9bnpx1xpVJ-9lguPAVxG1c7fKlxU3lKgw1SeNZK9XzzYGMKMcKPdRRqDpZw1cV4wR1jvNaP0DYEKJNtxVGsebY5TqtfCK0NI3xaa_xY0lHXP0nbMdxOrJajoEJr-nflAxBpV9mz5vklgMWDk0/s320/Envoy3.png" width="320" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Much like
Habitat the artwork is on impeccable form. This time Linnea Sterte creates a mind bending
blend of body horror and geometric impossibilities for the forms of
the star gods, before drawing us in to the beautiful serene
landscapes of the paradise. It's human inhabitants, recognisable but
unremarkable, clash with the slight and ethereal gods. Their somewhat
subdued facial expressions betray that these creatures are far beyond
human, and that their thoughts are likewise alien to ours.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The larger
of the two gods is introduced as a former god of war, now tired from
violence, having created a paradise to house the souls of those
innocents that had previously suffered at their hands long ago. The
smaller of the two gods, an envoy, has arrived to ask a favour. Part
of humanity is now beginning to crawl out of it's long dark ages and
back into the stars, bringing potential weapons of galactic
destruction with them.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The old war
god, however, has no desire to return to their old ways, no matter
how noble the intentions. After the envoy questions their motivations
one too many times, the war god seemingly kills them in physical
space, and they awake in a humbler body, back within the paradise.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92ZnqQ1gOBVI-lZ0kQKtJbsa4u2HtXV3MeF7JVH0wgOCexct_O3kwVOov_9HrFA9mCGmnRyGT-lKAGrB54kQD34bivdXWUbJKq-QVFfKHs-jtoY9cyqEPs38OB_rfAUxzNTXhTU-vTvFdidvX1IKiszgUP5QMX0KMSsXgUW0ZcI2AzPCFbBTs5VKYlzE/s545/Envoy4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="545" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92ZnqQ1gOBVI-lZ0kQKtJbsa4u2HtXV3MeF7JVH0wgOCexct_O3kwVOov_9HrFA9mCGmnRyGT-lKAGrB54kQD34bivdXWUbJKq-QVFfKHs-jtoY9cyqEPs38OB_rfAUxzNTXhTU-vTvFdidvX1IKiszgUP5QMX0KMSsXgUW0ZcI2AzPCFbBTs5VKYlzE/w400-h221/Envoy4.png" width="400" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The Envoy
and the Warrior is short but it packs a lot of themes behind it's
sparse script. This tale is one of guilt and responsibility, of
action and reaction. Despite only a few moments passing between them,
the two star gods debate their fundamental philosophy, in both what
they say, their body language, and ultimately their actions. Does the
true pacifist seek to exempt themselves from conflict, or seek to avert
it? Are actions of atonement for past sins negated if those sins are
repeated once more? How ethical is violent action when it is a
reaction to an evil that may not even occur?</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> As
mentioned above, Roy is not a writer that wants to spoon feed you the
subtext. As the story ends, it is up to the reader to decide how
warranted the war god was in the action they took against the envoy,
and if, as lowly mortals, we can even comprehend the stakes of such
immortal beings.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Even at
only sixteen pages long, The Envoy and The Warrior is equally as
fascinating and dynamic as Habitat and Griz Grobus. As mentioned
above, Roy is clearly content at showing us snapshots of these worlds
and galaxies, allowing the reader to piece the connections together
themselves, rather than dump lore and backstory on top of us. It's a
great approach and everything I could have hoped for after Habitat.
Roy's work continues to impress, and I can't wait to see where he
goes with it next.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. The Envoy and The Warrior (c) 2023 Simon Roy. Images
used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-73669431756664430002023-06-19T09:37:00.005-07:002023-06-21T08:15:35.324-07:00Precious Resources<p>Hello folks. It's a fine day to bring you some exciting new material, and this time it's a short, humorous comic about a bunch of gnomes digging far deeper than they ever should have.</p><p>Art is by the ever fantastic <a href="https://twitter.com/K_Iragana_A" style="color: #7fce6c; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Kristina Amuan</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">, who previously worked on my Warhammer 40k comic </span><a href="http://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/warhammer-40000-conspiracy-of-riches.html" style="font-size: 15.4px;">A Conspiracy of Riches</a><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">. Kristina is absolutely phenomenal at drawing gnomes, so I knew she was the ideal choice for this project, and she didn't disappoint. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">(click to enlarge)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9Qm8l0uiYd9edGDqxi_UQj1ZHA2Bi80TPCQG9VpD5dpRux9nXg-oe3mvMNMnUo8F7VJk-idpXy6hKEyNEmIzSEGpW7RaBIzgDoaYHcpDGGXIeP-4h_R33LB7BWhDH6FWDnTQIhTSsRUCKk-4SfPVfAKxZFjzrDz5O8RmXzXjBAsTsBbHfmi0LbI71qo/s2800/gnome%20mining-m.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="1700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9Qm8l0uiYd9edGDqxi_UQj1ZHA2Bi80TPCQG9VpD5dpRux9nXg-oe3mvMNMnUo8F7VJk-idpXy6hKEyNEmIzSEGpW7RaBIzgDoaYHcpDGGXIeP-4h_R33LB7BWhDH6FWDnTQIhTSsRUCKk-4SfPVfAKxZFjzrDz5O8RmXzXjBAsTsBbHfmi0LbI71qo/w388-h640/gnome%20mining-m.png" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwpGQL5JFYqC5SqRXTNRVcCaMpFxdu3IEFnAjmuqESwK3LNzTzW1EYPNATf45GyDA4JodzK360m8U7dUXPESht3irRGya1yUsy-mN8AWuBXSw5lGWivOcPRr_40tkmJRMTf2m3NVdzAkzLY4f79jjwNp5BX-KhTgW7hShh_XF3HC4W2hX6EQSeUBXH9c/s2800/gnome%20mining%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="1700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwpGQL5JFYqC5SqRXTNRVcCaMpFxdu3IEFnAjmuqESwK3LNzTzW1EYPNATf45GyDA4JodzK360m8U7dUXPESht3irRGya1yUsy-mN8AWuBXSw5lGWivOcPRr_40tkmJRMTf2m3NVdzAkzLY4f79jjwNp5BX-KhTgW7hShh_XF3HC4W2hX6EQSeUBXH9c/w388-h640/gnome%20mining%202.png" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EoNWCrGhtWx4shgr8b5fYodCkQ2xRc4HzRvNLsYxMlNSVJbS1lqSTWsf09YZ0W6so3pDvxgFwUTeludhGt5Qy8PSN6EfAnt5u0RKH4zGK2sX83sO1ItdvsagF-SQjxAHqpu2tuRYQu-3co_Rho6pB0YqeVWVr16i5qh9JQdozwHDxteswuxTr08j8ao/s2800/gnome%20mining-m3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="1700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EoNWCrGhtWx4shgr8b5fYodCkQ2xRc4HzRvNLsYxMlNSVJbS1lqSTWsf09YZ0W6so3pDvxgFwUTeludhGt5Qy8PSN6EfAnt5u0RKH4zGK2sX83sO1ItdvsagF-SQjxAHqpu2tuRYQu-3co_Rho6pB0YqeVWVr16i5qh9JQdozwHDxteswuxTr08j8ao/w388-h640/gnome%20mining-m3.png" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Xi_1fwFOsS93tVz2DK_j3FOEuE4fpSctAjWjfk66j3L8B4KKO6sAKShQnlJqzH6IcF5q6vYtjAejAePYoPkYB6j50voDqFh3QX9uABdOdE-vWVhOld1CU62GyCw86oVqzXI5eWgdmkARhJtMCH9P9VLvtcThZEteOcL4GN7g9rk2Yb8dP9KtL1aPuos/s2800/gnome%20mining-4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="1700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Xi_1fwFOsS93tVz2DK_j3FOEuE4fpSctAjWjfk66j3L8B4KKO6sAKShQnlJqzH6IcF5q6vYtjAejAePYoPkYB6j50voDqFh3QX9uABdOdE-vWVhOld1CU62GyCw86oVqzXI5eWgdmkARhJtMCH9P9VLvtcThZEteOcL4GN7g9rk2Yb8dP9KtL1aPuos/w388-h640/gnome%20mining-4.png" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Once again, a massive thanks to Kristina for her work on this, which is always a delight to see. If you want to see more of her work and support her, you can find all the details on </span><a href="https://www.amuanarts.com/" style="text-align: left;">her website here</a><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-60865020804340294532023-05-23T03:16:00.000-07:002023-05-23T03:16:31.237-07:00Elevating the Lowest of Art to Something Grander with I Roved Out In Search of Truth and Love - An Obscure Comic of the Month Special Edition.<p> This column
normally takes a look at obscure comics. For every every sixth month,
instead of taking a look at a comic that nobody talks about, this
special edition will take a look at a comic I feel not enough people
talk about.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">---------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I Roved Out
in Search of Truth and Love by Alexis Flower 2014 - Present</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-R2G1zs3K0c_3PkTGqaiNvq6peEzwOj3R-f6IGq_tSo4NqexJuC1K3JXDy5O5kg2z8h0Ha72RL_g6rPGJPzDgiHHXinoStpqZ7bEw6tn-V2F2ZCIHva7Ji4RrIDjL0go7giSSZCZU2hqJcQKRuwSGC1jVYmeJ_L_e-Ymi15NCtwE7G7pVG3CvNUV/s850/Roved1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="850" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-R2G1zs3K0c_3PkTGqaiNvq6peEzwOj3R-f6IGq_tSo4NqexJuC1K3JXDy5O5kg2z8h0Ha72RL_g6rPGJPzDgiHHXinoStpqZ7bEw6tn-V2F2ZCIHva7Ji4RrIDjL0go7giSSZCZU2hqJcQKRuwSGC1jVYmeJ_L_e-Ymi15NCtwE7G7pVG3CvNUV/w640-h269/Roved1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Mild Spoilers and discussion of extremely Not Safe For Work subject
matter.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">John Carmack
once said "Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's
expected to be there, but it's not that important," and while
this column is neither about video games nor porn movies, I think
it's still a pertinent quote to start this discussion with. Today
I'll be talking about Alexis Flower's
pornographic comic, I Roved Out in Search of Truth and Love.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Yes, you
heard me. Pornographic. I'm not going to mince words here. We're not
talking about a cheeky romance or tastefully erotic adventure. This
isn't Sex Criminals or Sunstone. The sex depicted in Roved is about
as graphic as you can get. Pretending the comic is just mildly saucy
would be ultimately dishonest.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">So let's go
back to that John Carmack quote. Is the storyline of Roved merely
there to serve as a delivery system for vulgar titillation? No, it is
not. However, that isn't a rare thing in and of itself. There is
famously a Star Trek The Next Generation porn parody out there that
works as a genuinely good TNG episode if you just excise the sex
entirely. Well written stories sandwiched between sexual content is
not unheard of in the world of adult storytelling, but Roved doesn't
fall into that category either.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjvBti1LX-2M36sfs2xFURAwdTuUEQ2CpMznzCBIcIfVeLu3VTQOKz7_i3QI7_1HbB_FE_03h_bANhXwoDBgHG-m-sxG1LH6Fm9oTJlcSok3UnWK-FP5YAr-g6xko6yTU4h3cTOs-_FfXVm2y-zzK_So4HXEdkUAVDrAf-wdnV38lq28EaJjACJXU/s509/Roved2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="509" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjvBti1LX-2M36sfs2xFURAwdTuUEQ2CpMznzCBIcIfVeLu3VTQOKz7_i3QI7_1HbB_FE_03h_bANhXwoDBgHG-m-sxG1LH6Fm9oTJlcSok3UnWK-FP5YAr-g6xko6yTU4h3cTOs-_FfXVm2y-zzK_So4HXEdkUAVDrAf-wdnV38lq28EaJjACJXU/w400-h321/Roved2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Alexis
Flower has created a rare thing. A first rate story with fantastic
characters, dense world building and shocking twists and turns, where
the sex drives the plot, not the other way around. While it's world
and characters are taken seriously within their own context, the sex
is often the cause of, or solution to, various plot complications and
obstacles.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And the art
is fantastic of course. By god the art is fantastic.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">But I'm
getting ahead of myself. Roved tells the story of Cinder and Maeryll,
two reluctant adventurers who just want an easy life. Despite their
best efforts, they nonetheless end up drawn into a sprawling quest
involving multiple factions fighting over a fallen piece of god.
Along the way they end up getting lost, make a lot of enemies, run
into figures from their past, and have sex with a lot of people,
including each other.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Flower puts
a metric tonne of raw charisma into these characters. Cinder and
Maeryll are utterly complete personalities, with their own foibles
and flaws. They are equal parts funny and tragic, and even when they
aren't have having sex with someone, or some-thing, they are still
magnetically fun to be around. Watching them bumble their way though
an upper class party or try and helplessly survive in the wilderness
is just as fun as watching them getting it on.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJqBVK5EwgjjFTwhpOcy9zD_azJLErpkYK1GhTfv9FMzGbaAGdOL0C4r2zhFFpbMC9RLFyxh7Z1pJbknEK5h4Mi7hR4Kl4I8dNN6L6Zt6XRn6vwdYw6rmY9IMIAvjOxUmENJqgeXeBGq979hW3NaPnmTubeIFqROmLRTiKdk5fEYRr0GQW-gB8q7X/s699/Roved3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="441" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJqBVK5EwgjjFTwhpOcy9zD_azJLErpkYK1GhTfv9FMzGbaAGdOL0C4r2zhFFpbMC9RLFyxh7Z1pJbknEK5h4Mi7hR4Kl4I8dNN6L6Zt6XRn6vwdYw6rmY9IMIAvjOxUmENJqgeXeBGq979hW3NaPnmTubeIFqROmLRTiKdk5fEYRr0GQW-gB8q7X/w404-h640/Roved3.png" width="404" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And get it
on they do. This goes back to what I was saying earlier. Unlike many
other stories that are intended to titillate, Roved does not rely on
slim excuses or 'porn logic' to get the characters naked. A great
deal of the plot is often driven by a character's decision to bang
another character. Early in the story, Cinder has sex with a magical
forest lord, accidentally triggering an ancient ritual that turns him
into a frog, and leaves her with a not insignificant problem.
Likewise, a great deal of the story involves investigating Maeryll's
mysterious curse, that causes bad misfortune whenever she climaxes.
Working around, and overcoming these problems, becomes a large part
of what moves the story, and removing the sex would scupper it
entirely.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">What's great
about the comic is that even if some of the sexual content is stuff
you're not into (and there's big chunks that I'm not into,) there's
still a lot of fun and humour to the sex that makes it enjoyable to
watch even if you're not titillated by it. This is partly due to the
fact that Flower understands that sex is a fundamentally ridiculous
concept, which in real life is often clumsy and silly looking. This
is depicted in a lot of the sex on show, where characters bash into
each other, fall over, get blinded by airborne fluids and fall prey
to other such minor misfortunes. There's legitimate raw comedy on
display whenever characters choose to bone down.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioC9Q6oaw4vI3TpXeT35BQW0zFJyspTG_PbBrq9XUD7jCnR9j3rFMROCXtV_8yTflepDkG6Ppo8Z1cL9bcql4qgBMEfIl3hkpvU1b0rMNQxfGTmJ8mvfP-1FnrphNQm8b4eJjciY_ROVp6ztnuwQKvlApsmneb_e0gFaIwpDzLOdO7L_iX6qEnlaq5/s574/Roved4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="574" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioC9Q6oaw4vI3TpXeT35BQW0zFJyspTG_PbBrq9XUD7jCnR9j3rFMROCXtV_8yTflepDkG6Ppo8Z1cL9bcql4qgBMEfIl3hkpvU1b0rMNQxfGTmJ8mvfP-1FnrphNQm8b4eJjciY_ROVp6ztnuwQKvlApsmneb_e0gFaIwpDzLOdO7L_iX6qEnlaq5/w400-h229/Roved4.png" width="400" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It's this
silliness that puts Roved a cut above a lot of it's contemporaries.
There's a warmth and good natured attitude towards the sex that
neither sensationalises nor eroticises. Shame and guilt are not words
that apply here, at least not as far as the sex is concerned. There's
a human quality to the whole thing that just makes it a pleasure to
read (and not in that kind of way but also yes in that kind of way.)</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Our two
adventurers are only part of a wider story however. The world is also
filled with a wealth of other characters, both heroic, villainous and
in-between. Their stories all intersect in interesting ways, with
some seeming to play the long game, a major plot point only
blossoming slowly as time goes on. These intersections allow the
comic to inject itself with a great deal of opposing tones, from
forlorn, blossoming romances, to the ritual and ceremony around dark,
horrific and unknowable gods. If you thought the comic was just a
shallow parody of fantasy tropes, be prepared to be surprised at how
deep this rabbit hole goes.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And
ultimately, putting aside all talk of sex and titration, the story is
still great in it's own right. This world of warring factions, long
forgotten magics, gods unknowable, forces cosmic, conflict costly,
riches desired, friendships forged and broken, secrets concealed and
mysteries revealed is just fantastic to get lost in. I genuinely want
to know what's going to happen next, independent of any of the smutty
stuff that happens in the adjacent.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRKlEzC801wsnolXdK1Lh06B8DnO5WDiSLTEIcJ7m9TOcwf2qo4rfVebJO_7ZmLCahsIds_LX1468cZSneg7Bp2OjBoMCHsbi_NfnjyingqA197u-C5i10Y-IETRlfdAOHu8IchqpyKIAnriDUhjOcDG4LIjyfeKcTK7oERaqOgbDkOi0AtwDePed/s612/Roved5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="612" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRKlEzC801wsnolXdK1Lh06B8DnO5WDiSLTEIcJ7m9TOcwf2qo4rfVebJO_7ZmLCahsIds_LX1468cZSneg7Bp2OjBoMCHsbi_NfnjyingqA197u-C5i10Y-IETRlfdAOHu8IchqpyKIAnriDUhjOcDG4LIjyfeKcTK7oERaqOgbDkOi0AtwDePed/w400-h144/Roved5.png" width="400" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And the art
is fantastic too of course. By god the art is fantastic too. Flower's
painterly tone is firing on all cylinders at all times. Whether it is
a sunrise over a beautiful scenic vista, regiments of tightly formed
marching soldiers, grotesque dungeon dwelling monsters, or two
characters pounding each other's brains out, every panel is a work of
art in it's own right. Flower brings both their characters and
fantasy world to life with the same charisma and depth that the
writing has, and even if the story wasn't a perfect marriage between
great storytelling and graphic smut, it'd be worth recommending just
for the art alone anyway.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The comic
has nearly completed it's third volume, with no sign of slowing down,
nor running out of crazy, wonderful, surprising ideas. It'd be easy
to dismiss Flowers work as vulgar, low art, but I disagree. John
Carmack was wrong when he said that story wasn't important. We've
long had evidence against that in the world of video games. I think
Roved is proof that we can reject that notion when it comes to
pornography too.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-----------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. I Roved Out in Search of Truth and Love is (c) Alexis
Flower. Images used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-30071131847361854142023-05-13T04:26:00.001-07:002023-05-13T04:29:38.482-07:00Jack's May Update<p> It's a busy
year with lots going on but I'll try and be as brief as possible. Big
news is coming, so here's what's been going on.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_Gs9IX35hR6z13jQIHwYuTG-tqiavQim2PAyio5LqkZQUkLvjJ_uKUf5K9fpEijTJxeANEZ0hlnlV8pzs4nmPzT3lskjnI1JHHRcFtREIm46hZs6k6xQB-lBSwsL_8jvYz-bJd8liSB0QwXk-8X8n9385ToOI8GncRekZGWHioJmsuvYFse8-1Y9/s4680/DreddDaystick.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4680" data-original-width="3572" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_Gs9IX35hR6z13jQIHwYuTG-tqiavQim2PAyio5LqkZQUkLvjJ_uKUf5K9fpEijTJxeANEZ0hlnlV8pzs4nmPzT3lskjnI1JHHRcFtREIm46hZs6k6xQB-lBSwsL_8jvYz-bJd8liSB0QwXk-8X8n9385ToOI8GncRekZGWHioJmsuvYFse8-1Y9/s320/DreddDaystick.png" width="244" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- As usual
I'll be guesting on the <a href="https://thebatminute.com/">BatMinute podcast</a>, which is currently
discussing Mask of the Phantasm this season. I'm coving minutes at
the tail end of the film, so expect me later in the year.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- My short
story, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/45960448/chapters/115683484">The Silent Approach</a> is available to read in full now, but work
is still being done by <a href="https://twitter.com/MusketAnna">Windlass</a> on some amazing artwork to go with
it. Expect updates periodically.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- I'm
currently working on a new Warhammer 40k story, with art by <a href="https://twitter.com/crippled_giraff">Crippled Giraff</a>. I
won't give away too much for the moment but expect some Orky
goodness.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- A comic I
worked on with <a href="https://twitter.com/K_Iragana_A">Kristina</a> is still on the way, and I'm eager to start
collaborating with other artists on scripts also, so I'm hoping to
hammer out some ideas fairly soon.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- The short
comic, <a href="http://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/one-hell-of-night.html">One Hell of A Night</a>, with writing by me and art by <a href="https://twitter.com/ComicNerdSam">Sam W</a>, now
has print copies that I'll be selling at conventions while they last.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Speaking of
conventions:</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- I'll be at
<a href="https://allevents.in/newcastle%20upon%20tyne/newcastle-comic-con/200022206018316">Newcastle Comic-Con</a> the 18th June. I'll also be at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/carlislemegacon/">Carlisle Megacon</a> on 19th August. As ever I'll be selling prints and copies of
all my books and comics. Always happy to chat.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- Most
critically, I'll be at the <a href="https://www.comicartfestival.com/">Lakes International Comic Art Festival </a>on
the 29th and 30th September. It's a pretty prestigious event, so you
can expect I'll be absolutely bringing my A game, and I'll be hoping
to have some additional work in print by that point to get out there
to the people.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It's a busy
year but I'm eager to keep putting out work and then getting that
work out there.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Thanks for
reading.</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-20852232049535639662023-04-11T09:26:00.002-07:002023-04-11T09:26:40.484-07:00Obscure Comic of the Month - R.D.W: A Tale of Lost Fantasy<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">--------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">R.D.W: A
Tale of Lost Fantasy by Marco Rudy</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQU6Yy3f6eLhzfTGSqjlnGKycgoBqtI17jzfuPiBsv6wpzpZwTo6m4K9Lw_Yb43MDmk9GjBnmGkHAYHOIaYtkJBdaXMCZWWH7K7Nr6ig7NLyH9gxfpBmePObWjjdSZudVbOeRIq455jluNk4BcELppYIUZn6ra1aEFkkrihW45R3NvDsWHXpDxiCrT/s720/RDW1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="720" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQU6Yy3f6eLhzfTGSqjlnGKycgoBqtI17jzfuPiBsv6wpzpZwTo6m4K9Lw_Yb43MDmk9GjBnmGkHAYHOIaYtkJBdaXMCZWWH7K7Nr6ig7NLyH9gxfpBmePObWjjdSZudVbOeRIq455jluNk4BcELppYIUZn6ra1aEFkkrihW45R3NvDsWHXpDxiCrT/w640-h280/RDW1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Mild Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In his
afterword, Marko Rudy explains that R.D.W began life as a pitch to
Dark Horse Comics for him to write and illustrate a spin-off series
of The Witcher franchise. This, of course, comes as no surprise to
anyone with a passing familiarity with The Witcher, either from the
books, TV show or video games. Our story begins starring a white
haired protagonist, and there is much talk of an ongoing war and an
elven uprising. The fist thing that went through my head when reading
this comic was; "Ah, clearly this guy really wanted to write a
Witcher comic."</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> If that
sounds like a negative, it isn't, although you'd be forgiven for
thinking that way. I'm a great lover of stories that started life as
an attempt to write a licenced product, before the creator just goes
'fuck it!' and files off the serial number and writes their own. It's
this kind of genesis that has created some of the greatest of
stories, and I'm always eager to see new ones grow.
</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN-Myahs-QvsHvIz3Q3QwUwAzxjhq5QLfVM--Eh2n4W8pWL7C8YoSUx1D45xhx6hPb8mfdF9N1XRZdiGknHUaqomweSPYqEGw7k7vBVvnS00K432ehygyWWunCXbCu8UI9KClH95KLTrIlLE6JtrHREvsmosPLpmbHF-2iAv__wir5Fe2H4uoIG5x/s448/RDW2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="448" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN-Myahs-QvsHvIz3Q3QwUwAzxjhq5QLfVM--Eh2n4W8pWL7C8YoSUx1D45xhx6hPb8mfdF9N1XRZdiGknHUaqomweSPYqEGw7k7vBVvnS00K432ehygyWWunCXbCu8UI9KClH95KLTrIlLE6JtrHREvsmosPLpmbHF-2iAv__wir5Fe2H4uoIG5x/w400-h293/RDW2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> If you're a
fan of The Witcher there is much to love here. Our protagonist is
Astrid, a wandering former soldier of some renown who is now wracked
with amnesia and mental damage, unsure if her visions are memories or
hallucinations. Half dead and half starved, she nonetheless saves a
group of deserters from a monstrous death, who then proceed to debate
the merits of helping this clearly unbalanced individual or deserting
her.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The comic
is relatively short, and moves at a brisk pace given that dialogue is
light and the action is swift and over quickly. In his introduction
Rudy explains that the comic is not to be rushed, and that each page
warrants a slower, more detailed examination. Indeed, the pages are
packed with details, particularly the flashbacks and visions that
only impart ambiguous information and may require multiple reads to
coax out clues about Astrid's past.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg88NtRlDJ3OfrFwMGRMVrxQFMa33DA-90p67DdJ9dIkik_JhTRhmP-s21YOKq_MLASfLXTBcFH9bNChWKJFW5BMtyv8ylka_G6At6t25ozzpcbYr4157piIa6ojgBeaVmvCeSZAZMlL2hXTPfYlkNg5Ov_FDEnmTnQX6FDBlf5mek6682UcSzYjTQ/s656/RDW3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="558" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg88NtRlDJ3OfrFwMGRMVrxQFMa33DA-90p67DdJ9dIkik_JhTRhmP-s21YOKq_MLASfLXTBcFH9bNChWKJFW5BMtyv8ylka_G6At6t25ozzpcbYr4157piIa6ojgBeaVmvCeSZAZMlL2hXTPfYlkNg5Ov_FDEnmTnQX6FDBlf5mek6682UcSzYjTQ/w340-h400/RDW3.png" width="340" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The other
reason for the comic's short length is, however, more obvious, and
that is the quality of the art Rudy puts into it. Each page is a work
of art in it's own right, assembled via traditional means, many feel
as though they belong hanging framed in a gallery. Rudy has
painstakingly assembled each sequence, taking no shortcuts and
employing no digital trickery. I imagine Rudy would have made the
book longer if he could have done, but the time and care required to
bring such details to the page meant that he had to stump for quality
over quantity.
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Yet what
quality it is. Rudy really does bring his all to the protect,
rendering all elements of a page with maximum detail, even down to
background characters and loose trinkets. From green forests to
festering swamps, each brushstroke brings you closer and deeper into
this mysterious world. Whether it's the beautifully snow capped peaks
of a mountain range, or the berserker blooded kaleidoscope of a
psychedelic vision, there's always something fantastic to look at on
every page of R.D.W, and Rudy has cut no corners when it comes to
executing his vision.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY12v3L6ZdQA6wNPqE9wIdQJ0DEMHyfhzZJBWJaLrqtnPSF8lLNo1TRSK-9oLEB0Qljn5wVuidPemIL-I6peI6YQwlbL93Lpx1FX__GpP7xD3iaV06NJR8Ej8HIFlY-xqSfWtpYDn-w2m8C9QywztxFq5aha5JQwktwx592Y8UKGYULhoomyvgRN-X/s477/RDW4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="477" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY12v3L6ZdQA6wNPqE9wIdQJ0DEMHyfhzZJBWJaLrqtnPSF8lLNo1TRSK-9oLEB0Qljn5wVuidPemIL-I6peI6YQwlbL93Lpx1FX__GpP7xD3iaV06NJR8Ej8HIFlY-xqSfWtpYDn-w2m8C9QywztxFq5aha5JQwktwx592Y8UKGYULhoomyvgRN-X/w400-h299/RDW4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">R.D.W is a
short but sharp shot of adrenaline injected directly into your
eyeballs. Rudy ends the story on a 'To be continued,' committing
himself to the unenviable task of continuing the tale with such high
effort artwork. Thinking of him toiling away, working on more of
those beautiful pages, makes me feel as though he and his exhausted
protagonist Astrid may have a lot in common.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> R.D.W is a
rare thing, and one that could be easily dismissed due to it's short
length in this world where the lionisation of 'content' has led us to
value quantity more than quality. There's all sorts to discover
between it's pages, and deserves to be known as more than The Witcher
story Dark Horse wouldn't accept. I don't know how far Marco plans to
go with his dark fantasy tale, but I raise a glass to him, because
I'm eager to find out.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">---------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. R.D.W A Tale of Lost Fantasy (c) 2021 Marco Rudy. Images
used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-72348601053789623982023-03-23T09:37:00.006-07:002023-08-02T08:49:55.137-07:00Sea of Spheres - The Silent Approach<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheunnqu4kj-Lk_7fRqjAXbZPIPi7_-sBhji84Wj2xTPu3_xTHDFYANzhQH7JtlNlaYm-OMPcFGG7ksTlMhLKktVKPKsW80i9oZ9iXdZMsI-_xUYM4IvH7EGGKn0M0OYZFSMGgZIYYrd9TrjKcf8LG77T_A7YvsjuEhpXY3QJIrps4_lev7qZMiCViX/s4166/Maggie-Anne%20and%20Quagnoss.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4166" data-original-width="3508" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheunnqu4kj-Lk_7fRqjAXbZPIPi7_-sBhji84Wj2xTPu3_xTHDFYANzhQH7JtlNlaYm-OMPcFGG7ksTlMhLKktVKPKsW80i9oZ9iXdZMsI-_xUYM4IvH7EGGKn0M0OYZFSMGgZIYYrd9TrjKcf8LG77T_A7YvsjuEhpXY3QJIrps4_lev7qZMiCViX/w538-h640/Maggie-Anne%20and%20Quagnoss.png" width="538" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Welcome folks. We are once again taking a trip to the physics defying <a href="http://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Sea%20of%20Spheres">Sea of Spheres</a>, where we finally delve into a sky-ship centric story following a motley crew of ambitious pirates as they sail through the skies in search of adventure and fortune.</p><p>I'm continued to be blown away by the fantastic artwork by <a href="https://twitter.com/MusketAnna">Windlass</a>, and can't wait for you to see more of the artwork created for this story.</p><p><i>Captain Brenda Loggins has lived a long and storied career as one of the pirates of New Wherewithal, and can count her continued survival on caution, nerve and pragmatism. Yet even she is not immune to the tantalising pull of fame and fortune. When she is told of plans to raid a Ratakaran skyberg, one of the titanic mobile vaults of the Sea of Spheres' largest banks, the temptation proves too much.</i></p><p><i>Propelled into a high steaks, low survival raid against almost impossible odds, Loggins must rely on her unlikely set of allies. Her faithful raid chief Maggie-Anne, her hated rival Captain Daxxon and Ratakaran turncoat Contrammiraglio Babette. The risk is high, but the reward even higher. Can Loggins pull off the raid while preventing her disparate accomplices from killing each other before the adventure is through?</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFj96wdKE_yb02jtD5XEeF8LpqB9kVPuL73oWNoOcAp-efTNL9FlQr9-Aiy0l8-3Ic9lfpk3LodshWPZbSjLZshqeNupiDYfA5uYLl9WLTNeQG5mDnaUvYaqyj4mAtzDzVJ2W0zKO6TtO2JIVnyE_6lMJQ8K65V2e18Axz6Mm3XAabeHTtkTu1otZ/s4961/Sky%20Serpent.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4961" data-original-width="3508" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFj96wdKE_yb02jtD5XEeF8LpqB9kVPuL73oWNoOcAp-efTNL9FlQr9-Aiy0l8-3Ic9lfpk3LodshWPZbSjLZshqeNupiDYfA5uYLl9WLTNeQG5mDnaUvYaqyj4mAtzDzVJ2W0zKO6TtO2JIVnyE_6lMJQ8K65V2e18Axz6Mm3XAabeHTtkTu1otZ/w283-h400/Sky%20Serpent.png" width="283" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVRmKTpXISRggOqnQH8RVKm4xovWpTE37uuIsLI0co86JAXTu9YGm36lNCKlW-EbeufI0oewU93iEP1wRnEJ5vLEakZIxF-Ll-k3YzM-PkInoM6LPaVI27gTSHceYrr67aKoJ2JruYtAhmQ-jzpBpURnBYVQqDvwUOCVqIQV6EZIncfWEX3VznBCn/s4961/Loggins%20ship.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3508" data-original-width="4961" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVRmKTpXISRggOqnQH8RVKm4xovWpTE37uuIsLI0co86JAXTu9YGm36lNCKlW-EbeufI0oewU93iEP1wRnEJ5vLEakZIxF-Ll-k3YzM-PkInoM6LPaVI27gTSHceYrr67aKoJ2JruYtAhmQ-jzpBpURnBYVQqDvwUOCVqIQV6EZIncfWEX3VznBCn/w640-h453/Loggins%20ship.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Inspired by pirate epics both current and classic, The Silent Approach explores the idea of freedom and obligation and the tension that exists between these nebulous ideas. <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/45960448/chapters/115683484">You can start reading it here</a>, and it'll update over four parts every Thursday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tVOU1IXxcXHWrP0-Yc6OGTGWquaPp2Zgun8cfBQWIoXJWJBgDfFPXLoBBsfFSvaVBdMPVyZLQlyCQXKKZu6QycSLOqsVwaY2ju4HfIso3hlAJkMafrj1Q1-6sVMKmGxYbrHTvBJk8qABAQPwivyuHqhLG4KahMNMKWbFBMoujiy_6ZgPcjtzN_E5DwQ/s4846/Pub.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3508" data-original-width="4846" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tVOU1IXxcXHWrP0-Yc6OGTGWquaPp2Zgun8cfBQWIoXJWJBgDfFPXLoBBsfFSvaVBdMPVyZLQlyCQXKKZu6QycSLOqsVwaY2ju4HfIso3hlAJkMafrj1Q1-6sVMKmGxYbrHTvBJk8qABAQPwivyuHqhLG4KahMNMKWbFBMoujiy_6ZgPcjtzN_E5DwQ/w400-h290/Pub.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-87685039811369939402023-03-19T06:35:00.006-07:002023-03-19T06:35:46.448-07:00Obscure Comic of the Month - Sagas of the Shield Maiden<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">----------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Sagas of the
Shield Maiden Volumes 1 and 2 by Asa Wheatley, Daniel Coloma, Kay
Baird, Kevin Keane, Michelle Marham, Sammy Ward, Alex Moore, Alex
Schlitz, Katie Fleming and Fabi Marquez - 2021</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoW7IuV1Au3ClS1OjrOxqAVqAQk7jcSv1IhWiQCOcPWDO3afTIu3893EiFRW-CtSLMkJMJ6PG_5ImM5qr7nkKT6g4nsLuzp963hZ4P1X6XOdltiMApFdm2DbrbueOptoLCGeNAG4qYnZtSg0LYWGMrc5Njg4MOSdIQQary4nWsLZ-ke90dFe8ojfKo/s1649/Shield1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="1649" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoW7IuV1Au3ClS1OjrOxqAVqAQk7jcSv1IhWiQCOcPWDO3afTIu3893EiFRW-CtSLMkJMJ6PG_5ImM5qr7nkKT6g4nsLuzp963hZ4P1X6XOdltiMApFdm2DbrbueOptoLCGeNAG4qYnZtSg0LYWGMrc5Njg4MOSdIQQary4nWsLZ-ke90dFe8ojfKo/w640-h216/Shield1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains
Mild Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It feels
like the last decade or so has almost completely buried us underneath
stories of the Viking Era. From Vikings to The Last Kingdom on TV,
Valhalla Rising to The Northman in film, Assassins Creed Valhalla to
the more recent God of War in video games and Northlanders to Heathen
in the world of comics. It can leave a person wondering what there is
even left to explore in the stories of this world.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Asa
Wheatley's answer to that conundrum, in the form of his comic book
anthology, Sagas of the Shield Maiden, is to really not worry too
much about it, and simply write from the heart. Which has been a
pretty effective strategy so far.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZfj6arm2EZO19y4jPhAfAji5imKrLBF64Xix8Wxg0k2GnaB1rjP_KVjqpue4wrNM2p7zomfMYShn_hO5kLmWYK_Pzvdq1e37mnncOxamQm4bgGGoza2Da5JQJnOv20o5P_M92lS2_09HhUPKISgF4az8R_LFNCMrFn16l9XrOP1i5egcjwfJGpZH/s482/Shield2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="482" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZfj6arm2EZO19y4jPhAfAji5imKrLBF64Xix8Wxg0k2GnaB1rjP_KVjqpue4wrNM2p7zomfMYShn_hO5kLmWYK_Pzvdq1e37mnncOxamQm4bgGGoza2Da5JQJnOv20o5P_M92lS2_09HhUPKISgF4az8R_LFNCMrFn16l9XrOP1i5egcjwfJGpZH/s320/Shield2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Currently
at two volumes, Sagas of the Shield Maiden tackles the titular Shield
Maiden as a folkloric figure and tells a series of short stories with
loose connectivity. Some stories are action packed, while others are
comedic or suspenseful. There is not a long, ongoing plot, and indeed
it is completely possible to read the stories in any order and still
understand them perfectly.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> What
Wheatley is doing here is walking in the steps of the folkloric
tradition. His comic is not interested in setting up some grand
sweeping epic, but instead using it's protagonist to explore a time
and a place that can be difficult to parse through the modern lens.
In some stories the Shield Maiden is a noble hero standing up for the
downtrodden, in others a frightening force of nature, and in others
still she is purely mercenary, doing what she does merely to make a
living.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Wheatley
uses this freedom to tell a whole host of engrossing stories, and
because they jump to different tones and perspectives we are never at
risk of getting board. As one story finishes, another begins, like
expertly crafted courses being served as part of a Michelin star
taster menu.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9jGYZDyHpOo_tsaQIBgbZG98wzbYS4lQjIqahN6oQLZyBJtMmR686gHo6juavXLz-IAQy46C3VTKFuKnChBZhHl9U8wfuwx1-lmDU3H3fLVZoT3tGoO4Yrw19jkRBwYR8x5237BrUXIgpuia4eOA9aaGqxm3IeO6kPx2XVSzVo3R2DFPOnoZQ9cL/s330/Shield5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9jGYZDyHpOo_tsaQIBgbZG98wzbYS4lQjIqahN6oQLZyBJtMmR686gHo6juavXLz-IAQy46C3VTKFuKnChBZhHl9U8wfuwx1-lmDU3H3fLVZoT3tGoO4Yrw19jkRBwYR8x5237BrUXIgpuia4eOA9aaGqxm3IeO6kPx2XVSzVo3R2DFPOnoZQ9cL/s320/Shield5.png" width="312" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">And
expertly crafted they are. Wheatley has brought together a veritable
dream team of artists who bring their own individual flair to the
character, and every story in both volumes is bursting with life.
Whether it is a burning village or snow capped peaks, every story has
striking visuals that make the comics worth picking up alone.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Each story
across both volumes is great, but there are some particular
standouts. A Bounty Paid, in which a Jarl's cocky son tries to wrest
some form of satisfaction over a perceived insult, is as clever as it
is witty. Three Spears of Ravens Blood, in which a lie told quickly
escalates into needless bloodshed, is dark and brooding with a sense
of weight few stories can manage.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Every story
has a strong moment. A dark twist. A surprise turn. A tense stand
off. It makes these bite sized tales feel longer and deeper than
their page counts would normally allow. There's an economy of
storytelling here that, again, draws from the folkloric tradition,
and is well suited to be executed within the medium of comics.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU50JtI6jTJ9e-x3UPR4V265o3bhoMAag877JGa_R2n4xjMogWcYQDECxeS5ZDZZxah-yI8k63k39zVX1R46SMnoZ3VQseaajckUA74gQUC-4QGcNCK1leHRSMjBFx51mIRdrM4OzIhes9c-Eso7SLAzwG1AGc8-goBCL1pVIJmVgSlrgxFqxoSVuv/s500/Shield4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="500" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU50JtI6jTJ9e-x3UPR4V265o3bhoMAag877JGa_R2n4xjMogWcYQDECxeS5ZDZZxah-yI8k63k39zVX1R46SMnoZ3VQseaajckUA74gQUC-4QGcNCK1leHRSMjBFx51mIRdrM4OzIhes9c-Eso7SLAzwG1AGc8-goBCL1pVIJmVgSlrgxFqxoSVuv/s320/Shield4.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Does Sagas
of the Shield Maiden run the risk of telling stories that have been
told before and been told better? Maybe, but as I've probably made
clear Wheatley and his team of expertly selected artists deliver
these stories with such a deft of craft and confidence of voice that
you're just going to thoroughly enjoy the ride.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> With a
third volume on the way, I think Sagas of the Shield Maiden is under
no risk of becoming a redundancy, and if you've been on the fence,
feeling that stories about the Viking world are currently
oversaturated, fear not. This comic is well worth your time.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">----------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jack
Harvey 2023. Sagas of the Shield Maiden (c) 2021 Asa Wheatley. Images
used under Fair Use.</span></span></span></span></span>
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-44461679100298037782023-02-28T09:19:00.000-08:002023-02-28T09:19:01.977-08:00Obscure Comic of the Month - Prism Stalker<p>Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Prism
Stalker: Volume One by Sloane Leong - Image Comics 2018</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzE4PVh3Q6T2zvSalAz3kQsXltTIANobzQ89sSlmBwMM1OFH5tG9P4T_0i30iDSMhU78X5RwfhGyACqapdA4I60ExZ81Kz_YKprZNil1dg6XtCL73Y9Zt42HoleRpggvxoA9XSKFLQlCrcD9QMFtxU7yS7zn0AwjthW7eCK34hHmYOwS1TZCU0AHnd/s656/PS1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="656" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzE4PVh3Q6T2zvSalAz3kQsXltTIANobzQ89sSlmBwMM1OFH5tG9P4T_0i30iDSMhU78X5RwfhGyACqapdA4I60ExZ81Kz_YKprZNil1dg6XtCL73Y9Zt42HoleRpggvxoA9XSKFLQlCrcD9QMFtxU7yS7zn0AwjthW7eCK34hHmYOwS1TZCU0AHnd/w640-h250/PS1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Contains Mild Spoilers</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Most of the
comics I tend to review here are independently published or from
minor, lesser known names. Every now and again, however, I end up
reviewing a comic from a major publisher. The kind of comic that,
despite having the weight of a heavy publishing house behind it,
never becomes known by the mainstream.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Prism
Stalker is one such comic. The collected edition broke onto the scene
in 2018, yet despite it's magnetically designed cover, embossed
silver foil and all, and accolades from many big comic websites and
writers, the series remained in obscurity. Indeed, when I picked it
up off the shelf, I had never heard of it, assuming it to be an
up-and coming-series that was brand new, not half a decade old.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The story
itself follows the character of Vep, a human from a tribal planet
that falls prey to ecological disaster. Rescued from catastrophe by a
confederation of alien races, Vep is expected in return to serve her
new masters as an indentured worker. A chance manifestation of
psychokinetic power sees her admitted into a military academy, and
trained to fight against a vague but ominous enemy.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukcnyvOm9799gyzwkFZZKtvZlXFtyD--9uzczYhtkEBviroRSYg86NHAQTOVtadcoKpd1NCgxD9nHgdNu6wM8EOanuM2Y_eajS-abQat_TBRkEDS4uf2eDtMCJqBxvsVHZc8DxPoqarLnPI0e0nV_iaKAFLb4JcxWfg4kf8QgVr2rMzrzkHeJFsHn/s1236/PS2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1236" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukcnyvOm9799gyzwkFZZKtvZlXFtyD--9uzczYhtkEBviroRSYg86NHAQTOVtadcoKpd1NCgxD9nHgdNu6wM8EOanuM2Y_eajS-abQat_TBRkEDS4uf2eDtMCJqBxvsVHZc8DxPoqarLnPI0e0nV_iaKAFLb4JcxWfg4kf8QgVr2rMzrzkHeJFsHn/s320/PS2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If, from
that brief description, you have an idea in your head of what Prism
Stalker is going to be like then let me just stop you there and tell
you that you are wrong. Leong is not interested in presenting us with
a familiar sci-fi society like that of Star Trek or Mass Effect. The
worlds and characters we are introduced to here are truly, in the
exact definition of the word, alien.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Even before
her journey begins, Vep is part of a universe fundamentally
unrecognisable to our own. The various alien races she meets each
have their own unique biological functions, ideas of morality and
states of being. So too is the society she finds herself thrust in
to. This is not a familiar place. There are no beds, there are no
bathrooms, there are no bars or space TVs. Leong presents us with a
place that has no feet in the world we know, and so like us, so to
Vep, a strange and confusing one to navigate.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> This is
what makes Prism Stalker so wonderful and unexpected. On every page,
around every corner, there is some new and out-there idea. Some weird
kind of alien, some baffling but fascinating type of culture. Despite
the difficulty of writing a coherent story with such a high concept,
Leong seamlessly moves things along at a swift pace, while at the
same time explaining even the most bizarre of ideas in a way the
reader can understand.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaX7MkQSMU0K4PIiW-kSDY3lN6dV8X41Ao6y02OU1oqqCBHHY8fAY5QTubs5EHDN9ybESZbMjwPbU3l1MruJwsTFOGx_IEDGLFxwT-nlFenS8XgpdpGvYf3NPyQFCpJ2eiCDLbSeRqe4YZFm2xRrEs-iNk2W81ygigVQOV8SGrX7i9HggU5HSWNOp/s2836/PS4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2836" data-original-width="1756" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaX7MkQSMU0K4PIiW-kSDY3lN6dV8X41Ao6y02OU1oqqCBHHY8fAY5QTubs5EHDN9ybESZbMjwPbU3l1MruJwsTFOGx_IEDGLFxwT-nlFenS8XgpdpGvYf3NPyQFCpJ2eiCDLbSeRqe4YZFm2xRrEs-iNk2W81ygigVQOV8SGrX7i9HggU5HSWNOp/w397-h640/PS4.png" width="397" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If that
wasn't enough, Leong also pulls artwork duties, rending each and
every part of this strange alien world with psychedelic visuals. As
with the writing, there is no interest here in depicting an easily
recognisable world, yet each place and location still follows a logic
that makes sense. We may not know exactly how everything works, but
we trust it all has a purpose.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> There is
more to Prism Stalker than just the weird and wonderful. Leong was
motivated partly by her own background to tell a story about
indigenous culture and encroaching imperialism. Vep herself
represents a person between two worlds. She is not accepted by the
fellows of her own species because she never lived in that culture
long enough to complete her coming of age, yet at the same time the
alien species she has spent so much of her adult life alongside
remain, well, alien.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The story
itself brings up questions of freedom and servitude. Vep would indeed
be dead if it were not for the intervention of the alien collective,
yet upon being subsumed by it she is expected to give them absolute
deference. Indeed, while Vep's induction into the academy grants her
a greater degree of autonomy, she is also expected to commit to a
greater degree of sacrifice, all in the name of a civilisation she
has no love for to fight an enemy she has no real knowledge of.</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie54NV0Q90BD0LLGS95Q9dF6pZRTrDmPA6C7DiJaliMM_1ZeDDSL-2RRQvxV2HJXAPrORrAxAv8WuYNyxR8kQS9MOc_kwsZDtIf1GZcJ5yFWaL74Ub-JE7HOM6U2zOHDn7DJoCBRifMyqtxMJ5f8ODN-Rdtebi05bt93TPgcn_krX-iTbMLzYwfKYL/s2052/PS3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2052" data-original-width="1652" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie54NV0Q90BD0LLGS95Q9dF6pZRTrDmPA6C7DiJaliMM_1ZeDDSL-2RRQvxV2HJXAPrORrAxAv8WuYNyxR8kQS9MOc_kwsZDtIf1GZcJ5yFWaL74Ub-JE7HOM6U2zOHDn7DJoCBRifMyqtxMJ5f8ODN-Rdtebi05bt93TPgcn_krX-iTbMLzYwfKYL/s320/PS3.png" width="258" /></a></div><br /><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Prism
Stalker uses the sci-fi genre to put you in the mindset of a free man
seeing the world enveloped by an empire. In Vep there is the Gaul
being claimed by the Romans, the Native American being moved onto the
reservation, the Aboriginal Australian being treated as a nuisance,
and so many more. The aliens themselves are not evil in any real
sense, indeed many of them are treated just as badly as Vep by their
superiors, all victims of imperialism's blind march of progress.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Prism
Stalker draws so many concepts from classic sci-fi, and remixes them
into something more current, something more vital. It's a comic that
makes us question how moral our own societies really are, and how
many are being ground up under it's boot-heel and expected to be
thankful.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Despite all
this, Prism Stalker has yet to break into the mainstream. Yet, it is
not too late, as a collected edition of it's second story arc is due
to be released this very year. I hope this review at the very least
encourages people to check it out, and I'd love to see the second
volume become a bigger hit, and finally bring the series to the
forefront.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">---------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jack
Harvey 2023. Prism Stalker is (c) Sloane Leong. Images used under
fair use.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-27585618976545584112023-02-17T07:10:00.003-08:002023-02-17T07:10:37.729-08:00Jack's February Update<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OsLHbKLOcwuDiofwoGwF_T9-k_gyA3lER2nkwXaY7HrPSRG2JD8HvKmquifEJii66yFMhgcL8H7Ow7tnCEOlyBXFbsMSfevf22wAnK1Xw9ryp3eOWLJdIcbMa1oSfcPf8fhmm45yF4ls9fXEnTYQZR5HwcQ6HLFBokLRwCUWERV2JsButSYtzWVz/s633/PRWIP1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="633" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OsLHbKLOcwuDiofwoGwF_T9-k_gyA3lER2nkwXaY7HrPSRG2JD8HvKmquifEJii66yFMhgcL8H7Ow7tnCEOlyBXFbsMSfevf22wAnK1Xw9ryp3eOWLJdIcbMa1oSfcPf8fhmm45yF4ls9fXEnTYQZR5HwcQ6HLFBokLRwCUWERV2JsButSYtzWVz/w400-h378/PRWIP1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Happy New
Year in this most miserable of months. It's been a while since I last
checked in with the status of my current projects, so I figured I'd
fill you all in with where I am.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">First of all
I just wanted to say that while things seem to be holding steady with
regards to my wrist problems, it's still a issue that's bubbling
under the surface. I've had a few twinges here and there, while this
week it does feel to have gotten a little worse. I'm still cracking
on with artwork and writing, but I may need to slow things down at
times when it feels like it's deteriorating.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Anyways</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- In case
you missed it, I posted the short comic <a href="http://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/one-hell-of-night.html">One Hell of a Night</a> in
December. I'm still amazed at how great <a href="https://twitter.com/ComicNerdSam">Sam</a> did with the artwork that
I still can't shut up about it.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- My print
comic, An Illustrated Guide to Drinking Beer, is now available to buy
in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theharbourmaster/?locale=en_GB">The Harbormaster Whitehaven</a>, and <a href="https://www.deadheadcomics.co.uk/">Dead Head Comics in Edinburgh</a>. Be sure to drop by while stocks last.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- Currently
<a href="https://twitter.com/K_Iragana_A">Kristina</a> is working on another small comic of mine. You may remember
her fantastic work on my Warhammer 40'000 comic, <a href="http://eljackscomicsblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/warhammer-40000-conspiracy-of-riches.html">A Conspiracy of Riches</a>. I want to stay tight lipped on this one, but you can see a
sneak preview of the artwork above.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- The first
draft for my fifth Sea of Spheres short story is complete, and I'll
be getting right on to the edits this month.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- While the
<a href="https://thebatminute.com/">Batminute Podcast</a> has finished it's original run on the Batman saga,
there's still other things to talk about, and I'll be showing up on a
guest spot sometime soon. More information when it arrives.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">So far I am
pencilled in for three comic conventions this year, with hopefully
more forthcoming later on. At present I will be at:</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WCCosplayUK/">The West Coast Minicon</a> on the 25th March.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- <a href="https://goldenorbit.co.uk/all-events/">Sheffield Comic and Film Fair</a> on the 22nd April.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">- <a href="https://allevents.in/newcastle%20upon%20tyne/newcastle-comic-con/200022206018316">Newcastle Comic-Con</a> on the 18th June.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I'm trying
to wrangle a couple more dates, so hopefully there will be more news
in the next update.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In the
meantime, I'm going to crack on with my projects and try and get them
the best that they can be.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Thanks for
reading!</p><br /><p></p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269211549745915091.post-25165809523043920932023-01-18T09:28:00.003-08:002023-01-18T09:28:26.072-08:00Obscure Comic of the Month - Geopolitical Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi Based Parasites on 186F <p> Obscure
Comic of the Month is a column where I take a look at a comic or
series that hasn't really been talked about. This covers independent
comics, zines, weird spin-offs, webcomics and more.</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Geopolitical
Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi Based Parasites on 186F by
LANDO – Decadence University Press/50 Watts Books 2016</span></span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoSeyqJpzfhLdcLYB0WkrSvcn3-TjtEADdz2nK1mmNAlTrQ2EFMkQy-j7yJ7zgzjN6jRPVANw1_HeilRXqnvaM7v8EA5dbI6NtH4USRQr5OfAdFbEkaFPQZoxVBL4U9zpprVLg_20sbzJGfSylBCqLZs8lGLrLQV9ON0y-UL4u0OhXIRLiYzIqIoP/s803/Fungal0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="803" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoSeyqJpzfhLdcLYB0WkrSvcn3-TjtEADdz2nK1mmNAlTrQ2EFMkQy-j7yJ7zgzjN6jRPVANw1_HeilRXqnvaM7v8EA5dbI6NtH4USRQr5OfAdFbEkaFPQZoxVBL4U9zpprVLg_20sbzJGfSylBCqLZs8lGLrLQV9ON0y-UL4u0OhXIRLiYzIqIoP/w640-h228/Fungal0.png" width="640" /></a></div><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Contains
Spoilers</span></span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Geopolitical
Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi Based Parasites on 186F is one
of those comics that you take one look at and think 'Okay, I've
really got to find out what all this is about.' The comic is part of
LANDO's Decadence University Press series, a group of stories
stylising themselves as old educational textbooks, each printed in
coloured ink on coloured paper, they have a unique style that stands
out from the crowd and can't be ignored.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Geopolitical
Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi Based Parasites on 186F
specifically tells the story of a race of tentacle-faced aliens
living life on an earth-like planet. Completely textless, the reader
is left to their own initiative in piecing together the sequence of
events we are brought to witness. </span></span></span>
</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZWzqLI-XG4kf2766OwqXEphJnNogUl3NLy4buPOWXmv7zEOFZ2FzBar-4FxwFmgj4r4uABYfZMsiighb8AYV8vXhzoXp6n8e05o6Z9DbzAQqI3SuxQor-wuycEXWhOU3bgBf8ZcPf5tL0-5WDgxFAnlehZ790txqCJvACBEDnquAvXFJRihG9wpn/s419/Fungal1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="419" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZWzqLI-XG4kf2766OwqXEphJnNogUl3NLy4buPOWXmv7zEOFZ2FzBar-4FxwFmgj4r4uABYfZMsiighb8AYV8vXhzoXp6n8e05o6Z9DbzAQqI3SuxQor-wuycEXWhOU3bgBf8ZcPf5tL0-5WDgxFAnlehZ790txqCJvACBEDnquAvXFJRihG9wpn/s320/Fungal1.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia; font-size: 11pt;"><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p>We
start by watching one of the aliens, dressed in renaissance garb,
study a smaller, miniature version of itself (A child? A small clone?
A sub-species?) The story then jumps forward in time, showing us
scenes from one conflict to another, the technology advancing from
cannons to machine guns.</span><p></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Then,
almost as though through the logic of a dream, we follow a seemingly
lost and emaciated alien, wandering through barren wastes. The alien
then comes across a large mushroom, which in turn drops an egg-like
spore onto the helpless creature's head, possessing and taking
control, though to what degree is left ambiguous. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> It's
at this point, re-reading the comic, that we realise that all the
aliens bar the tiny one at the start have had such spores stuck to
their heads. The implication, though likewise ambiguous, is that the
war and empire are being instigated by the fungus. </span></span></span>
</p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCGBJECEaRMULj0J29geC4tbIYk8i2iKXORfNIZGEHGUfGMnSfXX8HW2WSyiZ2B-ET72uo63FE1o4eE0laiSNhRHBfQH39DiXSpNR8Ntp8EyFsu6KaEgDYykzqJR5TKQOM1sCD1-UMIhmHo5b2kQgUYrWG3SriguHebvnrTOUvYbCLU7RJl96hVvZ/s449/Fungal2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="447" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCGBJECEaRMULj0J29geC4tbIYk8i2iKXORfNIZGEHGUfGMnSfXX8HW2WSyiZ2B-ET72uo63FE1o4eE0laiSNhRHBfQH39DiXSpNR8Ntp8EyFsu6KaEgDYykzqJR5TKQOM1sCD1-UMIhmHo5b2kQgUYrWG3SriguHebvnrTOUvYbCLU7RJl96hVvZ/s320/Fungal2.png" width="319" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia; font-size: 11pt;">The
story ends with a single panel of a city built around a giant alien
skull, with an even bigger fungus spore on top, shattered and broken
apart by bombs. Like previous panels in the comic, it's an ambiguous
note to end on, open to many interpretations. Does this indicate that
the aliens might have finally rose up and fought off the control of
their fungal overlords, or that the fungus themselves have devastated
the planet by turning on one another?</span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Geopolitical
Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi Based Parasites on 186F is only
twelve pages long, but it packs so many ideas and wild concepts onto
each page that it feels longer. The artwork is fantastic and
evocative, surreal and yet realistic at the same time. The war weary
soldiers and blackened battlefields strike a sombre tone, and by the
story's very nature it feels as though we are only catching a small
glimpse of a larger picture.</span></span></span></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10xdx0vwhF3KS4_HPntsRx2vSMVuonHkVgt3JNaglNnqwuDisAhXegACOpnqsGnAxe2z73IpxD6tR4Ijk24DrHsDSQgr2jEhCxaGdE277_20hlLndMU_BvTQWp0m7g0q7KJFXAbRzfyaqjrqLitZ_KM1z8t7FqFDdliIeD0tW1mVfIensbnajSNm7/s600/Fungal3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10xdx0vwhF3KS4_HPntsRx2vSMVuonHkVgt3JNaglNnqwuDisAhXegACOpnqsGnAxe2z73IpxD6tR4Ijk24DrHsDSQgr2jEhCxaGdE277_20hlLndMU_BvTQWp0m7g0q7KJFXAbRzfyaqjrqLitZ_KM1z8t7FqFDdliIeD0tW1mVfIensbnajSNm7/s320/Fungal3.png" width="212" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia; font-size: 11pt;">Due
to the story's ambiguity (last time I swear,) it demands to be read
and re-read again, the meanings of it's dream world pondered over.
That alone makes Geopolitical Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi
Based Parasites on 186F far more than a short comic that you'll read,
enjoy, but probably soon enough forget about. It's scope is far
grander than it's limited page count would normally allow.</span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The
comic serves as a perfect demonstration of the kind of comics that
LANDO's Decadence University Press series can cover, and if
Geopolitical Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi Based Parasites on
186F is any indication, the entire series has carved out it's own
unique place in the world of independent comics.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
------------------------------------------------</p>
<p align="LEFT" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jack
Harvey 2023. Geopolitical Manipulation Through the Use of Fungi
Based Parasites on 186F is (c) LANDO. Images used under fair use.</span></span></span></p>El Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01169862289167757336noreply@blogger.com0