What're You Lookin' At?!

To Arms! To Arms!

2006-05-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

New York, 1775 - In a desperate move to regain control of the American colonies, the British have allied themselves with the dark forces of the occult. The fledgling nation's only hope is the masked spy known as "The Black Coat"

I just read what is possibly the finest indy comic going (besides the ones I and my contemporaries of the OTF are working on, of course). Originally supposed to be published by Speakeasy Comics, Ape Entertainment recently released the first issue of "The Black Coat: A Call to Arms."

By the way, I shamelessly borrowed that little synopsis from Ape Entertainment's website. And to your right, is a page from the upcoming second issue as well as the cover to the first issue. The story is every bit as outrageous as it sounds. There's even a mini submarine and a scar-faced brute called Butcher. As for the art, well you can see just how well-drawn this little book is.

Although a mini series, "A Call to Arms" will hopefully be just the begining of this intriguing comic book. My three corner hat is off to the book's creators, Ben Licius, Adam Cogan, Francisco Francavilla & Jeremy Colwell.

Gone to Texas

2006-04-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything here so I figured I'd make it a good one. I recently finished reading "Gone to Texas," by Forrest Carter. In case you ain't figgered it out by the photo to your left, "Gone to Texas" was the novel that inspired, in my humble opinion, the second greatest western movie of all time*, "Outlaw Josey Wales."

"Gone to Texas," one of only four books written by the terribly short-lived Forrest Carter, who died at, like fifty-five, I believe, was pure western mythology. Larger-than-life, but incredibly human characters and now imfamous one-liners, like, "Buzzards gotta eat same as worms," and "Hell's come to breakfast," filled the pages of this surprisingly short novel.

My favorite line in the whole book is when Josey was praying to God after the death of his riding partner Jamie Burns: "This here boy was brung up in a time of blood and dyin'. He never looked to question na'ar a bit of it. Never turned his back on his folks 'ner his kind. He has rode with me, and I ain't got no complaints. Amen." I imagine that's about as close to a prayer (and praise) as Josey could probably get.

All in all, Carter makes writing look easy. A natural story-teller who wasted few words, his style put you right in the saddle. I'm not much of a western reader, I prefer the movies, but this book is a "must read."

*That honor goes to Sam Peckenpah's horse opera masterpice "The Wild Bunch."

Fighting Crime In Retro Time!

2006-01-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Does anybody remember when comic books were fun? Apparently I'm not the only one, because Mike Imboden & Ed Dukeshire certainly do and it shows in Digital Webbing Presents #24 (The cover on your left is one of two covers & I was a little upset when I recieved the alternate version!). Mike & Ed created the perfect retro hero with the Fist of Justice in a story called "I Think, Therefore..." and it was everything comics today can't seem to capture. There are, of course, other exceptions, such as Tom Scioli's currently-in-limbo The Myth of 8-Opus and my good buddy Nik's Rocket Girl, but FoJ's "I Think, Therefore..." just left me begging for more.

I had the pleasure of meeting both Mike & Ed at last year's Mid-Ohio con, quite unintentionally and I doubt they remember me, but I was informed that they are hard at work prepairing an upcoming miniseries continuing the adventures of this great retro hero.

If you'd like to learn more about Fist of Justice, check out the official webpage.

After Things Fell Apart

2006-01-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can sure as hell buy a book for its cover. Such was the case for "After Things Fell Apart," written by Ron Goulart, who was the ghost writer for a lot of Shatner's stuff.

I couldn't pass this baby up when I saw it today at my local used book store (yes, there's more to buy in La Porte than candy cigarettes after all) and just had to share it.

The Perhapanauts Are Here!

2005-12-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye, but when you look back, nothing's there? Ever hear someone talking upstairs, but you know you're the only one in the house? Or have you ever had that feeling that you know something's watching you from the corner of your room when you wake up in the dark? Well, brother, fear not. The Perhapanauts are on the job against the things that should not be! But they themselves are the stuff of fantasy, myth, legend and nightmare. The first Dark Horse issue of the Perhapanauts finally fell into my hands and I read it rabidly. Similar to Craig Bogart's book The Ineffables, The Perhapanauts is funny, smart and well-drawn, though maybe not as esoteric. I can't wait for the second issue!

Books I Found At Mid-Ohio Con '05

2005-11-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

I found a lot of great books at Mid-Ohio, from great old 70s Marvel titles to some awesome indepentant stuff.

Back in 1999, DC's Elseworlds line produced Superman: War of the Worlds, penned by veteran master storyteller Roy Thomas and drawn in Fleischeresque-style by Michael Lark. I somehow managed to miss this gem when it first hit the stands and it took me six years to find it. The War of the Worlds is my absolute favorite novel and I'm a big fan of the "Man of Tomorrow," so this just seemed like something I should read. My hunch paid off. If you haven't read it, find yourself a copy. Hopefully it won't take you six years.

The Myth of 8-Opus by Tom Scoili was another great find! I've been a fan of Thomas Scoili for about a year now when I discovered his artwork in Image's adaption of the Freedom Force internet computer game. Since Freedom Force, Scoili (with writer Joe Casey) has gone on to Godland, also an Image title and worth every penny. But before all this, Scoili created 8-Opus, a cosmic epic in the tradition of The King Himself. Ordinarily I don't get into Jack Kirby "wannabes," but Scoili's the real deal and his love for the genre shows in 8-Opus.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Scoili at Mid-Ohio and he's assured me that The Myth of 8-Opus isn't over just because he's got a regular gig with Godland. More than anything, 8-Opus sems to be a labor of love and it shows in every panel.

What do you get when you put a living statue from Easter Island, a conspiracy journalist, a work of sentient abstract art and Abraham Lincoln together in the same room? You get The Ineffables, that's what! I don't know if Craig Bogart is a genius or a madman or both (I'm kinda hopin' he's both), but I think the clues lay in his wayout series of which The Ineffables: Prime Mover (the cover photo to which is pictured to your right) is the latest instalment. Perhaps the wildest aspect of the whole thing is the price! You can get all of Craig's books from his website.

Hours of Fun!

2005-11-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

I realize it's been awhile since I updated this blog, but I think the little gem I discovered, thanks to my buddy Karl ( or K.A.R.L.: Killing and Accurate Repair Lifeform).
Looking for hours of fun? Just click the banner below and let the good times roll.

Seriously, you'll get addicted to it. I don't care who you are.

Never Leave A Wounded Animal To Die!

2005-10-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, the first comic I ever bought was DC's First Issue Special #8, which some of you out there in blogland might recall was the first appearance of the Warlord. Ace pilot Travis Morgan's spy plane crashlanded inside the earth in an ancient world of superstition and super science called Skartaris. It was pretty much Spartacus meets Conan and it blew me away!

Mike Grell, the comic's writer/artist remains one of my all-time biggest influences. Along with Warlord, Grell created a number of other memorable comics characters, key among them is Jon Sable. First published by First Comics decades ago, Jon Sable: Freelance is now published by IDW and is probably Grell's greatest work in both writing and art.

What makes Sable so different from Grell's other characters is his humanity. Sable's wife and kids were killed by poachers in Africa so Sable goes on a vengence trail. Where lesser writers would leave it at that, Grell makes sure the ghosts of Sable's past dictate his every action. Revenge seemed like a good idea at the time, but, in the long run, what does it accomplish?

As I write this, IDW has published four issues and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight. I'm always amazed when an indy company can keep an ongoing storyline running, since most companies have extremely short lifespans. But IDW has latched onto many of First's fan favorites, both titles and creators, so I'm hoping the "big guns" behind these relaunches keep them around for a long time to come.

Oh, and before I forget, Grell wrote a Sable novel a few years back and it's awesome!

Cinema Insomnia

2005-10-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

There I was, bored one Wednesday night, flipping through the myriad of innane programming on the ol' cathoderay passifier when I came across a show on public access called Cinema Insomnia, hosted by a rather odd-looking individual named Mr. Lobo. He was hosting "Prince of Space," so right away I was mildly cautious, but I gotta say it was pretty entertaining. I grew up watching Son of Svengoolie, so I hold a particular reverence for late-night horror hosts. I give Mr. Lobo credit for carrying on that tradition in entertainment, something I'm sad to say is sorely missing in today's TV programming. How many CSIs do we need anyway?

If you're interested in checking out this television oddity, go to www.cinemainsomnia.com and check for channel listings, dates and times. There's a lot of other interesting stuff on his site as well.

Grand Magus!

2005-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

Remember the 70s? Remember bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppillen, and Rainbow?
Then for God's sake check out Grand Magus! It's stoner rock at it's best. What passes for metal these days ain't got nothin' on these crazy Swedes! Check 'em out. It's the kinda metal Conan might've listened to.

"Wha?"

2005-10-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

It doesn't happen often that the sequal is better than the original. There are rare occasions, though, such as Star Trek II, Kill Bill Vol. II and, of course S.O.S., episode two of the adventures of the Amazing Walter, his semi-demonic sidekick Lucius S.O.S.
Bill "Inkslinger" Wilkison delivers the goods in this one! Loaded with 70s movie references, weird little kids and one freaky guy with an overbite and horns.
If you haven't checked it out yet, you can contact bill via the "friends" section of my website. I hear he sells them out of his trunk. Tell him I sent ya and watch him shrug his shoulders and say, "Paul who?"

You've Reached the Bottom of the Blog!

2005-10-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, you've reached the bottom of this Blog, check back again soon for more stuff you can't possilby live without. This is where all the cool kids get their entertainment news. That's right, all the cool kids are doin' it, so why not you?