Time for my latest blah blah blah article on digital distribution and publishing! Oh, boy!
The third installment of KILLING THE GRIZZLY is on its way, but while we wait, here’s the first eBOOK SPOTLIGHT, a series of scribbling that will, as its name suggests, spotlight a different comic or book that is right this very minute braving the dangers of online distribution and publication. eBS will run in-between each KtG, so alternately, every two weeks or thereabouts. That’s the game plan, anywho. And since I’m writing these FOR a professional online News Blog, I suppose I’m gonna have to meet the deadlines! *gulp*
Anyway, here’s the sneak peek, to see if you give a toss enough to check out the whole thing (it’s long, you’ve been warned):
E-Book Spotlight #1: MISERY DEPOT
Written By: Dave Baxter
Subtitle: The Consumerist Clout of the Creative Commons
Folks can talk all they want about the theory behind digital publishing and distribution, of free marketing and the economics of intangible e-products. We can argue the pros and cons and the realities and the pie-in-the-sky dreams until it’s no longer a debate but instead a cold hard reality, one way or the other. On the other hand, there are some that have already made this a reality, not waiting for the future to overtake them. The brave few that are riding the white water rapids of e-comic publishing without the comforting landlines of a pro print career or built-in fan base. We’re here now not just to philosophize, but to look at what’s realistically going on right this very minute with specific digital publishers….
Real impressive new comic came out this Wednesday (January 20th – that’s 2009 if you’re reading this way in the future, or way in the past using a time machine no one even today, your future, knows about) from APE ENTERTAINMENT. #1 is an over-sized issue of genre love that kicks off the first three-issue mini of a much grander epic – THE WIND RAIDER.
Not only is the story impressive – nothing ground-breaking but nevertheless it’s a unique blend of eastern/western, Star Wars meets Sojourn (for you comic buffs who remember Crossgen) or let’s call it FIST OF THE NORTH STAR meets LORD OF THE RINGS. Which sounds bloody awesome, doesn’t it? I won’t give anything away, but needless to say, the story is highly…
Now up over on the BROKEN FRONTIER website:
Two-part “Inter-Review” (a review and an interview in one!) with horror maestro Bob Heske. I recently blogged about his upcoming vampire mini THE NIGHT PROJECTIONIST from publisher STUDIO 407. Now you can read all the nitty-gritty details and from the writer’s mouth himself….
I simply had to take a moment to rave about this.
I had the pleasure to read and review a new vampire (groan!) comic book mini-series from STUDIO 407 called, uniquely, “THE NIGHT PROJECTIONIST”. This is by far the freshest vampire story in years, which, let’s face it, isn’t really saying much (not a high bar to reach) but this one goes way past the bar. This is like setting a new bar ten times the height of the old bar.
Here’s the scoop: a gothic-era vampire has taken up working as the night-time projectionist in a small town’s local movie theater. But one night, he locks all the doors (with everyone inside for, naturally, “Draculathon”) and announces that “no one leaves”. Meanwhile, outside, something sinister gathers, and a blood-filled tale of revenge begins, with:
- An incredibly intricate backstory
- One killer anti-hero protagonist
- A dense your-money’s-worth script that’s accessible while dodging every cliche
- Art that’s like Gene Colan in his prime (Gene was the artist for Marvel’s 70’s Dracula) and Tom Mandrake (of Final Crisis: Revelations fame). Dark, brilliant, dynamic…
In compliment to my interview with comic artist Aaron Loresti on his new Fantastical Creatures artbook, I had him shoot the shinola about his ogoing run with writer Gail Simone on one of DC’s flagship “trinity” titles, Wonder Woman (Bats and Supes being the other two, in case you’re of the non-geek-inclined, or simply new to it all).
We talked swords ‘n sorcery, Wonder Woman vs. other female icons, and, most importantly…TAKION!!! That series was brill.
Had the chance to chat with rising (but long-time slaving) comics superstar, Aaron Lopresti, about his new artbook/storybook, THE FANTASTICAL CREATURES FIELD GUIDE (How to Hunt them Down and Draw Them Where They Live). It’s half and artbook, with page after page of watercolored creatures of Lopresti’s design, but it doubles as a story, the journal of a rather eccentric cryptozoologist as he wanders the earth to record the most ludicrous of mythical beasties.
Lopresti’s art is as good as anything by Froud or the Hildebrandt Bros., but the big surprise comes in the writing, the black humor of which is superb. This is a thick, oversized beauty of a book and it’s also a marvelous, solid read. Artbooks don’t come better than this. Period.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON THE BOOK HERE: “MR. LOPRESTI’S CRYPTOZOOLOGICAL OPUS”
Continue reading about Aaron Lopresti’s Fantastical Creatures Field Guide
The Inter-Review is BACK!
After a brief albeit solid hiatus, as I focused on other creative endeavors and, oh, life, I’m back with BROKEN FRONTIER full-force and ready to pump of a whole slew of review/interview hybrids starting with…
MR. SCOOTLES VOLUME 1: MR. SCOOTLES VS. THE INFERNO
Originally distributed online via WOWIO, now published via ALTERNA COMICS and [...]
Here’s an interesting piece of news, and a bloody “about time” one at that: Karl Christian Krumpholz’s BYRON: DIE, BYRON! DIE! has at long last made the move from a downloadabe e-comic to a totally free, effortlessly accessible webcomic!
BRYON is a comic about a Goth kid wannabe who finds himself tumblind head-first into real true-blue [...]
Continue reading about “Die, Byron! Die!” and Krumpholz Hit the Web!
The Latest and Greatest Inter-Review!
JESUS CHRIST: IN THE NAME OF THE GUN – From the creators of Chumble Spuzz and Save the Babies, comes one awesome effing webcomic.
Read the INTER-REVIEW
And read the WEBCOMIC too!
Continue reading about Jesus Chirst In the Name of the Gun – Awesome Webcomic!
THE ORIGINAL NUTTY FUNSTERS: A LIST OF GRIEVANCES GN by Stephanie O’Donnel
Check out the Inter-Review (a review and an interview in one!) in two parts:
PART 1
PART 2
Continue reading about Inter-Review with Stephanie O’Donnell on “The Original Nutty Funsters”