Lani, The Leopard Queen is another comic on Zuda this month, it's done by Geof Isherwood.
Here is the synopsis: Lani is trapped in a disturbing dream. Her pet monkey Ini wakes her up. She must face harsh reality again, as she has been alone for two months. Ini warns her of danger, and a young leopard is found injured behind her jungle house. He seems to be more intelligent than an ordinary cat. Lani finally has a lead to finds her parents , who had vanished suddenly. On the trail of the cat, she finds deep in a sea cave a boy who does not belong here. And he is old, 500 years old, but still a boy. Her head whirling with disbelief, Lani follows him to an underground maze. There she finds Kalla, and her 500-year-old pal, the rotten Tongo. More than that, Lani has stumbled upon a whole hidden world of large cats. The respondent queen, Vaspira, is a black leopard with spots like diamonds. She speaks to Lani in a raspy voice that a panther should not be able to do. She tells Lani of a secret to immortality. Lani is old enough now to be transformed and Vaspira offers her to join the others who have lived for centuries. But what of her parents? And of the plans Vaspira has for poor Lani as the old witch weaves her deception?
First things first the art is amazing, which didn't surprise me after I checked out the credits Isherwood has to his name. The storyline received some criticism because the first 7 screens are a dream/ nightmare Lani has. You get to the 8th screen and some of the readers reaction was WTF??? it was all a dream??? I actually didn't mind the dream story I thought it was very engaging. It was my hope Geof would push the dream angle more and less on the action/adventure aspect of the story. The story could have gone for a more Little Nemo in Slumberland vibe which would have been a nice twist on an old favorite, instead from the synopsis it hints at being a more underage Sheena/ all ages read. Nothing wrong with going for an all ages comic, but the creator here really could have had something special with a jungle dreamland, instead it's action/adventure redux.
The colors are absolutely fantastic, they really add to the old newsprint feel of the story. I also enjoyed the fact all letters were very readable. Then go back to the dream element of the narrative this really provided for some great imagery throughout the story.
Some nifty examples from the comic to show you what I mean.
Screen 2 is a full page shot showing Mom and Lani, looking at Dad with a animal skeleton with golden tusks. The perspective, colors, letters are all done in a top notch way here. It's beautiful art, really beautiful. Screen 3 makes me think that skeletor critter could be of the dinosaur persuasion? In any case the art is again beautiful and the thought caption at the bottom of screen 4 hints that something else is going on here. Storytelling from a pacing perspective fits the 8 screens you have on Zuda very well even if I didn't like the ending.
The it's all a dream part of the story worked perfectly to set up some really impressive imagery on screens 4, 5, and 6. Seeing as I read the synopsis, and this is a nightmare in the daylight, Lani being along on those rocks as her parents sail away is really invoking the subconscious imagery. The colors used throughout really seal the deal of this being an impressive comic art-wise, it helped so much. The "lizard on hot lava" comment was a funny line in a high drama lost child story. I was disappointed she woke up in the 'fantasty action/adventure' jungle though, the Nemo (everything old is new again, if enough time passes) set-up was right there.
Monkey's (or chimps) are not cute little sidekicks, they're deceptively cute little cannibalistic bastards who bite off peoples faces, fingers, and occasionally genitalia.
Which kind of puts a hi-light on my problems with the story. Jungle action/adventure fantasy stories, don't really do it for me as a reader. From all the talk of dreams on the comment section, I was looking forward to a real world vs. dream world story, which I don't think is what Geof has in mind. Not meeting readers expectations by the 8 screen is one of the underlying themes this month at Zuda. In this case you have the people that felt ripped it was mostly a dream, the majority of critical opinion. Then you have me being me wishing to see a jungle dream world, but have her wake up in the regular world. End result a fair number of readers are ho-humm, if not outright disappointed. Geof needed the payoff in the 8th screen, I didn't get it, other commentators felt the same way.
I actually hoped the story talked about in the synopsis would be revealed to be just what happens in Lani's dream world, but guess not.
Those feelings aside the art/colors/letters/ and writing all very impressive to absolutely beautiful . The way the story turned out dropped my grade done to 3/5 stars and a fav. Geoff I hope to see you in Zuda again with a new story.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Kharon: Scourge of Atlantis Zuda review/ I could see the same thing happening in a EC comic
Kharon: Scourge of Atlantis is another March Zuda comic done by Jim Shelley and Pierre Villeneuve.
Here is the synopsis: Journey with us back to an age when the golden spires of Atlantis cast long, dark shadows across the world --where ambition and achievement have been replaced by apathy and arrogance. The unlucky multitude not born in the city by the sea are considered outlander filth and treated like chattel. As slaves they spend their lives building lavish temples with huge, bloodstained altars. All the while, the cruel and decadent Highborn Atlantean Senate plot to expand their domain and wage full scale genocide on those races they deem inferior. Now comes the outlanders' darkest hour as the Highborn Senate has decreed that all Atlantis must be made pure. The Royal Guard drive the outlanders further and further into the barrens, mercilessly destroying those who resist. Unskilled in the ways of war, the outlanders need a leader to unite them. What they get is Kharon -- a man with a personal vendetta against the Highborn. Driven by a destiny that none would envy, he will take up a flag of hate and carve his way to the royal city with blood and fury. Our story begins with a Kharon entering a cursed valley where an Atlantean garrison is stationed. He brings with him proof of a murder, a promise of vengeance...and a declaration of war. Kharon will have to defeat the entire legion of highly trained Atlantean soldiers if he is to continue his one-man campaign against the empire. Will he be victorious or will he fall victim to the curse of the valley of death?
Sometimes I like the art better than the story, other times I like the story better than the art. This is one of those other times. As has been mentioned before Pierre's work does have that 80's cartoon/ cell animation vibe to it. I enjoy his art work it just didn't fit this story for me. I don't bow at the alter of photo-realism in comics (or tracing depending on your point of view), but more detail isn't a bad thing. On the first screen their wasn't a whole lot of detail to be found in the mountains behind Kharon. This didn't surprise me the lack of details here in the background helped to put the focus on the lead character just as much as the two crossed spears symmetrical panel effect did. The problem was with screen two. No not the text boxes (this time ;) ) Jim did a find job writing the captions for them. The problem was this whole screen was an establishing shot of the little hamlet, but their was still no more detail there for the mountains. We see nice shadow work on the mountains, and a really neat reflection in a lake, but theirs a problem with the rest. The Ash white mountains look like snow caps, or really big rocks. Maybe this was done (lack of details) to show perspective/ distance, but it really threw me off. Some places the grass grows, some it doesn't I just didn't like the look of the geography, and that was the first thing I saw. Considering the subject matter I was expecting Savage Sword of Conan meets Tales from the Crypt in the art. This is one of those comics where if you had more than 8 screens, I might have got into the grove with the art, by knowing more about the future tone of the story. Maybe you just needed more screens to let me see everything mesh, but you don't get that during the contest.
Their were some very well done action scenes, Pierre did an all star job on. The first panel on screen 5 (and all the rest of the page too) I really enjoyed. Remember the way they used to handle flashbacks on the Highlander TV show? Extreme close up of a character's eyes, then FLASHBACK!!!! we get the same thing here. Very impressive panel layout from Pierre, to show the events that helped lead up to this with ultimate amount of drama impact for the readers. Jim's text was very well written here, and a great compliment to the scenes. Great expressive art to show the fear and horror, and the text gave it very somber, chilling, airs. Screen 6 isn't a I Spit on your Grave/ Last House on the Left homage -thankfully. It was very well done with the art and narration. Screen 7 was another 'cool as hell' screen. The bad guy general touching the scar on his face and his words started to bring that darker feel. The sequential art for the skeleton coming out of the bag was excellent! A necromancer as a hero, damn cool more on this after the bold. The last screen text set up a good mystery/ action hook. With them bones looking for vengeance, and our lead talking about his true goal.???
Necromancers aren't usually heroes because of that whole: are you now or have you ever been a necrophiliac question???
The dual genre's listed for the comic are fantasy/ action adventure, so that doesn't necessarily imply the story is going to get too dark. When your main character can raise others from the dead that does imply a slightly morbid/ horror genre streak in the story. Which made me think darker more vague art might be more appropriate. That been said their were some absolute stand out screens I mentioned before Villeneuve should get accolades for. The whole revenge of the bones segment screamed EC style revenge story to me and I really enjoyed it. It is a novel idea -to me at least- for a heroes powers so it was a real highlight to me reading this. If it just wasn't for them damn mountains.... :)
Enjoy the Bronze age goodness/ some nifty examples from the comic to show you what I mean.
I loved the who, what, when, where, why Marvel style intro text on the first screen. The high concept character set-up was also a nice nod to the best of the best of the bronze age. The tone of dialogue made a great impression on me, it was handled well with all the characters. The colors were pretty good, and the letters were very readable. This is a pretty critical review -for me-, but I think you might only have needed a few more screens to show me the art/words really coming together. 3/5 stars and a fav.
Here is the synopsis: Journey with us back to an age when the golden spires of Atlantis cast long, dark shadows across the world --where ambition and achievement have been replaced by apathy and arrogance. The unlucky multitude not born in the city by the sea are considered outlander filth and treated like chattel. As slaves they spend their lives building lavish temples with huge, bloodstained altars. All the while, the cruel and decadent Highborn Atlantean Senate plot to expand their domain and wage full scale genocide on those races they deem inferior. Now comes the outlanders' darkest hour as the Highborn Senate has decreed that all Atlantis must be made pure. The Royal Guard drive the outlanders further and further into the barrens, mercilessly destroying those who resist. Unskilled in the ways of war, the outlanders need a leader to unite them. What they get is Kharon -- a man with a personal vendetta against the Highborn. Driven by a destiny that none would envy, he will take up a flag of hate and carve his way to the royal city with blood and fury. Our story begins with a Kharon entering a cursed valley where an Atlantean garrison is stationed. He brings with him proof of a murder, a promise of vengeance...and a declaration of war. Kharon will have to defeat the entire legion of highly trained Atlantean soldiers if he is to continue his one-man campaign against the empire. Will he be victorious or will he fall victim to the curse of the valley of death?
Sometimes I like the art better than the story, other times I like the story better than the art. This is one of those other times. As has been mentioned before Pierre's work does have that 80's cartoon/ cell animation vibe to it. I enjoy his art work it just didn't fit this story for me. I don't bow at the alter of photo-realism in comics (or tracing depending on your point of view), but more detail isn't a bad thing. On the first screen their wasn't a whole lot of detail to be found in the mountains behind Kharon. This didn't surprise me the lack of details here in the background helped to put the focus on the lead character just as much as the two crossed spears symmetrical panel effect did. The problem was with screen two. No not the text boxes (this time ;) ) Jim did a find job writing the captions for them. The problem was this whole screen was an establishing shot of the little hamlet, but their was still no more detail there for the mountains. We see nice shadow work on the mountains, and a really neat reflection in a lake, but theirs a problem with the rest. The Ash white mountains look like snow caps, or really big rocks. Maybe this was done (lack of details) to show perspective/ distance, but it really threw me off. Some places the grass grows, some it doesn't I just didn't like the look of the geography, and that was the first thing I saw. Considering the subject matter I was expecting Savage Sword of Conan meets Tales from the Crypt in the art. This is one of those comics where if you had more than 8 screens, I might have got into the grove with the art, by knowing more about the future tone of the story. Maybe you just needed more screens to let me see everything mesh, but you don't get that during the contest.
Their were some very well done action scenes, Pierre did an all star job on. The first panel on screen 5 (and all the rest of the page too) I really enjoyed. Remember the way they used to handle flashbacks on the Highlander TV show? Extreme close up of a character's eyes, then FLASHBACK!!!! we get the same thing here. Very impressive panel layout from Pierre, to show the events that helped lead up to this with ultimate amount of drama impact for the readers. Jim's text was very well written here, and a great compliment to the scenes. Great expressive art to show the fear and horror, and the text gave it very somber, chilling, airs. Screen 6 isn't a I Spit on your Grave/ Last House on the Left homage -thankfully. It was very well done with the art and narration. Screen 7 was another 'cool as hell' screen. The bad guy general touching the scar on his face and his words started to bring that darker feel. The sequential art for the skeleton coming out of the bag was excellent! A necromancer as a hero, damn cool more on this after the bold. The last screen text set up a good mystery/ action hook. With them bones looking for vengeance, and our lead talking about his true goal.???
Necromancers aren't usually heroes because of that whole: are you now or have you ever been a necrophiliac question???
The dual genre's listed for the comic are fantasy/ action adventure, so that doesn't necessarily imply the story is going to get too dark. When your main character can raise others from the dead that does imply a slightly morbid/ horror genre streak in the story. Which made me think darker more vague art might be more appropriate. That been said their were some absolute stand out screens I mentioned before Villeneuve should get accolades for. The whole revenge of the bones segment screamed EC style revenge story to me and I really enjoyed it. It is a novel idea -to me at least- for a heroes powers so it was a real highlight to me reading this. If it just wasn't for them damn mountains.... :)
Enjoy the Bronze age goodness/ some nifty examples from the comic to show you what I mean.
I loved the who, what, when, where, why Marvel style intro text on the first screen. The high concept character set-up was also a nice nod to the best of the best of the bronze age. The tone of dialogue made a great impression on me, it was handled well with all the characters. The colors were pretty good, and the letters were very readable. This is a pretty critical review -for me-, but I think you might only have needed a few more screens to show me the art/words really coming together. 3/5 stars and a fav.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Dracula vs. Santa Zuda review/ How many times can you read the word 'Ho' before your mind goes into the gutter?
Dracula vs. Santa another comic in Zuda this month done by Melissa DeJesus (that woman has talent), and Ed Power who did a 'cool as hell' written script. Here is the synopsis: Santa’s home is under attack! Count Dracula has decided with its six full month of darkness that the North Pole would make a perfect headquarters (he got the idea from the movie ‘30 Days of Night’, but will NOT admit it as he thinks admitting he has a Netflix account weakens his image) and he’s gathered an army of the world’s most famous monsters to evict Christmas Town’s current residents. Now it’s elves versus vampires, flying reindeer versus werewolves, and Christmas versus Halloween as the forces of darkness and despair descend upon the bringers of joy and merriment! In the end only one holiday will be celebrating. Dracula vs. Santa: Welcome to the ‘Winter Wonderland’ of our discontent!
I have mostly high praise for this, but I did have a WTF moment reading this comic, so bad stuff first.
WTF moment/ Where was the Count, at his day job on Sesame Street???
If it says Dracula vs. Santa in the title, Dracula better damn well show up in the comic.
I know it's only 8 screens, not a lot of space to work with, but come ooooooonnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I got closer and closer to screen 8, I (not being my first rodeo as far as reading Zuda goes) figured Ed and Melissa were saving up the Dracula appearance for a 1 panel cameo on the very last screen. Kind of like how they did the most God forsaken character in comics (no it's not Rob Liefield -haters) Wolverine's first cameo appearance in Incredible Hulk. It would have been a high drama note to end on, and set things up well should it win. Instead we get some elves tossed in the air, and who knows it could have been Jack O'Lantern or the Bogey man doing that. I really expected him to show up, and it was a let down he didn't.
By the way who's side is the ghost of Christmas future on?
Considering you killed off the Easter Bunny Godfather 3 tribute style, I'm interested in what the balance in the tone of the comic will be: comedic moments vs. Rudolph getting field dressed by a werewolf?
It's not a naughty list it's a shit kicking list and you do not want to be on it Vald!
Now the praise. Ed and Melissa managed to make Santa a really cool, smart, and kick-ass character. This characterization of him, kind of reminded me of the St. Nick is a fable issue of Fables. They took a well established concept -Father Christmas- and made it a fun and action filled story -Dracula being M.I.A. put aside. I liked the reindeer being curled up at Santa's feet, nice touch. first screen was a great lead in, a iconic shot, with a toymaker/Watchmen reference very well timed considering. I also wondered if this might be setting up a plot point that maybe Santa's not so good after all considering the source material. Watch those Easter egg tangents! ;) I really enjoyed the pace of the story their wasn't too many panels or too few per screen, but just right. [Yeah that's a line from the 3 bears, but it fits] I thought the art work done on the children (being naughty, or nice) was very impressive, Melissa has a easy to follow and very enjoyable style. Their are text boxes, but Ed doesn't over do it and they fit the story.
I liked the use of magical artifacts combined with modern day technology. Good beats (thanks for that Ed), to end a screen on, and move to the next screen. I love the silent bells, and I love their leader Nick Frosty, a three foot tall version of Nick Fury if their ever was one. Some reviewers are not such Frosty fans, but I really enjoyed the in joke. It enhanced the story for me with a little wink to the reader. I really enjoyed screen 4. We had of course great art, but also damn fine written dialogue between Nick (of the big gut), and Nick (of the eye-patch), with last panel foreshadowing -vampires don't show up on recording devices according to the latest White Wolf edition. On screen 6 I enjoyed Santa's silent night ring tone, and seeing the poor Easter Bunny in the last panel took away the light action whimsy feel to the story up to this point. Screen 7 really had me feeling sorry for the poor bunny. Melissa's art will melt your heart on this screen it is so expressive. The dialogue was perfect for this scene -go Ed!!! The last panel Godfather tribute with Santa's friends/employee's in the background, shows fantastic screen composition. [a side note Toykopop needs to get its corporate head out of it's corporate ass -a Sokora Refugees reference] I liked the last screen, but again where was that Dracula cameo shot?
Will St. Nick get impaled on a Christmas tree, Will the Count receive a gingerbread man shoved where the sun don't shine?
Well that's the reason you would vote for it, to find out the answers to those questions. The colors really fit the comic. Letters easy to read. The art and dialogue were really top notch. My searching for Dracula in context, this comic gets an easy 4/5 stars and a fav.
I have mostly high praise for this, but I did have a WTF moment reading this comic, so bad stuff first.
WTF moment/ Where was the Count, at his day job on Sesame Street???
If it says Dracula vs. Santa in the title, Dracula better damn well show up in the comic.
I know it's only 8 screens, not a lot of space to work with, but come ooooooonnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I got closer and closer to screen 8, I (not being my first rodeo as far as reading Zuda goes) figured Ed and Melissa were saving up the Dracula appearance for a 1 panel cameo on the very last screen. Kind of like how they did the most God forsaken character in comics (no it's not Rob Liefield -haters) Wolverine's first cameo appearance in Incredible Hulk. It would have been a high drama note to end on, and set things up well should it win. Instead we get some elves tossed in the air, and who knows it could have been Jack O'Lantern or the Bogey man doing that. I really expected him to show up, and it was a let down he didn't.
By the way who's side is the ghost of Christmas future on?
Considering you killed off the Easter Bunny Godfather 3 tribute style, I'm interested in what the balance in the tone of the comic will be: comedic moments vs. Rudolph getting field dressed by a werewolf?
It's not a naughty list it's a shit kicking list and you do not want to be on it Vald!
Now the praise. Ed and Melissa managed to make Santa a really cool, smart, and kick-ass character. This characterization of him, kind of reminded me of the St. Nick is a fable issue of Fables. They took a well established concept -Father Christmas- and made it a fun and action filled story -Dracula being M.I.A. put aside. I liked the reindeer being curled up at Santa's feet, nice touch. first screen was a great lead in, a iconic shot, with a toymaker/Watchmen reference very well timed considering. I also wondered if this might be setting up a plot point that maybe Santa's not so good after all considering the source material. Watch those Easter egg tangents! ;) I really enjoyed the pace of the story their wasn't too many panels or too few per screen, but just right. [Yeah that's a line from the 3 bears, but it fits] I thought the art work done on the children (being naughty, or nice) was very impressive, Melissa has a easy to follow and very enjoyable style. Their are text boxes, but Ed doesn't over do it and they fit the story.
I liked the use of magical artifacts combined with modern day technology. Good beats (thanks for that Ed), to end a screen on, and move to the next screen. I love the silent bells, and I love their leader Nick Frosty, a three foot tall version of Nick Fury if their ever was one. Some reviewers are not such Frosty fans, but I really enjoyed the in joke. It enhanced the story for me with a little wink to the reader. I really enjoyed screen 4. We had of course great art, but also damn fine written dialogue between Nick (of the big gut), and Nick (of the eye-patch), with last panel foreshadowing -vampires don't show up on recording devices according to the latest White Wolf edition. On screen 6 I enjoyed Santa's silent night ring tone, and seeing the poor Easter Bunny in the last panel took away the light action whimsy feel to the story up to this point. Screen 7 really had me feeling sorry for the poor bunny. Melissa's art will melt your heart on this screen it is so expressive. The dialogue was perfect for this scene -go Ed!!! The last panel Godfather tribute with Santa's friends/employee's in the background, shows fantastic screen composition. [a side note Toykopop needs to get its corporate head out of it's corporate ass -a Sokora Refugees reference] I liked the last screen, but again where was that Dracula cameo shot?
Will St. Nick get impaled on a Christmas tree, Will the Count receive a gingerbread man shoved where the sun don't shine?
Well that's the reason you would vote for it, to find out the answers to those questions. The colors really fit the comic. Letters easy to read. The art and dialogue were really top notch. My searching for Dracula in context, this comic gets an easy 4/5 stars and a fav.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Maintaining Bohemia Zuda review/ demonstrate absurdity by being absurd
Maintaining Bohemia is another comic this month done by Harold Sipe, and Buster Moody (Buster being one of Patrick Morgan's of Bayou fame's alternate personalities), on Zuda. Speaking as someone who used to go by a number of different aliases, it just makes things more confusing than need be. Unless of course your planing to rob a bank or something, or pulling a Ed Mcbain ...
Here is the synopsis: Who keeps order in the land of total indulgence? Who cleans up after performance pieces that involve dead fish and stagnant water? Who keeps a conceptual art school tethered to Earth and functioning on a day-to-day basis? The janitorial and security staff of the New Academy of Art and Design are all that stand between clean, well-maintained hallways and pseudo-intellectual chaos. Maintaining Bohemia follows the support staff of NAAD (New Academy of Art and Design) as they navigate a campus filled with immature and uninformed examples of conceptual art from students more concerned with thrift store t-shirts and hair care products than any higher pursuits. The staff provides an outsider’s view to the workings of the modern art school. A man-on-the-street’s view of lame and fake crucifixions, slightly pornographic videos of puppet suicide, and the same footage of animal slaughterhouses that show up in sophomore performance class year after year.
memories
This comic I think has reminded all of us of our Art school/ Art class memories which I'm now going to wander into: I went to a community adjunct satellite school for a pretty well respected university in my state. I took a number of art classes, cause I like art. One piece we had to do was a mixed media/ collage and my options were limited. I had my art boards, political magazines, old comic book price guides, some cheap metal, and a baker's dozen of glow in the dark skeleton Halloween novelties. So I put something together I had a cutout of the Punisher holding a gun in his hands, and to his left various political leaders. Not to mention pictures of tanks, planes etc; -this is after 2001. I used the metal to link the various boards together, and tied the skeletons to them hanged man style. Believe it, or not it actually turned out quite well, until it came time to display it. I wanted to do the best I could with what I had, and make it look as cool as possible. The other students at the school soon divided up into two camps. You had the folks who thought it made an anti-fascist statement against TPTB. The other camp thought it had a pro-security counter terrorist message. This would have been fine, except you had some students who thought if it was pro-fascist it should be taken down, and some thought if it was anti-American it should be taken down. My reaction: WTF??? -it's just art class. The administration of the school was so worried about the images I used and what could be implied from them (the revolution starts here in art class -I guess was the fear), they even had a nice long talk with my teacher. Who being a fine teacher assured them I was not some gun toting radical with idle hands. After this I decided to say the hell with it. You want something to piss your panties about, you'll get it.
Serial Killer Bedroom
Whatever you may think of Rush Limbaugh he has a damn accurate quote: "you demonstrate absurdity by being absurd". So I went to work on my next piece, which as you may imagine involved a lot of red paint. We did a diorama(sp?) of a room. So I got a lot of little doll furniture to look like a bedroom. My little sister gave me one of her seldom used dolls, and I went about ripping it's arms, legs, and head off. Bless it's heart it never had a chance. I painted the room all white. I then glued pieces of the doll all over the place. i think I put the head under the bed, but I can't remember for sure. I poured red paint all down the walls, and all over the floor, and doll furniture. I ripped out a lo of the dolls hair and had it matted with red paint stuck to the walls. It did look gruesome as hell I have to say. Then I stopped working on it, and left it out where every student could see it for the next week, until I was back in class to finish it. My teacher told me everyone was talking about it, and the general consensus was I needed to be dragged off to a padded room.
It was all a set up. I finished the piece by posting these words on it:
Just because this is gruesome, bloody, and ultra-violent!!! Doesn't make it a declaration of future intent.
It's me doing a parody of me.
Hitler painted roses, and we all know how that turned out now don't we?
I actually had a fellow student come up to me and tell me before she read that she thought I was a psycho, but after that she thought I was a really cool guy.
Ahhhhh.....
Maintaining Bohemia reminded me of those grand moments, so thanks again for that.
The review I bet you thought I forgot about.
I had the same reaction to some of my fellow students earnest nonsense as the staff of the school. I really enjoyed the way the script took the piss out of art class. What i didn't like was the impossible to read letters in small screen mode. That's my only real compliant though. For some reason the ink work reminds me of some of Robert Crumb's stuff. The puppet/muppet with family/masturbatory issues was funny as hell. I really liked the way you set it up with the T.V. panels. The hand manipulating the Elmo look-a-like (colored red instead of brown might have gotten you a lawsuit), visible throughout was a nice touch. On top of everything else poor production values. Ending with the 'blood' thrown on the camera, in spite of Omle riding the lighting was even funnier. The story is very well written, and the art really does have that underground comix feel to it. Screen 4 panel 6 It looked like Joker laughing gas mixed with melting glass skin, to give him that facial expression. The flashback to the teacher being just as lame in panel 5, was a nice bit of cultural insight. I liked one of the staff used to be a student, and the way he talked was such a tip off. You could also say look at him now. I love the character of Reg, great written dialogue. I loved panel 5 on screen 6. This comic has some of the smartest written dialogue on Zuda, screen 6 is a real stand out. I liked the power tools joke, and also the serious/humorous element of the psyche meds. I really enjoyed the way you introduce all of the main characters and do such a good job on their characterization in only 8 screens. I enjoyed the pace Harold and Buster established for the comic, it really fit Zuda well. I loved the layout of screen 8. The effect panel 2 had on the rest of the page, with Reg looking up at a 'fish' in the last panel, very impressive work from these two creators. Their is even a little cubism thing going on with the character art work. The colors were damn well done, no real surprise there. One of the best written synopsis's ever.
4/5 stars and a fav. Great work from these two creators, an amazing read.
Here is the synopsis: Who keeps order in the land of total indulgence? Who cleans up after performance pieces that involve dead fish and stagnant water? Who keeps a conceptual art school tethered to Earth and functioning on a day-to-day basis? The janitorial and security staff of the New Academy of Art and Design are all that stand between clean, well-maintained hallways and pseudo-intellectual chaos. Maintaining Bohemia follows the support staff of NAAD (New Academy of Art and Design) as they navigate a campus filled with immature and uninformed examples of conceptual art from students more concerned with thrift store t-shirts and hair care products than any higher pursuits. The staff provides an outsider’s view to the workings of the modern art school. A man-on-the-street’s view of lame and fake crucifixions, slightly pornographic videos of puppet suicide, and the same footage of animal slaughterhouses that show up in sophomore performance class year after year.
memories
This comic I think has reminded all of us of our Art school/ Art class memories which I'm now going to wander into: I went to a community adjunct satellite school for a pretty well respected university in my state. I took a number of art classes, cause I like art. One piece we had to do was a mixed media/ collage and my options were limited. I had my art boards, political magazines, old comic book price guides, some cheap metal, and a baker's dozen of glow in the dark skeleton Halloween novelties. So I put something together I had a cutout of the Punisher holding a gun in his hands, and to his left various political leaders. Not to mention pictures of tanks, planes etc; -this is after 2001. I used the metal to link the various boards together, and tied the skeletons to them hanged man style. Believe it, or not it actually turned out quite well, until it came time to display it. I wanted to do the best I could with what I had, and make it look as cool as possible. The other students at the school soon divided up into two camps. You had the folks who thought it made an anti-fascist statement against TPTB. The other camp thought it had a pro-security counter terrorist message. This would have been fine, except you had some students who thought if it was pro-fascist it should be taken down, and some thought if it was anti-American it should be taken down. My reaction: WTF??? -it's just art class. The administration of the school was so worried about the images I used and what could be implied from them (the revolution starts here in art class -I guess was the fear), they even had a nice long talk with my teacher. Who being a fine teacher assured them I was not some gun toting radical with idle hands. After this I decided to say the hell with it. You want something to piss your panties about, you'll get it.
Serial Killer Bedroom
Whatever you may think of Rush Limbaugh he has a damn accurate quote: "you demonstrate absurdity by being absurd". So I went to work on my next piece, which as you may imagine involved a lot of red paint. We did a diorama(sp?) of a room. So I got a lot of little doll furniture to look like a bedroom. My little sister gave me one of her seldom used dolls, and I went about ripping it's arms, legs, and head off. Bless it's heart it never had a chance. I painted the room all white. I then glued pieces of the doll all over the place. i think I put the head under the bed, but I can't remember for sure. I poured red paint all down the walls, and all over the floor, and doll furniture. I ripped out a lo of the dolls hair and had it matted with red paint stuck to the walls. It did look gruesome as hell I have to say. Then I stopped working on it, and left it out where every student could see it for the next week, until I was back in class to finish it. My teacher told me everyone was talking about it, and the general consensus was I needed to be dragged off to a padded room.
It was all a set up. I finished the piece by posting these words on it:
Just because this is gruesome, bloody, and ultra-violent!!! Doesn't make it a declaration of future intent.
It's me doing a parody of me.
Hitler painted roses, and we all know how that turned out now don't we?
I actually had a fellow student come up to me and tell me before she read that she thought I was a psycho, but after that she thought I was a really cool guy.
Ahhhhh.....
Maintaining Bohemia reminded me of those grand moments, so thanks again for that.
The review I bet you thought I forgot about.
I had the same reaction to some of my fellow students earnest nonsense as the staff of the school. I really enjoyed the way the script took the piss out of art class. What i didn't like was the impossible to read letters in small screen mode. That's my only real compliant though. For some reason the ink work reminds me of some of Robert Crumb's stuff. The puppet/muppet with family/masturbatory issues was funny as hell. I really liked the way you set it up with the T.V. panels. The hand manipulating the Elmo look-a-like (colored red instead of brown might have gotten you a lawsuit), visible throughout was a nice touch. On top of everything else poor production values. Ending with the 'blood' thrown on the camera, in spite of Omle riding the lighting was even funnier. The story is very well written, and the art really does have that underground comix feel to it. Screen 4 panel 6 It looked like Joker laughing gas mixed with melting glass skin, to give him that facial expression. The flashback to the teacher being just as lame in panel 5, was a nice bit of cultural insight. I liked one of the staff used to be a student, and the way he talked was such a tip off. You could also say look at him now. I love the character of Reg, great written dialogue. I loved panel 5 on screen 6. This comic has some of the smartest written dialogue on Zuda, screen 6 is a real stand out. I liked the power tools joke, and also the serious/humorous element of the psyche meds. I really enjoyed the way you introduce all of the main characters and do such a good job on their characterization in only 8 screens. I enjoyed the pace Harold and Buster established for the comic, it really fit Zuda well. I loved the layout of screen 8. The effect panel 2 had on the rest of the page, with Reg looking up at a 'fish' in the last panel, very impressive work from these two creators. Their is even a little cubism thing going on with the character art work. The colors were damn well done, no real surprise there. One of the best written synopsis's ever.
4/5 stars and a fav. Great work from these two creators, an amazing read.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Dave Sim Ousider Artist/ What have Wikipedia wrought?
I do not think Dave Sim is a misogynist.
I read Cerebus by Dave Sim. How big a fan am I of that comic??? I am currently buying my way into having a complete (16 volumes) Cerebus Library.
In this economy.
Yeah I know call me crazy too.
I don't think they're gender wide conspiracies by mind reading women to take my and every other guy's God giving testicular fortitude away from us. If you've been burned more than twice by the opposite sex in a major way, I do understand being jaded and cynical as can be. The fact of the matter is a certain percentage of the human population is just born sorry as hell, and this crosses gender lines. If you've got hooked up (pun intended) with more than your fair share of lying bastards, or lying bitches -as the case may be, you have my sympathy. Turning a individual asshole (or three) into a universally representative stereotype isn't fair or right. Bitching, ranting, raving about it, or working your feelings into a story your writing is understandable. If the story in question happens to be a damn fine read, you can get some entertainment out of it, if not catharsis.
That's my view on the sexist issue in general, which leads into the religious issue when your taking about Sim's various comments.
Which also leads into a discussion of political views, one things just leads into another and then another... Do the never ending tangents (links) remind you of Wikipedia??? it's what got me started on this as a matter of fact.
Dave Sim's religious views are not anyone's traditional doctrine. That being said in the last volume of Cerebus Sim wrote this about a religious parody in the comic: "Only God knows who has sufficient faith and who hasn't and it could be that all, some, or most of the adherents of that church run rings around me in the faith department. We'll find out on Judgment Day." [The Last Day, page 255] I agree with Sim's view on this, no if, and, or but qualifiers needed. You believe what you believe, by the time you find out for sure it would be a moot point to say I told you so -if you could.
Now let's talk about Fletcher Hanks
I've read and enjoyed some of Fletcher Hanks stories collected in 'I shall destroy all the civilized planets' and a new collection coming out later on. Their is something impressive about the singular vision of a single creator. [Dave Sim had great help from Gerhard, but it was Dave's vision that got everything started.] Hanks had his own voice in stories he wanted to tell that is just as unique as Dave Sim. Unique being a code word for 'this shit is crazy' -but used in a complementary way.
I understand just because a creator puts a negative element in a story it doesn't mean the writer shares those views. If I enjoy a story well enough the personal history/views of the creator won't make me not read on, page after page. I wouldn't go as far as Norman Mailer did though.
The limits of reason, and having the good sense God gave a piss-ant is not a bad thing.
According to Fletcher Hanks Jr. he and his mother were abused brutally by his father. Others have already asked the question, but it bares repeating: "What would happen to Fletcher Hanks in a Fletcher Hanks story?" Could some of the quarters that give Sim hell, be giving Hanks more of a Pass? Ask yourself what's worst: a sexist pig who traces (the hater's view of Sim), or a rat bastard who abused his family? (my view of Hanks)
If your answer to that question was sexist pig who traces, you deserve to be dragged out into the street and shot BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Sin City style.
Everyone has opinions your not going to like, not everyone beats up their wife and children.
I still enjoy Hanks comics work, but it's in a the man was a S.O.B. perspective.
Outsider Artist
According to Wikipedia an outsider artist is/does:
art created outside the boundaries of official culture, think insane asylum inmates
self-taught or Naïve art makers
a successful art marketing category
That last one bears repeating don't you think:
a successful art marketing category
Reading about Hanks lead me to Wikipedia which led me to 'outsider art' which led me all over the place...
Labeling someone with the term outsider makes it okay to go fanboy with no grand questions given to if I like the work do I endorse by proxy the creators views/actions/ or treatment.
A writer could punch babies for kicks *ahem ;)*, just because you like their work doesn't mean you endorse that kind of behavior. You can and I do separate a creators work from their personal life. In some blog posts I've read people tie their conscience into knots , to get out of moral loop-holes, that don't even really exist.
Or to go all Matrix on your ass: Their is no spoon.
An outsider artist is self taught-
Dave Sim check.
An outsider artist has a idiosyncratic viewpoint in the extreme-
Dave Sim double check.
An outsider artist usually has a history of mental problems-
Dave Sim triple check.
An outsider artist also happens to be the toast of the town with certain critics.
If Dave Sim had wrapped himself in the cloak of Outsider Artist; instead of just an outsider, he could have had a ton of support, instead of just a ton of bad press.
I read Cerebus by Dave Sim. How big a fan am I of that comic??? I am currently buying my way into having a complete (16 volumes) Cerebus Library.
In this economy.
Yeah I know call me crazy too.
I don't think they're gender wide conspiracies by mind reading women to take my and every other guy's God giving testicular fortitude away from us. If you've been burned more than twice by the opposite sex in a major way, I do understand being jaded and cynical as can be. The fact of the matter is a certain percentage of the human population is just born sorry as hell, and this crosses gender lines. If you've got hooked up (pun intended) with more than your fair share of lying bastards, or lying bitches -as the case may be, you have my sympathy. Turning a individual asshole (or three) into a universally representative stereotype isn't fair or right. Bitching, ranting, raving about it, or working your feelings into a story your writing is understandable. If the story in question happens to be a damn fine read, you can get some entertainment out of it, if not catharsis.
That's my view on the sexist issue in general, which leads into the religious issue when your taking about Sim's various comments.
Which also leads into a discussion of political views, one things just leads into another and then another... Do the never ending tangents (links) remind you of Wikipedia??? it's what got me started on this as a matter of fact.
Dave Sim's religious views are not anyone's traditional doctrine. That being said in the last volume of Cerebus Sim wrote this about a religious parody in the comic: "Only God knows who has sufficient faith and who hasn't and it could be that all, some, or most of the adherents of that church run rings around me in the faith department. We'll find out on Judgment Day." [The Last Day, page 255] I agree with Sim's view on this, no if, and, or but qualifiers needed. You believe what you believe, by the time you find out for sure it would be a moot point to say I told you so -if you could.
Now let's talk about Fletcher Hanks
I've read and enjoyed some of Fletcher Hanks stories collected in 'I shall destroy all the civilized planets' and a new collection coming out later on. Their is something impressive about the singular vision of a single creator. [Dave Sim had great help from Gerhard, but it was Dave's vision that got everything started.] Hanks had his own voice in stories he wanted to tell that is just as unique as Dave Sim. Unique being a code word for 'this shit is crazy' -but used in a complementary way.
I understand just because a creator puts a negative element in a story it doesn't mean the writer shares those views. If I enjoy a story well enough the personal history/views of the creator won't make me not read on, page after page. I wouldn't go as far as Norman Mailer did though.
The limits of reason, and having the good sense God gave a piss-ant is not a bad thing.
According to Fletcher Hanks Jr. he and his mother were abused brutally by his father. Others have already asked the question, but it bares repeating: "What would happen to Fletcher Hanks in a Fletcher Hanks story?" Could some of the quarters that give Sim hell, be giving Hanks more of a Pass? Ask yourself what's worst: a sexist pig who traces (the hater's view of Sim), or a rat bastard who abused his family? (my view of Hanks)
If your answer to that question was sexist pig who traces, you deserve to be dragged out into the street and shot BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Sin City style.
Everyone has opinions your not going to like, not everyone beats up their wife and children.
I still enjoy Hanks comics work, but it's in a the man was a S.O.B. perspective.
Outsider Artist
According to Wikipedia an outsider artist is/does:
art created outside the boundaries of official culture, think insane asylum inmates
self-taught or Naïve art makers
a successful art marketing category
That last one bears repeating don't you think:
a successful art marketing category
Reading about Hanks lead me to Wikipedia which led me to 'outsider art' which led me all over the place...
Labeling someone with the term outsider makes it okay to go fanboy with no grand questions given to if I like the work do I endorse by proxy the creators views/actions/ or treatment.
A writer could punch babies for kicks *ahem ;)*, just because you like their work doesn't mean you endorse that kind of behavior. You can and I do separate a creators work from their personal life. In some blog posts I've read people tie their conscience into knots , to get out of moral loop-holes, that don't even really exist.
Or to go all Matrix on your ass: Their is no spoon.
An outsider artist is self taught-
Dave Sim check.
An outsider artist has a idiosyncratic viewpoint in the extreme-
Dave Sim double check.
An outsider artist usually has a history of mental problems-
Dave Sim triple check.
An outsider artist also happens to be the toast of the town with certain critics.
If Dave Sim had wrapped himself in the cloak of Outsider Artist; instead of just an outsider, he could have had a ton of support, instead of just a ton of bad press.
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