Potlatch: Comics to Benefit the SPA

I bought this book years ago. Like way before the pandemic years ago. It has to have been sometime between 2015 and 2019 when my wife and I were visiting Asheville NC annually because I remember the store where I got this book. It was an independent art store that sold work by local artists. Obviously, somebody who worked on this project was from the mountains of North Carolina.

Potlatch, which derives it's name from a Native American feast where gifts and large amounts of food are shared amongst different tribes, is an anthology title. The term is also where we get the word 'potluck', which more accurately describes this book as you have no idea what you're gonna get. Past volumes have benefited comic book publishing charities such as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Sales for this edition from 2004 provides proceeds to be Small Press Association.

As with just about any anthology, it's really hard to rate it on quality as the skill levels of the talent ranges from 'why isn't this guy working for Marvel?' to 'when did this guy realize that becoming a professional comic book artist just wasn't in the cards?' A lot of what I read was forgettable. There were a few photocopied mini comics included in my copy. The one about a pair of villains who go on a talk show to explain how hard it is to be the baddie was the most memorable thing in the book. There was also Drake Maxwell, Private Eye. It was about a gumshoe who had to solve an alien abduction. Only the item missing is the alien's spaceship that has been stolen during a recent jaunt to the third rock from the Sun! I also received a couple of stickers of Japanese looking creatures that I think might make a fun prize for a friend of mine, that looked really nice. 

If I paid more than $5 dollars, I was probably gypped. Though it was for charity. So maybe I can be okay with having paid $10. But that's about it. Despite owning it for nearly a decade, this one is going to the used book store, hopefully for some trade credit. My luck, they won't take it because of how independent and unknown it is. But if they'll just take it off my hands, I'd be willing to take as little as 25 cents in trade to get this stinker off my hands.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

GCD, Volume 1: God Save The King

This 2012 indy comic collection by 215 ink was an interesting look at the garage rock scene. When the so-called King of Rock n' Roll is killed, his record label holds a contest to crown his successor. To become the next in rock royalty, musicians must compete in regional qualifiers first.

It's young Dylan's goal to get to the nearest arena for his chance. Along the way, he meets a fellow free spirit named Flip. However, that's not going to be easy as Dylan has pissed off some bad dudes and they've made it their mission to become the next in line for the rock crown!

I really enjoyed this book by Adam Wilson. Very well written, quite creative, and essentially captivating, I wanted to know what happens next. Unfortunately, I don't think I ever will. I've done several Google searches on how to find the next volume and I can't find anything. Typing 'GCD' takes me to a comic book grading site and with '215 ink' I keep getting links for ink cartridges. 

Even the cool scanning stamp included in the book that allows you to listen to a suggested soundtrack on Spotify no longer works.

Will Dylan and Flip make it past round 1? Who will become the next King of Rock n' Roll? Will I ever find volume 2? These are all questions that may remain forever unanswered. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Fun Adventure Comics #4

A Vintage Start

Fun Adventure Comics is an anthology series by Indy publisher Will Lill. Each month, the series features 3-different stories of fun and adventure set in different locales and genres. Ranging from mystery to fantasy, sci-fi and everything in between, there’s one central theme to these stories: the Golden Age of Comics.

The book starts out with a vintage ad for a free stamps of the world map. I remember this ad from some of my dad’s old Superman’s I use to read as a kid. With the map, you also got an assortment of stamps from countries as far away as Djibouti. The hope was that you’d be so impressed with your mix of stamps that you’d order more from the company in the future. There’s even more cool retro ads throughout the book!

These Guys Look Familiar

After being taken back to my childhood, I dug into the stories. The first story stars a trio of female heroes called the Girl Commandos. You have a Blue Beetle-like character known as Beetle Girl. Flame Girl can use fire as a weapon. Miss Fury gets her rage powers from the panther-skin suit she wears. This is a kind of origin story detailing how the group met. When a zombie attacks a museum that the 3 heroes are separate visiting in their secret personas, they answer the call to save the day.

I would actually like to see more of the Girl Commandos. The artwork by Luis Rivera had an old-school Joe Staton adventurous 50s feel to it. Though the heroes Beetle Girl and Miss Fury are clearly based on existing characters from the Big Two publishers, the Girl Commandos, written by John Michael Helmer were not clones of their inspirations.

Noir and Pulp Fiction

One such story that did not escape such a fate was that of the Black Rose. This character, created by Lloyd Smith, is 100% Black Canary from her black wig down to her fishnets and stiletto boots. However, it’s more of a love letter to the JSA member than a knockoff crime noir. A pet store owner by day, the Black Rose helps her detective boyfriend solve a case involving mobsters, a murdered heiress, and a topaz crown. I really liked the 1940s style art by David Vance and his lettering evoked that definitive EC Comics style.

The last story involves the barbarian character of Kragor. An unrepentant thief, Kragor develops a conscience when he raids a cursed tomb. The black and white artwork of JT Durpras didn’t quite match up to that of the other two stories. The inking just seemed a little 2-dimensional and excessive use of indigo ink made it a little hard to follow the action. But I was very captivated by this story also by Lloyd Smith. It was like reading a lost adventure of Robert Howard’s beloved Conan.

The Verdict

I enjoyed Fun Adventure Comics #4. It was a blend of nostalgia, action, and above all- fun! The publisher, Will Lill, is currently working on their website so you can order directly. Until then, this issue along with other back issues can be ordered on Comixology, Drivethru Comics, the Kindle Store, and Indy Planet. If you are going to be in Oregon in September, you can meet the Will Lill gang Will at the Rose City Comic Con. It seems there’s lots of ways to discover this Indy publisher that truly seems to love the comic books yesteryear.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Review originally Published July 4, 2017 on outrightgeekery.com

The Last Hunt #1 (of 4)

 Anything But Routine

    Centuries in the future, radiation has rendered the earth a barren wasteland. As a result, the human race has begun colonization of the milky way galaxy. The transportation of supplies by use of massive cargo ships is vital to ensuring the success of these colonies. But a direct path isn’t always the most feasible. Thus the earth is now used as a sort of hub for one ship to drop off supplies as an another is used to retrieve the goods.

     That’s the mission for the cargo freighter Ragzon: a relatively routine pick-up from mother earth and then it’s back to colony base. However, when the Ragzon crash lands during a radiation storm, the mission becomes anything but routine. It will be several days before repairs can be made. Thankfully, the ship is stocked with plenty of water, food, and air. It even has some protection from the outside radiation. What the crew doesn’t have is a prayer against an ancient evil that has come into the Ragzon’s cargo hold.

The Chills Take Time

     The Last Hunt, written by Hannu Kesola and Ken Janssens, is a 4-issue miniseries by independent publisher, Amigo Comics. It’s a sci-fi thriller that doesn’t quite start off as a typical story about the future. With quite a number of F-bombs and nostalgic sexual innuendo, I first thought I was reading a Tarantino-style script. There’s one character that just can’t keep his manhood in his spacesuit and he’s quite frank about it. I also thought that I might be reading a cosmic soap opera version of Melrose Place. It’s a story that does it’s best to show what colonial space life would really be like. If the first dozen pages are true, then sex and boredom are the two biggest attractions to interplanetary travel. 

The Last Hunt starts off very slow like John Carpenter’s Dark Star. Yet at the halfway mark, the Last Hunt morphs into a hybrid of Alien and Event Horizon. Once the crew of the Ragzon learn that the earth might not be abandoned after all, the tone of the book changed from insipid oversexed drama to a bone-chilling shocker.

A lived-In Universe

     Though I had some initial misgivings with this first issue, I was in love with the artwork from the first panel. Artist Paul Moore’s futuristic universe is a lot like that of the Star Wars universe in that it’s been lived in. The cargo ship Ragzon is dirty, cluttered, and dank. Earth is an eerie tomb shrouded in swirling radioactive sand storms and crumbling apart due to centuries of neglect. Colorist Beth Varni’s use of moldy greens and browns add to the creepiness of this horror series. The way Moore and Varni reveal the source of the evil on the Ragzon on the very last page, I was hooked. I must know what happens next.

    I really would love to talk more about this book. But I am afraid that if I go much further, I will spoil the major twist in this issue’s cliffhanger. What I will say is that the ending is one that will make you exclaim ‘How did I miss that?’ Then you’ll do like I did and go back and read the Last Hunt again. Hopefully, you’ll be able to capture all the clues behind the sinister forces lurking in The Last Hunt.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

This review was originally published June 26, 2017 onoutrightgeekery.com

Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened

   A really cool anthology concept: you take some of the hottest indy talents around, give them an old-timey postcard, and have them craft a story based on the piece of mail. Editor and writer 

Jason Rodriguez is an amateur deltiologist (he collects postcards.) Taking from his personal collection, he assigned some of his peers to create stories that might be true but aren't necessarily. 
  
  Some of the stories are based solely on the image on the front of the postcard. Some epics involved only the shorts messages scribed on the back and a couple is a combination of both front image locale and on-the-back greeting. 

    Accepting Rodrigeuz's challenge include Michael Gaydos, Stuart Moore, Phillip Hester, and underground comix legend, Harvey Pekar. There's a real mix of themes and emotions in these stories. Some are quite beautiful while others are downright tragic. There's high drama in just about every tale. Yet, I don't recall laughing once, as none of these not-so-true stories are what you would consider comedies. Even the Pekar story which is based on how he meet his wife via postcard correspondence is twinged with sadness. And to my chagrin, more than one story ends with that blasted pet peeve of mine- the open-ended ending!

   If you are looking for a smile, you won't find them in this book. Yet, despite the sadness that colors every story, there's something that just made me keep turning the page wanting to know what happens next. With some explicit language and adult themes, this is not a book for kids. But this is duly worth a read if you can find this 2007 collection published by Villard.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Picture Taker (One-Shot)

I got this one shot Indy a while back from a grab bag. It's not something that was on my radar but the art looked very similar to that of Paul Dini’s Jingle Belle and anything Kyle Baker. So I held on to it.

About a week ago, I came across this book looking for something else to read and decided now was the time to check it out. So was it worth the wait? Or would I have been better off if I had just forgotten it existed?

  The premise is that of a young scientist who returns to his hometown to bail a former test subject out of the drunk tank. The prisoner in question is the title character, who has the psychic ability to take pictures of things in his mind. His ability is real but he's been disgraced having used fakery because his alcoholism interferes with his powers.

  This 1998 work by Phil Hester and Mike Worley was drawn in a classic cartoon style from the 70s or 80s makes the reader feel like this is an innocent little tale. But with adult language, adult themes, and plenty of angst, this comic is anything but. It actually reminds me a little of the 90s cult classic film, Grosse Pointe Blank, what with its theme of 'you can't go home again- well actually you can but it's just not the same anymore.' (Okay- that's not a real theme, but that's this book's premise boiled down and placed in a nutshell.)

I did enjoy the Picture Taker, but I really hated the ambiguous ending. Not having a story end with a definite ending is a major pet peeve of mine. It’s like buying a book that has a ‘To Be Continued’ at the end and you don’t have volume 2 on hand!

  But despite the open ending, this was a good read Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars.

  

Heroes of Sinclair

 

This collection of indy comics is perhaps the most obscure piece in my collection. I came across this book at one of my favorite places to stop when I visit Asheville, NC- Zapow Gallery. At Zapow, up and coming artists that specialize in pop culture, comics, and sequential art are given a chance to shine. It's like an art gallery for geeks and nerds! I love that place and I love this book!

    Heroes of Sinclair is written and illustrated by North Carolina native Gregory Dickens. A self-proclaimed lifelong scribbler, Dickens has currentl released 6 comics under the indy imprint Robot Wonderboy. But these aren't comics you can buy just anywhere. You either have to go to Asheville's epic comic shop Comic Envy, my beloved Zapow, or catch Gregory in person at cons in Western North Carolina or South Carolina. (You can also check out his online shop at his website!)

   So just what is Heroes of Sinclair? 

     Well, Sinclair is a fictional American town that isn't quite as big as your LA or New York City, but still has a need for superhero protection. Enter Spire, a sort of 911 operated by heroes. Their newest recruits are Focus, a hero with super strength and the ability to go intangible and Emma, an android Mixed Martial Arts champ who sees each foe as a challenge for her title belt. Then there's the non-super powered hero Sue Tonium, a former employee of Spire who becomes a roller derby star and a legend in her own right. Also assisting Spire are the members of the Jr. Spire program such as Armory, a young lad with a magical prosthetic arm and Parkour, a lad with boundless energy.

   It took a couple of chapters for this book to really connect with me. But once it did, things certainly got rolling. The art is a little rough and in black and white. But it's the Dickens' creativity that makes this such a fun read. Along with the unique swath of heroes and characters, Dickens wrote some compelling stuff. His origins of both Emma and Sue are worth the cover price alone. 

   This book carries a publication date of 2014. To my chagrin, it doesn't appear that any new Sinclair books have been issued unless I missed something on Dickens' webpage. This book ends with a tagline of 'To Be Continued' and that normally would tick me off. But the story that boasts this promise has a satisfying ending- only I didn't want this book to end! 

    Hopefully, Gregory Dickens has some new works coming out soon. But I'm not holding my breath on that hope! I understand that self-publishing isn't cheap. But maybe my word-of-mouth will inspire you, my dear readers, to give this book a shot! And then some new Sinclair stories will see the light of day...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

I Want You... To Submit Your Comics for My Blog!

Folks, as you know I love to read and review comics books. Over the years I've read DC, Marvel, Image, Archie, Gemstone, Disney, Dark Horse, IDW, Vertigo, and many more. But the one thing I have trouble getting my hands on are independent comics. I get lucky when I go to a comics show and I find a few Indy or self-published gems at Artist Alley. Every once in a while I'll manage a few older books if I can find them in bargain bins or grab bags.

So, here's where you come in. If you are the publisher, creator, artists, or collaborator of an Indy comic and you're looking for some expose- send 'em my way. I want Madman with a Book to really become a site where folks get some great reviews and advice on how to start collecting and reading comics. To go to the next level, I need some Indies to read and review.

If you've got a book you're interested in being reviewed for this blog you can do one of two things:

Email me at fireandrice3@gmail.com

Or Mail me at:

             Tony Dillard
C/o Madman with a Book
 PO Box 175

Hillsborough NC 27278

I prefer print over digital. I'm very old school. But if you'd feel better letting me know a book is on my way so I'll look out for it, by all means email me.

Also, if you have any images you'd like me to share on my review of your work, please email me at the above address. This is a family blog, so please no nudity and easy on swears.

Thanks, enjoy, and let’s get those submissions coming!

Space Ark #1

 I’m not even sure where I got this issue from. It’s not really something up my alley. It’s a insipid funny animal’s book that parodies everything from Star Trek to Gilligan’s Island. The jokes are so old, they’ve got dust on them and I could literally hear groans when I read them. Yes, I am sure, they’re went mine!

About the only thing going for it is the art. It’s very clean and expressive. The creators of this series Ken Mitchroney and Mark Cantrell cite Bob Clampett of Beanie and Cecil fame as their inspiration but there is quite a bit of Don Bluth (All Dogs Go to Heaven and An American Tail) in this as well. That’s also the only reason I’m going to keep this.

The art would lead you to believe that this is an all-ages book. However, there is quite a bit of sexual innuendo, especially regarding the Space Ark’s sole female crewmember. Plus with references to gambling, smoking, drinking, and wild partying, I’m going to say this is for ages 12 and older. There isn’t any swears or graphic sex (and yes funny animal comics do have sex in them sometimes See: Fritz the Cat) so it’s not like it a youngster does read this that they’re going to turn into raving lunatics.

Besides, this is an Indy comic from 1985 and as far as I know, this is the only such issue I’ve ever come across.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Bizarro Comics

  This is actually like 54 comics in one. The best and brightest Indy artists and writers team-up to provide the most absurd, strange, hilarious, and of course bizarre assemblage of comics to star the heroes of the DC Universe. The book starts off in the 5^th Dimension with Mr. Mxyzptlk being awarded the role of President. But it’s all a ruse as an inter-dimensional being named ‘A’ has arrived to conquer the realm. Mxy is allowed to choose a champion in his stead since he kinda cheated during a game of checkers. Hoping to pick Superman, the imp accidently selects Bizarro.

   Seeing that Bizarro really isn’t up to snuff, ‘A’ allows Mr. Mxyzptlk to train Bizarro for one hour on the whole being a superhero thing. Sadly, this idea blows up in everyone’s faces as Bizarro spends his time drawing story after story of ‘Bizarro Comics.’

   Then for about 200 pages, we get a mix of artists and writers who aren’t known for doing anything ‘superhero’ as well. Some of these tales are very clever and witty. Some are not. The best tales involve bath time with Aquaman, a return to Bizarro World, and a too short story starring the Challengers of the Unknown. The worst tales involve Wonder Woman at the mall and a Batman story by Tony Millionaire and Paul Pope that should’ve blow away the other stories with the level of talent behind the adventure.

The book ends with a conclusion to the 5^th Dimension story that opened this whole comedic can of worms. A bunch of super-hero guest stars and a best out of 7 tournament of games that seemed like a Tex Avery Looney Tunes adventure finishes the book with satisfaction and a wonderment- “Is there a sequel?”

The only thing that I am really unsure of about this book is how to classify it? Is it a Superman book? Is it just a DC Universe graphic novel? How about an Elseworld? It has the controversial ‘Superman’s baby sitter’ story in which baby Clark Kent is put in a microwave and nuked. So, which is it?

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.