Zoobazowa! New SDF

Holy crap I feel out of it this morning. Like, I shouldn't have bothered to get out of bed because I feel like I don't have the mental acumen to tie me shoes, out of it. Anyway, we've got Page 15 of SDF up for viewing at http://www.torcpress.com/sdf15.html. This is the second to last page of Issue 1. Once the issue wraps up next Monday, we'll be taking a brief break from SDF (which is not to say that there will not be other webcomic shenanigans) so that we can get the print edition ready to go before SPACE. So there's that.

SDF Page 14 now available

"Jumpin' Jimminy!"

Ah, new SDF. And a new Monster. Life is good. Anyway, you can check out the latest madness at http://www.torcpress.com/sdf14.html. It's lovely.

Other than that, it's Monday morning and my brain is mush.

A Crap Ton of Comic Book Reviews

I buy comics. I read comics. Let's review comics.

"Hell Yeah: The Last Generation of Heroes" #1: Joe Keatinge and Andre Szymanowicz- Bought this one on a whim, and it's another book that I can see lots of people that aren't me really enjoying. There's some neat concepts, most notably where Superheroes just show up one day, and society changes as a result. Still, there's not a lot here to really sink my teeth into, especially since the "hero" is a petulant jerk who has no idea why he's running around being a petulant jerk. Again, I think lots of people will dig this. Me, not so much.

"Resurrection Man" #7: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Fernando Dagnino- Resurrection Man has to deal with a tenement fire and a drug war at the same time, all while trying to figure out the secrets of his past. This is a nice series, and has been a big surprise for me, but now that the supernatural elements seen to be lost in the shuffle, I find myself losing interest rapidly. I'm already buying too many books as it, so I'm out on this one. Sorry.

"Batman" #7: Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo- Once again, Greg Capullo manages to be a (gasp!) MONTHLY Comic Book Artist. Kudos to Capullo on being possibly the only New 52 Artist to do 7 straight issues. Other than that, you've really got two choices when it comes to Batman, you either are enjoying the "Court of Owls" arc, or you think it's stupid and hate. Personally, I think Snyder's story is gutsy as hell and shakes up the damn Batman boat in great and clever ways. I was on the fence with this one, but I'm officially in like Flynn. For now...

"Justice League" #7: Geoff Johns, Gene Ha- Woo. This issue is skippable. Boring Gene Ha art (wasn't he really good on "Top Ten"?) along with a story that's mostly just talking and crap. After the sheer kinetic insanity of the previous issues, this issue is a huge let down. You've got one issue to redeem yourselves, boys, or I'm out.

"Ragemoor" #1: Jan Strnad (really? Strnad? What kinda name is that?), Richard Corben- So, I officially am picking up anything that's drawn by Richard Corben anymore. This comic, about a living, ravenous castle, is pretty good. Throw in Corben artwork, and it's great.

"Lobster Johnson: the Burning Hand" #3: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Tonci Zonjic (what the hell is up with these names?)- I could talk about all the things I like about this comic, or I could just say that I really enjoy this comic, and I'm glad it exists. The world needs more Lobster Johnson.

"BPRD: Hell on Earth: The Long Death" #2: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, James Harren- So, I'm sure that sooner or later, the gang at BPRD are gonna drop the ball. But not today. Johann Kraus vs. Daimo. Awesome. And this isn't even the concluding issue yet. Also, while we're on the subject, the art team (James Harren on Art, Dave Stewart on Colors) is absolutely kicking total ass on this book. I love BPRD. Period.

"Haunt" #22: Joe Casey, Nathan Fox: So, Nathan Fox is credited as the artist, and he does the framing segments, but someone else does the bulk of the story, which is a 70s Exploitation ride filling in the blanks about our new character, Still Harvey Tubman. Besides the cool Exploitation craziness, there's a giant monster. I love giant monsters. Not as good as previous issues, but still good enough. Also the cover is excellent.

"Glory" #24: Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell- Huh, this is the same guy that wrote Hell Yeah. I'll be damned. Just now figured that out. Glory is much better. Anyway, we get more of Glory's origin as well as what happened to her while the Extremeverse was...missing. She headbutts a demon king. That'll do.

"Prophet" #22-23: Brandon Graham, Simon Roy- Wow. This comic makes absolutely no sense, and I love every single second of it. This is. Just wow. This is what I want out of comics. Although, apparently, the story arc ends in Issue 23. Will there be more? I dunno. Guess I'll wait and see.

"Action Comics" #7: Grant Morrison, Rags Morales- I never used to really like Superman. Grant Morrison makes me love Superman. That's probably the best praise I can give this series.

"Wonder Woman" #7: Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang- This book is phenomenal. It just is. Azzarello creates a gutsy new take on Wonder Woman that gives her an exciting world and a wild cast of supporting characters. And every issue gives us something wonderful and new. This is comics, baby.

"Swamp Thing" #7: Scott Snyder, Yanick Paquette- So, y'know how we all assumed that Alan Moore's Swamp Thing would always be the best version of Swamp Thing and no one would ever be able to top it ever? Turns out no one told Scott Snyder, because he's playing the game no holds barred, for keeps. Great stuff.

"Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE" #7: Jeff Lemire, Alberto Ponticelli- Damnit. Fill in artist. Groan. Oh well, there's still Monsters and violence and whatnot, and a nice last page reveal. The real question is whether or not I'm sticking with this book once Lemire leaves.

"Animal Man" #7: Jeff Lemire, Steve Pugh, Travel Foreman- I like that we're still doing dream sequences in this book. I like dreams. Otherwise, this issue felt like we're stalling, waiting for something. Let's get this thing moving again, shall we?

"OMAC" #7: Dan Didio, Keith Giffen- OMAC gets stomped by Superman for a bit. Then we get talking animals and a not-so subtle reference to "Kamandi". Plus Simian shows up. Not bad, but after setting the bar so high on previous issues, this one feels like we're losing momentum as we slog towards the end.

"One Piece" vol. 61: Eiichiro Oda- So, waaaaaaaaay back in volume 53 the Straw Hat Pirates got separated, sent to the far corners of the world. In the meantime, Luffy has been, almost literally, to Hell and back. Now, finally, the gang gets back together in the most ridiculous, chaotic way possible. Hilarity ensues. I've got a much longer Rant about One Piece to do one day, but not today.

I also got the "King City" TPB, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

New SDF on Monday.

Thursday SDF and the Contest Answer

"Magic Ring Do Your Thing."

Page 13 of SDF is now available for viewing over at: http://www.torcpress.com/sdf13.html. It's not a crucial page, but not every page can be, right?

In the meantime, the Movie Quote Contest from a few blogs ago has come to an end. The answer was "The Blues Brothers". Inexplicably, this was one of our most watched movies when I was growing up, and the phrase, "Did you bring me my Cheez Whiz, boy?" (uttered by an old guy who only appears once) was a bizarre running gag in our household. So there's that.

Hoo-Hoo-Hoo! New SDF

http://www.torcpress.com/sdf12.html

Right-0. The above link should send you to page 12 of SDF, which features the return of Spookshow. Spookshow (originally the Spookshow Kid) first popped up in my now defunct all ages superhero book, Gulatta! He was last seen in Issue 6 of "Monster King". Anyway, he's the latest member of the Community Watch Group. So there's that.

Also, our latest contest wraps up on Thursday, and (not counting Boolah) we still don't have a winner. To enter/win, just e-mail me at cactusfnjoe@hotmail.com and let me know what movie the quote "Did you bring me my Cheez Whiz, boy?" is from. Simple.

Got a lot done this weekend. Work is progressing nicely on an exciting new book, and I managed to gain some ground on the latest video for the Dr. Orphyus Project. Feeling pretty good.

Random Notes While I Watch Cartoons

First, let's get some good old fashioned Hype going. If you didn't know, Issue 16 of "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" is now available from TORC Press. Info is at the main site at www.torcpress.com. SDF, Our new webcomic, has been up and running for a bit now, and the first eleven pages of Issue One (of which there will be 16 Pages) is available for viewing at http://www.torcpress.com/sdfweb.html. My next show is SPACE in Columbus, OH on April 21-22. Details at http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm.

Alright, on to more senseless stuff.

I'm officially sick to death of this ridiculous game of one upsmanship between Marvel and DC. DC reboots their whole line. Marvel counters by putting out Avengers vs. X-Men. DC counters with Before Watchmen. Ugh. It's all so stupid. Avengers vs. X-Men? Really? Apparently we learned nothing from Civil War, so let's do it all over again. Why not? Do Superheroes fight Supervillains anymore? No? God, I'm so bored. And Before Watchmen is even dumber. And we all know it's dumb, and we all know it's gonna sell (kinda like a Transformers movie). DC can justify the move all they want, and they own the characters, so they can do whatever they want with them, but that don't mean it's stupid. I've already given up on Marvel again (the boring crapulence of Matt Fraction's Defenders put the nails back in that particular coffin), and my massive stack of DC comics are starting to erode thanks to the perpetually shifting creative teams moving on and off of books. Before long I'll more or less be back to reading nothing but non-Marvel/DC books. Not necessarily a bad thing, but that means fewer comics fueling my obsession. That kinda sucks.

Part of my love of comics is the immediacy of the artform. Movies take forever to make, and TV comes and goes seasonally (new Adventure Time in April! Can't wait!). I'm currently not anticipating any new movies, except maybe Quentin Tarantino's Django Unbound, which has no fixed release date yet. David Lynch probably won't have a new movie out for another few years, and Cronenberg recently put out a new film (A Dangerous Method, quite good by the way).

Sometimes I think I make comics just to entertain myself while I'm waiting for something interesting to come out. (Actually I've got a bazillion reasons why I make comix. But I think the above is one of them)

Just for the heck of it, I've got my Top Ten Favorite Episodes of "Adventure Time" and "Regular Show". Here we go...

CJ's Top Ten Favorite "Adventure Time" Episodes:
10. Beutopia ("I'm in a boat with a couple wackos...)
9. Belly of the Beast (Teddy Bears partying in a Monster's Belly? Genius.)
8. The Limit ("Actually, I'll do anything if you say my name three times.")
7. Dad's Dungeon (Probably has some of the best monsters on the history of the show, plus, Finn and Jake's Dad pops up)
6. Death in Bloom (The establishing shot of the Land of the Dead is awesome)
5. Dungeon ("I'm gonna rip off your skin and wear you like a little coat.")
4. Enchiridion (One of the earliest episodes, and the episode that completely sold me on the series)
3. The Chamber of Frozen Blades (Doo-doo-doooo! NINJA!)
2. It Came from the Nightosphere ("I'll see you in the Nightosphere you sick freak.")
1. What Was Missing (What can I say? I love the song.)

CJ's Top Ten "Regular Show" Episodes
10. Weekend at Benson's (The trip out sequence at the end is Brilliant)
9. The Power ("Don't look at our crotches while we synchronize our watches.")
8. Just Set Up the Chairs (The video game monsters are awesome)
7. Party Pete ("Some call me cheap/a bit of a freeloader/but I got cups for that old school soda")
6. Peeps ("That's not regulation!" "Street Rules, man.")
5. Rage Against the TV ("It's the Hammer!")
4. Caffeinated Concert Tickets (The "Everybody's Working for the Weekend" Montage is priceless)
3. A Bunch of Baby Ducks ("Step Off!" Completely Insane)
2. Free Cake ("I wanna eat that greasy pig.")
1. Death Punchies (Any episode that has the song "You're the Best Around" automatically gets a win)

Welp, I should try to do something today.

Thursday SDF

A new Thursday, a new SDF. Today's page is Page 11 which can be found at: http://www.torcpress.com/sdf11.html. This page introduces us to yet another new character, Aimee, and there's a strange little cameo by a guy I don't remember drawing on the page. Odd.

Also, don't forget that we've still got a contest going on. Scroll down a couple of blog entries for details.

Other than that, I have big plans of locking myself in my house this weekend so I can get some serious work done. I owe my Brother a video, and I've got at least one book I'd like to finish before SPACE next month. Gonna need to buckle down.

Cons, Death, and New SDF

First off, I would like to take a second to thank the handful of people that gave TORC Press a shot on Saturday at the Metropolis SuperCon. I appreciate the support and hope you enjoy the books.

Second off, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the recent death of Moebius. Moebius was one of the most renowned and influential comic book artists to come out of Europe. He was always on my short list (along with Herge) of European artists whose work I needed to acquire more of, but never really got around to acquiring. Still, I was familiar with Moebius work. As a child I read his and Stan Lee's two issue "Silver Surfer" story, which even to this day remains one of the most jaw droppingly handsome Surfer comics of all time (somehow Moebius's use of texture made Galactus seem both impossibly ancient and impossibly powerful at the same time). Later as a teenager I read a couple of installments of the sexually charged "Madwoman of the Sacred Heart" in Dark Horse Presents. I still need a copy of "The Incal" (I almost bought it last year, but I was strapped for cash and the damn thing was too expensive). Anyway, I could ramble on, but the point is, Moebius was a primordial talent, and one that will be missed.

Third off, we've got a new webcomic up. SDF Page 10 is now available for viewing at: http://www.torcpress.com/sdf10.html. Yet another new supporting character is introduced, and the Iggy Iguana mini-strip concludes.

Fourth off, don't forget, we've still got a Contest going on. Whoever can guess the movie quote from Page 9 wins Free Art! Scroll down a Blog entry or two for details.

And lastly, our next Con is one of our favorites, namely SPACE in Columbus, OH on April 21-22. Details at http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm

Metropolis, Contest Extension, and Whatnot

Alrighty, our hero (that's me) will be taking off ultra-early tomorrow for Metropolis, so here's a little rundown. First off, we (and by we I mean me, of course) will be at the Metropolis Super Con in Metropolis, IL this weekend, March 10-11. Details at http://www.comiccitytn.com/Metropolis_Super_Con.html. I'll be bringing a fat stack of comix, including my latest issues of "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" as well as the new issue of the Comic Quest Creators Alliance Presents. I've also got some new Posters/Prints for sale. Huzzah!

Secondly, I've decided to continue the webcontest from yesterday. I'm continuing it because, technically, my Pal Boolah has Already Won! That's right, in less than twenty four hours someone knocked the ball clean out of the park! Who knew? Anyway, since Boolah's a long time friend and supporter of TORC Press, I will reward him with a sketch, and I will also continue the contest. So, if you know the answer, shout it out! And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, either check out the previous post, or go to the latest page of the webcomic at: http://www.torcpress.com/sdf9.html.

Other than that, I'm gonna try to avoid getting my Casino on this weekend (Metropolis has a Riverboat Casino that I've gambled (read: lost money) at a few times), and hopefully get some work done while chilling out in my (roach) motel room. I have two new books that I would like to debut at SPACE at the end of April. Unfortunately, I've barely started on either. Yut-oh.

New SDF and Another New Contest

http://www.torcpress.com/sdf9.html

It is Thursday, so it is time for a new SDF. Today we've got Page 9, which, besides containing an extensive Notes section also comes with a brand new Contest. Here's the Rundown:

The Contest: On Page 9 of SDF (www.torcpress.com), Panel 6, a character off panel says the following (hopefully) obscure movie quote: "Did you get me my Cheez Whiz, Boy?" Today's contest is simple, e-mail me at: cactusfnjoe@hotmail.com and let me know what movie that quote is from.

The Time Line: We'll set a deadline of two weeks for this one, which means the contest is on from 3/8/12 until 3/22/12.

The Rules: There will only be one winner this time. The first winning response I receive will be declared the winner. Members of my family (who should know the quote immediately) are disqualified from this contest. Sorry, Bro. Everyone else is legal.

The Prize: The winner of the contest will receive a Free, Original, Hand Drawn Sketch of the first three members of what I've decided to call the Community Watch Group (or the Watch for short). That would be Octopus Jones, the Puzzelor, and a third character who will debut later this month.

So there you go. Shout out if you know the quote and win free art. Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy.

Monday Morning SDF

http://www.torcpress.com/sdf8.html

Yep. New webcomic. Page 8 of SDF. We're taking a different track with this one, substituting the bashing and crashing and smashing for character introductions and dialogue and stuff. We'll see how long that lasts. Also, there's part of an Iggy Iguana strip here as well.

I will be at the Metropolis Super Con this weekend. Details at http://www.comiccitytn.com/Metropolis_Super_Con.html. I should probably get a hotel lined up today.

New Month, New SDF

It is finally March, so let's get things rolling with a new page of SDF. Page Seven can be viewed either by heading to www.torcpress.com and clicking on the SDF link, or just skip directly to it by going to http://www.torcpress.com/sdf7.html. Today's page introduces some of the Community's children, as well as featuring the beginning of an Iggy Iguana short strip.

Other than that, I've got so many projects on my plate it's not even funny. I'm still trying to work out the logistics on Secret Project X. I am slowly working my way through the final issue of "Cosmic Love". And I've got a video for the Dr. Orphyus Project that I need to complete by April.

Oh well, at least I don't have an excuse for being bored.