At look at my pull list … and what I love about those titles

For this round of reviews, I thought I’d take a look at my pull list from AstroKitty Comics & More. These days I have (for me) a surprisingly long pull list of titles that come out regularly. As I mentioned in an earlier post, most of these titles are relatively new, even if the creators have been around for a long time. The best thing about looking at my pull list is to see that all of these comics excite me, and I’m really glad whenever I get the latest issue to read!

Reed Gunther (Image) is the newest addition to my list, added at the same time I dropped The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Men, which never really gelled for me. After four issues the characters seemed less defined than in the first issue, and the writers just kept heaping more characters and concepts into the mix. I was bored and uninterested in the title. In stark contrast to that is Reed Gunther, a comic I’ve been following ever since Astrokitty owner Joel Pfannenstiel suggested it, in part because of the appreciation creators Shane and Chris Houghton showed retailers who supported it. It’s the all-ages story of a bear-riding cowboy, with plenty of old west action, a monster now and again, nicely developed characters from Shane and some really fluid cartooning from Chris. I realized that I was enjoying this comic so much more than Firestorm– or many of the other comics I pick up on a whim– that I wanted to be sure I didn’t miss any future issues.

Mud Man (Image) was touched upon in an earlier post and, while it’s only a couple of issues old, has me intrigued. I’ve always appreciated writer/artist Paul Grist’s simplified drawing style and bold page designs, but it’s been fun to get in on one of his series from the beginning. So far it hasn’t required any knowledge of the past continuity from Jack Staff, either. Even if he involves those characters in a future storyline (and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did), this clean starting point is a nice way to kick things off.

Spongebob Comics (United Plankton/Bongo) is another comic I’ve written about previously, as well as a comic I added to my pull because I was enjoying it so much. Especially once DC debuted their 52 new titles, I was afraid Joel would have to scale back on the depth he stocked other titles like this… so onto the pull list it went. I never really watched Spongebob on TV, but the cast of indy creators that are involved with this book (including James Kochalka, Dave Roman, Stephen Destafano, Mark Martin, Jacob Chabot, and others) make each issue a lot of fun! The stories often have a game-like structure that is especially unexpected in a kids comic.

Snarked (Kaboom!) is the latest title from Roger Langridge, whose work I first discovered (and enjoyed) in Fred the Clown. This series is based on Lewis Carroll’s “The Hunting of the Snark” (which was included in the #0 preview issue), yet has plenty of slapstick and intrigue. He’s got a great batch of characters, his usual playful cartoon stylings, along with nice rhyming captions (no easy feat, given my experience with that technique)!

Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio) was a title I put on my pull list as soon as I heard of it, having appreciated both Terry Moore’s writing and distinctive drawing style in the past. This murder mystery series has grabbed me from the beginning, and I’ve been able to keep up-to-date with it, something I wasn’t able to do with his previous SF series Echo.

Action Comics (DC) is the sole title remaining in my pull from DC’s “new 52″ relaunch. Grant Morrison’s version of Superman early in his career has been really enjoyable for me; together with artists Morales, Kubert, et al., these stories have definitely lived up to the title’s name! The only downside to the title are the “bonus” backups by Sholly Fisch; they don’t really add anything to the events in the main story, and thanks to inattentive editing when the stories do overlap, they don’t even present those scenes in a consistent manner.

Both Buffy Season 9 and Angel & Faith (Dark Horse) were also titles I added to my list after finishing Buffy Season 8 (which took me a long time to get through, reading the bulk of that series after it was completed). So far these stories have been a lot tighter and have held my attention better– I actually want to read them as soon they come out rather than waiting for an arc to be completed. They’ve had nice cliffhangers which make me want to read the next issue, and the ongoing arc in Angel & Faith has me in its grip as much as the tv show ever did!

Sergio Aragones Funnies (Bongo) is another title that I enjoyed so much I needed to never miss an issue! Everyone who’s ever read an issue of Mad magazine is familiar with Sergio’s work, but having a full comic in which to stretch out shows new sides of this legendary artist’s range. Each issue usually has an original fiction comic, puzzles, and a long autobiographical comic, too. Even knowing (more or less) what’s going to be in each issue, it’s still a joy to dive into it!

Futurama  Comics (Bongo) is a solid, if unspectacular title. While less essential since the show came back with such strong new episodes on Comedy Central, it’s still true to the characters and plays with SF and comic clichés in a nice way, such as the recent steampunk story in #57.

Savage Dragon (Image) continues to fascinate me in the way it captures Erik Larsen’s dogged determination to write and draw his own character in his own way. I started following the title about 10 years ago, at a time when Larsen was writing it as a light-hearted tongue-in-cheek comic which appealed to me more than its blood & violence beginnings. By the time he steered SD back into a more violent direction, I was hooked on his real-time aging of his characters, his wide and varied cast, and the sense that he would take the comic in whatever direction he wanted, beholden to no company-wide editorial planning (even if it meant writing his title character out of the comic)! It really captures the spirit of an individual artist crafting a comic, not a product assembled by committee. It may be over-the top stereotypical superhero action, but it’s a blast!

You may notice an absence of Vertigo or other critically-lauded fare in my pull list. I find that a lot of titles I enjoy (Y the Last Man, iZombie, The Sixth Gun) really do read better as trades than as single issues, so I tend to read them in that fashion. Unfortunately for Astrokitty, though, I also tend to not collect them and so just read them from my local library.

But that’s a topic for another time…

It’s “Draw Jackie Jokers Day”!

My friend Tom Cherry is at it again, this time with an impromptu drawing holiday featuring Richie Rich’s comedian pal. While I didn’t have much familiarity with Jackie Jokers as a character, after seeing others join in the fun I thought I’d see what I could come up with, and just how fast I could do it. Gag, pencils, and inks took about 15 minutes, with about another 45 to do the cleanup and coloring.

The thing that really appealed to me from the inspiration pieces Tom posted was this version of Jackie’s logo. Even in my quick hand-drawn version, it’s obvious that the title is linked to the Richie Rich family of books while standing on its own as a solid comic book logo. There have been a lot of weak comic book logos lately, including many of “the new 52″ logos from DC. The Flash, Men of War, and Justice League logos strike me as especially uncreative, looking more like last-minute typography class projects than the professionally designed logos that major comic book properties deserve. They stand in stark contrast to the logos that were so iconic they were largely left alone, particularly those for Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, Action Comics, and Swamp Thing.

Twenty for 2012

Back in the days when I was involved with APA-5 and the Small Press Syndicate, I would traditionally start off the new year with a column detailing my creative resolutions. While I may no longer have such direct and regular connection to my creative peer group, I do have this lovely venue to share my plans for 2012. Hopefully putting them out there for the world to see will help keep me on track in a way that I haven’t managed to do over the last couple of years. Here are twelve things I plan to accomplish in 2012:

1. Get into a regular schedule for posting on this blog. I like to read about other creators’ methods and enjoy writing about mine, too. I’m aiming for two posts per month, with decent content relating to “comics and comic creation” …

Get my long-overdue print comic output back on track! As much as I enjoy doing my webcomic, there are some stories that will just work better in print. So be on the lookout for:

2. Double Dip #2 – this one has a deadline: I want to finish it in time for Tom Cherry to take to SPACE in mid April!

3. Doghouse Funhouse #2 – it’s nearly done, and I need to honor my commitment to its contributors.

4. Watusi #28 – finish the cliffhanger from the last print issue.

5. Watusi #29 – collect my first attempt at a Watusi comic strip, which appeared in a variety of print and web locations.

6. Get my jam comic backlog completed and in print. As Watusi print output fell by the wayside & the webcomic took off, interest in jam comics (both from participants and me) dwindled. I still have a few to wrap up so I can close the door on jam comics as the defining aspect of a Watusi issue.

7. Honor my other outstanding commitments (I know you’re looking at me, Keith and Joel!). I tend to overestimate what I can comfortably fit into my limited available hours; I need to keep my enthusiasm in a realistic perspective.

8. Reformat “Isla Esmerelda” for print. I’m not good about obsessively reworking past comics (either I could learn something from George Lucas or he could learn something from me), but there are a few fine tunings I’d like to make before I get the story into print. I’ll probably hold off actually publishing it until 2013, since I’d like to offer it as a comic subscription, but getting it all “in the can” is an import step towards that goal.

9. August is the Human Spring’s 10th anniversary. I’d like to do something to celebrate it. Something nice, but anything would be more than I did for Watusi’s 1oth…

10. Make available select out-of-print titles as .pdf comics. Not only is it cheaper than going back to print for comics that aren’t related to my current projects, it lets me play around with e-books a little.

11. Network with my peer cartoonists better. As I mentioned above, I don’t have the direct connection with as many of my peers that I used to, and commenting on each others’ blogs just doesn’t fill that void.

12. By popular demand: write a Mitchell comic! I have a good story in mind, but it’s probably better suited for a print comic than an online strip.

That’s what I hope to accomplish; I’ll revisit it at the end of the year to see how I did. What creative goals do you have for 2012?

19 ways to read One Soul, why a screenplay isn’t a script, and new favorites

I’ve written a few reviews over the past month that I want to get out of my system before the new year. Hope you don’t mind me sharing…

One Soul, by Canadian writer/artist Ray Fawkes, tells the story of one soul as it passes through 18 different incarnations. The book came my way after reading a lot of good pre-publication notices, so while I knew a bit of what to expect, I was still pleasantly surprised by it. Using a 9-panel grid, Fawkes gives an impressionistic glimpse of each life in every spread. While the characters’ personalities are only briefly sketched out, the arc of their stories still manage to convey a full sense of a life lived. By reading across the grid, the reader discovers nice synergies as the different lives find similar experiences. Fawkes presents this well through the occasional repeated layout (p. 14/15) or designed spreads (p. 52/53) that often pack greater impact than the script alone conveys. Additionally, thanks to his strict use of the grid, the reader can also drill through the book, following the story of each life from its beginning to its (often unexpected) end, watching the grid gradually darken as lives come to their end. While the grid did fall apart a bit at the end for me, it’s still highly recommended for readers wanting to experience a different storytelling structure; less so if you prefer a thorough insight into your characters.

On the other hand, The Griff, written by Christopher Moore & Ian Corson, is probably the biggest disappointment I’ve suffered recently. I’ve enjoyed a lot of Moore’s novels (notably, Fool and The Stupidest Angel), so also had high hopes for this original graphic novel … but it turned out to be a repurposed movie script the pair had worked on. While featuring a fast-paced plot and an entertaining mix of characters typical of Moore’s novels, it seemed to be missing a lot of linking elements that, while they might have worked well in a film, seemed like shorthand in this format. No real effort was spent setting the scene or providing atmosphere beyond that provided in the visuals. Speaking of the art, by Jennyson Rosero, it was nicely done for the first third of the book, but the quality of the finish and coloring declined noticeably as the book went on. Whether it was due to a rushed deadline on her part or on the part of the production staff, it was disappointing to see such visual inconsistency in a story that short (though unpaged, Amazon lists it at 160 pages. It was a quick read, at any rate). Interestingly, Rosero only got a “with” credit, and the art copyright was retained by the publisher. Certainly this seems like a sign of an unbalanced creative team, with little collaboration going on between story and art, which could be another reason why this book didn’t seem to work for me. Largely, it stands as an example of why a comic script is different from a movie script, and why good comics are so much better than just an illustrated screenplay.

A curious thing I’ve noticed about my pull lately is how all the comics I’m following (aside from Savage Dragon) have really low issue numbers, often just in single digits. One of my new favorites just had its #1: Mud Man by Paul Grist, published by Image. While I love Grist’s drawing style and have followed his comics on and off over the years, his opening essay in that first issue is what endeared me to his latest project. In it he pins down one of my favorite things about comics, better than I was able to do in my own Free Comic Book Day comic from 2006: “I think there’s something compelling about a story told over a period of time which allows you to get to know characters. … I like stories that you can carry with you and think about before you get to find out what happens next. And because they build up over a period of time they get into your head in a different way than a single one off story can.” I’m looking forward to carrying Mud Man around in my head for a while! Another low-numbered comic that has claimed some space in my head is Terry Moore’s new title, Rachel Rising. It’s a murder mystery with a touch of the supernatural, packed with yet-to-be answered questions; it’s only on #4 so far, and well worth checking out.

From the Back Issue Bin: “20 From 920″

While jam comics are fun to help create, they don’t usually hold together as logical stories. Case in point, “20  From 920″, a collection of jam comics produced at SPACE 2005. Contributors include Aaron, Tom Cherry, Gynn Silva, Rick Silva, Michael Munshaw, Drew Boynton, Larned Justin, Brien Wayne Powell, Adrienne Westmoreland, Ian Shires, JB Winter, George McVey, Matt Feazell, Chris Garrett, Mike Leuszler, and me.

I was reminded of this book recently while I was cleaning my studio and pondering what to do with some of my back issue stock. Over the years I’ve created a number of comics, many of which have little or no connection with my current work. I find it difficult to talk up old items that don’t fit in with the new work I’m excited about, especially in the limited time available at conventions or other events. Still, they’re often– like “20 from 920″– fun little comics … so I think I’ll make this available as a downloadable .pdf e-book. Hope you enjoy!

It’s “Draw Hiram Lodge Day”!

My friend and Double Dip co-conspirator Tom Cherry declared today “Draw Hiram Lodge Day”, as a “day we honor the wealthiest man in Riverdale, often the voice of sanity in a world run by ageless teenagers”! You can check out Tom’s celebratory drawing here;  I was glad to be able to participate in it … even if I did start on it yesterday!

While I’ve never been a big Archie fan, I really love Little Archie for some reason. Both the original Bob Bolling stories and the clean cartoony style of Dexter Taylor have a charm that seems lacking in the main “teen Archie” stories. Fortunately, Hiram Lodge is a vital part of both series, so I can still enjoy his voice of sanity as he deals with Little Archie.

Thanks for the holiday, Tom!

Beyond Photocopies: cost-effective color enhancements for your comics

Here’s another little gem from my old website that is deserving of a new home here. Back in 2005 I was fortunate enough to attend the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, Ohio. I had a great time there networking with other cartoonists, hanging out with my APA-5 peers, sampling new comic creations … and even hosting a panel discussion on different ways to add color to handcrafted publications. While color photocopies have become more affordable (even in my neck of the woods) since then, there are still some creative ways to add color to be found here. Hope you enjoy!

Beyond Photocopies: cost-effective color enhancements for your comics
A panel at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo, April 17, 2005

Hosted by Dale Martin with Sean Bieri, John M (Mejias), and Nate Higley, this Sunday morning workshop was designed to let creators who add color to their comics through a variety of means– stencil, silkscreen, woodblock prints, gocco, tip-ins, stamps– share some of their methods. It was a chance for these artists to show samples of comics & equipment, do demos of some of the creative ways they have added color to their comics, as well as answer questions from the audience of about 40 (Dale neglected to get an actual head count, though).

Dale started off with a brief introduction, showing off some samples ranging from simple highlighter coloring, to woodblock prints and silkscreened comics. He then shared his stenciling technique (using Apple Barrel Plaid craft paints (it covers smoothly, though some colors are less transparent than others), a Speedball foam roller, and unbaked Aleen’s shrink film material for stencils (it’s fairly flexible, clear enough to see through, but sturdy enough it doesn’t need a frame)), which allows for a nice “pop” of color without the expense of full-color copying, and doesn’t bleed through even 20# bond. Dale’s practical tip: Be sure to give yourself plenty of space to lay out your freshly-stenciled copies. While they dry pretty fast, you can’t just stack them as you go.

He then shared Justin Madson’s technique and testimonial for color tip-in plates: “The color part of the book is a sticker I printed out on my HP inkjet printer. I buy full-sheet sticker paper and print out as many as I can fit on one page. Then it’s just a matter of careful cutting and placing it on the Xeroxed cover. It’s an inexpensive and simple way to give my covers the pop of color. And, since I started using color on my covers, my sales have increased dramatically.”

Sean Bieri then talked about the wonderful world of Print Gocco! After showing off some amazing samples of his own comics and the new Brunetti/Onsmith-edited Gocco portfolio, he gave a hands-on demo of his Print Gocco machine. This device can take any laser print, photocopy or drawing (anything with graphite, including India ink) and turn it into a self-contained silkscreen-like master, even allowing for multiple colors with the same impression! In the space of just a few minutes, Sean took a laser print, used it to burn a screen, inked it up, and pulled a couple of prints.

Sadly, not long after this presentation, Print Gocco’s  parent company Riso discontinued the product. You can find info about this amazing print method at www.savegocco.com …

Next up was John M, who showed off some of his fully-silkscreend comics, and talked about ways to silkscreen at home – even without a darkroom! He gave a rundown of supplies, an explanation of how to burn a screen, mocked the printing process, and even gave vital pointers such as “use a friend” (since it works best as a 2-person operation) and “shut the cats in another room while printing”! He provided a step-by step handout of the procedure, too!

• PDF of Paping presents … how to silkscreen!

Rounding out the session was Nate Higley, who shared a different stenciling method – using spray paint! In addition to comics and patches, Nate showed off banners and t-shirts that his stenciling method could be applied to! Again, he shared some practical tips: it works best in a wind-free area (such as an empty garage), album jackets make good stencils, cheap spray paint works really well, and use masking tape (not duct tape) when taping large stencils together. We then adjourned outside where Nate sprayed a quick demo of a 2-color stencil! He also provided a handout of techniques, tips, and references.

• PDF of Stencil 101

A big thank you to all the panel participants for their lively and fun – and informative – presentations, to SPACE impresario Bob Corby for letting us give this workshop (and the second day of panels) a try, and to all those who attended and asked questions during the presentations.

One of the down sides of hosting this session six years ago was that I couldn’t easily document my own method. Next time I do a stenciled cover I’ll try to get some pictures of the process in action!

Worth the wait

I hadn’t planned to run more comic reviews so soon, but a recent sick day let me catch up on some reading, including the long-delayed New Teen Titans graphic novel, Games, by series creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez. After all, if it took two decades for the book to finally see print, I figured it would wait until I could read it in one sitting, and I’m glad I did!

I always enjoy Perez’s lush artwork– as detailed as my own is simple– and content-packed pages, though Mike Perkin’s inks here weren’t always the best match for his pencils. It’s been a while since I read a Wolfman script (the 2008 Supergirl/Raven crossover from The Brave and the Bold), but he had written a lot of my favorite comics (Nova, Fantastic Four, New Teen Titans, Crisis) of the 70s and 80s. The pair had worked well together on projects in the past, and reteamed here very smoothly, merging artwork from the original project (read more about the ups and downs of this project here) with newly created art and a fresh script. It was a fast-moving action/suspense plot, while retaining elements of characterization that had made the series a fan favorite during its original run. None of the cast seemed out of character here, and each had scenes of character enrichment to round them out beyond their costumes and powers. Many of the supporting cast and past members made appearances, and there were two particularly moving scenes, one heartbreaking, one redemptive. My only quibble would be that the character’s powers (notably Jericho’s) weren’t always introduced well for new readers … but then again, this book isn’t for them, appealing mainly to 40-somethings who have fond memories of the original New Teen Titans comic of the 1980s. Or it could just be a sign, as Wolfman says in his introduction, of “the style of storytelling” that has changed since they last worked on these characters.

The best thing about this book’s long gestation period is the fact that it freed it from the continuity of the ongoing Titans comic of the time. Able to stand on its own as a single story, Games is able to highlight the best aspects of the characters, such that they still rang true for me, over 20 years since I last read an issue of their comic. While I suspect Games won’t be a big seller for DC, it shows the quality that can be achieved by letting creators loose on characters they care about, freed from a line-wide continuity. Of course if it does, maybe they’ll let Jerry Ordway have another shot at the Shazam! family …

DC’s New 52 … and comics I actually liked!

Okay, that’s an intentionally provocative title, because I did like some of them. While I may not be that enamored with a lot of DC‘s decisions regarding their (partial) relaunch– more on that to later– their promotional comic from last July did give me a good feel for what they’re attempting, and actually encouraged me to give a few more of their new titles a try. I’ve bought and read three (well, 3 1/2) issues from DC’s new direction; not a whole lot, granted, but more than I was regularly following prior to that. With the first round of new #1s out, I thought I’d join the discussion about them.

Of course, I wanted to see how they were starting this relaunch, so I gave the final issue of Flashpoint (#5, written by Geoff Johns, art by Andy Kubert, et al.) a try. While I’ve enjoyed work by both of these creators in the past, it seemed rather noisy and furious (to paraphrase Shakespeare), with little substance to the characters, and lots of excuses for spreads of heroes posing dramatically. All in all, I don’t think they honored their past– something DC used to do well– as they segued into the future as nicely as was done in the recent Star Trek reboot, but it accomplished what they were after. Plus, it does give DC editorial an out if this new direction doesn’t bring in the expected sustained readership: [SPOILER ALERT] “Flash, run backwards!”[END SPOILER]. I was glad I bought it and read it, but I added it to my sell/donate pile as soon as I was done.

Action Comics #1 (written by Grant Morrison, art by Rags Morales) was one of the comics I was inspired to try after reading the promo comic, and I was quite pleased with it. While I haven’t followed Morrison’s work as religiously as a lot of readers have, I really enjoyed his All-Star Superman from a few years ago. His take on the character in this issue had some nods to the first Action Comics #1 and the social activist nature that Superman had in his debut story from 1938. Morales’ art is appropriately gritty and dramatic, and when the worst thing about an issue is some clunky dialog bridging pages 3-4, it’s a comic that I’m going to continue following … at least as long as they’re able to write this version of the character. When DC draws it more in line with the armor-clad Superman of their other books– as I can’t imagine them not doing– they’re likely to lose my readership.

Which is one of the editorial decisions mentioned earlier that I just don’t get. If this relaunch is truly intended to be welcoming to new readers, how does it make sense to present two such radically different versions of your keystone character, neither of which are recognizable by casual fans who know the character only from movies or tv?

Batwoman #1 (written and drawn by JH Williams III, co-written by W. Haden Blackman) was a gorgeous book, but a horrible introduction to new readers. Originally slated for debut last spring, it was pushed back to become part of this “New 52″, so it relies far too heavily on her past appearances and an expected reader familiarity with the supporting cast. In another unfriendly-to-new-readers move, DC didn’t appear to restart all their titles, retaining most elements from succesful titles while starting fresh with those less popular ones, resulting in a weird mix of new and old continuity. While I enjoyed this issue, it’s such a densely-layered book (both in terms of art and story), that I would enjoy it more in a collected, ad-free edition, so I may not be picking up more of the single issues. Hopefully there will be enough readers who don’t do that, and DC will actually produce a collected edition. Only once (with Rick Veitch’s Army@Love: The art of war) have I been burned like that, though, so I’m going to keep thinking positive thoughts…

The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Men #1 (story by Ethan Van Sciver & Gail Simone, art by Yildiray Cinar) was a comic I tried for purely sentimental reasons, as Firestorm had been one of my favorite characters from his introduction in 1978 through Ostrander’s run in the late 80s. There were some nice references to the original characters (as well as the 2004 Jason Rusch version of the character), and the concept of two nuclear men who merge into a single entity is an interesting twist. The story by Van Sciver & Simone was fine, setting up a nice rivalry between past Firestorms Ronnie Raymond and Rusch, but really skimped on the drama of the original origin; that was a bit of a let down for me as a long-time fan, as well as for a proper new reader introduction. Cinar’s layouts were competent, though not particularly interesting, and his finishes leave a lot to be desired (page 8 looked especially … rushed). Early rumors about the relaunch were that the creators were all supposed to have three issues completed by the time September rolled around, and given the rough edge to the artwork in this issue, I don’t have a lot of faith in the quality of upcoming issues or of this creative team sticking together for long. Still, I’m interested enough to see where things are going, that I’ll probably stick with this one a while … even if it feels more like an “Elseworlds” version of the character than the “real” deal.

That’s all I’ve tried from the relaunch month; for the thoughts of those who’ve tackled and reviewed the whole line (a task I don’t think I’d enjoy or easily stomach), read here and here.

Of course, that only makes me wonder how much sales for this first month are being driven by blogging reviewers who specifically just want to read and write about the relaunch … and then not return for a second issue! Frankly, I’m not sure that this relaunch will manage to retain the ongoing interest of readers, either the hoped-for new readers, or jaded super-hero fans like me. If they really are committed to drawing in new readers, DC needs to avoid company-wide crossovers at the rate they have been doing for the last few years. They need to have enough faith in this relaunch to give this version a chance to actually settle in and become the status quo by giving readers an involved, continued story. All-Star Superman is a great model to follow– a single creative team, telling a single story, unmolested by some overarching line-wide editorial vision. Just because a reader enjoys a few titles, it’s unrealistic to expect they will want to– or be willing to– pick up the entire line, so allowing each book to forge its own path could serve them well in the long run. Plus, new readers have enough challenges to successfully follow one title every month, having them get that comic home and find out it’s only part of the story they’re expecting must be frustrating and off-putting. I’ve heard from many readers attracted to comics by Buffy Season 8 (as well as by retailers) that it was hard for them to get in the rhythm of shopping for a single monthly title, so compounding that with crossovers and events can’t make it any easier for them to successfully develop a comic-reading habit.

Are there any of the new DC titles that you particularly love/hate? Chime in below, and/or tell DC yourself. They’ve partnered with media researcher Nielsen to conduct a reader survey; link courtesy the fine folks at The Beat.

Oh yeah, since the title of this post is “comics I actually liked”, I should plug some titles I wholeheartedly enjoyed:

Spongebob Comics #2, especially “Split decision” by Robert Leighton and Jacob Chabot, is one of the most fun comics I’ve read in ages. It’s amazing that some of the most complex storytelling I see these days is actually in comics aimed at kids (see also Jason Shiga‘s Meanwhile and Eleanor Davis’s The Secret Science Alliance and the copycat crook)!

Wonder Weenies Sneak Peek is my favorite find from the recent I-Con. It’s a fun print primer to Corey Kramer’s entertaining webcomic of the same name … and an idea I’ll have to swipe for my own webcomic!

That’s all for now – thanks for reading!

Fall convention tour 2011

I recently completed the closest I’ve (yet) come to a book tour, with back-to-back convention appearances: Sept. 10 at the Free State Comicon (Lawrence, Kans.),  and Sept. 17 at the Comic Book I-Con (Altoona, Iowa). I’ve never had a chance to reuse a table layout so soon before, and this was a good chance to see what worked well, what didn’t work so well, and make some quick changes without starting over from square one. Here’s  my four feet of display from Free State (photo courtesy Benjamin Young)– my display at I-Con was nearly the same, although the table there was six feet wide:

The spinner rack serves as a handy display/storage element that adds some height to my table setup. Other artists are always impressed by it, but for some reason customers don’t want to use it like the spinner racks of my childhood. I’ve faced it out with 16 different issues, faced it out with my new book, and neither one seems to get the reaction I hope for– spinning and browsing. The standup is a recent addition, from my Doghouse Funhouse  minigolf hole– someday I’ll set it up as a playable course again, but in the meantime, it serves double duty as an eye-catching display element.  The only downside to it is that it won’t fit into my tote; otherwise, my entire show can fit into one piece of luggage! I also reused some framed pieces from my gallery show of last February (on the right in this photo, next to a binder of sample strips so readers can see what a typical strip is like); it was fun how often people asked where my strip was running!

My goals for both shows were to promote my Watusi webcomic (I had a new storyline starting soon), meet readers, network with other cartoonists, and to give away my stock of “Continuity and Vine” postcards (since I find it hard to promote projects I’m no longer working on … but that should probably be a topic for another post). Of course, I also brought a stock of books for sale– Watusi, Doghouse Funhouse, and Double Dip issues. While I was able to accomplish those goals to varying degrees (I was glad to meet people who still write postcards!), it still feels like my introverted nature takes over far too often.

One nice thing about both of these two shows is that I remembered to use my camera to take pictures of not only my display, but also of sketchbook drawings I did for readers! It’s especially flattering when I’m asked to be included in books along with favorite artists of mine such as Paul Chadwick, George Perez, and Stan Sakai (among others– you can check out my sketches for yourself on Watusi’s Facebook page)!

So, here are my questions for those of you who show and sell your work at cons or other events:  what tips do you have to share? Things that have worked well for you? Things you’d avoid? For those of you who attend cons as readers, do you like a busy display with lots of  options? Or is a clean display with just a couple of items more appealing? While I think showing multiple issues & related series is a sign that I’m committed to my projects, are that many choices overwhelming when you’d just like a simple way to patronize an independent artist?

While I have some tweaks I intend to make to my next display, any thoughts on these questions are welcome!