Writer: Fabian Rangel Jr.

Artist: Ryan Cody

Letters by: Ed Brisson

Additional pin-up art by: Kelly Williams, Austin Rogers, and Jethro Morales

 The second installment of Doc Unknown is here! This four-issue miniseries is gem of an indie comic, which pays homage to the delightful pulp and noir comics of the golden age like The Spirit, and The Shadow, or more contemporary titles like Lobster Johnson. Doc Unknown is filled with mystery, intrigue, supernatural excitement, and most importantly—fun.

I first learned about the Doc Unknown project through writer, Fabian Rangel Jr.’s Facebook page. I always enjoy Mr. Rangel’s comics. You might know him from such titles as: Extinct, Los Muertos, Fall, Engines of Doom, or Revenge Rooster. At the Emerald City Comic Con I stopped by artist, Ryan Cody’s booth to pick up a copy. That first issue was excellent and left me wanting more.

We “KRASH” into this second issue, titled Doc Unknown and the Shadow of Evil, and eventually learn about our hero’s past (and the origin of an old foe to boot). This issue has it all: a Yeti, a secret temple, Nazis, and so much more, as our protagonist is rescued following a plane crash, and begins his training…

Eventually he must face the ultimate test which will determine his fate. This is all skillfully tied together with the mystery introduced in the opening pages. Mr. Rangel is passionate about comics and pop culture, so look for sly little nods and references throughout this issue.

Ryan Cody’s art style is clean, sparse, and has a nice style which makes good use of shadows and contrasts. Each panel is given room to breathe and stand out in its own right. Aside from one circular panel, all the layouts make use of right-angled formatting, with everything coming together in a visually appealing manner.

I was to the understanding that each issue of Doc Unknown would be a somewhat self-contained story. I was pleasantly surprised, after reaching the end of this second issue, to discover that this story looks like it will continue on into the next installment. I like this, because it gives the creators a chance to keep developing the characters and tell more complex stories. Not that there’s anything wrong with one-shots, but these are good characters and fun stories. If you read Doc Unknown, I think you’ll agree.

So where can you find issues of Doc Unknown? Hopefully you pre-ordered it so local comic shops will stock it. But if you didn’t know about the series, you’re still in luck. Issues #1 and #2 can still be ordered at Mr. Rangel’s BigCartel.com store. Follow Fabian Rangel Jr. on Facebook or Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Doc Unknown developments, as well as news about all his various projects. Check out more of Ryan Cody’s work on his blog. Doc Unknown #2 ships this week, and issue #3 will be coming soon. “Believe in comics” and support indie creators that do as well!

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Penguins VS Possums Issue Number 3

Creator, Writer – Sebastian Kadlecik

Writer, Inks – John Bring

Writer Editor – Lindsay Calhoon

Printed by JBSK Comics

Oh my god. Weird does not even begin to describe this comic book; it is bizarrely plausible in some alternative frame of reference beyond the normal things we see every day. But Penguins VS Possums Issue Number 3 is probably one of the weirdest coolest things you will read this year. There is war, a dire everyone gets killed all the time war between Penguins and Possums, complete with Emperors, Kings, psychotic warriors, spies, infiltrators, traitors, and everyone else you would expect to see in a regular drama kind of setting. This story picks up right in the middle of the story line where the Emperor Penguin and the King Possum try to settle their differences to stop the war. Only problem is that this is going to be a really bad choice because all the warriors want to keep the war going to the point of extinction. If you lose a brother, would you not want to avenge their death kind of thinking that pits Kings and Emperors against Advisers and Warriors.

In all the story line is interesting enough to keep you engaged with the process of following this comic all the way through. It slogs at times, but then you see some of the humor in there with some of the things we say to each other like “oh snap” in the background. You really want to pay attention to what is being said amongst all the characters including the snarky commentary in the background of the comic book. The war keeps on going, and despite the best laid plans between Emperor and King, this is going to be one unpopular decision, revenge is needed, revenge is wanted, and there simply is no love between the two of them.

Overall I’ll rate this one 4 of 5 stars, there were some distractions in the comic book that took away from the story line. There were some awesome moments in here too. It is a black and white and grey comic book that probably should have been in color because of the level of violence. I like my blood red, like a fine Chablis, not grey like a foggy morning. Outside of my personal preference for color on this one, it is a riveting read and you will want to go back and reread sections if you find yourself skipping bits. The fighting scenes are well rendered, but just not red enough for me. Worth checking out, you can pick it up for three bucks right over here on the JBSK web site.

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• Nenetl of the Forgotten Spirits
• JFH Justice for Hire Number Zero the Rise of Retribution
• Interview: LULU Comic Creator, John Linton Roberson
• Wait what? Marvel and DC announce the end of all print comics

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Oh Joy Sex Toy a new comic strip from Erika Moen

Online Comic – 18+ on line right here

Via Erika Moen

So I met Erika in 2010 and have not regretted it for a moment. She is probably one of the coolest people out there that I have ever met, so I have followed what she is doing like Bucko and Dar Volume 1 and DAR Volume 2 since then. Today she announced a new comic strip online called “Oh Joy Sex Toy”, and if it is anything like the pamphlet Girl Fuck – this promises to be an interesting day, and an interesting way of learning about sex toys. And yes, it is a comic strip on line. But a good comic strip, learning is always good, we should never stop learning.

Honestly I don’t know much about sex toys (vanilla life), but with Erika and her husband Matthew this promises to be an interesting approach to learning about sex toys. Heck if we can have comics that show how to use a 50 cal machine gun, we can have a comic that shows how to use a sex toy. Really, it’s about blonds not bombs, brunettes not fighter jets (thank you flight of the concords for that line). As Erika states on her site:

Oh my goodness, here we are! Very first page! I’m SO EXCITED.

First of all a giant thank you to my talented and lovely friend Amy T. Falcone for plucking the title “Oh Joy, Sex Toy” out of her delightful brain for me to use. Thank you to Cory Casoni for all his website advice and Robert Khoo for helping me figure out I needed to make this my next project and thank you for a lot of other stuff too.

And most of all, thank you to Matthew Nolan for building this site, figuring out ads, cheerleading this project, reviewing products that I can’t, and just generally for enabling this entire ordeal to happen. This wouldn’t exist without him. If there are any toys you’d like me to review, feel free to send me one! I’m also looking to develop affiliate and business relationships with sex stores and toy companies; if that sounds like you, please feel free to contact me!

Otherwise, here is a cut of the first panel, go check it out here. It looks like another really awesome way of looking at the world, and maybe you will get your learn on and see something you want to try/use with your significant other.

Related articles

• Erika Moen Launches Sex Toy Review Comic
• ‘Leftover Men’ Are Buying Tons Of Sex Toys
• The Adventures of Jodelle from Fantagraphics
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• Comixology Submit – Opening the door to Independent Comics

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Writer/Creator: Sam Johnson
Artist: Sally Stone-Thompson
Letterer: Jaymes Reed
Inlay Page Letterer: Kris Johnson
Actuality Press
Black&White, 16-pages, Print $2.50, Digital $1.00
http://samjohnsoncomics.wix.com/geek-girl

“With great glasses comes great klutziness.”

Geek-Girl is the embodiment of just about every clumsy geek out there, except she’s got an extra special something hidden up her sleeve: a pair of glasses that give her superhuman powers. When Ruby and her friend see a duo of guys at school fussing over the set of altered glasses, she instinctively plays them at a game of strip poker to win them. I mean, who wouldn’t do that? The chance of being exposed naked isn’t of concern when the chance to be a hero is on the line! When she ultimately wins, she is slowly and unknowingly faced with the grim reality of a strength you cannot control properly; death.

Ruby is clumsy, awkward and overall, greatly lacking on the whole ‘keeping your shit together’ front. The poor girl can’t even express joy without sending glasses of drinks flying at her friends. So when the group of friends Ruby joins after gaining her powers have nothing but doubt and spite in their hearts, Ruby is driven to leave and prove to the world that she is, in fact, super.

There is a lot to be said for a writer who can poke fun at women and geek girls in general without being overbearing and rude about it. The perversions and actions of the women throughout this issue all felt very light-hearted and accepting of the fact we are all capable of being a little weird sometimes, no matter our gender. Through this understanding Johnson has managed to write characters that are not only easily relatable which allows for quick ins and outs of specific characters without proper introductions but, also highly enjoyable and unpredictable which help form this introduction of Geek-Girl into a fun, powerfully enjoyable read that won’t disappoint unless you hate hilarity in your heroes. Everything from the dialogue to the lettering is impressive for a new indie title and it is obvious from the start that there are tons of enthralling adventures in store for Ruby and that we will want to be along for the rides entirety.

Sally Stone-Thompson’s black and white imagery for this graphic story is beautifully displayed and provides an ominous feel that would otherwise not be present due to the dialogues silly nature. This added tone allows for a sense for curiosity while reading, wondering when it is that all this fun will come to a screeching halt and blow up in Ruby’s face. The shading isn’t overdone, like much of black and white art tends to be, and despite the darkness it brings, it also blends well with the stories upbeat attitude via strong, over-dramatic facial expressions in characters and bright city landscapes. The panels flow smoothly as do the characters movements and scene changes, while the bold styling of black and white provides a strong first glance impression on any potential readers.

Overall, for a first issue and a new hero based comic Geek-Girl intends to impress. The plot, as introduced thus far, displays a highly original and entertaining story in a world where heroes often are far too predictable and bland. The entire team has clearly put their all into this issue and for that they will reap the rewards via the love I guarantee you all will have by the time you finish the installment.

A solid 4 punches to the head out of 5!

To pick up this comic in print or digital, which I recommend you do because it will cost you pennies for a worthy read, please visit: http://samjohnsoncomics.wix.com/geek-girl

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Joss Whedon, Joe Bennett, Dan Brereton, Christopher Golden, Hector Gomez, Paul Lee, Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, Eric Powell, Cliff Richards,Ryan Sook, Guy Major, Drew Geraci, Keith Barnett, Pat Brosseau, Jeromy Cox, Rick Ketcham, Randy Emberlin, J. Jadsen, Ken Bruzenak, Brian Horton, Will Conrad, Dave McCaig, Clem Robins, Lisa Gonzales, Dark Horse Books

These omnibus collections are a gathering of what many consider to be the best Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic-stories out there. Volume#1 takes place pre-season one and covers a feature on Spike and Dru, a look back at the origins of Buffy as the Slayer, a glimpse into the life of Giles before Sunnydale, some Angel and most interestingly of all, Dawn’s effects on Buffy’s past once she is conjured into the Summer family’s history. Graced by the hands of everyone from Eric Powell to Joe Bennett, this collection proves very entertaining and manages to grasp the fun and action of the show more accurately than one would expect without Whedon’s pre-approval of the stories.

Throughout this collection we are introduced to many events in Buffy’s past that we were previously unaware of, including the love of a boy named Pike. In an attempt to get away from her gong-show high school dance and the name it had made for her, Buffy takes off with Pike to Las Vegas where we discover the first of many men to fall for one of the most dangerous women alive – the Slayer. Watching this poor guy struggle to keep up with the Buffy’s newly found speed and strength feels very reminiscent of her relationship with Riley; only it plays a larger emotional toll because Pike was unaware of what he was getting into when he stepped over to life in the supernatural world. When the inevitable happens and he is parted from the girl he adores, I couldn’t help but weep inside a little for every poor schmuck caught in Buffy’s path.

Paul Lee, Brian Horton

Although the Viva Las Buffy story line, as mentioned above, was my hands-down favorite of this collection there were a ton of exciting, action packed tales spilled within. You get to see Buffy kill the vampire known to many as Caligula or Jack the Ripper, flood a casino filled with undead, slay her first non-vampire monster and survive a mental institution due to Dawn’s nosey habits – All in one book!

Christopher Golden and Eric Powell’s ultra-creepy tale, All’s Fair, about Spike and Dru up against a mad-scientist with a dimension tearing machine was a pleasant reminder of the needlessly violent, ballsy Spike that we all knew and loved before his inevitable neutering in the television series. In complete honesty, all of the issues brought back pleasant fuzzy feelings; although there were some minor doses of disappointment throughout due to a slight lacking of spunk in Buffy’s dialogue and other minor details but, none of which really amount to anything wretched in terms of this volumes overall appeal.

My favorite artist on this list in terms of Buffy comics is Cliff Richards. He brings an exceptional amount of life to the characters and maintains a great reflection of their images within the show. With the addition of Conrad’s bold inking and bright, enticing colors provided by Dave McCaig and Lisa Gonzales, the result is a smooth, rather becoming tone that holds the truest to the shows style and grace.

Paul Lee’s contribution of Dawn & Hoopy Bear stands tall among the rest of the book with a playful Dawn and a demonic teddy bear with the intention of providing her heart’s desire. His artwork is perfectly suited for a plot surrounding young Dawn, as it is harshly shaded, brightly colored and relies heavily on her adorably over dramatic facial expressions.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus: Volume #1 was delightful to experience and despite its minor flaws and slight distancing from what the show says happened in Buffy’s past (I figure this is due to the new addition of Dawn and the implications of her actions in Buffy’s, now newly written, past), there really is nothing that should be holding back any fan of Buffy from reading this book. It holds true to the playful style of the series while also hosting the bad-ass kills, heavy action and snarky one-liners required of it. I enjoyed every second of reading this and for that simple reason, I recommend you go pick it up and do the same.

4 holy water showers out of 5.

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John Linton Roberson has been diligently working as an independent illustrator and writer in the comic book industry for 16 years. During that time he has produced a staggering array of comics. He has been hard at work on his latest book (which just came out), LULU, over the past three years. We got a chance to catch up with Mr. Roberson via email for the following interview in which we discuss: LULU, his career, the challenges facing creators of erotic and adult-themed comics, his artistic process, and much more. Much of Mr. Roberson’s work deals with adult subject matter. He creates mature comics for a mature audience. Fair warning: some of the links in this article may lead to comics with, gasp, illustrations which depict nudity and adult situations. If this offends you, thank you very much for reading, but this particular interview might not be for you. For the rest of you, enjoy.

Comics Forge: Can you tell us a little about the story of LULU for readers who might not be familiar with the work?

John Linton Roberson: LULU is probably the best-known work of German playwright Frank Wedekind. The odd thing about him is that while his work (for instance, Tom Hulce’s recent revival–as a musical–of his very transgressive SPRING AWAKENING) is well-known, I found in my research on his work that he is not, which is a pity; he was a playwright far in advance of his time. The original draft of LULU that was translated by Eric Bentley shows how far he actually intended to go with the play–which started out not as two plays but one, which he called his “Monster Tragedy”–but given it was 1895 he couldn’t, so it was divided into ERDGEIST and PANDORA’S BOX. They still go further than you’d expect for the time, really, but still were a bit toned down from where he meant it to go. It’s a work about class, sex, murder and hypocrisy.

It’s the story of a woman who is pretty much the definition of a “free spirit,” having sex with whomever she likes, mainly because she happens to really enjoy life and sees no reason not to;  while every man who is with her tries to possess her–to the point where most of them even call her by a name of their own devising, rather than her own. At the same time, she is in love with one particular man, Dr. Schoen, who basically took her when quite young from her useless, drunken father and raised her alongside his own son, Alwa, who also is in love with her. Besides that this relationship makes Schoen uneasy about her feelings for him, he also is rather obsessed with his social status and believes that an openly declared relationship with her would ruin his name, so he marries her off instead to an elderly, rich doctor named Goll.

But like most every man who comes near Lulu, he dies when he catches her with an artist, Schwarz, who’s supposed to be painting her portrait. In turn, she ends up with said artist, but he freaks out and kills himself when Schoen tells him about Lulu’s past. (A dramaturg working on the play at Carnegie Mellon, Kendra Lee, called Schwarz the “creepiest fuck in the show.”) Schoen still puts her off and plans to marry the “right” sort of woman, but tries to assuage Lulu by backing a show his son Alwa is directing starring her. But Lulu ends up forcing him to  break this off and marry her. But Schoen can’t handle this and tries to make Lulu kill herself. She ends up–mostly accidentally–killing him instead, and that’s where things start to go very badly for her and she’s forced to run, Alwa going with her (as well as her creepy father) and becoming her last husband.

Through most of this, a lesbian costume designer working with Alwa named Countess Geschwitz is also in love with Lulu, and I guess you could say Lulu sort of toys with her heart. Just the same, she is the only character who really stays true to Lulu to the end, even running with her and Alwa, but treated as more of an irritation at that point than anything else. This by the way is an example of how far ahead of his time Wedekind was, in that he was one of the first writers in Western literature to deal openly with gay characters, something that also comes up in SPRING AWAKENING.

I think I may have given away too much of the plot here. But that’s the rundown. Mine is also set, rather than turn of the century or 1920s Berlin, in more or less present day Chicago–which will pose some problems when I get to PANDORA’S BOX, but to this point has mainly only caused me to rephrase some of the dialogue, and change some references. Many think–because of the Pabst film–that this is a Weimar work, but in fact it was already two decades old by that time. Lulu has a lot to say about our own very class-based world and I wanted to force that into the open, so I chose to remove the period aspect. Not an unusual thing to do in theatre–you see it often done with the opera–but less so in comics adaptations. I am trying to remain as true as I can to the substance of the work. There are things here and there I will probably cut, but I’m trying to avoid that as I think that’s running away from a challenge, and this is a very challenging work.

Which elements of Wedekind’s LULU inspired you to adapt it into a comic format?

Partly its history–it’s been adapted a number of times before to different media, most famously as Alban Berg’s opera and, even more famously, Pabst’s silent film with Louise Brooks PANDORA’S BOX (which is basically just the second play, and which most readers if interested can see on TCM quite often). Brooks in fact became so identified with Lulu that the name is almost a synonym for her, but i avoided my Lulu looking like her. Mine is based on an Italian actress some might know from 1900 and SUSPIRIA, Stefania Casini. But it was also adapted as a film in 1923 with Asta Nielsen and in 1980 by Walerian Borowczyk for French TV. That particular version is interesting–though it’s not the best–because it deals with the erotic content of the plays more openly than other versions, though Berg’s opera does so too; besides that it’s one of the few modernist operas that appears regularly, it’s also one of the only ones to regularly feature nudity and sexual content. That caught my interest because most people seem to think the classics are “clean” and I like to point out that they’re not, that’s just how we’re taught they are. The work takes a remarkably modern view of sexuality and women–both with Lulu and Geschwitz–and challenges a lot of our set ideas of how women were viewed at the time. It’s also never been adapted for comics, as far as I know, except one scene used in Moore & O’Neill’s LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: CENTURY 1910, mashed up with–and killed by–Macheath from THREEPENNY OPERA. And then there’s that it’s a chance to do something in comics very different than a lot of the sci-fi, horror and superhero stuff that presently predominates, and of which I’m kinda sick.

To be perfectly honest, most comics are pretty irritating to me right now. I miss the days of Vertigo, or further back, the 1980s when there was a hell of a lot more variety and readers who were more willing to deal with experiments in form and content. I don’t think if something like, say, AMERICAN FLAGG! (which was sci-fi, but written in such a smartass adult–in the sense of mature and intelligent–way I think it’d fly right over today’s reader’s heads) or even more pointedly, LOVE & ROCKETS (which back then was able to market itself to non-comics readers, punkers especially, in record stores and other places; sometimes it was the only comic some people had in their house; now we don’t have those kind of record stores, or indeed have any in some cases) began now it’d have a chance. Obviously it still exists but it’s been around a long time; it’s an established institution but the product of an earlier, more artistically fertile time. If it began now you might see more reactions like “Where’s the movie in this? Where are the toys? What genre is this?” Blegh. Enough of that. Where are the COMICS? Nowadays you’d think there’d be more opportunity for this than ever, but it’s so sparse. You have your AGE OF BRONZE or your BERLIN, both of which I love. But that kind of stuff is not as regular as it used to be. We need more variety and a market that can give more stuff a chance. And we need more adventurous readers.

Okay, off my soapbox.

I also come from a theatre background–I was trained as an actor and was a playwright before I was a cartoonist–and have a strong belief that comics and theatre can have a lot in common. This is something some other cartoonists, most notably one of my favorites, P. Craig Russell (his version of SALOME was a big model for me with this project) have done, but not enough in my opinion.  It’s this that makes me favor long takes, scenes where you have people talking in a room that play out, something that a big influence of mine Dave Sim once said is the basis of true art. I agree, and I don’t think we see enough comics that focus on character interaction. I took it as an opportunity to focus on this. Comics often seem to think of themselves as film by poorer means and I think that’s a notion that needs to be challenged, especially in this era when so many comics come out that are obviously done as treatments for films. (I’m looking at you, Mark Millar)

Also, a lot of adaptations of comics try to deny the particular advantages of comics, of things like sound effects, layout, and like that, and make works that are more like illustrated text than a living, breathing comic. I know the reasons for this–avoiding campiness would be one reason–but I don’t think there’s anything inherently campy about comics. The ability of comics to split up focal moments for instance gives it the ability to show details in expression–and the progression of same–that you can’t in most other media. Again, this is something I learned from reading Russell. SALOME,THE MAGIC FLUTE and his RING adaptations (and others–I would direct people also to his black and white version of PAGLIACCI) are unashamedly comics and use ALL the tricks but do not lose any of the dignity of the work. In fact, it enhances it, takes out the stuffiness and makes them highly accessible, where with other adaptations  the attempt to be “dignified” and “serious” results in something stiff. (an exception being Jon J. Muth’s M, another influence on the work but more in the way I do the grays and other surface aspects–that book is all done from photos but still manages to breathe)  Russell’s adaptations are FUN. And use layout and color as the best approximations of how music feels that comics are capable of. I’m constantly in awe of him as a very fluid and imaginative storyteller, an aspect of his work his incredibly brilliant draftsmanship often overshadows, I think.

LULU seemed a work that I could explore this with. And then there’s the fact I’m drawn to subject matter dealing with sex–most of my work from the past decade quite much more graphically so if with satiric intent; this is my attempt to merge what I learned and developed with that with more serious content(more on that further down)–and this work certainly offers ample opportunities in that realm. And then there’s the rather bizarre way Wedekind uses dialogue, with characters speaking in overlapping, almost multilayered ways–often not so much TO each other as PAST each other, and this seemed like a fun challenge to “stage.”

I look at this in fact not as much an adaptation as staging the plays by other means. I began doing comics because I became disenchanted with theatre, both for its limited audience reach and my lack of control over the final product. After reading Dave Sim’s GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING and also reading some interviews with WIll Eisner and some of his work like CONTRACT WITH GOD (which very much deals with characters acting for the reader), it occurred to me that comics and plays both start with a script, so why not just do my plays as comics? That’s how I did my first graphic novel (which people can read online, but I’m not that keen now on how it looks except toward the last third) VITRIOL. So in a way I never really left my theatre training behind. I just moved it into another medium. This work gave me an opportunity to try to take that to another level.

Do you see the character of Lulu as exploited or empowered? I guess just giving you those two options is kind of limiting. A better question would be: what is your take on the character?

That actually brings me to another thing about the work that attracted me. When trying to interpret it I noticed that a key aspect of the character is that if you present her as having guile, as trying to use men for her own advancement–as you might see in a noir for instance–she will ring wrong. Lulu is strangely innocent and naive. While she’s very sexually open, again, it’s because for her it’s just part of enjoying life. She doesn’t think ahead too much, is always very much in the moment.

She’s the exact opposite of the femme fatale, and the more I worked on it the more I liked her, and I see her as, beyond an inversion of the trope, an outright critique of it–remarkable given what a misogynistic time the work was born in. One thing that comes out when you read Wedekind is his love of, and sympathy for, women, and in fact an outright contempt for the foolishness of men. The source of the tragedy is that in this world, Lulu cannot truly be free as long as men around her want to use her and violate her trust. Rather than being a beacon of happiness, every man wants to control her, possess her, make her a trophy, damp her down, and turn her into a blank template for their own notions. Most of the men I would say exploit her–or try–though she manages to slip out of this most of the time–not even really intentionally, just by virtue of what she is.

What we have here is a magnet for self-destructive men who use her as the occasion and excuse for a downfall they desire. (Schwarz and Schoen especially. Schoen in fact is downright frightening in this sense; see Pabst’s PANDORA’S BOX, the wedding night scene, to see what I mean.) They hate and destroy themselves, and use her as something to blame for it. An object in the strictest sense. Something men do, or try to do, to women far too often.

So it seems to me that this is the real nature of what is thought of as the “femme fatale.” It’s a fantasy of men who want to annihilate themselves but also assign some tragic dimension for themselves, be the star in their own drama and drag someone else down with them as supporting character and imagined antagonist. Compare LULU to something like THE BLUE ANGEL and this becomes very glaring. Men love the idea “That bad woman destroyed me, it wasn’t my fault.” Lulu challenges this by her very nature.

The story contains some very erotic “adult” content. Has this factor created any challenges for you as far as distribution or promotion?

Not especially, because I haven’t even tried to use any traditional distribution methods and, as far as what I’ve published myself, I never have. I use print-on-demand exclusively and this work doesn’t go nearly as far as, say, my Vladrushka stories–most of which were published by Eros/Fantagraphics and ended up in stores (I still see a few of them on racks from time to time even after all these years) or MARTHA, or STORY OF OH! which I did with Charles Alverson (former editor of HELP!, and screenwriter of JABBERWOCKY and–uncredited–BRAZIL). Those last two were published in the fifth and first issues, respectively, of my comic THIS SICKNESS, and those went through Cafepress and remained for a year till they banned them. Which is why I chose to stop working with them altogether. I’m not too keen on censorship.

OH! is now online and enjoys a pretty steady page view rate (though I’d love to bring it back into print; I’m rather proud of it), and MARTHA I republished through Createspace and is now on Amazon, and has sold better than any of my other books.

LULU is my move into more “R” material, where I use some of what I’ve learned to do with sexually-oriented material toward more serious purposes,  and the sexual aspect of it is not the main point, but part of the plot, and I do not skimp on details when I deal with it because I do not see any reason to. In this book, her portrait is being painted, and the story in this part is her rather slow seduction of Schwarz. I had to bring across the idea here that she simply doesn’t care what anyone thinks and is very comfortable with herself and her body. To soft-pedal that would have weakened it, I feel. This is how it wanted to be. So I went with it. If that costs me some market share–well, then why do a piece like this at all, then? I wanted to do this the way I feel Wedekind always wanted it done.

I haven’t noticed anyone blink an eye at it so far in all the time it’s been serialized online (and, if pageviews are any indication, its audience certainly hasn’t been small), and THIS SICKNESS #6 & 7, which featured the first two parts, are still on Amazon as well. I expect it’s only really a problem when it’s as graphic as Vladrushka is.

I don’t really know how a publisher would react to it because I haven’t tried to bring it to one. Perhaps some readers might be prejudiced against it, based on some of my previous work, expect this to be smut as well. But those same readers love graphic violence and buy comics where Geoff Johns has arms torn off, so I’m not sure how much stock I put in their opinion. I’m trying, I hope, to reach more discerning and mature readers who realize that what I do in this comic is not at all unusual for versions of this work, and is accepted quite regularly in films and cable TV. I don’t really think I could do justice to this work without that. The following books will not have as much of that because the story doesn’t call for it, but here, it did. I use that here when it’s appropriate.

I self-publish mainly because, to be honest, I’m, bad about submitting my work. I’ve never actually been rejected by a publisher when I have, but I’ve done so rarely; my first piece that Eros published, OCTOBER SURPRISE, was actually just something I dashed off for fun when I was working on the much more involved VITRIOL. It was my wife at the time who made me submit it. I was surprised they took it because I did it mainly to see if I could draw something very fast; it took me two weeks and was 24 pages, and drawn in a deliberately sketchy style. I was even more surprised that they kept asking me for more work. It was a great time though because I think my editor, Michael Dowers, made me find what worked in my style and helped me really improve. Drawing naked people all the time certainly helps your abilities in anatomy the hard way. Without clothes, you can’t hide your mistakes! But also I think my ability with shading and grays was vastly improved; Dowers encouraged that direction because he felt that really helped the work “pop out.” I owe him a lot.

I’m not opposed to having a publisher and have genuinely enjoyed working with the editors I have; I just don’t really want to wait for one to accept the work and certainly will not avoid doing a work if it’s “uncommercial.” I honestly don’t care about that. I will put it out there either way. And nowadays one can. So I do. I hope for people to buy this book, but I’ll continue the project even if they don’t.

I’m hoping that the splendid introduction the wonderful Martin Pasko was awesome enough to honor me with–really, a far more complimentary piece than I would have ever expected–will attract the eyes of some readers. We’ll see

With “racy” titles like Howard Chaykin’s Black Kiss, and to a somewhat lesser degree Joe Casey’s Sex being published by Image, do you feel that some walls are starting to be knocked down as far as mainstream acceptance of erotic work goes?

That would certainly be nice. You’d think by now they would be. And I really liked BLACK KISS 2. (The less said about Casey’s SEX, though, the better; in that case I believe he’s simply using rather puerile sexual stuff to dress up a very weak premise for what seems like just another superhero tale–it’s nothing like the boldness of Chaykin, it’s a gimmick). I liked the degree to which Chaykin simply didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought, which is really the nature of BK, in both its incarnations. You’d really have thought, in fact, the first BLACK KISS would have knocked down those barriers. Or Dave McKean’s recent and excellent CELLULOID. Or further back, people like Robert Crumb, or Europeans like Milo Manara. It’s actually rather frustrating to me that Americans love graphic violence but get weird when sex is concerned, while the Europeans are exactly the opposite. Material that deals graphically with sex to me is far more true to life because it occurs far more often in life than graphic violence; it’s part of most people’s daily lives. If you look at the way your life is actually lived, all of it, it actually is X-rated. Everyone’s is. But how often are you in a fistfight or gun battle?

But the fact is that the American market still clings to a rather hypocritical point of view, based in some idea that comics are at all read by kids anymore, which they largely aren’t–or on some simplistic notion of taste. It is allowed when it’s rapey; Avatar Press is proof of this. Perhaps because rape is a species of violence, which the American market loves and rewards in comics, that’s why. But people simply having sex? Somehow that’s wrong. That’s bullshit in my opinion.

I actually asked a certain comics pro I won’t name if Chaykin’s current work meant that I might be able to submit my own more graphic stuff now–which I haven’t had a publisher for since Eros, as far as publishing new work by US artists, was phased out a few years ago by Fantagraphics. I was told it meant they wanted to publish Chaykin, not X-rated material per se. What it seems is that if you’re a huge star, you can. Anyone else cannot. So I’m skeptical on that. These works don’t break barriers–they come and then the barriers are still there for everyone else. They don’t establish precedents; they remain special cases. Just the same, I urge everyone to pick up both BLACK KISS and CELLULOID. You’ll thank me. They’re both amazing works.

I find it rather funny though that the same fans who claim in public to disapprove of that kind of material secretly read manga porn featuring characters with full-grown bodies but the faces of children being raped with tentacles. That stuff is perfectly okay. More serious, intelligent smut is not. Americans like to think of themselves as children, I think, and are certainly taught to. In my mind that’s not a virtue, and probably one reason Americans are so easily manipulated by government and media. For my own part, I’m an adult and only interested in speaking to adults.

This is one reason I am absolutely in love with comics as a medium, but mostly detest the industry and the culture surrounding it. It’s so out of sync in that sense with other art forms, and until total freedom is allowed in content–and doesn’t have to have superheroes attached in some way, as with Casey’s SEX or Millar’s awful HEROGASM (which in my view are basically not much more than fan-service, adolescent stroke material of a very sad kind), the industry will never be taken seriously except as R&D for movies, TV and toys.

You both wrote and did the artwork for this title. How long have you been working on this project? Also, can you tell us a little about the process you use to create the artwork? Is it a mix of traditional and digital methods?

Since late 2009, I think, and the current part was completed in 2012. I will be resuming work on it soon; it was interrupted by my move to California from Washington, and also because I needed a bit of a rest from it. During which I did my version of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” which should be published in GRAPHIC CANON 4 later this year or early next. Though the project had been brewing in my head a long time before that, but it was only after I completed OH! and MARTHA that I felt I was up to it.

I had originally wanted to try my hand at Buchner’s WOYZECK–also something Alban Berg made an opera–but decided I didn’t really want to do a story revolving mostly around murder. Though I might go back to that someday unless Russell beats me to it; I know he has his eye on that piece. It was slow because…well a lot of cartoonists don’t want to admit this, but I will because I feel more people should realize that cartoonists often do not support themselves with their work…because I have to fit in my work at night and on weekends while doing day jobs. If I could have concentrated on it full-time, it would not have taken me three years, but there we go. Rent must be paid and I do not believe in starving for my art. But I’ve done that, balanced those two sides of my life, as long as I’ve been doing comics, even when I had a publisher. I don’t  complain; I don’t do work that’s especially commercial and do not expect to make my living off it (though it would be nice), and indeed working allows me the freedom to not take things like that into consideration or be limited by them.

As far as the technique: it’s a blend of traditional and digital techniques. I started integrating digital inking into my style in one section of MARTHA–try to spot which pages–but LULU was where I went into it full-bore. I still do all my pencils on a drawing board, on Bristol. That’s for a few reasons. One is that I like to do that. I don’t think through my pages as well when it starts as digital, especially as I still work with a fairly small monitor. To me though there’s something a little sacred about the board. It feels right at least at the pencil stage. I was raised with trad techniques and even digital to me is only a way to use techniques myself–and make them reproducible–that it would have taken whole production departments to execute (think MAD for instance and its beautiful printing of grey wash, a look I like very much and use with LULU, or the Marvel or Warren magazines from the 1970s).

When I’m done I want people to not be thinking it looks digital–the way so many mainstream comics look nowadays; I hate the bright shiny airbrushed-looking digital color many use now and try for a look that’s more painted, watercolor-like, but within black line. Adrian Belew of King Crimson, when asked about his use of effects, once said it’s not HOW you get the sound but what sound you get, and I follow that kind of thinking, or try to. The great part of working digital is that I don’t have to worry about anything being lost in reproduction: what you see on the printed page is pretty much the original.

Once the pencils are scanned, I ink digitally–and generally stay very close to the pencils–as well as painting the grey washes, all in Photoshop. In most cases I also do much of the background work at that stage. I try to take advantage of working in layers to make all that tight and as crisp as I can get it. I also use the pencil shading in the greys quite often, bringing it up through the layers and maybe manipulating it a bit, but trying to utilize the texture of the pencils to keep a natural look. After all this the lettering comes in. I use a font I designed myself, called Vitriol, and do a lot of manipulation with “transform” to warp it to try to convey the sound of the dialogue. My model there is Dave Sim, who I believe is the single most creative letterer comics have ever had. It’s his approach I like best. I believe you can HEAR his lettering more than you read it, and that to me is how it should feel.

After all this, the books are assembled in Acrobat.

Where can readers purchase Lulu?

Only via Amazon–US, UK and Europe–and Createspace. I’m hoping to get it into some stores, but I’m concentrating on those venues right now.

Thanks! This was a blast. Anyone with further questions or comments, by the way, can contact me anytime at john.roberson@gmail.com, and can always see my work and my blog via jlroberson.org.

And a big thank you to John for putting so much time, consideration, and effort into these answers. Be sure to check out his work, and keep supporting indie comics and creators!

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Writer: Duane Swierczynski

Artist: Eric Nguyen

Colorist: Michelle Madsen

Letters by: Richard Starkings and COMICRAFT

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Many people associate Dark Horse Comics with horror and noir titles, but they are currently publishing some excellent superhero comics as well.  Along with superb new superhero titles like Michael Oeming’s The Victories and Francesco Francavilla’s The Black Beetle, Dark Horse is also revitalizing some of their old titles like Ghost, Blackout, and X. Debuting in the pages of the original Dark Horse Presents #8, X soon became its own series. I loved Dark Horse titles during that era (I still do). They helped to lay the foundation which would go on to shape my comic book reading habits to this very day. So of course I was very curious to check out the new X series, which debuted this week with X #0.

X is a violent vigilante whose methods would make Frank Castle himself nod in approval. I don’t always read superhero titles, but when I do I prefer them not to be of the one-dimensional, do-gooder variety. Give me more complex characters whose methods blur the line between hero and menace. The world is not a black and white place. Give me comics which reflect the varying palette of gray which makes up everyday life and social issues. And give me a gritty story with plenty of ultra-violence thrown in for good measure. This zero-issue of X manages to do deliver all this and more.

Here’s the synopsis which kicks off X:

Arcadia. The once-great American City is now a half-empty shell, barren after years of failing industry and political corruption, an overturned feeding trough for the criminal elite. Until the photos started showing up in the mail…

From there we jump into a world of mob bosses and unappetizing charcuterie. It seems the criminal underground is spooked. Many in their ranks are receiving mysterious pictures of themselves in the mail, adorned with a red “X”. Shortly thereafter, these people wind up brutally attacked and murdered. This vigilante has been dubbed “the X-Killer.” Without giving too much away, X #0 introduces readers to him and his methods as he tries to work his way up the organized crime food chain, while the criminals try to neutralize this new threat.

The story is pretty much standard fare for what you’d expect from the description above, with a few unique wrinkles thrown in. The pacing is quick, and overall quite enjoyable. We don’t learn much about our mysterious vigilante yet, but this is a zero-issue after all. In the original series, X’s motivations were somewhat shrouded in mystery, so we’ll have to see how it goes once the series really gets going. It would definitely be welcomed if this series ends up interjecting elements which really make the character of X stand out from the pack of mainstream vigilantes.

I dug the artwork. The illustration and coloring work very well together, collaborating to create a dark style punctuated by the many splashes of crimson bloodshed. Backgrounds and detailing in the vast majority of the panels make the entire issue feel very satisfying.  I love the character design, which stays quite true to the look of the original. X’s costume has a punk/bondage-type aesthetic which appeals to me. Don’t look for any of the standard superhero footie-boots here. X wears some burly waffle-stompers and will not hesitate to put one up a bad guy’s… Well, you get the gist.

Overall, this was a super-solid first foray into the world of an old favorite. X #0 was done quite well all around. I won’t hesitate to pick up the next issue and come along for the ride. Looking for a mature superhero title outside of  Big 2 comics? Consider giving this one a shot.

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

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Created By:  Dean Koontz & Kevin J. Anderson

Adapted By: Chuck Dixon

Art By: Brett Booth

Colors By: Color Dojo, Andrew Dalhouse and Mohan

Lettering By: Bill Tortolini

Ballantine Books

There isn’t a person I know who hasn’t spent at least one night cowering in the dark in fear of, what I consider the most recognizable monster around, Frankenstein. His dark, dead eyes staring at you from between your closet doors. His immorality and pent-up anger radiating around you as your anxiety erupts into a fit of sleeplessness and night terrors. Yup, those were the days.

Fast forward two centuries from that thunderous night when Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s monster came to life and meet Deucalion, aka Frankenstein of the now. He has spent countless years separated from what we consider proper society, and has found what is likely the closest to inner peace he can. That is until he is found by a messenger sent from New Orleans with news of Victor’s continuing survival; having seemingly found a means by which to become practically immortal. Unable to allow what he imagines is a horrifying reality be laced upon mankind at the hands of his mad-creator, Deucalion makes a trip back to the city in order to track down the man, who now calls himself Victor Helios of Helios Biovision, and end his miserable existence.

Meanwhile, a series of grizzly murders involving stolen body parts has Detective O’Connor and her partner Maddison on a wild goose chase. Everything leads to something, they just can’t seem to pinpoint what that is exactly. But, the longer they take the higher chance they have of another capture, unless another mad-man gets his hands on the murderer first that is.

In case you weren’t aware up until now, this take on Frankenstein was originally created by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson and written in novel form. Needless to say, that means there are a lot of side plots happening alongside all this madness involving a ton of crazy cool characters that play a huge role in Prodigal Son‘s finale. So, while reading be patient because some answers won’t come until Volume 2 but, I promise you they are worth the terror and distress they will cause until then.

The title Prodigal Son is odd but, very meaningful when you compare it’s original form to the tale inside this comic. The Prodigal Son was in the bible, also known as Lost Son and many other names, and spoke of a boy who harassed his father into giving him his inheritance before death. The father agrees but is met with a man who ruined his fortune quickly in an attempt to live lavishly. Despite his sons obvious issues with money, upon returning home the son is greeted with a feast and forgiven. In the case of dear old Victor and Deucalion I believe Victor to play the role of the son in the biblical version and Deucalion that of the father. Despite his knowledge of Victor’s insane antics and schemes, Deucalion allowed Victor to live hundreds of years ago and is therefore partly to blame for whatever happens next – unless he can have Victor’s head before then, of course. Victor has taken his life for granted, experienced everything but nothing at the same time. He has crossed the line now and with Deucalion’s power and determination there should be nothing stopping him from committing this necessary evil, except that damned bit added in where he isn’t able to lay a hand on his master…

There is something to be said about a person who can effectively and accurately adapt a novel into any other form, especially that of a comic. There is a ton of detail in novels and to break that all down into bits and pieces, then manage to find a way to piece the puzzle back together with a plot that will impress both familiar and unfamiliar fans of the novel, well that is just plain old impressive. Dixon captured the essence of each characters their dialogue and presence immensely well; nothing gets me laughing more than O’Connor and Maddison’s back and forth. He has also managed to make these seemingly separate stories involving many questionable characters fit together smoothly and without confusion. And here I am, unable to even summarize a 100-and-some-odd page comic is less than 500 words…

The art, by the immensely talented Brett Booth, is simply breath taking and worthy of attention. It is almost pure color and has very little in terms of dark inking. This allowed allowed the colorists some room to show off their shading skills; which are impeccable by the way. It has that little touch of anime that everyone adores in both the stature of the characters and the overall feel of their expressions and attire. Character movement felt fluid and natural, while panel and scene changes never felt overbearing or too drastic.

Overall, I really enjoyed every aspect of this series thus far. This modern take on Frankenstein will have your veins pumping and that kid terror returning in heavy doses. Every member of the team who worked on this book has clearly put a lot of themselves into it because the amount of emotion and sheer anticipation it inspires could not be provided if everyone wasn’t totally on board.

I recommend this to anyone who was a fan of Frankenstein or Koontz’s novel. Frankenstein: Prodigal Son Volume 1 was made to please and includes an introduction from Koontz, an original comic by Koontz and a gorgeous image gallery all of which make it worthy of a buy. Rating:  9 completed crosswords out of 10.

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 Over the past few years Big Dog Ink has gone from being newbie comic company to a force to be reckoned with. Their series’, including my favorite Ursa Minor, become more popular by the day because they take an approach to comics that many companies have long since forgotten: quality fun. These are in your face stories that will not only terrify and mystify you but excite you in ways you never thought possible from a comic. Their newest announcement is for ‘The In Crowd’ a superhero comic that I can confidently say should ROCK. Check out the press release below to get all the information you need about the comic and how to get it in your hands!

The In Crowd

Saving the Summer the Only Way they Know How

“This summer, prepare for super heroes as you’ve never seen them before.  They’ve got great hair, great bodies and great power.  But great responsibility?  Yeah, not so much!  From the pages of Critter and the Slipstream one-shot comes this fun, fast paced four issue limited series from Big Dog Ink.  Wing-Boy, Lasso Lass, Tiffany and Slipstream team up with brand new character Barnacle to fight crime and help save the world from “High Tide” but will looking good for their reality TV series get in the way of doing good?

In the tradition of the bestselling Big Dog Ink throwback series, Critter, writer Eric Esquivel (Electric Youth) and artist C.B. Zane (Cricket) bring readers a look at a superhero team that is truly not ready for prime time!  With Corey Knaebel contributing on the “B” covers, the art team on the series couldn’t be more vibrant!

Read along with Critter and the High-Tide event, or as a standalone introduction to our new and fun modern heroes, the In Crowd continues Big Dog Ink’s tradition of providing entertaining stories in a variety of genres to satisfy even the most discerning comic book appetite.

In Crowd is currently available for pre-order in the April Diamond Previews catalog for June 2013 Release with a retail price of $3.50.  For more information or for promotional materials or opportunities please email Kim@bigdogink.com.

About Big Dog Ink

Founded in 2009, Big Dog Ink is an independent publisher of diverse comic book properties such as PENNY FOR YOUR SOUL, URSA MINOR, CRITTER, KNIGHTINGAIL and REX: ZOMBIE KILLER.  Since its inception, Big Dog Ink has quickly become a top publisher in the industry with its hit series, THE LEGEND OF OZ: THE WICKED WEST, which has consistently charted in the “Diamond Top 300″ list.  BDI has gained a loyal fan following due to our high quality art, stories and dedication to elevating the art of small press and creator owned publishing.”

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DC Comics Booth (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

Wait what? Marvel and DC announce the end of all print comics

Got this interesting press release from Robot 7, and quickly followed by similar press at Bleeding Cual about Marvel and DC deciding to say sod it to print runs. The press release follows.

New York, New York – Marvel and DC Combined Press Release 01 April 2013

Marvel and DC have teamed together to announce that they as of 01 October 2013 will no longer print comic books. The margins attributed to online e-books have made a significant impact in how we conduct our business. The print trade is no longer viable, and as such both comic book manufacturers have decided to cease entirely all print runs of weekly and monthly comic books. Print comic books are messy, have you ever tried to get printers ink off your fingers? Seriously that stuff is like super glue, you need a surgeon to get this stuff off your fingers. Have you ever smelled printer’s ink? We swear the whole office was high, did you see the comics in the 1970’s? Man that stuff was good, we keep a couple 55 gallon drums of that stuff around for when we get stuck on a plot line like Batman or Superman dying again, or the Avengers need some new trippy thing to go after.

So that is it, print runs are over with, however, the good side of this is that every single print edition you own once it is done being destroyed by the kids, mold, water, poor handling, or not in bags and boards will be worth something someday. Unless you have a pile of 1990’s comic books, those were the shit, thinking it was going to put your kids through college, ha we fooled the crap out of you didn’t we? The great comic book bubble they called it, and you fell for it much like the great silver bubble and the great housing bubble, and all the other bubbles out there. We are surprised you have not grown tired of this game yet, so we just want to make your decade bubblishous. See what is happening in housing again? Lol you are all idiots, so we need to back away from you people.

Comic book nerds, seriously you need to go home, take a shower, and go see who is out there and maybe get a little toned and some sun. By going totally e-book, we are so going to win. Production costs and 1/10^th of a print run, we get to keep more, shareholders are happy; we get to increase the bottom line. You don’t really read print anyways; we keep on dropping print runs and can’t even sell those off, so here we are, all eBooks all the time.

And no don’t think for a minute that we will be allowed to pay the authors more, that’s just funny, seriously did you just think that?

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.

The documents provided in this press release contain statements related to our future business and financial performance and future events or developments involving Marvel and DC Comics that may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as “expects,” “looks forward to,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “will,” “project” or words of similar meaning. We may also make forward-looking statements in other reports, in presentations, in material delivered to stockholders and in press releases. In addition, our representatives may from time to time make oral forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of all comic books worldwide that are read by people and machines, and are, therefore, subject to certain risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors, many of which are beyond Marvel and DC Comics control, affect Marvel and DC Comics operations, performance, business strategy and results and could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Marvel and DC Comics to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or anticipated on the basis of historical trends. These factors include in particular, but are not limited to, the matters described in Item 3: Key information – Risk factors of our most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC, in the chapter “Risks” of our most recent annual report prepared in accordance with the United States Commercial Code, and in the chapter “Report on risks and opportunities” of our most recent interim report.

Happy April Fool’s day – from all your friends at ComicsForge.com – so rolled – had to do it, sorry if we offended anyone, usual disclaimers, no marvel and dc don’t know anything about this, heck we don’t even write about marvel and dc comics over here. Go back to sleep it will be ok in the morning.

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