You Don't Get There from Here #31-33, #35-36 (November 2013 to July 2014 and October 2014 to March 2015, self-published, $3)
This is one of my favorite minicomics. Written and drawn by Los Angeles-area artist, hiker, and cat lover Carrie McNinch, these digest-sized comics collect her daily one- to five-panel diary comics. We ordered these from John Porcellino at Spit and a Half, and after I read them—as did my wife and son—my wife ordered even more. Since then, I've ordered still more and subscribed directly from Carrie. It's been awhile since I've kept up with her work, having let a previous subscription lapse.
Drawn daily, dated, and indicating part of her daily soundtrack (from Kanye West's "Monster" to Broken Bells's "Holding on to Life" in #31 alone), the comics are pleasant slices of Carrie's life. Like many autobiographical and semi-autobiographical minicomics, it's not always clear where the line between artful narrator and actual person is drawn, but Carrie comes across as very kind and personable in her comics. She is also very open about what concerns her.
Consistent themes running throughout her work include anxiety over her living situation; running, hiking, and walking dogs in the mountains north of LA; hanging out with friends and babysitting; aging, approaching menopause, and health insurance; occasional depression; her father; food and restaurants she frequents; drinking too much; the beauty of nature; the LA Zine Fest; her cats Milo and Chu; acupuncture; Disneyland; and travels to Mexico and Japan.
Her drawing style is simply detailed—at times similar to Porcellino's work—and some of her most impressive panel work depicts either landscapes or cityscapes; or more metaphorical imagery such as disembodied or drunk uncertainty (for example, 12/11/13), the specter of anxiety (2/3/14), and loneliness and the need for physical contact (4/3/14).
Her daily diary comics are occasionally joined by longer-form journalistic pieces about her travels to Mexico and her father, who had Alzheimer's; showing that her comics storytelling isn't limited to several-panel slices of daily life.
Regardless of whether you like minicomics, personal comics, Los Angeles, cats, or any of the other topics mentioned above, check out Carrie's comics. Reading one issue is rewarding, but reading more shares a broader perspective on her life and personal development over that time. Personally, I want to go hiking with her!
Availability: You can order copies from Carrie McNinch, P.O. Box 49403, Los Angeles, CA 90049 or online. Her graphic novel I Want Everything To Be Okay is also available.
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Friday, March 16, 2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
Back Issue Boxes
Collectors #1-3 (Collectors Comics, June 2013 to October 2015, $4.99 and $6.99)
Collectors is a weekly Web comic written and drawn by Eddie deAngelini, co-owner of Santa Monica's Hi De Ho Comics with Geoffrey Patterson of Geoffrey's Comics in Gardena. It's the "love story of a husband, a wife, and a comic book collection," loosely based on deAngelini's partnership with his wife Kristen.
These three annual collections, ranging between 44 and 68 pages, and seemingly funded by Kickstarter campaigns, collect material published online, as well as new material to frame and punctuate the reprints, candid photographs of cosplay and comics from deAngelini's collection, and letters of comment from readers.
Strips address thematic constants and concerns of comic book readers and collectors: trivial knowledge about first appearances, anxiety over how much comics cost, holy grail issues of desire, the frustrations of online auctions, the joy of flipping through back issue boxes, and a rich fantasy life. deAngelini also addresses common marriage challenges: family budgets, travel to conventions, spousal compromises, and shared interests such as zombies and cosplay.
The writing is brisk and to the point, gently loving, and clever—and deAngelini clearly loves comic books, reading and collecting. deAngelini's artwork is simple and basic but does the trick—and has matured a little over time. His drawings of Marvel heroes remind me slightly of Fred Hembeck and Chris Giarrusso.
Availability: You can buy Collectors online.
Collectors is a weekly Web comic written and drawn by Eddie deAngelini, co-owner of Santa Monica's Hi De Ho Comics with Geoffrey Patterson of Geoffrey's Comics in Gardena. It's the "love story of a husband, a wife, and a comic book collection," loosely based on deAngelini's partnership with his wife Kristen.
These three annual collections, ranging between 44 and 68 pages, and seemingly funded by Kickstarter campaigns, collect material published online, as well as new material to frame and punctuate the reprints, candid photographs of cosplay and comics from deAngelini's collection, and letters of comment from readers.
Strips address thematic constants and concerns of comic book readers and collectors: trivial knowledge about first appearances, anxiety over how much comics cost, holy grail issues of desire, the frustrations of online auctions, the joy of flipping through back issue boxes, and a rich fantasy life. deAngelini also addresses common marriage challenges: family budgets, travel to conventions, spousal compromises, and shared interests such as zombies and cosplay.
The writing is brisk and to the point, gently loving, and clever—and deAngelini clearly loves comic books, reading and collecting. deAngelini's artwork is simple and basic but does the trick—and has matured a little over time. His drawings of Marvel heroes remind me slightly of Fred Hembeck and Chris Giarrusso.
Availability: You can buy Collectors online.
Monday, December 04, 2017
Web Comics Gone Print
To Catch a Tooth (self-published, 2013, $2.99)
This 16-page minicomic was written, drawn, and published by Dylan Campbell, whom I met at Pulp Fiction in early December. He started making comics after taking a class several years ago and now publishes a Web comic, Scared by the Bell. This is his first mini.
Drawn in a slightly cartoony style that reminds me a little of Ariel Schrag by way of Mark Crilley, this brief comic tells the tale of a boy who conspires to rob the tooth fairy. it is a gently clever family comic that reads at the pace of a cartoon or TV sitcom. At the end, it's a story about love and looking out for the ones you love.
Campbell's artwork is friendly and his writing conversational, which works well for the story. The lettering is uneven, using a computer typeface and inexplicably switching from uppercase to lowercase on page 4. Lastly, Campbell's panel and page design offer room for improvement. The structure of the pages don't always serve the narrative, and the panel arrangement and composition occasionally feel arbitrary. A stronger sense of unity and direction will serve his work well. That said, this is a great first effort. All first minis should be this good, and the formal issues are small in light of the art and ideas.
This 16-page minicomic was written, drawn, and published by Dylan Campbell, whom I met at Pulp Fiction in early December. He started making comics after taking a class several years ago and now publishes a Web comic, Scared by the Bell. This is his first mini.
Drawn in a slightly cartoony style that reminds me a little of Ariel Schrag by way of Mark Crilley, this brief comic tells the tale of a boy who conspires to rob the tooth fairy. it is a gently clever family comic that reads at the pace of a cartoon or TV sitcom. At the end, it's a story about love and looking out for the ones you love.
Campbell's artwork is friendly and his writing conversational, which works well for the story. The lettering is uneven, using a computer typeface and inexplicably switching from uppercase to lowercase on page 4. Lastly, Campbell's panel and page design offer room for improvement. The structure of the pages don't always serve the narrative, and the panel arrangement and composition occasionally feel arbitrary. A stronger sense of unity and direction will serve his work well. That said, this is a great first effort. All first minis should be this good, and the formal issues are small in light of the art and ideas.
Wednesday, November 01, 2017
Far from a Romance
Night Nurse #1 (Marvel, July 2015, $7.99)
Writers: Jean Thomas, Linda Fite, and Brian Michael Bendis; Artists: Winslow Mortimer and Alex Maleev; Colorists: George Roussos, Andrea Hunt, and Dave Stewart; Letterers: John Costanza, Charlotte Jetter, and VC's Randy Gentile; Assistant Editor: Cory Sedlmeier; Editors: Roy Thomas and Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Siya Oum.
I can almost hardly believe that this series was originally published. By the time Marvel published the original Night Nurse series in 1972-1973, most publishers no longer published romance or "women's" comics. (I qualify that term because women can make and read any kind of comic, even if publishers have long tried to market specific kinds of comics to women.) Even in the early '70s, Night Nurse was an anomaly and far from a romance or teen drama comic. This wonderful budget reprint volume collects #1-4 of the original series, as well as a 2006 appearance in Daredevil Vol. 2, #80 (whole number #460) that contains a Night Nurse cameo and establishes her in the Marvel Knights neighborhood of the Marvel Universe.
The original four-issue series brings together three young student nurses: a wealthy redhead estranged from her father, an inner-city African-American woman, and a comparatively unremarkable blonde. As roommates, their backgrounds couldn't be much more different, but their shared experiences in nursing classes end up bringing them together as friends.
Each issue focuses on a challenge the new friends need to overcome, alone or together. Political radicals plan to bomb the hospital to protest rolling brown outs in poor sections of the city. An addict surgeon tries to cover up a death caused by his negligence—while romancing one of the students. An injured mafia kingpin becomes a target while under care at the hospital. And at a remote mansion, an invalid poses a threat to a visiting nurse.
Night Nurse is more similar to the horror and mystery comics of the '70s than earlier "women-oriented" comics such as the romance comics, teen comics like Archie, or even Marvel's Patsy Walker and related comics. Winslow Mortimer's artwork is realistic and dramatic—suitable for a dark action comic. The comic could have even inspired a TV show at the time; think Emergency! meets The Incredible Hulk.
The 2006 cameo in Daredevil recontextualizes Night Nurse from its student nurse origins to a character in the mainstream Marvel Universe treating injured superheroes in the deep, desperate dark of night. In that issue, she tends to Daredevil's wounds while Elektra, the Black Widow, Iron Fist, and Power Man take on the Hand. The recontextualization works, and she could easily find a new place in comics today. This volume is an excellent book ending of the old and the new.
Availability: Night Nurse #1 is available as a back issue.
Writers: Jean Thomas, Linda Fite, and Brian Michael Bendis; Artists: Winslow Mortimer and Alex Maleev; Colorists: George Roussos, Andrea Hunt, and Dave Stewart; Letterers: John Costanza, Charlotte Jetter, and VC's Randy Gentile; Assistant Editor: Cory Sedlmeier; Editors: Roy Thomas and Axel Alonso; Cover Artist: Siya Oum.
I can almost hardly believe that this series was originally published. By the time Marvel published the original Night Nurse series in 1972-1973, most publishers no longer published romance or "women's" comics. (I qualify that term because women can make and read any kind of comic, even if publishers have long tried to market specific kinds of comics to women.) Even in the early '70s, Night Nurse was an anomaly and far from a romance or teen drama comic. This wonderful budget reprint volume collects #1-4 of the original series, as well as a 2006 appearance in Daredevil Vol. 2, #80 (whole number #460) that contains a Night Nurse cameo and establishes her in the Marvel Knights neighborhood of the Marvel Universe.
The original four-issue series brings together three young student nurses: a wealthy redhead estranged from her father, an inner-city African-American woman, and a comparatively unremarkable blonde. As roommates, their backgrounds couldn't be much more different, but their shared experiences in nursing classes end up bringing them together as friends.
Each issue focuses on a challenge the new friends need to overcome, alone or together. Political radicals plan to bomb the hospital to protest rolling brown outs in poor sections of the city. An addict surgeon tries to cover up a death caused by his negligence—while romancing one of the students. An injured mafia kingpin becomes a target while under care at the hospital. And at a remote mansion, an invalid poses a threat to a visiting nurse.
Night Nurse is more similar to the horror and mystery comics of the '70s than earlier "women-oriented" comics such as the romance comics, teen comics like Archie, or even Marvel's Patsy Walker and related comics. Winslow Mortimer's artwork is realistic and dramatic—suitable for a dark action comic. The comic could have even inspired a TV show at the time; think Emergency! meets The Incredible Hulk.
The 2006 cameo in Daredevil recontextualizes Night Nurse from its student nurse origins to a character in the mainstream Marvel Universe treating injured superheroes in the deep, desperate dark of night. In that issue, she tends to Daredevil's wounds while Elektra, the Black Widow, Iron Fist, and Power Man take on the Hand. The recontextualization works, and she could easily find a new place in comics today. This volume is an excellent book ending of the old and the new.
Availability: Night Nurse #1 is available as a back issue.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Putting Together the Pieces
Jessica Jones: Alias Vol. 2 (Marvel, 2015, $19.99)
Vol. 1 of the collected Alias was good enough that I saw fit to pick up the second volume in rather short order. This volume collects #11-15, originally published as part of Marvel's Max comics line in 2002-2003 and featuring writing by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Michael Gaydos, covers and additional art by David Mack, and additional art by Mark Bagley and Rodney Ramos.
Jones travels to Lago, New York, to investigate a missing persons case. The dialogue pacing and wordless storyboard-like panel sequences are TV ready, and it is the pacing and weight of the comic that makes this such an enjoyable read. Jones, over the course of the arc, solves a mystery—something we don't often see in mainstream comics. She interviews suspects and witnesses. She discovers clues. And she puts together the pieces... all while living a relatively flawed and challenging life at the same time.
The anti-mutant bigotry that plays a role in this arc—and was alluded to in the previous volume—is particularly relevant given the current climate of insensitivity and less-than-veiled hatred of the other, be it related to race, religion, gender identity, or sexual preference.
I don't know what the rest of the Max comics line was like—I've always thought it was grittier Daredevil and Punisher comics—but if they're anything like Alias, it's good stuff. Maybe even like the newer Hard Case Crime comics such as Normandy Gold, only with occasional panties and capes.
Availability: Jessica Jones: Alias Vol. 2 is currently available.
Vol. 1 of the collected Alias was good enough that I saw fit to pick up the second volume in rather short order. This volume collects #11-15, originally published as part of Marvel's Max comics line in 2002-2003 and featuring writing by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Michael Gaydos, covers and additional art by David Mack, and additional art by Mark Bagley and Rodney Ramos.
Jones travels to Lago, New York, to investigate a missing persons case. The dialogue pacing and wordless storyboard-like panel sequences are TV ready, and it is the pacing and weight of the comic that makes this such an enjoyable read. Jones, over the course of the arc, solves a mystery—something we don't often see in mainstream comics. She interviews suspects and witnesses. She discovers clues. And she puts together the pieces... all while living a relatively flawed and challenging life at the same time.
The anti-mutant bigotry that plays a role in this arc—and was alluded to in the previous volume—is particularly relevant given the current climate of insensitivity and less-than-veiled hatred of the other, be it related to race, religion, gender identity, or sexual preference.
I don't know what the rest of the Max comics line was like—I've always thought it was grittier Daredevil and Punisher comics—but if they're anything like Alias, it's good stuff. Maybe even like the newer Hard Case Crime comics such as Normandy Gold, only with occasional panties and capes.
Availability: Jessica Jones: Alias Vol. 2 is currently available.
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