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The Layer Method
Our top Secret time-saving technique for creating and merging balloons and tails in Illustrator.
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Friday, September 3, 2010
Three for Tuesday
Books from AdHouse, Fantagraphics and Alternative Comics
Salamander Dream by Hope Larson and AdHouse Books is a book that I’ve been looking forward to for some time. Yes, you can read Salamander Dream online for free, but it’s worth it to buy this story in book form as well. I’ve followed Hope’s story online from the first week it was available online, but it’s much better to hold it in your hands. As a reader, you’re not restricted to a one-page every other day format, and the story gets enough room to breathe. Interestingly, the print version of Salamander Dream has a much brighter green than the webpage as the primary color. This isn’t a big difference, but it’s noticeable if you’ve already read the web version. And how many stories make you want to read a print version when you’ve already read the online version for free? Salamander Dream was one of those stories that I couldn’t wait to hold in my hands, especially when I knew it would arrive in print via AdHouse Books.
Salamander Dream is the story of a young girl’s relationship with the woods near her home as she grows from a child to an adult. As a child, she’s entranced with the woods and every creature that resides in its protective embrace, but as she grows older her visits become less and less frequent. The Salamander King represents the woods to the young girl and the relationship between her and the mysterious king is the engine behind the story of Salamander Dream. It’s a bittersweet story as the reader can see the girl growing up and away from the Salamander King that once meant so much to her. As she grows up, her visits dwindle and both the reader and the main character miss the story sessions provided by Salamander.
They’re not just stories; they are escapes from a world that’s infinitely less interesting and vital than the one of the forest. And yet, the girl still grows farther and farther away. It’s a fair observation of our own lives. The demands on our time multiply and we slip further and further away from the things that used to mean so much to us. When she finally gets back to the Salamander King it’s too late. This is no surprise to the reader, but it’s still not easy to accept.
I wasn’t sure if I was upset that the story was over or that I knew that Larson was through for now. I think it was the latter. After following Salamander Dream for so long I think it was a disappointment knowing that she was finished, that the story was finished. I knew that the character would grow up, but as a reader I wasn’t ready to move on. Salamander Dream is a 104-page two color book that retails for $15. It hit stores last week.
Peculia and the Goon grove Vampires is the thirteenth issue of Richard Sala’s Evil Eye series. It’s a stand-alone tale of a young woman exploring the mystery of a local family. Rather than passively accepting a babysitting assignment as an extra for a babysitting club, Peculia explores the obvious mystery that hides just beneath the surface of a very peculiar family.
Peculia agrees to help out with babysitting the children of the mysterious new family, but it doesn’t take long for her to discover that things are not as they seem. The oldest daughter of the family manages to hypnotize the other baby sitters, but Peculia is unfazed and still as spunky as ever. Even though it’s obvious that the family hides a dark secret, it’s not called Peculia and the Goon Grove Vampires for the hell of it, it’s no less startling when the family finally shows its teeth. Sala is in his element in this story as he pulls out all the old horror movie clichés and molds them into a chilling parody.
Sala’s art is mesmerizing and kind of sexy honestly. He’s got the classic woodblock design going here with energetic and fun characters. This feels like a cross between a teen horror flick and an Edward Gorey tale. Don’t pass this book up. It’s a square bound 80-page book that will only set you back $9.95. Check out Sala’s page at Fantagraphics for more Sala goodness. There are still several Evil Eye issues in print.
Humor Can Be Funny or Magic Whistle: The Mini-Comics Years (1990-1995) Digitally Remastered by Sam Henderson and Alternative Comics is a collection of offbeat one and two-pagers, with some longer strips, by comic genius Sam Henderson. For some reason or other, I’ve managed to sidestep Henderson’s comics until now. I’ve known that his Magic Whistle is a hit with many people, but I’ve managed to ignore it until this volume landed in my mailbox. After only a few pages, I realized the error of my ways – Sam Henderson is a funny cartoonist. He uses simple characters against minimalist backgrounds to deliver short burst of absurdist humor.
Henderson succeeds where other cartoonist fail, because he takes the simplest route from point A to point B; every piece is quick set up, brief exploration and joke delivery. There are groaners to be sure, but there are gutsy shots in the dark that deliver belly laughs. Henderson is not afraid of the easy laugh, the obvious joke, and he has the understanding of visual compositions to draw funny strips in an economical but effective style.
In one strip that reminds you of the best MAD years, a kid is in his room masturbating to a nudie magazine. His dad walks in and points at his watch yelling at the kid. Next they walk into a school building. The teacher points to the clock that says 11am. The dad points to his son and pantomimes him jacking off. In the last panel the teacher and kids are all pointing to the kid and laughing. The title of this silent one page comic? “He’s My Dad!”
What makes this strip work so well is that Henderson focuses on only what’s needed to get the point across to the reader. The kid’s bed is just a mattress on the middle of the floor. None of the characters are wearing any clothing; there are no distinguishing marks below the neck on anyone in the strip, saving the necessary wristwatch of the father. The scene with the teacher just has a clock, a blackboard and some kids standing around in the lower right hand corner.
This collection of his early mini-comics years is available again thanks to Alternative Comics. It’s a dense 128 pages for the price of $11.95. Pick it up and you’ll find yourself looking for spare issues of Henderson’s Magic Whistle. This isn’t a bad thing. They’re still out there for you to find if you look hard enough.
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Hey, this weekend is SPX at the Bethesda Holiday Inn Slect. This is the show that I look forward to the most each year. Since last Friday, I’ve been doing a daily countdown at at SIZE MATTERS: The Mini-Comic Blog, complete with tantalizing pictures of past shows.
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If you don't go past the front racks in your comic shop, you're missing all the good books columnist Shawn Hoke is trying to show you.
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Friday, February 8, 2008
• The End.
So long. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Good night.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
• Closing time
You don't have to go home...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
• Oni resurrects letters columns
Resurrection series features letter-writing contest
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
• And... we're back
With Red 5 info
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
• Happy Thanksgiving!
From aka Comics and Comic World News
• Happy Birthday, COMICRAFT!
Lettering powerhouse and CWN sponsor turns 15
Monday, November 19, 2007
• Surrogates movie ready to start production
Bruce Willis to star
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February 4, 2008:
November 20, 2006:
A Comic-Con without the Captain