Michael Deeley has been reading comics since he was 12 years old. His first book was an issue of Silver Surfer by Jim Starlin, leading him to see all comics as ideological conflicts with big-ass fight scenes. At the very least, he expects a comic to be entertaining in some fashion, which is why he thinks Secret Wars II is better than Dark Knight Strikes Back. He has never work in the comics field, but he does have a belligerent attitude and a lot of free time.
During his brief intervals in the real world, Michael looks for a paying job that should, (theoretically) lead to a better life involving more comics, privacy, and women.
He currently lives between Pittsburgh, PA, and the Pittsburgh International Airport, in a suburb so new, it only has one McDonalds.
“I’m Nobody Famous!” -the unofficial motto of small-press comics, as written by Ben T. Steckler
“If I can be as true as I can, month after month, I will reach Truth in 26 years.” -Dave Sim, at SPACE 2003
This week, I went to SPACE, the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, OH. I only learned about it the Wednesday before it was held, and decided to go as part of my on-going personality improvement program. I’m been advised to expand my vision within my field of interest and enjoy life more. And going to a small-press comic con on the almost-spur of the moment was a good way to follow that advice. Besides, Dave Sim and Gerhard were going to be there. When’s the next chance I’ll have to see them?
The following article is in two distinct sections – the first deals with the comics and mini-comics I checked out at the expo, the second concerns the panels and Dave Sim…
Prior to the one-day expo, I got four hours of sleep. Woke up at 6 A.M., drove four hours alone from Pittsburgh, PA to Columbus, OH. I had $30 in cash, about the same amount on my Visa card, a full tank of gas, a 12-pack of Coke, a bag of Ruffles, and “Good-bye Cruel World”, Elvis Costello’s last album with the Attractions. By 10:45, I found myself in a new city miles from home with no resources in case something terrible happened. I was alone, half-asleep, almost broke, with no idea what to expect.
It was the best convention I ever attended. Seriously! Unlike most comic cons, this didn’t feel like a flea market or a garage sale. There weren’t people dressed in silly costumes, no local stores trying to sell off the latest over-priced “collectibles”, just artists trying to get their work seen by people who came to read comics. It was a gathering of hopefuls, professionals, and fans coming together to share and celebrate their common interests. It was, in short, a real convention, not a “con”.
The thing that threw me was the brownies. Someone had baked three pans of brownies and left them near the entrance. Brownies! And jugs of orange juice! What was this, a church social? Actually, the hall looked like a high school gymnasium. It took place at the Ohio Expo Center, a collection of long buildings situated near a sports stadium. SPACE took place in a long room with a stage at one end. The architecture and interior deco reminded me of my college buildings. In fact, at the end of the building was the Ohio Hall of Agriculture. You could see the names and faces of Ohio residents who’ve contributed to agro-business when you went to the restroom. SPACE had the feeling of a small, locally organized event for your friends and neighbors.
In a sense, it was. Small press books and mini-comics seem to be a tight-knit group. Mini-comics are traded in the mail among artists who meet each other through other artists or ads in trade journals (like CBG). Conventions like these are an opportunity for these artists to meet each other in person, trade books, and discuss ideas. Again, just like a convention for other industries. Except there isn’t a small press or mini-comics “industry”. There’s just a bunch of guys doing something they love.
And I could feel that love when I walked inside. For once in my life, I was not embarrassed to be seen at a comics convention. Everyone there was about my age. The attendees seemed to be mostly college or college-aged people. Quite a few punks were seen. Understandable, as mini-comics grew out of the punk scene of the 1980s. I didn’t see any kids under 18, nor were there any middle-aged men who weren’t there as artists. SPACE had a nice, friendly, welcoming atmosphere that was unfamiliar to me. Not only will I be going next year, but I’ll keep an eye out for more such gatherings in the near future.
So SPACE felt nice. What about the books? Well, the books ran the gamut from “being” to “nothingness”. I mean, there was something for every genre and every quality. I could go on for pages and pages describing every book I read. And I will.
‘Tales from the Bog’, by Marcus Lusk, was a series about talking animals in a southern swamp. The concept and style are similar to Walt Kelly’s ‘Pogo’, though with a more modern setting. Issue #1 has two short stories, followed by the opening chapter of a multi-part story. A slick salesman drops dead of a heart attack, while a young boy is determined to get a new comic quickly marked up for its “collectible” value. It’s funny and tender, like most comics you don’t see today. Check Previews under Aberration Press. There is no website.
‘Rival’, by Brien Cardello and Andy Macdonald, is a slick, thick b&w book about a vigilante’s relationship problems. The story focuses on the Rival’s girlfriend who’s feeling ignored, alone, and scared whenever her man fights crime. It’s a different take on superhero relationships that I haven’t seen addressed before; At least not to this degree and depth. The tragic, and ambiguous, ending sets the stage for the rest of this miniseries. ‘Rival’ takes place in a near-future city that depends on a complex network of “pipes” for unknown purposes. The art’s very detailed and reminds me of Darrick Robertson’s work on ‘Transmetropolitan’. Well worth a look. From TLW comics, at www.tlwcomics.com
‘Askari Hodari’ stars a trio of black vigilantes who fight crime and try to improve people’s lives, thus breaking the cycle of poverty that creates crime. Glenn Brewer’s art is very realistic. Straight lines rather that solid black is used for shading and filling in the spaces. This gives the book a unique, photo-realistic look that makes it easier to believe these things can happen. The fight scenes are well-paced, clearly depicted, and easy to follow, which is more than I can say for most of today’s movies. Brewer has obviously put a lot of thought into how a vigilante could succeed in the real world. But the details of the characters’ operation don’t bog down that book. Best of all, the heroes aren’t the stereotypical “thugs” one normally sees in African-American entertainment. The heroes are decent men who’re tired of seeing good lives wasted while evil prospers. In short, ‘Askari Hodari’ is a fine work of graphic fiction. Check out more at www.askarihodari.com. Everyone who buys the first 6 issues gets a free copy of the homemade “Askari” movie, coming in November.
I first discovered ‘Deep Fried’ back in college when my local shop ordered the first two copies. ‘Deep Fried’ stars Beepo and Roadkill, a greaser-dressed clown and his heroin-shooting cat; Clarissa, a girl frequently molested by her father, and “Weapon Brown”, a post-apocalyptic version of “Peanuts” starring a grim, cyborg Charlie Brown. In issue #3, Beepo bludgeons the Pope to death with the baby seal while Roadkill pees on the Vietnam Memorial. Why? By creatively hitting rock-bottom, by being more tasteless and offensive than mainstream entertainment, ‘Deep Fried’ will force everyone else to clean up their act and produce something of real value. And with a girl who blames herself for being molested, a seamless blending of “Peanuts” and “Mad Max”, a clinically depressed clown, and an evil, evil cat, no one will be more tasteless or funnier than ‘Deep Fried’.
Series creator/publisher/weirdo Jason Yungbluth was there selling all four issues, plus the first issue of ‘Deep Fried’s new 48-page format. Sadly, I couldn’t buy them all. Instead, I’ll go to www.whatisdeepfried.com to order the new stuff and read the weekly strip “Beepo and Roadkill”. Or, check out upcoming volumes of Previews for the new ‘Deep Fried’ from Death Ray Graphics. (Yeah, I sound like a shill, but small-press books need all the promotion they can get. Besides, ‘Deep Fried’ is very, very funny, and very, very wrong.)
‘The Ineffables’ is one of those rare comics that’s so fun to read it’s impossible to take it seriously. The cast includes a living work of art, a conspiracy nut who may be immortal, and a giant stone scientist with an Easter Island head. In issue #0, they must stop Intelligent Design theorists from negating all science and reason with the Null Equation, the formula that proves 1=0. If they succeed, a hidden Mayan civilization will conquer the ruined modern world. As usual, hope lies with a very special monkey. “The Ineffables” is silly, fast-paced, easy to follow, and just plain fun. And it looks good too. Visit www.theineffables.com for more scientific silliness.
‘Colonia’, like ‘Tales form the Bog’, has been out for several years, and is still fine work. Jack and his two uncles vanish from modern Massachusetts into a strange land of pirates, talking animals, and Conquistador’s ghosts. Creator Jeff Nicholson said the series was based on early American myths. I’ve only read the first issue, but I suspect ‘Colonia’ takes place in the myth realm created by the legends and stories told in and about America. I like the illustration; it’s clean and clear. Which only makes the weirder visuals, like a group of talking fish filling out and walking in a man’s suit, all the more surreal. ‘Colonia’ is a fun, all-ages adventure series that you just don’t see anymore. Order more at www.coloniapress.com. Me, I’ll be getting a collection of Nicholson’s earlier series, ‘Ultra Klutz’.
The last full-sized comic I bought was form Marvel. Sean McKeever was there selling copies of his new series ‘Sentinel’ from Marvel. McKeever made a name for himself in the small-press with his teen-age drama ‘The Waiting Place’. Now he’s doing a series about an unpopular kid who finds the remains of a giant robot. The first issue has a feeling of authenticity in regards to teen-age life. It feels real. I can believe these characters can be found in the real world. My big problem is with the art from UDON studios. The people all look like Japanese Muppets. Not exactly the right style for a book taking place in Wisconsin. Still, it’s a good book, and I’d like to see ‘The Waiting Place’ someday. Visit www.seanmckeever.com for more on his work and where to get it.
Top Shelf Comics was there selling its line of b&w books. I splurged on them because they were the only ones taking credit cards. I picked up Eddie Campbell’s ‘After the Snooter’, supposedly about Campbell’s midlife crisis brought on by a visitation of a strange insect. In fact, it’s a collection of short autobiographical strips written in 1999-2001. (I showed it to a co-worker who thought the art was “creepy and disturbing”. I don’t see it myself. Maybe she was looking at the parts with Alan Moore.) I got James Kolchaka’s ‘Sketchbook Diaries’ Vol. 3, the newest collection of his online autobiographical strips, and the new printing of his ‘Magic Boy & The Robot Elf’. ‘Sketchbook Diaries’ reminded me of ‘Jim’s Journal’, another popular alternative strip. New strips are posted at www.AmericanElf.com. I found them to be funny, sweet, personal, and entertaining. As for ‘Magic Boy’, it’s just too damn weird for words. You’ll have to see it for yourself. Also got ‘Double Cross More or Less’, by Tony Consiglio, yet another autobiographical story about an aspiring cartoonist who dreams of escaping his life. Good work, and for $4.95, you could do worse. I think Consiglio was the inspiration for the cartoonist in Alex Robinson’s ‘Box Office Poison’, also available from Top Shelf Comics. You can buy it all at www.topshelfcomics.com.
And yes, there were some honest to God mini-comics there. People who wrote, drew, folded and stapled every issue themselves. In fact, some of them were willing to trade their books for cans of Coke. Gives new meaning to the term “starving artist”, doesn’t it? Since they are mini-comics, I’ll give them a mini-review.
‘Hope 7’ is a supernatural adventure book about things I don’t understand because I only got the free preview copy, and not a complete issue. Still, very nice fluid artwork. Very beautiful and sad. www.hope7comic.com.
Ray Tomczak publishes books under SRD Studios, including ‘Ray-TV’, an anthology of his work, ‘Dr. Bob and Irving’, an adventure comedy with a scientist and a strong guy, and ‘Wasted Potential’, a new strip based on one he did back in college. I like ‘Wasted Potential’ the most, starring the artist’s lazy alter ego. The life of a slacker cartoonist always held a certain romance for me. To get more, you’ll have to actually write to Tomczak at 4050 N. High St., Apt. #33, Columbus, OH, 43214.
Ben Steckler had the most interesting min-comic design at SPACE. Five small books with color covers wrapped with a cardboard sleeve bearing the series’ title ‘Get Bent’ #10. It was priced at $4.00, but I got it for free when I said I wrote for this site. Seems he’s gotten good reviews from another critic here. Thank guys. The five stories in ‘Get Bent’ #10 all deal with love, loss and loneliness, including an old woman, a fallen priest, and a man determined to kill cupid. The stories are personal, moving, and tragic. I’d have gladly paid the $4.00 if I had it. Instead, I gave him a Coke. Order more at p.o. Box 7273, York, PA, 17404. Next time I drive out that way, I’ll try to stop by his place and get more.
‘The Adventures of Plungerboy’ is supposed to be a silly superhero story, but it’s so poorly drawn and lame I’m glad I didn’t pay for it. I only mention it for the sake of completeness. Ditto for ‘Lechery’ #5. ‘Lechery’ stars a perverse family who constantly find new ways to screw and insult each other. The comic reminded me of the underground books of the 1970s, but without their artists’ politics or talent. ‘Lechery’ is a gross book for the sake of being gross, unlike ‘Deep Fried’ which is gross for a reason. And is funny. ’Plungerboy’ and ‘Lechery’ prove the old cliché that all min-comics are badly drawn, offensive, and just plain suck. Fortunately, they were in the minority.
Kel Crum’s character Cornelia supports democracy through shopping and graduates from a low-budget diploma mill in ‘Cornelia Cartoonz’ #3. It’s worth a buck and that’s what it costs. Get more from Crum by writing to 32 W. Goodman Dr., Apt. 23, Fairborn, OH, 45324.
‘Phaser-Face and the Infernal Equinox’ #1 begins the adventure of a young rabbit as he discovers his destiny. Elements of “Star Wars” and ‘The Invisibles’ can be recognized in this comic on the thickest paper stock I’ve ever seen. A fun funny animal book with a lot of promise. By that, I mean I expect the rest of the series is pretty good too. Find more at www.angelfire.com/art/artoftony, or write to 2646 N Bartlett Ave., Milwaykee, WI, 53211.
‘Lunch Hour’ by Robert Ullman is a collection of strips, each of which was completed in under an hour. That’s one of the best things about alternative comics; the creators can experiment with the medium and the creation process itself to produce some truly unique work. There’s nothing ground-shaking in here, but it’s a nice distraction and very well drawn. See more at www.lurid.com.
Another experimental book is ‘Turtleneck Boy’, by Suzanne Baumann. The publisher, Fridge Magnet Concoctions, takes submissions of strips by anyone, as long as they include the beatnik Turtleneck Boy. Send those stories to www.fridge-mag.net. (Isn’t that clever?) Frankly, I’d put my faith in more work by Baumann. Her other comics, ‘You, Only You’, was a funny parody of love songs taken to an angry extreme.
M.R. Reno has been making mini-comics for the better part of 20 years. One of his characters is Mr. Canine, a talking dog-man detective. ‘This Eternal Flaw’ #3 sees Canine meet his downstairs neighbor for the first time. It’s an odd, quiet, conversation in what seems to be Canine’s usually chaotic life. I’m going to check out more of his work at www.nenoworld.com.
“A Tale of Possession and Marked” relates a story about a man possessed by unknown forces and compelled to attend a Satanic ceremony in the woods. That ceremony is witnessed by a botanist who comes away with deep mental and physical scars. Creator Pete Trudgeon claims this was inspired by an urban legend about the “Satan woods” outside Chicago. I must say, this could be a scary comic. If each story was longer, and more suspense was built up, I’d have chills. As it is, the book is still a little unsettling, especially the final scene of the possessed killer. From Rubber Suit Comix, P.O. Box 1514, Royal Oak, MI, 48068.
Eight Ball Graphics put out a free 8-page comic in the convention’s bathroom, making it the first comic I read there. The ‘Dead End Special Convention Crapper Edition’ starred David, the blue-skinned gravedigger from Eight Balls’ ‘Dead End’ series having a really bad day. Later, I picked up issues #1-10 of ‘Dead End’. (Hey, it was five bucks. Besides, a b&w comic about a blue-skinned character is odd enough to get my attention.) The books were packaged in an orange envelope labeled “The Rise of Samhain”. The books told the story of how David meets other unusual people one Halloween night when Samhain, the king of the dead, rises to power. Zombies, guns, and an angry super-clown make for a fun adventure story. It’s not deep, but it’s worth $5.00. Like most b&w books, the backgrounds are more detailed than the people, but the overall package has a nice professional style not often seen in self-published work. ‘Dead End’ #11-20 are sold in a similar package, and feature an unofficial Batman crossover. Get it at www.deadend.bizhosting.com. Warning: They do not take credit cards.
Another low-budget yet innovative package came from Donovan Carter. 5 issues of his high school comedy ‘Null & Void’ came in a brown paper bag with an original drawing. Said bag also included a ‘Null & Void’ mini-book’, two issues of ‘More’, ‘Bradbury Falls Metro’, and ‘Why I Wear Socks with my Sandals’. And a shiny sticker. All the books display a good sense of humor, fine cartooning skills, and genuine human feelings. ‘Null & Void’ follows the trial of three freshmen entering high school. They come from different backgrounds, but mesh together well. What I like bets is how it bucks some typical high school story clichés. For example, the big, mean, scary, bully-type turns out to be a nice guy. He takes our heroes to their first senior drinking party. ‘Null & Void’ was easily one of the best books at a convention filled with excellent work. Get them from 3029 Eastland, Muskegon, MI, 49441.
Mat Feazel has been working with min-comics since the genre was invented! He currently produces the ‘Amazing Cynicalman’ strip at www.cynicalman.com. At SPACE, you could get a free mini-comic if you drew a stick figure on a post-it note. I drew one, gave him a Coke, and got two. ‘The Amazing Cynicalman’ #9 featured some strips starring everyone’s favorite unhappy stick figure. ‘Cynicalman’ is a very simple, yet very funny character. Being simple means he can be used in any number situations. For example, in ‘It’s a Free Country’, Cynicalman quits his crappy job to find a better one, only to find America isn’t that free. In real life, Feazel is as funny as his strips, but more optimistic. Check out his site.
‘Stories of Kiwi’ Vol 2, #1, picks up the lives of the characters, all of whom have seen better days. The talking/acting fruit Kiwi is hard up for cash, his former partner Miner is lost in Seattle, Bat has retreated into his wealth and Tetris games, and the skeleton of George Clooney is languishing in obscurity. I don’t know how a book can be both bizarre, irrelevant, and heart-breaking, but ‘Stories of Kiwi’ succeeds on al fronts. Buy them from Jeff Manley at 1092 E. US10, Scottville, MI, 49454, or e-mail him at fruitycomics@yahoo.com.
Finally, some people were giving away free previews of their work. Being broke, I took everything I could find. Dark World Comix was giving away ‘Chemical Visions’ #0, a preview of the publisher’s work. They had a superhero book, two fantasy series, and a humor series about an alien kung-fu star. It’s a mixed bag. See it for yourself at www.darkworldcomix.com. Alexis E. Fajardo was giving out samples of his on-line strip ‘Plato’s Republic’, found at www.platosrepublic.com. It’s a strange funny animal book about college life. It’s funny stuff that frequently breaks the fourth wall. And finally, Tom Brandl was giving away papers of his Jules Feiffer-style satirical cartoons. It’s great stuff, but I don’t know how to find more. Best bet is to do a web search
Believe it or not, there was MORE at SPACE! I ran out of money and pop, so I couldn’t get the very funny ‘Spank the Monkey’ comics from Arrow, ‘Arsenic Lullabies’, ‘Awakenings’, and a dozen other books I’ve never heard of. I can only hope I find them on the web through the SPACE site at www.backprochcomics.com.
Welcome to the second half of my mini-comics convention report. The irony of a long first part to describe tiny comics does not escape me. Later, I will be doing a 3-paragraph report on the Pittsburgh Comic Convention….
In this half of the article, I talk about the panels, the creators I talked to, and Dave Sim. (Gerhard did not attend, which further proves my theory, Sim and “Gerhard” are the same person!)
The first panel was about the origins and history of mini-comics. In attendance were Matt Feazel, Tim Corrigan, Michael Neno, and Chris Chrislip. Chrislip edits a mini-comics website called www.moderntales.com. He promised a history of mini-comics would be posted on the site soon. It might be there by the time this article is posted. The four of them talked about how mini-comics grew out of the punk music culture in the late 70s/early 80s. Like punk music, min-comics are an alternative means of expression to a mainstream entertainment. And with the rise of copy shops like Kinko’s, printing hundreds of comics became affordable to anyone. The panelists met each other through fanzines they were making in the early 80s and through “friends-of-a-friend”. I got the sense of mini-comics being a true artistic community. In the days before the internet, artists met each other through conventions like this, mutual acquaintances, or classified ads in the Comics Journal. Mini-comics creators met each other as professionals and as people. And I felt that sense of community from everyone I met.
The panelists mentioned how mini-comics were a great way to break into mainstream publishing. They named Jim Valentino, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and Gary Groth as comics professionals who began in mini-comics. None of the panelists mentioned why they were still doing mini-comics after 20+ years, without mainstream success, although I didn’t sense any bitterness about this on their parts. Chrislip did express his distaste for publisher Fantagraphics, calling them too snotty. Maybe these guys just did comics for the fun of it, and being hired by a big publisher to do comics would mean turning their hobby into their job. Nothing takes the fun out of something like having to take it seriously.
The panelists talked about the surge in mini-comics popularity following the success of ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. Many mini-comics became full-sized comics in what became known as the “black and white explosion/glut” of the mid-80s. Eclipse, for example, began publishing a series called ‘Giant-Sized Mini-Comics’, an anthology series of mini-comics and small-press books. Many mini-comics were published and distributed through the direct market by Kevin Collier. Sadly, this only lasted a year. By the end of the decade, mainstream interest with mini-comics had faded.
Today, the mini-comics scene is largely the same as it was 20 years ago. The advent of computers and the internet has allowed people to create more professional-looking comics at home and distribute them all over the world. The panelists were impressed by the production values of many of the books they were seeing today. Take this article, for example. You could be somewhere in America, Canada, the U.K., even New Zealand, and you are reading about comics normally not seen outside of the Upper Midwest of the United States. A guy in Flint, MI could get a comic ordered by a reader in London, thanks to the ‘net. And maybe he’ll thank you for it by throwing in a little book a friend of his just did.
That’s just the way mini-comics people are.
On the floor, I talked to a couple of artists about their work. I asked Sean McKeever if he’d talked to Paul Jenkins about using his characters in the upcoming ‘Inhumans’ series. McKeever answered that he intended to use all five teen-aged Inhumans from Jenkins’ mini-series, but settled on just two. Honestly, I was looking for a little bit of scandal; like Marvel editors telling McKeever to use certain characters without Jenkins’ knowledge or permission. Oh well.
I’d met Tom Scioli when I interviewed him two years ago about his self-published series, ‘The Myth of 8-Opus’. It’s very similar to Jack Kirby’s ‘The New Gods’ in art, subject matter, action, energy, and all those lovely intangible qualities that made Kirby the king. 5 regular-sized, b&w issues were published. A 110-page graphic novel is on the way in August. Check out the current Previews catalog under A-Okay comics, or www.geocities.com/sciolit. He lives down the street from where I work. I’m talked to him a couple of times since then.
The next panel I attended was about getting people to try mini-comics for the first time. Attendees included McKeever, Pam Bliss, Rich Watson, Jimmy Gownley, and Max Ink. A full transcript of the panel should be available soon at Watson’s www.smallpresscomics.com.
The panel agreed promotion of comics was a big obstacle. McKeever used to own a comics store in Wisconsin, and still works at The Laughing Ogre in Columbus, OH. To promote his new ‘Sentinel’ series, he sent out scripts to 50 retailers around the country. Gownley said he doubled the printing costs in his budget so he’d have money to promote his series ‘Amelia Rules’. He also mentioned how Diamond Comics Distributors waived the shipping fee for sending 1,000 free copies of his comic to retailers. Gownley had a lot of nice things to say about dealing with Diamond, and suggested other self-publishers could work with them too. Provided they were nice, of course. Max Ink would give a comic to every retailer he met and shop he visited. Gownley agreed that giving away free comics was the smartest thing anyone could do.
On the topic of audiences for small press comics, McKeever said comics appealed to a wide range of people. Since Bliss makes comics about dogs, she sold her books through pet magazines and word of mouth spread by dog lovers. Bliss also said she had better luck selling her books directly to people than she did distributing it through shops. Gownley called comics shops “the world’s worst outlet for anything”. The panel agreed schools and libraries were more effective means of reaching young people and readers. As for bookstores, “graphic novels” has become the new buzzword in the book industry. And of course, small-press books are already made for an intelligent audience that’s outgrown superheroes. Max Ink’s Small-press Co-Op was dedicated to bringing comics to the audience. Check out his page at www.opticalsloth.com/authors/max_ink.htm. Rich Watson said some of his work was sold in record stores. McKeever mentioned how he tried to get ‘The Waiting Place’ sold in record shops. Bliss mentioned how it was getting easier to talk to girls about comics, when McKeever brought up how most girls “go right to manga”. The subject concluded with Gownley saying, “It’s not a flourishing artform if no one reads it.”
The panel then addressed the stereotypes associated with small press comics. Lack of timeliness? True. Bliss herself said how she quickly loses interest in a book while she’s working on it. Also, many books are made by people with day jobs. They don’t depend on comics as their sole source of income. Poorly drawn? “That could be said about 95% of anything”, said Bliss. Also, the idea that small press comics were “artsy” turned off readers who thought the creators had a stuck-up attitude. McKeever said comics were an artform, but a commercial artform. As for the comics expressing the creator’s personal viewpoints, Bliss replied, “the worst way to succeed is imitation. You have to present something new.”
However, the panel did not agree that all alternative comics were poorly put together. McKeever despaired over how the industry was stuck doing all comic books at the same size. Alternative publishers could experiment with paper design, size, and shape. Unfortunately, most stores have shelves and display stands designed for the standard comic book size. These stores have no way to display or even stock an alternative comic that’s published in unusual dimensions.
As for other activist methods to get people to read, McKeever said money back guarantees were not effective at getting readers. While Bliss commented on their low-risk levels, Gownley said that, at most, 30% of bookstores return books. Instead, remaindered books are marked down drastically and sold en masse. He pointed out an example at Borders where a stack of ‘Calvin & Hobbes’ books was piled on the floor. They were marked down to $5 each. And you can bet Bill Watterson wasn’t seeing a cut of that. However, Free Comics Book Day was a great promotional event to attract people to comics. McKeever gave away a wide variety of books at his store, while Max ink spent hours drawing comics at his local shop.
Finally, the panel gave us advice on how to promote comics ourselves. Read them in public. Bliss always carries extra copies of her book when she goes out. She sells a lot by drawing them in public. I’ll have to remember to carry some extra books with me for my column on public comics reading.
And now, we get to the reason I went to SPACE in the first place. The reason I took off almost on impulse to a strange city, went 18 hours on 4 hours sleep, maxed out my credit card, and left without paying for my dinner at Bob Evans (they let me go on a promise to send them a check, which I’ve sent. Bloody decent of them, I think). The reason for the madness:
Dave Sim.
I figured he didn’t make many appearances in the USA. And since ‘Cerebus’ is ending next year, I thought this would be my last chance to see him in person for God knows how long. I wasn’t going to miss this for anything.
Dave Sim finally arrived around 2 pm. His plane had been delayed at O-Hare and he had to spend the night in the airport. Gerhard wasn’t with him. Dave Sim has the lanky, angular look of someone from Texas or Oklahoma. And while I rationally know he’s nearly 50, he doesn’t look older than 35. And his hair is still black. Sim’s voice sounds like actor Peter Weller’s, only a little deeper (see “Robocop” and “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai” for Weller’s best work).
He was there to give out the Howard E. Day prizes for excellence in small-press publishing. The plaques awarded were varnished brown with a black and gold symbol of a unicorn. (Pictures are forthcoming. See the costume of Elrod the Albino in ‘Cerebus: High Society’ for the unicorn symbol.) Before handing out the awards, Sim called for a moment of silence for “those who died for freedom and democracy”. There was something about 100 people being absolutely silent that made me want to laugh out loud. I don’t know if it was the inappropriateness of how the laugh would sound, or the idea of 100 people doing anything at the same time, or just my cynicism thinking it was an empty gesture. It was all I could do to keep quiet. Fortunately, someone yelled out, “FREEDOM! YEAH!” When the minute was up, Sim called that an example of free speech too. Big laughs. Tom Scioli received a runner-up prize, with ‘MISA’ by Tom Williams winning the top honors. ‘MISA’ can be ordered from Inkblot Farm Studio 730 Riverview Dr, Apt #C7, Columbus, OH, 43202, or www.opencrashcomics.com. Sadly, I couldn’t afford the price of a comic myself.
At 5 p.m., the conference room was packed to hear Dave Sim talk about spirituality, God, and the roles they played in ‘Cerebus’. It turned out to be a 2 hour lecture on why America is great, God is a guy, and how Mohammed was the last true prophet. I actually nodded off at one point. If Sim was more charismatic, he could start a new cult around his beliefs. Instead, it was interesting, though not exactly life changing.
According to Sim, “Rick’s Story” was meant to be a cutting satire of the Bible and its believers. ‘Cerebus’ was a commentary on the scripture, not a new version of the scripture itself. To get an accurate parody, Sim purchased a copy of the King James Bible, first published in 1611. He found this version to be very different in tone and language from modern versions. It all struck him as blasphemous to “update” the Word of God for different generations. In preparation, Sim would read an entire book of the Bible every Sunday night, sometime out loud. He ended up reading the Pentateuch, the first five books, 10 times out loud.
That should be a great, big warning sign of mental instability.
Sim read the Old Testament (which he kept calling the Torah, as the Jews do), the New Testament (Scripture), and the Koran. His thoughts:
By the old Jewish tradition of three stories agreeing on something true, the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are false and probably the work of “Yhoowhoo”. John was the most accurate portrayal of Sim’s idea of God and Jesus. The Koran is also self-contradicting in several places, making Islam the wrong faith to follow. However, he does believe Mohammed was the last person to really talk with God.
One must consider the time in which the Bible was written. For example, the book of Isaiah has been incorrectly interpreted as being prophecy for modern times. “If you knew what was going on in Israel in 750 B.C.”, said Sim, “it’s boffo”!
He did explain why he used the Three Stooges as holy men. Naturally, it was a parody of the three kings finding baby Jesus. Again, three things proving something true. The story of the three kings/wise men was added to convince the Jews that Jesus was the King of Kings. So why replace them with Stooges? According to Sim, “all kings and wise men are stooges in God’s eyes”. So why not have three idiots find the Prophet?
Sim then starting sounding more like a life-long American than a Canadian, saying how we (USA), have shamed socialist countries like France and Canada. (I guess he hasn’t heard about Medicare and welfare). Sim believes God wants us to be free, making America’s actions in Iraq not only justified but holy. He applauded America’s actions against a country where Islam held political influence. I asked Sim if that meant he believed all countries with Muslim leaders should be overthrown. He replied no, just the ones where the fundamentalist Muslim minority dominated politics. Sim also mentioned how he thought the Vatican was a bad idea. Finally, he predicted “fence sitting” will become truly abhorrent in the 21st Century.
So, in summary, the Muslims got it wrong, the USA has the divine right to invade nations being controlled by Muslim extremists, not taking sides is evil, and in God’s eyes, everyone’s a moron.
Now I’m not sorry I fell asleep in the second hour.
To be honest, I thought I’d be more star-struck when I met Sim. Instead, he seemed like an ordinary guy. After the lecture, I introduced myself, asked him nicely to sign my copy of ‘Cerebus’ Vol. 1, shook his hand, and left. He wasn’t as crazy, or fat, or tall as I’d imagined him to be. He just seemed like an ordinary guy with unpopular ideas and a real talent for writing and drawing comics.
But I notice there was no mention of why Gerhard wasn’t there. I’m sure he and Dave are the same guy. I mean, has anyone every seen them in the same room together? Does anyone have pictures of this “Gerhard”? And do three people have three different pictures all showing the same guy? I’d bet not! [Um, I’ve seen them together, on a ‘con visit to the UK in the 90s…sorry, Mike – Ed.]
All in all, I had a great time. I met some nice people, read some good books, got an (almost) free meal, and my belief in comics as an artform was reaffirmed. Alternative comics are a form of personal expression, like movies shot on digital cameras or garage bands. SPACE wasn’t the comics version of Sundance, nor was it a low-budget San Diego Comic Con. It was a gathering of people who read and make comics because they love comics. SPACE, and most small press/mini-comics, are a celebration of a unique form of entertainment and storytelling. I know I’m coming back next year. In the meantime, I’m going to keep my eyes and ears open for other small press and mini-comics publishers in Pittsburgh. There’s a lot of great stuff I’ve never heard of.
And now for some full-sized, mainstream, almost soulless comics:
Ultimate Spider-Man #39 - Peter can’t find any trace of Eddie Brock or the symbiote. Nick Fury tells Peter to take life easy, while Dr. Curt Connors says such tragedies are punishment for trying to make men superhuman. This is the kind of introspective, personal, emotional book that made ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ one of the best comics on the stands. And since it’s grounded in the character’s reality, and the feelings evolve naturally, it’s much more believable than the forced melodramatics of the other Spidey books.
Raijin Comics #17 - It still rocks. That’s all you need to know. OK, the Judo team leader tries to bribe Sakuragi in “Slam Dunk” with pictures of a girl from elementary school. Creepy, yet still funny.
Daredevil #45 - The murderer of the New York Globe publisher is found, and Daredevil beats the shit out of The Owl. It’s violent, it’s edgy, and it’s beautiful.
Alias #21 - If ‘Powers’ came out this week, I’d have completed my Bendis experience. The two Jessica’s rescue Mattie Franklin from her drug dealing captors. Speedball comes off as incompetent, but goofy. New Warriors fans who take offense should get a freakin’ life. I read this book twice this week. How much more praise can I heap upon it?
Fantastic Four #67 - I actually read this last week, but I forgot to mention it. I can’t see how, as this is the GREATEST DR. DOOM STORY IN YEARS! Better than the ‘Heroes Reborn’ issue where Doom flies the Earth into another dimension. Here, Victor Von Doom comes to a small American town of fortunetellers to find the girl he left years ago. This story marks a change in Doom’s life. You’ve probably heard about it already. If not, I highly suggest you read it yourself.
The twist ending works better in this single-issue comic format than it would in a TPB. Just when you think the story is over, you get a letters page and an ad. Then the “bad thing” happens. The thing that makes you realize Dr. Doom is the single most evil mutha fucka in the history of four-color fiction. ‘FF’ #67 will be remembered as one of the greatest villain stories of all time, right up there with ‘The Unauthorized Biography of Lex Luthor’, and ‘The Killing Joke’.
That was it for the new comics. Kind of a light week for me. I did get a lot of great books from the library, though.
Happy Endings; Zippy: Nation of Pinheads; White Like She; Adventures of Superman #612-614; Crisis on Multiple Earths: Justice League of America #37, 38; Alias #16-20; Essential Howard the Duck: Howard the Duck #10-14, Annual #1.
And that’s it. Next week, I’ll mourn the loss of a unique and under-appreciated comic book format: the annual.
