The New Beau Order

By Beau Smith

Today in the mail I got the advance copy of COBB MAGAZINE from IDW Publishing. I’ve been in the comic book business both on the writing side as well as the marketing and rarely have I’ve been this proud.

Yes, of course I’m proud of the work that Eduardo Barreto, Josh Burcham and I did on the Cobb series, that’s a long time given fact. What made me proud today was seeing the format that IDW Publishing had collected the Cobb: Off The Leash in. It’s called a “magazine”, but its like no magazine I’ve seen before. The format reminds me more of a fine European Graphic Novel more so than any magazine.

Like the Cobb series, the magazine is straight-ahead and full throttle in quality. The 8 1/2 by 11 inch book has a superior cover stock that enhances the art and colors. The interior pages are the kind of high quality that you usually find in publications of fine art. Each page is framed in black and really sets off Eduardo’s black and white artwork.

The book has that certain weight to it. The kind where you know if you rolled it up just the right way you could use it as a lethal baton kinda like the way Cobb did in the series. All of the retailer incentive covers are collected in this as well as the very revealing Psychological Testing Notes on Frank Cobb and the cast of characters bios. These are items that I hope you’ll find most interesting.

In the world of entertainment the house of Tough Guys has been painted and repainted many times. Problem is, no matter how many coats of paint you put on it, it’s still the same house. With Cobb: Off The Leash, it was our goal to tear the old house down and rebuild it the way it’s supposed to be… with bricks.



In Cobb: Off The Leash I wanted to get back to the basics. I wanted the phrase “Old School” to be a compliment. Every time it’s used I do try and take it as such. With Cobb I wanted to show you, the readers, that you can tell a good a good action story where the story moves with the action and isn’t left sitting around a table with a bunch of talking heads or floating around in air babbling on and on. Compression, decompression, whatever… I like to call it good story telling and characters you care about. Common sense might also be a good way of putting it.

When you read Cobb: Off The Leash I want you to read it for pleasure. For fun. After you’re done, then check it out for story telling, pacing, page-turners, cliffhangers, dialogue and character layering. Look at the art. Pay attention to the panel layouts, the clothing, the expressions, the body movement and the camera angles. The smallest most simple details will tell you a mountain of story telling… Old School style.



The COBB MAGAZINE hits the stores March 14, 2007. Don’t assume that your local retailer has ordered it. Ask them for it and give them the Diamond Distribution order number of DEC063705. It has a cover price of $9.99. Check it out at http://www.idwpublishing.com or call The Comic Book Locator Service at 888-Comic Book to find your nearest store.

Note that Cobb has his own MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/frankcobb.

You can also see unpublished sketches, roughs and layouts on Cobb at
http://www.comicspace.com/beausmith
http://www.flyingfistranch.com

I’m friggin’ everywhere!

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Beau Smith / Flying Fist Ranch Merchandise

I want to thank all of you that have written in with your suggestions for what kind of Beau Smith and Flying Fist Ranch merchandise you want to see for sale on my website. I am putting together the list of things and wanted to let you know to keep sending in those suggestions. They are a huge help to me. Just let em’ rip at beau@flyingfistranch.com.

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Busted Knuckles Babe Of The Week

Poppy Mongomery
- actress



Most of you Knuckleheads know Poppy Montgomery from the TV show Without A Trace and most every guy’s magazine that you pick up. The blonde Aussie has done her share of TV shows, but really got her chance to shine in NYPD Blue and from there she really took off. She’s smart, pretty and can really play the no-nonsense role. This week she gets to play The Busted Knuckles Babe Of The Week.

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Busted Knuckles Manly Cover Of The Week

Kid Colt Outlaw #105
Marvel Comics, 1962



As most of you know, every week my buddy, writer Chuck Dixon, tries to out man me with his watered down version of the manly cover of the week at his message board: http://www.dixonverse.net.

Every week he throws up puny human attempts to try and match my peerless covers of testosterone. Every week he fails. This week my Manly Cover Of The Week is directed right at Chuck Dixon. I came across this cover while sorting my collection and it just reached out and begged to be the cover of the week. As you can see, it appears Chuck Dixon has an alter-ego called “Dakota Dixon The Bad Man.”

It’s too bad Chuck didn’t find this cover and use it on his site first. Then again, like I said, he’s always one step behind.

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The Roundup

Big thanks go out this week to my old friend and Hollywood Kingpin, Tom Mason. Tom was kind enough to send me two more manly books for my collection of Operation Hang Ten by Patrick Morgan. The exciting espionage adventures of surfing secret agent Bill Cartwright. These books are too cool for words and are some of the best tales of testosterone to come out of the 1970s. Much thanks, Tom. I hope you enjoy the package I sent out to you in southern California.



Thanks go out to Cory Leeds of Miami, Florida for the DVD of FEAST. It has to be one of the best monster movies with action and dark humor I’ve seen in a long time. The film was fast paced and action packed with buckets of blood, gore and one of my favorite Hollywood beauties, Navi Rawat (from Numb3rs). I can’t thank you enough, Cory. I hope you enjoy what it coming your way.




Until next week, stay outta trouble.

Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch
P.O. Box 706
Ceredo, WV. 25507
http://www.flyingfistranch.com
beau@flyingfistranch.com

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Prove your manhood by visiting Beau at the Flying Fist Forum!

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