Magic Bullet #11 - "One Wish"

I've been lucky enough to be pretty busy with comic work over the last few months - this year, even, I guess.  One of the (admittedly few) downsides to that is that I don't have very much time for this blog or other types of recreational writing...but I'm still out here, doing...stuff.

Somewhere on that list of stuff sits a new issue of DC Conspiracy's Magic Bullet!  This recently released issue is currently being circulated primarily around the Washington, DC area.  I've had a few comics published in previous issues, and this time around I teamed up with a few friends to create a one page comic titled "One Wish".

"One Wish" came about after a conversation with your good friend (and mine) Larry a few years ago.  I'm not even sure what the context of the conversation was, but he let it spill and I decided that it might make a good Magic Bullet-style comic, so I plotted it out and put the letters into the final product.  Providing the art is the incomparable Joe Badon.  It all came together pretty well, I think, and I'm happy that I was able to put this together with those two guys.

I got a bundle of comics in the mail and have been working on distributing them around the Pittsburgh area.  I spent the summer volunteering once again at the Toonseum, so it was a good bet that I'd leave a stack at the entrance to the comic/cartoon art museum.  I'll also be bringing some with me to the inaugural Wizard World Pittsburgh show, which is coming up in just a few short weeks (more on that later)!

Before I go, here's one more peek at something else that I'm working on, this time with Ian Chase Nichols.  I worked with Ian on a few Tick projects and I'm happy to be collaborating with him again. I'm putting this clip up here because this comic is also for a newspaper-style publication, but it's not the MB.  I'll give out some more information on that project when it gets a little further along.

Magic Bullet #8: I Hate the Moon!

A little while ago, I received some copies of the newly-printed Magic Bullet #8 in the mail!  The Magic Bullet is the DC Conspiracy oversized free comic publication, based out of the nation's capital city.  I've had a few comics published through them in the past, and issue eight is no different.  This issue features, as its first comic, no less, "I Hate the Moon!"  Here's a tiny preview of probably my favorite scene:

"I Hate the Moon" is, I believe, the fourth comic I've submitted to the newspaper-size publication, but it's the first that I've done in color, which is rare for the MB.  The art for this comic was done by the prodigious Pietro, who took my weird script about talking planets at a party and kicked everyone's butt.

The issue is full of other great, one-page comics as well, including another installment of Rafer Roberts's eerie "Nightmare the Rat".

"Time after Time" was another favorite of mine.

And oh, look!  There's a Franks and Beans ad in there, as well.  This is sure to attract thousands of new viewers.

 I'll post the entire "I Hate the Moon" strip on this site in a few months.  In the meantime, I took the issue around to a few different Pittsburgh-area shops, including Impossible Dreams in Bridgeville, PA.  If you'd like to grab a copy for yourself and you're out of the area (and also away from Washington, DC, where most of the copies reside), you can order a copy online for only 99 cents!  Click this link for more info: http://dcconspiracy.storenvy.com/collections/170861-all-products/products/5383270-magic-bullet-8

Many thanks to all involved with the Magic Bullet for including me in their great publication once again.  It's always a treat.

Magic Bullet #6: The Naked Man!

Lost in the shuffle of Free Comic Book Day and other such festivities is news that a new issue of DC Conspiracy's Magic Bullet is out!  Issue 6 of the Washington, DC-area free comic newspaper in on stands now, and it features an oversized, one-page comic written by me that you can read by clicking the image above.

My entry is titled "The Naked Man at the Edge of Time", and it's drawn by Kurt Belcher with inks by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer and greyscales by Tom Ziuko.  It's about a guy who time travels, but has to do so naked.  That's...pretty much all you need to know about it.  I got the idea while reading an issue of Dark Horse Presents, specifically a story titled "The Marked Man".  I just glanced over the title and had to look at it again, because I mistook "Marked" for "Naked".  Who knows what kind of Freudian analysis that conjures, but let's just take it for what it's worth.  Anyway, I thought the idea was funny, so here we are.

The whole issue turned out really well, if I can say so.  I love the format and I love the idea of a bunch of creators getting together to work on something of this scale.  It's pretty neat.

Also in the issue, FUBAR bigwig Steve Becker gets inadvertently name-dropped in a story...about...heck, it's a comedy story about a time traveler.  Oh well.

This issue also features an ad for Franks and Beans!  That's right, we convinced someone to actually advertise for our Internet show.  I'm sure this will drive viewership through the roof...I mean, if it wasn't already.  THE ROOF, I TELL YOU!

I do have plans to do more with the Naked Man.  Okay, that sounds a little weird, but you know what I mean, right?  The Naked Man idea.  That doesn't sound any better.  Whatever, there are still plans for a full length (that sounds bad in this context as well) story later this year.  I'll post updates...whenever.

Visit the Magic Bullet website here: http://magicbulletcomics.blogspot.com

You can even buy a copy of this issue for your very own self.  It's only 99 cents!  http://dcconspiracy.storenvy.com/products/1352276-magic-bullet-6

This comic strip will make its way onto the webcomics section of this site.  Look for more soon!

The post-DC, post-conference, post-March wrap-up

Time flies and so does Superman.  My time in Washington DC for the Pop Culture Association conference is done, but the pictures and the memories remain.  Oh, the memories.

I arrived in DC on Wednesday evening and spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday bouncing between conference-related events and tourist attractions, and I had a nice time overall.  When I parked my car on Wednesday night, I saw this advertised in a nearby storefront window:

I've heard that the Superman musical is pretty bad, but still, I'd like to give it a try as hey, it's Superman, and I hear that he sings a song about beef at some point in the show.  What a shame that it's not showing for another few weeks and that it's not a bit closer.  For $15, I'd watch the heck out of it.

My presentation was scheduled for the bleary-eyed time of 8:00 in the morning, which, if you know anything at all about me, was a challenge, one compounded by the fact that I got up at 5:00 so I could drive into the city and find the hotel with enough time to register and find the conference room.  It was a long day.

The presentation itself went off without incident, I'm happy to say.  Mine was one of three presentations going on for this 90-minute session, and at the very least I didn't embarrass myself.  As I mentioned in my last post, my presentation was on Frank Miller's Holy Terror - the picture at the very top is a slide from the accompanying PowerPoint - and the possibility that the whole book was satirical in its intent.  Someone even asked me a question this time around, which was a first for me, and I even half answered it in a round about fashion.

I sat in on a few other panels over the weekend, including one that discussed using comics as teaching tools and another that looked at the nature of fandom in properties such as Firefly.  On Thursday night, the comics group hosted a dinner where I got to chat about comics with a number of other like-minded folk.

On Friday, I took the Metro into DC and saw some sights, including the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, where I'm pleased to say that they had on display crystals from the Fortress of Solitude.

They also had a Beast Wars display, interestingly enough.

Afterwards, I walked up Pennsylvania Avenue only to come across a line of stopped traffic on an adjacent street.  Curiosity got the best of me and I stuck around, and in a few minutes the motorcade for President Obama came rolling by.  You can't, of course, see inside any of the presidential limos, but it was a pretty fun experience nonetheless.  So I took a picture outside of the White House, along with about a hundred other people.  No sign of Biden on a dog sled.

academic conferences: like blogging with fewer followers

There's been a lack of posts here over the past few weeks, but fear not, blog readers, it's not because I don't still love you.  I do, I do, deep in the cockles of my heart.  But I've had a few projects that have come up to take away a lot of my free time, two of which are at least semi-academic in nature.  But don't worry; like most things in life, I do my best to take a shortcut around actual work and research and just talk or write about comics.

CASE IN POINT!  Next week I'll be speaking at the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association's national conference in Washington, DC.  As far as academic conferences go, it's pretty unpretentious, which is good, because I'll be keeping a straight face as I give my presentation on Frank Miller's awful "Holy Terror", talking about the potential unintentional satire contained within the book's pages.  Here's kind of proof!

I'm actually not a stranger to Dr. Wandtke, as he hosted panels at which I spoke in 2005 and 2006.  It'll be fun to catch up and talk comics with a few like-minded individuals.  And getting back to Holy Terror hasn't been as painful as I imagined it would be...if you squint real hard, there does seem to be at least the possibility that the book is just one big satirical look at American culture as opposed to the racist, hate-filled tome that it, in all likelihood, probably is.

The next opportunity came out of the blue, and it also fits into the professional/semi-professional category of writing.  I came across somebody's reference to the Journal of Venture Studies, an online publication that takes an academic approach to analysis of The Venture Bros. show that I love so very very much.  According to the editors of the book, the first volume (which you can read in its entirety online) caught the eyes of some folks at Adult Swim, who agreed to sponsor a second volume of the journal as a way to promote the upcoming fifth season.

I learned about this call for papers about 36 hours before the deadline, but I was able to get a proposal in that was accepted and, as long as I sit down and do the work (which I will), and that work is good work (which I hope and pray it will be), will have an entry in this sure to be prestigious volume in the storied annals of Venture analysis.

My topic this time around?  Ben Edlund and the Tick's influence on the Venture Bros. show and an analysis of "¡Viva los Muertos!", which is the only episode of the series not at least co-written by Jackson Public or Doc Hammer.  So I'm not straying too far from familiar ground, but I'm looking forward to it in any case.  And for all of you who enjoy instant gratification, this should be published in April, before the new season airs.

Maybe I'll get an honorary degree in comics for these.  Or something.

"The Final Edit" in Magic Bullet #5!

DC Conspiracy's "Magic Bullet" publication is out with a new issue - its fifth - and dare I say that this is the best one yet.  I recently got a big package in the mail from editor Matt Dembecki and it looked a little something like this:

The Magic Bullet, for those who don't know, is published in the greater Washington, DC area.  It's a newspaper-sized publication filled with mostly one-page, self contained comics.  I've been lucky to have stories see print in issues 2 and 3, and #5 sees a new strip with art by a familiar name - Duane Redhead.  Duane stepped in at the last minute and really saved my bacon as the deadline approached.

This issue had a theme - the end of the world!  We were allowed to interpret that as we saw fit.  Even the cover reflected the end of days:

My entry, which can be seen at the very top, has another grammar joke in it.  Why do I find grammar so ripe a subject for funny one page comics?  Who can say, but dammit, I'll do with it what I can.

A few comics in this issue were in color, which was an exciting addition.  I've got a new strip in the works that I'm hoping to place in issue #6 and I'll have to see if I can get a color spot.  I'm a little over half way through this oversized issue and I must say that I'm impressed with the overall quality.  I think that this little magazine is on the cusp of taking off and I'm happy to be a part of it.

If you live in the greater DC area, you should be able to find a copy at any number of locations.  For my part, I'll be distributing the copies I received at three comic shops south of Pittsburgh.  If you live close and want to pick up the new issue, go here:

Pittsburgh Comics, McMurray, PA
Impossible Dreams Comics, Bridgeville, PA
Evil Genius Cards and Comics, California, PA

Magic Bullet #2 is in! Plus, PlanetJune blog links!

The second issue of the Washington, DC-area "Magic Bullet" is out and, presumably, being read by a thousand or so metro commuters (perhaps AT THIS VERY MOMENT).  I managed to snag a handful of copies, so I can attest that they look just great.  All of the entries have something to add and it's cool to see my work among those included.

Rather than just hoard these copies in hopes that one day they appreciate in value so I can, I don't know, send someone to college (kids be damned), I'll be distributing them to comic stores in the Pittsburgh, PA and Wilmington, NC areas in the next few weeks, so if you're in either of those parts of the country, stop by and pick up the issue for zero dollars.  There's currently a handy Google map with listings of where to find the publication, with most results coming from the Maryland/Virginia/DC area.

"End of the Line", with art by Jeff McComsey, is on page 16.  I still can't get over how great it is to have something printed on newsprint.  It's the nostalgia of it all.  I'm also a big fan of fellow FUBAR artist Steve Becker's contribution:

You can find out more about DC Conspiracy's Magic Bullet at the very awesome MB website.  Many thanks to everyone who made this a possibility.

In addition to...whatever it is I just talked about, I recently had a review posted at the PlanetJune website regarding the crochet Yeti doll I commissioned last year.  It posts some pictures of the Yeti doll and, well, me (and Lion-O) at last year's New York Comic Con.  It turned out really well and I'll have more with me at this year's upcoming cons.  Good stuff.  Check it out!

Magic Bullet #2 cover

The cover to DC Conspiracy's "Magic Bullet" #2 has been released! I recently posted the short story Jeff McComsey and I will have in this free newsprint publication - if you live in the Washington, DC area, look for a copy soon!  If not, either travel there at great personal expense or just check out the Magic Bullet website for more info (I think there are pdf copies to be had, though I'm not 100% certain).

Oh, and look!  I made the cover, not just in name but in one of the thumbnails.  Yeah, I wrote that ellipses.  Here I go, showing off my writing skills again.

"End of the Line!" for DC Conspiracy's "Magic Bullet"

Jeff McComsey and I recently worked together on a one page story for the Washington, DC area "Magic Bullet" newspaper from DC Conspiracy.  Magic Bullet is a new newspaper that showcases independent comic creators primarily from the DC area.  Our entry is above, and I'm pretty psyched about it - not only because I think it turned out really well overall, but also because it'll be printed on good old fashioned newsprint (the people's paper stock) like the comics of yesterday.  Really, I love how those comics smell.  Perhaps that's something odd about me.

If the page dimensions look a bit off or there looks to be too many panels, that's because this one page story will be printed on oversized (when compared to standard American comic books, anyway), 11x16 inch paper.

I enjoyed working on this short project, and not just because Jeff's artwork is so fantastic (it is, though).  The story was especially fun because I basically got to write a war story with the primary focus on grammar...two subjects that really couldn't be much further apart.  I'll admit that there are better idioms out there than "end of the line" and "just deserts" (which is spelled correctly with only one "s", in case anyone wants to point that out), like "I've seen the light" or something to that regard, but hey, I'm working with my limited grasp of the English language, here, so cut me a break.  Heck.

This story will be a part of Magic Bullet's second issue, and is given away absolutely for free in the DC metro area.  This means two things: first, if you live in the nation's capital, look for this newspaper and give it a try.  Second, let me know if you find any, because then I may...uh...ask you to mail me one or two.

Copyrights

I got a call from my parents today saying that they received a letter for me from the US Copyright Office. I immediately knew what it was, but I still found the timing a little bit strange.

You see, when "Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch" first came out and I was beginning to think about doing more with Teddy and the Yeti, I filled out the requisite forms and sent in a copy of the book to copyright the characters and ideas in a legal sort of way. I remember reading something about how the Copyright Office would be in contact with me and would mail my distinct number within six weeks or so. This was, oh, a year and a half ago.

I guess it's a case of "better late than never", though I still do find it at least a little bit amusing. After not hearing anything for so long, I just figured that I'd never hear anything back from them, which seemed to say something about our governmental structure, but HEY! I guess things are working down in Washington after all, albeit a bit more slowly than I had anticipated.

The most interesting part about all of this is that they've requested another copy of the book so they can keep it on file at the Library of Congress. Now, let's be clear: there are lots of books at the Library of Congress, and they didn't request a copy of the Sasquatch anthology because it was a priceless piece of art history (or did they...?), but there's an odd feeling knowing that, long after I'm dead and forgotten, Teddy and the Yeti will be tucked away in some corner of a governmental library for anyone to stumble upon. Take that, future!