The Scientists
This graphic novel is a real inspiration. Writer artist Geoff Weber began this story with his friend Trent Beckett in 2005, developing a classic 80’s style kid’s adventure story—Stranger Things way before there was a Stranger Things. Trent died in 2007 but Geoff kept the torch burning, continuing to write, draw and self publish the Scientists as a four-part comics series. He finally completed the project with a hard cover collection in the summer of 2020. I’m holding it my hands, it is a great package and a fun all-ages read. Most of my comic books are on a basement shelf but I keep this book at my desk next to Save the Cat and my other “how to” books. If I hit a rough patch in my comics projects I just need to look at the Scientists to remember that all that matters is to keep moving and finish the thing.
https://www.scientistscomic.com
Wild Nature: It’s a Goddamn Slaughterhouse!
I’ve promoted the work of comics creator David Taylor before, and man, he just keeps getting better. I’m holding his latest graphic novel, Wild Nature, and it is killer. In a near-future dystopian Miami the hottest sport/reality TV show is live to-the-death combat between teams of masked mercenaries. Haunted by his history of violence, Swan is a legendary combatant trying to escape the game and leave his past behind, but of course it won’t be that easy. Trust me and pick up this book now before it’s a movie!
Want to hear the single best tag line I’ve ever read for a comic book?
New Rat City
Comics creator Honor Vincent is a great inspiration to me. A few years ago, I was deep in the process of making By the Time I Get to Dallas #1, and it was slow, expensive going. I was committed to finding a great team of artists and paying them upfront to make my book, and hoping I’d find an audience somehow, somewhere. For writers who can’t draw there are many dark arts you might use to coax/cajole/dupe/lowball/screw an artist into working really hard to make you a book that will probably never make a dime for anyone. I’ve never been down with that approach, I pay my artists their going rate up front. But I tell you, it feels lonely laying out thousands of dollars via PayPal to people across the globe whom you’ve never met, all to draw some pictures for your silly story that you THINK might be cool to you and like three other people. Then I saw some comic world buzz about this blog by Honor: What does making a comic cost? Part 1: Getting started. In it she bravely told us exactly what she was spending on each step of her own first comic book while doing it the right way paying her team up front. It turns out that I wasn’t going crazy: making your own comic book really is HARD, SLOW and EXPENSIVE! Honor’s blog was a smoke signal in the distance letting me know I wasn’t the only crazy person out there. That’s a relief, right?
Well, it turns out Honor isn’t crazy at all. Her second self-produced series, New Rat City, got picked up by Scout Comics and is on comic store shelves nationwide! that’s right, she’s big time now! Journey to the Manhattan of 2080, where environmental degradation has led to a very different, but sadly believable, city where rats and weirder creatures rule.
Brokenland
So, there are people who are talented and then there is Drew Morrison. This fucking guy. His one-of-a-kind comic series, Brokenland, features a well meaning tofu-like creature named Meeso, on an epic journey through the garbage laden world of Brokenland, which looks a lot like a fever dream version of Brooklyn where Drew developed the story. What you will particularly love is this is a silent comic: no word bubbles, no text, just art telling the story. As a comic writer who doesn’t draw, I’m offended, but the fact is Drew needs no words to tell Meeso’s tale. What impresses me most is that from the very first page, you feel you are in a fully developed world, and that Drew is going to take your hand a lead you on a tale with complete assurance. It turns out Drew had been drawing the Meeso character for many years before building this story around them, and his confidence shows in every panel.
Nightwolf
Rob Multari seriously knows how to create a top notch comic story. He bring in awesome artists and makes a incredibly polished product. If you want classic teen werewolf fantasy, and who doesn’t, this book is where you go.
We all feel weird in high school. But only a few of us discover we are imbued with the power of an ancient race of werwolves. That’s what happens to Rodney Marcelli, and things get more complicated when he learns he must use that power not to best the school bully in basketball, but to defeat the supernatural Dark Covenant, all while staying ahead of the meddlesome FBI. Luckily Rod has some more experienced werewolves to guide him in his quest, including the not unattractive Snow Paw, a shewolf hailing from the 19th century Scottish Highlands and bracingly resistant to modern fashion cues. Also, they all get swords!