Comics 2013: Off to a "Spectacular" start?!?

I finally have 45 minutes on a Saturday morning that I am not working, and I want to use it to get some ideas out there about the comics market and hopefully incite some intelligent conversation.

2012 was a GREAT year for comic books. There were more well-crafted books coming out than I could keep up with, and I really enjoyed reading them month-to-month. DC continued their success with the New 52 books, Batman leading the way with gripping writing from Scott Snyder. The "Court of Owls" AND "Death of the Family" in less than 12 months!! And the Swamp Thing/Animal Man crossover "Rotworld" And Marvel, not one to sit idly on the sidelines, blew us away with "AvX" and "Everything Burns". And in between, there were a bunch of really well-written and drawn books, both on the grand and small stage, that were a pleasure to read.

So here we sit. 2013. The Mayans are relieved that we aren't blaming them for the end of the world. Third graders are toting guns to school in Far Rockaway. Anyone that pays taxes will be forking over more this year, and getting less in return. And there are new laws for gun owners and their guns which will have no impact whatsoever on those that have illegal guns. So how do comics fit into all of this, and why are there some burning questions inside of me about the industry?? Let's take a look inside the mind of a life-long comics fan.

I am not going to slam you with links to CBR or newsarama or any of that. Instead I will just spew out aggregated information in an abstract fashion to let you know where my mind is at.

Marvel and DC comics have been putting out a lot of books lately. A LOT. A fucking steaming shitload of new books. And variant covers, second and third and fourth printings, and trades. And new titles. DC has firmly planted itself in the New 52 universe without looking back, while Marvel is reinventing itself every Wednesday in a post-AvX universe with a plethora of NOW! books. And as much as I hate to admit it, I have been along for the ride for a loooooooooooooong time. And I hate to admit it, but they got me. Hook line and sinker, they got me.

However, lost in all the "YAY!!" enthusiasm is this creeping feeling of dread, of horror, crawling up my spine. It's like watching a movie and knowing what's about to happen, and feeling powerless to stop it.

Let me point out that in no way, shape, or form, am I taking any negative shots at ANY of the creators of these fun to read books. I am simply expressing my feelings on the industry right now, and the state it's in, and my HUGE concern for what's about to happen.

I read the new Captain America 3 last night. An overall spectacular book, filled with amazing art by JrJr and Klaus. And I was very, very impressed by Remender's writing, which is no shock to anyone that knows me. But when I finished reading it, I couldn't help but wonder...um, isn't Captain America in some other books? Like, Avengers? And...Uncanny Avengers?? Well, there he is, right on the covers of THOSE titles. So...how exactly has Cap been missing for a year in a far-away place while helming two of Marvel's flagship titles?

Is Arcade really killing off teens in Avengers Arena? And did Disney actually allow one of their sub-divisions to do this, right on the heals of Hunger Games(you know, the watered-down version of Battle Royal(also known as Lord of the Flies))??

I'm not even going into the Peter Parker "death". I think it was fantastically written by Dan Slott, and created a perfect storm of hype for Marvel. Hulk, Thor, Avengers, X-Men, Sif, Deadpool, and many other characters are being handled in new ways by new creators and most of it works. Especially the All-New X-Men. Bendis and Immonen are setting the bar for superhero comics, and they are setting it high. However...

It doesn't feel right. It seems to scattered. I wasn't expecting a cohesively shared universe, like Stan Lee created 50 years ago when he was "writing" 20 books every month. It seems rushed. It seems like a mad-dash attempt to catch up to DC and their phenomenal success with the New 52.

And make no mistake, DC his redefined the comics industry by taking a bold leap forward and re-whatever-ing their entire line of superhero books. It feels like a shared universe, not just because of the ongoing trend of multi-title crossovers events, but just on the most basic ground level, it feels like it is all happening at once, in the same universe, and it makes sense.

Lapham's "Age of Apocalypse" is being cancelled because it has fallen below the 20,000 line. 20,000. One of the best-written and drawn books on the market today. Maybe those numbers would be higher if people had a few more sheckles to spend on their monthly books. Maybe, just maybe, if they didn't buy that variant cover third printing of (insert title here) they would have the $2.99 to plop down on this amazing book. And therein lies the basic seed of my discontent.

Marvel is owned by Disney. DC is owned by WB/TimeWarner. You know, these gigantic media conglomerates that generate BILLIONS of dollars every year selling kids(well, usually parents) character-based stuff. And movies. And books. And I will point out here that based on their value, there is no way those companies are generating the same profit from publishing as they are from the rest of their product lines. So why are they both flooding the market with so many comic book titles?

I have my own theories, but this is the prevailing thought. Neither of these companies are content to just exist and produce profit-making properties. There is, and has always been, a driving desire to be THE company. And while that balance of power is ever-changing, it is a self-destructive cycle that hurts both of these companies more than they realize. And here's why.

Image. Dark Horse. ComixTribe. IDW. These companies are content with smaller sales numbers, and they are willing to take a chance on some lesser-known talent with unique creative visions. Anyone that reads a lot of different books will tell you that there are some really good books out there, filled with really good ideas. Just ask Marvel and DC-they are pulling Indie creators into their stables regularly now. But these indie publishers lack the wherewithal to pump out movies like the Big Two, so fun comics like Saga, Witch Doctor, Chew, Luther Strode(just to name a few) are just that- fun comics. Just think about how cool it would be to see a book like Revival or Harvest on the big screen. Or even on AMC.

But the two big media juggernauts just keep plowing along, feeding the fans effects-driven popcorn summer-blockbuster films that make money, and send kids to Toys-r-Us to grab up games and figures and pajamas. Everything seems so formulaic...put out a movie, keep making the monthly pamphlet advertisements for the characters, and so on. And it works. It is a very safe plan. It makes them money. But don't we, as creators and readers and consumers, deserve more??

Remember the 90's? Remember the glut?? The variants and multiple printings and implosion of the industry?? I do. If this industry is to survive, Marvel and DC must change. They have both effectively shot themselves in the foot in one are to be certain...the backlist of trade paperbacks is going to become obsolete in this post-NOW!/New 52 world. From my observations, people are more willing than ever before to check out one of those indie books they keep hearing about, but dammit, their buying piles are filled with Marvel and DC and they stick to what is safe, what they are comfortable with. I am among the fortunate-I order my books on-line and get 40% off of everything, if not more. I am able to pick up 100+ titles every month. I also have a great local shop that takes really good care of me, so there is not much that I miss. I guess it's a perk of being an indie creator or whatever, but I am thankful for it. But that guy that has 2 kids and 2 jobs and a working wife and bills up the ass? He's not gunna plunk down the coin I do on comics, especially on comics he has never read before. Those kids that pop in randomly? They are grabbing up Avengers and Spiderman and Batman and My Little Pony like crazy.

So what is Marvel and DC's overall plan? To control the market place? To squeeze every nickel out of the consumer? Ret-conning and rebooting and revitalizing works great with established familiar characters. But for real growth, and to stay healthy, the industry needs to expand it's vision and take more chances. New ideas. New creators. New characters. I might open a box of 50+ new comics, or come home from my local shop, and have a huge pile of new comics to sift through. But when I put together the reading pile, somehow Scam!, America's Got Powers, Prophet, Shadowman and Luther Strode sit at the top of the pile while some of the Marvels and DCs sit at the bottom, waiting to read last...or not at all. Please take a chance on some of these lesser-known titles. Diversity will keep this industry alive. Paper is going away folks. Is the comics market far behind? I am afraid that if we keep driving down this road, we will fall off of a cliff...

Comments? Feedback? Feel free to spout off.

2012 Comics" The Year So Far...

As I see it, this year has been an AMAZING one for comic books. Not your everyday superhero books, many of which have been pretty good, but the OTHER comics. There are some really enjoyable and very well-crafted books being made these days, and I am going to share some of my favorites with you, as well as some of the creators that iI feel are at the top of their game.

Firstly, kudos to Image comics(yes, THAT Image comics) for having the balls to put out some really cool stuff. They first caught my attention with Luther Strode- Tradd Moore is an amazing talent, and the story pulled me in from page 1. It seems that Image, specifically Jim Valentino's Shadowline, has realized that superheroes are pretty much played out. Books like Revival, Harvest, Prophet, Manhattan Projects...they are weird, strange, non-traditional, and VERY FUCKING COOL. Unique story ideas, cool art, and well-produced.

America's Got Powers-great premise and perfectly executed. Bryan Hitch has always been an amazing artist, but he is at the pinnacle right now. Storywise it's genius.

Fatale- No surprise here. Brubaker and Phillips have been hitting homeruns for years now, but this book might be their best ever.

Saga- Have you seen it yet? Original, creative, and a blast to read since issue one.

A.K.A.- Rob Reilly draws his ass off, and has a unique and original style and the balls to pull the look off. A grindhouse tour-de-force at 95 miles an hour. Pick his book up, and enjoy it.

Planet of the Apes- Daryl Gregory has created a world within the POTA world that is more engrossing and more complex than you can imagine. Carlos Magno is the perfect artist for this series, and has been killing it for 2 years now. Not to take anything away from the other Boom! POTA books, but THIS one is the cream of the crop.Even if you have never heard of POTA, this stands alone as a superior work of fiction. Book of the Year in my opinion. Daryl's background as a sci-fi writer shows through as the world he creates is as believable as our own.

Only Living Boy- David Gallaher and Steve Ellis are hitting their stride on this little monster. Having read a bunch of their previous collaborations, I was impressed. But OLB is phenominal. One of the funnest reads I've had in a while, and I'm hoping for more from these two maniacs. Had a blast hanging out with them at NYComicCon 2012 as well.



There are some amazing creators making books right now that are at the top of their game. Writers first...

Scott Snyder- Clearly the architect of the future of DC comics. If you aren't reading Batman, please just leave. Scott and Greg Capullo are not making comics, they are creating a legend. And don't miss Scott's other titles- American Vampire and Swamp Thing are alive in their own worlds, and I often feel less like a reader and more like a rider when I pick these books up.

Jeff Lemire- One of the oddest, most unique and creative writer/artists around today. His DC stuff (Animal Man, Justice League Dark) are truly...weird. Underwater Welder is one of the most engrossing, engaging books I have ever read. 20 years ago, Jeff would have been an underground comics legend. Thankfully, in 2012, he is one of the most accepted writers around. Did I mention Sweet Tooth? If you haven't read his stuff yet, go read some. NOW.

Jimmy Palmiotti has been making comics for as long as I can remember. Having made the move to full-time writer, Jimmy has not slowed down a bit. He is writing one of the best of the New 52 books, All-Star Western, and, with Justin Gray, is creating magic every month. And it's not just on that book, it's on EVERYTHING he is writing. DC clearly knows what they are doing by keeping Jimmy in their arsenal, and allowing him to pursue his other projects as well (Creator-Owned Heroes anyone?). Not only a very talented writer/inker/creator, but also one of the nicest guys in the business. And his podcast is a fucking pisser! Anything jimmy writes or talks about should be on your list of things to consume...

Culleen Bunn- 6th Gun? A shitload of different Marvel books? READ HIS STUFF. I have not put down one single book he has written without going "Yup. He's got it."

I met Sean Murphy a few years ago at NYComicCon, and I was aware of his art on things like Joe the Barbarian and Off-Road. He showed me pages from PRJ, told me a bunch about the story, and we talked for what seemed like hours. Fast-forward a year to NYComicCon 2012- Sean is a superstar, and Punk Rock Jesus is being called "Book of the Year", being nominated for many awards, and yes, it lives up to the hype. Not only is the art some of the best I've ever seen, the story is a non-stop action/adventure ride, rife with lots of fun and more shots at the current state of the world than you can handle. Sean deals with a LOT of current issues and disguises his awareness of how fucked up the world is in the characters in the story. The first 4 issues have been tremendously fun to read and follow, and I hope he finds time in his hectic schedule to finish this thing soon.


Rick Remender has been making comics for what seems like forever, and has always been fun to read. However, now Marvel has tapped into his brain and is letting him run wild in the Marvel Universe. Pick up ANYTHING he has written in the last year and see what I'm talking about.

David Lapham has been perfecting the art of making comics since waaaaaaaaaaaay back when. Age of Apocalypse, from Marvel, has basically been spinning in it's own alternate-orbit from the rest of the Marvel University for 7 issues now, and it should be left right where it is. Set in a dark alternative-future, David has created one of the coolest X-Men stories yet, filled with familiar-yet-different characters you already (think) you know and scenarios that ring a bell, but aren't quite the same as the way you remember them. Not to be limited to just doing superhero stories, David is writing Werewolf stories, horror stories, weird stories...and he is one of the most diversified master craftsman of our times.

Now aside from those Artists I just spoke about, there are some guys whose work I will pick up no matter what book they are on. I even read some of the books with a bit of interest, but the main draw for me is the guys sitting at home making pictures all day in a room by themselves, or maybe with a cat, as their only companion. In no particular order...

Mike Deodato- Genius. Master. Creator. Innovator. ANYTHING Mike draws is a lesson for me. Knowing his technique, and his approach, have helped me learn more than any other artist out there. And he's a genuinely nice dude.

Alan Davis- I don't care is he is drawing a story about 3 men talking in a room, he will make it look amazing. Simply put, he is the most underrated guys around, and he has been around forever.

Ron Garney- Rock-solid and at the top of his game. Look at some of his earlier stuff, and realize he has been doing it right since the beginning.

Michael Lark- Mike should have been a film director. His camera movement is magic to watch. It doesn't matter if he's drawing talking heads or gritty superheroes, it's gunna look amazing.

Tony Moore- Walking Dead? Nah. Tony has made the seamless move  from underground to mainstream with no ill effects. Go ahead, check out his Venom or upcoming Deadshot.

Stuart Immonen- just amazing.

Jimmy Cheung- one of the best cover artists in the Marvel stable, but I sure do miss him working on interiors. If you never saw Scion from Crossgen, you are missing out.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of my current comic-book state-of-affairs, and I will add more in time. This is just an off-the-top-of-my-head rambling, but please-read the stuff I just wrote about. You may be swept up in the "Marvel NOW" and "New 52" hype, but remember...just because something doesn't get a lot of hype does NOT mean it's not just as good, if not better.

Got A New Toy this Past Weekend...

A Cintiq21UX. Mmmmmm. Drawing on the monitor itself. 2 hours to install and nail down my method. Pics to follow. To say this has re-energized me is an understatement. I have so many ideas to put down on paper, and now I can. While I love the ability to work digitally and save a LOT of time working this way, I still like to "feel" my artwork, my finished product. Therefore I will be doing all of the basic drawing on the Cintiq, in Photoshop, and the final inked for-print artwork will be done in marker and ink on real boards. Can't wait to show off some stuff!!!

Some shit I wrote...

...a while back. Therapy is great, especially if you are a fucked-up disaster like me. There are pages and pages of this stuff, which I will upload slowly. Most of this stuff was written while I was in recovery, and I was in a very, very dark place. Please leave comments if you are moved to do so.


==========================================================================

I stood upon a mountain,

Looked ‘round at what I saw

A ruined, barren wasteland,

Breathing never more...

Fires burned and buildings fell,

The fields were razed and charred.

A blood red moon, a blackened sky,

Death left is calling card

Cried for mercy in the night,

Pleas that go unheard.

For now the end is drawing near

And will not be disturbed.

Falling to my knees,

I sob,

And stare in disbelief;

Alone, it seems I will be spared,

Anger,  at first, then grief.

The arid smoke,

It fills my lungs,

My eyes, they start to tear.

A little voice inside me

Says there's nothing left to fear.

And suddenly the earth begins

To shake and choke and cough.

The loudest sound I’ve ever heard,

No way to turn it off.

The oceans burn and turn to steam,

The land turned inside out.

The death cry of a planet,

No room for any doubt.

And suddenly, as it began,

It stops and all is still.

My mountain stands much taller now

I guess it always will.

The skies, they clear,

The fires, doused,

The water cooled and calm.

I opened up a tight-cleaned fist

And look inside my palm . . .

Some specks of dirt,

A rock or two,

A bottle cap, a weed,

And there, a tiny spark of hope:

A little yellow seed.

Is this enough to start anew,

This life so great and grand?

I plant the seed and pat the soil,

Right there where I stand.

 =========================================================================

Here’s a piece of me

I hope it makes you smile

It took a while to make it.

So this is what it’s come to,

A whore who’s selling art

Little do you realize

In your hands, a piece of my heart.

I don’t do it for the money

I’m trying to make you happy…

Cause now it’s my job.

=========================================================================

Words I never meant to say

And things I have done;

They’re gone, too late . . . too late

=========================================================================

You know me,

So tell me, have I gone crazy?

Truly mad?

I’ve trapped myself in my head...

It’s safe.

And no one gets in.

But can’t get out.

But I don’t think I even want to...

========================================================================

It is impossible to fly

While tied to the earth

 ========================================================================

We can see the past and the future

(but we like to keep things interesting)

========================================================================

I will post more as time allows. Thanks for checking this out.

2011 #OccupyWallSt /#NYComicCon FREE ONE LIVE BEAST GIVE-AWAY!!!

To celebrate the 2 biggest events of this fall, I am giving away the first chapter of Book One of my highly-acclaimed graphic novel "One Live Beast" for free!!! Just download it from this link right here-

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?03yyipg87wb7rst

For a limited time I will be giving away digital copies of chapters 2-5 of Book 1 FOR FREE!!! All you need to do is contact me and tell me you liked chapter one. BOOM! You get the whole first book for free!


You can message me at
http://twitter.com/#!/kurtlove666
or
http://onelivebeast666.deviantart.com/

or right here on this here blog. 

The subject matter of "One Live Beast" strongly reflects what we are experiencing around the world today, a growing discontent and call to arms for things to change. "One Live Beast" has been hailed as a remarkable story set in a bleak dystopian future, combining elements of Orwelle's 1984 and the work of Alan Moore, and has garner rave reviews in the underground/indy comics world. Check it out for yourself, it's free!

I will be giving away 10 signed copies at NY Comic Con, all you have to do is be one of the first 10 people that ask for it. I will be at the Atlash Unleashed booth and the Aylum Press both, signing times TBA. And I will also be delivering some down to the #OccupyWallSt folks to randomly distribute.  Have a great day, and remember...trust no one.

Sitting here, early in the morning...

and looking out across the bay at a beautiful island, surrounded by mist, as it has been countless times before. The sun burns the haze away as it starts it's march across the sky. The water is choppy and the smell of the sea fills my head as I sit and watch this again, just like I have hundreds of times before, from different places and in different bodies as my soul manifests itself in this realm once again.

A thousand years ago the scene here was the same, but there was no internet back then. There were no cars. There were no cell phones. There were no grocery stores. If you needed eggs, you had to go get them from under a chicken. If you needed milk, you had to milk the cow. If you wanted a cigarette, you had to roll it up. If you wanted to know how your family was on the other side of the bay, you had to start a fire and send smoke signals to communicate.

And before that, there were no people. There were only animals and trees and plants and bugs and water and sun. And nature was doing exactly what it is doing now. It didn't need us to get in the way.

And all that came before brought me to where I am now, sitting on this deck, enjoying a nice hot cup of coffee and soaking all of this in, that which was here before me and will still be here long after I am gone. Thanks for letting me stay and enjoy the view.

What was "Punk Rock"???

well. i was a little fucktard when "Nevermind the Bollocks" came out, and got it from a friend of mine that i used to smoke pot and steal beer with. I had been listening to Sabbath, Floyd, Judas Priest, and whatever was around that had some balls to it. I remember reading about the Pistols in newspapers, magazines, and metal zines. I remember pulling the vinyl out of it's sleeve, and putting it on my record player. What happened over the next 30 minutes or so would define my personality for the rest of my days.

They were loud, obnoxious, rude, but likeable and easily relateable to kids my age. We were a bunch of little stoners, full of pent-up anger, and their music and sound and lyrics struck a chord in me like none other. From the opening stomp of those boots to that farting sound at the end of EMI, I was hooked. Songs about looney chicks getting an abortion? Attacking the government? Steve Jones with those chunky, slidey riffs that NO ONE was doing before him? Um, yeah...I was all in.

And so now it's 2011. Punk is pretty much dead, unless you go to little matinee shows or myspace. I have seen a few good new bands on the scene, Razorblade Suitcase being the best of the new breed. But for the most part, the music, as well as the feeling behind it, is gone. And in it's place we have...what, Rap? Really? Every one of the songs are about the same thing, there is no originality, and no one plays instruments or stands up for what they perceive as government wrongs. No wonder kids today are turning to shooting each other for thrills.

And here I am, still being that snotty, don't give a fuck about anything drinking drugging fighting asshole that i was back then. I ain't never gunna change, I get to say, at the end of the day, I did it MY way. Can YOU?

Oh and BTW-Blondie and the Ramones were NEVER punk. New York had it's own music movement, NYHC, but that's another subject for another wasted night. I really wish there were some people around to go get wasted with...break some shit, get into a fight...