Welcome to our first official Panel Bound Podcast. We caught up with Paige Warren of Busty Girl Comics. We spoke about everything from the movie “Wild Wild West” to the difficulty involved with creating a character without adding a bit of yourself into it. It was a great kickoff to the Panel Bound Podcast. Thanks again to Paige, it was a blast!
Click the link below to listen!
Here is something for you aspiring comic writers out there. Friend of the site and all around nice guy, Jim Zub from Skullkickers has put up some pretty great writing tips and tricks on his personal blog. Apparently, tired of shooting advice back and forth on Twitter, Zub started posting writing tutorials on his blog starting with part one, “brainstorming,” which offers advice like:
“The first thing I do is brainstorm a series of point form ‘things’ – facts that need to be relayed to the reader so the story makes sense – character traits, settings, antagonists, goals, character changes or revelations. It’s a giant jumble of story ideas, characters and key moments – the raw story ingredients all piled up.”
Skullkickers is a wonderful comic that has some of the best writing on shelves right now. Zub is a master of the comic script and his advice is certainly something you will want to look into. Zub’s tutorials are on their fifth part right now and range from pacing to scripting.
Going over all of this advice again while writing this post, I can tell you that pound for pound this is some of the best comic writing advice on the Internet. The whole reason we started Panel Bound was to find more information about creating comics for both writers and artists. Zub’s advice is some of the best out there especially for writers. Check out all of the writing tutorials at Zub’s blog here.
This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to interview the awesome and amazing Alexa Dickman. She is the brains behind the blog Ladies Making Comics. We talked about what kind of world female creators live in and how it effects the female characters we see in modern comics. We did something different with this interview, but as a lady myself, I felt it to be an interesting and compelling topic for any aspiring female creators out there. Thank you again to Alexa, I greatly appreciate you taking the time. You can find her on twitter @LadiesMaknComix.
You run the blog Ladies Making Comics, what inspired that?
Well, It kind of started on a whim, when other friends in comics fandom started Tumblrs, usually based around their favorite superheroes, and I kind of felt like that theme was pretty tired by the time I got started on Tumblr. But I had been keenly aware that many of my favorite creators around that time were women (such as G. Willow Wilson, Gail Simone, Amanda Conner, and Becky Cloonan) so I decided a blog about women in comics was just the sort of thing that people might be interested in that I could talk a lot about.
Why do you think it’s important to bring light to different women creators?
Because while I don’t think anyone is surprised to find women working in comics these days, I also feel like they can get lost in the shuffle of all the big names out there (e.g. the Marvel “Architects” and the DC equivalent: Johns, Lee, Snyder, Morrison), who are all men. People tend to just think of Gail Simone and Amanda Conner and call it a day, when there are so many more women working out there on a variety of comics. It’s hard really for any new creator to get their voice heard and to build an audience these days, and I just feel that with the gender balance being skewed so male for decades, it’s worth showing the diversity of talent on the distaff side.
There’s also something to be said for bringing new diversity of voices into any medium– one of the reason why G. Willow Wilson’s work appeals to me is not just because she’s a woman, but also because she’s a Muslim convert in a post 9/11 world with Egyptian family in the Arab Spring era. It made her take on Mystic way more authentic than I think most writers could have pulled off.
Do you think women in the field are attempting to blend in with the men and create homogenous stories that couldn’t be told apart? Or do you see them bringing different life experiences to their characters and scenarios?
I think both happen, often within the same book! I mean, you get writers like Kelly Sue DeConnick and Gail Simone who grew up reading superhero comics with the boys in their lives, and so for the most part their work is pretty straightforward, but then they are also keenly aware of how they’re part of a minority in the talent pool, and they kind of take responsibility for that, writing stories and sequences that maybe wouldn’t have occurred to the average man to write– like DeConnick’s integration of the actual history of female pilots and astronauts into Captain Marvel, and Simone’s dedication to writing not just more women (which she did wonderfully in Birds of Prey) but also LGBT/sexual minorities (especially in Secret Six). Of course, there are male writers, such as Greg Rucka, who also do a great job of writing women and LGBT characters. But there is certainly an angle of life experience that influences (sometimes subtly and sometimes not) women’s writing. And of course, the artists also bring a natural understanding of female anatomy which is often refreshing!
Speaking of female anatomy, there has been some broo-haha over some of the women in the New 52 Reboot, like Starfire and Catwoman. What do you think on the situation? Would strong female characters benefit from a woman (or a special kind of man) writer/artist?
One of the comments that always comes up when people try to talk about female anatomy in comics is that “well, the men are idealized/sexualized too”. And they’re just not, at least, not in the way that women are. My suggestion for anyone who thinks that is to Google “Tom of Finland” (not while at work, though!). His body of work is entirely butch gay porn. To me, his work is visually the male equivalent of how female characters are often depicted in mainstream comics. It’s fun to look at every once in a while (though Tom of Finland’s work makes me laugh more than anything because of how over-the-top it can be), but imagine seeing that in half of the comics on the stands– featuring characters that you grew up with to boot! It can be very demoralizing. So certainly I think that good artists (male or female) who are dedicated to helping tell a character’s story– and not just drawing figures on a page for the paycheck. Sure, Catwoman is sexy, and Starfire is all about “free love”, but there is depth to their characters and back stories that make those traits interesting, not just titillating.
The fact is, Catwoman is just as sexy when drawn by Darwyn Cooke as Guillem March because the character IS sexy. There’s no need to base the art entirely on that!
I feel as though there is a much greater female presence when it comes to Manga [Japanese comics] versus American comics. And as such, we see such split genres such as Shoujo and Shonen that are marketed towards specific genders/interests (not saying that only girls can read Shoujo and boys only Shonen). Do you think that kind of split in genres would encourage more women creators? Or does it create a schism between genders as opposed to integrating them?
I absolutely think the greater variety of genre in manga is one of the driving forces behind a resurgence of female interest in comics, both as readers and creators. I’ve read so many interviews and blog posts by comics educators like Scott McCloud and Jessica Abel where they talk about how half or more of their classes now are female. And I don’t think that the genre divides in manga creates a schism, at least not an unbreachable one. After all, Fullmetal Alchemist is pretty male-oriented in terms of genre and lead characters, but Arakawa is a woman, and it’s pretty popular with every demographic. Pretty much everyone just needs to keep an open mind about the media they consume, and that’s thankfully getting more and more common these days– just look at the Bronies! But certainly there are times (especially when I’m reading Nana!) where I sigh wistfully and wish there was more of a Josei scene in Western comics. We’ve basically got Terry Moore in the West, and that’s a lot to put on one person’s shoulders!
What are some of your favorite strong female role models as characters, drawn by men or women?
I am really digging Kelly Sue DeConnick’s take on Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel so far.
I love how she integrated real women’s history into the character, and is really delving into her take-no-crap, military background. I also love Power Girl, especially when drawn by Amanda Conner. She’s confident and playful, she’s conscious of her “physique” and it’s effect on people (both readers and other characters), but she owns it, which gives her a brazenness that pervades her whole character. I also love Batwoman, especially when written by Greg Rucka– as a character she’s plenty “broken” and flawed, but she’s also resilient in a way I totally admire.
Do you think with a stronger female presence in comics and geek culture, we will start to see more of a presence in LGBT?
Absolutely. I did an informal demographics survey on Facebook once (if you go through Facebook’s advertising process, you can get demographic numbers on the people who have listed interests such as “comics” and “graphic novels”), and I found a significant number of female comics fans were also “interested in” women. It was about 10%, though men interested in men only made up about 2%. But with creators like Alison Bechdel, and characters like Batwoman, getting mainstream attention–plus with the general growth of acceptance of LGBT people, I definitely think were going to see that reflected in comics.
Any advice or words of wisdom you’d like to give to everybody about the role of women in comics and geek culture?
Well, I guess just that we’ve always been there, and that we have as much right to be in the clubhouse as the guys! I do a lot of research on Golden Age female creators for my Women in Comics Wiki, and I’m continually astonished by the amount of women who were working in the ’40s and ’50s, but there they were. And I will always remember an interview with Joe Simon, one of the last he gave before he died, where he said that his proudest creation was not Captain America, but the romance comics, because they appealed to older, female readers and he lamented their decline. We have every right to this clubhouse, and don’t let anyone tell you different!
For years now, some of the best comics to hit shelves have been the work of independent publishers. It makes sense when you think about it. Most aspiring comic creators would, inevitably, like to work for a major comic publisher like DC, Marvel and Dark Horse. However, asking for a job at Marvel with no published comics under your belt will most likely get you a “thanks but no thanks” email in return. So, for a while now creators have been going to independent publishers to gain exposure and get some published titles on their resume. This was how it was for a while until people really started seeing the potential of independent publishers. Without the boundaries that Marvel and DC enforce, comic writers and artists were able to make some truly compelling works of art.
Since 2002, independent publishing house Archaia has been putting out some of the best independent titles in comics. Past Panel Bound guests Shane-Michael Vidaurri, David Petersen and Giannis Milonogiannis have all had their stunning comics published under the Archaia masthead.
I caught up with Archaia editor Rebecca Taylor at this year’s SDCC after a panel on pitching comics hosted by the publishing house. For all of you creators looking to publish with Archaia, Rebecca is the sharp-eyed editor who will be looking at your submissions.
Every publisher has a specific type of book they are looking for and Rebecca is there to decide first and foremost what will work for Archaia. Luckily, Rebecca was kind enough to chat with me about her job, the submission process and what gets comics through the door at Archaia.
The first thing I look at with any submission is the art. We work in a visual medium, so both art and story have to be strong. From a selfish, timesaving perspective, art is the quicker of the two things to judge. I can tell within a few minutes if the art meets the standards of quality and fits the style of our company’s library and vision, whereas story and writing take longer to dissect.
If a project does have art that blows me away, or even just intrigues me, however, the next thing I look at is the story pitch. A good pitch or treatment will give me a sense of what the book is about, what the target audience might be, what potential trans media opportunities the book could support, and whether the writer has a good sense of structure and storytelling. If all that is there, I’ll move on to actually reading the script, or go back and really sit down with the sample pages and get a sense for the writer’s style on the page.
Working at Archaia, a company that leans towards books that have a unique creative voice, my interest is instantly piqued by projects that have a very distinct art style. When I open a project file and my first reaction is, “Well, that’s different!”—Those are usually the ones that get my attention. That freshness is something that I look for in story as well. Projects that come at me with a story I’ve never seen before, those are the ones I gravitate towards, especially if they also have a well thought out structure.
In this day and age, also, stories that have trans media potential are a big plus for any company from a business standpoint. Being the innate book and comic nerd that I am, that’s never the thing that pulls me, personally, towards one project over another, but as an editor who has to consider the business side of a creative industry, it’s definitely something I look for.
The only thing that causes me to instantly deny a submission is if it’s about superheroes. Archaia does not do superhero stories, no matter how amazing they might be. It’s one of our bedrock rules and we stick to it!
Cover letters are a chance for us to get a sense of a creator. What are their goals for their project? Why, specifically, do they think their project is the right fit for Archaia? Who are the people involved in their creative team? Also, while I would never come to a conclusion about someone’s character from a cover letter alone, it’s a good way to get a general first impression of who the creator is, both professionally and personally, and whether he or she is someone I’d be excited to work with for the year, at least, that it takes to produce a book. So when putting together your pitch, even if you’re submitting to multiple publishers, definitely take the time to customize your cover letter to each company. It really counts when I feel that a creator has taken the time to think about why they specifically think Archaia is the right place for their project.
Quality, professionalism, and chemistry. The project first needs to be good, from the logline to the lettering. Professionalism is something everyone can attain if they do their research. Find out how each company wants submissions presented. Make sure your pitch packet is well designed, just as you would a resume. Make sure your files are formatted in a way that makes life easy for the person downloading it on the other end. The little things do make a difference.
Chemistry is the wild card that no one can really control. The project has to be the right fit for the right publisher at the right time. Sometimes that involves a combination of production schedules, other books in their library, the company’s general vision, and trends in the industry. Sometimes it just involves getting a strong reaction from someone on staff who is really going to fight for your project. As much as chemistry is hard to control for a creator, if you have the quality and professionalism and you keep pitching projects, chances are you will eventually find that project that does fit somewhere.
Unfortunately for writers, the art is the more important element, because that’s the easiest thing to judge right off the bat. Also, writing tends to be more malleable than art—editors can have writers rework material to an extent that they often can’t with artists. While an artist may grow over the course of a book, I feel that, in general, what I see in a pitch is what I’m going to get, more so than with the writing.
Giannis Milonogiannis’ pitch for Old City Blues was excellent. His art style was unique, vibrant, and extremely well executed, and his sample pages even gave a complete scene that ended on a nerve-wracking cliffhanger. He had a dynamite one-page synopsis that really mapped out the plot of his story and gave me a sense of his main characters without delving into every twist and turn. The book originated as a webcomic, which gave it a built-in audience—a plus for any pitch. The pitch packet was well designed, both aesthetically and digitally. All around, it was a great proposal that turned into a fantastic book!
As I said before, we look for books that have a unique voice, that push the envelope in whatever genre or style they work in. We do every genre other than superheroes, as Marvel and DC have pretty much got that market locked. That means we do everything from all-ages fairy tale adventures like Spera, to gritty conspiracy thrillers like Black Charity. Last year, we published both the Slavic historical horror story Black Fire and the environmentally conscious fable I’m Not a Plastic Bag. We’re all over the map. Our goal is to publish graphic novels that someone who has never read a comic book before can pick up and enjoy, but that a die-hard comic book reader would also pick up because they’ve never seen any thing like it before.
Be pleasant and persistent. If creating comics is your dream, then just keep coming up with new ideas, keep honing your craft, and keep being the kind of person that the people who work at these publishers would love to see succeed and work with. Hard work, a good attitude, and professionalism will get publishers rooting for you as a creator, and in an industry as small as comics, that pays off. The people who work in comics want to see good, talented, hard working people succeed. Just find the right balance of humility, passion, and talent and you will hopefully become one of those people!
As a young excessively nerdy middle schooler, it took me a while to figure out exactly what all of the different genres of manga meant. It really wasn’t until I started reading scanlations instead of buying books (I apologize greatly for that, but I have bills to pay you know) that I really became acquainted with the genres. It is overwhelming at first, but after a while they are incredibly helpful. Wrote a post earlier that helps identify whether or not you’re reading a Shoujo or a Shonen manga, and this one will go much more in depth. Some of the genres like ‘comedy’ and ‘mystery’ are easy to figure out what they are all about, but some are a little bit more difficult. I will try to organize this as easily as possible, and will attempt to find recommendations or examples of each genre.
Break Down By Age Groups:
Shoujo: These mangas are the ones that I read most. They are geared towards younger girls from the ages of 13-18, sometimes younger depending on the maturity rating given. They could have a wide range of settings, but most often deal with romantic themes.
Shonen: The male counterpart to Shoujo. They are generally more action packed, and because it is geared towards boys, the focus is less on romance and more on kicking ass.
Josei: A more grown up version of Shoujo. They often deal with more difficult/ mature themes and the characters are often older as well, set in a work place instead of a school setting.
Seinen: The male counterpart to Josei. Made for an older male audience. I do not have much experience with this, perhaps I should start looking around for some good ones.
Break Down by What Characters/Themes You Will Find Inside:
School Life: Like the name suggests, this genre will primarily take place in a scholastic setting.
Magical Girl: The main character [s] is a girl and has magical abilities. They often transform in elaborate sequences. The most popular example of this would be Sailor Moon.
Gender Bender: I love this genre just because of the fact that it is one and you can pick up mangas that deal with gender identity that are not sexually charged. I most often see it with males being dressed as females, but there are a few notable ones with females being disguised as a male.
Harem: This is one where I was unsure as to whether or not I should put it in the naughty category or not, but I have seen ones that are not explicit that have this genre. It is when a male character is surrounded/lives by multiple/many female characters.
Slice of Life: This one is self explanatory to me now that I have read a few. It is a manga is rooted in reality. It deals with normal every day experiences and issues.
Mecha: Basically big machines, or in a world where it is technologically advanced.
Break Down by Naughty
(I am not going to recommend these, I am including them so that way you are aware of what they are, and are not surprised if you pick up a manga labeled ‘Yaoi’ and don’t know what to expect.):
Hentai: Porn in manga form with attempts at strange and elaborate plots to get characters into bed with each other.
Ecchi: This not quite hentai, but definitely not okay for younger audiences. It’s that weird in between, and half the time you will just be wishing it is hentai.
Yaoi: Man on man love.
Shonen-ai: Younger version of Yaoi, with young boys as the main characters, not as graphically sexual.
Yuri: Woman on woman love.
Shoujo-ai: Female version of Shonen-ai
Futanari: Love with a female character with male genitalia.
Shotacon: Love between an adult and a young boy.
Lolicon: Love between an adult and a young girl
QUICK NOTE: In manga genres mature does not mean that there is a hentai. It could have sexual themes, but if you are specifically looking for or looking to rule out anything overtly sexual, the term most commonly used is smut.
Break Down by Whatever Else Is Left:
Doujinshi: I didn’t know what to do with this, but it is basically manga that takes an existing story that they enjoy, and creates their own. It’s the fan fiction of manga.
Manga: Japenese comics, read right to left.
Manhwa: Korean comics, read left to right.
Manhua: Taiwanese or Chinese comics, read left to right. [Editors Note: Thank you!]
WHEWWW! That is over with. Now I send you off into the world of manga, educated, and ready to go! Remember to read many different kinds to find out what you like, unlike me who continues to read the same ones over and over again. Hope this was helpful.
-Eastyn
As I am sure any of our readers know, here are Panel Bound, we are dedicated to promoting the independent comic community. As independent writers and artists, we know the dedication that printing a self published comic takes. The majority of indie creators I speak with, are doing it purely out of a love for comics. It’s not about money, and it’s not about fame, independent comic creators do it to tell a story beyond the boundaries of mainstream publishing.
One of my favorite indie creators that I spoke with in 2011 was Skuds McKinley. Skuds is the writer and artist behind, I’ll Take You To The Moon and Leave You There, which is currently making rounds with distributors nation wide right now. I wanted to take some time to recommend this book to anyone looking to support the indie community. The last time we spoke with Skuds, I’ll Take You To The Moon and Leave You There was on it’s last leg of a successful Kickstarter campaign. I’ll let Skuds explain in his own words just what this books is all about.
I’ll Take You To The Moon and Leave You There is basically a bunch of small stories collected into one big nice book. Vol.1 collects all of my favorite stories from my first two years of doing comics. the book shows a huge progression in art and story telling techniques, tackles a multitude of different genres, and has a lil something for everyone in it.
I ordered a copy of Skud’s book a few months back and I can attest to the fact that this book does, in fact, tackle a ton of different genres. The first few stories in I’ll Take You To The Moon and Leave You There showcase an artist and writer wrapping his head around various comic techniques. From there on, the book is a study in drawing, sketching and inking reminiscent of Paul Pope and Charles Burns. Each story in this book is wrapped in the surreal that would inhabit out lives, if only we let it in.
I’ll Take You To The Moon and Leave You There feels like the graphic novel equivalent of musical improvisation. Each story varies in depth and length that are straight from the darkest corners of someones subconscious. Consider reading this book like listening to a jazz album or Calculating Infinity for our Dillinger Escape Plan fans (god I hope there are some out there).
I’ll Take You To The Moon and Leave You There is a 56 page long graphic novel that you can order from Skuds at his site BatShitArt.com. You can also head to his site to read every story in the book free of charge, but while your there pick a copy and support the indie comic scene. Any shops interested in I’ll Take You To The Moon and Leave You There can contact the books distributor Tony Shenton at Shenton4Sales [at] aol [dot] com.
It has been a while since I have brought you kind readers my latest favorite Shoujo manga, but today, you folks are in luck. When I first discovered the beautiful piece of artwork that was Kamisama Hajimemashita [or Kamisama Kiss depending on where you’re looking], I was flippantly browsing through the manga section of my local book store while waiting for Matt to finish work so we could go home and read comics and interview people and other things we comic people do. I picked up Kamisama Hajimemashita and started reading. Three volumes later Matt showed up and informed me it was time to go but I merely hissed at him and backed farther into the corner hugging the 4th volume as though if it were to be removed from my grasp I would die instantly.
Why is this manga so good you ask?
For multiple reasons. Let’s do an overview of the story first. Not only is it a creative new twist on a Shoujo that I had not seen in a long time, it was my first introduction to Japanese mythology. It is the story of a young homeless girl Nanami who, through a series of events, becomes the land goddess of a local shrine. Tomoe, a fox yokai, is the guardian of the shrine and begrudgingly helps Nanami bring the shrine back to it’s former glory all while attending class and helping other gods. This story seamlessly integrates the complex ideas of Japanese mythology into an easy to read and beautiful story. It does take a minute to get used to all of the new names, however once you get used to it, the read is easy. Although it may seem like a lot of work, I would keep a list or Wikipedia handy to do a little research on what you are dealing with. It opens up a whole new world of demons, monsters and deities that you can put in your list of information you really don’t need to know but can definitely impress others in the right circumstance.
Now onto things like the artwork and the characters. The artwork is wonderful in this. It has a kind of whimsical organic quality fitting of a story that has the fantasy that Kamisama Hajimemashita has. The characters are all complex with a good amount of comedy running through them. You can feel for each and every one of the characters. From the deep dark past of the committed but fiery Tomoe to the happy go lucky but equally hard working Nanami.
I highly recommend this manga. Every time a new chapter is released and I finish it, I table flip all the things that could possibly be table flipped and sit in a corner just waiting for my email alert to let me know the next chapter has been released.
It has been a while since I have brought you kind readers my latest favorite Shoujo manga, but today, you folks are in luck. When I first discovered the beautiful piece of artwork that was Kamisama Hajimemashita [or Kamisama Kiss depending on where you’re looking], I was flippantly browsing through the manga section of my local book store while waiting for Matt to finish work so we could go home and read comics and interview people and other things we comic people do. I picked up Kamisama Hajimemashita and started reading. Three volumes later Matt showed up and informed me it was time to go but I merely hissed at him and backed farther into the corner hugging the 4th volume as though if it were to be removed from my grasp I would die instantly.
Why is this manga so good you ask?
For multiple reasons. Let’s do an overview of the story first. Not only is it a creative new twist on a Shoujo that I had not seen in a long time, it was my first introduction to Japanese mythology. It is the story of a young homeless girl Nanami who, through a series of events, becomes the land goddess of a local shrine. Tomoe, a fox yokai, is the guardian of the shrine and begrudgingly helps Nanami bring the shrine back to it’s former glory all while attending class and helping other gods. This story seamlessly integrates the complex ideas of Japanese mythology into an easy to read and beautiful story. It does take a minute to get used to all of the new names, however once you get used to it, the read is easy. Although it may seem like a lot of work, I would keep a list or Wikipedia handy to do a little research on what you are dealing with. It opens up a whole new world of demons, monsters and deities that you can put in your list of information you really don’t need to know but can definitely impress others in the right circumstance.
Now onto things like the artwork and the characters. The artwork is wonderful in this. It has a kind of whimsical organic quality fitting of a story that has the fantasy that Kamisama Hajimemashita has. The characters are all complex with a good amount of comedy running through them. You can feel for each and every one of the characters. From the deep dark past of the committed but fiery Tomoe to the happy go lucky but equally hard working Nanami.
I highly recommend this manga. Every time a new chapter is released and I finish it, I table flip all the things that could possibly be table flipped and sit in a corner just waiting for my email alert to let me know the next chapter has been released.
2012 is a huge year for comics and what better month to kick it all off than February. Next month has everything from dark thrillers published by Archaia to a brand new B.P.R.D series. Here a just a few comic and trades that we here at Panel Bound are excited for.
Low Moon By Jason, Fantagraphics
Graphic novelist and artist Jason returns to comics in the form of Low Moon. Featuring the title story Low Moon 
which was collected in The New York Times Sunday Magazine “Funny Pages” section. Low Moon is a collection of several stories by award winning visual artists Jason ranging from alien abduction to murder all told with heart breaking emotional sincerity. Jason has been praised by the most talented of his contemporaies including Sherman Alexie…
“When I read Jason for the first time, I was just as excited and devastated as the first time I read the poems of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Jason’s work is poetry.” — Sherman Alexie
Ningen’s Nightmares By J.P Kalonji, Dark Horse
From the creator of 365 Samurai comes Ningen’s Nightmares. A trade paper back from Dark Horse comics
about ghost samurai, feudal Japan,warlords, and witches. 365 Samurai was an incredible graphic novel taking place in ancient Japan, so expect nothing less than brilliance from J.P Kalonji. If you are looking for hyper violent and incredible art work make sure you pick up Ningen’s Nightmare
Black Charity By Bal Speer, Archaia
Black Charity introduces us to Charlie as he witnesses a murder after moving into his new flat. Soon Charlie is on the run from assassins and fixers as he finds himself knee deep in a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. With the hardboiled style of 100 bullets and Black Kiss this is a book worth checking out.
B.P.R.D Hell on Earth: The Long Death #1 By Mike Mignola, Dark Horse
Last but not least is our most anticipated title for February here at Panel Bound. B.P.R.D Hell on Earth: The Long Death, first of all there could not be a
better name ever recorded in the history of comics, everything about that title shouts B.P.R.D. The B.P.R.D task force sets out to discover a set of disappearances in the woods from New World in The Long Death. If you only have money for one comic this February make it this one.
Makeshift Miracle is the latest project from Skullkickers writer Jim Zub, and artist Shun Hong Chan. First things first if you are looking for the over the top, off the wall style of Skullkickers, Makeshift Miracle is a far cry from that. However the first two chapters of Makeshift Miracle have the makings of a really great comic. Jim Zub has captured the dialogue of an angst filled teenager who simply wants life to slow down yet is placed in an extraordinary circumstance,it’s reminiscent of Peter Parker or Light Yagami for our Death Note fans.
The artwork of Shun Hong Chan is stunning, Chan relies heavily on a watercolor technique that promises every gust of wind will be expertly rendered. Chan’s style takes cues from both western comics and manga that, as a manga and comic fan I found comforting. The mix of styles hints at Chan’s abilities to take the best from both schools of art and blend them seamlessly.
I do not want to give to much of the story away, solely due to the fact that you can head over to MakeshiftMiracle.com and check it out for free yourself. The second chapter comes to end this Friday so now is a great time to get caught up on this great web comic FOR FREE. The fact the Jim Zub and Udon Publishing are giving out this content for free in order to establish a strong fan base is what is so great about the comic community. Creators are trusting us as readers to appreciate and acknowledge their efforts so much that we will contribute to the project when it is in print. it’s a project that is capturing the spirit of web publishing in a time when the smaller guys are fighting to stay afloat. So please check out Makeshift Miracle and help support this project when it comes to print in May/June 2012.
Check out Makeshift Miracle
