Monthly Archives: September 2013

Escapist seeks local creators for Small Print Fest

EscapistThe Escapist is putting a call out for local creators who have a minicomic and are interested in being part of their annual Small Print Festival:

If you are a local comics creator and have printed a minicomic, please contact us by October 15th, 2013 and let us know if you are interested in being a part of this event. Please give us examples of your work. The Festival may run both Friday, November 29th and Saturday, November 30th depending on the amount of people who sign up. The first event ran two nights and was lots of fun with readings and projections on the screen. Be a part it, network with other creators, showcase your work, and sell your mini-comics at the store.

Contact us at hello at the escapistcomics.com, call us at 510-652-6642, or come by the store. You probably should call us first before stopping by. We may want to carry your minicomics before the event.

(more…)

Continue ReadingEscapist seeks local creators for Small Print Fest

The strange case of Michael Moorcock and Grant Morrison

Gideon Stargrave michael moorcock and grant morrisonThis link is to an epic response from Grant Morrison to Alan Moore, but I’m mostly interested in the part regarding Michael Moorcock.

I don’t dabble much in creator drama (and I find the Moore vs. Everyone drama especially droll), so I didn’t actually know Moorcock had such disdain for Morrison. It shocks me because if it wasn’t for Morrison I likely never would have picked up a book featuring Moorcock’s character Jerry Cornelius. Since Morrison led me to discover Cornelius I’ve read every single Moorcock story (as far as I know) that features the character. The devouring of those stories led me to Dancers at the End of Time which in turn resulted in digging deeper into Moorcock’s work including Elric, Corum, and more (even works like Fireclown and Gloriana). Likewise, I came to Jorge Luis Borges due to that author’s influence on Morrison’s Doom Patrol.

Reading Moorcock’s 2004 thread, where he continues to hold a grudge 25 years after 17-year-old Morrison first used Gideon Stargrave, it sounds like Morrison had spent the last two decades trying to hide the tribute he was paying to the author in his work. I don’t personally think that was the case as Morrison wasn’t shy in mid-90s interviews or the letters section of The Invisibles to mention how he was inspired by both Moorcock and J.G. Ballard in his youth (the latter he’s cited as being the larger influence on both Gideon Stargrave and King Mob). Moorcock seems to be fixated on the character of Gideon Stargrave while missing the more relevant influence of Cornelius on aspects of the character of King Mob.

Reading works by creators like Morrison is enhanced by figuring out how different pieces of the larger puzzle were informed. In many ways, it’s like dismantling the samples in a Beastie Boys album and visiting the source material. Kurtis Blow has often joked about how he could have sued the Beastie Boys for clipping his song “Party Time” in “Hey Ladies,” but instead accepts the sample with pride, because it’s led new listeners to his work.

I’m a fan of Moorcock because Morrison shared his exuberance for the character of Jerry Cornelius with Gideon Stargrave. Instead of being petty and spiteful Moorcock should instead be thanking creators like Morrison for keeping his legacy alive instead of collecting dust in the poorly organized sci-fi section of a used bookstore.

(more…)

Continue ReadingThe strange case of Michael Moorcock and Grant Morrison

Doctor Lollipop debuts on Cartoon Hangover

Doctor LollipopWhat happens when a raptor finds his way to the Fancy Forest and gets rumblies in his tumblies due to eating too many talking animals? He calls on the medical expertise of unicorn physician Doctor Lollipop, of course.

Doctor Lollipop is the creation of San Francisco’s Miss Kelly Martin.  On Thursday, Martin’s independently published and distributed comic made the leap to short animated film with it’s debut episode on Cartoon Hangover. Readers of Martin’s two issue comic will see some familiar faces in the first episode including Nurse Crackers the rabbit and surgical intern Rococo the raccoon (who has a chainsaw). The cartoon also introduces the “crazy handsome” Doctor Woodsman who Doctor Lollipop is forced to rely upon due to hooves not being “fashioned for the type of incision work needed.”

The second issue of Doctor Lollipop is available at Martin’s store envy shop.

Fun fact: Doctor Lollipop is voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos who recently played ostrich farmer Marky Bark in the fourth season of Arrested Development.

(more…)

Continue ReadingDoctor Lollipop debuts on Cartoon Hangover

DC’s editorial department back in spotlight as Batwoman’s creators step down

Batwoman proposal from issue 17.
Batwoman proposal from issue 17.

Last night J. H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman announced that they’re leaving Batwoman after 26 issues due to editorial interference that included being “prohibited from ever showing Kate and Maggie actually getting married.” Williams followed up the posting of his letter on Twitter with the comment “But must clarify- was never put to us as being anti-gay marriage.”

No one except those who were in the editorial board room knows if this decision was based on a company policy against DC’s LGBT characters getting hitched. It would seem odd in light of the company’s increasing comfort with prominent LGBT characters including Batwoman, Midnighter, Apollo, Sarah Rainmaker, Alysia Yeoh, and Alan Scott. What we do know is that DC erased every major character marriage — most notably the marriage between Superman and Lois Lane — when they relaunched the DC Universe in 2011. That suggests DC may have a policy to limit the marriage of title characters — no matter their sexual orientation. DC has never declared that limiting marriages is a policy.

No matter the justification for denying the marriage, the departure of Blackman and Williams once again brings negative attention to DC’s editorial department, who seem to have an increasing problem of not trusting some creators while putting too much faith in others.

The story Williams and Blackman have been telling is unique in the DC Universe, as they’ve had the freedom to tell it in a bubble without needing to shape their arcs around pesky multiple-title event storylines. Batwoman and Batman, Inc. were the only Bat-books given the luxury to sit out both “The Court of Owls” and “Death of the Family.” The result, free of crossover interruptions, is a complete story that can be read straight through from the first issue. Its lead character is also one of the best developed characters in the new 52. (more…)

Continue ReadingDC’s editorial department back in spotlight as Batwoman’s creators step down