Table of Cont ent sRKYV # 42 {Nov. 2010}

RKYV ONLINE LOGO –David Marshall {current}r. j. paré {modified}Roy G. James {original}

Virtual Cover # 42- Art by Brian Brinlee& Michael W. Kellar- Design/Layout by David Marshall

Interior Art- By r. j. paré, Mike Grattan, James‘Jig-One’ Titman, Larissa Gula,SPoV Team, Yum Yum, C.S.

Cartier, Robert Quint, Roger Price,Naomi Randolph, Andreas Helfer,Emma Rapin, Renaud Regnery,Ross Walker

Editorial Column- “At the Outset: A Few Thoughtsfrom the Editor”- By r. j. paré

World View- “A Canadian Living in the USA”- By Tom Rossini

Indie Comic- “Different Unlike Us - Wedding

Dress Caper”- Written by Darke Raven, Art byYum Yum

Featured Creators Review- “Sky Pirates of Valendor”- By r. j. paré

Short Fiction-“The Suicide”- by James Gibson-“Chinese Boy”- by Larissa Gula

Poetry- By Wanda VanHoy Smith,Stephen Campbell, CS Cartier, r. j.paré

Pop Culture- “Comic Book Review”- By Brad Bellmore- “Manga Maximus”

- By Darke Raven- “Raised on Saturday MorningCartoons”- By Pauline Paré

Skeleton – by Santiago London

A t t he O ut set

A few thoughts

from The Editorby r. j. paré

Welcome everyone to another RKYV ONLINE milestone event!I do believe it is not only fun – but really an obligation [to

ourselves] as creative folk to always look at our projects in new and different ways. This month wehave decided to feature / interview an entire creative team. The writer & artists behind the successful

indie comic “Sky Pirates of Valendor” spared some time, recently, to partake in a little Q & A andshare some of their amazing work with all of you, the RKYV audience.

This month we are happy to continue the manga-strip “Different Unlike Us” by Darke Raven,

illustrated, in this instalment, by Yum Yum. We also have some thought-provoking short storysubmissions from contributors James Gibson & Larissa Gula, which I hope you will enjoy as much

as I have. Returning columnists Tom Rossini, Brad Bellmore, Darke Raven and Pauline Paré once

again share their opinions in varyingly insightful, witty and revealing fashions. As well, returningpoets Wanda VanHoy Smith, Stephen Campbell, C.S. Cartier and yours truly – r. j. paré – providenew collections of imagery & verse for you to [hopefully] enjoy. We have samples of Roger Price’sTattoo art & design, spread throughout the issue and should you like to know more [or perhaps

even have Roger lay some ink down on ya] you can e-mail Roger: moleman00x@hotmail.com orfollow him on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=629478508 .

In closing, my profound thanks to the all of the artists [credited throughout this edition] who have

shared their wonderful and imaginative creations. This Zine is indeed fortunate to enjoy theparticipation of so many amazing & talented people.

Editor’s Note: We must remind Mr. Paré that all editorial missives shall consist of a minimum of

300 words if they are to be considered for remuneration. His disturbing habit of rattling off shortnotes on the publication before you are not meeting the standards our board of directors havedirected our payroll department to follow. However by sneaking back to attach this memo, with its

56 words, I have done just that!

And after all the warmth of the summer and the fallCold November wind cuts the deepest of them all

Willie Nelson

Captain America [© Marvel Comics] – by Naomi Randolph

World View

A Canadian,

Living in the

USAby Tom Rossini

PEEK – A – BOO….I SEE YOU!!!

Flying these days is about as much fun as spending a week in prison. I have known this for awhile

but it was not until recently when a friend of mine flew from Detroit to Minneapolis for a corporatemeeting did I realize how bad it really is getting. First of all my friend was very lucky to have medrive because self parking at the airport is close to $20 a day. Now just so you know the rest of this

story comes from a friend of mine and I must say it makes for a good chuckle but again we mustrealize that this is real and not fiction.

Upon arriving at the self check in my friend swipes his credit card and begins to check himselfin. He pays for 2 check bags for a total of $60 each way plus $15 for an aisle seat. Immediately aticket agent approaches him tells him to put his bags on the scale one at a time and to show

government ID. The young looking 18 year old female then glanced at him with a non welcoming

glance, did not say hello, or good evening or how are you but instead said "Did you pack the suitcaseyourself" and his non wise big smart ass mouth said hell no, that’s why I have a wife. Thisimmediately caused a red flag to the airline staff and he was escorted to the far end of the counterwhere he had to unpack repack his belonging under the watchful eye of the ticket agent and security.

He finally received his boarding pass and the luggage was taken back to be x-rayed, sniffed by bombdogs and wiped and sent for chemical analysis. He headed towards the security personnel for

clearance to board the plain. This of course is where the fun really starts as it’s time for him do the

security dance. Jacket off, belt off, bend his fat arse over to surrender his shoes for x-raying whiledepriving himself of oxygen as he bends over turning blue. He takes the laptop computer out of thebriefcase and removes his CPAP machine and places them in those grey/gray plastic bins and then

walks through the magic arch only to be groped by a 300 pound bearded security person calledBetty.

He made it through the magic metal detector, the Harry Potter wand and Betty’s massage. His carryon had been emptied of all items and his hemorrhoid cream was deemed less then 3 oz and hadpassed the test which involved an agent wiping a tissue all over my lap top and CPAP and strangely

the zip of his carry on.

The security clearance was almost complete and he

was looking forward to suffocate when he bent over

to put his shoes back on and overpaying for a bottleof beer and taking a poo before his flight left when amale security agent came over and told him that he’drandomly selected him to go through his brand new

and very Star Trek looking full frontal bodyscanner. The US Gov't was about to see him naked...

Now, let me just set the scene here. He was already

up all day and was at work and had a rough day andnow this… An 18 year old had asked him ridiculousquestions. He had to remove his belt, his shoes, his

laptop and CPAP and a lady called Betty hadtouched him in a place that is usually reserved for hiswife, Megan Fox and anyone from Brazil…

Oh and he had a turtle’s head in hisunderpants and the turtle was frightened. He wasn’t

happy. And now he had to have a conversation with

the security agent as he led him to the scanner thingy.Tat [Art & Design] – by Roger Price

“Is this the one that sees you naked?”“Yes although you won’t be recognizable.”

“What do you mean I won’t be recognizable? Will I come out all mushed up and assembled backtogether the wrong way round and half melded like when the transporter goes wrong in Star Trek”(Now he said something like this in jest and in fun but the agents reply)

“If you don’t take this seriously, sir, I can have you arrested.”

At that point he decided to shut up because even though that statement was absolutely ridiculous itwas also absolutely true. He could have him arrested and taken to a small dark room where he could

face the inquisition. Now my friend does have brains, he just likes to have fun and hadn’t made aterrorist joke, he hadn’t even mentioned that he might see more than he bargained for on hisscanner because the Taco Bell he had for lunch and was now half in and half out. Nope, he had

made some light reference to Star Trek and the agent had threatened him with arrest.

So, they walked in silence to the Star Trek scanner thingy. He had to wait though because otherpassengers had been randomly selected including a 10 year old girl with blonde hair and blue eyes

who looked about as threatening as a new born kitten.

Then it was his turn and all he could think about (apart from the situation of my bottom which wasgetting desperate due to the Taco Bell) was the movie where a guy has to walk through a scanner thatshows he is hung like a yak and that he’s carrying a few guns… oh crap… what the heck is the name

of that movie?

Anyway, he was led inside a quite claustrophobic closet-sized booth. He was instructed to stand, legs

apart, facing forwards. Then he had to put his arms in the air, as though you are (ironically)

surrendering to a terrorist with a gun, and stand still. He was then asked to turn round, so they canmake sure his fat bottom didn’t have a terrorist hiding in it. Well actually it did have one - his namewas, thanks to that burrito… Mushafa Shite.

He was then told to step out again.And with a quick “Thank you sir” it was all over.

He walked through the duty free and on to his gate and all he could think about was what had

happened to his naked portrait. Was it now deleted or had Betty made a print out of it to showothers down in the bar later that night “Oh, come and look at this fat bloke with a thingy the size of ababy carrot.”

Did he feel violated? Yes, a bit, but what can you do? This is the world we live in although I thinkit’s absolutely ridiculous to put that 10 year old kid through the machine.

Happy Holiday Travels to Everyone

Tat [Art & Design] – by Roger Price

9th Wonder – by James ‘Jig-One’ Titman

I ndie Comic

Different Unlike Usby Darke Raven

by Sibylle Jazra[photo by Robert Quint from the HARDER BUT STILL EASY gallery show]

F eat ured Creat ors

R ev iewThe creative

team behind:

Sky Pirates

of Valendorby r. j. paré

Artists:

Brian Brinlee [pencils], Alex Rivera [inks]& Jet Amago [colours]

Title:

SPoV Issue # 5 [cover]

INFO: Sky Pirates of Valendor recounts the debutadventure of Pirate Captain Tobin Manheim and

the rest of the crew of the Rogue's Revenge. Set inthe fantasy world of Valendor where giantcontinents float on oceans of sky! A mix ofsteampunk and high fantasy where magic co-exists

with futuristic technology, Valendor is a fully

realized world, with complex social structures, aguild-driven economic system, and a host of

political intrigue.

Sky Pirates is the brainchild of Everett Soares, the award winning author of several stories appearingin Comicbook Artists Guild's publications. He has won the Best Writer Award in CAG for the last

two years. Sky Pirates debuted in and placed as the runner up in the 2007 Edition of Small PressIdol, a talent competition for independent comics projects run by Ian Shires.

Penciller Brian Brinlee illustrated the epic story. Soares and Brinlee have collaborated for years on

Sky Pirates of Valendor and other projects. The inking team consists of Michael W. Kellar, AlexRivera and Keith Murphey. Jet Amago provided colours for the covers & New York City basedillustrator James Rodriguez provided the cover art for the graphic novel.

Our website: http://www.skypiratesofvalendor.com

Recently… Everett [ES], Brian [BB], Alex [AR] & Michael [MWK] graciously took the time, out oftheir busy schedules, to participate in a little Q & A session with me [r.j.p] for RKYV ONLINE.

r.j.p: Have you always wanted to write comic books?

ES: I always wanted to write. I tried writing prose but my brain is not set up that way. Too muchinformation floods out and I can’t make it fit on the page. My pacing is way off on prose. However,

when I learned how to write comic books my pacing improved and the ideas flowed out. I felt like

the flood gates were open.

r.j.p: Have you always known that you wanted to

be or, rather, were an artist?

BB: Yes. My mother is an artist and once she saw

I had the talent she encouraged me to pursue it. I

use to sit around and draw pictures of all myfavourite super-heroes, mostly Batman. So even ata young age, I had the artist bug. I just had to draw

all the time.

Artist: Brian BrinleeTitle: “Letter of the Law” [p6], from the SPoV

Anthology “Valendor Chronicles”

Media Used: blue-lined comic pages, mechanicalpencil [2b lead]

AR: Yes, ever since I was five years-old I knew I

wanted to be an artist.

MWK: I have to say it probably comes from watching re-runs of the 1966 Batman T.V. show in the70's when I was a little kid. I remember the first drawing I ever did was of Batman & Robin at mydad's desk in Ft. Hood, TX (my dad was in the Army with the 1st Cav Division at the time)...ever

since then I have always wanted to be a comic book artist. It wasn't until about July 1993 after gettingout of the U.S. Navy that I was introduced to a man by the name of Phil Roberts of GravitywellProductions, he took the time to explain/show me how comics were actually put together and

introduced to the wonderful world of inking. I started to have a different look at comics from that

point on and was really trying to study different inkers of that time...of course being a Batman fan, Iwas drawn to Robin #1 which was inked by Scott Hanna (whom I had the opportunity to meet about11 years later at a store signing in Allentown, PA - very nice person to talk to by the way) and after

seeing the ink work, I decided then that I wanted to ink comic books for a living.

r.j.p: Who was your primary source of encouragement, as a child, in pursuing writing?

ES: Wow let’s start the list with my wife in present time. She gets me to do what needs to get doneand she helped me get started on learning how to write for comics. My mom kept me in school and

kept me on the correct path in life. I also have to give thanks to the late great Dave Cockrum. Hetold me once that if you’re going to create a comic do it because you love the story.

r.j.p: Did you study or major in art while in school?

BB: Yes, I did. I originally wanted to do animation but there were no animation schools nearby. So Iwent into commercial illustration and design instead. This was before computers became so widelyused for graphics so everything we did in class, including the separations, had to be done by hand. It

was a major pain but it improved your hand coordination.

AR: Yes, I attended Music and Art High School and studied drawing techniques. I also did the Art

Instruction Schools correspondent course.

Artists:James Rodriguez [pencils], Alex Rivera [inks]

Title:SPoV TPB Edition [wrap-around cover]

MWK: I like most everyone else did the 4 years of high school art classes and that was as far as anyformal training of art went… although, when I was introduced to inking I began to study differentinkers. I began to purchase different books to assist in learning about being an inker and also takinginstruction from Phil Roberts and the rest of the members of Gravitywell Productions at the time (I

stayed with Gravitywell Productions from 1993-2004). It wasn't until many many years later (Fall2009) that I decided I need to get the formal training I have been lacking all these years and enrolledat the Academy of Art University (Online Classes) in San Francisco, CA and currently in my second

semester with the school majoring in Illustration.

Artists: Brian Brinlee [pencils] &Michael W. Kellar [inks]

Title: SPoV “Captain Tobin”

[pinup/sketch]

Editor’s Note: This piece was used by ourAssociate Editor David Marshall when designing

this month’s cover.

r.j.p: Could you tell our readers a little about SkyPirates of Valendor?

ES: Sky Pirates of Valendor is an ongoing fantasysteampunk comic series. It chronicles theadventures of Captain Tobin Manheim and hiscrew aboard the Rogue's Revenge. Our first

chapter centered around a dangerous job the crewwas hired to complete, at a very high price. Butthis first chapter just opened up a whole can of

worms that will continue to play out as we launch

our next chapter in January.

r.j.p: Who was your primary source of encouragement, as a child, in pursuing art?

BB: My mother is a professional western artist. I use to watch her paint and was amazed that shecould turn all that paint into a picture. She taught me most of what I know, encouraging me topursue art. But my father encouraged me, too. He just reminded me to have a back-up plan in case

the art career did not work out. That was good advice.

AR: It first started when I saw a picture of Superman. I knew then I wanted to be an artist, and mybrother Eddie also encouraged me to follow my dreams regardless of the obstacles ahead.

MWK: My primary source of encouragement in the beginning was the 1966 Batman T.V. show, Ihave always liked the pencils of George Perez (ever since his run on The New Teen Titans - that wasmy favourite series as a teenager) in 1993 when I was introduced to inking it was Scott Hanna andtoday my biggest influence is a man that I am honoured to call a very good friend of mine and my

mentor - Rick Ketcham (Inker for Marvel Comics).

r.j.p: Do you feel more a sense of community with other comic creators or a sense of competition?

ES: A little of both. My wife and I, her name is Sue BTW, have metsome great people who have given us some great advice on whichdirection to go in. One of these people is my boss Matt Ryan fromFree Lunch. If it wasn’t for him teaching what I needed to do I would

be lost right now. I feel there is a strong community where we are. Itallows us to go to local shows and share in the news as to which showsare the best and who is treating the guests with respect. The only

sense of competition I ran into was I was told I was too pushy when I

sold my book.

Artist:

Keith Murphey [watercolour]Title:

SPoV Anthology “Valendor Chronicles” [cover]

r.j.p: What is your favourite media to work with?

BB: I am most comfortable with traditional mediums such as pencil, pen and ink, and paints.Pencils are nice because that is the whole creation process and I prefer it to inks. But my favourite ispaints. Nothing beats mashing and mixing paint around until it takes on an image.

AR: My favourite media to work with is ink.

MWK: Pencil is good, but if I had my choice it would be INK all the way...

Editor’s Note: What a startling bit of investigative journalism, eh? The penciller prefers pencils andthe inkers prefer inks. I can see my next headline now, “sunbathers prefer daytime to night.” LOL.

r.j.p: When working on a comic script, what method do you prefer: do you send the artist the

finished script or a page by page outline of the story? [In other words, do you write finished script,based on the visuals created or does the artist draw each panel based on precise descriptions formyour script?]

ES: I send Brian a finished script. It does start with writing the page break down first. As soon asthat’s done I can really get a feel for how the panels are going to be flowing into each other. Oncethe script is done we do a read through with a bunch of friends and pick out any errors that might

show up. It takes about two to three weeks to finish up a script.

r.j.p: Do you use any special tools and techniques to create your art?

BB: With comics, I use the standard blue-lined comic pages and a mechanical pencil with 2B lead. 2B isdarker than HB and easier for an inker to follow. As for techniques, I tend to draw instinctively so I just

doodle around until I get the image to look like I want it.

AR: I use Winsor & Newton series 7, number 2, and 3 round brushes. I also use Pelican ink and theStaedtler Mars Matic technical pens. I also use Crow Quill pens and nibs.

MWK: I use Speedball Super Black India Ink, Winsor & Newton Series 7 size 3, Raphael Kolinsky 8404Size 2, Tech Pens and I have just started to use Hunt 102/107 Crowquills as well.In regards to techniques - I can't say that I really have any special ones other than using my brain when I inkto think about how the image could best "POP" off the page.

Artist: Brian BrinleeTitle:

SPoV [Issue # 3, page 8]

r.j.p: While traditional publishing anddistribution has become a difficult goal toachieve for the modern Indie comic creator,what do you think of the impact that socialnetworks and POD services have had as an

alternate means of connecting you, your workand your audience?

ES: I think POD is a god send. Back in the olddays, you know when they used to call indiecomics underground comics, you would have to

search high and low for a printer to do your printrun. It didn’t stop there, because you'd have todo a print run of at least few hundred books. Allthe while you have to pray they didn’t try tocontrol the content you were producing. TodayPOD has allowed my book to keep moving withsmaller print runs and low cost per issue. I don’thave to sell any organs to pay for my book runand I don’t worry about storage space. You stillhave to put up with questions like “Why is itblack and white?” My favourite answer is, “You

like paying $3.00 right?”

The social networking aspect is my wife's department. She handles all of my promotions and marketingunder her company, SJS Comic Promotions. She uses Facebook religiously and is learning how to use other

forms of social networking to get the word out. So far we have been very successful in that aspect. I’m stillworking on the distribution question. I hope to have that answer before second series comes out.

r.j.p: Which famous artists / creators or styles have influenced you? Why?

BB: Wow, that is a long list. For comics, my biggest influences are (and no surprises here) Jim Lee,John Byrne, George Perez, Neal Adams, Joe Mad, David Finch, J. Scott Campbell, and a few more.

I like the traditional or mainstream styles. Most of it is nostalgia because those, particularly Adams

and Byrne, were the styles of art that I most admired as a kid. I wanted my characters to look theway that those guys drew them.

AR: George Freeman, John Byrne, Marshall Rogers, Terry Austin, and Dick Giordano, and the list

goes on, because their drawing styles were realistic with a feel of the classic 40’s comic strips.

Artists: Brian Brinlee [pencils]

& Alex Rivera [inks]Title: SPoV pinup

MKW: I would have to say my influences areas far as pencils - George Perez, MichaelTurner, Todd McFarlane, Randy Green,

Robert Atkins, Tony Daniel each of thesepencillers because of how they take on certain

characters. Cartoon style pencils - SeanGalloway, Ken Haeser, Steven Sanchez,

JonBoy Meyers because I really like thecartoon style and I think I am drawn to thisstyle because I have kids. My influences as far

as inkers - Scott Hanna, Tim Townsend, TerryAustin, Dick Giordano, Bob Almond, BobLayton, Bill Nichols, these are just a few of the

names I could mention the list is actually quite

long, but my BIGGEST inking influence is myvery good friend and mentor Rick Ketcham...

Of course, I like inks so each of these inkers

have certain pieces of their style of inking that Ilike...some are textures, some are the way theyuse the ink to make the piece more solid and

have that "POP" effect.

Inking is really what I like the most even though I am currently in school for Illustration, inks willalways hold a special place in my heart.

r.j.p: With advancements in computer graphic tablet technology, some artists are now creating their workdirectly in the digital medium and releasing it in purely digital formats... are the days of paper & pulpdoomed to the realm of fading memories?

ES: Heck no. I still have people who love to hold a comic book, or even a standard book in their hands. Ibelieve there will always be a place for a good old comic book. The fact that we’ve sold close to threethousand single issues and close to 400 trade paperbacks might mean something.

BB: I don't think so. The digital medium has just opened another door for creators to use. Is it easier touse? I think there is a bigger learning curve if you have never used digital before but once you get the hangof it, I do think it is easier to correct mistakes. With paper, if you have trouble with an image and keeperasing, you leave ghost lines and eventually make a mess. With digital, you can erase a single layer withouttouching the rest of the art. Very convenient. But I do not think the pencil and paper method of art will everbe replaced.

AR: I don’t think so, you can not replace the tactile experience of creating artwork with your hands with a

digital experience, you will not get the same kind of style, or the same kind of results.

MKW: I have to say this, I think that computers when usedright to create art can be a really great tool and I am notknocking digital art in any way, but I think that traditional art

methods are still the best way to go... but that is just personalpreference and I will leave the rest of that one alone as to notstart a big huge debate over which is truly better.

Artists:

Brian Brinlee [pencils] &Michael W. Kellar [inks]

Title: SPoV Issue #2 [cover]

r.j.p: Would you rather have an engaged & loyal but,ultimately, small Indie readership or work on the latest Spidey,Wolverine or X - book? [the old Art vs Commerce question].

ES: That is such a mixed and unfair question. I love my indiebook and Sky Pirates will always be my book for the fans thatare out there. It started off as an indie book and it will alwaysstay an indie book.

Now to admit that if given a chance to work for one of the big names or pitch a different idea that I createdfor just that reason…. OH HELL YEAH I WOULD! Face it I’m a pirate, but I’ve always said that I would

maintain creator control of Sky Pirates. However someday I would love to see my name on a mainstreamcomic. I think that is a goal for anyone to shoot for.

BB: Can't I have both? LOL. I think I would rather work on a popular title like Wolvie orSpiderman for awhile, make a decent income, and then move on to doing an indie book. That way Icould take my fans with me and have a larger fan base.

AR: To be honest, I would appreciate anything that comes with steady work and a decent steadypaycheck. A following is good, but I rather influence a future artist and help them achieve theirdreams, this is really important to me.

MKW: I personally would just like to have regular work as a inker on any book or with anycompany that will pay me to produce... but until that happens I will continue to work my 40 hours aweek at the VA Hospital, because I don't want to be a "Starving Artist" and I like having a bed tosleep in every night.

r.j.p: What do you think of the term "starving artist"?

BB: I think I apply! The term "starving artist" is not one we artists take on proudly. It is an

unfortunate side-effect of pursuing our art. Trust me, we would much rather make a lot of moneydoing what we love. But most of us just are not wired for monotonous 9 to 5 jobs. We would ratherbe in the studio. But all too often that choice means less income.

AR: The definition of ME!

MKW: That's me a "Starving Artist." I think a lot of

times it is used out of context, I mean I understand themeaning behind it but really are we all "Starving

Artists"? I don't really like the term too much so I try

not to use it at all even though I referred to myself asone jokingly in this interview. Maybe, if the only thing Idid was art for money and couldn't get any work as anartist then yeah I would be a starving artist, but I would

think that most people who can not obtain steady workas an artist would be smart enough to have a regularjob that would pay the bills and put food in their

mouth... [that’s why] I work a regular job at the VA

Hospital in Salisbury, NC.

Artists:Brian Brinlee [pencils &inks]

& Jet Amago [colours]

Title:

SPoV Issue # 3 [cover]

r.j.p: What advice would you have for other indie creators, trying to break into the biz, today?

ES: Work your backside off. Never blow off a show if you can help it. Find your fans and sell yourheart to them. Always talk with a passion about your work, and enjoy yourself. All work and no play

makes for a grumpy creator.

r.j.p: Do you have any big plans, shows or Cons coming

up?

BB: No big shows or cons in the immediate future. Acombination of being busy and a poor economy. But asfor projects, I am currently working on the latest issue of

Sky Pirates of Valendor. Everett Soares is busy writingthe next volume and we are trying to get a couple ofissues in the can. I am also doing art for some rpg

companies and a short story for an anthology.

Artists: Brian BrinleeTitle: “Hero of the Day” [sample page] – short story

submission for an upcoming anthology.

AR: No, I don’t have any plans , but you can always

contact me through me my email, which isayrivera@verizon.net or check out my websites atwww.alexriverainker.com and you can always catch me

on Facebook.

Artists: Alex Rivera

Title: “proses”An illustration for the short story “Global Unity,” by

Everett Soares & Stephen Carr, published in “World’s

Beyond: a CAG Prose Anthology.”

MKW: My future plans are to continue my education withAcademy of Art University (Online) and get my Associates ofFine Arts, continue to ink and work with my very good friend andmentor Rick Ketcham and hopefully one day I will be able to get

regular work as a ARTIST/INKER and not have to keep workingat the VA Hospital. As for future shows/cons - I will be setup atNCComicon Nov 13th - 14th in Morrisville, NC here is thewebsite for the con - http://nccomicon.com and here is a list ofwho will be in Artist Alley -http://nccomicon.com/Default.asp?ID=6 so if you are in the areaand have nothing to do Nov 13th-14th swing by NCComicon andsay hello... my very good friend and mentor Rick Ketcham will bethere as well. So in closing - Keep drawing and inking and never,never let anyone take your dreams away from you.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Ink Slinger,

Michael W. Kellar

Artists: Brian D. Rogers [pencils]& Michael W. Kellar [inks]

Title: Zombies, a sample page from

Brian D. Roger’s “Age of Daggers.”FREELANCE INKER FOR HIRE...http://comicbookinker1971.blogspot.com

ES: We are currently planning our 2011 schedule. Our firstconfirmed appearance is Arisia in Boston this coming January.

We will be debuting three very exciting products at that show.First and foremost, we'll be debuting what we're labelling Issue2.1, the first issue of our next chapter. We'll also debut our firstchildren's coloring book illustrated by our publisher and goodfriend, Matt C. Ryan. And we'll debut our 2011 Sky PiratesCalendar which features illustrations from 13 different artists,

most of whom have never worked with Sky Pirates charactersbefore.

Artists:James Rodriguez [pencils], Alex Rivera [inks]

& Jet Amago [colours]Title:

SPoV TPB Edition [cover]

r.j.p: I’d like to thank the creators behind SPoV for sharingsome of their thoughts, insights and wonderful art with us this

month. If you haven’t read these tales yet, I highly recommendthem!

Full Circle – by GIO [Giovanni Medina]. This piece was include in the Circle of Life Exhibit at theArts Clayton Gallery where it won 1st in show & the Patron’s Award.

S hort F ic t ion

THE SUICIDEby James Gibson

gibsonjs@mnsi.net[all photos by Robert Quint from the

HARDER BUT STILL EASYgallery show]

by Ross Walker

Scene 1

A man named Michael has been found dead. It is being called a suicide. Detective Patrick

O'Reilly has been put in charge of the case. Three experts have been summoned to a meeting with

detective O'Reilly, and meet each other outside of detective O'Reilly's office.

The first expert, Emilia speaks out loud about the suicide: “So, when do they think this man, I

think his name was Michael, committed suicide?”

Karl, another of the experts replies: “Apparently last night. At least, that's what I've heard.”

The third expert, Maxine interjects: “Do either of you know what he was like?”

“Well, apparently he was middle aged, divorced, a supervisor in a large manufacturing

company, and not wealthy but certainly not poor,” says Emilia.”

“Hmm… I wonder why he would kill himself?” mutters Maxine.

“Well, maybe it would help if we would see Michael's suicide as part of a larger pattern,”

opines Emilia, sounding like the sociologist she is.

“What do you mean?” asks Karl.

Emilia continues. “What I mean is that

Michael’s suicide is part of dozens of suicides

committed by men like him. The suicide rate for

men his age who are not married but are employed

is a reflection of their integration or lack of

integration into a larger society.

“Are you saying this could have been

anticipated?” queries Maxine

“Well, let me finish,” says Emilia. “Another

contributing factor might be the rapid changes our

society is currently undergoing.”

“So what?” spits Karl.

by Robert Quint

“Let me finish,” pleads Emilia. “This rapid change gives rise to a condition that a relative of

mine used to call anome, a situation where we no longer know what norms apply to our behavior. As

the social order breaks down, individuals feel confused and alienated. They also lack `orientation’.

As a result, the suicide rate goes up.”

“Wait a minute!” Exclaims an obviously perturbed Karl, “To call this man a victim of social

change is far fetched, especially when it is entirely likely his death is caused by a lack of social change

in our society.”

“Oh come on!” Emilia spits back.

“Really!” insists Karl. “The real cause of his death, as with many forms of deviant behavior,

can be found in the oppression and domination that form the basis for our society. Alienated from

his work, forced by economic necessity to engage in activities over which he has no control, and

without hope of any real change in the future, suicide must have seemed like his only escape. His

death is the ultimate alienation from society.”

“You sound like a communist!” opines Maxine.

Suddenly Detective Patrick O'Reilly appears.

“Good morning everyone, could I speak to Maxine

Weber?”

Scene 2

Maxine and Detective O'Reilly enter the office.

“Have a seat, Ms. Weber…coffee…doughnut?”

asks O'Reilly.

“No thanks,” Maxine replies.

by Renaud Regnery

“Ms. Weber, I'm trying to find a motive for this death and I hope you can

shed some light on the matter. What are you views?”

“Certainly different than the pair outside this door…”

“Hmm…Okay. Let's hear your views. Mind if I record it?”

“No I don't mind…Detective, if we are going to understand Michael’s suicide…”

“You know his name?”

“Yes, I heard people around here using his name. As I was saying, if we want to understand

why Michael committed suicide, we have to understand what he meant by it. What did he think he

was doing? What were his motives?”

“Motives…! That's what I'm after.”

“Yes, what were his motives? Furthermore, was he trying to say anything to those close to

him? His wife…? His children…? His co-workers and bosses…?

“Good questions.”

“Another question we should ask is why has this death been called a suicide?”

“The coroner called it that!”

“Fine, but what were the coroner's standards, and what is the social impact of this bit of

laboring on Michael's friends and associates?”

“Ah, come on Ms. Weber! I'm interested in motives, not impacts! Let the social workers

worry about social consequences.”

“Well, these are the questions we have to ask if we are going to understand suicide. After all,

Michael’s death is more than just a social problem, or a social issue! His is a death of a real, live flesh

and blood human being.”

“Okay, Ms. Weber, the point is made. Thanks for coming in, and can I call on you in court?

“Certainly...”

“By the way, do the fellows outside

agree with your perspective?”

“Ask them yourself.”

“I will! Do they have famous relatives

as well?”

by Andreas Helfer

by Emma Rapin [photo by Robert Quint from theHARDER BUT STILL EASY gallery show]

Chinese BoybyLarissa Gula

“David! Please answer this question.”

David Li looked up from the disorganized layers ofnotes on his old, battle-scarred desk; he wasattempting, unsuccessfully, to muscle the lecture

information through his skull to his brain without

pondering the couple that had scrawled their lovingsignature into the aging, wooden desk cover. Theyreceived his undivided attention every time hispencil smashed a hole into the paper into the grove

beneath.A park, a few shots of fall beforewinter comes through – by Larissa Gula

He watched helplessly as elderly Mr. Nordenberg rattled off a lengthy calculus problem from themint-colored chalkboard. Most of the words his teacher uttered passed over David’s head. David feltthe mechanical pencil in his hand slip; it couldn’t perch, wouldn’t sit correctly between his clammy

fingers. When Mr. Nordenberg finally looked up from the dry-erase board, he met David’s dilatedeyes squarely.

“Well, young man?” he asked. “What is the answer?”

David glanced away, down at the tiled floor, twiddling his free fingers in half-hearted distraction. He

whispered a choked sentence.

“What was that?” the teacher asked, hands crossed over his chest.

“I…I don’t know!” David burst under pressure, frustrated, exposed, and trembling in his cold metal

seat.

Mr. Nordenberg stared at David down from his wide nose, his eyes skeptic. More lines and foldsimmersed his wrinkled face as he frowned in concern, deciding David wasn’t simply avoiding class

participation.

David heard snickering in the back of the room; his legs began to knock together uncomfortably.

“David, please speak to me after class,” the aging man finally ordered. He moved on to the next

student sitting at a quality desk, without engraved “Larry & Sue” hearts as diversions; he requestedthat she give him the answer.

She blurted out the answer within two seconds.

***

David left the deserted classroom fifteenembarrassing minutes late; the narrow,

off-white hallways stood abandoned and

quiet. The emptiness of the corridors lefthim to worry undisturbed.

A white piece of paper and an envelopewere clasped in his sweaty hands; hisfraying-at-the-corners backpack rested,unzipped, on his hunched spine. One

note in his hand would pardon his latearrival to another class. The other would

inform his aunt that he required tutoring,

and included a list of possible tutors. Thepaper was complete with their addresses,phone numbers, subjects, and price perhour. Tat [Art & Design] – by Roger Price

Price. The very word, the statistics on the page, sent a cold wave of dread through him, penetratingto the marrow of David’s small bones. The aunt he lived with was selfish and narcissistic. The living

arrangements that allowed him to study in America came at a price; he dwelled in a house that

smelled like cigarettes and various alcoholic drinks, constantly. Her money was not to be shared.Food in her house was a rare diamond; even then, the typical diseased state of the available itemsturned the food into a feast of pyrite. David paid for his own two tiny meals a day from mercifullycheap, unhealthy fast food chains on the way to school, then home from his work at the library.

He required his money, even at the cost of his health. Most of his college savings were coming fromthat paycheck as well. The clothes he wore were two years old and beginning to wear through, the

sacrifice of filling his savings. Twisted tightly within his worries, he snail crawled down the hallway.

There was no way his aunt would ever assist and contribute to his education. It had always been upto him – the poor merchant’s son from China. To continue his education now would be to sacrificefrom later, and he didn’t have a choice. He was trapped.

A leg extended from behind a freestanding row of green lockers. The occupied David fell, hitting thelinoleum floor with a loud thump. His binder skidded out of his open backpack, its paper contentsspilling. His school notes mixed with the two notes he had been carrying in his hands.

“Hey, Dave-man!” a male student snickered. David pushed himself to his knees, avoiding the eyescircling above him. He didn’t want to see the faces of the student. Maybe then, if he knew Davidwouldn’t report him, he would understand good old pacifist David didn’t want to hurt him in any

way…maybe he would leave him alone.

“Dude, what happened in class, man?” a second haughty male voice asked. The words rolled off histongue; David could feel the amusement marinating each syllable.“Get lost, please!” David weakly snarled; his arms snaked out as he furiously began to pull the

scattered papers closer to him.

The first boy stepped on the papers David was reaching for; a red All Star converse nearly crushed

one of David’s fingers. “Hey, man, we only ask out of concern!”

“We’d hate to see the Chinese boy suffer from any form of retardation…”

“Especially with numbers, man!”

David trembled beneath their words, stagnantly looking at the floor and the scuffed papers. Why didevery Chinese person have to live up to that ridiculous, prejudice stereotype?! Why couldn’t the

boys just leave him alone and respect him as another lost little human being, an inopportune andeven pitiable student who needed help?!

The two boys above him began cackling, whirling in circlesaround David, trampling the papers and the backpack. Ablack Vans sneaker stomped on David’s hand, and its wearercontinued his ominous laughter as David winced in severe

pain. David finally reacted as he watched his notes, his life,his future, and his ticket out of his aunt’s house and awayfrom high school, being crushed before him. He grabbed a

backpack strap with the uninjured hand and yanked it away

from the boys, livid, trying to reclaim it. One of the boys hadbeen standing on it; his balance gave out and he fellbackwards, hitting his head on the floor.

David winced a second time at the sound of the echoingcrack.

The other bully ceased his mock dancing; he stared, his

mouth gaping. He stooped and sank to his knees, shaking hiscomrade, asking desperately if he was all right.

Tat [Art & Design] – by Roger Price

David rushed clumsily to his feet, abandoning his ticket-papers on the floor in horror. With aroughly empty backpack dangling from his shoulder, he dashed away, down the hallways towardsclass. Thirty seconds of desperate running passed. He stopped on the thirty-first, considering. Hedidn’t want anyone to be seriously hurt…not the bullies, even. Besides…his papers and notes

remained at the scene, and the excuse note for being late was there, too. He raced towards anotherturn in the constricted halls, away from the route to class, hoping the principal was in her office.

***

Endearing Mrs. Snyder returned from overseeing the removal of the injured bully. She had calledparamedics as a precaution; the injured young man was on his way to the hospital.

The stocky woman was followed by one of the aging janitors; his dirty, callused hands carried aplastic grocery bag containing David’s notes. David wordlessly took his belongings back, noddingappreciation; he was still afraid to speak, fearful that his voice would give out and die.

The principal spoke after the janitor had left as she swept a mahogany curl from hazel eyes. “David,I asked my assistant to call your aunt. She’s on her way; we’ll speak about what happened when shearrives.”

Supposedly she’s on the way, David thought bitterly. He watched as middle-aged Mrs. Snyder beganreviewing a letter, her lips clenched together in a thin little line. He looked away before she couldmistake his glance for spying.

Mrs. Snyder looked up at the clicking across her desk; David was trembling in the wooden office

chair. Its legs were chipped and uneven; and almost as soon as he had sat in it ten minutes before

the slightly lifted back leg began clacking against the carpet, making a slight ruckus even through thepadding. After waiting for ten minutes, the noise had intensified.

“It’s okay, David,” Mrs. Snyder told him with a half-smile. He didn’t believe her.

His aunt appeared at the door, entering in a noisy bustle. The principal rose, expecting to shake thearrival’s hand.

David turned slightly in his seat to glance over his shoulder. His aunt wore make-up that was toobright and sloppy from its swift and careless appliance; her fingernails were brittle and covered inchipping red polish. Her clothes didn’t fit properly: the jeans were too tight, the junior’s departmentpink shirt too large.

“How long were you waiting?” his aunt asked Mrs. Snyder sweetly with a yellow-toothed smile.

“Not very long,” Mrs. Snyder replied patiently, returning the smile with a pearly-white show.

The aunt settled in one of the padded chairs at the back of the room. “So, what happened?” sheasked, her shoulder bag resting in her lap. She twitched towards the door, ready to leave at the

sound of a bell like a student.

Mrs. Snyder settled in her seat, surrendering. “A boy was sent to the hospital with a slightconcussion. His friend says David caused it.” Her fingers tapped the desk.

“Big surprise,” the aunt sniffed.

“But…it wasn’t my fault, not totally,” David stammered.

“Yeah, right,” the aunt snorted, laughing and clapping her hands together. As she felt them touch,

she frowned and began digging through her bag; within moments she had removed and opened abottle of hand lotion.

“It wasn’t!” David looked his principal in the

eye, attempting to ignore the chuckling witch inthe back of the office as she pounded the bottleagainst her skin. The aroma of honeysuckle

glided through the room as she rubbed the

lotion into her skin.

“They tripped me and trampled my stuff!”

David insisted. “They were making fun of mefor something, and I was just tying to get my stuffback and get to class. I just grabbed my bag andpulled it, but one of them was standing on it so

he fell…but I didn’t think he would, I didn’tthink I was that strong…” David finished meekly.

Tat [Art & Design] – by Roger Price

He looked down at his hands resting on his skinny legs. It gave a dismal image in the end, herealized. Poor David, the round-faced Chinese immigrant, the bully-magnet who couldn’t focus inmath, didn’t deserve a better home, was stuck living with the witch in the back of the room. He

didn’t speak; why speak? Every word must be apparent to anyone looking.

Mrs. Snyder sat, considering. After a minute, she spoke. “It fits. It matches other reports from

students of those boys, too.” Mrs. Snyder met the eyes of the now alert and hopeful David. She

avoided the eyes of David’s aunt in the back, scorn stabbing through the room.

“Very well David. You are not in major trouble. I will have to give you a warning and shortdetention, though, as procedure asks. There are better ways to handle bullies.”

David lowered his eyes again. It was true. He still wasn’t sure what had possessed him earlier. Hedeserved detention if he hurt the other boy in his turbulent rage.

“Is that it?” his aunt demanded.

“That’s it,” Mrs. Snyder confirmed.

“You never needed me,” the aunt seethed. “What a waste of time…” She stood, hurriedly. “Good-bye, Mrs. Snyder.” She began lifting a pack of cigarettes out of her bag as she left the office.

David sighed, “I’m so sorry, ma’am,” he told Mrs. Snyder as he gathered the plastic bag at his feet.

He dropped it into his open backpack; he would sort its contents later. On the top of the stack ofcrumbled papers, he saw the envelope with the list of tutors. He scowled at it, irritation and dreadfloating above relief. It always had to come back, it seemed.

“Sorry for her?” Mrs. Snyder asked. “Nonsense. Don’t apologize for things beyond your control,David. You’ll find it difficult to live enjoyably if you feel responsible for people like her, believe me.”

David looked at Mrs. Snyder over the desk as he began to zip his backpack shut. She looked

different to him now. She wasn’t the not-so-young-yet-not-so-old woman standing in the hallwayevery day, constantly looking for excuses to drag people into her office. She was a philanthropist. Hedidn’t see those too often. To be on the receiving end of something he almost never witnessed in

society felt strange. Different.

It felt excellent.

David eyed the corner of the letter standing towards theopen slit of his backpack zipper. He lifted it free from thepile, staring. He began to wonder if maybe, maybe, he hada way out of his situation after all.

“Ma’am…do we have any tutors here that…are free?”

“Well…we really only offer those services to those whodemonstrate a need…”

“How can I show the need?” David begged.

“Well…find out your annual income.”

David rattled it off. He saw Mrs. Snyder’s eyes grow wide

at the number, tiny in comparison to hers.

Tat [Art & Design] – by Roger Price

“I have problems as it is. I pay for everything I do, ma’am. I pay for my food, any clothes I needwhen things rip…my future college tuition…that aunt I live with doesn’t give me a cent. I can’t afforda tutor right now.”

Mrs. Snyder finally saw David through her shocked eyes. He wasn’t the intelligent Chinese boyeveryone expected. He was lost, scared, tiny, an immigrant outcast, one dot in the Americaneducation system. But he was still human.

“I see. David, I will send you information in homeroom tomorrow,” Mrs. Snyder smiled, gently.“Now, go to the last bit of class, please.”

David grinned as he left the office.

He would need to manage tutoring around his work schedule now, he realized. At least he had ashot at passing the math class, without giving up parts of his savings or his already insignificant meals.

And the bullies…maybe they would leave him alone now, too.

He looked at the letter from Mr. Nordenberg, still clutched in his hand. There were bruises over hisskin from the foot-on-hand beating earlier. Everything had some price, he decided wearily. Evendefending my notes and my education nowadays has a price.

David smiled, brushing the pessimistic thought aside. At least, he decided, he had an education.

“Chinese boy”, he remembered being called.

Chinese, yes; he was not a boy. No mere boy, hedecided, would ever deal with his lifestyle. A boy

would run away and give up, join a gang and forgethis morals just to survive.

A man would see things through. David would see

things through.

Ignoring the slight smarting in the bruised hand, he

grasped the letter firmly and tore it in two from themiddle. He dropped the pieces in a recycling bin onhis way down the hallway, the hopeful smile still onhis round face.

From our local conservatory, a few shots of fallbefore winter comes through – by Larissa Gula

Take That - by Mike Grattan

Poet ry

Selected PoembyWanda VanHoy Smith

SNOWING POETRY

My mountain neighbors at Lake Arrowhead tell meflakes of poetry are falling from the sky coveringthe green sleeves of trees with white lace verse.

Dropping lines as beautiful as those of Robert Froststopping in the evening woods.

Not cliché like Jack Frost or Frosty the Snow Man.

As soft and romantic as Rosemary Clooney

and Bing Crosby walking through a Winter Wonderland

Snow flake jewels glisten on limbs like Liz Taylor's

white diamonds just as precious but nor as cold.

A child will never build a snowman of diamonds.or ride a sled down a diamond covered hill.

A white blanket covers hibernating daffodils andtulips that slumber until the poetry melts and warmstheir floral souls so they will rise again at Easter time.

frost magic – by r. j. paré

Selected Poetryby Stephen Campbell

Augustus

I traveled to Dis’ realm, there I gazedUpon Caesars’ protégé, Octavian.

August child raised upon the credit of Caesar,Apprentice in the art of world ruling, a creatureOf intellect no doubt, conqueror of Egypt, Cleopatra

Laid down her life before Augustus could captureHer claim to his inheritance. His action at ActiumSignaled an end to civil strife fracturing

His Empire. Rome built in a day? Calmed anyway.

His was the last classic tale of antiquityBefore the rise of State and Christianity.

Crave a day

Crave a day, a day of long agoWhen greatness reigned. A day

Of swords, armour and maidens tales;The tales of old valour.

Today valour lies dead, the times do showThe depths where virtues lie so low.

Imagination Flow – by Roger Price

Selected PoembyC.S. Cartier

My Meaty Meat

A whisper of delight from a memory that I hold dearly against my chestIt is of you and me beside each other, I remember the taste of your breath.

A sigh of pleasure, was it mine or yours I cannot sayThough it felt like forever, it was far less than one day.

Feeling you is electric, excitement of just a touchKisses, lips and tongue… I want you so much

A whisper of delight from a memory of what you doI count the minutes until the next memory of delight, of when I am with you

For women this is chocolate but I am a man

Nothing compares to a big mouthful of roast smothered in gravy

I do not want to lose you but my fork is eventually denied.I will remember you always, until we next meet in the dark corners hidden away from wanting eyes…

Mmmm Meat!

by C.S. Cartier

Poetic Perspectivesby r. j. paré

revenant

whilst thou return to me

after death?

spectral visitations o’er icy landscapethe pioneer trembles

--- animate…

where hast all the verdantbloom faded?

cold haunts, barren and infertilethe hibernal soil

--- revive…

whence eidolon gardens

burst restored,there chimera seeds awaken

my revenant soul

--- reborn!

revenant – by r. j. paré

Look at Me! – by Naomi Randolph

Pop Cult ure

Comic Book Reviewby Brad Bellmore

Top Five Comics of the Year - 2010

Ok, perhaps a more accurate title would be the top five reviews for the year.

This is look back at some of the comics that I have reviewed over the last year and a reminder as towhy I gave them high ratings. You will see that I have a lot of love for the independents. Not that

there weren’t enjoyable mainstream reads, but these 5 (actually 6) caught my attention the most thisyear. Hopefully this will drive you to find and read these titles. At the least, this will remind you whyI gushed over these.

#1 Mirror Mind

Mirror Mind is a graphic novel written and drawn by

Tory Woollcott. This was easily the best comic I read

this year. The story of this book follows the life of thecreator as she grew up with dyslexia in a school that justdidn’t get it. The trauma she endured due to the

stupidity of the adults around her is atrocious. This is agreat story detailing the events that happened anddrawing us into the anguish and pain Tory experienced.The art in this book reminds me of Persepolis. It is

simple at times, but that simplicity reveals a complexity

that an overdrawn book could never accomplish. Thelook of this art captures the feel of childhood yet itmakes the depth of emotion weigh more. Find this

book. Buy and read it. Then buy copies to donate toyour library or school. This is a great book and it is animportant book. Well worth the money.

#2 RASL

RASL by Jeff Smith is surprising comic. Surprising in that it

seems to be flying under the radar. Jeff Smith is the paragonof independent comics, publishing Bone with great successover a very long period of time. For those of you who like

Bone, this isn’t Bone. The style is similar but this is more on

the darker side of what Bone delivered and it is more grownup. A lot more grown up. The basic story follows Dr. RobertJohnson, a scientist who, as a U.S. Government employee

developed a means for inter-dimensional travel. Deciding thiswas too dangerous for the military, he destroyed the lab andtook the “portable” model and hit the road. This is awonderfully layered tale with plenty of hooks to keep you

wanting the next issue.

#3 Lackluster World

Lackluster World is an independent comic written and

drawn by Eric Adams. It is published by Generation EricPublishing. This is the story of Fahrenheit Monahan, aman disillusioned with the world and has ventured deep

into the cynicism that engenders. His lack of happiness

perplexes his coworker, Cog and greatly disturbs hisbrother, Kelvin and sister, Celsius. This story is anawesome social commentary. Adams comes out andchallenges us directly with the idea that if death is the

point we stopped living then we are a bunch of deadpeople walking around. I love the question he poses:Where were you the day you died? The art in this book

has a film noir feel to the pages and that darkness carries

the story’s darkness. It is a great look and it lends itself totelling this tale. I don’t think that the irony, cynicism orsarcasm of this story would shine through as well if the

look were different.

#4 Lucius Hammer

Ravenhammer Comics Group recently released the first issue of LuciusHammer, written by Brian Williams and illustrated by Christian Colbert. Thetale is about Powerhouse, aka Lucius Hammer, black youth growing up inAmerica around prohibition, but has amazing strength, toughness and aninordinately long life span. Lucius samples a little from all the items on themenu of life: war, crime, sports, education. He finally settles into becoming asuperhero, using his tremendous talents for the good of all. Having such along timeline for the story allows exploration into the changing dynamics ofinterracial relations in America. The art in this book is a homerun to me. Itelicits very fond memories of my days as a kid, picking up comics for the first

time. Everything about the look reminds my why I fell in love with comics inthe first place. As much as I love the art, the thing that makes this book standout to me is the writing with brilliant dialogue. This comic far outstrips almosteverything I’ve ever read in terms of conversational rhythm, dialect and voice.

#5 The Guild

Written by Felicia Day and illustrated by Jim Rugg, The Guild is a look at the

life of Cyd, a young lady whose life is a disappointment that she’s trying toimprove. Escape seems to be a better option which she finds through anMMORPG where she can be anyone she wants. She becomes a revampedversion of herself, using the name Codex. Online, in the fantasy world, she ispowerful, sexy, confident, everything she wishes she was but can’t believe she

could possibly be. Soon she finds that she would rather be online and hasdeveloped friends there – her guild. The highlight of this comic is the writing.There are moments when laughter erupts in response to the bizarrecircumstances of online role playing. Other bits pierce your heart with thepoignancy of feeling alone or powerless or worthless. This is a uniquely honestlook into a character’s soul sharing all the tears and giggles that can only be

found in a deeply intimate place.

#5A Love and Capes

Love and Capes is a comic published by IDW. The story and art are by ThomZahler. This is a fun book, taking a look at the real life of superheroes. Thestory reminds a bit of The Incredibles, just aimed for an older audience. Often

I bash cartoony stile art for adult themed comics. This time it works. Theexaggerated features of the faces and bodies accentuate the humor of it all, aswell as add a certain sexiness that spices up the story without it feeling. It’s afun book with a fun look. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of this. I love thebalancing out saving the universe and filing the quarterly taxes. It is real lifeexaggerated. This is a wonderful spoof with a lot of texture to it. I just couldn’tleave it off the list.

Manga MaximusByDarke Raven

This Month’s Experiment:

Sunshine (Hidamari) SketchVolume 1 to 2 (4)

By Ume AokiPublisher : Yen Press

To wrap up the year I picked up a title that, until now, I onlyknew from it’s Anime version I saw on the internet. Ume Aoki’sHidamari Sketch, or in this case Sunshine Sketch, published byYen Press (a company with a bright future ahead of it if it can

avoid making ADV, Viz or TOKYOPOP sized mistakes alongthe way).

Accepted into the school of her dreams, Yamabuki High (a

school with a specialization for teaching the arts) Yuno is embarking into a new world that may seema little scary at times. She’s moving intoapartments across from the school (Hidamari Apartments, a place infamous for housing the more

“colorful“ (aka the weirdoes) members of the school), living alone for the first time… only she won’tever be alone for the minute she steps in she is befriended by the three tenants of the apartments(her next door neighbor the mischievous unpredictable Miyako, and downstairs neighbors andprobable candidates for a lesbian relationship Hiro (kind, generous, great cook and constantly

worried about her weight) and Sae (already a writer when the series starts, constantly battling

deadlines to finish each story on time).

But they’re not the only new people in Yuno’s life as she has a brand new teacher in the rather

spacey, self centered, cosplay addicted bundle of unpredictable that is Yoshinoya Sensei (who seemsto be named after a famous chain of beef bowl restaurants in Japan and worldwide), and the school’sprincipal (who is the balance that keeps Yoshinoya in line and from going completely out of control).

Sunshine Sketch (aka Hidamari Sketch) is yet another series riding on the coattails of the criticalsuccess of Azumanga Daioh, formatted entirely in the four panel format (something you’d be more

likely to see in American strip comics than a Japanese manga until recently, sure the format has been

around in Japan but only recently has it really taken off like this).

Volume 1 introduces you to the cast and starts it off, with a whole section about Yuno’s first days inHidamari Apts. Meeting everyone, the Entrance Ceremony, first days of classes, so if you’re like me andyour first exposure was the Anime then quite a bit of this is new to you (or to be more precise stuff that was

spread skit wise over the three years of the series and pops up in strange places, but that’s a talk for theAnime series review… as well as the use of symbology in the series which only is emphasized in the Animeversion). Otherwise we roll through the many adventures of Yuno, Miyako, Hiro and Sae through bothVolumes 1 and 2, which kinda reminds me of Azumanga Daioh and it’s episodic adventures and their daysat school, though it’s not quite like Azumanga Daioh in a few respects as this series takes a bit of time tomove from year to year, and by the time we get to Yuno’s second year the series is about done as we don’t

see the two new girls move in into Volume 4 (a review coming soon). Also while Azumanga Daioh’s Animewas a straight format run through the three years this series is told is Seasonal slices (which is reallyemphasized in Season 2 slash Hidamari Sketch x365).

So join the girls as they do the following

Volume 1 - Once we’re past the intro and opening days of the series asthe girls become quick and fast friends we continue onwards. Firstdrawing class, the kiddie pool day and Yuno’s confession of being asaw/hammer (can’t swim), Tests (including Yoshinoya Sensei’s infamous

replacement for a math test), cleaning, chores, a festival and the creationof the Hidamari Apartment sign out front of the apartments.

Volume 2 - A trip to the zoo, cleaning, some Yuno antics including hergetting sick with the flu and her sneaking up on the roof to eat lunch, atrip to the bath house, the first sports festival, another festival which is

running poor Yuno down physically (including a story that takes placethe night before the festival), and more.

If you loved the Anime, like me, or if your looking for that nextgreat fix for Azumanga Daioh fans looking for the next in thing?This is it… only, mind you, I’d buy my copies… used or discounted.

Why? Because you can, but also because I’m not too sure aboutYen Press charging you $11 for something only 120 or so pageslong! I mean I’m not asking you to give us a major discount but$11? Really? Was that necessary?

Otherwise this is my new favorite read of the year (even if it went all

the way to deadline before I got my copies to review even though Iordered them back in October) and they both get a 5 out of 5.

Next Month : It’s January, the new year is here, so how about weopen 2011 with… an objection? You probably know already of the

Ace Attorney game series on DS and WiiWare store, but do youknow of the manga?

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney the Manga featuring Phoenix Wright (Volume 1) and Miles Edgeworth(Volume 2) reviewed next month. Stay tuned.

Raised on

Saturday

Morning

Cartoonsby Pauline Paré

"He should be dead within 30 seconds. The werewolf heart is about two-thirds the size of a human's. But inorder to shrink, first it has to stop. In other words, he has a heart attack. All of the internal organs aresmaller, so while he's having his heart attack, he's having liver and kidney failure too. If he stops screamingit's not because the pain has dulled, his throat, gullet and vocal chords are tearing and reforming. He literallycan't make a sound. By now the pituitary gland should be working overtime, flooding his bodywith endorphins to ease some of the pain, but that too has shut down. Anyone else would have diedof shock long ago. But it won't kill him and that's the thing I find most remarkable. It drags him through thefire and keeps him alive and even conscious to endure every second. Nothing like this could just evolve.This... is the fingerprint of God. An impossible lethal curse spread by tooth and claw, victim begets victimbegets victim. It's so cruel, it's... perfect."

-- A favourite description of mine form the BBC series “Being Human”

I discovered a few years ago just how much I love British programming. Doctor Who is at the top ofmy list, of course. Torchwood was just as amazing and I am hoping madly for its return. Now thereis Being Human, a one hour drama/comedy that I have been viewing on Space in Canada. At first

glance, Being Human is a silly concept. A vampire, a werewolf and a ghost share a flat. But, after

trying the show I found that it was much deeper than the premise would have you believe as thesethree characters lean on each other as they explore what it is to be human. Intelligent, witty andemotionally charged writing follows as Being Human delivers hours of worthwhile entertainment.The series is filmed in Bristol currently but will be finding a new home in Cardiff for series 3. It was

created and written by Toby Whithouse and it stars Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey, and LenoraCrichlow as three apparent twenty-something characters sharing a house and trying to live a normalsocial life, despite being a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost. All three actors are veterans of other

BBC series that I have not had a chance to see. Tovey and Chrichlow have guest starred on Doctor

who and Aidan Turner will be in the much anticipated movie “The Hobbit” as Kili the dwarf.

Tovey plays George, an insecure awkward

young man who has to live with the curseof becoming a werewolf on every fullmoon. His shy, repressed nature constantly

struggles with his animal instincts. Easily

the funniest character on the show, he alsohas some of the most dramactic and heartwrenching moments. Lenora Crichlow is

Annie, a surprisingly cheery ghost who wasa victim of cruelty.

She is obsessed with making tea and unlike the other two needs to explore the darker side of

humanity to make sense of what happened to her. She is also the uniting force in this strange trio asthe two male characters go between being best friends to being at violent odds with each other.

Aiden Turner plays Mitchell the vampire in a fashion that is both dangerously sexy and sensitively

endearing. His battle with his own nature is most challenging as he has been a supernatural beinglonger than the rest. The three, together, have a wonderful brand of chemistry.

“Being Human” has become so popular across the ocean that SYFY has decided to create a new

version of the series. Despites outcries from hardcore fans of the original series, I am interested inseeing this new incarnation which is being filmed in Montreal. “Supernatural” writer Jeremy Carveris joining the production(by a Canadian Production company, I might add) which is very exciting

news and the cast is shaping up nicely with the sexy Sam Witwer (Smallville) playing Aiden the

Vampire, Meagan Rath as Sally the ghost, Sam Huntington(Superman Returns, Fanboys) as Joshthe werewolf. Another impressive addition to the cast is Mark Pellegrino as Bishop; Aiden’s formermentor and the current king of the vampires. You may remember Mark from his stint as Jacob onLost or maybe from last season’s Supernatural where he played a frightening Lucifer. My favourite

promo of this new series is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hre1iVIPPaU

For those who are unable to receive broadcasts of BBC’s

“Being Human”, seasons 1 and 2 are now available on

DVD. Hint, hint! The new version of Being Human willair on SYFY starting January 17th . So far, informationon when the new version will air in Canada is not to be

found I will be keeping a watchful eye for any news.

P.S. Slightly off topic folks…. We may soon be getting relief from ear-splitting volume changes

during commercial breaks. Thanks to public outcry since 1960(!), the Commercial AdvertisementLoudness Mitigation Act or CALM act was recently passed and is patiently awaiting the signature ofPresident Obama. It may be a small step but certainly a welcome one.