Tim takes a week off (mostly) while Kumar and Mulele take over! They’ve been hard at work making, publishing, and promoting their Web comic, Weird Crime Theater. What all does that entail? Glad you asked! The guys fill us in.
Also: Farewell to Al Williamson.
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Comics have come a long way since Milton Caniff could put a hideous Chinese stereotype in a family newspaper, or create a racist World War II guide to telling “Japs” from Chinese people — right? Well… but what about those papers today that only want one “black strip” — Candorville or Curtis, but not both? The top ranks of Marvel & DC heroes are overwhelmingly white — and, thanks to “regressive storytelling” at DC, they’re becoming more so. Black heroes, Hispanic heroes, seldom have their own titles. And, oh by the way — how about some characters with roots in India? Please? Tim, Kumar, and Mulele discuss the past history of racism — intentional and not — in American comics, and the present-day reality of most comics’ racial non-diversity. Also: Why Canadian-citizen Kumar never cared about Alpha Flight!
Links, links, and more links:
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Since critiquing comics is what we do, Tim goes in search of struggling Web comics creators who need some pointers. Instead, he ends up with two awesome comics! Hanna is not a Boy’s Name is a comedy with horror elements, lively art, and mucho f-bombs; reMIND is a beautifully rendered work about a cat, a babe, and a mysterious lizard-man. Tim and Mulele review.
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FLASHBACK! While we take a week off, enjoy this vintage episode from December 10, 2007!
How comics & movies have influenced each other: what Scott McCloud won’t tell you! Also, digital inking, The Spirit, and All Star Superman! Mulele, Patrick G., Tim, and Tim’s brother Paul discuss.
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Longbox Digital‘s comics reader beta was unveiled at Emerald City Comicon in March. Is it any good? Tim and Mulele review. Also: hilarious Web comic “Axe Cop“!
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In a recent interview, Steven King is quoted as saying that a Vertigo editor asked him not to use thought balloons in his work on American Vampire. An article in Comics Comics Mag brought this to our attention, and sparked discussion. Why do some editors now discourage, or even ban, thought balloons — even when the writer is Steven King? Are they perceived as being cheesy, and if so, why? Tim, Kumar, and Mulele discuss. Also: The Walking Dead, Billy Bat, and Gin-Tama!
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Tim and Mulele set out to review dharbin.com, but “the gold of the site” is hidden. Mulele explains where to find Dustin Harbin’s best work.
Then an interview with (former) Tokyo resident Ed Siemienkowicz and a discussion of how to develop your own style. Tim continues to struggle with this as he is paid (!) (by an English school) to do some illustrations.
Finally, Mulele has a few words about WordPress plugin ComicPress, and why he’s switching to InkBlot — er, no, sorry, Webcomic 2.1
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Comics are increasingly read as bits and bytes, on PCs and handheld devices.
Blank creators Brothers of the Silence are publishing the comic in Flash on their site, and as image files on Facebook and several other sites. “Brothers” Ian LeWinter and Don Richmond talk about creating the comic and promoting it via social media sites.
Dale Wilson of DWAP Productions, making his second appearance on this podcast, discusses the ways his company is getting its traditional paper product out in handheld device formats.
Remember “Yon Kuma”? Tim and Mulele reviewed it a year ago. It’s now called “Bear Beater Bunyan,” and it’s an iPhone app. Artist Jorge Munoz talks about the path he and writer Josh Hechinger followed in making the comic available for handhelds.
“Bear Beater Bunyan” is just one of many comics available from Robotcomics.net. Robot Comics Deputy Director Dave Baxter fills us in on the state of the growing comics market for handhelds and how Robot does what it does.
Finally, Tim and Mulele review some of Robot’s output.
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Tim and Mulele review two Web comics that have little in common besides the nationality of their creators! Amya, a recently-started, manga- an fantasy-influenced comic; and Hark, a Vagrant, featuring contemporary, humorous takes on historical events.
Then Mulele critiques Tim’s recent artwork, and discussion of how to draw facial expressions ensues (view full post to see pictures below).
Continue reading #222 Canadian Web Comics
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A recent Comics Reporter article by Ng Suat Tong on “Writing, Collaboration, and Superheroes” (and a rebuttal to it from Chris Allen Online) got us to thinking: Do modern writers give sufficient instruction to artists? How much of what you see on the page came from the writer, and how much from the artist? Are some artists not carrying out the writer’s suggestions, and is that because the artist had a better idea, because the writer’s instructions were impractical, or because the artist is simply, um, not that good?
To explore these questions, Kumar, Mulele, and Tim chose four scripts from the Comicbook Script Archive site, and read them alongside the finished comics that resulted from them: Punisher Max #39, by Garth Ennis and Leandro Fernandez; Y: the Last Man #18, by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra; Daredevil 28, by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev; and (the ringer of the lot) Batman: the Killing Joke, by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. Here’s the resulting discussion!
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