Table of Contents

RKYV # 42 {Nov. 2010}

Editorial Column Short Fiction
RKYV ONLINE LOGO – - “At the Outset: A Few Thoughts -“The Suicide”
David Marshall {current} from the Editor” - by James Gibson
r. j. paré {modified} - By r. j. paré -“Chinese Boy”
Roy G. James {original} - by Larissa Gula
World View
Virtual Cover # 42 - “A Canadian Living in the USA” Poetry
- Art by Brian Brinlee - By Tom Rossini - By Wanda VanHoy Smith,
& Michael W. Kellar Stephen Campbell, CS Cartier, r. j.
- Design/Layout by David Marshall Indie Comic paré
- “Different Unlike Us - Wedding
Interior Art Dress Caper” Pop Culture
- By r. j. paré, Mike Grattan, James - Written by Darke Raven, Art by - “Comic Book Review”
‘Jig-One’ Titman, Larissa Gula, Yum Yum - By Brad Bellmore
SPoV Team, Yum Yum, C.S. - “Manga Maximus”
Cartier, Robert Quint, Roger Price, Featured Creators Review - By Darke Raven
Naomi Randolph, Andreas Helfer, - “Sky Pirates of Valendor” - “Raised on Saturday Morning
Emma Rapin, Renaud Regnery, - By r. j. paré Cartoons”
Ross Walker - By Pauline Paré

Skeleton – by Santiago London

 At the Outset
A few thoughts
from The Editor
by r. j. paré

And after all the warmth of the summer and the fall
Cold November wind cuts the deepest of them all
Willie Nelson

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 we
have 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 and
share 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 story
submissions 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, returning
poets Wanda VanHoy Smith, Stephen Campbell, C.S. Cartier and yours truly – r. j. paré – provide
new collections of imagery & verse for you to [hopefully] enjoy. We have samples of Roger Price’s
Tattoo 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 or
follow 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 the
participation 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 short
notes on the publication before you are not meeting the standards our board of directors have
directed our payroll department to follow. However by sneaking back to attach this memo, with its
56 words, I have done just that!
Captain America [© Marvel Comics] – by Naomi Randolph
 World View

A Canadian,
Living in the
USA
by 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 corporate
meeting did I realize how bad it really is getting. First of all my friend was very lucky to have me
drive 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 must
realize that this is real and not fiction.

Upon arriving at the self check in my friend swipes his credit card and begins to check himself
in. He pays for 2 check bags for a total of $60 each way plus $15 for an aisle seat. Immediately a
ticket 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 suitcase
yourself" and his non wise big smart ass mouth said hell no, that’s why I have a wife. This
immediately caused a red flag to the airline staff and he was escorted to the far end of the counter
where 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 bomb
dogs 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 while
depriving himself of oxygen as he bends over turning blue. He takes the laptop computer out of the
briefcase 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 called
Betty.
He made it through the magic metal detector, the Harry Potter wand and Betty’s massage. His carry
on had been emptied of all items and his hemorrhoid cream was deemed less then 3 oz and had
passed 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 bottle
of beer and taking a poo before his flight left when a
male security agent came over and told him that he’d
randomly selected him to go through his brand new
and very Star Trek looking full frontal body
scanner. 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 and
now this… An 18 year old had asked him ridiculous
questions. He had to remove his belt, his shoes, his
laptop and CPAP and a lady called Betty had
touched him in a place that is usually reserved for his
wife, Megan Fox and anyone from Brazil…

Oh and he had a turtle’s head in his

underpants 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 back
together 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 it
was 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 a
terrorist joke, he hadn’t even mentioned that he might see more than he bargained for on his
scanner 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 other
passengers 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 was
getting desperate due to the Taco Bell) was the movie where a guy has to walk through a scanner that
shows 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 can
make sure his fat bottom didn’t have a terrorist hiding in it. Well actually it did have one - his name
was, 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 show
others down in the bar later that night “Oh, come and look at this fat bloke with a thingy the size of a
baby carrot.”

Did he feel violated? Yes, a bit, but what can you do? This is the world we live in although I think
it’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
 Indie Comic
Different Unlike Us
by Darke Raven
 by Sibylle Jazra
[photo by Robert Quint from the HARDER BUT STILL EASY gallery show]
 Featured Creators
Review
The creative
team behind:
Sky Pirates
of Valendor
by 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 debut

adventure of Pirate Captain Tobin Manheim and
the rest of the crew of the Rogue's Revenge. Set in
the fantasy world of Valendor where giant
continents float on oceans of sky! A mix of
steampunk and high fantasy where magic co-exists
with futuristic technology, Valendor is a fully
realized world, with complex social structures, a
guild-driven economic system, and a host of
political intrigue.

Sky Pirates is the brainchild of Everett Soares, the award winning author of several stories appearing
in 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 Press
Idol, 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, Alex
Rivera and Keith Murphey. Jet Amago provided colours for the covers & New York City based
illustrator 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 of
their 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 much
information 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 my
favourite super-heroes, mostly Batman. So even at
a young age, I had the artist bug. I just had to draw
all the time.

Artist: Brian Brinlee

Title: “Letter of the Law” [p6], from the SPoV
Anthology “Valendor Chronicles”
Media Used: blue-lined comic pages, mechanical
pencil [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 the
70's when I was a little kid. I remember the first drawing I ever did was of Batman & Robin at my
dad'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 getting
out of the U.S. Navy that I was introduced to a man by the name of Phil Roberts of Gravitywell
Productions, 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, I
was drawn to Robin #1 which was inked by Scott Hanna (whom I had the opportunity to meet about
11 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 done
and 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. He
told 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 I
went into commercial illustration and design instead. This was before computers became so widely
used 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 any
formal training of art went… although, when I was introduced to inking I began to study different
inkers. I began to purchase different books to assist in learning about being an inker and also taking
instruction 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 (Fall
2009) that I decided I need to get the formal training I have been lacking all these years and enrolled
at 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 our

Associate Editor David Marshall when designing
this month’s cover.

r.j.p: Could you tell our readers a little about Sky

Pirates of Valendor?

ES: Sky Pirates of Valendor is an ongoing fantasy

steampunk comic series. It chronicles the
adventures of Captain Tobin Manheim and his
crew aboard the Rogue's Revenge. Our first
chapter centered around a dangerous job the crew
was hired to complete, at a very high price. But
this 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 she
could turn all that paint into a picture. She taught me most of what I know, encouraging me to
pursue 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 my
brother 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, I
have always liked the pencils of George Perez (ever since his run on The New Teen Titans - that was
my favourite series as a teenager) in 1993 when I was introduced to inking it was Scott Hanna and
today 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 met
some great people who have given us some great advice on which
direction to go in. One of these people is my boss Matt Ryan from
Free 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. It
allows us to go to local shows and share in the news as to which shows
are 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 is
paints. 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 and
the 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 form
your script?]

ES: I send Brian a finished script. It does start with writing the page break down first. As soon as
that’s done I can really get a feel for how the panels are going to be flowing into each other. Once
the 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 is
darker 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 the
Staedtler 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 8404
Size 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 ink
to think about how the image could best "POP" off the page.

Artist: Brian Brinlee

Title:
SPoV [Issue # 3, page 8]

r.j.p: While traditional publishing and

distribution has become a difficult goal to
achieve for the modern Indie comic creator,
what do you think of the impact that social
networks and POD services have had as an
alternate means of connecting you, your work
and your audience?

ES: I think POD is a god send. Back in the old

days, you know when they used to call indie
comics underground comics, you would have to
search high and low for a printer to do your print
run. It didn’t stop there, because you'd have to
do a print run of at least few hundred books. All
the while you have to pray they didn’t try to
control the content you were producing. Today
POD has allowed my book to keep moving with
smaller print runs and low cost per issue. I don’t
have to sell any organs to pay for my book run
and I don’t worry about storage space. You still
have to put up with questions like “Why is it
black 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 marketing
under 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 still
working 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 the
way 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 are

as far as pencils - George Perez, Michael
Turner, Todd McFarlane, Randy Green,
Robert Atkins, Tony Daniel each of these
pencillers because of how they take on certain
characters. Cartoon style pencils - Sean
Galloway, Ken Haeser, Steven Sanchez,
JonBoy Meyers because I really like the
cartoon style and I think I am drawn to this
style because I have kids. My influences as far
as inkers - Scott Hanna, Tim Townsend, Terry
Austin, Dick Giordano, Bob Almond, Bob
Layton, 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 my
very 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 I
like...some are textures, some are the way they
use 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 will
always hold a special place in my heart.
r.j.p: With advancements in computer graphic tablet technology, some artists are now creating their work
directly in the digital medium and releasing it in purely digital formats... are the days of paper & pulp
doomed 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. I
believe there will always be a place for a good old comic book. The fact that we’ve sold close to three
thousand 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 to
use? I think there is a bigger learning curve if you have never used digital before but once you get the hang
of it, I do think it is easier to correct mistakes. With paper, if you have trouble with an image and keep
erasing, you leave ghost lines and eventually make a mess. With digital, you can erase a single layer without
touching the rest of the art. Very convenient. But I do not think the pencil and paper method of art will ever
be 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 used

right to create art can be a really great tool and I am not
knocking digital art in any way, but I think that traditional art
methods are still the best way to go... but that is just personal
preference and I will leave the rest of that one alone as to not
start 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 indie

book and Sky Pirates will always be my book for the fans that
are out there. It started off as an indie book and it will always
stay 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 created
for 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 mainstream
comic. 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 or
Spiderman for awhile, make a decent income, and then move on to doing an indie book. That way I
could 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 steady
paycheck. A following is good, but I rather influence a future artist and help them achieve their
dreams, this is really important to me.

MKW: I personally would just like to have regular work as a inker on any book or with any
company that will pay me to produce... but until that happens I will continue to work my 40 hours a
week at the VA Hospital, because I don't want to be a "Starving Artist" and I like having a bed to
sleep 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 money
doing what we love. But most of us just are not wired for monotonous 9 to 5 jobs. We would rather
be 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 the
meaning 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 as
one jokingly in this interview. Maybe, if the only thing I
did was art for money and couldn't get any work as an
artist then yeah I would be a starving artist, but I would
think that most people who can not obtain steady work
as an artist would be smart enough to have a regular
job 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 your
heart 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. A

combination of being busy and a poor economy. But as
for projects, I am currently working on the latest issue of
Sky Pirates of Valendor. Everett Soares is busy writing
the next volume and we are trying to get a couple of
issues in the can. I am also doing art for some rpg
companies and a short story for an anthology.

Artists: Brian Brinlee

Title: “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 is
ayrivera@verizon.net or check out my websites at
www.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 with
Academy of Art University (Online) and get my Associates of
Fine Arts, continue to ink and work with my very good friend and
mentor Rick Ketcham and hopefully one day I will be able to get
regular work as a ARTIST/INKER and not have to keep working
at the VA Hospital. As for future shows/cons - I will be setup at
NCComicon Nov 13th - 14th in Morrisville, NC here is the
website for the con - http://nccomicon.com and here is a list of
who will be in Artist Alley -
http://nccomicon.com/Default.asp?ID=6 so if you are in the area
and have nothing to do Nov 13th-14th swing by NCComicon and
say hello... my very good friend and mentor Rick Ketcham will be
there 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 first

confirmed 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 Issue
2.1, the first issue of our next chapter. We'll also debut our first
children's coloring book illustrated by our publisher and good
friend, Matt C. Ryan. And we'll debut our 2011 Sky Pirates
Calendar which features illustrations from 13 different artists,
most of whom have never worked with Sky Pirates characters
before.

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 sharing
some of their thoughts, insights and wonderful art with us this
month. If you haven’t read these tales yet, I highly recommend
them!
Full Circle – by GIO [Giovanni Medina]. This piece was include in the Circle of Life Exhibit at the
Arts Clayton Gallery where it won 1st in show & the Patron’s Award.
 Short Fiction

THE SUICIDE
by James Gibson
gibsonjs@mnsi.net
[all photos by Robert Quint from the
HARDER BUT STILL EASY
gallery 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 the
HARDER BUT STILL EASY gallery show]
 Chinese Boy
by Larissa Gula

“David! Please answer this question.”

David Li looked up from the disorganized layers of

notes on his old, battle-scarred desk; he was
attempting, unsuccessfully, to muscle the lecture
information through his skull to his brain without
pondering the couple that had scrawled their loving
signature into the aging, wooden desk cover. They
received his undivided attention every time his
pencil smashed a hole into the paper into the grove
beneath.
A park, a few shots of fall before
winter comes through – by Larissa Gula

He watched helplessly as elderly Mr. Nordenberg rattled off a lengthy calculus problem from the
mint-colored chalkboard. Most of the words his teacher uttered passed over David’s head. David felt
the 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 dilated
eyes 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 folds
immersed 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 requested
that she give him the answer.

She blurted out the answer within two seconds.

***

David left the deserted classroom fifteen

embarrassing minutes late; the narrow,
off-white hallways stood abandoned and
quiet. The emptiness of the corridors left
him to worry undisturbed.

A white piece of paper and an envelope

were clasped in his sweaty hands; his
fraying-at-the-corners backpack rested,
unzipped, on his hunched spine. One
note in his hand would pardon his late
arrival to another class. The other would
inform his aunt that he required tutoring,
and included a list of possible tutors. The
paper was complete with their addresses,
phone numbers, subjects, and price per
hour. Tat [Art & Design] – by Roger Price

Price. The very word, the statistics on the page, sent a cold wave of dread through him, penetrating
to 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 items
turned the food into a feast of pyrite. David paid for his own two tiny meals a day from mercifully
cheap, 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 from
that 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 up
to him – the poor merchant’s son from China. To continue his education now would be to sacrifice
from 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 the
linoleum floor with a loud thump. His binder skidded out of his open backpack, its paper contents
spilling. 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 eyes
circling above him. He didn’t want to see the faces of the student. Maybe then, if he knew David
wouldn’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 his
tongue; 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 did
every 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 and
even pitiable student who needed help?!

The two boys above him began cackling, whirling in circles

around David, trampling the papers and the backpack. A
black Vans sneaker stomped on David’s hand, and its wearer
continued 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 away
from 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 had
been standing on it; his balance gave out and he fell
backwards, hitting his head on the floor.

David winced a second time at the sound of the echoing

crack.

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

mouth gaping. He stooped and sank to his knees, shaking his
comrade, 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 a
roughly empty backpack dangling from his shoulder, he dashed away, down the hallways towards
class. Thirty seconds of desperate running passed. He stopped on the thirty-first, considering. He
didn’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 another
turn 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 called
paramedics 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 a
plastic grocery bag containing David’s notes. David wordlessly took his belongings back, nodding
appreciation; 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 she
arrives.”

Supposedly she’s on the way, David thought bitterly. He watched as middle-aged Mrs. Snyder began
reviewing a letter, her lips clenched together in a thin little line. He looked away before she could
mistake 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 the
padding. 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 the
arrival’s hand.

David turned slightly in his seat to glance over his shoulder. His aunt wore make-up that was too
bright and sloppy from its swift and careless appliance; her fingernails were brittle and covered in
chipping red polish. Her clothes didn’t fit properly: the jeans were too tight, the junior’s department
pink 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?” she
asked, 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 slight
concussion. 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 a
bottle of hand lotion.

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

eye, attempting to ignore the chuckling witch in
the back of the office as she pounded the bottle
against 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 me
for something, and I was just tying to get my stuff
back and get to class. I just grabbed my bag and
pulled it, but one of them was standing on it so
he fell…but I didn’t think he would, I didn’t
think 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, he
realized. Poor David, the round-faced Chinese immigrant, the bully-magnet who couldn’t focus in
math, 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 short
detention, 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. He
deserved 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 of
crumbled papers, he saw the envelope with the list of tutors. He scowled at it, irritation and dread
floating 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 hallway
every day, constantly looking for excuses to drag people into her office. She was a philanthropist. He
didn’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 the

open slit of his backpack zipper. He lifted it free from the
pile, staring. He began to wonder if maybe, maybe, he had
a 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 who

demonstrate 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 need
when things rip…my future college tuition…that aunt I live with doesn’t give me a cent. I can’t afford
a tutor right now.”

Mrs. Snyder finally saw David through her shocked eyes. He wasn’t the intelligent Chinese boy
everyone expected. He was lost, scared, tiny, an immigrant outcast, one dot in the American
education 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 a
shot 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 his
skin from the foot-on-hand beating earlier. Everything had some price, he decided wearily. Even
defending 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, he

decided, would ever deal with his lifestyle. A boy
would run away and give up, join a gang and forget
his 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 the
middle. He dropped the pieces in a recycling bin on
his way down the hallway, the hopeful smile still on
his round face.

From our local conservatory, a few shots of fall

before winter comes through – by Larissa Gula
Take That - by Mike Grattan
 Poetry
Selected Poem
by Wanda VanHoy Smith

SNOWING POETRY

My mountain neighbors at Lake Arrowhead tell me

flakes of poetry are falling from the sky covering
the green sleeves of trees with white lace verse.

Dropping lines as beautiful as those of Robert Frost

stopping 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 and

tulips that slumber until the poetry melts and warms
their floral souls so they will rise again at Easter time.
frost magic – by r. j. paré
 Selected Poetry
by Stephen Campbell

Augustus
I traveled to Dis’ realm, there I gazed
Upon Caesars’ protégé, Octavian.
Crave a day
August child raised upon the credit of Caesar,
Apprentice in the art of world ruling, a creature Crave a day, a day of long ago
Of intellect no doubt, conqueror of Egypt, Cleopatra When greatness reigned. A day
Laid down her life before Augustus could capture Of swords, armour and maidens tales;
Her claim to his inheritance. His action at Actium The tales of old valour.
Signaled an end to civil strife fracturing Today valour lies dead, the times do show
His Empire. Rome built in a day? Calmed anyway. The depths where virtues lie so low.
His was the last classic tale of antiquity
Before the rise of State and Christianity.

Imagination Flow – by Roger Price

Selected Poem
by C.S. Cartier

My Meaty Meat
A whisper of delight from a memory that I hold dearly against my chest
It 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 say

Though it felt like forever, it was far less than one day.

Feeling you is electric, excitement of just a touch

Kisses, lips and tongue… I want you so much

A whisper of delight from a memory of what you do

I 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 Perspectives
by r. j. paré

revenant
whilst thou return to me
after death?
spectral visitations o’er icy landscape
the pioneer trembles
--- animate…

where hast all the verdant

bloom faded?
cold haunts, barren and infertile
the 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 Culture
Comic Book Review
by 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 to
why 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 this
year. Hopefully this will drive you to find and read these titles. At the least, this will remind you why
I 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 the
creator as she grew up with dyslexia in a school that just
didn’t get it. The trauma she endured due to the
stupidity of the adults around her is atrocious. This is a
great story detailing the events that happened and
drawing 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. The
look of this art captures the feel of childhood yet it
makes the depth of emotion weigh more. Find this
book. Buy and read it. Then buy copies to donate to
your library or school. This is a great book and it is an
important 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 paragon
of independent comics, publishing Bone with great success
over 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 grown
up. A lot more grown up. The basic story follows Dr. Robert
Johnson, a scientist who, as a U.S. Government employee
developed a means for inter-dimensional travel. Deciding this
was too dangerous for the military, he destroyed the lab and
took the “portable” model and hit the road. This is a
wonderfully 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 Eric
Publishing. This is the story of Fahrenheit Monahan, a
man disillusioned with the world and has ventured deep
into the cynicism that engenders. His lack of happiness
perplexes his coworker, Cog and greatly disturbs his
brother, Kelvin and sister, Celsius. This story is an
awesome social commentary. Adams comes out and
challenges us directly with the idea that if death is the
point we stopped living then we are a bunch of dead
people 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 to
telling this tale. I don’t think that the irony, cynicism or
sarcasm 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 Lucius
Hammer, written by Brian Williams and illustrated by Christian Colbert. The
tale is about Powerhouse, aka Lucius Hammer, black youth growing up in
America around prohibition, but has amazing strength, toughness and an
inordinately long life span. Lucius samples a little from all the items on the
menu of life: war, crime, sports, education. He finally settles into becoming a
superhero, using his tremendous talents for the good of all. Having such a
long timeline for the story allows exploration into the changing dynamics of
interracial relations in America. The art in this book is a homerun to me. It
elicits 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 in
the first place. As much as I love the art, the thing that makes this book stand
out to me is the writing with brilliant dialogue. This comic far outstrips almost
everything 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 to
improve. Escape seems to be a better option which she finds through an
MMORPG where she can be anyone she wants. She becomes a revamped
version of herself, using the name Codex. Online, in the fantasy world, she is
powerful, 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 has
developed friends there – her guild. The highlight of this comic is the writing.
There are moments when laughter erupts in response to the bizarre
circumstances of online role playing. Other bits pierce your heart with the
poignancy of feeling alone or powerless or worthless. This is a uniquely honest
look 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 Thom
Zahler. This is a fun book, taking a look at the real life of superheroes. The
story 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. The
exaggerated features of the faces and bodies accentuate the humor of it all, as
well as add a certain sexiness that spices up the story without it feeling. It’s a
fun book with a fun look. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of this. I love the
balancing out saving the universe and filing the quarterly taxes. It is real life
exaggerated. This is a wonderful spoof with a lot of texture to it. I just couldn’t
leave it off the list.
 Manga Maximus
By Darke Raven

This Month’s Experiment:

Sunshine (Hidamari) Sketch
Volume 1 to 2 (4)
By Ume Aoki
Publisher : Yen Press

To wrap up the year I picked up a title that, until now, I only

knew from it’s Anime version I saw on the internet. Ume Aoki’s
Hidamari Sketch, or in this case Sunshine Sketch, published by
Yen Press (a company with a bright future ahead of it if it can
avoid making ADV, Viz or TOKYOPOP sized mistakes along
the 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 seem
a little scary at times. She’s moving into
apartments 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’t
ever 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 and
probable 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 seems
to be named after a famous chain of beef bowl restaurants in Japan and worldwide), and the school’s
principal (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 critical
success 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 in
Hidamari Apts. Meeting everyone, the Entrance Ceremony, first days of classes, so if you’re like me and
your 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 the
Anime series review… as well as the use of symbology in the series which only is emphasized in the Anime
version). Otherwise we roll through the many adventures of Yuno, Miyako, Hiro and Sae through both
Volumes 1 and 2, which kinda reminds me of Azumanga Daioh and it’s episodic adventures and their days
at school, though it’s not quite like Azumanga Daioh in a few respects as this series takes a bit of time to
move 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 Anime
was a straight format run through the three years this series is told is Seasonal slices (which is really
emphasized 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 as
the girls become quick and fast friends we continue onwards. First
drawing class, the kiddie pool day and Yuno’s confession of being a
saw/hammer (can’t swim), Tests (including Yoshinoya Sensei’s infamous
replacement for a math test), cleaning, chores, a festival and the creation
of the Hidamari Apartment sign out front of the apartments.

Volume 2 - A trip to the zoo, cleaning, some Yuno antics including her
getting sick with the flu and her sneaking up on the roof to eat lunch, a
trip to the bath house, the first sports festival, another festival which is
running poor Yuno down physically (including a story that takes place
the night before the festival), and more.

If you loved the Anime, like me, or if your looking for that next
great 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 about
Yen Press charging you $11 for something only 120 or so pages
long! 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 I
ordered 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 we
open 2011 with… an objection? You probably know already of the
Ace Attorney game series on DS and WiiWare store, but do you
know 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
Cartoons
by Pauline Paré

"He should be dead within 30 seconds. The werewolf heart is about two-thirds the size of a human's. But in
order to shrink, first it has to stop. In other words, he has a heart attack. All of the internal organs are
smaller, so while he's having his heart attack, he's having liver and kidney failure too. If he stops screaming
it's not because the pain has dulled, his throat, gullet and vocal chords are tearing and reforming. He literally
can't make a sound. By now the pituitary gland should be working overtime, flooding his body
with endorphins to ease some of the pain, but that too has shut down. Anyone else would have died
of shock long ago. But it won't kill him and that's the thing I find most remarkable. It drags him through the
fire 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 victim
begets 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 of
my list, of course. Torchwood was just as amazing and I am hoping madly for its return. Now there
is 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 these
three characters lean on each other as they explore what it is to be human. Intelligent, witty and
emotionally 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 Lenora
Crichlow as three apparent twenty-something characters sharing a house and trying to live a normal
social 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 curse
of becoming a werewolf on every full
moon. His shy, repressed nature constantly
struggles with his animal instincts. Easily
the funniest character on the show, he also
has some of the most dramactic and heart
wrenching moments. Lenora Crichlow is
Annie, a surprisingly cheery ghost who was
a 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 as
the 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 being
longer 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 in
seeing this new incarnation which is being filmed in Montreal. “Supernatural” writer Jeremy Carver
is 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 Josh
the werewolf. Another impressive addition to the cast is Mark Pellegrino as Bishop; Aiden’s former
mentor and the current king of the vampires. You may remember Mark from his stint as Jacob on
Lost 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 will
air on SYFY starting January 17th . So far, information
on 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 Advertisement
Loudness Mitigation Act or CALM act was recently passed and is patiently awaiting the signature of
President Obama. It may be a small step but certainly a welcome one.