Monthly Recommendations: August 2013

Caustic Soda Podcast - A podcast that I recently discovered. The hosts prattle on about "science, horrible news, and humor," among other things. I'm really loving it so far!

Overseas - A band composed of David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, The Headphones), Will Johnson (Monsters of Folk, etc.) and members of Bedhead and The New Year. A super-group as far as I'm concerned. Their first album is incredible!

Portland Zine Symposium - Hanging out with zine kids is always a fun time! It's happening right now as I type this, so if you missed it this year, plan for next year. Or find/start a zine get-together in your neck of the woods.

Weekly Recommendation, Week 51: Digestate

Food and eating is central to our lives, so when 55 comic artists are asked to make a comic about it, it's pretty much a guarantee that they'll have something to contribute. Digestate: A Food and Eating Themed Anthology, published by Birdcage Bottom Books, is the result of such a request, and the comics included are as diverse as the comic artists themselves. Many of the comics have to do with the eating habits of the artists including whether they are meat eaters or vegetarians and why. Some of them are quite serious, pointing out the harsh realities of meat production and factory farming or discussing the reasons why an artist chooses to eat the way they do. Also included are comics that are humorous, endearing, vulgar, or gruesome...or a combination thereof. Some of the comics are based in fact, while others are pure fiction. With so many artists contributing, not all of the contributions are going to be winners, although everyone will have their own likes and dislikes, and so certainly there is something here for everybody. I enjoyed reading the majority of the comics in this book, but the real standout for me was Marek Bennett's "Successful Slaughter!", in which Marek recounts an experience he had in Slovakia making something called "slaughter" with a local family and being served more vodka than he could handle in the process. Another highlight for me was reading the mini-bios of all the artists which included their feeding habits (carnivore, guilt-laden omnivore, pretzel enthusiast, eater of tacos, etc.) Overall, this is a very interesting and entertaining book, and one that I will certainly read through again due to the numerous comic gems that are included.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 44: Retch-a-Sketch blog

I'm too big of a fan of Keet's artwork and writing not to recommend Keet's sketch blog, Retch-a-Sketch, which I finally (just recently) took the time to visit. If you are not yet familiar with Keet and her work, apart from checking out her blog, you should check out her zine, Echo! Echo!. After you browse her blog, read her zine, and become a fan (which I'm sure you will), support Keet's work by sending her some dollars and getting something in return. In other words, buy stuff from her. Apart from that, I'm not sure what else to say. Keet's work speaks for itself, right?

Weekly Recommendations, Week 30: Me Likes You Very Much by Lauren Barnett

If you've been following Lauren's blog for the past few years, then you already know how great this book is. But if you have yet to be introduced to Lauren's genius, no worries, this book (published by Hic and Hoc Publications) will get you all caught up. Lauren Barnett creates short and simple comics (each one getting its own page) involving quirky, sometimes crude, yet lovable characters making witty, sometimes vulgar, but also endearing comments. The characters are either animals (birds seem to be a favorite) or some inanimate object, such as a fruit or vegetable or some other food or non-food related item. The art is very simple and unrefined, however the minimalist approach is what gives Lauren's comics their character and originality. This is laugh out loud, catch you off gaurd kind of stuff, with a mix of some cute and endearing pieces presented in a very approachable manner. Visit Lauren's blog for examples, and once you're hooked - which won't take long - get your hands on a copy of this book.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 15: Monkey Squad One

Occasionally I write reviews for Syndicated Zine Reviews, but it has been forever since I have posted anything. This week I finally got around to posting a new review, and it just happened to be for one of my favorite independent comics, Monkey Squad One. Read the review for yourself and tell me it doesn't sound interesting, then get in touch with Doug (MSO creator) and get your mitts on a copy for yourself.

Monkey Squad One #8
digest, 24 pages, $2.50
The zombie apocalypse continues in the 8th issue of Monkey Squad One. The city of St. Louis has become overrun by zombies, and a team of three youngsters, known as Monkey Squad One, has been commissioned to take them out. A zombie killing spree ensues, and amid the carnage the sound of an acoustic guitar is heard. Enter washed-up, crybaby crooner, Cletus Whiteheart, hypnotizing zombies with his diminished chords. This is part two of the zombie apocalypse (check out MSO #7 to find out how it all started), and considering what happens in the last few pages of this issue, it’s clear that the affair is far from over. I have enjoyed reading several issues of this comic. It’s highly entertaining and very well done. It has a great mix of humor, adventure, action, and wit. Totally worth a look.
monkeysquadmailbox@gmail.com
www.monkeysquadone.blogspot.com
Etsy: Monkey Shop One
Twitter: MonkeySquadOne

Weekly Recommendations, Week 9: Suicide Squad

Back in September 2011, DC Comics made a very bold and unprecedented (even risky) move by ceasing all on-going series, selecting 52 unique series, and starting each of those series anew with issue number one. Many of the series selected were already in existence or had previously been in existence; regardless, every series began at number one. It’s my understanding that one reason why DC did this was to increase their readership by attracting new readers – first issues sell significantly more copies then mid-series issues because, logically, people like to start reading stories at the beginning; so, release 52 issue number ones all at once and you'll get a ton of new readers, right? One big problem that I see with this approach is that most people don’t have the disposable income necessary to purchase 52 comics in a month at $2.99 per issue. At best, most folks might select 2 or 3 series to purchase per month, and if it turns out that after a few months they realize they don’t really like a series they initially selected and want to start reading something else, they must select from an offering of series that are now several issues into their stories. Thus, DC is back to their initial dilemma of people not wanting to start reading a story mid-series. But that’s just a minor impediment, I guess.
When the New 52 started up, I did what I assume the average person would do and I selected a few books to start reading from the beginning. Along the way, I dropped most of them and picked up a few others, but the one and only book that I have stuck with for 6 months now is Suicide Squad. This is one of the series that wasn’t in existence at the time that DC decided to cease all current series, but it had been in existence several years earlier, and its long-awaited return is a welcome one. The Suicide Squad is comprised of a group of supervillians selected by the federal government from the prisoners at Belle Reve Penitentiary. The Squad (also known as Task Force X) is a secret group of powerful villains sent out to take on other high profile villains, and in exchange for the successful completion of their missions, their prison sentences may be shortened. It’s bad guys fighting bad guys, with one group of bad guys disguised as the good guys. Intriguing, eh? The fact that the Squad is comprised of bad guys means that killing members off is a liberty a writer can take without much remorse, and so it happens fairly regularly in any given issue. The main members of this incarnation of the Suicide Squad include Deadshot, Savant, Diablo, King Shark, and the infamous, fascinating, and captivating Harley Quinn. This is a series that is packed with action, suspense, mystery, violence, drama, and twists, and while I can’t speak to all of the New 52 series (considering that I’ve read very few of them), Suicide Squad is definitely one that I would recommend and I’m certain would be enjoyable regardless of which issue you initially purchase.