Meanwhile...

I've been meaning to get this post together for quite a while. It was my intention when I began Pipe Dope to offer regular peeks behind the curtain, as well as to make note of other comics I've been reading. Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that keeping Pipe Dope on track has taken up just about all of the time that I otherwise might have spent preparing such blog entries. Anyhow, the good news is that after six weeks, Pipe Dope is still on schedule, and while I've only got a quick minute to spare, it's time enough for a brief diversion from the main road. Here goes.


Part One: A Peek at the Process

I'm drawing Pipe Dope on 14"x17" sheets of Strathmore smooth bristol, which lets me get nine days' worth of content on one page, with some room to spare around each day's entry. (Sometimes my pencils spill into that buffer zone, but most of the time I use it to jot notes to myself so I remember, for example, when I need to make a cross-hatched border.) Anyhow, here's a look at a few of those big pages:

 

And here's a wider look at my drawing board, with none other than General and Buff seated up top. (Next to them are two fellas from my childhood, Quackers and Curious George.)

 

Also seen in that last photo is my dad's handwritten essay from his senior year at Penn Manor.


Part Two: Bag It and Board It, or What I've Been Reading

LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES No. 3
"Scarlet by Starlight" by Gilbert Hernandez
"The Love Bunglers Part One" by Jaime Hernandez
"Killer * Sad Girl * Star" by Gilbert Hernandez
"Browntown" by Jaime Hernandez
"The Love Bunglers Part Two" By Jaime Hernandez

Mike Mignola's B.P.R.D.: HOLLOW EARTH & OTHER STORIES
"Hollow Earth"
Story by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden & Tom Sniegoski; Pencils by Ryan Sook; Inks by Ryan Sook & Curtis Arnold; Colors by Dave Stewart; Letters by Clem Robins (Teaser lettering by Dan Jackson)
"The Killer In My Skull"
Story by Mike Mignola; Pencils by Matt Smith; Inks by Ryan Sook; Colors by Dave Stewart; Letters by Pat Brosseau
"Abe Sapien versus Science"
Story by Mike Mignola; Pencils by Matt Smith; Inks by Mike Mignola; Colors by Dave Stewart; Letters by Pat Brosseau
"Drums of the Dead"
Story by Brian McDonald; Art by Derek Thompson; Colors by James Sinclair; Letters by Pat Brosseau

MOME Vol. 16
"Funny Bunny" by Archer Prewitt
"Fuzz & Pluck in 'The Moolah Tree,' Part 1" by Ted Stearn
"Blind Date 1" by Dash Shaw
"It Was Too Hot To Sleep Indoors" by Lilli Carré
"Harvest" by Conor O'Keefe
"Cold Heat" by Ben Jones & Frank Santoro
"Chocolate Gun Cold Heat: Kandril and Mufas" by Ben Jones, Frank Santoro & Jon Vermilyea
"What Is Art?" by Nicolas Mahler
"Untitled" by Laura Park
"Mindforkin'" by Nate Neal
"Almost Sound, Part 1" by Renée French
"Young Me" by Sara Edward-Corbett
"Wild Man--The Strange Journey and Fantastic Accounts of the Naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, From Bavaria to Bolshaya Zemlya (and Beyond), Part 2" by T. Edward Bak
Cover images by Renée French; incidental drawings by Kaela Graham

RICHARD STARK'S PARKER Book One: THE HUNTER
Adapted and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke

RICHARD STARK'S PARKER Book Two: THE OUTFIT
Adapted and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke 

SCENES FROM AN IMPENDING MARRIAGE
a prenuptial memoir by Adrian Tomine

SHORTCOMINGS
Adrian Tomine


I won't lie, making Pipe Dope has been seriously cutting into my comics-reading time at home. However, I've also had to do a bit of traveling lately, which gave me a chance to get through a number of books. All good stuff here that I'd highly recommend. Currently in the throes of wedding planning myself, Tomine's Scenes from an Impending Marriage was wonderfully relatable, and a fun, breezy change of pace after the much more moody Shortcomings. (Not to discount the latter, mind you--Tomine's writing is consistently top notch, and his artwork always pushes me to demand more from myself.)

I'm only beginning to dip my toes into the deep pool of Love and Rockets, but even without a long history with the characters seen in New Stories No. 3, I was alternately moved to laughter and horror by Los Bros.' masterful storytelling. More Love and Rockets has already made it onto my bedside reading stack.

I know I'm not going into much detail here, but as I mentioned up top, a short minute's all I've got to spare. However, I can't sign off without urging anyone who hasn't already to run out and pick up Darwyn Cooke's Parker adaptations. Both The Hunter and The Outfit are cartooning tours de force. Cooke is undeniably a master of the comics medium, and he's doing his best work ever in these books. The third volume cannot come out soon enough.

That's all for now. Back to our regularly scheduled program of Pipe Dope tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll find time again before too long for another one of these detours...

BAG IT AND BOARD IT

MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS VOL. 1: EXISTENTIAL EXITS!
Created, written and illustrated by Michael Allred
Colors by Laura Allred

MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS VOL. 2: PARANORMAL PARADISE!
Created, written and illustrated by Michael Allred
Colors by Laura Allred
Edited by Jamie S. Rich
Lettering created by Blambot's Nate Piekos
Dedicated to the memory of Dave Stevens 

SET TO SEA
Drew Weing

Y: THE LAST MAN BOOK 1: UNMANNED
Brian K. Vaughan, writer
Pia Guerra, penciller
José Marzán, Jr., inker
Pamela Rambo, colorist
Clem Robins, letterer
J.G. Jones, original series covers
Y: The Last Man created by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Y: THE LAST MAN BOOK 2: CYCLES
Brian K. Vaughan, writer
Pia Guerra, penciller
José Marzán, Jr., inker
Pamela Rambo, colorist
Clem Robins, letterer
J.G. Jones, original series covers
Y: The Last Man created by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra


I ain't crazy about flying, but I do appreciate how much reading I can get done on a plane--and while waiting in airports. This past holiday season, with its trip back to my hometown just outside of Cleveland, afforded me an opportunity to get through, first, the first two volumes of Y: The Last Man, a series I've been meaning to dig into for years. I don't have much to say on the subject just yet, other than I enjoyed the first book and thought the second volume was far better yet. Yorick, the eponymous "last man" on earth, is almost off-puttingly immature at times, but I suspect watching him grow will make the series as a whole feel that much more satisfying.

The flight back to Los Angeles from Cleveland gave me a chance to read the first two of three trades collecting Mike Allred's most recent Madman work, this time published through Image Comics. I've long been a fan of both Madman and Allred, but I've gotta say, this just might be my favorite Madman work yet--and I was shocked to discover I felt that way. Allred does a crazy lot of experimenting in these books, and while not every result thrills me, I do love it that he's consistently swinging for the fences--and knocking it out of the park more often than not. In terms of both style and story, these are the craziest Madman books yet, and the first trade is a perfect jumping-on point even for someone with no prior experience with the character. Both books also offer a wealth of back matter that gives added insight into Allred's mad-science techniques. Highly recommended and, above all, ginchy!

Last but not least--and actually read before the holiday travel--is Drew Weing's Set to Sea, an absolutely beautiful book filled with incredibly rich illustrations. The crosshatching is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and the attention to detail tremendous, with a highly developed and yet subtle awareness of light and shadow. The hardcover from Fantagraphics is wonderfully put together, but if you want a sample before taking the monetary plunge, you can take a look at a number of the pages at Weing's website.

And now, 2011

Apologies for not posting last Wednesday--the only Wednesday I missed in all of 2010! I'll be trying to make up for my neglect in spades this year, with (hopefully, kinda, sorta) regular Wednesday postings through January and a barrage of my own comics through the rest of the year after that. Anyway, here's hoping...

In the meantime, to help us ease our feet back into these dangerous waters, enjoy this small sampling of the comics I pulled out of boxes in my mom's house in Ohio this holiday season and brought back to California to be read and enjoyed all over again!

As always, yo-ho!

BAG IT AND BOARD IT: Starstruck

STARSTRUCK #s 1-13
Elaine Lee, writer
Michael Wm. Kaluta, artist
Lee Moyer, painter
Charles Vess, "Galactic Girl Guides" inker (issues 1-3, 5-7, 9)
Todd Klein, letterer
John Workman, "Galactic Girl Guides" letterer (issues 1-4)
Scott Dunbier, editor

There's way more to say about this series than I'm going to get to in this post, but the long and the short of it is this is one crazy book that's gotta be read to be believed. Although it's existed in a few iterations produced by various publishers over the years, I first became aware of Starstruck when Elaine Lee, Michael Kaluta and Lee Moyer gave a long interview to Newsarama in advance of IDW's "remastered" printing. Crazy intrigued, I bought and read the first issue, and was utterly confused. Likewise with the second issue. When the third issue hit the stands, I bought it but made the bold decision to not read anymore until I had in my possession all 13 issues. I was convinced there was something here I'd love, but each issue is so densely packed, my feeble brain just couldn't hold onto all of the information during the month between chapters.

So then, with the series completed (for now!), I finally read through the books over the span of about a week or so, and man, did I love it. Talk about world building--between the intricately woven main and backup stories, the text introductions and encyclopedic "excerpts," Lee and co. have presented readers with a fully realized glimpse of a far-off future gone wonky, full of intrigue and with zaniness to spare. (By the way, nothing is extraneous; the details, "facts" and "rumors" shared in those text sections are a crucial part of the overall story.) Bringing things fully to fruition is Kaluta's gorgeous and intricately detailed artwork. In stark contrast to so many books where backgrounds are simply ignored and any sense of location is sacrificed for endless talking heads, Kaluta draws from a bottomless well of imagination and gleefully reveals every nook and cranny of each of the stories' settings, be it planet, spaceship or "recreation station." And while I haven't read this series in any of its previous forms, I can't imagine it without Moyer's painting. (Also, in case you missed it above, lettering by Todd Klein!)

I have no idea how this thing can be collected, although it is supposed to be, in March of 2011. In the meantime, it's well worth tracking down the individual issues. The cycles-spanning storyline rewards close--and repeated--readings, and Kaluta's art can and should be pored over, over and over again.

BAG IT AND BOARD IT

THE AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD AND OTHER CURIOUS OBJECTS
by Mike Mignola
"The Magician and the Snake" by Katie Mignola and Mike Mignola
colors by Dave Stewart
letters by Clem Robbins & Pat Brosseau

THE KILLER Volume One
Written by Matz
Illustrated by Luc Jacamon
Translated by Matz and Edward Gauvin
Lettered by Marshall Dillon and Mark Smylie

MADMAN GARGANTUA!
Words and Pictures by Michael Allred
Colors by Laura Allred

RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN
written by Jim McCann
art by Janet Lee

SUPERMAN SUNDAY CLASSICS
Strips 1-183, 1939-1943
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
[Strips by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Paul Cassidy, Wayne Boring, John Sikela, Jack Schiff, Whitney Ellsworth, Harry Donenfeld and Vincent Sullivan]


To this day, Mignola's The Amazing Screw-On Head one shot remains perhaps my favorite single issue comic book ever, and Dark Horse's recently released hardcover gives it all due justice. The other "curious objects" in this collection are also a nice addition, every one of them new to me and a wonderful complement to the main attraction.

Two more books from Archaia here, and both are must-reads. This first volume of The Killer is a masterfully executed study of a man who exists without remorse in a world that only he can inhabit, governed by his own code and none other; Jacamon's art (including his tremendously deft use of color) is every bit the equal of Matz's script. And at the other end of the spectrum of What Comics Can Be, Return of the Dapper Men delivers a new fairy tale that already feels comfortable and familiar, while introducing us to the uncanny talents of artist Janet Lee. McCann is an exceptionally creative and talented writer, and while I wish him the best with his work for the Big Two (or at least Marvel, anyway), I hope he gives us a lot more in the way of creator-owned material. Thank whatever god watches out for comics that Archaia exists!

So far as capes and/or tights go, this Superman book made for spectacular bathroom reading. I was sorry it didn't have the historical information provided by the similar Batman collection I read some months back, but the early adventures of the Man of Steel nevertheless entertained in their own right. I'll be honest, I'm not much of a Superman fan, but I do love seeing these early works when even his creators, Siegel and Schuster, weren't quite sure what they had on their hands.

And so long as we're talking about costumed heroes, Mike Allred's Madman is a masterpiece, and this Gargantua! edition is a perfect showcase for all of its crazy energy. I love this kind of comics, the kind where anything--anything--can and does happen. Time travel! Dinosaurs! Robots! Mutant street beatniks!

BAG IT AND BOARD IT

DAYS MISSING
Written by Phil Hester, David Hine, Ian Edginton & Matz
Art by Frazer Irving, Chris Burnham, Lee Moder & Hugo Petrus
Colors by Imaginary Friends Studios, Caravan Studios & Lizzy John
Letters by Troy Peteri
Created by Trevor Roth
Character Designs by Dale Keown

THE ENGINEER: KONSTRUKT
Written by Brian Churilla and Jeremy Shepherd
Illustrated by Brian Churilla
Colored by Jeremy Shepherd
Color Assistant Lisa Tran
Lettered by Sean Glumace and Jeff Powell

HYBRID BASTARDS
Written by Tom Pinchuk
Art by Kate Glasheen
Letters by Shawn DePasquale

OKKO: THE CYCLE OF WATER
Written and Illustrated by Hub
Colors by Hub and Stephan Pecayo
Translated by Edward Gauvin

THE SANDMAN VOLUME FOUR: SEASON OF MISTS
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artists: Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Matt Wagner, Dick Giordano, George Pratt, Craig Russell
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorists: Steve Oliff, Daniel Vozzo
Covers: Dave McKean


Another glimpse at what I've been reading in recent months, while here on the blog I was racing towards the finish line of "60 Weeks with the Justice League." (And yes, I know, one of the above is not like the others....) Seriously, folks, if you haven't dug into the Archaia catalog yet, you're doing yourself a grave disservice. Also, Sandman continues to blow my mind, although I must confess my journey through those books has stalled after this fourth volume--there's just too much to read! Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's a nice problem to have.

BAG IT AND BOARD IT

MOUSE GUARD: FALL 1152
David Petersen

THE SANDMAN VOLUME ONE: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES
Neil Gaiman, writer
Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, artists
Todd Klein, letterer
Robbie Busch, colorist
Selected recoloring by Daniel Vozzo
Dave McKean, covers

THE SANDMAN VOLUME TWO: THE DOLL'S HOUSE
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Mike Dringenberg & Malcolm Jones III
With Chris Bachalo, Michael Zulli & Steve Parkhouse
Colored by Robbie Busch
Lettered by Todd Klein and John Costanza
Covers and design by Dave McKean

THE SANDMAN VOLUME THREE: DREAM COUNTRY
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Kelley Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Charles Vess & Colleen Doran
Colorist: Robbie Busch & Steve Oliff
Letterer: Todd Klein
Covers by Dave McKean

SYNDROME: A Graphic Novel
Created by Blake Leibel
Written by Daniel Quantz & R.J. Ryan
Illustrated by David Marquez
Colored by Bill Farmer
Lettered by Dave Lanphear
Cover by Michal Dahan for Studio Dahan


I do indeed recognize that I should have, before now, begun my journey through Neil Gaiman's Sandman, but as often happens with the classics, I set them aside knowing they'd always be there. And while it does indeed appear they aren't going anywhere--DC just released yet another softcover edition of a number of the volumes--I do feel the fool for having not picked them up sooner. They're every bit as brilliant as people say. Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III et al. bring Gaiman's scripts to life with artwork that seems to be energized by Dream itself, and they consistently come up with stunningly original layouts that always enhance the story being told without distraction.

Meanwhile, I've continued devouring Archaia's catalog, at last reading the first Mouse Guard volume and also taking home the recently released Syndrome. Both of these books are highly recommended, and they serve as great examples of just how diverse this company's output is--the oversized (roughly 7.75"x11.5") Syndrome explores the darker facets of our human nature with a story about a no-holds-barred pursuit for a "cure" against evil, while the square-format (approximately 8.25"x8.25") Mouse Guard presents an all-ages (in the best sense of the term--it can be appreciate by anyone of any age) adventure story pitting Medieval mice against the entirety of the world around them, and against some of their own, as well. Mouse Guard is also richly illustrated by its creator and writer, David Petersen, and Syndrome introduces the extremely talented David Marquez to the Archaia fold; he's currently working on the company's second Days Missing miniseries.

BAG IT AND BOARD IT

As this latest post in the ongoing "Bag It and Board It" series should make clear, we're changing up the format here at the ol' D.D. Following the grand expedition that was "60 Weeks With the Justice League," I'm finally buckling down and getting serious about making some comics of my own, for which this blog should ultimately serve as a home. And with that in mind, I'm moving away from reviews--if you can even classify any of my ramblings in such a fashion. I will, however, keep you all posted, from time to time, on the books I've been reading (and by "books" I mean trades and graphic novels, although maybe at some point I'll toss in some floppies, to boot). This'll take us through the next few weeks; I let "Bag It and Board It" fall to the wayside while I was wrapping up "60 Weeks," and so I've got some catching up to do...

BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2009
Charles Burns: editor
Jessica Abel and Matt Madden: series editors

Tim Hensley, "Shh!"; Daniel Clowes, "Justin M. Damiano"; Peter Bagge, "Artist vs. Artisan"; Kaz, "Underworld Strips"; Doug Allen, "Hillbillys 'R' Dumb"; Aline Kominsky-Crumb, "Why I Write Only About Myself..."; Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb, "Our Beloved Tape Dispenser"; Michael Kupperman, "Indian Spirit Twain & Einstein"; Dan Zettwoch, "Spirit Duplicator"; Matt Broersma, "The Company" (excerpt); Adrian Tomine, "Shortcomings" (excerpt); Mimi Pond, "Over Easy" (excerpt); Art Spiegelman, "The Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@#*!!"; Ron Regé Jr., "Cruddy"; Gabrielle Bell, "When I Was Eleven"; Tim Hensley, "Gropius in 'Ring Tones'"; Gary Panter, "Dal Tokyo"; Ben Katchor, "Disinfected Youth," "Gravel Migration," and "The Wide Riders"; Jerry Moriarty, "Annoyed X Girlfriend," "Dad Coming Down the Cellar Stairs," "Sally in the Public Toilet," "Tree Pee," "Summer Shower," and "Church Miracle"; CF, "Mosfet Warlock and the Mechlin Men"; David Sandlin, "Lo-Bot-O-My-Heart," "Slumburbia," and "Heart of Darkness"; Dash Shaw, "The Galactic Funnels"; Jason Lutes, "Berlin" (excerpt); Tony Millionaire, "Maakies with the Wrinkled Knees Strips"; Sammy Harkham, "Black Death (Chapter Two)"; Chris Ware, "Jordan W. Lint"; Ted Stearn, "Fuzz & Pluck in Splitsville" (excerpt); Laura Park, "Freaks"; Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, "Skim" (excerpt); Koren Shadmi, "Antoinette"; Kevin Huizenga, "Glenn Ganges in Pulverize"; Tim Hensley, "Jillian in The Argument"; Al Columbia, "5:45 A.M."; Gilbert Hernandez, "Papa"; Anders Nilsen, "The Hand That Feeds" (excerpt); Tim Hensley, "Hope Gropius"

FABLES VOL. 10: THE GOOD PRINCE
Bill Willingham: writer
Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich, Andrew Pepoy: artists
Lee Loughridge: colorist
Todd Klein: letterer
James Jean: original series covers

FABLES VOL. 11: WAR AND PIECES
Bill Willingham: writer
Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy: artists
Lee Loughridge, Niko Henrichon: colorists
Todd Klein: letterer
James Jean: original series covers

SUPERBOY: THE BOY OF STEEL
Geoff Johns, writer
Francis Manapul, artist & cover
Brian Buccellato, colorist
Steve Wands, letterer
Special thanks to Richard Zajac for Part 5

TITANIUM RAIN Book One
Words: Josh Finney
Visuals: Josh Finney & Kat Rocha
Guest Contributors: Martheus Wade, Emil Petrinic, Michael Colbert, Jules Rivera, Damian Smith


Just a few thoughts while we're here. First, the Best American Comics series continues to impress me (even if I am behind in reading them). Sure, not everything scratches my itch, but the books have consistently introduced me to works I hadn't found elsewhere--and I spend a fair amount of time looking into this sort of thing. Second, Fables is a really, really great series, and I'm ashamed it's taken me so long to get this far--and that I'm still a number of trades behind. Third, I didn't know anything about Superboy before a friend let me borrow this book, and now the character makes a lot more sense to me; the story was pretty damn entertaining, too, although not enough to get me to go out and buy any Superboy material. Finally, Titanium Rain was the sleeper hit out of this pack. Flipping through it in the store, I was a bit put off by the heavy use of photo referencing, but I decided to pick it up anyway, based on the fact that it's published by Archaia, whose books I tend to really, really dig. And boy howdy, I'm glad I did buy it. The story is outstanding, and the art, existing as it does in the almost photo-real uncanny valley, perfectly suits the themes of enhancing humanity with an advanced integration of technology into the body. Wonderful stuff, highly recommended. Book Two can't get here soon enough!


All images this post copyright their respective publishers.