Archives

Ka-Kaw!

Too soon?

James O’Barr lives here in Dallas. I used to work with a guy who’s best friend was his handler… err… assistant. Regardless, the story depicted in the pixels above is actually mine, not Josh’s (but someone had to die and it wasn’t going to be me). “The Crow” really was a pivotal milestone in my young geek development. It was this confluence of comic books, violence, darkness, depression, grunge music, counter culture and anti hero that simultaneously fired off every synapse in my 13 year old boy-brain. I know it’s not a cinematic master piece. “Right place, right time, right emotionally withdrawn kid” is all I’m saying.

Add to the various levels of awkward, outcast kid appeal the fact that the star, Brandon Lee, died during filming when a stage gun was accidentally loaded with live ammo and you have added a layer of all-too-real tragedy, martyrdom and general spookitude. Not to be disrespectful to Brandon Lee (his performance was fantastic), but he died tragically playing a guy that died tragically. Teen angst feeds off that kind of stuff.

I discovered, and latched on to the movie LONG before I ever even saw the actual comic. I knew it was out there but at the time we were all too young to buy it (spoiler: it contains bewbs). When I finally read it in my latter teens, I was certainly impressed with the beutiful artwork and (can I use this word again?) TRAGIC love story, but the shift in style from Kurt Cobain to David Bowie caught me off guard. Now that I’m older, I wish they had actually let Bowie star in it. It would have been “Labrynth 2: Jareth’s Rock and Roll Revenge.”

Links:

…Like It’s 10 Years After 1999

I am actually late for Eli’s New Year’s party, so I will have to update this post in the new year. After my fridge exploded today (true story) I was just glad to get the comic posted before 2009.

Links:

Post your New Years plans or best/worst New Years stories in the comments. Be safe, be happy, have fun and kiss someone REALLY HARD!

(Anyone that makes real Josh Juice, drinks it AND can prove it gets a prize.)

I’m A Snowflake On The Wind

Bill Watterson and “Calvin and Hobbes” are two of the primary reasons I started making comics. Those of you who donate or subscribe to The Vault, have seen my earlier attempts to emulate his work (“it’s like Calvin and Hobbes but with a robot instead of a tiger!”).

I don’t know of a cartoonist that doesn’t list Watterson in his top three influences, so I won’t bore you with my treatise on how his work sparked my young imagination and ignited a lifelong love of comic strips and cartooning. I bet he wouldn’t be too thrilled with me aping his style to make a Joss Whedon/Serenity reference, nor would I be shocked if he didn’t get said reference.

I always looked forward to his snowman strips because they straddled a line between childlike innocence and subversion. I guess that same can be said for the whole of “Calvin and Hobbes,” but those particular strips (along with Spaceman Spiff) resonated loudly with me. My favorite was the snowmen looking on in horror after another snowman had been hit by Dad’s car.

Calvin’s Dad was a patent attorney. “The More You Knoooow!”

Twas The Night… (Guest Comic by Tindómiel Muinamir)

…Of The Living Dead Before Christmas

(Alternate Title: “Zombiesplode!”)

Tindómiel Muinamir caps off the week of Fancy Bastard holiday guest comics with her zombie-fied Santa tale. I was super excited when Tindómiel (Christine) agreed to contribute a  comic since I was already a fan of her artwork for Jonathan Coulton’s t-shirt design contest (hers is HERE), and her costume making/songwriting/singing/violin…ing ability.

My favorite part of this comic (besides all of it) is that Eli and I are asleep on the couch in our regular clothes, and Josh is in silken PJ’s. You might think they are just PJ’s, but I promise you they are delicate and silken.

Check out the “making of” process HERE.

Happiest of holidays to all you Fancy Bastards. Enjoy your families, your friends and your food.

Update:

It seems The FSM’s noodley appendage has other plans for me. Family obligations have made comicing impossible for the last several days. I have one that I want to get out before the end of the year, but right now I can say exactly when it will be.

Happy Holidays!

-Joel

Update 2:

Looks like VG Cats unknowingly made the sequel to this comic (HERE).

The Scrooge Who Stole Television (Guest Comic by Ed)

When I decided to take a week off of comicing to spend time with my family and catch up on projects I called on a few Fancy Bastards to fill the void. These particular FB’s had made their talents for art and funny known to me in one fashion or another the last year, so I knew HE would be in good hands while I was away.

Today’s yuletide geekgasm comes from Ed, who had been posting his new webcomic “Peculiar Comics” in the FB forum for the past few months, and has recently launch his own comic blog at PeculiarComics.Wordpress.com. One of the reason’s I asked him to do a guest comic was that his art style differed so greatly from mine. I love seeing how other artists might interpret my characters. It actually makes me incredibly nervous when I ask for guest comics, because I never know if the artist is going to “get” the themes and “non-premise” of HE. I’m always worried the comic is going to look great, but not be funny, or just not fit with the humor style I’m trying to establish. Luckily Ed was no slouch, deftly incorporating my love/hate for Heroes, references to Duck Tales, Denise’s gourd hat and infrequent comic appearances, and working in a Star Wars reference AND a humiliating Josh costume in a single blow. I was both pleased and impressed.

So, check out Ed’s comic (since he seems to be setting us up for a continuation of this story line later this week), and look for another guest spot on Wednesday. FSM willing, I’ll be back on Friday with some sort of cop-out single panel X-mas themed thing.

Update:

It seems his noodley appendage has other plans. Family obligations have made comicing impossible for the last several days. I have one that I want to get out before the end of the year, but right now I can say exactly when it will be.

Happy Holidays!

-Joel