The Bruno Cult $6 to Sensitive Records, PO Box 6697, Springdale, AR 72766. Written by Jeff Zenick and illustrated by Rick Howe (two long standing voices among small press circles), The Bruno Cult is a triumphant celebration of a lifestyle as far removed from the shallow materialism of our American consume and go culture as you're likely to find. Zenick writes of his basic, sincere, vagabond existence with integrity. In a world where the pursuit of the almighty dollar seemingly creates legions of lifeless clones living from sitcom to sitcom, Zenick's utopia of a world free of any capitalist motive simplifies and praises a higher truth. Howe's art jives with this life of a man living by his own ideal, where one strips down living to it's fundamentals: hard work as a means of survival, and happiness through simplicity and freedom. Recommended. All ages. 32 pgs. Full comic sized. Professionally printed. Color covers, b/w interior.
Sequential #4 $1.50 US, $2.50 CAN to I Don't Get it Graphics, 1701 Summit
St., Columbus, OH 43201. sequential.comics@yahoo.com.
This is an exciting
variety comic made up of no less than fourteen separate strips and stories,
two long ones and the rest, single page gems. A fine understanding of the
inner workings of a comic is on display here, as is a whole load of talent.
And it's all a one-man show! Paul Hornschemeier does clean, masterful
brushwork-enhanced by zip-a-tone shading-combines with inventive panel and
page layout to perpetuate a real feast for the eyes. It's the breadth and
depth of the subject matter that separates Paul's work from that of others.
He shows a sharp sense for comedic timing in humor pieces, flexes his social
commentary muscles, and can prompt a reader to hold back tears through more
serious fiction, seemingly all without batting an eyelash. The two
lengthier pieces on display fall into the final category. For example,
"Saving Face" wordlessly paints a portrait of a man best described as a
murderous, deranged sex psycho with breasts for whom the reader is made to
feel remorse thanks to the effective narrative devices Paul employs. The
exquisite unflinchingly realistic brutality of the story, "Lover's Lane"
must not be overlooked. It closes out the book with a truly draining
catharsis. By turns poignant, dark, and genuinely funny, Sequential must be
seen to be appreciated. Mature readers. 32 pgs. The copy I have is 5.5" x
8.5" and Xeroxed, all b/w. A "full-size color version" is available too.
Artfly #2. Tales From the Big House. $2 to F.C. Brandt, 39 Hinckley St., The Second Floor, Florence, MA 01062. This is a collaborative effort by F.C. Brandt, Peter Conrad, Jesse Reklaw, and Dylan Williams, all of whom self publish their own excellent comics. Each artist alternated the penciling and inking chores on the pieces, giving each one a different look and feel. The writing of each story has been transcribed from letters sent in by prisoners. Some were more coherent than others, leading to varying degrees of normal narrative structure. There's the straight forward story of "Hungry Mike", who survives prison interactions by minding his business. Then there's the odd and disorienting story titled "The Poison of Suspicion", which is told by weaving various streaming trains of thought together into a unified structure that provides a real glimpse into the troubled writer's mind. Round these out with some adaptations of prisoner's dreams and you've got a gripping read, propelled forward by the sure hands of some of the best artists in the independent press today. A prime example that the cutting edge of comics experimentation needn't be tedious. All ages. 28 pgs. 5.5 x 8..5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
Bucket Loader #2. $1 to Bruce Orr. 427 Green St., Philadelphia, PA 19123. Bruce's is a very cool artstyle. It's raw but direct with a lot of style and detail. The main piece in this issue, titled "Vandal" is one any underground artist or (particularly) a graffiti writer can instantly find solidarity with. Future kid paints on a wall and robot cops close in as kid struggles to be heard one last time. Bruce says he just began producing his comics this year. A lack of experience shows, but despite some rough edges, Bucket Loader is worth a good look. All ages. 20 pgs. 7 x 8.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
Exit At The Axis #'s 1-8. $2.50 each to Paul Sloboda, 6230 Orange St., Los Angeles, CA 90048. paul@ducksoupla.com. Johnny Shallow is a journalism student embarking on a journey from Vancouver to Portland to attend a political conference and to reunite with his love, Trudi. Thus begins this engrossing travelogue of one man's voyage, both physical and emotional, on a rollercoaster ride that starts in one clear direction only to fracture all around him. This lengthy work begins innocently enough when Johnny accidentally interrupts a gang's attempt to apprehend a well-known reporter, which leads to the gang following Johnny all over the Pacific Northwest. Paul Sloboda's natural knack for page design blends in perfectly with the different narrative techniques he uses. For instance, parts of the story are told through journal entries or through the protagonist's eyes. I'm impressed by Paul's smart use of unique camera angles, which he exploits for impact. This expertly crafted story arc builds to a fever pitch and is best digested all at once. The complete set of all eight issues comes handsomely hand-wrapped in butcher paper. I strongly urge you not to miss this remarkable work. Mature readers. 24 pgs each. 7 x 8.5" each. Xeroxed. All b/w except #8, which has a color cover.
Fatguys $? to Fat Guy Productions, 4308 Metropolitan, Cleveland, OH 44135. Two very brief stories centering around three fat guys who run wild and cause havoc just for the hell of it. Randy Crider's artwork shows a lot of promise. He has a solid awareness of perspective and visual storytelling. The stories suffer from being too short, and the pages are reduced a bit too small for the format. I'd like to see the characters more fleshed out. I love watching them try on bras and wreck a lingerie shop but it needs more...what are their names? Their motivation? A good start, but give us more. Mature readers. 12 pgs. 5.5 x 8.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
5 O'Clock Shadow #17. $2 to Yul Tolbert, P.O. Box 02222, Detroit, MI 48202-9998. The new issue of this long-running minicomic anthology tries a very interesting bi-lingual experiment. Submissions by some of the most instantly recognizable creators in minicomics are first presented in English as intended, then translated into the "universal language of the future", Esperanto, by editor and resident scientific American, Yul tolbert, and presented on the flip side of the same comic with a pronunciation guide in the middle. Like a teaching guide. Cool idea. Only in minicomics will you find something like this! Featuring contributions from Pam Bliss, Aaron Trudgeon, Michael Goetz, Matt Feazell, Levi Krause, Todd Richards, Delaine Derry and Yul himself. All ages. 40 pgs. 4.25 x 5.5". Xeroxed. Color covers, b/w interior.
Jug $1? to Androo Robinson, 2000 NE 42 Ave. Suite 302, Portland, OR 97213-1305. Androo's latest is the story of a jug band that makes good! As a jaw harp player, I can instantly relate. Excellent portrayal of three friends who blow on jugs, pluck the washtub bass, and strum washboards not to be cool or to please the trend-hungry press but because they love to make music. This inspirational tale of the true meaning of creativity is delivered in Androo's typically fun cartoony style. Add to that some good characterization and steady story pacing and you've got yet another winner from Ped Xing studios. This stuff is always a pure delight to read. All ages. 40 pgs. 4.25 x 5.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
Katie #'s 1 and 2. $1 each to Paul Houston, 5879 Darlington Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Attention moms and dads, the small press isn't just for grown ups! These two charming little booklets are just for children. The full page illustrations and minimal dialogue make these perfect for bedtime stories or as learning tools for new readers. Join Katie on a colorful magic carpet ride in number one or come along and meet a friendly lion in a toy store in number two. This is a pleasant surprise. Children only. 16 pgs (no.1) and 20 pgs (no.2). 4.25 x 5.5". Xeroxed. Full color (no.1) and color cover with a b/w interior (no.2).
LCD # 0. $ 3 to Kieron Dwyer, P.O. Box 591134, San Francisco, CA 94159-1134. Kieron Dwyer is best known for his work on mainstream comics like Batman, Superman and Lobo, but he has been making quite a stink (some would say literally), by producing a minicomic called, Lowest Comic Denominator. I was thrilled to find this new full sized and printed issue at IPEX this year. LCD is intended to offend everyone within a ten mile radius through ad parodies and one to three page strips with titles like, "I'd Fuck That", "10 Things You Can Put In Your Ass", and "The Jesus Christ Superstore". "Funtime With Dick and Ed", a parody of those Publishers Clearing House tee vee commercials, is one of the sickest, most graphic comic strips I've ever read. Nasty cock and pussy humor is hardly a new concept to the comics page, but when it is done well, with a good laugh and a wink (as well as a genuine hatred for all things sacred), it provides a refreshing change from your typical caped crusader's adventures. Also notable are the funny and equally harsh contributions from modern alternative comics luminaries, Tony Consiglio, Johnny Ryan, Alex Robinson, and Rick Remender. Just like "Dice" Clay was funny despite his raw content, this comic will make you laugh in spite of yourself. Adults only! 36 pgs. Full comic sized. Professionally printed. Color covers, b/w interior.
Poorboy Comics #1. Billy Cole vs. Evil. $2 to Ted Seko, P.O. Box 4266, Torrance, CA 90510. The stark, high-contrast black and white artwork (think Frank Miller's Sin City) was the first thing to grab me when I grabbed this. Billy Cole is a fifteen inch high, bald, naked baby with super strength who is hell bent on crushing the evil, Evil (yes, the foil's name is evil). Admittedly, I have missed Billy Cole's previous comics adventures, but these characters don't seem very well fleshed out, and the plotting seems to exist only to carry us from one fight scene to the next. In spite of it's shortcomings, this comic is a fun read, thanks to Ted's sense of visual narrative technique, unique camera angles, and comic book pacing. With more intense characterization, and a stronger plot, this book can really go places. Until then, the artwork stands head and shoulders above the writing. An admirable solo effort worth your precious time. All ages. 52 pgs! 5.5 x 8.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
Rabbit #1. $3 to Sharkbait Press, P.O. Box 11300-P, Costa Mesa, CA 92627-0300. The action gets underway very early in this one. A bad ass rabbit is swallowed whole by a giant serpent creature called a drake on page three. The drake has a bad reaction to said rabbit and drops dead. Little does the rabbit know that in this part of the universe, drakes are worshipped as deities, putting the rabbit in a tough situation when he tells a pack of natives he killed it. The first issue of this adventure series is a fun, quick read. It nicely establishes the plot and reader interest. for the rest of a (hopefully long) series. The art by David and Daniel Hedgecock is terrific. The rabbit looks damn cool. Fun. All ages. 32 pgs. Full comic sized. Professionally printed. Color covers, b/w interior.
Reporter #3<. $3 to Dylan Williams, P.O. Box 10952, Portland, OR 97296-0952. Artist, Dylan Williams, shows a mature and restrained grace in his storytelling and brushwork. Like a reporter, he sticks to "just the facts". The writing in the Reporter series is very matter-of-fact. Dylan doesn't say too much or too little. He strikes a nice balance between words and pictures, never letting one say more than the other. His formal proficiency aside, Dylan seems to be weaving a larger tale, which each individual issue contributes to while still standing alone. In number three, Adan, our reporter, has just landed a job for the town paper, the Wiloughby breeze. He is interrupted at work by four robbers. All three issues of Reporter to date provide quality fiction, presented in a no nonsense format. Rare in comic books. All ages. 28 pgs. 6 x 9". Professionally printed. Color covers, b/w interior.
Residue Comics #5. $2 to R. Lootine, P.O. Box 580848, Minneapolis, MN 55458. A laugh riot in the form of a collection of single page gag strips, the majority of which originally appeared weekly in a Minnesota newspaper. I only wish the papers here in Santa Barbara were as open minded to quality cartooning. R. Lootine humorously puts his slant on U.S. foreign policy, cell phone idiots, killer mimes (oops, that's mines!), and football as gay porn. His characters, a talking monkey named Chump, a smoking cockroach named Crunchy, and a masturbating dog named Alf are all well designed and instantly likable in a dirty, flea-bitten kind of way. These are great comix that push the envelope of good taste, yet you can still show them to your mom. Send for this now, you stinky little monkey hole. All ages. 24 pgs. 5.5 x 8.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
Savage Daisies Book 3. $2 to Jesse Hamm, 2401 West Turner Rd. #205, Lodi, CA 95242. emmaus@inreach.com. In the early days of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee separated his super heroes from those found in the competition's books by depicting them as actual people with real life problems when not in tights (Peter Parker was a struggling college student for example). Today, Jesse Hamm has reversed this concept in his latest Savage Daises story. "Supernal Man", the title character, is actually less respected by the public and his friends when he is in costume and fighting crime than when he adopts his alter ego, Kent Clarkman. Supernal Man is resented by the cops, the media, and even the president, but Kent, ultra-hip zinester and Kinko's clerk, is loved and admired by his peers. This unique twist on the Superman mythos artfully flips the age-old super identity conflict inside out. It's an entertaining and humorous look into the often unseen ego of the superhero psyche that's downright essential reading for those of us who grew up on men in tights. Jesse puts it down with gusto. All ages. 20 pgs. 5.5 x 8.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
Snapshot #4. $2 to Jeff Levine, 4956 Kester Ave. Apt. #6, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. This charming comic/zine is an engrossing peek into the life of the average man in southern California with a taste for beer and good music. Jeff alternates between expressing himself through comic form and just plain first person prose. Jeff's comics often follow a very non-traditional narrative train. He seems to write his thought stream in the captions, and illustrates them with everyday images like scenics, a bottle cap, a telephone, a set of keys, or even just a doorway. This may sound disorienting, but the selection and arrangement of images works to open up insights that words alone couldn't. It is instantly possible to relate to Jeff's universal, yet intensely personal writing. He touches on the meaning of life here, I think, just by living and recording it. Issues one through three should also be available. All ages. 36 pgs. 5.5 x 8.5". Xeroxed. All b/w
Sticky's Fun Factory #3. FREE from Emerson Dameron, Omnivorous Media, 150 Morningside Dr. #2, Athens, GA 30605. If comics are juxtaposed words and pictures, then this little booklet qualifies as being a comic. Rough, tiny stick figure drawings alternate with paragraphs of text one right after the other for eight pages to produce a comic book in the simplest style possible. This is a fun, funny little pocket pamphlet in which Sticky examines the existential value of negative thinking and the meanings of art and nothingness. Heavy ideas presented in the most basic possible way. It's a quick read and somewhat hastily done, but you can't beat the price. All ages. 8 pgs. 4.25 x 5.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
Sunburn #11. Beyond Words. $4 to Karl Thomsen, P.O. Box 2061, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 3R4, Canada. Sunburn has consistently shined as one of the finest alternative comics anthologies being produced today. This exquisite special issue is devoted entirely to the wordless school of cartooning. Editor, Karl Thomsen has assembled an entrancing collection of works showcasing the wide variety of styles and subject matter in use outside of the comics mainstream. All of the deceptively simple pieces presented touch on the universality of experience in a more straightforward way than most "real books" ever could. Quite a few of the contributors hail from Europe. Further proof that, like all great art forms, comics can transcend language and geographic boundaries. In a sense, these artists are communicating in a much more evolved language than yours or mine, all through pen and ink. Essential reading for those of us seeking further expansion of the medium. Highly recommended to everyone else. All ages. 56 pgs. 8.5 x 11". Xeroxed. All b/w. Sunburn #12 has been completed by press time. It is $3 and equally appealing, but not wordless.
Supersad #1. $3? to Sam Stern, 135 Benito Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062. "I kin tell he stack like a shithouse...me, I'm just fat and I even got a pretty small ding." Sam's characters say the damndest things. The main body of Supersad is part one of "Last Chance Handjob", the hilarious introduction of Jaffee, porno cartoonist. Unable to succeed in the world of "serious" art, Jaffee has settled on drawing sex comics in "Ass" magazine for a living. Watch as he battles the cartoonist's arch nemesis: the deadline! Meet his nutty co-workers: Frank, the shifty, sweaty little bald guy who only draws the girl-on-girl stories, and Penny, the big outgoing black woman who specializes in the anal ones. This first chapter serves as a great character sketch of a trio of lovably pathetic art hacks. For my money, however, it's the supporting short features that make this worth buying. Try the simple but achingly funny talking head style story, "Pen Pals Forever" or the ebonics prose piece, "Partment 2B" on for size. Sam's art is polished and highly stylized with some obvious swipes and the lowbrow humor is quite appealing. Be there, you perv. Adults only. 24 pgs. 6.75x 10". Professionally printed. 2 color glossy cover, b/w interior.
Words & Pictures #1. $1.25 to Thien Pham at E-Z Cheese Comics, 1279 3rd Ave., San Francisco, CA 94122. I was pleasantly surprised by this first time effort. It's a collection of short pieces, all four pages or less. The stories stick with you and make you think. They're sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always worth reading. I see hints of early Adrian Tomine in Thien's brief character sketches. Although somewhat amateurish the artwork benefits from some neat computer enhancements. A few minor typos and the sloppily handwritten contents and letters pages were jarring to the overall polish. But one needn't struggle too mightily to overlook such trifles and hear the talented voice at work here. All ages. 28 pgs. 5.5 x 8.5". Xeroxed. All b/w.
So that's it for now. Enough of my dry, vague reviews. Hopefully this tiny pamphlet helps our micro-network stay just a wee bit more vital, and you've made some new discoveries through it. Only a very small sampling of the wonderful world of minicomics can be represented here. I'm trying to keep my cost near zero so this zine can remain freely distributed. Assblaster is definitely not on any kind of regular publishing schedule. I do it as an aside to my own personal creative comics work, as a way to give back to a network which has been immensely supportive of my efforts. Please, let's all remain active. The only thing that can silence us is ourselves.
Send your creations for review to Mike Tolento, P.O. Box 20028, Santa Barbara, CA 93120. Be sure to give me the price you're requesting for your publication and a return address where people can write to obtain it if you haven't clearly done so in the publication itself. I will try to review every comic I receive. I am quickly learning how difficult that is. I have a backlog already. If finances allow, I will give complimentary copies of Assblaster to everyone mentioned. Sorry if I missed your comic this time around. I do read everything. Thanks. Y'all make it possible. Email: miketolento@hotmail.com
Please write to the individual publishers to obtain anything you read about in Assblaster. Write them a nice long letter and mention Assblaster when you do. Remember, these folks make their comix AND maintain real lives and day jobs. Nobody's getting rich so be patient if they take a while to reply. Additional Assblaster reviews can be found at the following web sites: http://incolor.inetnebr.com/nada or http://musea.digitalchainsaw.com