Pork Belly Holiday Special! Weird Muse Productions

Dan Taylor produces some of the best mini-comics out there in the small press world! This mature readers issue is: Pork Belly Holiday Special (SANTA Issue!). Dan does his usual fantastic art on the cover showing a particular porky santa holding an apple. Porky Santa is warning us that this issue is for Adults Only! And that's a good thing he is warning us as some of the pages in the back do get a bit racy. Dan's intro thanks all the folks that have supported his work in the last 31 years! Wow. And in this issue we have: Allen Freeman (me), Andy Nukes, Brad W. Foster, Carrie Taylor, Dexer Cockburn, Hal Weaver, Macedonio Garcia, Ralf Schulze, Simon Mackie, and Vincent Wright! Whew...lots packed into this little Red cover, 16 page mini (including the covers). My only concern was that my old eyes couldn't make out what appeared to be some fine cartooning from Simon Mackie as his pages were so small to fit the mini-comic size they got too small for me to read. Love to see his work in at least a digest size or full comic size at some point.

5 out of 5 stars.....get everything that Dan Taylor puts out!
http://www.weirdmuse.ecrator.com or ask questions to Dan at weirdmuse@gmail.com

No Hope #5 by Jason Dean

No Hope #5 by Dead Dog Press, Jason Dean. Magazine size black and white with black and white glossy covers. 52 pages including covers.

This anthology of stories by Jason Dean has some of the most remarkable, detailed comic work I've ever seen. The time it must of taken, and the skill to produce this art is amazing. His stories leave you with no hope, thus the title of the book. Most end with death or some crazy violence that goes back to normalcy again. The Funeral is a story of what it would be like if we could say goodbye to everyone at our own funeral. Funnyface is just a series of images of a face that is pulled off like a mask revealing a crying skull face. "The Disturbing Dream of a Depressed and Overworked Designer of Pictorial Symbols" is an ingenious strip using symbols of a guy going through his average day, but after taking some drugs he is on a shooting rampage, chased by the police and eventually, suicide. The work of Dean covers some art styles similar to some of the best underground cartoonists like the details of Crumb, the jarring images of a Basil Wolverton and mix of a few others whois names I can't remember right now (Jim Siergey comes to mind.). Like the best of the best in art style. The real showcase is a very strange and twisted story "Let's Have a Picnic". It's like a cute little children's story, with find-the-hidden objects, fill in the missing letters, run the maze, etc....but as the family is on the picnic, some horrible things take place. (This book is for mature audiences only, for sure.). The cover shows the happy family before the horror and the back cover after the horror. It's like taking a Hilighlights magazine I used to read in gradeschool and turning it on it's ear and scaring you with it!

If you love extremely tallented art, and on the edge stories that could warp you....this book is a 5 out of 5. If you have a weak heart and are upset easily and don't need to be more depressed that you already are then you'd probably give this a pass altogether. Being that most small press readers like the unusual, they will really bite on this series.

Jason says this book is $5 which includes shipping, but since he is in the UK, that probably only means if you are in the UK. I'd contact him at: deanjason143@aol.com and ask him the price with shipping to be on the safe side. Or write to: Dead Dog Press c/o Jason Dean, 5 St. Dials Road, Old Cwmbran, Gwent NP4-4 3AN, UK

Mini Comics by Weird Muse Productions

A review of 5 mini comics from Dan Taylor's company: Weird Muse Productions.

Pork Belly #5: 8 page mini on pink paper. $1.00 per copy. A talented bunch doing one page illos and gag strips. Dan Taylor cover, Brad Foster with a robotic cow illo, 2 pages of cartoons by Jim Siergey, 2 pages by Andy Nukes and a page by Dan Taylor. Well worth a dollar, that's for sure. I love the way this reminds me of the old Comix Wave mini's.

Pork Belly #6, (8 pages, purple paper.) is another 8 page mini with a cover by Dan Taylor. Dan's work is very polished. This issue is weaker than #5 with mostly a story by Macedonio which is OK on the art but the story isn't leading anywhere that I can see. The Vincent Wright cartoons may make sense to Vencent but not sure who else....back cover by Andy Nukes and is simple but interesting.

Escape from the Asylum QUARK IV is the final chapter. 8 pages, blue paper. I believe this series was brought back from the 80's if I remember what I recently read somewhere. This is a joint publication from Weird Muse and Blue Moon (Jerry Goebert). Story: Jerry Goebert, Art- K. Haves, tones-Dan Taylor.

The story is strange and eccentric? Anyway it was drawing me in when it ended. I'm sure there is a lot of back story I'll have to find to make sense of all this. Get this only if you plan to find the earlier issues. The art is serviceable but on a scale of 1-10 around a 4.

Time Warp #9. 8 page mini comic on gold paper. I love this series but this Quark stuff leaves me flat. I'm plunged into the middle of something....I feel this 8 page mini shouldn't try to be more than it is. Stick to one panel or 2 or even 3 page stories but have them end and not continue into another issue. Dan's art is fantastic...now to find him a story that everyone can get into. Story Jerry Goebert, text- K. Hayes. $1 per issue.

Get all these and more at: http://www.weirdmuse.ecrater.com

Contact Dan Taylor to have your work in his mini comics: weirdmuse@gmail.com

PORK BELLY #5 is FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE.

PORK BELLY #6 THREE STARS OUT OF FIVE.

TIME WARP #9 is FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE.

QUARK IV is THREE STARS OUT OF FIVE.

Slam Bang #6 vol III has a new cover by Terry Pavlet

Terry Pavlet designs a cover for Slam Bang #6 vol III and we here at Fan-Atic Press are getting excited!

This issue's deadline is end of 2010 and the theme is ROBOTS. Send a 4 to 10 page story about robots in comic book format, 5.5. x 8.5 or proportion of that. The book is 6 x 9 and will sport color covers and 150 to 200 pages of ROBOT stories. Slam Bang is sold at various comic shows and online at http://www.fanaticpress.com

Slam Bang the explosive comic anthology has been coming out sporadically since 1985. This issue will actually be #46! Be a part of history! Be in this issue!

Don't be the only kid on the block that everyone is feeling sorry for. You could have been in the book! You could have been somebody!

Contributors get a free copy of the $9.95 book, and can place a free 2" tall x 5" wide black and white ad in the back to promote your comics, your extra pair of jeans or your neighbor's dog.... just about anything. (That's legal).

Slam Bang is reviewed at MidnightFiction.com and The Comic Buyer's Guide as well as various fanzines and other web sites......get noticed!

Panthology Issue One - The Pantheon Inc.

Panthology Issue One. Published by The Pantheon Inc. is a full size black and white comic with color covers, 36 pages. Cover by Cary Lee Baker. Interior stories by: Various. First we have a harrowing cover of what you don't want to see right before being operated on! Right off the bat we have an idea that this book is for adults only. They also have a M for Mature on the cover as well. The inside cover contents is a fantastic way to show off the credits of the book...on toe tags! No lie...and in color. Yes, color interior covers! Production values are way high here.

First story is Hazz Matt by Mike Edmondson. The art is passable, page one is very promising...the story is all action and continued....sigh....but does make me want to see more.

Next up: He Wakes to Darkness...with art by Cary Lee Baker, story by Jesse D. Wright, lettering by Kimberly Wright. The art is very good on this story especially the first few pages. Word balloons are too thin but that's a small nitpick...the story pulls you along and has a twist ending...nice. I'm assuming that is the end of the story as it doesn't say "the end" or continued...but seems to be the end...nice work on this one.

Next up is FAILURE by Rene Blansette. Nicely told, nicely drawn, again a bit violent (That's the theme for sure.) and has a twist ending. Rene can sure tell a story and laid out the pages/panels very nicely.

Next up: Quick Bites: "What a Girl Wants" written by Bart A. Thompson, Art by Kevin Richardson and lettering by Kim Wright. Wild story. Great art. This one is very adult with some coupling and again with the horror and twist ending...art has some EC Comics style at the start especially.

Ghosts with story and art by Cary Lee Baker. A short action movie....like a trailer for Night of the Living Dead or something....nice use of blacks and great pacing here. Well done. Cary has been producing fantastic work since I've known him (and published his work) in the 80's!

The Sitter, story/coloring/lettering by Glendon Haddix, Pencils and Inks by Steven Doty. By coloring I think he means grey tones or else this was originally in color, now produced in black and white. Story is OK, fairly predictable. Art is OK, a bit crude but passable. Pacing is very good and it keeps you reading, keeps you interested. Fits the theme of the book nicely.

Last story has no title or credits....the art has some areas that would fit in a Heavy Metal Mag....nice work there. The story is sketchy, bleak future stuff. With more of a story this artist could really fly.

All in all the book is well worth the $2.99 price. Lots of entertainment here for folks that like horror and are over 18. All of the creators in this issue show great promise and I can't wait to see more by them in the future. Pantheon could have a bright future. Here's hoping they keep on putting out work of this caliber. (The cover for #2 on the inside back cover shows a western horror theme....something I'm into.) The stories could use more fleshing out (pun intended) with more meat to them. Let's learn more about the characters. (4 stars out of 5)

Contact The Pantheon Inc. company at: http://www.panteheoncomics.org

email: bakerman39@yahoo.com

502-636-4006

New mailing address for Small Press Newsroom

Send all books, DVD's, comics, you name it if it's Small Press....for review to:

Small Press Newsroom

c/o Allen Freeman

6442 Ambrosia Drive

APT 5108

San Diego, CA 92124-3150

Twelve-Way with Cheese #1

Twelve-Way with Cheese #1, Zombie Marge Comix Group, A Holy Owned Division of Zombie & Zombie, Mature Readers, Comix by the Dozen.

Art Zombies: Brennan Bradford, Bruce Chrislip, Daryll Collins, Jerry Dowling, Tim Fuller, Brian Hagen, David Hartz, Woodrow J. Hinton III, Bob Kahnman, Darcy Vorhees, Christina Wald, Viki Woodworth, Forward by Justin Green. $20, printed through Comixpress, 106 interior pages, full color throughout. Bright white paper, simi-gloss, color covers inside and out. Square-bound.

This is a series of comic parodies, and satire with tons of funny old comic book ads very well written and illustrated throughout the book. Oh, and there are tons of great comics in the book like: A Prayer to St. Larriby (Patron Saint of Cartoonists), Redneck Fever (by D. Collins), Brian Hagen's A.D.D.-Man, Dazed and Distracted? (by Viki Woodworth), The Unauthorized (Slightly factual) story of Bazooka Joe (by D. Collins), Jack Hammer Hardboiled Hare (by Tim Fuller), Monster Pals Go On Vacation (by Viki Woodworth), a parody comic book called The Condo of Terror (looks like an old EC comic), lots more...
Christina Wald sent me the comic for review and she did the comic strip: The People in the Stars. It is like a childrens story with a royal family in some other solar system and the prince helps out an elephant that is in the circus. The story is continued as are one or two others in the book so I have high hopes for more issues of Twelve-Way with Cheese.

This is a very funny, very professional production from start to finish. All of the artists are professionals I can tell. I can't say enough good things about this book. All I know is you have to buy it and read it. Well worth the $20 cover price.

OK, since you asked my favorite parts were: Which Prize Do You Want (Inside front cover), I never knew selling cannibis seeds door to door could be so rewarding! Loved page 2 (not numbered) with all the great old ads for X-Rated Specs, Hypno-Coin, Xombie Marge Mask and of course The FREE One Million CASH. (When you choose a fast-paced career in Armed Robery!), Crap! On page #1 (Finally the pages start getting numbered...) a contents page we are told that the ads in this book are NOT real! And I already cut out all the coupons and mailed out all the checks...pooop.

I liked all the cartoons in the Cartoon Succotash comic panel pages. Great stuff. Daryll Collins work is darn funny. Then there is a Zombie Illustraed Swimsuit Models section by Brennan Bradford (art) and Tim Fuller (text). This is better than Cracked or Mad! Mistletoe-Time! is a sad comic, very well done. Another comic parody this time: Marge's Little Voodoo! Marge's comics company desides to do a comic for kids.....after it failed they were all shot in the head. Wow, this is one serious comic company!

There is a one page Humpty Dumpty story told in four card shaped boxes....you've got to see the ending!

Yet another comic book parody is: Deductive Comics by Bob Kahnman. Wow, the hits just keep on coming!

More great comics and more great ads and then the Dead Letter Office (Memos to the Corpse in Charge). Everyone knows I love funny letters in phoney letters pages....and this book has one!

Last and very least is the part that talks about the creators with some funny self-portraits as well.....What the heck....If I was you, I'd send $40 for this $20 comic! Just do it!

Now I must go door-to-door selling my boxes of cannibus seeds, I only have to sell 4000 to get my "Li'l Pornographers Kit".

2 Thumbs way up, 5 stars ***** out of 5! (Bust a Cap Today!)

Order this book from ComiXpress here: http://www.comixpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=1673
And for more info: tfuller27@fuse.net

----A

Superaliens Pal - Timmy Olsen---Dan Burke

Superaliens Pal, Timy Olsen--The Cross Dressing Timmy Olson" Dan Burke has done it again with another super parody of classic comic characters. This time he sends up Jimmy Olsen as Timmy Olsen that will do anything to get the story! I won't give away the story but Superman (Here he is Superalien) is in a story where Timmy Olsen must dress the part to get on the inside for a story. Will he do anything? Does he go, too far? HA! Lots of laughs here! There is another story called Rat Man this is equally hilarious! I loved Dan's take on his origin...a very funny take on the "BatMan" origin. This one really takes a turn! Plus a short story again making fun of a classic comic character THOR. Here we have Journey Into Misery with THOP! God of Plumbing! What a crazy origin here and I particularly love the panel where Dr. Flake says, "Why am I hiking in a business suit with my crippled legs?" HA! Good question.

Everyone that knows anything about comics of the past will love this take-off of the characters that Dan has chosen to parody here.

To get a copy go to http://www.attackearth.com tell Dan you saw this review here!

5 Stars out of 5, a sure fire winner!

Al Burian Goes to Hell--Microcosm Publishing

Al Burian Goes to Hell, by Al Burian. 88 page full size comic, black and white, $6 from Microcosm Publishing. I've received a batch of books from Microcosm and they are all very high quality, very interesting comic graphic novels. I'll be reviewing them soon, meanwhile I just got this comic from them in the mail and read it cover to cover. Al seems to have some deep depression issues for sure which are all brought to light here. It was very interesting also for being a loose version of Dante's Inferno (A book that Al can't seem to find in his house.) The art is very simple but moves the story along nicely and fits the style of the writing very well. A dark story for sure, it will not brighten your day, but it will entertain you.

Five stars out of five *****

Get the book here along with the full catalog of books, t-shirts, stickers and more: http://www.microcosmpublishing.com

Trek Babe Supreme-New Animation from Mike Fisher

NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Goofa Man Productions is happy to announce a brand new online animation that dares to go where no man has gone before!


Yes! G.M. Productions' new animation — Trek Babe Supreme — dares to answer the question, "Which Star Babe in all of the ORIGINAL Star Trek series is the most awesome?"


Goofa Man operatives interviewed Star Babe experts from all over the galaxy in order to

determine the answer to this question. After many sweaty hours of tabulating votes and cross-referencing fetching females from Mr. Gene Roddenberry's retro-sci-fi classic, we determined a winner! And if you'd like to see who we selected as Trek Babe Supreme from that sexy 1960s tv show, then just click on the following link to see the Trek Babe Supremeanimation. Posted on the Goofa Man Productions' YouTube channel, the 3.5-minute animation is a fun salute to Star Trek and its beautiful women.


http://www.youtube.com/galacticfish61


Animator Mike Fisher says, "We don't need another oil-soaked pelican or robot-voiced pop song, but we DO need a firm, unwavering statement from a reliable authority declaring one woman as the supreme Star Babe from the original Star Trek series." Fisher went on to say, rather defensively, "I know we're talking about a television show that is almost 50 years old. And yes, yes, we should all move on with our lives like that nice William Shatner has done."

"Look, I'm NOT one of those guys who thinks only of tv shows and movies from the 1960s," Fisher loudly stated.

"I like tv shows and movies from the 1970s, too!" he sobbed as he ran upstairs.

What's that? You say you disagree with the Goofa Man choice of Trek Babe Supreme? Well, feel free to leave a note at the YouTube
channel stating who YOU would have chosen as Trek Babe Supreme... Who knows? Maybe there will be another Trek Babe Supreme
animation in the future!

Goofa Man Productions is the animation and cartoon studio of Mike Fisher. Mike has been producing award-winning independent, short animations for over 10 years. He also creates cartoons and illustrations for Animation Magazine, Scary Monsters Magazine and, for over 15 years, created cartoons for Starlog magazine.

If you have any questions for Mike, please contact him at galacticfish61@gmail.com. Thanks for your interest!

Web site: http://www.goofaman.com/
YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/galacticfish61
Phone: (210) 455-4730

Steve Keeter's vlog on YouTube. Tales of Fantasy and Fan-Atic Press comics.

Slam Bang #5 vol III, Odd Comics #1, Nobel Head Funnies #1-4 can be had from www.fanaticpress.com

Haven Distributors

I got a brochure while at SPACE last weekend about Haven Distributors. If you are looking for a place to distribute your independent and small press comics check out their website:
http://www.havendistro.com/

The Yoburbalino! Comics 3-pack. Greg Farrell

From the publisher:
The Yoburbalino! Comics 3-pack, featuring the first three issues of Yoburbalino! comics by Greg Farrell. Pub. April 2010.

Breg Farrell A.K.A. Gargle Farley makes his grab-bag comic "yoburbalino!" out of a basement in Brooklyn. Chef Don, its featured character has been running around in his brain since he was a child., doing flips and bounding off walls, quite like Gene Kelly in that scene from "Singing in the Rain."

Recently, Greg has introduced a number of new characters including Don's prime foil Earl Squirrel and their friend Ronnie Randerhoeven. He has conveniently packaged the first three issues of his comic together, in what he calls "The Yoburbalino 3-Pack", so you can better get to know them all.



Once an accomplished rapper, Greg has two full-fledged hip-hop albums under his belt, and since his 'retirement' has adapted his unique word play and rhyme style to suit his comics in an updated Suessian/Silversteinian fashion. His material has been featured in Destert Island's "Smoke Signal", the "Strandzig" literary magazine and at the Daily Crosshatch.

Sequential comics, illustrated poems and recipes, collages and more are posted reguarly to his website at http://www.yoburbalino.com/

Contact Greg Farrell at doctormobogo@gmail.com

Review:
This is a set of three digest books 20 pages each. I can't find a price anywhere on them or in the info above that was sent to me. The art is a bit amaturish, all in pencil with no inks and the stories sort of left me cold. Not much going on here in the stories but I liked the recipes, and the poems much more. Greg's work shows off a lot of promise and in time, I'm sure his work will appeal to a wider audience. For now I give it -- (2 out of 5 stars **)

Haweszilla! #1 by Clint Basinger

Haweszilla! #1 by Cosmic Moustache Comics. Written, drawn and produced by Clint Basinger. 28 pages in black and white with grey tones. Full color covers. Super stiff covers, super glossy. $3.00

Haweszilla takes some true facts then turns them loose. I love the art and story and reccomend this book to everyone. It tells the story of how Hawesville, KY became attacked by a monster created by their own making, sort of. The city with two water towers (They must be really thirsty.) and the making of sarghum. This small town of Hawesville, KY will never be the same. I love the recipe for the creation of this monster! I liked how all that scouting helped the superhero be ready for anything! I also liked the real photos on the back cover. This is a very inspired tale. I want everyone to buy this book today, and have fun! OH, and I really liked the funny ad on the inside covers! Oh, and the recipe in the back! HAHAHA, love it. [*****5 stars out of 5]
Get this book at: http://www.cosmicmoustachecomics.com

Tales from the Seventh Galaxy #3--James Rubino

Tales from the Seventh Galaxy #3 (TFTSG3) by James Rubino is a full size comic, glossy color covers, 32 page comic. $3.00 (Not the deceptive, psychologically-manipulative $2.99)

The art by James is sort of his own version of a Jack Kirby of the DC Comics days. He's made it his own though, and has an original feel to it. The coloring on the cover was different. Reminded me of the old days where you had to hand cut the films to get the flat colors you wanted. I guess he was going for this look. The stories in the book all seem very original (written by James) and seem to come from someone that really likes sci-fi novels. His writing becomes even more creative than the panel to panel artwork. The art seems to be just there to add some punch to the stories, not the other way around as in most comics it seems. I love the down-home feel that James gives to his comic like having a photo of him in the bottom corner from what looks to be his 5th grade class photo. James art is polished but could use some work in the proportions of the characters. He uses a front on pose way too much in his work but his faces are very well done. The more I looked at the art the more I'm thinking that the way the characters legs and arms seem to "get small" could be his "style". I love the way he added the grey tones to his work and the lettering throughout is masterful. He definitely has a knack for the layout of the book, and how to make it look professional. I'm not sure if this was to be a joke or not, but I found it funny that the art on the letters page that takes up about 75% of the page, has characters telling us how sorry they couldn't print more letters, as there just wasn't enough room. Funny stuff. From the look of the printed letters James has a following for this series and like them, I can't wait to see more. P.S. And yes, everyone is right, Yumishira must get her own comic book. [***3 out of 5 stars]
Positive email can be sent to: jaruarts@juno.com
Negitive email can be sent to: circularfile@nowhere.com
Ordering info and more at: www.jamesrubino.com

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