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

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