Categories
Discussion & Analysis

Steve Ditko 1927-2018

Steve Ditko would’ve been 91 today.

There are a number of great articles on Steve Ditko that I’ve been meaning to archive in some useful way. What better time than now.

· The Avenging Page (In Excelsis Ditko) by Joe McCulloch (My personal favorite essay on Ditko by one of comics’ best writers.)

· Steve Ditko Doesn’t Stop by Joe McCulloch (Excellent overview of Ditko’s later career in small publishing.)

· Steve Ditko’s Cartooning: Abstraction/Word vs. Picture/Motion by Ken Parille (An examination of some of Ditko’s unique and oft-overlooked artistic traits.)

· Comic Art As Fine Art from The Great American Novel (Thorough “compare/contrast” between Ditko’s Fantastic Four and John Byrne’s.)

Showcases On Specific Works 
The Creeper
Ghostly Tales
Stalker
ROM 1
ROM 2

Recently, I was asked a few questions in regards to Steve Ditko over at ComicBook.com and The Double Page Spread Podcast.

Anyone who knows me even in passing knows the impact Steve Ditko made in my life. It’s been four months since he died, and it’s still an odd thing to process.

I hope Steve Ditko was content in the end. He certainly worked hard for it.

DITKO FOREVER

Categories
Art & Illustration

HeroesCon 2018

I’ll be at HeroesCon 2018 this June 15-17Table AA-1102, front and center at Indie Island.

I even designed this year’s official badges, COPRA-style!

I will also be doing TWO PANELS Saturday & Sunday!

You read that right. I’ll be having a career spanning conversation with the mighty Keith Giffen!

This is the big one! Bring your checklists, your sketchbooks, and some comfortable shoes. I’ll be jabbing, sketching, and showcasing rare original comic pages. Bust your map out and look for the COPRA sign — I’ll see you there!

Categories
Discussion & Analysis

OVERWORD Archives

OVERWORD is a series of six essays that chart my fascination with certain comic books and their creators. It’s comics criticism and commentary, as I thoroughly get into the history and context of the subjects. They originally appeared over the span of several months on my Patreon page, where I have written several other posts about my own process and what further inspires me. OVERWORD was a massive undertaking for me and now that I’m on the other side of it, I’m happy I did it. My hopes are that these post are found useful, informative, and, at the very least, entertaining.

1 · TEEN TITANS Part One – My need for colorful, clean-cut super heroics and my habit to hunt back issues in bulk met at the intersection of Wolfman & Pérez. They were the best choice.

2 · TEEN TITANS Part Two – My enthusiasm for the TT franchise was destroyed by troubling story elements but was resuscitated by the excellent Titans Hunt storyline. My devotion never fully recovered.

3 · JSA/ALL-STAR SQUADRON – A Roy Thomas appreciation. Character archaeology as expression, especially to pin a moment in time. This led me to “map reading” info-dumps.

4 · JUSTICE LEAGUE of AMERICA – A Mike Sekowsky & Dick Dillin appreciation. Two underrated workhorses who defined the adventures of the world’s leading superhero group for decades.

5 · QUASAR & SQUADRON SUPREME – I applied new lessons to my immersion into a couple of Mark Gruenwald masterpieces. A positive reappraisal of a cult classic and an unjustly dismissed passion project.

6 · MARK GRUENWALD – Singing the praises of a legendary storyteller by getting to the root of my own obsession.

Categories
Comics I Make

Links + Press = Summer of BLOODSTRIKE: BRUTALISTS

The third and final issue of Bloodstrike: Brutalists has just been listed in the Diamond Previews catalogue, so make sure you get your store to order this and every issue available!

Issue #0 (Part One) · Out June 13 · ORDER CODE: APR180490
Issue #23 (Part Two) · Out June 27 · ORDER CODE: APR180494
Issue #24 (Part Three) · Out July 25 · ORDER CODE: MAY 180105

I’ve been asked if I’ll eventually give the OVERWORD treatment to 90s comics, a treatment that entails a critical and thorough (and quasi-nostalgic) examination. Aside from my Addicted to Speed Lines 199X posts a while back, I’ve already been building a case throughout all of the interviews I’ve done for Bloodstrike: Brutalists.

P R E S S

War Rocket Ajax Ep. 405: Make It Look Cool
Process Party Ep. 67: Michel Fiffe Interview & Bloodstrike/COPRA Discussion
A.V. Club: Michel Fiffe Celebrates Extreme ’90s Comics in this Bloodstrike Interview/Exclusive
Comic Book ResourcesCOPRA Creator Michel Fiffe Resurrects Rob Liefeld’s Bloodstrike

https://www.cbr.com/bloodstrike-michel-fiffe-interview/

 

Categories
Comics I Make Retrospectives - Master Post

BLOODSTRIKE 25th Anniversary Retrospective

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Bloodstrike #1! As I’m revving up for the June release of my mini-series, Bloodstrike: Brutalists, I wanted to celebrate my favorite undead government squad by taking a deep dive into their publishing history. Along the way, I’ll add commentary on the aspects that helped inform Brutalists and what I love about this specific Rob Liefeld-created roster. It’s a lot to cover, so let’s get into it!

Categories
Comics I Make

Bloodstrike: Brutalists Order Form

Print this out and take it to your Local Comics Shop to ensure you get your summer copies of Bloodstrike: Brutalists!

Issue #0 (Part One) ORDER CODE: APR180490
Issue #23 (Part Two) ORDER CODE: APR180494
Issue #24 (Part Three) ORDER CODE: MAY 180105

Also available digitally through Image Comics and comiXology!
Categories
"COPRA" "ZEGAS"

BLOODSTRIKE: BRUTALISTS · Out in June

Bloodstrike: Brutalists is now in the Previews catalogue!

The first 2 issues have a JUNE release – the 3rd issue drops in July – so tell your Local Comics Shops to order tons of copies!

Issue #0 (Part One) ORDER CODE: APR180490
Issue #23 (Part Two) ORDER CODE: APR180494

Issue #24 (Part Three) ORDER CODE: MAY 180105

While you’re at the store, ask for your copy of COPRA Round 5, out April 4th! ORDER CODE: FEB181164

You can also order it directly from Bergen Street Press.

Don’t forget about ZEGAS, now available directly from Fantagraphics!

Categories
Comics I Make

BLOODSTRIKE : BRUTALISTS

BLOODSTRIKE : BRUTALISTS is hitting comic shops worldwide early June, from Image Comics!

Preview pages at The Comics Journal

Process Party Episode 67: Michel Fiffe interview & Bloodstrike/COPRA discussion 

Categories
"COPRA" Comics I Make

COPRA Round Five

COPRA Round Five is coming! This Bergen Street Press collection features issues 2631 and should be available April 4th! Order it directly from Bergen Street Press!

Tell your stores! Order Code: FEB181164

Here’s the official page for the Diamond Distributors/Previews listing.

Print and fill out the form below to give to your LCS!

Categories
"ZEGAS" Comics I Make Los Press

The Word On ZEGAS

The Comics Journal: Zegas Review

A.V. ClubZegas Highlights the Many Dimensions of Comic-Book Storytelling (Essay)

Comicosity: KIRBYOLOGY: Heirs to Weirdness (and Badassness)

Fuck Up Some Comics: Comics-splaining

Adventures in Poor Taste: Zegas Review

Ryan C.’s Four Color ApocalypseZegas Review

Multiversity Comics: Zegas Review

Sequart: Review of Michel Fiffe’s Zegas (and Copra)

The Frog Queen: Comic Book Review (Video)

Vulture: 8 Comics to Read in November

A.V. Club: Birthdays Are Bullshit in Zegas (Exclusive Preview)

The Beat: Best C0mics of 2017

Paste: Everything Else We Loved (and Hated) about Comics in 2017

The Hundreds: Best of 2017 :: Graphic Novels

Allion: The Good Comics of 2017 – Tom Shapira’s Summary (COPRA)

ComicBook: The 10 Best Indie Comics of 2017 (COPRA)

INTERVIEWS

Smash Pages: Michel Fiffe on Zegas (Q&A)