We came, we saw, we honored!

It's over!  Phoenix's 3rd annual celebration of Jack Kirby's birthday has passed, and this year we honored the King's 100th birthday with a multifaceted three day event I won't soon forget, because I recorded the whole thing!

Firstly, I'd like to thank Drawn to Comics for hosting the 24 Hour Kirby Comic Challenge. Drawn to Comics has come up a lot here lately, not just because I co-host a podcast with shop owner Ken Brown, but because he and his wife Susan are incredible supporters of local artists like myself.  Who else would let five weirdos lock themselves in a comic shop for 24 straight hours?  

One of those weirdos was me -- the rest were four of my favorite people in Phoenix (well, one of them is in Sedona, but that's Phoenix adjacent, so it counts).  Birdie Birdashaw, Derk Harron, the Janimal, and Zoe Sugg agreed to attempt the 24 Hour Comic Challenge to honor Kirby, while I documented the whole thing in an attempt to create a webseries of the day.  Here's a picture of them as the sun rose over Glendale, bushy-eyed but strong-willed -- as you'll see when that webseries drops on YouTube later this year!

That Monday, the 28th, the day of Kirby's actual birthday, 10 of the Valley's funniest people gathered to roast the King's first, and perhaps most important creation -- Captain America! My thanks to Monkey Pants Bar & Grill in Tempe for hosting our event.  If you're ever hankering wings and/or karaoke near ASU, Monkey Pants is the place.

I'll post the roast on Phoenix Tonight's YouTube page soon, but in the meantime, here's a shot of me with the Avengers in attendance.  I guess Stark had an expo, or something.

My appreciation to the comedians that made the night hilarious, and particularly to the Captain himself, who made both the 24 Hour Comic Challenge and this roast some of the most memorable events in this fanboy's life.  Follow him on Instagram @stevenrogersusa.

Keep your eyes glued to this blog for more posts this fall!  Karaoke adventures, zines, and more zany fandom to come!

Thank You, Phoenix Comicon!

This year's Phoenix Comicon was an incredible success for Amazing Arizona Comics, thanks to the many fans that visited the table for the latest issue or a free sketch -- and the fully funded completion of the Amazing Arizona Comics Monthly 2015 Kickstarter!  Whether you help financially, or with moral support, your support is very much appreciated.  You're helping tell our Arizona story, and I thank you for it.

Speaking of storytelling, here's the next episode of the KaraokeFanboy Podcast, which, following a replay of my KTAR interview from the Phoenix Comicon floor, features an interview with Jaclyn Rene Cosplay and Chris Stawisky, all about cosplay.  Enjoy!

Thank You, Amazing Arizona Comic Con . . . and Left Shark!

A special thanks to the organizers of the Amazing Arizona Comic Con for another great show!  If you swung by my table in Artists' Alley, you may have noticed my sketch of Left Shark (who appears in Amazing Arizona Comics #10) -- it was a hit, and I drew dozens of Left Sharks for fans!  Over the next few days, I'll post some pictures from the show, starting with the Left Shark shenanigans right now!

Check out this Left Shark figurine, added to that amazing Sharknado hat!

Phoenix Comicon Memories #4: Sho 'Nuff, She-Ra!

I met He-Man on day one (scroll down for that one!), so it was only fitting that I meet his sister on day four of Phoenix Comicon -- and fortunately, King Randor's kids don't mind if someone asks to hold their swords of power.

Buy It Now!

Finally . . .

It's Here!  Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1!

Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly is ready to print and ship!  For a limited time, you can order here, at a reduced price of only $2.50!  This is the first standard comic sized edition of any Amazing Arizona Comics story in print!  See Cupid's attempt to take back February 14th!  Feel the wrath of the Fair Weather Fan!  Know the truth about Arizona's first superhero!  It's all here . . . and it'll keep coming quarterly from KaraokeFanboy Press!

Right now, this issue is print-as-ordered, so please allow 2 weeks for delivery.  The $2.50 sale won't last long -- so act today!

Amazing Arizona Research

Last week, I posted pics from Stewart's Petrified Wood, a trading post just outside of Holbrook on Route 66.  This week, behold the dinosaurs of the Petrified Forest Center!  Two gift shops await you at the entrance of the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert, each with a pair of dinosaurs locked in some sort of perpetual face off!  In the case of the green dino in the third picture below, that face off is literal, as his head is all but gone.  The chipped facade of the fourth image was also visually interesting, as if time has been slowly skinning these poor patriarchs of prehistory.

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and most importantly to me practicality.  It doesn't get any more practical than this: a yellow hat + a yellow trench coat = comics' greatest gumshoe, Dick Tracy!  (From last year's WonderCon!)

This Week's Intake

My wife and I saw 300: Rise of an Empire last weekend.  I knew very little about the film -- only that it's spun from Frank Miller's 300 graphic novel (and of course the first flick).  Apparently Frank isn't finished with Xerxes, the comic root of Rise of an Empire, and now that the movie's out, I see no incentive for him to finish.  We know how the story ends, and the character beats along the way, and even if his story takes a different direction, it'll only be supplemental to the movie now at best.  Honestly, whatever Frank has illustrated should simply be included on the DVD as a behind-the-scenes storyboard special.

Fanboy tangent aside, I actually really liked the flick and was impressed with the gravitas of lead protagonist Themistocles, though Artemisia is the beloved dark horse for all of her sensual sneering throughout the film.  Hers is a compelling origin for a villain, much more sympathetic than, say, the Penguin's shunning by society or something.  Truly, the best actor in the movie was the slow motion effect -- freezing the actors in iconic combat poses that look like the moments a comic book panel would capture.  The Marvel movies would benefit from this fanboy service -- rather than lingering on an adapted moment past the point of believable viability, like the panel-capture moment in Daredevil of Elektra's death, a slo-mo pause in the midst of fast-paced action would be more breath-taking and memorable.

Again, knowing very little, I just Googled a few reviews of 300: Rise of an Empire (mostly to get the characters' names spelled right) and apparently the reviews aren't very favorable.  Anybody expecting to see a textbook accurate film inspired by an unfinished comic about a shabbily recorded part of Greek history will definitely be disappointed in this movie.  If you want to be entertained, and behold how potent those stories of Greek lore must've been to survive oral retellings for thousands of years, enduring to this day, check this out.  As a guy self-publishing a comic that boasts subtexts in reality, I appreciated the movie's ties to the ground beneath its characters' feet.  That was, after all, what they were fighting for.

Creature Features!

This week's post focuses on creatures big and small -- from the ankle-biters that plague suburban Phoenix streets to the dinosaurs of Route 66 and beyond!

Coming Soon: Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1 & America's Super Secret Service #1

Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly is still scheduled to drop this month, but in the meantime here's a detail from the first page of Amazing Arizona Comics #10/America's Super Secret Service #1.  How does a routine chihuahua attack in Phoenix lead to the biggest threat our country has ever faced?  Coming soon!

Amazing Arizona Research

Earlier this month, my wife and I toured the Arizona section of Route 66, and the last leg of our trip unearthed a lot of dinosaurs.  Stewart's Petrified Wood, a trading post just outside of Holbrook, is one of the most famous spots starring Arizona's prehistoric pests, specifically the homemade variety.  While I'm leaning toward not posting all of the pics I took on Route 66, because you really should see it all yourself, consider this comprehensive collage a gift so you won't have to experience the creepy shopkeepers of Stewart's.  Sometimes the beasts of a region are more evolved than the humans in their midst.

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and most importantly to me practicality.  Keeping with the creature theme, here's Sharknado, the Sci-Fi Network's most successful passing fad yet.  Thankfully, Sharknado will always live on in cosplay form.

This Week's Intake

This week's intake didn't vary much from previous weeks' intake.  In fact, I read another issue of Kirby's Captain America, which introduced a new bad guy called the Baron (I think), whose core villainy seems centered on recruiting slaves for manual labor, confirming that overarching theme in the King's comics: that the greatest evil is making someone work.  I also picked up Dean Haspiel's The Fox #5, which concluded his excellent Freak Magnet miniseries with a team-up with the Shield.  The tone wasn't as scatterbrained as previous issues, thanks in large part to J.M DeMatteis' script, but I still loved it and am excited for more.

I think the most mind-consuming intake I'm still processing is Eric Stephenson's speech to comic book retailers at a recent industry convention about the importance of brick and mortar stores.  Comic Book Resources posted a transcript of the speech, and I'm still mulling over the subtexts about the importance of superheroes in today's culture.  As I prepare of SPX in September, I accept I might be in the minority of self-publishers still doling out superhero stuff.  I'm definitely comfortable with that -- it's just an interesting phenomenon to experience superheroes become less counter-culture as they become more mainstream . . . at least in perception.  I believe superheroes are still the epitome of counter-culture, despite their new place in pop culture as box office blockbusters.  I won't explore too much further, because I think the subject is worthy of a post all by itself, only to leave it with what would undoubtedly be that post's first sentence:

At its best, the superhero is an all-ages escape fantasy for reality's troubles, shameless in its ethical simplicity, yet daring in the complexity that presents a graphic narrative with such a blurred fourth wall.

Coming Soon: Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1

The biggest news of the week is that KaraokeFanboy Press won the lottery to exhibit at the Small Press Expo (SPX) this September in Maryland!  Fortunately, I have quite a few projects planned for 2014, so the table is sure to offer the best from Amazing Arizona Comics, Karaoke Comics, and more!  To wit:

Coming Soon: Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1

I've been teasing it for weeks, and now the proof is in the pudding -- er, I mean, at the printer.  The cover says $3.00, but Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1 will be offered online for a limited time for only $2.50 (which includes postage)!  When the copies are in hand, an exclusive Paypal button will be available here -- until then, dig that cover, featuring June Monsoon and Arizona's first governor, now the GovernMummy!

Amazing Arizona Research

While living in Phoenix is research enough for my superhero-driven political satire Amazing Arizona Comics, I often take pictures or collect memorabilia in, about, or outside of the city to keep the inspiration coming.  

The Westward Ho is one of Phoenix's most historical buildings, and in my attempts to study artistic perspective and local architecture, I snapped this shot a few years ago.  Don't be surprised if you see Speed Cameron or the Cactus Renegade perched atop that ledge in an upcoming issue of Amazing Arizona Comics!

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and most importantly to me practicality.  Now, I should've included this pic with my Shia LaBeouf strip a few weeks ago, since it features Indiana Jones . . . Alas, let the mind wander to ponder what circumstances would put Indy in a position to team up with Spider-man and Deadpool.  Of course, time travel would be required -- speaking of which . . .

This Week's Intake

This week's intake strayed from the usual comics and zines.  Firstly, my wife and I had the pleasure of catching Tom Wilson, a.k.a. Biff from Back to the Future, at Phoenix's Stand-Up Live.  He gets the Biff stuff out of the way pretty quickly, and his act is genuinely hilarious, and even a bit theatrical.  Considering Harold Ramis' passing last week, seeing Wilson, another actor from a favorite '80s franchise, was surprisingly and appreciatively cathartic.  

On Saturday, we stumbled into an antique show hosted by the Phoenix Antiques, Bottles, and Collectibles Club, which I didn't know existed.  The show was great, featuring many vendors with old, genuine Arizona memorabilia, and I picked up an old issue of Arizona Living featuring Arizona Republic political cartoonist Benson.  The article was informative and inspiring, considering I hail Reg Manning, Bil Keane, and Steve Benson a veritable holy trinity of local cartooning.  I'll end this post with the best quote, and one that'll drive Amazing Arizona Comics for the near future:

"A cartoonist owes it to himself to draw only what he believes and can defend.  In the process he oversimplifies, grossly exaggerates and uses stereotypes.  But a cartoonist must cut through all the fluff and get right to the marrow.  Because we oversimplify and present only one viewpoint, readers often become angry.  Either people love you or hate you.  In this profession, you can't expect moderate reaction from your cartoon."

What About the Twinkie?

All of our lives, we're taught to think in fours.  Four corners in a room.  Four directions on a compass.  Four quarters make a dollar.  The Fantastic Four.  The Fab Four.

Think of some of the most timeless teams in film and television.  Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion.  The Beverly Hillbillies.  The A-Team.  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  The Golden Girls.  Foursomes, all, and when we lose one, we lose the whole.  That's how I feel about the recent passing of Harold Ramis.

As Egon Spengler, Ramis portrayed an eccentric genius that could only exist in a world where the dead rise from the grave.  He grounded the first wildly successful science fiction comedy with the best sensibilities of both genres, making the Ghostbusters franchise believable to kids of the '80s like me.  When my family moved to Phoenix in 1988, and I experienced my first red-skied summer monsoon, I donned my plastic proton pack, looked up at the storm, and proclaimed, "This is it!  This is definitely it!"

Twenty-six years later, I'm proclaiming that again at the headlines of Ramis' passing.  Sure, three quarters are better than nothing, but in the end they just don't fit the bill, and moving on without the whole just doesn't make sense.  You will be missed, Mr. Ramis.  Thankfully, your great work has left you a rich afterlife.

#SB1062

Once again, Arizona has made national news for a controversial state bill.  Amazing Arizona Comics #1 explores how SB1070 affected superheroic law enforcement (still available for sale in the right column!), so here's a standalone page that may become a bigger story based on how 1062 would affect an Arizona with superheroes.  Click here for easier reading.

Amazing Arizona Research

While living in Phoenix is research enough for my superhero-driven political satire Amazing Arizona Comics, I often take pictures or collect memorabilia in, about, or outside of the city to keep the inspiration coming.  Here's a picture of "Mr. Arizona," from an event in downtown Mesa a few years ago.  I don't know if that's his real name, but in a shirt like that, what else can you call him?  

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and most importantly to me practicality.  So, since Thor: The Dark World is coming out on DVD this week, here's a pic of the Avenger and me at a sneak preview of his first film a few years ago, at the Tempe Marketplace.

This Week's Intake

I have a lot of reading to do.  Dig my haul from the Los Angeles Zine Fest last week!

In the meantime, I'm still nose deep in the old funnybooks.  Savage Dragon #193 was at the top of the heap this week.  Like my fellow Fin-addicts, I've been anxious for this issue, which officially passes the reigns from Dragon proper to his son, Malcolm Dragon.  As "the 1st issue in a bold new direction," I didn't find the issue open enough for new readers.  Too many details about Malcolm's life, like even a mention of his half-sister Angel, were excluded in favor of old school adolescent angst and superhero slugfests.  In the end, that combo still makes for a great time in the hands of creator Erik Larsen.  He had me with two words this issue: the Worm Ring.

Coming Soon . . .

Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1 will drop next month.  In the meantime, here's an excerpt from an enclosed essay, titled, "The Initial Spark: The History of Arizona's First Superhero."

When Arizona became a state, President Taft and his administration quickly sought to tap its rich supernatural potential to develop their own mythological superhero.  From northern Arizona’s vortexes to border legends of lights in the sky, the military had no shortage of possible power sources within the Grand Canyon State, but their attempts yielded little results.  During World War II, the government became desperate, and, among other fringe efforts, they hired several unemployed cartoonists to interpret Native American and Mexican iconography for new ideas.  One of those cartoonists had a hidden agenda . . .

A Sorry, A Saucer, A Sailor, and Some Snowfall!

Let's celebrate Presidents' Day with a post!  Actually, I'll be driving back to Phoenix from Southern California this afternoon, and I just wanted to post some stuff while it's still fresh.  This week's update features a sorry, a saucer, a sailor, and some snowfall!  Check it out . . .

#iamsorry

Shia LaBeouf is either a genius or a fool, if there's really a difference between the two.  Last weekend concluded Shia's latest stunt: an art exhibit featuring him, donning his now infamous "I Am Not Famous Anymore" paper bag, in an attempt to apologize for plagiarizing comic artist Daniel Clowes.  Attendees were allowed into the gallery one at a time to solicit Shia's apology however they saw fit, with the help of some provided "implements" that included a bullwhip, a ukulele, and a bottle of Jack Daniels.  I drew this strip to explore what Shia might do next, assuming his penance has been paid.

Amazing Arizona Research

While living in Phoenix is research enough for my superhero-driven political satire Amazing Arizona Comics, I often take pictures or collect memorabilia in, about, or outside of the city to keep the inspiration coming.  Here's a picture of the Space Age Lodge in Gila Bend, which was featured in Amazing Arizona Comics #6.  Check out the sidebar for an easy Paypal button to buy that issue now -- featuring the truth behind Prince Harry's military training here in Arizona!

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and most importantly to me practicality.  So, here's a look at Popeye from a San Diego Comic Con some years back.  This guy's living proof for a spinach diet.

This Week's Intake

Last week, I read Dynamite's The Lone Ranger #21, which was a timely look at the Old West under hazardously snowy conditions. Considering what's going on along the East Coast, reading that even our country's pioneers to the West faced these dangers, too, is reassuring.  If they could survive it and still build a country, I'm sure history will repeat itself, Global Warming and all.

I also saw the new Robocop with a good friend of mine on Sunday, and, while it wasn't the worst movie in the world, I would say it was a movie struggling with its themes -- from a satire of America's bipartisanship, to the corruption of industry, to the abuse of technology, and finally the analysis of man's very soul. If the film had simply sought to tell its story rather than make sure we knew how complicated its subtexts were, we would've had a nice mid-winter action flick with heart.  Instead, it's like Robocop himself: mechanical, with a hint of humanity.

Coming Soon . . .

Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly is closer to completion every day, and my visit to the Los Angeles Zine Fest on Sunday inspired me to revisit my old fanzine Far & Wee.  Like AACQ, the latest issues of Far & Wee will collect old and new material alike, picking up where the series left off with themes, and my essay series, "How I Met the Monkees."  Here it comes . . .!

Happy Birthday, Arizona!

Darkpaio says, "Happy Birthday, Arizona!"

If you love living in Arizona, the fact that Arizona's statehood anniversary is shared with Valentine's Day is the perfect coincidence for you!  While I hope to keep my updates weekly only, I couldn't let today pass without acknowledgement, so here's an abbreviated version of my new newsletter format, just to say, here's to you, Grand Canyon State!

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and, most importantly to me, practicality.  So, to celebrate Arizona's birthday, here's a nod to its Wild West roots with a Cowboy Green Lantern from last month's Amazing Arizona Comic Con!

Coming Soon . . .

Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly is still in the works, with a story that takes place on this very day, starring our very state's first governor, who is entombed in Papago Park -- to rise in the instance his beloved land faces a crisis!  Behold, the GovernMummy!

A New Strip . . . and More!

I haven't posted much since last month's Amazing Arizona Comic Con, but I've been busy at the drawing board plotting this year's worth of Amazing Arizona Comics and more.  I'll tease some upcoming projects at the end of this post, but, in the meantime, I hope to post weekly newsletter-style updates of what's happening here at KaraokeFanboy Press . . . starting today!

McGruff . . . Enough!

You may have heard this week that McGruff the Crime Dog has barked up the wrong tree of the law, but do you know the whole story?  If you're cruising comic shops in Phoenix this week, you can pick up a noir copy of this strip, but here it is in glorious color, revealing McGruff's connection to America's Super Secret Service, the national extension of Amazing Arizona Comics explored here in years past.  (Click here for easier reading.)

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and most importantly to me practicality.  So, here's a look at a Samurai Flash from the Amazing Arizona Comic Con!  Great threads, dude!

This Week's Intake

This week, I've been catching up on Dean Haspiel's The Fox through Archie Comics' Red Circle Comics imprint.  I've dug Dean since the Billy Dogma days, but his out-of-this-world take on classic superhero shtick is really fun.  I think the next issue (#5) wraps the current storyline, so pick up the back issues while you can!  Sure, a trade is right around the corner, but nothing beats this series' funky floppy issue design, which includes a nice batch of bio pages and back-up stories.

Coming Soon . . .

I've created a yearlong game plan of projects for 2014, which started with the Amazing Arizona Comics: No Burn Day Special that month, and continues with Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly, my first standard comic-sized issue!  AACQ will collect old and new adventures alongside extras exploring the rich superhero subtext of Arizona's history.  The first issue, scheduled for publication by mid-March, will feature Cupid's annual plot to usurp Arizona's birthday in favor of his beloved Valentine's Day, both of which fall on February 14.  The mini-comics will continue, but AACQ will be fun way to get these tales out there in a different format for new readers.

Karaoke Comics and my old fanzine Far & Wee are all on the to-do list for this year, as well.  Keep your eyes on freebie shelves around Phoenix -- and of course right here on the blog -- for excerpts of all this stuff.  

Until next week, happy birthday, Arizona!

Tucson Comic Con: Lone Ranger vs. Doc Ock Cosplay!

I'll post a few pictures from Tucson Comic Con over the next few weeks, and I just had to start with my favorite.  Here's a precious moment captured from my table's POV: the foreground, a steampunk couple is meeting the Lone Ranger, which is innocent enough . . . but in the background, a naughty Dr. Octopus is standing a little too close to the ladies' restroom.  Just one of those moments you'd only see at a comic con.

Ernie & April

If you missed my review of last week's special screening of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, check it out at Nerdvana now!  For posterity's sake, here's a closer look at action star Ernie Reyes, Jr. (and me), and some April O'Neil cosplay.

I'd also be remiss not to mention that the latest issue of Karaoke Comics has a few TMNT karaoke sketches inside!  Pick it up here!

  

 

The Brave & the Rockabilly

One pic from the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con!  Here's one Justice League I wouldn't want to mess with -- a pipe-wielding dynamic duo, and a Flash too fast to remember his mask!

The Trouble with Tribbles

Gross they may be, thank goodness they're always around when you need to perform an experimental blood transfusion.

Rocketeers

 

The cutie on the left is a Rocketeer from Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con, and on the right, that's me with cosplay model Ivy Doomkitty.  I was so excited to hold such an authentic-looking Rocketeer helmet, I didn't realize until I saw this picture later that she wasn't wearing any pants.