Tops and Bottoms 21/8/24

Morning Everyone,

That’s a phrase that seems to be genuinely missing in comics these days – ‘Everyone’. Sure, people say it, but do they mean it? Widely speaking, comics is only a medium and there should be options for everyone. From a Small Press making perspective it seems less clear. There seems to be an idealistic barrier put up by some that has nothing to do with the product. This can be observed by fandom, websites, social media and I’m sad to say the publishers and employees themselves. I’ve seen it first hand.

Isn’t it time we dropped the whole Sixth Form level opinions and start embracing the object and not moaning/crying/ranting and subsequently distancing the individual who just loves comics? Try not to be a sex offender (there are a few out there, not sure if you’ve heard?). Don’t be a fraudster or a grifter. But if legal, then crack on. You don’t have to be part of a gang/clique/group/community. You don’t have to agree with everything that the bellends of comics adjacent social media say. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, or your opinions on communism/socialism/anarchy or capitalism. It doesn’t matter if you eat meat or believe/don’t believe in certain theories. You just need a pen and paper – and hopefully some level of ability. Comics used to value the outsiders and the weirdos. Don’t fall into lockstep with everyone else.

Talk about comics. The Good and the Bad. The ACP has a great Slack chat channel where I’m sure there are many different political opinions. But what matters there, and helps as a buffer against the morons in that thing called the real world, is comics. It is open to Everyone. If you want to join then drop me a line. But, to be totally honest, if Neil Gaiman tries to join he’s going to be disappointed.

How was that for an extended advert for a Slack channel? Moving on.

Meanwhile over at the NIA Podcast it was great to have Tom Stewart from the That Comic Smell podcast back on for a chat. We close four recent releases, two from that week and looked at them from all sides. Here are a couple of the choices and another will feature later on.

Over at the ACP we had a freewheelin’ chat about many things. Just the three of us this week. This book from Taino Matsumoto was a revelation. I’m about to crack open volume 2 and the final instalment is preordered for October this year. Highly recommended.

In more personal news. The new NIA research project has begun with a second waiting in the corner wearing a dirty mac. I have a day off tomorrow and am finally leaving the house. I’m going to head up to Strange Apparitions in Spalding to pick up a coffin full of books and comics. This is a great shop and well worth having a look for. Here’s the link.

Small Press Comic of the Week.

Demons in a small town. Initially what seems to be Black and White (literally) is much more nuanced and complicated. This is a collaboration between Kurt Belcher and Brian Level that I picked up on Kickstarter. Just a random impulse buy based on Level’s name. That totally worked out for me.

It has a fresh premise and is a dirty and aggressive horror that punches all my buttons with proper VHS style horror. This is issue 1 of a two issue series. Recommended.

Top.

Consistently in my favourite reads of any month that it is released within. This is the story of a murderous cowboy and a female Ninja fighting for their lives in the afterlife. Each, whilst not perfect, are learning a little from the other. Issue three came out last week and more people should be talking about it.

The artwork is sublime and it has genuine weight to character and narrative that seems missing elsewhere these days. Get on it.

Bottom.

Not this cover. This cover is great.

Even the main story in this issue has a couple of artistic moments that were passable. What I am talking about is the writing in the back-up strip by Rainbow Rowell. Best if I show you the opening pages.

Is there a new cool aesthetic of just being painfully dull that I’m not aware of? This book is called ‘Action’ and it is about ‘Superman’. It doesn’t get much better as the story progresses but at least the last two pages are a vague attempt at something actually happening. At least Jack of Hearts doesn’t pop in to make a cake! You can hear me go into detail on this issue on the recent NIA episode. Buckle up.

Such a shame.

So, there you go. Another week down and nearer Christmas. Many thanks for reading.