FYC Replay: MOME with Gary Groth

Another installment from the series on indy comic anthologies I did for the Pulse, which - other than a couple more pieces - wound up my column "For Your Consideration" at that site. This particular piece was a bit daunting for me, as I was interviewing Gary Groth, whose extensive and thoughtful interviews in The Comics Journal are a definite high-point, for me, regarding comics journalism. And I was pleased to find how gracious Groth was with his time. Again, it continued to surprise me how forthcoming and willing to talk so many comic creators/publishers were and continue to be when I get a chance to meet them at conventions.

Enjoy,
chris

For Your Consideration: MOME from Fantagraphics

By Chris Beckett

FRONT PAGE:

Steven Grant has called it the best alternative comics anthology being produced today. With creators as diverse as Gabrielle Bell, Jim Woodring, Anders Nilsen, David Heatley, Jeffrey Brown, and others, MOME is one of the few books working consistently to push the boundaries of the medium while offering a platform for many of tomorrow’s renowned artists today. Come in and see what you’ve been missing, or become reacquainted with one of the best books out there right now.

The 411:

MOME

Edited by Gary Groth and Eric Reynolds

Published quarterly

b&w/color

120-136 pages $14.95

Fantagraphics Books

What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

Despite comic books having been published for decades, it could be said the medium is still in its infancy. Dominated by adolescent power fantasies with the plethora of superhero books flooding the market, the maturity and diversity of subjects that should so readily be available within this artform – although growing –still accounts for the merest fraction of books offered each month. Despite having made many strides in recent years, built upon the struggles of master storytellers like Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Spain Rodriguez, Will Eisner, R. Crumb, Steve Ditko and others, the boundaries of the medium still seem terribly constricting. These giants of the field wished to create lasting monuments to the artform, something that wasn’t just throw-away fodder for young boys but could be enjoyed by adults as well. Working within corporate parameters – or outside of them as Crumb, Spain, and others did – they expanded the possibilities of comics as much as they were able, lighting a path for the creators of today. Thanks to the work of creators such as these, comics – and the more permanent format of graphic novels – are now a more accepted aspect of the literary landscape. But none of this would be possible if artists were not afforded an opportunity to experiment, to be given the chance to fail, but fail while aspiring to something better. One of the places where readers can witness comic artists experimenting and working to break new ground within the medium is the quarterly anthology from Fantagraphics – MOME.

Since its first published issue in Summer 2005, MOME has been a haven for readers seeking out new and exciting storytelling within the comics medium. Known as a publisher committed to quality, Fantagraphics includes in its catalog Los Bros Hernandez’s Love & Rockets, Joe Sacco’s Palestine, and reprints of George Herriman’s Krazy & Ignatz and Charles Schulz’s Peanuts among many others. It is well known that publisher/editor Gary Groth wants to offer only literate, thought-provoking comics that will challenge readers and their expectations of what “comics” can be. With the expanding acceptance of graphic novels within the wider literary world, this is one of the very few books exhibiting the myriad possibilities of this medium.

Some of the more experimental offerings within MOME have come from Anders Nilsen. One significant example is found in the second volume, published in Fall 2005. Titled “Event,” Nilsen takes readers through fourteen pages of repercussions threading out from an initial event of “What you said you would do” and the resultant failure to follow through on that statement. An understated comic narrative, Nilsen’s use of variously hued squares – representing at times the reasons for not doing this, time spent working to correct damage done, and the number of people affected, as well as most other aspects of the story – this tale resonates more than it might if he had created a “typical” comic. By utilizing images that are symbolic rather than representative and leaving said event unstated, Nilsen tacitly invites his audience into the story, almost forcing them to imprint their own memories of grief upon it, making the reader an active participant within the story. It is a wonderful example of how one’s expectations of comics can be overturned and utilized to create something more powerful.

These experiments with the form by artists like Nilsen, John Pham, and Martin Cendreda are given equal time beside the more traditional storytelling of Paul Hornschemeier’s “Life with Mr. Dangerous,” a serialized tale from the creator of Mother, Come Home, and that of Andrice Arp. It makes for an interesting mix of stories each time one reads a copy of MOME. Also offered within each volume is a creator interview conducted by Gary Groth. Known for his comprehensive interviews in The Comics Journal, Groth offers readers a window into the minds and creative journeys of these artists.

MOME is a book that showcases “indy” veterans like Jeffrey Brown and Jim Woodring, while also giving newer cartoonists such as Gabrielle Bell and Sophie Crumb a platform for their own storytelling, allowing them to learn their craft while offering readers a window into their artistic evolution. It is rare to find such an eclectic variety of not only storytelling approaches but artistic styles within the covers of a single book, but MOME provides this every time. Some might shy away from such wide diversity, but it is this “adventure into the unknown” that draws readers to a book such as this. Offering a window into the human spirit, the stories within each volume of MOME challenge readers with comics that carry more literary “heft” than the typical fare, and that is something to be applauded.

An Interview with Gary Groth:

Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium?

GROTH: I started reading them as a kid, so what initially attracted me were probably the pretty colors and spectacular stories of outsized characters. Now, it's how the medium can succeed at achieving genuine artistry; that's what it's all about as far as I'm concerned, how this hybrid form of words and pictures interprets life.

What was the inspiration for MOME, and why create a new anthology if the general consensus states that “anthologies don’t sell?”

GROTH: Successfully publishing Peanuts finally gave us a respite from running a million miles an hour just to stay afloat, and the space to think, and one of the things I'd wanted to do was to publish cartoonists of the latest generation that we'd been neglecting for half a decade. It's true that anthologies are a tough sell —or so it's been our experience— but if you play it right, you can publish one and not lose your shirt on it. They're important because they can be a showcase for the kind of artists who aren't prolific enough to establish a "brand" name and the anthology itself can create a unique energy around the ensemble — think of the best anthologies, Zap, Weirdo, Raw, and they were always greater than the sum of their parts. That's what we hoped to accomplish with MOME.

Other than the obvious – write and draw good stories – what is it that you look for in the stories included in MOME?

GROTH: I should point out that there are two editors of MOME— Eric Reynolds and myself. I can speak for myself and I can speak in broad and general terms, and even though our respective tastes overlap considerably, I'm sure Eric has his own take on this. The problem with answering this question, which is always asked, is that any answer sounds obvious and generic. That said, what I look for is an interpretation of the world, using all the tools and tricks and vocabulary of the medium to most imaginative advantage. The canvas can be minute and interior—as in Jonathan Bennett's work— or vast and politicized—as in Tom Kaczynski's stories. What's important is that the artist has a take on the world, realized with a degree of artistry. And that's different in kind than merely explicating or describing or transcribing the world as he sees it or understands it — it's different than journalism or sociology— because the imagination can get at something deeper or stranger or off-kilter in a way that a straight recitation of facts can't. Personally, I also look for potential, so it doesn't have to be an artist whose vision is necessarily fully formed, but someone who has that touch of insight and ought to be encouraged and cultivated — so, in a way, MOME is like an ongoing laboratory experiment.

Fantagraphics has solicited for the tenth volume of MOME, which leads one to believe that this has been a successful venture for the company. To what would you attribute the success of MOME?

GROTH: Consistency has been helpful — both qualitatively and periodically. I think we've proved that we can edit a thoughtful, interesting, diverse collection of comics that comes out almost four times a year and that this is something several thousand readers can look forward to.

Regarding the medium, comics seems to be at a tipping point where many companies are trying to figure out how to feasibly continue publishing single issues while also chasing the burgeoning book market that has opened up in recent years. Add into that the online market – specifically webcomics and illegal downloads of print books – and it appears that publishers need to be working toward a new business model. How is all of this impacting Fantagraphics, and where do you see the medium moving in the next few years?

GROTH: I hate this question because I don't know the answer. Right now, we spend most of our time concentrating on the 40-50 books we publish a year. I don't think books are going away but I do think they'll be augmented with different and varied delivery systems and that we have to keep up with those, whatever they turn out to be — paid downloads, digital books, whatever. I truly love books, the feel and the weight of them, their relative permanence (as distinct from digital files, which disintegrate in x-number of years); I suspect they'll be around at least as long as I am. After that, it’s my son's problem.

What future projects from Fantagraphics would you encourage fans to be watching for?

GROTH: In about a month, a gigantic 12 pound, 700-page monster will hit the bookstores: Willie & Joe: The WWII Years, the complete collection of Bill Mauldin's World Wart II cartoons — about half of which have never been reprinted since their initial printing in places like The Daily Oklahoman and Stars & Stripes. It took a year to put together and I'm pretty proud of it. Right now, I'm working on the Complete Humbug and have mobilized half my office to help — Jason Miles, Paul Berash, and Jacob Covey, who are all involved in organizing various elements of printed and original art, and designing the book. Humbug, you may not recall, was the 1957-58 satirical magazine published and owned by the artists themselves — Harvey Kurtzman, Arnold Roth, Al Jaffee, Bill Elder, and Jack Davis. It will include a 16,000 word interview with Arnold and Al conducted by John Benson, and other explanatory text. Another 2-volume set in a slipcase (like the Mauldin book). Our big, hardcover, career retrospective of Steve Ditko will be out in about two months: biographical text by Blake Bell and more top flight Ditko from the '50s to the '90s than you've ever seen in one place, beautifully designed by Adam Grano. Dash Shaw's 720 page family epic, Bottomless Belly Button, one of the most impressive graphic novels it's been my privilege to read, will be out in about a month. Josh Simmons slightly smaller, 96-page Jessica Farm will also be out in a month (or less).

FYC Replay: Postcards - True Stories ... with Jason Rodriguez

For Your Consideration: Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened

By Chris Beckett

FRONT PAGE: When Editor Jason Rodriguez stepped into an antique shop with his girlfriend, he had no way of knowing what was awaiting him. A year later, as editor, Rodriguez had compiled one of the coolest comic anthologies in recent memory – one where all the story seeds came from old postcards and the notes they carried. Click on in and discover the “true stories that never happened.”

The 411:

Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened

Edited by Jason Rodriguez

160pp. black and white HC

Villard Books

$21.95

What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

One of the coolest ideas for an anthology comes from Editor Jason Rodriguez, editor of the Harvey-nominated ELK’S RUN. Following his girlfriend into an antique shop one day, Rodriguez happened upon a box of old postcards. As he began shuffling through them, Rodriguez discovered he was being afforded a window into the lives of people long since gone. As his mind wrapped itself around this idea, he realized that therein lay the seeds for an amazing variety of stories.

Inspired, Rodriguez set to work buying postcards and listing creators he felt would do well with such a concept. Bringing together some of the biggest names working in comics – Harvey Pekar, Phil Hester, Ande Parks – with some of the hottest new creators like G.B. Tran, Micah Farritor, and Joshua Hale Fialkov, Rodriguez has compiled an entertaining mix of stories that are at times touching, exciting, and troubling – a great feat that makes for interesting reading.

The postcards used as story seeds for this anthology date, for the most part, from the early half of the twentieth century. With cryptic messages and half-truths embedded deep between the lines, the real stories behind these quick missives will never be found. But as inspiration for the writers and artists brought together by Rodriguez, they are diamonds waiting to be mined.

The emotional tenor of the tales offered in Postcards is of a consistently high caliber. One particularly poignant tale comes from the imagination of Phil Hester. Known more for his artwork – oft-partnered with inker Ande Parks, also present as the writer of a separate tale – than his writing, Hester writes and draws a tale based upon a postcard with the reproachful line “Someone from Adams Co. told the girls that you married a man who had a boy 12 yrs. old.” Expecting a story full of scandal and gossip, Hester surprises readers, including his editor, by molding a very different tale from the few lines left on the back of that card. Delving deeper into the possibilities offered, Hester reveals how happenstance following close on the heels of tragedy can lift a person out of the depression so readily available at a difficult time in one’s life. The main character, his mother drinking poison on the eve of the boy’s twelfth birthday, spies a woman dancing madly within the forest one evening. She seems possessed, but unexpectedly becomes the boy’s stepmother when his father marries her. Within months, the boy’s father passes on and he is left with this woman who suffers from the then-unknown Tourette’s syndrome. As they both work past their grief, the boy discovers a pure, maternal love from this former stranger, a love that shapes his life in unexpected ways, rippling down through the years as he watches his own family grow up to have lives of their own. It is a touching narrative elevated by Hester’s understated and evocative writing – a diamond among gems.

An earlier story within the book that plucks a wondrously full narrative from the sparest of lines is the piece offered by Tom Beland author of his own comic True Story Swear to God. This seed, a Valentine’s card from a secret admirer, offers little in the way of information, stating, “Don’t get brain fever trying to guess who this is from. Just think of apple cake and lemon slice and you’ve got it.” From these few words, Beland creates a touching story that peers in to the final day of one man as he anticipates a reunion with his wife, dead these past five years. In eight pages, readers are able to fill in the details of this man’s life, discovering the romance he was lucky enough to have experienced, something many of us fail to find. For his final meal, the man goes to the diner that was once the soda fountain where he met his wife. Enjoying a blueberry muffin and an earl grey, he ponders his life, achingly aware of his age, surrounded by so many young people. Finishing, he takes the postcard from his pocket, the one from his wife’s photo album, the one he has carried with him every day for five years, and leaves it as a token that love lingered there – a fitting epitaph.

There are many more tales like these to be found in Postcards. Each one is a work full of emotion, some treading close to overly romanticized visions before pulling the audience back from the edge. It is a fine line these creators walk and a testament to Jason Rodriguez that each story is of such a high quality. With stories ranging from one of an expatriate American couple stuck in WWII France of their own accord to a tale of the highest stakes revolving around a game of tic-tac-toe set in the old west to a pulp hero yarn in the vein of the Shadow and the Green Hornet, this is an intriguing mix of story and art that all fans of the medium, and of good storytelling, should have on their shelves.

An Interview with Jason Rodriguez:

Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium?

Where to begin…

Autobio, sci-fi, historical epic…no matter what your story may be your budget stays the same.

There are so many challenges involved when writing a story for comics and so many novel ways that you can address those challenges.

Nostalgia – I can admit that, right? I’ve been reading comics since I was a kid. I still love to be involved in plays and I’ll occasionally write some prose but comics…it takes me back.

The community. The conventions, the message boards, the websites – when you’re making comics you seem to have a support network behind you from the start. Starving actors and unpublished writers are a cliché at this point; they’re in their small apartment trying to get their big break, no-one really helping them. But in comics? You can make a good comic on your own, put it out there, and all of a sudden the community is behind you.

I could go on.

What was the inspiration for Postcards, and how did you sell the concept to Random House?

The idea behind Postcards came from a postcard I found at an antique store. It was in a dusty shoebox, cost fifty cents, and was sent from an army private to his mom before he was shipped out to fight in World War II. I realized that this private may have never returned from the war and I may be holding his last communication in my hand. I wanted to do the book at that moment and everything just fell into place, including Random House who was already on line to publish Elk’s Run, another book I edited.

What has the reaction been to Postcards thus far, and would you characterize it as a successful project?

I’d categorize it as a good start. I think I learned a lot from this project. The book made it into some hands, not as many as we thought it would, but I know some of the things that held it back and I’m learning from it. The second volume (and other projects I’m developing) will benefit from the lessons learned with my first go around.

In your opinion, what is it that makes for a successful anthology? Do you think having a thematic “spine” helped with Postcards?

I think the thematic “spine” helped get Postcards in people’s hands, yes. It made for a very easy pitch. When I hand sell it at conventions it goes very fast because I put a quick pitch out there, people dig the concept, and they come on board. Now that’s not what makes a successful anthology, that’s the first step, I think.

As far as steps two, three, etc…I’m still theorizing on that one. I’ll get back to you.

You have a great mix of talent from well-known creators such as Harvey Pekar, Phil Hester, and Antony Johnston, to up-and-coming talent such as G.B. Tran, Micah Farritor, and A. David Lewis. How did you decide on the final “roster” for the anthology, and what criteria did you use when deciding upon contributors?

Some were friends that have fantastic books out, some were friends that I believed in, and some were folks I admired for a long time. There wasn’t really a formula, I just sat around and asked myself who’d be good for the book and came up with a list of about fifty names. I pulled out the folks that I knew I could get in the book (like Josh Fialkov, Phil Hester, etc) and went to them first. With a bit of a roster on board I went to the folks that I’ve never talked to before (like Ande Parks and Tom Beland and Harvey Pekar/Joyce Brabner).

What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell readers about?

I need a kick in the ass but once I get that, Postcards II is still in development. I’m also co-writing a biography of Sam Cooke with my friend Chris Stevens and I’m writing a young adult novel about a kid that’s known everything from the moment he was born except for how it is he knows everything. I have some other concepts that I like but I need that kick in the ass, as mentioned above.

FYC Replay: Indy Anthologies - an introduction

For Your Consideration: Independent Anthologies: an introduction

By Chris Beckett

FRONT PAGE: I love variety, experimentation, and the opportunity to see writers and artists working outside the confines of the typical and the mundane. The best places to find all this are within the pages of comic anthologies where some of the biggest names – Alan Moore, Brian Michael Bendis, John Cassaday, Paul Pope and others – got their starts. Click on in for a brief introduction – the first of seven parts spotlighting independent comic anthologies . . . for your consideration.

INDY ANTHOLOGIES - AN INTRODUCTION:

Since the early days of comic publishing anthologies have been an important part of the landscape. Most characters at that time got their start in these books’ short stories. Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, originally saw print in Action Comics #1, which also included Zatara the Magician and Tex Thompson, while Bob Kane created the Batman for the anthology from which DC Comics would eventually take its name. In issue 27 Detective Comics, which also included more typical detective yarns with characters like Slam Bradley and Speed Saunders, the Dark Knight detective made his debut and has anchored the book ever since.

For publishers in this fledgling market it only made sense. Timely, National Publications, Fawcett, and others were able to give artists and writers an opportunity to create new characters without investing the time or money needed for the publication of a brand new periodical that had no guarantee of success. Publishers afforded themselves the luxury of seeing which characters in these anthologies did not work and which ones would be able to carry their own titles. It was a sound business model, one that also gave many young creators a chance they might not have seen otherwise.

These, and later anthologies such as The Haunt of Fear and Two-Fisted Tales from EC Comics or the Warren magazines Creepy and Eerie, were also able to appeal to a wider audience. Though all offerings of a particular issue might not be to every reader’s liking, there would often be enough variety within the overall theme of a book to entice fans moreso than a tightly focused publication might. And, with a variety of stories from a number of creators, the possibility of discovering an unknown artist or writer was exciting and could lead to the purchase of sister publications with stories from these same artists. For much of the first couple of decades, anthologies were an integral part of comics publishing.

With the dawn of the 1960s, there was a renewed interest in comics coinciding with the resurgence of superheroes. The Flash ushered in the Silver Age of comics with his initial appearance in Showcase #4, another anthology, but the real boom came about when Stan Lee along with Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and a host of other talented artists brought about a seismic change in superhero storytelling. Wishing to make these characters easier for fans to relate to, Lee, Kirby, Ditko, et al. created heroes that were flawed. Spider-Man faced trouble at school in his alter ego, while the Fantastic Four argued among themselves like the family they were. Pulling readers in with these new characters, Lee chose also to ground his continuing series within a specific continuity. This did a couple of things. First, it added another layer of authenticity to the stories being told at Marvel Comics as actions in one tale would have repercussions in another. This also, very slyly, made the entire line of Marvel comics coveted by fans because they did not wish to miss out on anything. It was a masterful storytelling and marketing move by Marvel Comics, but this, along with the rapid ascendance of superheroes as the genre within the comics medium, also had consequences for anthologies.

Certainly, anthologies were still being published, but they were becoming fewer and fewer every year. Marvel had “split book” titles such as Strange Tales while DC was still publishing Showcase along with others such as the 1970s horror titles House of Mystery and House of Secrets. But the rabid fan base that enjoyed the continuity introduced by Marvel Comics, coupled with the virtual monopoly on the medium by the superhero genre, did not seem to allow for books that included multiple short stories within different genres from various creative teams. Ironically, despite this emphasis on a new type of storytelling, the advent of Marvel Comics started a movement away from the purchase of comics for the pure enjoyment of reading the stories toward the collector mentality that continues to this day. For me, this shift from reading to collecting – though I have been guilty of it in the past – takes some of the magic out of comics.

For quite some time, there were many – as there still are – that believed anthologies don’t sell. This sentiment was held by publishers, editors, creators, and retailers. Certainly, it is more difficult to market an anthology. The hook present with a character (the Dark Knight Detective) or a creative team (Claremont/Byrne X-Men) is often difficult to come by with something that, by its definition, is meant to offer a variety of stories – often within multiple genres – by various writers and artists. Practically speaking, it is almost impossible to create a book in that vein that will include stories of an equal quality and entertainment value across the board. The differing styles among the artists and writers coupled with the diverse interests of the audience dictate that this will be the case. It’s the same with anthology shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. Harlan Ellison put it best in an afterword to his graphic Night and the Enemy when he stated – while lamenting the deluge of sequels, trilogies, and “shared universe” novels within the book market – “The casual reader – or viewer – seeks familiarity, a comfortable sense of knowing what’s going on, as you’re going in.” It is this familiarity that has helped to push anthologies to the bottom of the publishing pile.

But it is this unfamiliarity and variety that draws me to anthologies, whether they be prose, comics, or on television. If the quality is there – a higher hurdle set for these types of books than the more familiar “soap opera” style comics – then I expect to be amazed and entertained every time. Does this mean that every single story in Negative Burn or Afterworks is going to appeal to me? No. I have particular tastes that may run counter to other fans’, and varying art styles, storytelling techniques, or certain uncared-for genres may leave me wanting more from specific offerings. But I do know that, on balance, there will be enough to keep me interested and keep me buying.

Unlike those of us living here in the States, our counterparts in Europe and Japan, two areas of the world where comics have become an accepted part of the cultural landscape, have grown up with high-quality anthologies. In Japan for example, stories are often serialized in large “phone book” manga magazines, which include many stories, each of which is continued in subsequent issues. Only when a particular serial becomes popular enough are the chapters collected into books called tankobon. Manga has become such an integral aspect of Japan’s cultural landscape that one can find almost any genre represented therein, from sports to romance to action-adventure.

Europe has its fair share of anthologies as well. Some of the best known come from England – titles like Warrior, 2000AD, Crisis, and Eagle. Many of the best-known and critically acclaimed writers and artists from Europe that have made their marks in the American comic market got their start creating short stories for anthologies such as these. Garth Ennis wrote Judge Dredd for 2000AD while Grant Morrison created Zenith for the same publication. Bryan Talbot, Dave Gibbons and Steve Dillon all found work in these weeklies’ pages, while Alan Moore contributed multiple Time Twisters and Future Shocks to 2000AD, and two of his seminal works – Marvelman (published as Miracleman by Eclipse in the United States) and V for Vendetta – began as serials in Warrior. Moore, the most revered writer in the history of comics, has stated in more than one interview that creating short three to five page stories for these anthologies as he began his career was the best education he could have gotten for writing comics. After creating a complete tale within those narrow confines, producing longer epics with twenty-plus page chapters was far easier.

In recent years, with critical acclaim for books such as Flight, initially published by Image and now with Villard, and MOME from Fantagraphics Books, fans have been able to find more anthologies, and more variety, in their comic browsing. One thing that has helped this resurgence is the expansion of graphic novels in the book trade. No longer tied to the monthly pamphlet format, anthologies can be more like traditional books – larger spines, more stories, and a variety of genres – because all the stories found within its covers are self-contained. Books like the aforementioned Flight and the Dark Horse Book of Hauntings revolve around specific themes within which creators tell their tales – respectively, flight and ghost stories – in order to market these anthologies to a new audience. Others, like Solo – sadly cancelled by DC – and Kramer’s Ergot from Buenaventura Press, work on the traditional theory of producing books that include a variety of stories of a high quality for their audience. However they choose to do it, I’m glad to see the comic anthology going strong in this new century.

It is within the pages of these books that the creators of tomorrow, as well as more established creators, are able to experiment with storytelling and push the medium forward while also charting out new waters for their own personal oeuvre that might not be possible within “more marketable” comics. Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at some of these anthologies. The books spotlighted will be some of the best out there, many you might have heard of, some you may not be familiar with, but I hope that in the end you might take another look at some of these books. And please feel free to join the discussion. I want to know what books you like, what ones you don’t, and why. Turn me on to something new, and I’ll try to do the same. Until next week, keep reading.

FYC Replay: Nexus with Steve Rude

In an effort to archive my "For Your Consideration" columns from my time writing for the Pulse, here is one of the later pieces I wrote. I was very excited about this. I had met Steve Rude at a convention years earlier, but hadn't taken the opportunity to talk with him much (that's not my style). But given the opportunity to do a phone interview with him for the return of Nexus - for which I was extremely excited - I jumped at the chance. Sadly, the speaker-phone I used gave out on me just after Rude picked up (after two abortive attempts at the interview prior), and so I had to work doubly hard to parse out what he was saying in my recording. I lost some of our conversation and had to piece together much of the rest with the help of memory, but, overall, I feel I was successful in retaining the spirit of Rude's thoughts and ideas. I hope you enjoy.

For Your Consideration: Baron & Rude’s Nexus

By Chris Beckett

FRONT PAGE: Baron. Rude. Civil Unrest. Nexus. Sundra. Tyrone. Leaky diapers. Fully painted artwork. And the return of . . . Kreed. It’s Nexus #100, and this one has it all. Come in and check it out. It’s the return of a classic you don’t want to miss.

The 411:

Nexus: Space Opera pt. 1 & 2

Issue #99 (32pp. full color, $2.99)

Issue #100 (48pp. full color, $4.99)

Written by Mike Baron

Art by Steve Rude

Rude Dude Productions

What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

It’s been ten years since Mike Baron and Steve Rude last brought the wonders of Nexus to its legion of fans. And with such a layoff, one might expect the newest issue, last summer’s #99, to open with a short recap of who Nexus is and what makes him tick. But then again, these two creators aren’t known for taking the easy, or the expected, path in their work. That’s part of what endears these two artists to their fans, and it is an integral part of what has made Nexus a popular and critically-acclaimed comic for over a quarter of a century despite working its way through four publishers. But now that Nexus has landed within its co-creator’s newly-formed publishing venture, Rude Dude Publications, fans can hope to see far more of this dynamic and tortured character in the coming years.

Nexus is one of those comic characters that has stood the test of time, and if all fans are not intimately familiar with his exploits, most fans – I hope – are familiar with the name and the creators. But with the ten-year layoff, maybe a short introduction is in store.

Taking place five hundred years in the future, Nexus is one Horatio Hellpop, son of the Sov General Teodor Hellpop, a mass murderer who ordered the destruction of a planet. It is from this, and in reaction to this, that Nexus comes to be. Able to bend matter to his will, and tormented by feverish nightmares of the galaxy’s worst mass murderers, young Horatio takes on the mantle of Nexus, exacting justice upon those in his dreams, beginning with his own father. Hellpop did not choose to be the galaxy’s executioner, but he is compelled to mete out this justice so that the dreams might stop, or at least fall silent a while.

Word of his deeds quickly sweep across the galaxy, bringing refugees to the planet where he was born and continues to reside, Ylum. Outcasts, survivors, and others seeking a new life migrate to Ylum, bringing forth life from the once-dead orb. Despite this influx of people, and contrary to his relationship with Sundra Peale – initially dispatched to Ylum to spy on Nexus – this guardian of the galaxy remains a solitary figure, unable to find solace or understanding from others who could never know what he endures. But Nexus continues his duty while trying to have a somewhat normal life and create a planet where things will not be as bleak as they seem to be across the rest of the universe. It is a difficult life, but then again, what would life be without the challenge?

With the landmark 100^th issue of Nexus, the fecal matter hits the fan. Nexus and Sundra have just welcomed their new son, Harry, into the world as the Elvonics threaten to destabilize the planet’s tenuous peace. Having so many different races residing together brings with it any number of problems, the most prominent stemming from those ancient differences that define us as they also isolate us, forcing one race to hate another only because they are different. It is this, and the perceived insult of Nexus against the Elvonics, that has incited them to open hostilities while others conspire in secret the murder of Nexus’s newborn, the most recent attempt involving the launching of hyposiles against Sundra while still pregnant. Luckily, Nexus was present when she was attacked and deflected two of the hyposiles as he seized the third one and digested it, absorbing the surge of power triggered by its detonation.

Nexus is a unique comic. It packs all of the action and spectacular science fiction elements of a great summer blockbuster, while also grounding the characters in a very real world that, despite being set five hundred years in the future, looks quite a bit like our own. Hellpop, Sundra, Judah, Tyrone, and all the others experience the same feelings of loss and guilt, love and embarrassment, as all those reading this book, and writer Mike Baron is unafraid of treading through the mundane aspects of this world in order to create a more believable and engaging story. Though the justice exacted by Nexus may be absolute and brook little argument from the audience, it is not so easy for Horatio Hellpop to slough off the magnitude of what he does. Beset by guilt and anxiety, he is an all too human character who is able to perform great feats of heroism, but not without a cost. Who among us would be unable to sympathize with Nexus? It is this humanity, imbued by Baron’s writing, which elevates Nexus above that of the typical action comic. This, and Baron’s trademark humor, helps to make Nexus one of the most enjoyable reads in comics today, whether it be the new series or the recently repackaged Archives from Dark Horse comics.

Accentuating these fantastically human stories is the artwork of co-creator Steve Rude. Without his sleek lines, Nexus would not have reached the pinnacle it has. Rude is able, with a minimum of brush strokes, to create elegant characters that glide across the page, seemingly in motion despite living on a two-dimensional canvas. Rude’s work is reminiscent of one of his unabashed heroes, Alex Toth, a master draftsman whose output within comics was far too slight. Rude is an obvious heir to Toth, and the skilled manner with which he creates his pages adds so much to the reading experience of Nexus. Managing to pack his panels full of detail and action while somehow keeping them from becoming so cluttered that the action gets lost in the reading, Rude walks a fine line that is only enhanced by his aptitude for evoking emotion on the faces of his characters. Especially evident in close-up, Rude refuses to bash readers over the head – except when the humor of the character or the moment demands caricature – preferring to delineate understated, but more real, emotions on the faces of those populating this book. This refusal to “dumb down” the story through his subtle art is the mark of a consummate artist.

This 100^th issue of Nexus also includes a history of the character by comics journalist Bill Baker (Alan Moore’s Exit Interview and Alan Moore Spells It Out) as well as the first fully-painted Nexus story from Rude. The eleven-page backup story, which showcases the backstory of Sundra from before she ever knew Nexus, is a rare treat and an amazing showcase for Rude’s painting. This book is chock full of the good stuff and any fan of great comics does not want to miss this one.

An Interview with Steve Rude:

Why choose to start RudeDude at this juncture?

The right time to do anything is when you feel it’s right. And then you just try your hardest. You read up and try and get as smart as you can so that you can succeed.

The type of thinking that says something isn’t going to work is exactly the type of thinking that keeps people where they are in life. You can’t move forward if you aren’t willing to take chances.

Ultimately, what will this move mean for Nexus and the Moth as well?

What I want to do is spread the word about these comics that I think are better than the ones that are out there right now. Comics have gotten very ugly. They’re dark and morose. For me, it’s a real aversion to what I consider good entertainment. And that’s my goal. I want to entertain people with my comics.

A lot of people look at Nexus as an antihero, and I was curious about your thoughts on that.

Labels are going to be labels. To me, that’s what he is, and how people interpret it is part of the magic of entertainment. When you see a movie that doesn’t have a cut and dried ending, you’re left to interpret it any way you want. That’s part of the fun of using your imagination instead of having it spelled out for you. To me, [Nexus] is a great character with a great life that’s worth drawing and writing.

The same with the Moth. He has a very interesting life and a lot of room to grow in the comics. I enjoy the growth of the characters. It’s all a matter of how you deal with the things that come at you. It’s like playing battle ball in gym class when you have a thousand balls coming at you. It’s how you deal with that, trying not to get hit.

And that’s life. Every day we get up and face the world. Comic books are no different. The various settings are different from our own, but the circumstances of how to deal with things are still: this person in this situation and how do they deal with it. Why do we keep getting up in the morning? Why do we want to keep trying?

One thing I find interesting though – again, with the labels – is it seems that Nexus really hasn’t suffered from the antihero tag. It seems to be more embraced than a lot of other characters that are in a similar vein. I’m wondering what you might attribute that to?

Well, he’s not a cruel person, for one thing. I think he’s the guy that got put into this situation and does his job even though he doesn’t enjoy it. I think there’s a lot of value in what he does. It’s something that I personally feel really strongly about. The idea that there are so many rotten people in the world and there’s nothing that seems able to be done about that. And we see it every night on the evening news. It’s not fun. And I don’t know how many people are able to watch the evening news, but I can’t watch it. I haven’t watched it for, going on two decades now.

I don’t want to watch that. But it’s real life, and how a culture deals with things that are as horrible as what we have on our television sets every night says a lot about them. And all I know is that there are really rotten people running around doing really rotten things. I wish there was a delegation somewhere that could do something. Part of what the book is about is that the legal system gets thrown out the window. Because people wait forever to decide if he’s guilty or not guilty, or if he’s insane and isn’t responsible for his actions. I dislike the notion that there is some guy out there that has the psychological makeup to solve his problems by killing people. That doesn’t work.

I would want justice for the people. I would like to see evil eliminated. But you could never wipe it out. That’s impossible. All I know is that you do what you can with your life.

Here on Earth there’s all these fighting factions. They fight based on their philosophies.

I was just watching this X-Files [episode] last night that will give you a perfect example of what I’m talking about. There’s this insane guy they’re going to let go and Mulder wants to stop it because he knows they can’t let him go otherwise he’ll be at it again. You’re laughing the whole time at those people sitting there in the chairs in this committee saying this guy’s perfectly sound for him to go out. These are the people that don’t understand what the hell they’re doing.

That’s my personal take on that. I think these people are vastly ignorant and choose to be because they don’t want to understand the facts that are repeatedly being shown to them.

And so there’s a lot of my personal philosophy in Nexus. And Baron feels the same way about this stuff.

To what do you consider the staying power of Nexus, especially considering the ten year layoff?

I think it’s a combination of things. There’s a foundational truth to the character that spans decades. Without that, it would feel flat. We try to ground it in the here and now even though it’s set in the future. We use events from today as our springboard. Everything is a reflection of its time because people don’t change. They never change.

OCTOBER COMICS Starchild by James A. Owen

James Owen’s Starchild series was one of those books that would rise to the top of my “to-read” pile when it was being published regularly back in the early 90s. I love that book and have read it a number of times through the years.

Not a horror book – as most of my other “October comics” offerings have been – it is a book perfectly suited to reading during this time of year when the days get shorter and the air becomes cooler. This was pointed out to me by my friend from the CGS forums, Adam Murdough, and when he shared this insight, I knew instantly he was correct.

The tale of the Higgins family, the bulk of Starchild is set in the timeless village of Fool’s Hollow near a magical forest. Hearkening back to our romanticized versions of ancient English villages, this is a tale wherein mythical characters like Titania live alongside caricatures of some of my favorite fantasists such as Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore. It’s a masterful blending of myriad times and settings that Owen manages to pull off with intelligence while never forgetting to tell an entertaining story.

Owen both writes and draws these tales, and his art meshes wonderfully with the writing. Owen’s delicate lines and slightly rough style are reminiscent of old woodcuts, evoking through his artwork the atmosphere of such a tale. One can almost hear the wind whistling across the glens as the pages turn. Drawn in a different style, or by a different artist, I don’t think Starchild would evoke such wonder as it does.

Within the pages of Starchild, one encounters mystery, high drama, and familial secrets tempered by the whimsy and lyrical comedy of characters such as Old Tom and Martin Humble, and simmering beneath it all is the magic of stories, the kind that ignited our imaginations as children.

If you love fantasy and appreciate the mood found in that hour right before midnight in the early autumn, then this is a book for you. Definitely worth seeking out, Starchild is best read on the porch at dusk, with a steaming mug of cider close by.

chris

OCTOBER COMICS Frankenstein by Steve Niles & Scott Morse

A few years back, Steve Niles started a series of “Little Books of Horror” through IDW. They were slim, 48-page adaptations of classic horror stories. Niles wrote the adaptations with a number of distinct artists providing illustrations. Ted McKeever provided art for “The War of the Worlds,” Richard Sala did so for “Dracula,” and Scott Morse drew the single volume I own, “Frankenstein.”

I re-read this book just the other night, and, although it was a quick read, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Niles manages to encapsulate the entirety of Shelley’s novel with an economical use of prose. True to the source material, he includes bits that are often overlooked in other adaptations, and I applaud him for this.

It is a great challenge to boil down a novel to a few hundred words, and yet, Niles manages to do just that. Obviously, readers do not get the nuance and more fully-realized narrative that can be found in Shelley’s novel through this 48-page graphic novel. But, if one is already familiar with the book, a faithful adaptation such as this ignites the memory of the original’s reading. And, if one has not read Frankenstein before, this is a great introduction to a classic of literature that could, very easily, spur one on to go and read the original.

The big draw for this book, though, is the lush painting of Scott Morse. He provides richly imagined pieces, full of color and design and symbolism, and adds so much to Niles’s adaptation. Between readings of this book, I have often pulled it from my shelf and slowly leafed through it, studying the artistry of Morse. Somehow, his animation style fused with his sense of color manages to evoke the very genuine emotions that are to be found in the source material.

And it is a very distinct book that feels and reads like little else in comics – or prose, for that matter. This is mainly why I appreciate Scott Morse’s work so much. He – like Paul Pope or Kate Beaton or James Owen – prefer to carve out their own niche in this medium doing challenging work that stands out among the soulless “house styles” found in many of the “mainstream” comics on stands today (not that this is unique to current comics). If you love great art and can appreciate the skill necessary to create such a faithful adaptation in so few words, then this is a book you should seek out.

And if you do choose to read this book in a dimly lit room as the moon falls behind the swaying trees outside your window, you just might hear the monster crying off in the distance, and you may need to pull another blanket up close to your chin, just to keep the cold away.

chris

ESSEX COUNTY volume 2

In “Ghost Stories,” the second part of Jeff Lemire’s acclaimed Essex Country trilogy from Top Shelf Comics, readers follow the story of brothers Lou and Vince LeBeuf from their time playing amateur hockey together for the Toronto Grizzlies up until their final years. Lemire tells this story through flashbacks – seen from Lou’s contemporary point of view – and offsets it with Lou’s current struggle to keep his family farm, keep his independence (as a nurse comes in to help a few times a week), and the eventual inevitability of him moving into a nursing home.

The main plot is a fairly standard one – that of a rift between brothers over their mutual love of a single woman – but Lemire infuses the narrative with more soul and emotion than is in many of these tales. And, he does not take it in the direction one initially expects. What appears to be foreshadowing very early in the book is actually a result of Lou’s failing health and his inability to properly recall the memories of his life.

The most vivid, and most special, moments in Lou’s life revolve around his brother Vince, who was bigger and more skilled at hockey than Lou could ever hope. The year he shared a hockey line with Vince, when they led Toronto to the playoffs, burns bright on the horizon of his mind. This pivotal time in Lou’s life is also the point where things went so wrong for these two. And it all flows naturally from the characterizations of these LeBeuf brothers.

Lou’s fading health, as he cuts himself off from the rest of his family after the mistake made during that fateful year in Toronto, mirrors his emotional deterioration. It is notable that, once Vince and his fiancée Beth leave Toronto to return to the farm, Lou suffers a debilitating knee injury that ends his own hockey career. But, at that point, he cannot go home. So he remains in the city and finds a job driving a streetcar on the public transit lines of Toronto.

Eventually, Lou and Vince come together after a family tragedy. Things are uncomfortable, and the LeBeuf brothers are never able to recapture that special bond they once had. But they are there for each other, as well as for young Jimmy LeBeuf (whom we saw in the first volume of Essex County), whose limited hockey career is able to wipe the slate clean between these brothers, at least for the short time they are able to watch him play.

With this second part of his Essex County trilogy, Jeff Lemire continues to exhibit the skills of an artist of more advanced years. His pacing is pitch-perfect, teasing out the narrative in a manner that allows pieces of the puzzle to connect slowly until various points collide, bringing the entirety of the narrative into sharp focus.

And his artwork suffuses the story with such emotion, elevating it to another level. Lemire knows when to pull back and when to close in on a moment, evoking very authentic feelings that we all have experienced at one time or another. I continue to be amazed at the ease with which he paints these characters while swiftly engaging his audience and never letting go until the final page. I anxiously look forward to reading the final part of this landmark graphic novel. If you haven’t read this yet, you need to get out and find a copy. This is as good as it gets in comics.

Also, if you’re curious, my thoughts on the first part of Jeff Lemire’s Essex County Trilogy – “Tales From the Farm” – can be found here.

chris

OCTOBER COMICS - Universal Monsters adaptations

The Universal Monster films hold a dear place in many people’s hearts. They’re fun and, as a boy, were great for a scare when I watched them on television late at night. So, when Dark Horse published comic adaptations of some of these classic films back in the early 90s, I was onboard.

It’s been a number of years since I read them, but I remember enjoying these books immensely. The adaptations were very true to the movies from which they derived, and, as it is when we see Iron Man or Batman on the silver screen, it was a thrill to have these stories in a new medium for which I have such passion.

Dark Horse did a stellar job of pulling together creators for these books. Art Adams and Tony Harris are the obvious “name” stars to have contributed to this short series. Adams’s meticulous linework in the “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and his notable detail offer a fully-realized and icky swamp for this creature to reside in. Conversely, Harris’s more flowing ink style fit well with the fraying wraps of the mummy, bringing this encumbered figure to vivid, haunting life.

However, despite the involvement of Harris and Adams on this project, I was more anxious for the Frankenstein adaptation from Denis Beauvais. I was familiar with Beauvais’s painting from Dark Horse’s Aliens books. And he did not disappoint. His use of color and ability to evoke atmosphere through his painting fit this book perfectly. Easily, this is my favorite of the bunch.

And finally, Dracula was brought to life by Dan Vado, “supreme commander” of Slave Labor Graphics, and J.D. Smith, who works primarily as a colorist in the comics field today. Like Frankenstein, these two were able to imbue their adaptation with the atmosphere evoked in the film. The soft linework of Smith worked well in this respect.

Are these books scary? No. Are the original films considered scary by today’s standards? No. But these books are fun, and, if you enjoyed the Universal Monster films when you were younger, reading one of these will touch that nostalgic part of you that is also what keeps us reading comics. And that, to me, seems fitting.

chris