Comics: A preview of Horror Mountain by Iain Laurie

Please enjoy this two-page preview of Iain Laurie's Horror Mountain:

Buy Iain Laurie's Horror Mountain at the Graphic Eye Store.

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Comics: "Slugmix" by Iain Laurie and LAN Formatique

Now available in the Graphic Eye store:

Slugmix by Iain Laurie and LAN Formatique

A mini-multimedia collaboration between artist Iain Laurie and electronic musician LAN Formatique.

Slugmix contains an 8-page mini-comic, featuring two stories from Laurie; and a 3-track mini-CD from LAN Formatique.

Both explore the themes of violence, consumerism, addiction and the fickleness of our own minds.

Go on, take a taste of Slugmix...

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Review: Ritual #1 - Real Life by Malachi Ward

Ritual #1 - Malachi Ward (w/a)

Revival House Press, $6

Malachi Ward is a strange chameleon of a cartoonist.  Just when you think you have him pinned-down from his various science-fiction and fantasy works, like Expansion and Utu, then along comes a subtle, brooding work like “Real Life” that makes you completely rethink his abilities.  Rather than anything fantastical, this first installment in his Ritual anthology is grounded in quiet domesticity.

A young couple’s strained relationship begins to devolve in the surreal.  After a power-cut, the woman’s dreams seem to be manifesting themselves in her waking life — what could be a generator explosion may also be the work of a god-like hand, and her boyfriend might have beetles crawling under his skin.  There’s a strange blend of psychological horror and magical realism at work that drops the narrative into a strange limnal state.

There is a strong thread of Jungian psychology running through the tale.  In the darkness of the power cut, we see the woman’s insecurities about herself and her ignorance of any problems in her relationship turned back against her in the form of another woman.  And, as her conscious and unconscious lives begin to collide, the darkness of her shadow-shelf only increases, not only threatening her relationship, but her very life.  When she is forced into a struggle for survival, the forces of anima and animus in the couple become not only heightened, but nightmarish, breaking their skin out in oozing pustules.

There is never any definitive explanation given for what is happening, physically, to the couple.  That the plot is so sewn up with psychological phenomena, and follows a surrealistic path, even leaves it unclear as to whether the entire story is actually a dream.  The wavering panel borders of the opening sequence would seem to suggest that only the opening is, but the accompanying caption reads: “This… this feels more…” — a wonderfully pregnant ellipsis that is only completed at the end of the book, and raises more questions than it answers.

The obvious touchstone for “Real Life” is Charles Burns’s Black Hole.  Indeed, Ward’s intensely-detailed illustration of a beetle on the back cover uses the same feathered-inking that Burns has become so innately associated with, and a few panels of the story — particularly the view inside a carton of Chinese food — recall those wandering non-diegetic spreads from Black Hole, with various household items caught in a swirl of wispy tendrils.  It’s likely that “Real Life” is intended as an homage to Burns, but bringing the teenage-angst-as-disease metaphor into early adulthood.

This is a powerful start to the Ritual series, and one that delivers an emotion gut-punch like nothing else Ward has done.  He shows himself here to be a profoundly thoughtful and thought-provoking creator, and one who treats the short-form story with respect, exploiting it to its fullest.  While other cartoonists focus on the “graphic novel” , Ward show us that there are still unexplored depths to the periodical.

-- Gavin Lees

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Feature: Taste-testing the Apocalypse, part 5

Elysian Ruin


To celebrate the impending apocalypse (Game of Thrones is over, so there's no real reason to stick around anyway) Fantagraphics have made a strange alliance with fellow Seattleites, Elysian Brewery, to release a series of 12 speciality beers with label art by Charles Burns. The beers are being released at a rate of one per month, with this month's brew being “Ruin” (as in "Mother's") which is an IPA made with rosemary and agave.


After a few disappointments with this brewing experiment (it seems to be following the pattern of the Star Trek movies, with every other release being a success) Ruin was a pleasing return to the style and quality we've come to expect from Elysian.


As its poured, the beer has the appearance of orange soda -- bright orange colouring and a pleasingly frothy, creamy head. With the sun finally re-emerging in the Northwest, this feels like a real summer brew -- bright, cheerful and full of optimism...about as far from its apocalyptic origins as you'd expect.  Even the scent of the beer reflects the season; it's light, refreshing and herbal, like the aroma of a flourishing garden.  This does what many seasonal brews fail to do and actually capture the essence of its origin.

On the tongue, the taste is strange, but easy-going, which is a welcome relief in this series.  Too many have been over-powering with their flavour, leaving a muddled mess on the taste buds.  Ruin is subtle, and allowed to express itself.  It has the lightness of a lager, and not the overly-hoppy bitterness that American IPAs over suffer from, and for what seems like the first time in this series, actually tastes like an Elysian brew.  That flavourful, aromatic quality that's such a hallmark of their Jasmine and Avatar, and even their pumpkin ales, is in full-effect here.  Like an old friend, the familiar qualities allow you to relax and soak in what they have to offer.


The blend of agave and rosemary works well, and the twist of citrus in the mix gives the flavour an added tang that makes it so refreshing.  As a partner to barbecued meats or Mexican food, this is perfect and lets you soak up these long, summer nights, when the impending end of the world doesn't seem quite so close.

-- Gavin Lees

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Weekly Reviews: Chew #26, Mind MGMT #1

Chew # 26 - John Layman (w) Rob Guillory (a)

Image Comics $2.99

One of the best things about Chew has been its surprise success.  Writer John Layman famously shopped it around for a good while before deciding to finance it himself and publish it through Image Comics. The surprise is that this book might have been considered too strange for mainstream readers, but it’s had incredible success. Its proof that if you have a good story you can sell virtually any strange idea you can come up with.

Chew, for those who have somehow missed the boat thus far, revolves around a detective named Tony Chu.

Tony, who lives in a world where the consumption of bird meat is illegal, is a cibopath. This means that he can take a bite from anything (literally anything, at times it gets a bit disgusting in hilarious ways) and get a psychic impression from that object. This power often helps in his investigation. Chew slowly reveals a conspiracy surrounding Tony Chu and the world he lives in.

In issue # 26 Tony is in a coma. This is almost a relief as Tony is a bit of a dick. That’s another interesting thing about this book. Tony is a person who you would want nothing to do with in real life. However, Layman writes him in such a compelling manner that you almost miss him when he isn’t on stage

Anyhow, Tony is in a coma so this issue focuses on his sister, Toni, who works for NASA. Toni is great, she’s a sweetheart, and a character you actually want to root for. In this issue her food power (like Tony, most characters in this book have food related powers) is revealed in a hilarious scene which reveals yet another reason why this character is so much fun. There’s a strong case to be made for a book that can put its main cast on the sidelines, and still be as great as it has ever been.

As good as a writer as John Layman is, it wouldn’t be the same book without artist Rob Guillory. It’s almost impossible to write about Guillory art without using the word “cartoon” (the book even has sound effects like “bam” written out) but that’s not knocking the book. When doors slam, they tell you they’ve slammed, as if the art doesn’t make it clear enough. Guillory’s lines are jagged and soft, and typically fun to look at. This book needs his sort of pop art edge. Without it the book would be too dark, the humor wouldn’t quite get through. With it, Chew is one of the best books on the stands, a book that should never be missed.

Mind Mgmt # 1 - Matt Kindt (w, a)

Dark Horse $3.99

Mind Mgmt # 1 from writer and artist Matt Kindt  (Super Spy, Revolver) is the perfect example of why single issue paper comics may never die. From the color of the paper to the text that wraps around the edges, this is a book that is best enjoyed as a single physical object. A trend in comic has been to add material to single issues that won’t be collected in the eventual collection. This usually feels like a gimmick, but that isn’t the case here. Anyhow, the book is so good you won’t want to be miss an issue in any case. This is the kind of book so rarely seen that it’s hard not to get really excited about.

Loosely, Mind Mgmt revolves around the mystery of “The Amnesia Flight”. Two years before the book opens, every person on a flight lost their memory. The book sucks you in by throwing questions at you. The main character is a woman who wants to write a book about that flight. In this issue she is researching the book, which we’re told she’ll never be able to write. It’s intriguing and fun. Kindt is a man full of ideas, hopefully in this book (an ongoing) he’ll get to see all of them through. That was the only problem with Kindt’s last graphic novel, Revolver. It seemed too short for him to be able to get everything he wanted to say across.

Kindt’s light watercolors splash against crooked shapes. Many of his characters seem almost incomplete, but in a waty that just gives them more definition. Mind Mgmt is a lot of fun, and it’s only going to get better.

-- Jeffrey Whitelaw

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Editorial: Art vs Commerce (or, "Buy Our Comics!")

Today sees the one-year anniversary of the launch of Graphic Eye.  It's been a strange, interesting experiment; launching a new website in an already-crowded scene, wrangling writers and cartoonists, and trying to maintain some semblance of a regular schedule.  The site has had some ups and downs, its golden periods of quality articles and its half-hearted ones where life has got in the way, and some pieces have been posted that I wish had never been written.  Reflecting on our last year, though, my feelings are that the successes have outweighed the failures, and so, older and somewhat wiser, today begins the next phase of Graphic Eye.

Even though we use the Blogger platform, I've never referred to the site as a blog -- my definition has always been "an online comics magazine" where the driving principle was always thoughtful writing and interesting cartooning.  We avoid news, since other sites do that better than we ever could, and other fluff pieces, since the aim has never been to generate clicks or become fodder for casual browsing.  With this came the decision to avoid advertising on the site.  Early on, we used AdSense and Amazon Affiliate links, but not only did this cheapen the look of the site, but also ran contrary to our principle of valuing art over commerce.

However, today you may have noticed a new link on our navigation bar: Store.  Yes, as of today, we have become a small-press publisher and are looking for your money.  We felt this was a more honest way of supporting the site and our meagre operating costs, and also a better way to increase the exposure of our roster of cartoonists.  We will be appearing at some small-press comics fests in the near future, plying our wares, shaking hands and kissing babies.

Our debut publication is Iain Laurie's Horror Mountain -- a 22-page odyssey into the mind of our resident cartoonist.  We've been sending out advance copies, and it's already gained high praise from Nick Abadzis, Frank Quitely and Jeff Lemire -- we hope you'll enjoy it even half as much as they did.  In the following weeks, we'll be featuring some other works by Iain, including his multimedia meditation on boxing, Slugmix.

Later on in the year, we hope to release new works by Craig Collins and Ian Burns, and possibly some other surprises.  Of course, we'll still be keeping our (mostly) regular schedule of reviews, interviews, features and comics -- we'll just be a little more tangible.

I hope you'll stay with us and continue to support our endeavours, whatever form they may take.

Thank you for reading!

Gavin Lees

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Review: The Moon Moth by Jack Vance and Humayoun Ibrahim

The Moon Moth – Jack Vance (w) Humayoun Ibrahim (a)
First Second, $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-59643-367-0

Jack Vance has always been the connoisseur’s sf writer.  Never attaining the widespread acclaim of the likes of Philip K. Dick or Arthur C. Clarke — possibly due to the absence of a middle initial — he nevertheless inspired a loyal cult following whose number includes Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin and Michael Chabon.  Perhaps it is his devotion to sf that hid him from many literary readers, or his verbose, babel-tongued prose that kept the wolves of Hollywood from his door.  But greater acclaim may have cheapened his work and, as it stands, Vance is a shibboleth among the cognoscenti; a gateway to unexpected, unimagined worlds.

So, it is with great intrigue that First Second present an adaptation of one of Vance’s most acclaimed novellas, by debut artist Humayoun Ibrahim.  The Moon Moth is as much a mystery as it is an sf genre piece.  Edwer Thissell is sent to the planet Sirene as an ambassador, but finds it difficult to intregrate with the culture, where status is shown by the masks its inhabitants wear and proprietary is held in the highest regard.  Thissell soon finds himself searching for a murderer, a task made all the more difficult by the customary masks and the fact that no-one is necessarily who they appear to be.

 It’s an ambitious undertaking for any artist to adapt the work of a respected author, but this is especially so with Vance, as so much of his appeal lies not in his plots, but his beautifully florid prose. Irbrahim manages to capture some of this lyricism in his illustrations.  His style is clear, but embellished with rich details that give a storied aspect to each of the characters.  The intricacies of the textures and the expressiveness of his line matches the baroqueness of Vance’s writing.  For instance, Cornely Welibus wears a mask that Vance describes as consisting of “…a blue disk inlaid with cabochons of lapis lazuli, surrounded by an aureole of shimmering snakeskin,” which Ibrahim renders thus:

It’s to his advantage that this is one of Vance’s more dialogue-heavy pieces — and all the dialogue remains here intact — but when new concepts or neologisms are introduced, they’re rendered with flair and imagination.  One of the quirks of The Moon Moth is that the alien characters sing to one another, or play instruments, to communicate.  This is rendered in the adaptation through ornamented speech balloons and evocative uses of colour.

As a whole, the quirky, yet low key plot coupled with the vivid, stylish art makes The Moon Moth feel very much in the vein of the New Fantasy that has taken hold in comics recently — exemplified by works like Powr Mastrs, The Mourning Star, and Artichoke Tales.  Whether intentional or not, this manages to place Vance as the progenitor of the tradition and highlight just how powerfully resonant his work can be.

 -- Gavin Lees

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Feature: Taste-testing the Apocalypse, part 4

Elysian Peste

To celebrate the impending apocalypse (or capitalise on popular misconceptions of ancient mathematics) Fantagraphics have made a strange alliance with fellow Seattleites, Elysian Brewery, to release a series of 12 speciality beers with label art by Charles Burns. The beers are being released at a rate of one per month, with this month's brew being “Peste” ("Plague" in what might be a subtle nod to Burns's Black Hole graphic novel) which is a chocolate ale made with no less than five different chilis.

While the prospect of such a spicy brew may not seem overly inviting, its aroma belies its hidden fire with aromatic sweetness.  The first impression is of a botanical soda (like Dandelion and Burdock) with slight undertones of chocolate.  While chocolate normally adds to the richness of a porter or a stout, in an ale like this it seems to smooth the bitterness.  It obviously reacts with the brew, as the head is tinted brown, and is a lighter, stiffer affair than most of Elysian's ale, and crackles as it dissipates.

Upon first taste, there is not much of the chilli present, and the first thing that hits is the chocolate flavours.  Coming across as a lighter version of a chocolate stout, it is more sweet than bitter.  Yet the consistency is smooth, and not as sickly thick as the taste might imply.  It's only after the second or third quaff that the chillies hit, and hit they do!  The five varieties used in "Peste" not only build the spiciness of the ale, but are combined to activate different parts of the palate.  The sharpness of the cayenne stings the front of the tongue, while the softer smokiness of the chipotle peppers settles further back in the mouth.  It's a little overpowering at first, but eventually settles and allows the chocolate and cinnamon to better express themselves.

The ale hiding behind all that sweetness and spiciness is a fairly pedestrian affair, which lets the speciality flavours gain more definition.  There's a middling hop strength, and a smooth, velvety aftertaste.

With all the chillies, this is fine as a novelty brew, but is too overpowering to be drunk casually, or fit well with any food accompaniments. Elysian could make a winner out of a plain chocolate and cinnamon ale, which would have a much better balance of sweet, bitter and spice.  The ambition in this brew is admirable, but sadly the execution is just too raw to mark it as any kind of success.

-- Gavin Lees

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Review: Only Skin by Sean Ford

Only Skin – Sean Ford (w/a)

Secret Acres, $21.95, ISBN: 978-0983166207

Sean Ford is one of the increasing number of CCS graduates who are beginning to make their mark on the comics landscape.  Only Skin is his debut, long-form work, created over the course of five years.  Its lengthy gestation is appropriate, given the creeping, slow-burn of the narrative and its empty, lonely mood. Only Skin flows from the heart of the American Gothic tradition, and tears away layer after layer of pretense to expose the raw core of the country, with a sly, subtle dash of the supernatural.

The story concerns two young siblings, Cassie and Clay, who return home to take over their family gas station business after their father has gone missing (presumed dead).  The small town they come back to has changed, having had its air of civility shattered by a series of infidelities and a growing distrust in the local sheriff.  Things come to a head when more people begin to disappear and body parts are found around town.  The brother and sister become inextricably connected to all these events, and are haunted by what could be the ghost of their father, who guides them towards the uncomfortable truth that lies beneath the town’s naïve and quaint exterior.

There are obvious embers of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet in Ford’s work — particularly in the discovery of severed body parts — but the overall feel of the work is much more literary than it is cinematic.  There are touches of Cormac McCarthy in the narrative, given the juvenile point-of-view that we see events from, and the jarring interjections of violence into the remote, isolated setting.  Having such a serious tenor set for the story, it makes the interjection of the ghost — drawn like it’s straight out of a child’s notebook, with a white ragged sheet and two gaping black eyes — all the more puzzling and intriguing.  From one perspective, we can see it as metaphorical, with the ghost really being a representation of the children’s past that they cannot escape, and their desperate wish to be reunited with their father.  The origin of their names is made clear from the Cassius Clay poster that hangs prominently in his bedroom, and drives home the fragmentation of the family unit: Cassie, Clay; all that’s missing is “us,” a sense of family unity that they can never reclaim.

From a different perspective, we could read the ghost as a diversion into magical realism, and a manifestation of the children’s repressed thoughts of their father’s death.  The dislocation we feel as a reader upon the ghost’s intrusion could be seen to be comparable to Cassie and Clay’s own feeling of disorientation and fear, having to survive in the world without the guidance and support of a family unit.  Ford’s artistic style really helps to sell this central enigma and make it believable part of the narrative fabric.  Using a clear line style for his characters, they tend toward the abstract and iconic, so the ghost’s simple rendering does not seem out-of-place, but wholly integrated.

While the characters may be simply rendered, there is a clear drive on Ford’s part to suture us into a very real and unique locale through his lush backgrounds.  With sweeping brushstrokes he carves out the expansive, mountainous landscape and seems to delight in full-page wordless spreads where the silence and desolate beauty of the town is practically palpable.

Indeed, if there’s one constant in the book, it’s that unsettling feeling of loneliness and separation that permeates every line and every word.  In Only Skin, Ford holds a mirror to our own anxieties and presents a world where the most terrifying thing is neither ghosts nor murderers, but our own insecurity.

-- Gavin Lees

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Weekly Reviews: The Secret Service #2, Manhattan Projects #3

The Secret Service # 2 - Mark Millar (w) Dave Gibbons (a)

Marvel Icon, $2.99

The Secret Service # 2 is actually kind of fun. There isn’t any excuse to continue reading Mark Millar’s books but, for those of us who can’t help ourselves, this issue delivers. It isn’t original, not by a long shot, but the opening scene alone is well worth the price of admission. At least if you’re a fan of ridiculous over-the-top violence, which this column is a frequent proponent of.

The Secret Service is a pretty by-the-numbers spy story. A man with a License to Kill (yes, the character actually says he has one) introduces his nephew to Spy School while he runs off on another mission. More than likely in the next issue the nephew will have to save his uncle’s ass, as well as the world. Said ass-saving and world-saving will take place in the fourth issue.

Yes, it’s predictable, but other than a few pieces of dialogue this is a Millar book that isn’t embarrassing to read. The main reason for that is it doesn’t feel like a bloody film. It should, because it is, but Dave Gibbons’ art helps to suck the reader in, and makes this is a compelling read. Co-plotter Matthew Vaughn might have something to do with that as well.

Really, you could worse. People talk endlessly about Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga (out this week as well), but this is a much more enjoyable read. At least you know going in that it’s going to be predictable.

Yes, I’m recommending a Mark Millar book. Now will someone contact my LCS and tell them to stop me from buying Hit-Girl? For some reason I never can help myself.  This shit is worse than crack.

The Manhattan Projects # 3 - Jonathan Hickman (w) Nick Pitarra (a)

Image Comics, $3.50

If you’re a Warren Ellis fan, and you aren’t a Hickman fan as well, what have you been reading for the last couple years? With Ellis largely disappearing from comics, Hickman is his spiritual heir, even if he usually lacks the same sardonic humor.

With all the superhero bullshit and re-launch shenanigans it’s easy to forget about the independent writers. Of course, yesterday’s independent writers are now helping lay the foundation of the mainstream universes, but none of them have yet to return to their roots with as big a splash (creatively speaking) as Jonathan Hickman has.

The Manhattan Projects, one of Hickman’s two current ongoing creator-owned projects, finally gets great with this issue.  The pieces start to fall into place, and we almost get a glimpse of what the book is about, outside of its real-life science and history gone alternate-universe-mad.

Really, just as with Hickman’s other Image book, Secret, it’s hard to say too much about this book without spoiling the shock and surprise. Sometimes it’s fun to be left in the dark.

Nick Pitarra’s art is slightly off-kilter, and a little strange. He exaggerates facial proportions slightly, but not enough to bring his figures into the realm of caricature and jar with the serious tone of Hickman's writing. It’s also nice that the cast of the book is finally revealed.

The Manhattan Projects has felt like a series of (mostly) done-in-ones, and that was the only flaw in the first two issues. They didn’t feel cohesive. Here we finally get a glimpse of the bigger picture.

As with pretty much everything Hickman writes (even his Fantastic Four is a fantastic mindfuck) this is highly recommended. There are a lot of great writers bubbling just under the surface of mainstream comics, but none of them are writing books this good. Hickman may be hitting his peak, but this isn’t a bad thing. The next few years are going to be a lot of fun.

-- Jeffrey Whitelaw

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Interview: James Stokoe

One of the more enigmatic creators of recent years is James Stokoe.  His comics are a psychedelic assault of bright, saturated colours and incredible detail which range in topic from alien cook-offs, through monster-fighter baseball players, to safe-cracking orcs who use chopped-up penises for currency.  When I ran into him in a rare public appearance at FanExpo Vancouver this year, I took the opportunity to sit down and talk with him about his work and fear of the outdoors.

-- Gavin Lees

Looking at your art, it doesn’t look remotely similar to anything else that’s coming out.  I was wondering what your early influences were — what were the books that inspired you, what the art that inspired you was?

Early on, I was really into Joe Madureira, which is kind of weird now, but that’s what I started out liking.  I liked the manga stuff that was in it, but I didn’t really realize that it was the manga stuff that I liked!  Then I found the good manga, and I was like, “Oh, this is where it comes from — this is the good stuff!” so I’m not into it anymore.  Then I got into Jamie Hewlett — he was good for a while — and I like Vaughan Bode and other really colourful, energetic stuff.

Yeah, I think that’s easy to see in your work.  You tend to avoid earthy colour-palettes.

There’ll be no brown in Orc Stain!

Right — it’s Skittles, not chocolate. [Laughter] This would be in your teens when you were beginning to get into the more mature stuff, then?

Yeah, probably like 13, 14…

Is that when you decided that comics was what you wanted to do?

I kinda always figured-out that I wanted to draw comics.  I was always drawing them before I was even that into reading them.  I remember drawing comics when I was kid, before I had any Spider-Man issues.  It was what I always wanted to do.

Did you go to art school — it seems like you haven’t had the creativity beaten out of you — or are you self-taught?

Yeah, I never went to school for it.

So, how did you go about developing your art, then?  You have a really detailed style that doesn’t seem like it should lend itself that well to comics.

Yeah, it was through obsessive practice, I guess.  I like British comics, the way they always pack so much stuff into one page and I think I got it from that.  I got into Geof Darrow — he does it right!  To me, it doesn’t even seem that detailed to me, when I’m drawing it.  It’s just how I do it, and I guess it just comes out that way.  I never do a thing where I’m like, “Oh, I have to draw six-billion little things going on here,” it just kinda happens.

The first work of yours that I was aware of was Wonton Soup — was that your first published work?

Yeah, that was my first book through a publisher.  I did smaller works — like, I did a thing for a convention, convention comics and things like that.  But that was my first big thing.

So, how did your relationship with Oni start?

I think I was supposed to — because I was living in Seattle with people like Brandon Graham and Corey Lewis — I was supposed to do a comic with Corey about… I can’t even remember what it was about now… something weird! [Laughter]  But he ended up not doing it, so I had a comic I did for an anthology, which was the first 20 pages of Wonton Soup.  So, I pitched it to Oni as a longer book.  In the original story, he dies at the end, so I had to change that.  It wasn’t even about space truckers or cooking or anything, it was just that he finds a fortune cookie and he eats it and he explodes.  The fortune said something like, “You’re going to die today!”  So, I turned that into a cooking thing… I don’t know why, I don’t cook or anything.

Well, that’s a very manga-like premise, to base a book on something mundane, yet creative, like cooking or baking.

Yeah, I think I was reading that Iron Wok Jan book and thought, “Yeah, that’s cool — I’m going to do that!”

Now, that series wrapped-up about four years ago.  Have you got any plans to return to it, or have other projects taken over now?

I have one spin-off with one character that I did 80 pages of, but I have no plans to finish it at this point.  I looked at it the other day and just thought, “Oh man, this is really old.”  If I pick it up again, there’ll be a huge disparity between my art then and my art now.

Now, your current project is Orc Stain.  To me, that seems like it would have been a bit of a hard sell — it’s basically a giant STD metaphor, meets Warhammer [Stokoe laughs].  Did you have to shop it around a lot before Image picked it up?

No, they just kind of took it. I think I was doing a book called Murder Bullets for them, or had pitched it anyway.  Then I had drawn a bit of Orc Stain, just pencils, and said that I’d rather draw that for a monthly if I was going to do a monthly, since it was more fun than Murder Bullets.  I don’t think they even looked very closely at the pages that I sent them [laughter] with all the dicks and stuff that was in it… and I never told them about that.  I just sent it to them, and never heard back, so I just figured they were fine with it.  I didn’t think they would go for it, but they did!

..and there’s never been any comeback from that?  You haven’t had complaints about the content?

No, I’ve never heard anything from them.  I did get a little letter a couple of month ago from an Episcopalian pastor. [Laughter]  He sent me a little telegram and said like, “No, man, I really like Orc Stain!”  So, if that guy’s saying it’s all right, then I guess it’s all right.

Maybe because that’s the only way for him to look at giant dicks without getting in trouble…

Maybe!

What are your plans for the series now, because after issue six, it just seemed like you were done and you disappeared.  But, now that issue seven is out, it seems like your back on a regular schedule.

Well, I wouldn’t say that!  I’m working on issue eight, but I don’t know that it’s going to be that regular until I’ve got the Godzilla books done, which is what I’ve got to concentrate on now.  But, no, I’m going to keep going until it’s done.  It’s definitely something I don’t want to leave half-done.

OK, because I had heard a rumour from a certain Seattle artist, who you know… he draws elephants —

Awww…

— that you had just ditched the series and Image were pissed-off at you.

Marley Zarcone: Don’t listen to anything that guy has to say ever!  He’s a liar!

JS: Oh, Justin… he’s a habitual liar.

MZ: He’s such a liar.  He’ll tell you that he was born in France in 1943. [Laughter]

JS: So, yeah — it might take a while, but it’s definitely something I want to finish.

What was causing the delays during your hiatus, then?  Was other work coming your way?  I know you have Godzilla coming up, and that your work is very detailed, so that must take time.

Yeah, it’s the money thing that’s the main thing.  I couldn’t work on it because I wasn’t getting anything out of it, money-wise. Godzilla is something that I’ve wanted to do since I was five — and it’s paying me money, so it’s a double-bonus!  But I keep working on Orc Stain... definitely once Godzilla is done, I’ll get back into it as much as I can.

Have you got any long-term plan for it, in terms of how long it will run — 40, 60…12 issues?

I’ve always said that if it’s more than six trade volumes’ worth, then I’ve done too much.  I want to do six books at the most, but I’m thinking of doing side spin-off things here and there.  I like the way that BPRD is set-up right now where they do little arcs which are their own thing.  I’d like to do that and I think that would work better for the schedule, just to do five and have those out.

Getting to Godzilla, then — if this was interfering with Orc Stain, I take it that it’s been in the works for some time?

Yeah, I started it about a year ago, I guess.  When IDW were doing the first series, which had Eric Powell on it, I think I tried out for that one.  My assistant editor, Bobby, just emailed me.  I had done that Godzilla fan-comic a couple of years ago and they liked that, and the editors liked Orc Stain, so they wanted me to do it.  I was supposed to do one of the other series, but I ended up just pitching my own and they went for it!

You’re writing and drawing?

Yeah, it’s going to be just like Orc Stain — I’ll be writing and drawing it all.  I’ve got an assistant for colours, who’s helping me out on it.  I’m even lettering it, too.

I think that something that’s lost a lot in American comics – when it’s a factory line — you lose the cohesiveness of the art, and the authorial aesthetic.  Is that something you’re trying to move against?

Well, sometimes it works — sometimes good comics have more than one person on them.  But sometimes, I don’t know if those guys even talk to one another when they’re on the same book sometimes.  It’s just such an assembly line, and that breaks the work down.  I just do it by myself because I like doing it all by myself.  I don’t trust other people! [Stokoe laughs]

Is this just a mini-series that you’re doing for Godzilla?

Yeah, it’s five issues.  22 pages in each.  It’s definitely hard to go down from 32 in Orc Stain, especially when it’s Godzilla — I just want to draw those big panels all the time.  So, it’s been hard to draw, but I’m enjoying it.

What plans do you have for the storyline?  Is it going to be like a classic monster movie on paper — is he going to fight other big monsters?

It’s going to be classic Godzilla.  A lot of the Godzilla books that have been out over the years have been really over the top, you know, Godzilla versus The Spanish Armada, Godzilla versus Charles Barkley and all this kinda stuff.  I just want to do a regular Godzilla, because that’s what I like — just a monster who goes around destroying Tokyo every issue.  My first issue takes place 10 years after the last issue, so it starts out in 1950 with the first Godzilla movie, and then every 10 years is a different issue, so it ends in 1997 or thereabouts.  I just wanted to draw Godzilla throughout all the different time periods, I thought that’d be pretty cool.

Are there any particular Godzilla movies that you’re drawing from on this series — or any of the movies that are particular favourites?

Oh, I like them all! [Laughter]  You can’t make me choose.  The Godzilla I’m using is from the newer millennium series.  I’ve always liked drawing that one — I like the way his big spines are spikier and more designed.

One thing that you’ve been teasing over the last year or so is Spider-‘Nam.  Is this just your own Spider-Man fanfic?

Yeah, pretty much.  I don’t think Marvel would ever, ever publish what I’m going to draw.  When Spider-Man was created, he would have been 18 when the drafts were going on, so why the hell didn’t they have Spider-Man in Vietnam?  Even the title — Spider-‘Nam — it’s right there!  I’m on a huge ‘Nam kick right now — I’m reading about it a lot.

Is Vietnam going to come into Godzilla?

Oh, yeah — that’s issue two!

Now, getting to you, personally — you seem to be very reclusive as a creator. [Stokoe laughs] I think this is the first convention that you’ve been to?

No, I was at TCAF last year… that’s about it.  I got kicked out of the States for five years, a couple of years ago, so that’s part of the reason.  But I still don’t go outside anyway, so I don’t think that helps anything.  I definitely stay inside and just draw all the time.

You don’t have any desire to network with other people?

No — other people scare me!  I get out once in a while, but with comics, you have to stay in the house and raw all the time, otherwise you’ll never get anything done.

So, you think that your work speaks for itself, you don’t need to be a personality?

No, I don’t want my picture on the back of the books.  I do like the work just speaking for itself, which is why I’m not doing this interview right now.

Well, I think I’ve only read one interview with you, which was for MTV Geek or something.

Yeah, that was for the Troll Hunter poster that I drew.  I’ve done a couple lately, but I guess I come out of my hole every once in a while.  But I usually dread it…but I’m enjoying this one.

Are you going to be doing any more illustration projects like Troll Hunter?

I guess that was just filling a gap — I can’t think of anything else that’s coming out.  I used to do it a lot more than I do, but Godzilla’s been paying the rent recently.

There’s a great mental image!  Has where you live had much influence on your work?  I know you’re friends with Brandon Graham, who also lives here in Vancouver.

If you look at the first Wonton Soup, I was just riding on Brandon’s work.  But, yeah, it’s a really good thing to have.  Just having friends who draw with you and you can bounce ideas off of each other, and you can help each other’s work get out there.  I wouldn’t be drawing anywhere near the level I’m at right now if I didn’t have good friends who drew better than me and who I can just rip-off.  [Laughter]

What sparked your move here — you were down in Seattle, and you got kicked-out?

Yeah, I moved here after getting kicked-out because Brandon was living here anyways.  I think he was going to move to Portland or something, but couldn’t get a visa, so we all ended up here.

Are you from Canada originally?

Yeah, I’m from Kelowna originally.

Oh, so was it visa issues that you had?

It was like four years ago.  I can go back next year.  They said I was working down there when I was crossing the border one time.  You know, those enormous Oni cheques that I got!  Taking all the American jobs drawing food comics.  But it all worked out in the end.

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Review: The Infinite Horizon by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto

The Infinite Horizon – Gerry Duggan (w) Phil Noto (a)

Image Comics, $17.99, ISBN: 978-1582409726

Like Odysseus, this has been a long time in arriving.  Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto’s Infinite Horizon began serialization back in 2007, completing its six-issue run five years later, and now appearing in a trade collection.  It’s an appropriately epic genesis for a project that firmly roots itself in heroic storytelling, taking Homer’s Odyssey as its narrative model, updating it to fit the modern political landscape.

Like the Odyssey, The Infinite Horizon concerns a soldier’s return home from war. In this case, it’s from the USA’s current war on terror, a few years in the future, in some nameless middle-eastern country — “chasing shadows” as the unnamed protagonist would have it — after the war machine finally begins to collapse and the troops are removed.  For The Soldier With No Name, however, returning home becomes a challenge when the last plane out of Syria is destroyed by insurgents, and he and his men must find whatever means they can to get back to America.  Each chapter sees them face some recognisable threats in the form of a marauding Russian in cyclopic armour, the siren call of an oil-rich colony, or the complacency of remaining drugged-up in an African hospital.  All the while, his wife Penelope (naturally) tends their home, while surrounded by a local militia who keep her hostage.

It’s certainly not original to follow the structure of the Odyssey, and it has been reinvented several times by everyone from the Coen Brothers to James Joyce.  What makes Duggan and Noto’s version different is its projection into the future, rather than a reimagining of the past.  In the current geopolitical climate, with the USA engaged in several wars, the analogy to Homer and the Trojan War allows us to reflect on the futility of these conflicts, and the way in which pride and power play a more important role than the safety of America and its people.  The fact that five years later, the story still feels fresh and relevant speaks volumes about its commentary.

The other apt point of commonality is in the oral tradition from which the Odyssey arose.  These were tales which became more exaggerated and fantastical with every telling, and so it is with our current conflicts.  Even though we now have the benefits of round-the-clock news and the all-seeing-eye of the Internet, the bias of our media and the bifurcated political perspective of Americans still manages to spin facts into myth, with every sound bite becoming fodder for someone’s agenda.  So, it stands to reason that, while the events of The Infinite Horizon often seem outlandish or fantastical, they are no less credible than stories that we are currently fed from our own oral traditions.

If there’s any drawback to reading this title as a collection, as opposed to its individual issues (whose lengthy delays only seemed to compound the struggle of its protagonist) it’s that in those five years, Noto grew considerably as an artist.  While his work in the first few issues is good, by the end of the book, there is so much more grace and fluidity in his linework and a greater sense of kinetics. We can’t help but wish that the artist who finished the book could also have been the one to begin it.

-- Gavin Lees

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Weekly Reviews: Supercrooks #2, Rebel Blood #2

Supercrooks # 2 - Mark Millar (w) Leinil Yu (a)

Icon/Marvel Comics, $2.99

The first issue of Supercrooks had a great tagline: “There are too many superheroes. Let’s go somewhere else.” That issue was pretty entertaining, if a little obvious. Everyone who follows the comics world knows what Mark Millar is doing at this point. Nearly all of his comics work is simultaneously being developed as motion pictures. The one exception seems to be the forthcoming Jupiter’s Children with Frank Quitely on art.

Talk all the shit you want, (and people should be discouraging the practice as much as possible) but the books usually work if you think of them as movies. That first issue had a great theatrical opening, scene, and was actually kind of exciting. The second issue is slightly less entertaining.

Supercrooks is a caper story. In the alternate universe that the books takes place in Supervillians have gotten tired of being foiled by Superheroes, so they decide to go to Spain to commit a grand crime, at which point hijinks will supposedly ensue.

Therein lies the problem with the second issue. Not a lot happens. Yes, there’s plenty of violence, and a dick joke or two, but the second issue of four is still all set up. At this point we should be in the thick of the plot, but we’re not. Nearly the entirety of the issue is spent introducing us to characters. We’re not really told why we should care about these characters, though brief glimpses of backstory are given.  Still, all of this would be forgivable if the art were exciting, but, really, it’s not. It’s pretty by the numbers.

This will eventually be a movie, and possibly an enjoyable one. This is not a very good comic. If you’re into Millar you probably have this book already, but if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about you’re better off staying away.

Rebel Blood #2 - Alex Link (w) Riley Rossmo (w/a) 

Image Comics, $3.50

In artist/co-plotter Riley Rossmo's own words Rebel Blood is “a survival horror book which is about Chuck Rebel, who is trying to get home before the mutated flora and fauna get to his family. It’s about the possibilities, in any sort of what if situation when loved ones are at risk, trying to draft visually all the worst case scenarios and possible outcomes.” Soundbytes are great, and that’s an exciting premise, but is the book actually any good?

Well, yes, and no. Rossmo's art is fantastic. He came to prominence a few years ago by drawing the sadly missed Proof. Since then his art has just gotten better. At the same time the story of Rebel Blood isn’t very exciting, or original, and relatively hard to follow.

In issue 2 we watch Chuck Rebel as he drives an ax into rats and bizarre teethy monsters, and then generally runs like hell. The art is disorienting and fleshed out with dark reds and light blues and greens, and plenty of black. Rossmo is one of the best artists working in independent comics today, and this book is the perfect example as to why.

Still, this book is not a mandatory read, at least not in single issues. If your stack is light this week, and you need a violence fix, pick this up. Otherwise, you’re better off waiting for the trade.

-- Jeffrey Whitelaw

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