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Black & White

An Ape Classic Returns

Dec 29th, 2011
by rodney.
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From 1974 to 1977, Marvel Comics (through their Curtis Magazine imprint) published a black & white tie-in comic for the Planet of the Apes movie and TV series.  It featured not only adaptations of the five original movies, but also new adventures as well as background stories on the creation of the films.  [Full disclosure: Your ever-lovin’ ed-otter grabbed every issue he could get a hold of!] Many of the stories were written by Moonknight co-creator Doug Moench (as well as Gerry Conway) and illustrated by Ghost Rider co-creator Mike Ploog (as well as Mike Esposito and George Tuska). Now, BOOM! Studios have secured the rights to re-publish those 1970’s classics under the title Terror on the Planet of the Apes, coming this February.

image c. 2011 Boom! Studios

 

Comics Against Cancer

Dec 1st, 2011
by rodney.
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What do you do when you find out you’ve been struck by a rare form of bone cancer? Well, if you’re a woman like Kaylin Andres, you go on the warpath — inside your own body, microscopically, hunting down Nazi cancer cells and alien infections with high-caliber weaponry! At least, that’s the subject of Terminally Illin’, Kaylin’s brand new black & white comic book series illustrated by Jon Solo. Of course, the smart girl who’s heading off to battle inner demons (literally!) is also going to bring along a ferocious and well-armed battle-cat like Iceman. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the new comic will finally hit the shelves this January from Last Gasp. Why survive when you can thrive… and kick butt! Make sure to check out the Terminally Illin’ Facebook page too.

image c. 2011 by Jon Solo

Honey Badger Don’t Give A…

Nov 27th, 2011
by rodney.
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Have you caught wind of the YouTube phenomenon known alternately as “Honey Badger don’t care” or (more profanely) as “Honey Badger don’t give a sh*t“? (Warning — the video has crude language to say the least!) It sprung up after the Guinness Book of World Records named the honey badger (also known as a ratel) as The Most Fearless Animal On Earth. Well now, besides spawning a popular line of t-shirts, the meme is inspiring comic books! Fred Perry (Gold Digger) and Joe Wight (Planet of the Living Dead) have teamed up to bring us the Honey Badger Adventures 1-shot, coming in black & white this January from Antarctic Press. “Honey badgers are just crazy. Now, see the honey badger in action! The most fearless critter on Earth will face off against…EVERYTHING! Birds, snakes, small childrenz, velociraptors, whatever! It’ll fight anybody and anything and just smack the hell out of it. You should read this comic, ’cause it’s badass, just like the honey badger.” You have been warned.

image c. 2011 by Joe Wight

Bigfoot: Private Eye

Nov 1st, 2011
by rodney.
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Okay here’s a different take on things: Mr. Foot, aka Bigfoot, is a sasquatch private eye. Having received a letter from his long-lost brother Yeti, Mr. Foot enlists the aid of his friend The Jersey Devil to fly him to the arctic — only to find that Yeti has been beheaded. Now the reluctant Mr. Foot must bring together his old gang of cryptozoological friends — including Nessie and the Megaladon (or giant shark) and others — to find the killer and bring them to justice. It’s all there in Footprints, a new black & white comic book series from 215 Ink. It’s written by Joey Esposito (the comic book editor for IGN Publishing) and illustrated by Jonathan Moore (FUBAR). Alternative Magazine On Line has an extended preview of the comic up on their web site.

image c. 2011 Jonathan Moore

Penguins vs. Possums

Oct 30th, 2011
by rodney.
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There’s a title you’re gonna notice, right? Penguins vs. Possums is a new black & white comic Sebastian Kadlecik and John Bring, published by JBSK Comics. “Forget all you think you know. Since the dawn of time, a war has been fought in secret; the inter-species Armageddon between Penguins and Possums. A conflict this monumental can only stay in the shadows for so long. Choose a side!” You read it here. You can also find out more about this monumental conflict (including how the creators came up with this!) at their web site, www.epicwebcomic.com/pvp.

The Wonderful, Wonderful Cat

Oct 18th, 2011
by rodney.
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Comic historians differ as to who exactly created the iconic character Felix the Cat: Joe Sullivan or his employee, Otto Messmer. To further complicate things, after his world-wide fame as a star of animated shorts (and being the first cartoon character ever represented by a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade), Felix appeared in a series of comic strip and comic book adventures in the 1940’s and 1950’s — some of which were drawn by Otto Messmer, and some by Joe Oriolo, but which were usually credited to Joe Sullivan. Got all that? It’s just one of the many facts presented in the introduction to Felix the Cat’s Greatest Comic Book Tails, in paperback now from IDW Publishing. After the opening essay by Craig Yoe and Don Oriolo (Joe’s son), be prepared for more than 200 of black & white and full-color comics. Righty-oh! More information is available at Amazon.

image c. 2011 IDW Publishing

Animal Land

Sep 25th, 2011
by rodney.
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An interesting black & white manga that we somehow missed last year… Now it’s being re-published in English by Kodansha Comics and Random House. In Animal Land (written and illustrated by Makoto Raiku) we are introduced to an alternate earth inhabited by only non-human animals. After losing her family to vicious predators, a tanuki (raccoon dog) named Monoko makes an amazing discovery in a river: A human baby! Now this strange, unknown creature will grow up among the animals and will soon begin to display amazing powers. Volume 1 was released in August, and Volume 2 is coming up soon in October. Here’s a review at Good Reads.

image c. 2011 Kodansha Comics

Usagi Turns 200

Sep 18th, 2011
by rodney.
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Issue #141 of the multi-award-winning black & white comic book Usagi Yojimbo marks a special milestone: It’s the 200th issue over-all of the series created, as always, by Stan Sakai. And to celebrate, Stan has created a special self-contained story for this historic issue, 200 Buddhas. “With a ruthless gang terrorizing his small town, a humble stonecutter receives a vision and sets out to carve two hundred stone figures. Just as he has finished the 199th, a long-eared stranger comes to his door seeking shelter from the rain!” That long-eared stranger, of course, is the warrior rabbit that furry fans love. Usagi Yojimbo #141 hits the stands from Dark Horse Press this October.

image c. 2011 Stan Sakai

Classic Comic Strips Collected

Sep 9th, 2011
by rodney.
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Fantagraphics Books has two new collected editions of famous and historically significant comic strips available. Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse brings together the 1930’s comic strips created by Floyd Gottfredson, newly edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth. Besides nearly 600 pages of black & white Mickey Mouse adventures, each hardcover volume also features more than 50 pages of supplemental material including behind-the-scenes art, vintage publicity material, and commentary by Disney historians. Volume 1, Race to Death Valley, was released last June, and Volume 2, Trapped on Treasure Island, is coming this October. Then in December, be on the lookout for Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips, Volume 1, “Through the Wild Blue Yonder” (whew!) by the inimitable Walt Kelly, of course. This hardcover edition goes back as far as the 1940’s Pogo strips, and also features a biographical introduction, an extensive glossary by comics historian R. C. Harvey, and a forward by the legendary columnist Jimmy Breslin.

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