Would-be Creators, NOW is the time!
Comic Reviews for week ending 11/13/2022
Good morning, my friend,
Today, I bring a message of hope if you, or anyone you know, has thought about doing “something” in comics but thought the nut was too hard to crack. I ran a little experiment this week, and if you think it’s too hard, I say “Nonsense!”
But first, the results of our semi-official poll on the future of the ComicalOpinions YT channel.
By an overwhelming margin, everyone within reach of this poll, and the same version posted on social media, wants a “Best Comic of the Day” type of video. Looks like our readers have a hankering for a little daily positivity. Now, the content planning begins.
Our thanks to everyone who responded.
Nonsense, I say.
If you follow my personal Twitter account (come join me here), you may have noticed I ran a fun experiment this week, one I might continue for a few more days to solidify general reader reaction.
In those tweets, I posed a very simple question without context: How does a character’s artistic rendering change from a period in that character’s past to how that character is depicted now? For example…
Understandably, folks who’ve become accustomed to knee-jerk reactions failed to see that these posts were never an attempt to “ding” the artists but a broader question about how editorial caretakes their characters. As you can imagine, the loudest and biggest number of voices came from the knee-jerkers. Such is life.
Putting the loud voices aside, the message here is clear. Editorial, especially at the Big 2, is VERY comfortable twisting established characters inside out and upside down into whatever shape seems fitting at the moment.
The days of needing to draw or write in one particular style or range of styles are over. It’s an “anything goes” market right now, and that’s where the message of hope comes in.
The bar for standards is, in my opinion, the lowest it’s ever been. You can create your dream comic, as a writer or artist or both, right now as long as you do one thing that most people don’t - Start.
You don’t need to be a graduate of the Kubert School. You need not have attended Scott Snyder’s comics writing class. You don’t need a degree from any art college or creative writing workshop. All you need is the desire to do it and to get started.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean Marvel or DC Comics will take anyone who knocks on their door, but it does mean you don’t need Marvel or DC Comics to be successful in comics. If you look at the art samples like the one above, it’s clear Marvel and DC take in who they know with much less concern for what they can do.
Get started. You have practically no competition, even from the Big 2, as long as you’re willing to put yourself out there and keep improving.
You can do it! If anyone says you can’t, look at that panel and know that you can.
Let’s hear about your dream. What goal have you yet to take action on? Drop your dream in the comments, and we’ll highlight it in an upcoming newsletter.
Now, let’s highlight the past week’s comics.
OVER THE ROPES: BROKEN KAYFABE #5 – Review
SHOW’S END: THE SECOND COMING #5 – Review
LORD OF THE JUNGLE #1 – Review
GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD #3 – Review
DREAM MASTER #1 – Advance Review
SHERLOCK: A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA PART 2 #4 – Review
HEAVENLY DEMON REBORN! (VOL. 1) – Review
LONDON GOTHIC #1 – Review
A FISTFUL OF PAIN – Review
CLASH OF THE CLASSICS: DON QUIXOTE FIGHTS THE WAR OF THE WORLDS – Review
Blitz (Vol. 1) (Ablaze Publishing)
The Atonement Bell #1 (Red 5 Comics)
A Legacy of Violence #2 (Mad Cave Studios)
Belle Annual: Depths of Tartarus (Zenescope Entertainment)
Van Helsing: Rites of Shadows (Zenescope Entertainment)
Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (Vol. 2) #10 (Dynamite Comics)
Immortal Red Sonja #8 (Dynamite Comics)
Ninjettes (Vol. 2) #3 (Dynamite Comics)
Vampirella: Mindwarp #3 (Dynamite Comics)
Zombie Makeout Club (Vol. 1): Death Wish (Ablaze Publishing)
Cover the Dead With Lime #3 (Blood Moon Comics)
Hellfate #1 (Blood Moon Comics)
Shed (Indie Submission)
Home Free: Into the Woods (Indie Submission)
That’s the shortlist for now. We’ll add more titles and adjust as time and resources allow.
Again, thanks for your support. Please share (the handy dandy ‘Share’ button is down below) this newsletter with everyone you can. Your support ensures we can keep bringing you great content for a very long time.
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Have a great day!