Wednesday, May 16, 2012

The Chef Recommends...

It's that day of the week--new comic book day. There's lot of good stuff in the stores, but I want to share with anyone reading some great material you won't likely find at your local comic shop.

This is a post I've been meaning to do for quite a while. By that I mean recommending indie comics made by my peers that I truly enjoy. There's lots of cool stuff I've been exposed to, and here is some of it in no particular order...

Brian Evinou
brianevinou.com
brianevinou.blogspot.com

Brian's a buddy, which pleases me because his stuff is so fun to read. His characters are lively and expressive and he really knows how to spin a yarn. 

Like Don River, a familiar police procedural with a killer twist. Or Fight Song, a series of imaginative epic brawls for the sake of imaginative epic brawls! Brian's latest, Sassy Mavericks, is shaping up to be a great deal of fun too, and that's a huge part of why I enjoy his work--Brian's love of what he's doing is so evident on every page.



The Misadventures of Mal & Lot 
POWIE Studios 
powiestudios.com 

I was delighted by this series from the moment I saw the cover. It's fun and light hearted with artwork that perfectly executes the writing. I really admire how fluidly this neat adventure is told. The story is about a 10 year old boy who makes friends with a mischievous alien after being lost in space. Chris Leung (writer) and Marvin Sianipar (artist) are two of the nicest guys I've met at a comic show and their good natures are reflected in their work. The first two books deserve to be read and shared. It will awaken the kid in you.


Stranger
D.A. Bishop
stranger.renerd.com

This is one I've come across just recently and I'm intrigued to see where it goes. For starters, it's a zombie story where the main character isn't meant to be a hero. Bishop's intent is to follow one unassuming man as he stumbles into trouble and struggles to find his way out. Heroes and leaders may come and go against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, but Stranger instead focuses on the man who'd rather be left in the background. Bishop, a writer first, is teaching himself to be a better artist as he goes along writing. That isn't to say this book decently drawn (it is), but I really respect creators who work hard to learn new skill sets just to see their stories told.



Fauntkin
Christopher Yaoza
yaozagraphics.com
fauntkin.wordpress.com


I relate to Chris in a lot of ways. Apart from the fact we attended Ty Templeton's Boot Camp at the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop at the same time, I've also had a pet project I've started and stopped several times. Where we differ is followed through with his, and that would be Fauntkin, an odyssey about a boy android and his pet rabbit. It's sweet and full of wonder, and it demands to be finished.




So give these a try. 
Support indie talent. 
Walk on the wild side, and so forth. 
You'll be glad to did!

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