STARS OF EMERALD CITY COMIC CON, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

I bought no regular comics or anything at Emerald City, but some folks did share their minicomics with me, and I feel it's only right that I tell you about them.

Joëlle and I were lucky to be seated next to my old pal Steve Rolston, and he recently brought his 2004 24-hour comic, Lost Souls in Love, back into print. It's a well-told tale, expressive in its simplicity, about the first time two people meet, set up on a blind date. It has Steve's usual lovely artwork, but it also has one of my favorite pages I've seen in a good long while:

Just look at that. It's all body language, all gesture. That little bump in the middle panel: perfect.

You can read the unfinished version of Lost Souls in Love here at its own page, but maybe if you e-mail Steve, he'll be able to sell you one. I can't promise anything, though, because I'm not him.

Next is Short Notice by Susan Tardif, who lives here in Portland and has been working at Mercury Studios. I've been seeing Susan's work for several years now, and this cute mini has some elements in common with Steve. Namely, the simplicity of the cartooning and the notion of first dates. This is more of a comedy, however, as Susan's heroine struggles to get ready for an impromptu night out.

Short Notice is also online. Read it at ComicSpace.

Finally, a comic of a different stripe, Lars Brown's Cloud Story: A North World Tale. Lars does North World as a webcomic here, but this is a complete short story. It's a fantasy tale, and it actually wouldn't be out of place in one of the Flight anthologies, what with the flying airships and whatnot. In some ways, Lars' linework reminds me of old newspaper adventure strips, but with maybe a modern fantasy angle, like a Linda Medley, Hayao Miyazaki, or even a Jeff Smith influence. I could be way off, though. Influences are always just guesses.

Cloud Story is in the North-World.com store.

Note to Lars Brown: Put your name on the cover. Hell, put it anywhere other than the tiny copyright line on the inside back cover. I shouldn't have to work so hard to know who you are.

Ron Chan and Sara Ryan also hooked us up with a copy of the second issue of Flytrap, but Joëlle took it first, so I haven't had a chance to check it out.

Unrelated: Would you people stop posting that crappy Alanis Morrissette video where she covers "My Humps"? It's not that good, seriously. The joke runs its course by the first chorus, and then it just goes on forever. It's not even that original an idea. Are you that starved for entertainment? If you want to see Fergie get her due, just wait until Grindhouse. I saw it last night, and Robert Rodriguez takes care of business on that front. (And, yes, I liked it. Full review up soon.)

Currently Reading: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Current Workload: proofing Love the Way You Love #4 (it's done!) and starting a new manwha.

Also, in comic shops today, the first issue of the only comic book series I currently have an editorial hand in:

Current Soundtrack: Timbaland, Presents: Shock Value; Oh No, Exodus into Unheard Rhythms

Current Mood: productive

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All text (c) 2007 Jamie S. Rich