Tag Archive for 'Josh Blair'

Zombies, Vultures, and Crack at Pittsburgh's Small Press Festival

Okay, not exactly. It's more like Zombie Palin, Apartment 307, and Cracked Magazine (or nowadays what the kids would know as Cracked.com). See, I'm going to be at this year's Small Press Festival in Pittsburgh from July 18-19. There's actually a lot more to SPF than the vendor expo I'll be at, but that's the part where the zombies, vultures, and crack come in. Let me explain...

Zombie Palin will have an ashcan out at SPF. Maybe you remember her, maybe you don't. She was the star of a webcomic that Pete and I did here at the AudioShocker for a couple of months. Featuring the classic 11 Zombie Palin strips and more, this ashcan has a sweet new cover I just whipped up yesterday. Here's a preview:

Zombie Palin ashcan cover

Apartment 307 is a minicomic Pete and I contributed to this spring. Pete, along with the other two creators involved, lives in apartment 307. The three stories in this ashcan all have wildly different premises but still manage to involve apartment 307 in their bizarre content. I'll have this comic with me at SPF, but you can always order one from (organizer, editor, and contributor) Josh Blair or pick one up at Phantom of the Attic comics. Check out a preview of Apt. 307 over on Josh's blog.

Cracked won't actually be at SPF. They're too popular for that. But there was a time five years ago when the Cracked name was all but dead. That's when Pete and I got in touch with comics legend Tom DeFalco and pitched some ideas at Cracked for their impending relaunch.

We're printing up an ashcan for SPF featuring our failed Cracked pitches, as well as some behind the scenes material. Then, on the Tuesday following SPF (July 21, 2009), we'll run a very special podcast with even more behind the scenes discussion and anecdotes dating back to our frantic couple of months we spent creating and pitching content to Cracked.

That's all I got for now. Expect more shameless self promotion regarding Pittsburgh's Small Press Festival in the near future. And check out tomorrow's podcast where Pete (you know, the writer of Culturology) will join Justique and I for a special episode that's sure to offend your grandma, your mama, and probably just about everybody else you know.

AudioShocker Podcast #39 - Marc Tyler Nobleman and Josh Blair Interviewed

Double interview action kicks off as Neal and Nick talk with author Marc Tyler Nobleman about his new Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster illustrated biography, Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, and his proposed biography on Bill Finger, the uncredited co-creator of Batman. Next up, Nick talks with Josh Blair about his latest minicomics anthology, Candy or Medicine Volume Three. And then Justique, Neal, and Nick take it home after the end theme as they share their feelings about Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Candy or Medicine Volume Three mini comic review

Candy or Medicine Volume ThreeI've had the pleasure of reviewing both volume one and volume two of Candy or Medicine, a mini comic that's grown in quality exponentially since its inception. Volume three is a testament to persistence and collaboration, as this comics anthology truly entertains.

It does lack some of the inspiration found in volume two, but I personally attribute that to the fact that the Candy or Medicine Free Comic Book Day 2008 issue printed some of the more cute and clever content that would have otherwise slipped into volume three.

Bottom line, this mini comic is a thoughtful and eccentric collection of comic strips that puts any daily newspaper to shame. It's definitely a grouping of creative content that would best be served to the indie set, but that doesn't mean it's any less poignant than something more mainstream.

Colin Tedford's epic Eternal Soup is the standout comic strip of the collection. Work by Kel Winser, Russ Walton, and Kostis Tzortzakasis features especially strong visuals. All in all, editor Josh Blair captures a wide range of storytelling and artistic techniques in this volume, assembling a bizarre yet well-rounded collection of comics.

6 out of 7 Shocks

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