Comics/Manga - What do you read?

[Happybunny]

*lipwibbles and makes grabby hands* Tambiiiiiiii


*coughs* sorry about that.

Seriously, I'm jealous as hell. As to your question, I'm an artist, tho outside of a few pinups a long time ago for Antarctic Press and some coloring for Dark Horse, I've stuck to the toy and packaging side of the comic industry.

I am working on a webcomic at the moment, and hoping to have it started around the first of the year.

I should be allowed to link the image in question without getting in trouble, yes?

[NSFW] http://synthetikxs.deviantart.com/art/ALF-no-9774-jaggyd-299694717 [NSFW]

The original idea was going to be an LGBT oriented Sci-Fi story, but it's gone through a bit of change (with a fair bit of help from Marc). Now, I'm not sure what to call it, Sci-Fantasy? Is that a thing?

Antartic Press well I'm impressed, that was of course were Terry Moore got his start, so you are in great company.

I truly loved the artwork on the Link that you supplied.
You say that you will be publishing via the web in the new year, well colour me very intrested.

You did work for toys and the comic trade, anything that I'm likly to have seen?

More wibbles I hope.


This is the back cover of Strangers in Paradise 48.

This is the artwork that I have been trying to get Terry to sell me, but he always says no, but fear not the bunny will prevail.

Stangers in Paradise 90 page 6


I have also original artwork from Bruce Timm, Frank Cho, Cliff Richards, Michael Joseph Linsner, and Andy Park, plus Page Bradock.

Vampi Bruce Timm

Cover of Jane Paige Bradock my daughter loved this.

As a Buffy fan I saw this and had to have it.

I'm aiming for a slight shade of green.

 

[skottichan]

Antartic Press well I'm impressed, that was of course were Terry Moore got his start, so you are in great company.

I truly loved the artwork on the Link that you supplied.
You say that you will be publishing via the web in the new year, well colour me very intrested.

You did work for toys and the comic trade, anything that I'm likly to have seen?

More wibbles I hope.


This is the back cover of Strangers in Paradise 48.
Image

This is the artwork that I have been trying to get Terry to sell me, but he always says no, but fear not the bunny will prevail.
Image
Stangers in Paradise 90 page 6


I have also original artwork from Bruce Timm, Frank Cho, Cliff Richards, Michael Joseph Linsner, and Andy Park, plus Page Bradock.

Vampi Bruce Timm
Image

Cover of Jane Paige Bradock my daughter loved this.
Image

As a Buffy fan I saw this and had to have it.
Image


I'm aiming for a slight shade of green.

Guh!!! Slight shade to say the very least.

There's a picture floating around of Tambi with a mysterious woman on a beach, who's calling Tambi "Teddy Bear" IIRC. I think I'd sell my soul for it.

So far, most of my work has been for DC Direct's action figure line. Nothing entirely glamorous, but it pays decently. I also supplied flats (base colors) for Eric Canete's stuff for a couple years. I'm looking to get on at Mattel, my goal would be to work on the Monster High line.

Something I colored for Eric, sadly it didn't get published, it was supposed to be for a Legion Anniversary book.

I'm looking through my art collection, I've noticed, I don't have a lot from American artists, most of the art I received or bought was while I was in Japan. I really need to get everything matted and framed, maybe I'll do that as a Christmas present to myself.

 

[Happybunny]

Guh!!! Slight shade to say the very least.

There's a picture floating around of Tambi with a mysterious woman on a beach, who's calling Tambi "Teddy Bear" IIRC. I think I'd sell my soul for it.

So far, most of my work has been for DC Direct's action figure line. Nothing entirely glamorous, but it pays decently. I also supplied flats (base colors) for Eric Canete's stuff for a couple years. I'm looking to get on at Mattel, my goal would be to work on the Monster High line.

Something I colored for Eric, sadly it didn't get published, it was supposed to be for a Legion Anniversary book.


I'm looking through my art collection, I've noticed, I don't have a lot from American artists, most of the art I received or bought was while I was in Japan. I really need to get everything matted and framed, maybe I'll do that as a Christmas present to myself.

First off that artwork if it is this it's from Terry's Echo issue 26 page 19 and the other woman is Casey.

DC Direct Action Figures I have a few, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Joker, Batman, Sandman, Death, Delirium, Desire, Hush, Huntress, Two Face, Comm. Gordon and Alfred.
Glamor is so overrated, it's money that counts in the end.

Monster High that I do know as I recently bought one for my oldest granddaughter.

I do like your work, it must really hurt when you put all that effort into something, and somebody else get's to say no we are not publishing.

As to getting your art collection up on your walls, all I can only say do it. It is so worth it, you get to enjoy them every day. As one collector to another I can assure you, you will not regret it.
Every time I look at mine I get that "Warm and Fuzzy feeling" that I own a piece of unique artwork.

Please give me a heads up when you publish your comic online.




Sometimes it helps to be foreign. I was at the Pittsburg Comic con back in 2003.
Everybody know's that Frank Cho does not do any sketchs anymore, because the vast majority end up on ebay. At the most he will sign comics, or he will do a very small doodle mostly Dean or Truman.
When it was my turn he asked what I wanted, I said i would be happy with anything. He then noticed the foreign language on my sketch book. He asked were I was from, I said the Netherlands, and that I had come to see him, he took the sketch book.

This is what I got back.

 

[SilentPanda]

Another thing to keep in mind is if you want to try a series, Comixology has most of them in digital format. Often the first issue is free or very cheap. So you can try out a bunch of things. Or even look at the artwork a bit as they often have a few preview pages. I don't have a comic store close to me so I tend to order the paper books online, so being able to thumb through them via Comixology helps decide what I actually want.

 

[SilentPanda]

A package... arrived...

 

[Happybunny]

Another thing to keep in mind is if you want to try a series, Comixology has most of them in digital format. Often the first issue is free or very cheap. So you can try out a bunch of things. Or even look at the artwork a bit as they often have a few preview pages. I don't have a comic store close to me so I tend to order the paper books online, so being able to thumb through them via Comixology helps decide what I actually want.

We have the same sort of problems here in the Netherlands, no US/Manga Comic Book Stores. The European Comic stores will order US/Manga Comics via Previews, but that does mean that you do not get to browse. If you order a title and find out that you don’t like it, it is nearly three months and you have 3 books. I think nearly every collector here has a box of rejects.
Comic day is Thursday here, we have to wait for the USPS, but this is better than it was say 10 years ago when you would have to wait a week or more.

For that reason single issue readership has dropped dramatically, in the store that I use from more than 200 steady customers, there are only 5 single issue readers. The TPB and the HC are now the format, this is also more in keeping with the way that European Comics are distributed.

From the Titles that I see, I too have the 23 Poison Ivy, 23 Harley Quinn, Joker’s Daughter, Dark Knight, Saga I collect via TPB.

 

[twietee]

We have the same sort of problems here in the Netherlands, no US/Manga Comic Book Stores. The European Comic stores will order US/Manga Comics via Previews, but that does mean that you do not get to browse. If you order a title and find out that you don’t like it, it is nearly three months and you have 3 books. I think nearly every collector here has a box of rejects.
Comic day is Thursday here, we have to wait for the USPS, but this is better than it was say 10 years ago when you would have to wait a week or more.

For that reason single issue readership has dropped dramatically, in the store that I use from more than 200 steady customers, there are only 5 single issue readers. The TPB and the HC are now the format, this is also more in keeping with the way that European Comics are distributed.

Spot on. Same here in Germany. Even Thursday is the same delivery day.There are some 'real' comicshops left in Berlin (but also there most died or changed into TPB-sellers) but besides that it's more of a fig leave around here. So what basically happens is that they receive on Thursdays my pulled comics, then put them aside and send them to Munich after 2-3 weeks. The Horror! Now I just cut it back completely, decided on 6-7 series I will get in the next year and get them directly from where I live. It kills almost 50% of the fun though, browsing through hundreds of different books to eventually discover a gem..I really miss those days.

I would get the Marvel online subscription but think it's not possible outside the US.

 

[krspkbl]

I'll probably get laughed at in here but I've only just started really getting into comics/manga and the only things I'm reading are Pokemon Adventures manga & The Walking Dead comics. I really don't have a clue what else to try out.

You wouldn't think I worked in a comic shop would you?

 

[Happybunny]

Spot on. Same here in Germany. Even Thursday is the same delivery day.There are some 'real' comicshops left in Berlin (but also there most died or changed into TPB-sellers) but besides that it's more of a fig leave around here. So what basically happens is that they receive on Thursdays my pulled comics, then put them aside and send them to Munich after 2-3 weeks. The Horror! Now I just cut it back completely, decided on 6-7 series I will get in the next year and get them directly from where I live. It kills almost 50% of the fun though, browsing through hundreds of different books to eventually discover a gem..I really miss those days.

I would get the Marvel online subscription but think it's not possible outside the US.

I feel your pain.

Sometimes it's great to live in a tiny country.

I picked this up I absolutely love the TV series.

 

[SilentPanda]

Saga I collect via TPB.

I have the first two TPB's of Saga, but I saw I could get issues 13+ when I went to start my pull list so I couldn't resist.

I picked this up I absolutely love the TV series.
Image

If you like Once Upon a Time, you might check out what the TV series is likely based on, Fables. It's quite good although admittedly I'm only 10 issues in. The first 5 plays like a whodunnit with issue 5 being the big reveal. You actually can solve it if you listen to what the characters have said and the art presented in issues 1-4. Issues 5-10 aren't really a whodunnit which was disappointing but I think it'd also get old if every 5 issues was a new mystery. That said, those issues are still good too!

 

[Happybunny]

I have the first two TPB's of Saga, but I saw I could get issues 13+ when I went to start my pull list so I couldn't resist.



If you like Once Upon a Time, you might check out what the TV series is likely based on, Fables. It's quite good although admittedly I'm only 10 issues in. The first 5 plays like a whodunnit with issue 5 being the big reveal. You actually can solve it if you listen to what the characters have said and the art presented in issues 1-4. Issues 5-10 aren't really a whodunnit which was disappointing but I think it'd also get old if every 5 issues was a new mystery. That said, those issues are still good too!

You are preaching to the choir.
I know, I started to read Fables back in 2002, I'm currently on issue 133 I've got all the HCs. I've got all the spinoffs Jack of Fables, Cinderella, Fairest, I've got to say that it is constantly of a high quality, both artwork and story wise. But I have come to expect nothing else from Vertigo titles.

 

[rhett7660]

I have the first two TPB's of Saga, but I saw I could get issues 13+ when I went to start my pull list so I couldn't resist.



If you like Once Upon a Time, you might check out what the TV series is likely based on, Fables. It's quite good although admittedly I'm only 10 issues in. The first 5 plays like a whodunnit with issue 5 being the big reveal. You actually can solve it if you listen to what the characters have said and the art presented in issues 1-4. Issues 5-10 aren't really a whodunnit which was disappointing but I think it'd also get old if every 5 issues was a new mystery. That said, those issues are still good too!

I love Saga, I picked up the first TPB and was hooked. Went back and picked up all the issues except number 1 (just a wee bit expensive), so I am all caught up now. Great series.

 

[takao]

Spot on. Same here in Germany. Even Thursday is the same delivery day.There are some 'real' comicshops left in Berlin (but also there most died or changed into TPB-sellers) but besides that it's more of a fig leave around here. So what basically happens is that they receive on Thursdays my pulled comics, then put them aside and send them to Munich after 2-3 weeks. The Horror! Now I just cut it back completely, decided on 6-7 series I will get in the next year and get them directly from where I live. It kills almost 50% of the fun though, browsing through hundreds of different books to eventually discover a gem..I really miss those days.

I would get the Marvel online subscription but think it's not possible outside the US.

in Austria it's no better ... since i'm living rather in the west of the country it's actually faster to drive across the border to find a comic book store at all...

because of that i mostly order TPBs/graphcis novels etc. through amazon ... i suspect single issue comic books are only available in vienna


obviously i can't compete with you guys on collection size since i seriously started buying only two years ago, before that it was mostly the european disney pocket books, Asterix , clever and smart and a couple of lucky lukes

Valerian & Veronique
Spirou & Fantasio : Specials
Buddha
Pluto
Vinland Saga
Homunculus
Billy Bat
Battle Angel Alita
Biomega
Knights of Sidonia
A Couple of different Batman TPBs
Watchmen
Saga
Shin Angyo Onshi
Gunslinger Girl
League of Extraordinary Gentleman
and a few stuff

 

[twietee]

Curious to find out what you think of Trial of the Punisher.

Just finished the first issue and think it's quite cool. Good art! It's just a two issues run so nothing fancy. But I may be biased since I really miss my monthly Punisher! Last time I read of him was the Suicide Run in the 90s

 

[kazmac]

Just finished the first issue and think it's quite cool. Good art! It's just a two issues run so nothing fancy. But I may be biased since I really miss my monthly Punisher! Last time I read of him was the Suicide Run in the 90s

Great news, thanks for that update. Glad you really liked it. Guggenheim was an attorney so I am curious how he will handle the law aspects.

If I replace my iPad I will pick that mini series up. That is probably how I will purchase the upcoming Punisher series if the art isn't up to snuff for me.

Right now I am debating whether or not to get volume 1 of Marvel's Tomb of Dracula. I stumbled across his "origin" story on some comic site recently liked it enough to want to own that story. I love what I've seen of Gene Colan's art too.

I hope you get your shipping options sorted.

Update: I dropped Fantomex MAX for the same reason I dropped Wolverine MAX. Writers using the "mature readers" carrot for the wrong reasons. The cursing was way overdone and took me right out the story. I like the character thanks to my fondness for the cinematic Diabolik, but I have no patience for fake mature readers tactics like cursing all over the place because you can.

 

[daneoni]

Manga i read/have read

One Piece
Naruto (Yes i read Naruto deal with it)
Bleach
History's Strongest Disciple
Fairy Tail (Might drop this and Naruto soon)
Green Blood
UQ Holder
Berserk (Dropped now...was starting to lose my sanity from reading it)
KissxSis

 

[Happybunny]

in Austria it's no better ... since i'm living rather in the west of the country it's actually faster to drive across the border to find a comic book store at all...

because of that i mostly order TPBs/graphcis novels etc. through amazon ... i suspect single issue comic books are only available in vienna


obviously i can't compete with you guys on collection size since i seriously started buying only two years ago, before that it was mostly the european disney pocket books, Asterix , clever and smart and a couple of lucky lukes

Valerian & Veronique
Spirou & Fantasio : Specials
Buddha
Pluto
Vinland Saga
Homunculus
Billy Bat
Battle Angel Alita
Biomega
Knights of Sidonia
A Couple of different Batman TPBs
Watchmen
Saga
Shin Angyo Onshi
Gunslinger Girl
League of Extraordinary Gentleman
and a few stuff

I have not kept up my collection of European Strips, the main problem here is the number of publishing change overs and added that some of my favourite artists are now getting on in years.

Asterix and Lucky Luke are my childhood memories.

Asterix: Albert Uderzo Rene Goscinny
Portugal: Cyril Pedosa
Atalante: Dider Crisse
Cañari: Dider Crisse with artwork Carlos Meglia
L'Épée de Cristal: Dider Crisse
Jessica Blandy: Renaud & Jean Dufaux
Vanity Benz: Dider van Cauwelaert
El Mercenario: Vicente Segrelles
Lucky Luke: Rene Goscinny Morris/Maurice de Bevere
Aria: Michel Weyland
Sillage: Jean-David Morvan & Philippe Buchet.

 

[JonLa]

Sandman sale on Comixology for the next week:

http://www.comixology.com/The-Sandman-Sale/comics-collection/1557

An old favourite, which moved me away from superhero comics when I was a kid and into a whole world of graphic novels and manga. I collected it religiously every month it came out, so I won't be rebuying it, but I never caught up with the Dream Hunters miniseries from a few years back, so I've picked that up.

Gaiman's new SANDMAN: OVERTURE series will be on sale on Wednesday, so this must be a promotional tie-in.

 

[Happybunny]

Sandman sale on Comixology for the next week:

http://www.comixology.com/The-Sandman-Sale/comics-collection/1557

An old favourite, which moved me away from superhero comics when I was a kid and into a whole world of graphic novels and manga. I collected it religiously every month it came out, so I won't be rebuying it, but I never caught up with the Dream Hunters miniseries from a few years back, so I've picked that up.

Gaiman's new SANDMAN: OVERTURE series will be on sale on Wednesday, so this must be a promotional tie-in.

The Sandman I also bought it as single issues, it was a monthly treat. It is one of the few comics from that era that has stood the test of time.

I did however buy the Absolute copies when they came out, they were just so fantastic, that I couldn't help myself.

 

[JonLa]

I did however buy the Absolute copies when they came out, they were just so fantastic, that I couldn't help myself.

I have the 2nd and 4th volumes that I picked up on sale - absolutely gorgeous, as you say, presentation of the material. I keep meaning to pick up the others but I've been distracted by the Hellboy Library volumes...

Just to clarify - the Dream Hunters mini that I mentioned is artist P. Craig Russell's adaptation of the illustrated prose Sandman story that Gaiman did with Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano. It's still fantastic, but I'd forgotten there was the prose version first.

(Both are contained in the 5th of the Absolute Sandman volumes that Happybunny mentioned)

Also: buy more Hellboy. The Dark Horse app isn't as good as Comixology but Hellboy is worth it...

 

[rhett7660]

The Sandman I also bought it as single issues, it was a monthly treat. It is one of the few comics from that era that has stood the test of time.

I did however buy the Absolute copies when they came out, they were just so fantastic, that I couldn't help myself.

What do you think of Preacher as it was out about the same time? I am re-reading it as we speak. Love this series personnally.

 

[Happybunny]

I have the 2nd and 4th volumes that I picked up on sale - absolutely gorgeous, as you say, presentation of the material. I keep meaning to pick up the others but I've been distracted by the Hellboy Library volumes...

Just to clarify - the Dream Hunters mini that I mentioned is artist P. Craig Russell's adaptation of the illustrated prose Sandman story that Gaiman did with Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano. It's still fantastic, but I'd forgotten there was the prose version first.

(Both are contained in the 5th of the Absolute Sandman volumes that Happybunny mentioned)

Also: buy more Hellboy. The Dark Horse app isn't as good as Comixology but Hellboy is worth it...

This is a true gem.

What do you think of Preacher as it was out about the same time? I am re-reading it as we speak. Love this series personnally.

You are asking a very difficult question there because it's about personal taste.

Sandman is special because I quote from Wikipedia.

The Sandman was one of Vertigo's flagship titles, and is available as a series of ten TPB. It has also been reprinted in a recolored five-volume Absolute hardcover edition with slipcase. Critically acclaimed, The Sandman is one of the few graphic novels ever to be on the New York Times Best seller list, along with Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. It was one of five graphic novels to make Entertainment's Weekly "100 best reads from 1983 to 2008", ranking at 46.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandman_(Vertigo)

It was ground breaking, not just for subject matter but also for artwork.
But like all things in life these are personal choices and tastes, what makes something truly ground breaking IMO, is when you cannot say "Oh it's like *****" .
The work must stand alone as the first or best example, a true trend setter or game changer, a work of art that is used by the medium as a touch stone for future reference.

The Preacher by Garth Ennis
The series was a straight out comic book there were no pretensions of great literature. But as Kevin Smith said about it 'it's more fun than going to the movies'. The story line was well suited to the American audience, and it was one of the hits of the Vertigo.
I never personally collected the comic myself, I have since however read a friends TPB collection, while I cannot say that that it was groundbreaking, it was a very well written story. If you look at the past of the writer, you can definatly see were the idea for the story line came from.

The important part.
But if you love the comicbook why should you even care what I think.

 

[takao]

I have not kept up my collection of European Strips, the main problem here is the number of publishing change overs and added that some of my favourite artists are now getting on in years.

Asterix and Lucky Luke are my childhood memories.

since i only have the german language version i'm lucky since they are still on their original publisher, so rebuying is rather easy
i have even a bunch of old technical magazines from the 60ties where on the last pages asterix the gaul is included as continuing strip over a couple of issues

my uncle kept it for nostalgia and the hilarious tech articles of the time ("nuclear power, the save power of the future"," the flying car of tomorrow", old car reviews etc.)

 

[rhett7660]

This is a true gem.



You are asking a very difficult question there because it's about personal taste.

Sandman is special because I quote from Wikipedia.

The Sandman was one of Vertigo's flagship titles, and is available as a series of ten TPB. It has also been reprinted in a recolored five-volume Absolute hardcover edition with slipcase. Critically acclaimed, The Sandman is one of the few graphic novels ever to be on the New York Times Best seller list, along with Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. It was one of five graphic novels to make Entertainment's Weekly "100 best reads from 1983 to 2008", ranking at 46.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandman_(Vertigo)

It was ground breaking, not just for subject matter but also for artwork.
But like all things in life these are personal choices and tastes, what makes something truly ground breaking IMO, is when you cannot say "Oh it's like *****" .
The work must stand alone as the first or best example, a true trend setter or game changer, a work of art that is used by the medium as a touch stone for future reference.

The Preacher by Garth Ennis
The series was a straight out comic book there were no pretensions of great literature. But as Kevin Smith said about it 'it's more fun than going to the movies'. The story line was well suited to the American audience, and it was one of the hits of the Vertigo.
I never personally collected the comic myself, I have since however read a friends TPB collection, while I cannot say that that it was groundbreaking, it was a very well written story. If you look at the past of the writer, you can definatly see were the idea for the story line came from.

The important part.
But if you love the comicbook why should you even care what I think.

I was just curious as your list was somewhat similar to mine that is all. I have not had a chance to read Sandman but it is on my short list of things to pick up and read.

 

[SilentPanda]

Fables Comes to an End With Issue 150

After more than ten years of publication, and hundreds of issues of Fables, and various Fables-related works, I have decided the time has come to begin the process of bringing our sweeping story to a close. And, along the way, I’ve decided to retire from a great deal of my comics work.

Retirement in the storytelling trade means, still working and writing every day, but being a bit more selective in what projects I take on. Pushing 60, I thought it would be a good time to start making concrete plans for those remaining good writing years.

Fables will end with Issue 150, which will be a larger than usual size, as were many of the other milestone issues. Fairest, our companion series, will also come to an end just before the big final Fables issue.