TRADITIONAL COMICS

STORM FIRES OF DOOM | OPENING RECEPTION

2012-02-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

INTERVIEW | ITALIAN VICE

2012-01-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

I get interviewed by Italian VICE's Tim Small. It's up over on their website ... it's all in Italian ...
Check it out here.

ART OPENING RECEPTION | FEBRUARY 25TH

2012-01-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

More details to come ...

OBEY INTERVIEW

2012-01-18T19:26:00.001-08:00

OBEY's Chris Ziegler interviews me over at their website. We talk about where my ideas come from, loving what you make, stoner-style doodling, photo-reference and other subjects. Here's a piece of the awesome introduction Chris wrote:

Does Marra simply just love drawing a motorcycle tire smearing some thug’s head into pulp on a sidewalk in Nowhere City, U.S.A., circa 1983? Turns out that ‘Fuck yes!’ doesn’t even do the sentiment justice. The adolescent passion unchained here is matched only in the most ridiculously enduring excesses of punk and heavy metal—the soundtrack to what Marra describes as the kind of artwork that spills out of a sullen stoner in the back of the class in high school. His characters and his plots and his worlds themselves are distorted and deformed beyond the laws of physics and society both, but make up for it with the kind of confident enthusiasm you get only when your sword is also a chainsaw, and you can fly, too.

Check out the full interview here.

THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON | RUBIN MUSEUM INTRODUCTION

2012-01-18T12:54:00.001-08:00

This Friday at 9:30 I'll be introducing the timeless horror movie THE WEREWOLF IN LONDON at The Rubin Museum. Swing by, hear me talk about horror, have a cocktail and watch the movie.

BEST OF 2011 | GANGSTA RAP POSSE, ISSUE 2

2011-12-23T17:08:00.001-08:00

GANGSTA RAP POSSE, ISSUE 2, comes in at number eight on Tucker Stones Best-of-2011 list over at Comixology. Here's what Tucker had to say:

While Benjamin Marra's reputation precedes him enough that the general tone of his work is unlikely to surprise, his experiments in how he exercises that work seem ever-developing. 2011 saw the guy showing up everywhere, but it was in the gray newsprint pages of Gangsta Rap Posse where the most hits landed. One of those long sought after "perfect comics", GRP #2 didn't hold back from a single transgresion, delivering page after page of shadowless violence. More celebration than revelation, Marra's brazen willingness to prize his own taste above all else bore fruit once again. If more cartoonists were as in touch with what their hands want to create, making these lists would be a whole lot harder.

GANGSTA RAP POSSE ROUNDS OUT TIMOTHY CALLAHAN'S BEST OF 2011 LIST

2011-12-13T09:23:00.001-08:00

Over at Comic Book Resources Timothy Callahan begins his Best of 2011 list in the latest installment of his column When Words Collide. GANGSTA RAP POSSE makes the list coming in at #30. This is what Tim said about the issue:

A couple of years after Marra's Traditional Comics published the first issue of this series in which an N.W.A-like rap group lives the life it rhymes about, he returns with issue #2, using a more streamlined pen-and-ink style to depict the violence and debauchery of his mythical "heroes."

The thrill of this book is not just in its witty satire of politics and hip-hop poses, but in the glee in which the story unfolds. A book like this makes all other macho action comics seem like soft-focus Lifetime movies in comparison.

Check out the list #11 to 30 here.

MATT SENECA ON THE BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FEST, REVIEWS ELF BOOKLETS 1-4

2011-12-09T21:09:00.001-08:00

Matt Seneca writes an impassioned report on this past weekend's Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest. He includes several reviews of books he found including my four Elf Booklets, zines of drawings I made, employing Raymond Pettibon's aesthetics, inspired by the movie "American Psycho." Here's a few highlights from the review:

Ben Marra has been the single most important artist of action comics going for a few years now, and the new issue of his slashers 'n' strippers series Night Business that came out at the Fest only strengthens his case as the modern era's heir to the comics-about-fighting throne. Much as his work outclasses Avatar and outguns Marvel, though, Marra has an equally strong affinity for the avant-garde, and his truly bizarre quasi-adaptation of everyone's favorite Christian Bale movie (what) shows off the more uncompromising side of what's already a rock hard aesthetic.

And:

But the real story here is Marra's art, which is far and away the best work of his career. Free of the demands placed on it by story, Marra's compositional sense runs absolutely wild, filtering everything from Kirby to classical painting to Black Flag gig flyers into a stark, streamlined, utterly arresting whole. These pictures seem almost mathematically calculated to haunt the eyes they meet: whether it's the sublimely balanced blacks and whites or the point-of-impact axe to neck shots, something here is bound to stick in the mind long after the 'zines are put away.

Here are some pieces from the 'zines:

BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FEST

2011-11-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

This year's Brooklyn Comics & Graphics Fest is happening this Saturday, December 3rd, from noon to 9 PM at the Our Lady of Carmel Church. Entry is FREE. It's a great collection of comic books, art books, art prints and other random ephemera. It's possibly my favorite comic show of the year. This year I'll have the following comic books debuting and goods to offer:

NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 4
OFFICIAL DEBUT
Check out the fourth installment to the epic, dramatic, saga of urban crime, violence, sex and street justice. Price: $3

GANGSTA RAP POSSE, ISSUE 1, SECOND PRINTING
OFFICIAL DEBUT
Due to popular demand and many requests, I've reprinted GANGSTA RAP POSSE, ISSUE 1, for a SECOND PRINTING. Price: $2

TRADITIONAL COMICS, ELF BOOKLETS
The first four booklets of my illustrations based on the movie AMERICAN PSYCHO are premiering at the Fest. They're small (~4" x 5.5") 'zine-type experiments on a Raymond Pettibon approach to drafting with brush and ink, or brush pen in this case. Limited to 24 editions each. Price: $1 EACH

SMOKE SIGNAL #10
Michael DeForge and I collaborate on a 6-page CyberPunk story, FAUNAMANCER DOMINATION: ASCENDANCY, for this issue. I may not have copies at my table but there will be plenty lying around the Fest I'm sure. Price: FREE

T-SHIRTS (HOPEFULLY)
They're supposed to arrive Friday so I'll have them for Saturday. One is of the NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 1, cover art and the other is the TRADITIONAL COMICS logo. Both black ink on white t-shirts. Price: $15

THE REST OF THE TRADITIONAL COMICS COMIC BOOKS
The rest of the issues of NIGHT BUSINESS, GANGSTA RAP POSSE, THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD and THE NAKED HEROES, will naturally be available as well. Price: $1-$3

LOCATION
I'll be at Table 24 in the Downstairs area. Here's where my table is on the map:

Hope to see you there!

NIGHT BUSINES | ISSUE 4 | OUT NOW!!!

2011-11-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

Secrets revealed!! Discover who is behind The Slasher!! Find out if Johnny survived the warehouse explosion! Discover Pimp Donny's evil designs for Krystal! The Rider continues to wage her bloody war on street crime single-handedly ... or with some help!? Steve, left to watch over Glitz Glam Entertainment, is presented with shocking information! An issue not to be missed!!!

Order your copy today at WWW.TRADITIONALCOMICS.COM!

SIDE PROJECT: DOMY MONSTER SHOW

2011-11-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

My piece for the recent Monster Show at DOMY Books.

YOUR WEDNESDAY SEQUENCE INTERVIEW

2011-11-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Matt Seneca (who's one of my favorite writers/critics/observers/perceivers of the comic book medium) interviews me for his brilliant weekly column Your Wednesday Sequence over at Robot 6. Check it out here. We talk about my comic-book storytelling methods, page-layout philosophies, and the influence of King Kirby on the way I think about organizing narrative information from panel-to-panel. I could talk about that stuff forever so it was a thrill to answer Matt's thoughtful questions. Thanks, Matt.

SIDE PROJECT: DEMON THE WHISKEY DOWN ALBUM ART

2011-10-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Above is the album artwork I created for The Naked Heroes new album, Demon The Whiskey Down which officially released today. You can download the album for free on their website here. Even though the music couldn't be more down-home, Budweiser-swilling, parking-lot, trans-am-T-top, full-throated, red-blooded American Rock 'n Roll, George (lead vocals, guitar) and I thought doing something kind of Proggy artwise would be an interesting choice. I was also influenced by the imagery and Cenebites in the movie Hellbound: Hellraiser II. I also created a short, 8-page comic that was inserted into the limited-edition 12-inch vinyl release of the album. The cover art is below.

NIGHT BUSINESS ON BORED TO DEATH

2011-10-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

On last night's season premiere of the third season of HBO's Bored to Death, NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 1, made a brief cameo appearance, opposite Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.

GANGSTA RAP POSSE | ISSUE 2 | OUT NOW!!!

2011-09-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Because you demanded it! The most outrageous and notorious rap group in the world is back!! And this issue raises the stakes!!! The boys elude assassination attempts by corrupt police Lieutenants and the Mayor of Los Angeles. They take on a neo-Nazi punk rock band and their fans. But worst of all Harold Smithsonion, the lethal leader of the 70s funk band, Funk Congress International, and his former bass-player-turned-CIA-assassin, Snoozy Koblins, want GANGSTA RAP POSSE deader than disco for sampling their hit songs without permission or payment!! Still GANGSTA RAP POSSE finds the time to cause a ruckus, spray some bullets around the cityscape, turn Nazi-punk-band groupies to their flava and satisfy the wives of Omnicom's board of directors!! Just another day in the life of GANGSTA RAP POSSE!!
MATURE READERS ONLY | EXPLICIT CONTENT
(Sorry kids, this one's too cool for you).

Product details:
Full-color, matte covers
24 b&w interior pages
6" x 9" pamphlet

Order yours today!

SPX 2011

2011-09-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend I'll be at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD, at table H9 along with a couple of bros from Mammal. On Saturday I'll be a part of the panel entitled "Excruciating Detail," moderated by comic critic extraordinaire Sean T. Collins, along with Johnny Ryan, Tom Neely and Lisa Hanawalt. At the table I'll have a new print and new surprise comic for sale as well as copies of Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies. If you're in the DC metro area, be sure to swing by!

SIDE PROJECT: DC FIFTY-TOO! JACK KIRBY'S THE NEW GODS

2011-08-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Large image above

Here's my contribution to the DC Fifty-Too! blog, curated by Jon Morris. Jon asked everyone "If DC approached you and offered you any DC property - past or present - of your choice to be your own new ongoing part of the DC Universe, what would the cover to the first issue look like?" Every day leading up to the DC relaunch/pseudo-reboot more covers will be posted, so keep checking back!

Above are the various stages for creating the image: pencils, inks, colors and the final image with the logos. The top image is slightly larger so you can see the detail. The whole cover was created digitally (with the exception of the sketch phase).

I was really happy to see, when Jon invited me to participate, no one had chosen The New Gods yet. It's one of my all-time favorite comics, along with the rest of Kirby's Fourth World books. It was a dream to draw these characters.

PHILADELPHIA ALTERNATIVE COMIC CON

2011-08-13T04:35:00.001-07:00

This weekend I'll be at the Philadelphia Alternative Comic Con. If you're in Philly, swing by!

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-08-12T10:01:00.001-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES COLLECTION SIGNING WEDNESDAY

2011-07-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday I'll be signing copies of the Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies collection with several of the other creator contributors.

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES COLLECTION COMES OUT TODAY!

2011-07-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

The TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES oversize, 144-page collection comes out today with stories by Tom Scioli, Jim Rugg, Zack Soto, myself and many, many other fine and twisted comic creators. Michel Fiffe organized, edited and midwifed the whole thing and deserves thunderous applause. Swing over and support your local comic shop by picking up a copy!

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-07-08T11:17:00.001-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-07-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-06-25T10:30:00.001-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-06-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-06-03T17:49:00.001-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

SIDE PROJECT: SIGNED STINKERS STICKER SHEETS

2011-06-02T19:07:00.001-07:00

Signed prints of my STINKERS stickers sheets are now for sale here!

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-05-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

NEW ZORION THE SWORDLORD PAGES ARE UP

2011-05-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Start at The Beginning!

SIDE PROJECT: MYSTERIOUS DETAILS

2011-05-17T19:01:00.001-07:00

NEW PAGES OF ZORION THE SWORDLORD ARE UP

2011-05-13T14:39:00.001-07:00

Start at The Beginning!

TRADITIONAL COMICS TUMBLR SITE

2011-05-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

We now have a Tumblr site for TRADITIONAL COMICS. Check it out here.

SPACE BARBARIANS OF THE ULTIMATE FUTURE DIMENSIONS

2011-05-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am entering the realm of web comics with the story ZORION THE SWORDLORD. He is one of the immortal SPACE BARBARIANS OF THE ULTIMATE FUTURE DIMENSIONS, but more on them later. I plan to stop reading during my commute and instead draw pages for this web comic while I wait for buses and trains, while I'm on buses and trains or when I have idle time, like drawing during breakfast, or random downtime I find for myself, plotting the story as I go. New pages will be added every Friday. You can start reading it here.
The Story of the SPACE BARBARIANS OF THE ULTIMATE FUTURE DIMENSIONS

When the Space Gods created the universe they did so using a powerful tool, the PHASER-AXE. But the PHASER-AXE is also the most powerful weapon in all of the universe and it gained sentience. With it's self-knowledge it felt hate toward the Space Gods, for the PHASER-AXE is truly the embodiment of all evil, and it set off on its destiny to destroy the universe in the only way possible, by cleaving the HEARTSTAR. Wrapping itself in a comet, the PHASER-AXE, travels toward the HEARTSTAR, hellbent on bringing the universe to its end. The Space Gods then created the SPACE BARBARIANS OF THE ULTIMATE FUTURE DIMENSIONS, warriors in different dimensions of the universe with individual destinies and adventures, existing and operating with no knowledge of each other, in separate realities taking place near the demise of the universe. Each of the SPACE BARBARIANS, through their legion of adventures, is a piece to a puzzle which will stop the PHASER-AXE from completing it's mission: to reach the HEARTSTAR and shatter all dimensions by cleaving the central sun in two.

Some of the known SPACE BARBARIANS include:

• U-Nonymous the Unknowable, barbarian detective addicted to the cosmic drug known as The Make, who seeks to find the Opto-Gravplex and save the planet Pollear-Axis 99 from falling into a black hole.

U-Nonymous

• The Ark of the Desecration, the exiled Black Prince of Elia, now famed bounty hunter in the year 106,672, wielder of the magic sword Megahellnaut and master of strange science sorcery.

The Ark of the Desecration

BronzeGold, worshiped wandering warrior, lover and slayer.

BronzeGold

Hjellhjammer the Heschienne, the hirsute seducer of the Infinite Tesseract, enemy to demons, the Bike Masters and the Cyber-Caesar.

Hjellhjammer the Heschienne

Be on the look out for more news about the SPACE BARBARIANS OF THE ULTIMATE FUTURE DIMENSIONS!!

DRAMATIC READING FOR THE PEN WORLD VOICES FESTIVAL OF INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE

2011-04-27T17:10:00.001-07:00

I'll be doing a serious, dramatic reading of my U.S.Agent story from Strange Tales II at this year's PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature this Saturday along with some fellow NYC-based comic creators like, Kate Beaton, Mike Dawson, R. Sikoryak, Michael Kupperman and Dean Haspiel. Check out all the details here.

2011 STUMPTOWN COMICS FEST AND PORTLAND

2011-04-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

I had the honor and privilege of sharing a booth at this past weekend's Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, OR, with the immortal Jason Leivian, proprietor of Floating World Comics, one of the best comic shops on the planet. The show itself was fantastic. We had a spacious booth to relax in and sell our wares from. I found some terrific comics including some Jademan back issues and several mind-blowing comics from an indie company called Raw Fun. I was introduced to several fine folks from Dark Horse Comics including publisher Mike Richardson. I spoke with Brandon Graham, Nate Simpson, Tom Neely, Rick Remender, and many others. I chatted at length with Matt Maxwell who writes Strangeways, about horror movies, Clive Barker ones in particular, and Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II specifically. I did a few sketches at the con in people's sketchbooks including one of Pinhead for Matt.

On the Thursday before Stumptown, Jason hosted an art opening and signing at the store for me. Floating World Comics is the comic store you think you can only imagine, but there it is, in downtown Portland. I bought many things. During the signing I was able to speak at length with a bunch of folks I only know through the internet mostly.

Other than hanging out with Jason for a quality amount of time, the best part of the trip was meeting all the fine people living in and around Portland. Already plotting a return to next year's fest.

NICK GAZIN COVERS MOCCA AT VICE

2011-04-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Nick Gazin has a write-up over at VICE that includes myself (pictured above) and several other folks, like Rob Corradetti, Whitney Mattheson, Zach Hazard Vaupen, and Dan Nadel, who showed stuff last weekend's MoCCA Festival. Check it out here.

STRANGE TALES MOCCA AFTER PARTY

2011-04-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

After the Saturday edition of this year's MoCCA Festival, I'll be at The Mad Hatter for the Strange Tales II Party, along with several of my sterling co-creators. Be sure to stop by if you're going to be at MoCCA. Check out the flyer above for detes.

MOCCA 2011

2011-04-07T15:49:00.001-07:00

I'll be at this weekend's MoCCA Festival at table A17 (see above floorplan). Swing by for some deals on some comic books! ... except for GANGSTA RAP POSSE. I'm sold out of that one. The MoCCA fest is at the Lexington Avenue Armory, 68 Lexington Ave. Things kick off at 11 AM on Saturday.

ART SHOW AND SIGNING AT FLOATING WORLD COMICS

2011-03-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 14th, I'll be having an art show and signing at the renowned comic book store, Floating World Comics, in Portland, OR. Things kick off around 6. Floating World is hosting a bunch of events that whole week, leading up to the Stumptown Comics Festival, which I'll also be attending.

SIDE PROJECT: STRANGE TALES II SKETCHES

2011-03-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some sketches I did for my Strange Tales II story, U.S.Agent vs. the Terror-Saur. You can check out many of the other creators' sketches over at the Comics Alliance here. Rafael Granpas' sketches are mind-blowing. The Strange Tales II hardcover collection came out today.

SIDE PROJECT: SAVAGE DRAGON SHORT STORY

2011-03-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Here's the first page to my Savage Dragon story I'm currently working on, "Space-Werewolf Biker Gang Zealots Gone Wild!" Savage Dragon is the creation of Erik Larsen and published over at Image Comics. I've been a fan of Larsen's work since I started reading Marvel books. I really enjoyed his early stuff in The Punisher and Amazing Spider-Man.

BEST WRITER NOMINATION FOR 2011 STUMPTOWN COMIC ARTS AWARDS

2011-03-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

I'm nominated for Best Writer for BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) in this year's Stumptown Comic Arts Awards. Check out all the nominees and cast your vote here. I'll be attending the Stumptown Comics Fest in April and having a show open that same week in Portland. More details about those things later though.

SIDE PROJECT: PIN-UP FOR THE URN

2011-03-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

Recently, I finished this pin-up for the upcoming comic The Urn, written by Patrick Kindlon and drawn by Leandro Panganiban. Check out the kickstarter page here (they're well over their goal) to learn more about the project. It's a seriously awesome-looking book.

SIDE PROJECT: FEEDING GROUND PIN-UP

2011-02-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a pin-up I did recently for my good friend Michael Lapinski's werewolf book, Feeding Ground, from Archaia Comics. It'll be appearing in the #5 issue.

IAN BURNS REVIEWS STRANGE TALES II AT THE COMICS JOURNAL

2011-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

In his review of the recent issues of Marvel's Strange Tales II over on The Comics Journal blog, Ian Burns writes this about my own story from issue #3:

Benjamin Mara’s[sic] “U.S. Agent vs. The Terror-Saur!!” in which U.S. Agent rides a rocket bike to Terrorstan with a scantily clad female reporter to fight a half-human, half- velociraptor with a nuke on its back is … unorthodox … even in relation to its fellow strange tales.

It's funny because I see my story as completely consistent with the superhero orthodoxy. But I often get the response that my drawing is weird, when I see it as being completely normal. See Burns' full review here.

RELEASE PARTY AND SIGNING!

2011-01-13T10:40:00.001-08:00

I'm having a release party and signing over at Bergen Street Comics, the great comic shop in Brooklyn, for BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) on Saturday, January 22nd, from 8-11. We're also doing an after party down the street at Lucky 13 Saloon, a metal bar. Be there!!

MICHEL FIFFE AND NATHAN FOX NAME TRADITIONAL COMICS COMIC BOOKS AS BIGGEST STORIES OF 2010

2011-01-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

MTV Geek had several comic creators list their favorite comic book stories from 2010. Michel Fiffe named BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF FICTION AND SATIRE) and Nathan Fox named NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, and BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF FICTION AND SATIRE). It means a lot to me coming from two supremely talented comic creators. Check out the list of all the creators' favorites here.

SEAN T. COLLINS REVIEWS BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION)

2011-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite comic journalists, Sean T. Collins, gives a very positive review of BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) over on his website, Attention Deficit Disorderly.

This is one of the most vicious and effective works of satire I’ve seen in comics in I don’t know how long. I say that as someone who pretty much loathes political and editorial cartooning of all stripes — an endless nightmare of preaching to the choir, taking complex issues and boiling them down to ideas and images with all the subtlety and insight of blowing the raspberry. By contrast, Benjamin Marra’s stroke of genius in The Incredibly Fantastic Adventures of Maureen Dowd lies not just in picking an unusual target, but in the pinpoint accuracy of hitting it ...

Sean also included NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, in his list of The 20 Best Comics of 2010, pairing it with Matt Furie's Boys Club #4 at the 20th spot. Glad to have NIGHT BUSINESS snuck in there with an appropriate partner.

TUCKER STONE NAMES NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, AS ONE OF THE BEST COMICS OF 2010

2010-12-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, comes in at lucky number 13 on Tucker Stone's list for The Best Comics of 2010 over at his column, This Ship Is Totally Sinking, on Comixology's website. Says Tucker:

As great as his USAgent story in Strange Tales was (pretty great) and as trendsetting as that Maureen Dowd thing was (pretty trendsetting?), my heart will always belong to Night Business. A nakedly unrestrained id delivering a passionate meditation on all of the things that healthy boys love the most, Ben Marra's Night Business is a comic that's impossible to get tired of.

Thank you very much, Mr. Stone.

11 O'CLOCK COMICS PODCAST REVIEWS BENJAMIN MARRA'S INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION)

2010-12-23T20:19:00.001-08:00

The guys over at the 11 O'Clock Comics podcast say some positive things about BENJAMIN MARRA'S INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) in their 138th episode. Check it out here. They start talking about it at the 59:17 mark. They even mention my status as one of the Art Directors Club's Young Guns, which is pretty awesome. Check out the rest of their podcasts. They really know a lot about comics.

ROM THE SPACE KNIGHT FUNDRAISER

2010-12-22T14:46:00.001-08:00

The SPACENITE AUCTION FUNDRAISER FOR BILL MANTLO was held recently at the amazing comic shop FLOATING WORLD COMICS in Portland. A print of my contribution can be found here on eBay. But a whole bunch of other artists also contributed awesome work for to help support Bill Mantlo, writer of all the ROM comics, who was paralyzed after a hit-and-run accident 20 years ago. 100% of all proceeds go to Bill. Here's a gallery of pics from the show.

INTERVIEW WITH AMBER UNMASKED

2010-12-22T12:48:00.000-08:00

At the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest earlier this month I was interviewed by Amber Delaney over at her website Amber Unmasked. Check it out in the above YouTube video. The interview can be found in her report about the fest right here.

MTV GEEK BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FEST REPORT

2010-12-22T12:43:00.000-08:00

Valerie D'Orazio, an accomplished comic book writer and editor, now running the show over at MTV Geek, talked with me for a bit at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest earlier this month. I got a mention in her post over at the website about half-way down the page. Check it out here.

SIDE PROJECT: THE 12 DAYS OF COMIC BOOK CHRISTMAS

2010-12-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

I did the above illustration for the second day of The 12 Days of Comic Book Christmas over at the Comics Alliance. It's the first illustration I've done using my new Cintiq tablet. I'm making the move over to digitally creating my comics in an effort to increase my production, save time, expedite my process, etc. Still getting used to it, but I'm surprised at how much the digital drawings look like my traditional-medium drawings.

BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) REVIEW AT WEEKLY COMIC BOOK REVIEW

2010-12-22T12:26:00.001-08:00

Dean Stell over at the WEEKLY COMIC BOOK REVIEW website reviews BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) and gives it an A-. Check it out here.

MATT SENECA WRITES ABOUT NIGHT BUSINESS ART

2010-12-22T06:55:00.000-08:00

Matt Seneca wrote a beautiful analysis of my artwork in NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 1, earlier this month over on his blog DEATH TO THE UNIVERSE. Go read it here. Specifically, Panel 3 on Page 13. Actually, Matt verbalizes my artistic goals with NIGHT BUSINESS and my other comics better than I ever could. I think my comic book art is about re-seeing or paying tribute to comic art traditions from the past, from Kirby, to Gulacy. To the anonymous, assembly-line artists from the '40s who unknowingly birthed the form, thinking themselves artistic failures and drowning their sorrows in alcohol. To the crime and horror comic artists who drew the flawed ire of Fredric Wertham and were eventually, unfairly targeted for political purposes by Sen. Joe McCarthy. Anyway, Matt writes brilliantly about comics and I feel humbled my stuff would be a subject for his words.

MAUREEN DOWD RESPONDS TO BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION)!

2010-12-07T14:42:00.001-08:00

Close to the end of last Sunday's CNN's Reliable Sources, host Howard Kurtz got a brief quote from Ms. Dowd responding to the comic book, BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) with a nice funny-book joke:

As an intrepid reporter myself, I asked Dowd for her reaction. "I never read anything about myself," she said. "It's debilitating, like Kryptonite."

Amazing. Check out the transcripts here (go to the end). And you can check out the Quicktime video of the show here, but it takes a little while to load. The brief segment is at the very end of the show.

BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FEST THIS SATURDAY

2010-12-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

This Saturday – and this Saturday only – from 12PM to 9PM, the second Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest will be held at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I will be there debuting my new comic book, BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION), the comic everyone is talking about. I'll be at Table 4 (see diagram below). In addition there will be a sale specifically for the event:

$10 for all five TRADITIONAL COMICS comic books

NIGHT BUSINESS GETS A NICE RECOMMENDATION FROM USA TODAY'S POP CANDY BLOG

2010-12-02T18:55:00.001-08:00

Whitney Matheson, who writes the pop-culture blog Pop Candy for USA Today, includes NIGHT BUSINESS in her recommendations for comics. Check it out here.

BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) FEATURED ON FOX NEWS AND AROUND THE INTERNET

2010-12-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

The Fox News late-night/early-morning show, Red Eye, (see above images) had a short mention of the new comic from TRADITIONAL COMICS, BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTIONS). You can check out out here on the Fox News website. The comic has also gotten attention from several mainstream online news outlets Gawker, The Atlantic, New York Mag, Mediaite, and the Huffington Post. But it really started with the blog posts from the comics community: Robot 6, The Beat and Comics Alliance.

UPDATE: The New Yorker adds their post. So, does the Washington Post.

BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION) NOW AVAILABLE!!

2010-11-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

Announcing the release of a new comic from TRADITIONAL COMICS: BENJAMIN MARRA'S THE INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF MAUREEN DOWD (A WORK OF SATIRE AND FICTION)!! Order your copy today over at the TRADITIONAL COMICS website!!

Maureen Dowd, the famous and popular political opinion columnist, is about to write her most powerful and influential column ever!! She's come in possession of information that could topple the American government, destroy the White House and bring the Free World to its knees. Joined by the shadowy black-ops rogue agent, Shadow Wolf, can she fend off the assaults of fanatical White House officials and Hezzbollah commandos in time to write and deliver her column before deadline and still be on time for her third date with George Clooney? What's a girl to do?

Preview pages below:

NIGHT BUSINESS NOW AVAILABLE OVER AT THE W+K SHOP

2010-11-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Issues of NIGHT BUSINESS are now available over at the Widen+Kennedy Shop.

STRANGE TALES II #3 PREVIEW

2010-11-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

I have a story in the upcoming Strange Tales II #3. There's a preview up over at Comics Alliance with a page from my story, starring U.S.Agent! You can also see the page here, above.

NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE ONE, BALD EAGLES STYLE

2010-11-08T20:42:00.001-08:00

The legendary and incendiary cartoonist known as Bald Eagles does his interpretation of the cover of Night Business, Issue One. I think it rivals my original drawing for intensity. I hope he colors it.

SIDE PROJECT: BODY DOUBLE ILLUSTRATION FOR CINEFAMILY IN LA

2010-10-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a program cover illustration of the Brian De Palma movie, BODY DOUBLE, I just completed for Cinefamily in LA. Below are some of my sketches for other ideas and compositions.

CREATING COMICS

2010-10-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

In the new book, Creating Comics!: 47 Master Artists Reveal the Techniques and Inspiration Behind Their Comic Genius, which was recently released, I (now evidently a "master") dissect my process in creating the first five pages of NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 1. Some other masters in the book who also share their creative ideas when constructing comics are Michael Cavallaro, Paul Pope, Jim Steranko and Dash Saw. You can grab the book on Amazon here (and check out a preview of the interior pages). The forward of the book is written by the main man Paul Gulacy (who also shares thoughts on his own creative process).

FORBIDDEN PLANET NY COMIC CON VIDEO INTERVIEW

2010-10-15T10:50:00.001-07:00

Matt, one of the managers of Forbidden Planet, interviewed a bunch of creators on video at this year's NY Comic Con, including myself. I'm at the 1:28 mark. You'll get to check out my new clean-cut, preppy look. One of my co-workers said I look like a Soc from the Outsiders movie. I took that as a high compliment. I aspire to be like those Socs pricks. They're much cooler than those lame Greasers.

Forbidden Planet and the folks who work there have been extremely supportive of my books, especially early on when I first put them out. I can't thank them enough.

INK PLOTS SHOW

2010-10-13T18:09:00.001-07:00

I have some pages of Night Business in the show, Ink Plots : The Tradition of the Graphic Novel at SVA, currently up at the Visual Arts Gallery on 26th St. A bunch of other no-names have some pieces in the show like Will Eisner, Gary Panter, Klaus Janson, Ben Katchor, David Mazzucchelli, Jerry Moriarty, David Sandlin, Walter Simonson and Art Spiegelman. The show is up until November 6th and there's an opening reception tomorrow evening, Thursday, October 14th, from 5:30 to 7.

TRADITIONAL COMICS AT NY COMIC CON THIS WEEKEND

2010-10-05T17:23:00.001-07:00

I'll be at New York Comic Con this weekend from Friday, the 8th, to Sunday, the 10th, at the Jacob Javits Center. As usual I'll be with the Mammal boys, this year at table 654. Use the above diagram as a guide. The standard TRADITIONAL COMICS COMIC CON SALE deal applies: Get all three issues of NIGHT BUSINESS and the first issue of GANGSTA RAP POSSE for $10! Hope to see you there!

ACCLAIM FEATURE WITH JEFF JANK

2010-08-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Jeff Jank, the art director at the awesome record label, Stones Throw, and I get the feature treatment in the new Friends-themed issue of the Australian Street Culture magazine, Acclaim. We have a conversation about our creative processes, the Madlib project we worked on together and a few other things. There's a release party for the new issue at the Mishka store in South Williamsburg, at 350 Broadway on Friday, August 27th, from 7-10 PM. Penthouse Pets, Justine Joli and Ryan Keely, who also posed for the issue's cover, will be in attendance, along with Ellen Stagg who photographed them.

SIDE PROJECT: STRANGE TALES II

2010-07-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

So, it was just announced on Comic Book Resources here, so I thought I'd spread the word as well: I'll be part of the new Strange Tales from Marvel. Be on the look out. It's a stupendous line-up as usual. I'm excited to get to work on my contribution.

SIDE PROJECT | GUERILLAS PIN-UP

2010-06-28T20:45:00.001-07:00

My friend and colleague, Brahm Revel, creator of the wildly awesome comic series GUERILLAS, is releasing a collection of the stories and asked me to do a pin-up for the book. Brahm is an awesome draftsman and his writing is top notch as well. Certainly check out the book when it drops.

TRADITIONAL COMICS MENTION ON THE INDIE SPINNER RACK

2010-06-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Colin Panetta gives a shout out to NIGHT BUSINESS and TRADITIONAL COMICS during his MoCCA-floor interview with the Indie Spinner Rack podcast blog. You can check it out here. Colin's interview starts between the halfway and two-thirds mark I'd say. Also check out Colin's blog here and his website here.

INTERVIEW WITH GQ

2010-06-15T19:09:00.001-07:00

A recent interview I did with GQ's Alex Pappademas is up over on GQ's blog The Q. Check it out here.

SIDE PROJECT | SECRET PRISON #2 | LINGERIE MODELS, SECRET ASSASSINS

2010-06-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the cover and two-page story, LINGERIE MODELS, SECRET ASSASSINS, I created for the upcoming issue of Secret Prison, a Philadelphia-based, free comic newspaper.

JASON AARON GIVES SOME LOVE TO GANGSTA RAP POSSE

2010-05-28T09:53:00.001-07:00

Jason Aaron, writer of the acclaimed series "Scalped" and "The Other Side," gives some love to everyone's favorite comic book gangsta rap super group, Gangsta Rap Posse, over on his blog. Check it out here. We give love right back at you, Jason. If you haven't checked out Aaron's book "Scalped," you must run over to your local comic shop and pick up as many currently available trades and/or floppies. It's a brutally awesome comic, the best book currently being published monthly and proof that Vertigo really hasn't gone all that soft.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | RELEASE PARTY!

2010-05-10T15:08:00.001-07:00

Come to the official TRADITIONAL COMICS, NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, RELEASE PARTY at UNION POOL!

With musical performances by:

THE NAKED HEROES
ODDATEEE
MKNG FRNDZ
and with jams supplied by DJ JAY GREEN.

Here's all the necessary detes:
Where: UNION POOL, 484 UNION AVE., BROOKLYN, NY
When: SATURDAY, MAY 22ND
When exactly?: 9-12, BANDS START RIPPING IT AT 9:15
Damage: $8

Hope to see you there.

SIDE PROJECT | THE ADVENTURES OF BRONZEGOLD, BARBARIAN ROGUE

2010-05-03T16:45:00.001-07:00

Here is my contribution for the upcoming issue of Smoke Signal, the local, Brooklyn, comic newspaper, published by Gabe Fowler of Desert Island Comics (which is an awesome publication). My page illustrates an early, brief adventure starring my Manowar-style, Heavy-Metal Barbarian character, BRONZEGOLD! He's named after his bronze skin and golden locks of hair.

NIGHT BUSINESS AND GANGSTA RAP POSSE REVIEWED BY ROCTOBER

2010-04-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Robert Dayton gives a very thorough and complete review of NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUES 1 TO 3 and briefly touches on GANGSTA RAP POSSE. Robert nails many of my influences on NIGHT BUSINESS and makes some observations about NIGHT BUSINESS' relationship to the Black-&-White comic boom that surrounded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It never really occurred to me when I was making NIGHT BUSINESS that it would echo the comics that first appealed to me, specifically Darick Robertson's SPACE BEAVER. But more and more I realize it may have been an unconscious decision, to make a comic that reflected that time as it was an era that had profound effect on me during some formative years.

Here's some of Robert's words from the review:

... [I]t is certainly accomplished. There is a deceptive stiffness that works for it giving the comic a crackle of intensity/removal play. The grid form gives the panels a voyeuristic quality. Yet these panels have a rhythmic staccato flow. They occasionally open up for wide shots, such as the sequence of one of the strippers in the ballet studio. All through each of her sweeping movements she looks like a hood ornament. All of the characters themselves seem to be composed of taut, molded clay with faces that look like grinning skulls.

Thanks very much for the review Robert.

TIMOTHY CALLAHAN DIGS ON TRADITIONAL COMICS

2010-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Over at Comic Book Resources, my favorite source for comic-book news of the mainstream variety, Timothy Callahan mentions his appreciation of the TRADITIONAL COMICS titles in his recent "When Words Collide" column. Tim runs down his experience at both the MoCCA fest and Boston Comic Con which occurred during the same weekend. (I don't know how he did it. I get tired standing in one place during a con, but Tim's walking all over two cons in two cities. Zow). You can check out the full article here. Tim wrote some kind words. I share:

I bought all the comics of Benjamin Marra - those were my first big purchases. You may know Marra from his unforgettable video promo for Traditional Comics (actually called "American Tradition Comics" according to the covers of his books), or maybe you've never heard of him at all, but know this: I spent plenty of money on comics over the weekend, and "Gangsta Rap Posse" #1 was the issue I enjoyed the most. And "Night Business" was a delight as well. Hilariously garish and excessively exploitative, Marra's comics are the kind of things Mark Millar aspires to be.

Ha! Take that Mark Millar! It is indeed TRADITIONAL COMICS, Tim. I abandoned American Tradition Comics as not to be confused with Jeff Katz's American Original company. Plus, TRADITIONAL COMICS sounds more generic and I love generic.

Thank you, Tim, for the awesome mention in your column. The appreciation is mutual. Check out more of Tim's columns here. And check out his blog here.

MoCCA 2010

2010-04-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

MoCCA 2010 is happening this Saturday and Sunday, April 10th and 11th. TRADITIONAL COMICS will be spending it with our brothers at the Mammal Magazine table (see map image). You'll be able to get all four TRADITIONAL COMICS comic books for just $10. I'll also be available to sign any copies upon request. Details from MoCCA about the show can be found here.

INTERVIEW WITH INKSTUDS

2010-03-25T19:10:00.001-07:00

Robin McConnell interviews me over at Inkstuds.com. We talk about comics - naturally - but also, illustration and Boris Vallejo. In addition to the interview you get to hear some musical stylings of N.W.A., Loverboy and Pantera. Check it out here.

INTERVIEW WITH THE COMICS JOURNAL

2010-03-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

I did an interview with Jason Leivian of Floating World Comics (the great comic book store in Portland, OR) for The Comics Journal. Check it out here. We talk about self-publishing, process, VHS and technological leaps among other things.

TRADITIONAL COMICS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH PICTUREBOX

2010-03-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

You can find all three issues of NIGHT BUSINESS, the first issue of GANGSTA RAP POSSE and the TRADITIONAL COMICS BUNDLE for sale on the Picturebox website, right here. And that's not all! Every issue is signed by yours truly, Benjamin Marra. Picturebox sells a lot of great stuff, so make sure you thoroughly peruse what they have to offer.

MICHEL FIFFE TALKS NIGHT BUSINESS

2010-03-01T15:35:00.001-08:00

Over on his blog, Michel Fiffe wrote a bit about some comics he recently purchased, which included Night Business, Issue 3. You can read what he had to say here. Below is an brief exerpt:

Equal parts old school Paul Gulacy and Faust’s Tim Vigil, Marra’s making his comics on his own terms with a dedication that’s pretty admirable. Thank God he’s not waiting around, hoping for a publisher’s permission to start his comic. And thank God he’s using newsprint.

Thanks, Michel.

NIGHT BUSINESS AND GANGSTA RAP POSSE ON 11 O'CLOCK COMICS

2010-02-20T17:57:00.001-08:00

In episode 96 of the 11 O'Clock Comics podcast the guys talk about my comic books, NIGHT BUSINESS and GANGSTA RAP POSSE. You can check it out here. It's about two-thirds of the way into the program that they start talking about TRADITIONAL COMICS. Pretty awesome to hear these guys try to make sense of the books. Thanks, guys, for devoting some time on your podcast to discuss my stuff. Word up ... And the bad foreshortening in NIGHT BUSINESS is intentional. Haha.

TUCKER STONE ON NIGHT BUSINESS, GANGSTA RAP POSSE AND ME

2010-02-16T15:57:00.001-08:00

Tucker Stone interviewed me for his column, This Ship Is Totally Sinking, over on Comixology. Check it out here. Tucker and I really delved into the earth from which grows Night Business and Gangsta Rap Posse. We had a really deep convo about comics, art, process, Rambo, superheroes, art comix and other stupid stuff, and he represented it well in the piece and somehow made a lot of my ranting make some sense. Here's one of his astute observations:

The mistake with Night Business--if there is one--might be in Benjamin's commitment to telling the truth. (He admits that his few attempts to "play the role" depicted in his author photos has never really panned out.) But after finding out how much thought has gone into its creation, there's a temptation to want to praise Night Business with caveats, to focus one's attention on how much work has been put in to create an end result that's so base, so raw. Because it can't just be an exploitation comic, right? It's got to have a bigger point, it's got to be a critical take on art comics, a rebuke to independent angst, a reclamation of sleazy action, or else it's just a comic about dead strippers and badasses who wear pleated pants. It's got to be faked, or it doesn't count.

Or:

So what is this, then? Another chunk of writing fired out in praise of low art, another "you should really watch Gamer" missive to add to the Kael/Klosterman school of trash worship? Maybe it is. But it's worth questioning whether anybody really does trash anymore without winking, it's worth asking if, in comics' obsessive desire to spend the last decade moving towards a mainstream audience, they've left behind the immediate pleasures that used to be their stock and trade. Comics seem to be selling in more places. They've gotten more attention. But are they dangerous? Are they still taking chances? Or has the ground--the same ground that once gave former unknowns like Ware, Seth, Spiegelman something to create against, to innovate and attack--become fallow?

Thanks to Tucker.

TRADITIONAL COMICS COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY ON MISTER

2010-02-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

My good buddy Patrick Hosmer, who's a real whiz with all things motion graphics, video production, directing and video editing, is the guy I strong-armed into helping me achieve my dream of having a low-budg, grainy internets commercial for my comic-book publishing company, TRADITIONAL COMICS. You should absolutely check out Patrick's blog, Mister, and his blog post which is a behind-the-scenes director's commentary on the production of the commercial. It also includes my storyboard sketches, behind-the-scenes photos, and a photo of our Woman Hand and Woman Voice actress, the lovely Angie Sullivan. Check it out here.

TRADITIONAL COMICS ON VICE

2010-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

VICE gives TRADITIONAL COMICS and the recent TC Internets Commercial on their website. Check it out here. Nick Gazin gives NIGHT BUSINESS an apt and wonderful description:

There are hyper-detailed torture sequences and serial killings, and everyone’s anatomy is kinda stiff and way overrendered with all kinds of awesome shading. All the guy characters look like action figures you would have killed to have owned when you were little, and all the girl characters/strippers look like drawings of sexy ladies you would have made to impress your friends and convince your enemies that you’re not gay.

TRADITIONAL COMICS | THE COMMERCIAL

2010-02-07T21:56:00.001-08:00

TRADITIONAL COMICS from Benjamin Marra on Vimeo.

Here is the first internets video advertisement for the independent, comic-book publishing company, TRADITIONAL COMICS.

Credits:
· Direction, editing and animation provided by the multi-talented, virtuoso, Patrick Hosmer.
· The aggressively mid-tempo, radio-friendly background rock n' roll music was provided by George Michael Jackson of The Naked Heroes.
· Animator and maestro Dan Meth provided the logo jingle.
· The lovely Angie Sullivan provided the sessy female voiceover and hand-modeled.

And I, Benjamin Marra, publisher of TRADITIONAL COMICS, acted as producer.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | ON NICK GAZIN'S COMIC-BOOK WITCH HUNT #8

2010-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Nick Gazin, who interviewed me a while back for the VICE website (the interviewed was entitled Shiny As Hell, check it out here), featured NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3 on his Comic-Book Witch Hunt #8. Here's what he had to say:

Ben Marra’s back with another Night Business. The guy who protects strippers has been kidnapped and is being tortured in a warehouse. Once his kidnappers have ripped out his last fingernail his rage and drug-filled blood allow him to break free of his bonds and waste all of his enemies. Meanwhile the mysterious stripper-killer is still prowling the streets and a mysterious lingerie-wearing vigilante saves some would-be rape victims. This thing is an explosion of unsexy sex and super-sexy violence. If you don’t know Ben Marra then you should. Idiot.

Nick is right. If you don't know me, you should, idiot.
Check out the full rundown here.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | REVIEWED BY ROB JACKSON

2010-02-04T15:38:00.001-08:00

Well, briefly reviewed anyway, right here. Rob is one of the many staunch fans of NIGHT BUSINESS and cares enough to devote a spot on his blog for it. It is much appreciated Rob. Check out his blog and website.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | AVAILABLE AT FAMILY

2010-02-04T15:29:00.001-08:00

If you live in the LA area you should stop by Sammy Harkham's book store, FAMILY. Issues of NIGHT BUSINESS can be found there and ISSUE 3 just arrived at the store. There's a mention about it on the FAMILY blog right here, with some kind words to say about the issue:

One of the best comic series around-strippers, vice cops, serial killers, guidos, all mix it up in the pre-giuliani era New York. Like Douglas Sirk directing an Abel Ferrara script or something.

Thanks to Sammy.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | REVIEWED BY SEAN T. COLLINS

2010-02-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Sean T. Collins has reviewed NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, over on his site Attention Deficit Disorderly Too Flat, right here. Sean is what I consider a real understander of NIGHT BUSINESS; its nuances and subtleties. Some choice quotes from his review include:

I don't have the first two issues in front of me, but my impression is that this is the strongest yet on several levels. The insistent, grandiose stupidity of the writing reaches a delirious pitch here ...

And:

I'm all about seeking pleasure in comics these days, and this comic gets me off but good.

As always, thank you, Sean. Your words are greatly appreciated. It is my pleasure to give you pleasure.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | ON DISPLAY

2010-01-26T19:56:00.000-08:00

If you happen to be in the neighborhood of the fine, Brooklyn comic book store, Bergen Street Comics, within the next 12 hours, or so, you'll find NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, on the shelves, as pictured. You can find every issue of NIGHT BUSINESS and GANGSTA RAP POSSE at Bergen Street Comics as well as many other comic book titles.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | THE FACTUAL OPINION

2010-01-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, made the cut for Tucker Stone's "Comics Of The Weak" among others for this week's releases. Check it all out here and let the words tumble over your brain and be soothed and satisfied, while simultaneously becoming informed, in a way that only Tucker's writing can provide:

Torture can't stop Johnny. Torture is Johnny's fuel. Torture is how Johnny clambers up the side of a mountain of crates, torture is what gives Johnny the strength of character to execute, to seal-the-deal. And while the pimps and the slashers may seem to have the upper hand, while the streets of the city may be coated in a thick slime of blood, cum and some more blood as well as some beer, because fuck it, mama needs a beer if she's gonna dance for these sumbitches, ya'll out your cracker and curbing gums on the asphalt if you think anybody does this goddamned job sober, and yep, whoever you are, Monkey Dick, we all blame you ...

NIGHT BUSINESS | FASCINATION STREET BLOG

2010-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

NIGHT BUSINESS received a blog post over at the official Revival House Press blog, known as Fascination Street. Thanks to them. I really dig it when folks get what NIGHT BUSINESS is all about:

... [NIGHT BUSINESS is] a throwback to the media produced in good 'ole 1980's pre-Guiliani NYC. I'm talking films like Lucio Fulci's "Night Ripper" or William Lustig's "Maniac." As pastiche, Benjamin Marra's "Night Business" is violent and fun, complimented by the antiseptic drawing that really reinforces its ties to the deluge of black and white independent comics of the era. Even minor details, like the cheap paper stock of the book are represented ...

Check out the full post here, which also includes the trailer for Lucio Fulci's "The New York Ripper," which, I confess, I have not seen yet despite repeated recommendations from NIGHT BUSINESS readers.

NIGHT BUSINESS | ISSUE 3 | FOR SALE!

2010-01-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 3, is now available for purchase at the TRADITIONAL COMICS shop. Check out the preview pages below ...

BEST OF 2009 | NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 2, AND GANGSTA RAP POSSE, ISSUE 1

2010-01-06T14:00:00.001-08:00

NIGHT BUSINESS, ISSUE 2, and GANGSTA RAP POSSE, ISSUE 1, made it onto Tucker Stone's list of The Best Comics of 2009. They came in at numbers 21 and 22. Here's what Tucker had to say:

There's always a couple of comics that bubble up out of nowhere, comics that come bearing descriptions they seem incapable of living up to. Night Business & Gangsta Rap Posse--both the product of Benjamin Marra and his Traditional Comics publishing house--were those two. Could a Skinemax movie delivered in pure Paul Gulacy style really be that good? Did the comics landscape really need to see what would happen inside the wet dreams of an N.W.A. fan? That's what I was asking myself before I read them. Afterwards, all I wanted to know was why the hell these comics weren't being published on the sides of an army of blimps, all of which were hovering over every wi-fi capable coffeehouse in the country. This is how all contemporary fiction should read.

Reading those words felt like a mug of hot chocolate being dumped right over my heart while wearing a pair of very supportive briefs. Thank you very much, Mr. Stone. By the by, you can check out more of Tucker Stone's (and friend's) reviews and ideas on many things at his blog The Factual Opinion right here. And the other entries of his column, This Ship is Totally Sinking, right here.