ACCLAIM FEATURE WITH JEFF JANK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.