MFR Newsletter 10/3/2020 — Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
Prepare for a month of spooky-themed newsletter titles
Greetings, comics fans! EIC Anthony here once more. It is somehow already October, but I am going to ignore the existential dread I feel as this year continues to barrel on and instead focus on the fact that it’s spooky season! I imbibe horror all year round, but I always try to cram in some extra scares this time of year. If you’re like me and you’re looking for seasonal reading, here are just a few of my favorite horror comic recommendations: LOCKE & KEY, ICE CREAM MAN, SWAMP THING, AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, HARROW COUNTY, and NAILBITER, but oh man could I go on (and I probably will throughout the month).
I have a LOADED newsletter for you this week to make up for last week’s break. We got THREE exclusive interviews, some incredible editorials, and (of course) our usual in-depth reviews and analyses. But to start things off, I have an extra special surprise regarding the next issue of MONKEYS FIGHTING ROBOTS: THE MAGAZINE…
Monkeys Fighting Robots: The Magazine #2 Cover Reveal!
It feels like MFR: The Magazine #1 just came out, but we are already ramping up for our sophomore issue, and I have the exciting privilege today of showing you our dynamic cover by Geoffrey Krawczyk!
Are you ready?
Ok…
BOOM!
Our theme for issue #2 is SUPERHEROES, and Geoffrey knocked it out of the park once again (just like he did for our inaugural issue) by paying homage to some of superhero comics’ most iconic artists.
The Kickstarter launches November 1st and I’ll have much more to say about it in the coming weeks. (And if Kickstarter isn’t your bag, you can also secure your copy by becoming a patron over on Patreon.)
Interview: Nick Roche Channels His Parental Anxieties Into SCARENTHOOD
I got to talk with writer/artist Nick Roche about his upcoming IDW series SCARENTHOOD with colorist Chris O’Halloran and letterer Shawn Lee. This is the perfect new comic if you’re looking for something scary to read around Halloween (issue #1 drops October 28). It’s all about four parents who go demon hunting while their kids are at school, and it’s pure excellence. I really love horror that draws from real-life fears, and (from what I hear) there’s almost nothing as scary as being a parent.
Review: THE AUTUMNAL #1 Is A Slow-Burn That Will Send Chills
*NEW VAULT COMIC ALERT*
THE AUTUMNAL is Vault’s newest series under their “Nightfall” horror imprint. Reviewer Justin Munday calls the debut issue “a thoughtfully paced and beautifully drawn opening that builds its horror plot to a spine-tingling head.”
Landscaping Atmosphere in STILLWATER #1
More spooky stuff! Darryll Robson wrote about how Chip Zdarsky and Ramon Perez leverage setting and landscape to establish atmosphere in their new horror comic STILLWATER.
Interview: Lance Briggs and Kyle Higgins Take Us Into THE TRAP
MFR Publisher Matt Sardo interviewed writer Kyle Higgins and ex-Chicago Bear Lance Briggs about their new Kickstarter comic THE TRAP as well as football in comparison to art.
Review: SKULLDIGGER AND SKELETON BOY #4 Takes the Gloves Off
I loooove the BLACK HAMMER universe, and SKULLDIGGER AND SKELETON BOY was such a cool direction for Jeff Lemire and Tonci Zojic to take this world in after the main series wrapped up. Zac Owens reviews the latest issue.
I’d Buy That For A Dollar: WOLVERINE #5 (Marvel Comics 1989)
Manny Gomez went Dollar Bin Diving again, and he came up with WOLVERINE #5 from 1989! He breaks down the Chris Claremont/Sal Buscema joint in his latest column.
Review: SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE Is A Perfect Graphic Novel Adaptation
David Weber reviewed the comic adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s seminal novel SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE. The original book has been on my reading list for years, but now I can just read the graphic novel and pretend that I read the original!
Interview: Javier Garrón Breaks Down His Work In AVENGERS #35
Another interview! Matt Sardo ALSO chatted recently with Javier Garrón about his work on AVENGERS. The two talked panel breakdowns, character acting, scale, and more. A must-read interview for process junkies.
Finding The Fight For SHANG-CHI #1
One last editorial for the week! Darryll Robson took a look at the new SHANG-CHI #1 and breaks down how writer Gene Luen Yang and artists Dike Ruan and Philip Tan utilize the limited space of a Big 2 comic for highly choreographed fight scenes in a martial arts book.
COMIC STRIP • TALES OF MFR
Catch up on the series here: TALES OF MFR
The war between monkeys and robots has raged on for eons; these are the stories that have survived. With art by Jamie Jones and the occasional words by Matt Sardo, Tales of MFR hits the web every Sunday.
For more reviews, interviews, and “Legends of the Longbox”, head over to the website to see what the team’s been working on this week:
That’s all for now! Remember: Darkseid is… but so are we.
Until next week,
Anthony Composto
@The_Great_Ace
@monkeys_robots
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