MFR Newsletter 8/15/2020 — The only thing that will kill comics is if we stop reading them.
Hey now, comics fans! EIC Anthony here once more with your weekly dose of comic book chatter.
The comics industry was in a bit of turmoil this past week due to major layoffs at DC Comics, as well as “insider news” (so take it with a grain of salt) that AT&T and WarnerMedia are more interested in being in the “character business” than the “comics business.” There’s been a lot of speculation as to what this means for the future of DC and the future of comics as a whole. And while it’s normal and healthy to speculate and feel concern for this thing we all love, it’s important to remember that the only way to know what the future holds is to wait for it to happen.
The landscape of comics is going to change in the near future; that is inevitable with everything happening in the world right now. But change does not mean death. Times of change can be an opportunity for growth and experimentation. All we can do as comics people is accept the change and continue to create and read. As long as we do that, comics will never die.
This sequence from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ BAD WEEKEND has been getting shared a lot this week, and I thought it fair to include here:
In his own latest newsletter, Brubaker commented on this sequence. I don’t think he intended it to be an inspirational moment. He just meant for it to be a moment, one “circling the bittersweet nature of comics,” as he says. But the point stands.
The life of comics is in our hands, not those of some corporate overlords.
Before we move on to this week’s articles, I just want to extend our best wishes to all of the amazing DC editors and employees who lost their jobs this week. We at MFR thank you for all the incredible work you’ve done, and we can’t wait to see what you do next.
Advance Review: INKBLOT #1 Is The Comic We Need Right Now
INKBLOT #1 is out September 2nd from Image, and reviewer Darryll Robson calls it “pure, unadulterated, fun.” He says it’s “packed with charm.” It’s a comic that “you will fall instantly in love with.” There are so many positive quotes in this review, that I could keep going, but I’ll let you read for yourself. Pick up INKBLOT if you dig fantasy adventure.
Review: LEAVE SOMETHING WITCHY — The Manson Story Told Like No Other
David Weber takes a look at LEAVE SOMETHING WITCHY, a new true crime graphic novel based on the Manson killings. The book takes a look at the Manson Family from before they were even together, all the way through to their time in prison.
Review: USAGI YOJIMBO COLOR CLASSICS #6 — A Tribute Beyond Time
I have been reading a lot of USAGI YOJIMBO myself lately and loving it. I’ve been reading the Dark Horse volumes because the original Fantagraphics comics can be so hard to find at a good price. I have no problem with that, since the Dark Horse stuff is excellent, but I want to go back and see where Usagi’s story began. That’s why I’m so glad IDW is reprinting the original Fantagraphics stuff in color now. Reviewer Jake Palermo takes a look at the latest issue of UY COLOR CLASSICS and lets us know why these stories are as good now as they were 30+ years ago (if not better in color).
Review: Howlett’s THE MAKERS is More Than Your Average Homage
Lots of Small Press Spotlight this week! Zac Owens tells you about THE MAKERS, Dave Howlett’s celebration of the comics medium. I love comics about comics, so I’m glad Zac put this one on my radar.
What I’m Currently Reading
I want to give a shout-out to RAZORBLADES, a new horror anthology co-created by James Tynion IV and Steve Foxe. The first issue came out last week, I believe, and supposedly it will be coming out quarterly. The print edition sold out before I even heard about the book myself, but the digital edition is available on Gumroad here and it’s pay-what-you-want. I think there’s a second print coming soon as well? You can see the full list of contributors here, but just a few names involved are Scott Snyder, Jock, Marguerite Bennett, Ram V, Aditya Bidikar, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
I’ve not read the whole magazine yet, but what I have read is haunting and disturbing in the best way.
I also got my copy of the new GUTT GHOST one-shot, “TROUBLE WITH THE SAWBUCK SKELETON SOCIETY”, by cartoonist Enzo Garza. If you don’t know Gutt Ghost, he’s a strange little ghost dude who likes to sit around watching TV and eating pizza. In this issue, he finds himself indebted to a gang of skeleton loan sharks. Garza balances the relatable mundanity of everyday life with the supernatural really well. There’s just something intoxicating about these stories. And GUTT GHOST is serialized through a series of standalone one-shots, so there’s really no wrong place to start reading. You can get the new issue and the back issues on Scout Comics’ website, but I would recommend getting whatever you can from Garza’s personal website first. That way you cut out the middleman, and you can score a sweet sketch like I did:
Plus, dig that sweeeeet Mike Mignola/Dave Stewart cover.
COMIC STRIP • TALES OF MFR #66
Here is the exact exchange that went down between Matt and myself when he sent me this week’s strip:
Me: Yay! Sarah's back! Oh sh*t don't tell me you're putting her up against the zombies.
Matt: Maybe it’s the zombies vs Sarah.
And then I sent him that GIF of Chris Pratt looking all excited and surprised from PARKS AND REC.
So yea, Dr. Sarah Delaney is back, and sh*t is about to hit the fan!
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.
Oh, and THANK YOU to everyone who has been sharing pictures of Monkeys Fighting Robots: The Magazine! We’re so happy to see you enjoying our team’s labor of love.
And keep the pictures coming! Tag us @monkeys_robots on Twitter and @monkeysfightingrobots on Instagram!
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
ABOUT US
Join Monkeys Fighting Robots for an inside look at the world of comic books and the evolution of the industry.
CONTACT US
Send your comments, questions, & concerns to: info@monkeysfightingrobots.com
If you like what we do, and you want to help us get to a place where we can pay our wonderful writers, please consider becoming a patron on Patreon or buying a shirt from our TeePublic store.