Ian Astheimer brings us another exciting entry today. The man is a Reasoning machine.
Time to congratulate a Canadian collective's comics collection. (Archive.)
11/12/07
316. Transmission-X
Every day of the week -- and twice on Sundays -- the creators behind Transmission-X bring us new strips of some great, spandex-free titles.
Monday:
Luz: Girl of Knowing by Claudia Davila
A Hispanic tween wanders her neighborhood, in search of adventure (or at least something to do during a blackout) and fresh food. The tone is so earnest and light that I half-expect a serial killer to leap from the shadows and ruin the sweet series.
Thankfully, Davila seems committed to keeping the title wholesome and honest.
It's the most innocent ode to going green you'll read!
Tuesday:
Kukuburi by Ramon Perez
Perez, of Butternutsquash fame, looses his imagination on the masses, two pages at a time.
When Nadia -- a delivery girl with a taste for funky fashion -- stumbles upon another dimension (one populated by talking animals in snazzy hats), she faces her fate, as the savior of those anthropomorphs, and faces off against a skeleton in a snazzy suit...in a game of all-too-real Battleship.
The series is pure, zany bliss. It's like Willy Wonka and H.P. Lovecraft made a beautiful baby!
Wednesday:
The Abominable Charles Christopher by Karl Kerschl
More fun with personification!
The titular mute brute -- with his goggly eyes and pacifier -- wanders the earth, a woodland nomad, helping the helpless, although he's pretty dense himself. A bear warns of pending doom, lovebirds have a spat, a spirit guide appears, and a lonely fox sidekicks.
Oh, and you cannot miss the Ratatouille parody. It's hilarious.
It's like The Odyssey meets Disney (back when Disney was good)!
Thursday:
Kissing Chaos: 'Til I Die by Arthur Dela Cruz
Yes, this a new edition of that Kissing Chaos, the one with the Eisner nomination.
It's a brutal mash-up of style and substance, of experimental art and hard-hitting text. It's pure twenty-something ennui, steeped in miserable longing, with a dash of hardcore sarcasm.
It's the perfect book for the angry romantic in your life!
Friday:
Raising Hell by Andy B
Ah, All Hallows Eve -- the best excuse to bicker with your lover, pretend you're someone else, get wasted, and...stare down the apocalypse.
It's full of humor and costumes and the undead. You know you want it!
Fridays also offer behind-the-scenes interviews and features, via Transmission-X TV.
Saturday:
The Port by Scott Hepburn
Say goodbye to suburban boredom.
Say hello to demon felines that explode when impacted.
An action-packed joy to read!
Sunday:
Sin Titulo by Cameron Stewart
When Alex arrives at a nursing home to visit his grandfather, he receives some bad news -- grandpa's dead -- and a box of his grandfather's belongings, including a photo of a mysterious woman. A photo Alex was never meant to see. A photo that sends him on a quest to find that mysterious woman.
Who is she? How did Alex's grandfather know her? What is she doing with a disgusting orderly? Why is she haunting Alex's dreams? Why is she on the screen in a spartan room in a nondescript building? Why does she prompt Alex to remember such a tragic part of his past? And, what, if anything, does she have to do with his recurring dream on the beach?
Mystery! Suspense! Intrigue! It's all here!
The Princess Planet by Brian McLachlan
A princess with rocket boots. Jealous rivals. A snowman sidekick. Gullible gorillas guarding gold. Kooky kung-fu. Sultan Pepper. Dreadlock Holmes. Snotland. Smirkules. Missing lynx. Screams that pierce earlobes. Ouija boar. Medusa dandruff. Lostralia. Lavender lava. Voodoo doll dress-up. Gargoyle suitors. Caterpillarpults. Spyclops. The Swordceress. The Spelleton. An ongoing contest to create a nation's flag. And so much more!
This silly send-up to medieval tropes is full of fun and packed with puns!
Also:
Papercut by Michael Cho
On the fifteenth of every month, Cho releases a short story -- whatever floats his fancy. Thus far, he's tackled the tale of a smoker who kicked the habit yet longs for another cigarette, a kid coping with the loss of a friend, and a monkey in space. The past two entries into his anthology composed Trinity, a biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, from the start of the Manhattan Project to the height of his popularity to his fall from grace due to communist sympathies.
They're all riveting reads.
And:
The North Sea Epoch by Kerschl
Created as part of the packaging for Ragni's debut album, this haunting short features a man who washes ashore on an island and is tempted with youth, only to shun the offer and die at sea.
Its striking imagery masterfully captures the passing of time -- both forward and back.
And, who knew Kerschl had a thing for mute characters?
Transmission X: The talent's top-notch, and the comics are fantastic -- and free.