Septagon Studios, Inc. is a publishing company founded in early 2003 by company President and C.E.O Nicola Defina with his two cousins, Philip Defina (Vice President and Art Director) and Domenic Defina (Art Consultant). Septagon Studios has carefully positioned itself to occupy a historic place in the industry, and combining comic book publishing with creator services is just the start.
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10 days ago
12 days ago
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Written By: Susan Soares
In today’s society, our world is driven by the internet, our IPods, our cell phones. Information is transmitted so fast it can make one’s head spin. For a comic book creator, it can be just as overwhelming. The internet opens up a whole new world when planning to promote a new project. One of the most popular ways is through social networking. A few years ago, MySpace was THE social networking website. Every facet of the entertainment industry used MySpace. Since its inception, however, the world of social networking has exploded. Now the opportunities are endless. The challenge arises in choosing which social network is most suited for you and your audience. It is my intention, in this article, to spotlight some of my favorite social networking sites. Each site has its pros and cons and I will highlight them as it relates to the needs of comic book creators.Let’s start our discussion with a network designed specifically for comic book creators. ComicSpace.com was introduced to the internet world on December 5, 2006. So it’s not one of the oldest around, yet certainly not the newest. Based on a blog entry I recently read, ComicSpace enrolled over 2000 members within days of its debut. We joined on January 13th of 2007. Since that date, I have been addicted. For the first year that it was on the scene, ComicSpace was the place to be. Over time, its popularity has declined somewhat and some of the features it offered are no longer available. One of the features that I loved about ComicSpace was its speed, both technically and ease of use. When I first started working for Jolly Rogue Studios, ComicSpace was my lifeline to the industry. I was able to learn who all the podcasters were and identify retailers, all through the use of ComicSpace’s usertag functionality. Any aspect of the industry in any part of the world, I can find with a few clicks of the mouse.
While ComicSpace started out so strong, its popularity is waning. The site runs slower than it did in the past. The site had an indicator to let you know when you had a private message; that has since been disabled. It doesn’t seem as if folks are posting as many bulletins as before. Don’t get me wrong, I still visit the site daily and I still update our page. It just did not sustain the acclaim that I thought it would. I have also heard that the management at Comicspace is rebuilding the site. So only time will tell if it can gain back its momentum. Despite its intermittent shortcomings, Comicspace.com continues to provide a venue for comic book creators and artists to showcase their work, network with other members of the industry and even the chance to sell their original pieces of art.
Now on to another social networking site – Facebook. In existence since 2004, Facebook started as a university network, first at Harvard exclusively, then the Ivy League colleges, then to all college students. In September 2006, Facebook opened its doors to users worldwide over the age of 13. For the longest time, I continued to receive invites to join and add friends. I never paid particular attention until a colleague created a group for the Comicbook Artists Guild. This captured my attention. In my opinion, this is the single-most advantageous benefit to Facebook for comic book creators. A creator can join Facebook create their own profile, similar to most social networking sites, and then create a group for whatever project they are currently trying to promote. Within that group, creators can then post links of reviews that were written or interviews that they did. Other Facebook users can join these groups, leave comments and participate in discussions. Some other valuable features that I have experienced in Facebook include the ease of adding friends and creating photo albums.
One of the only aspects of the site that drives me crazy is the abundant applications to poke someone, send a drink, own someone or anything else that made my profile page incredibly hard to access. I found that the more applications I had, the longer it took. And if it was taking me that long to access my own page, is a reader truly going to have the patience to wait? The other feature I don’t like about Facebook is the inability to view someone’s profile before they add you as a friend. The website has this feature set as a privacy blocker and I totally can appreciate that. As a member of the comic book community who uses Facebook for the purposes that I do, I just wish there was a happier medium we could come to.
The third and final social network that I will feature as a favorite is Ning.com. For those who are not familiar, Ning is a social network for social networks. I currently belong to 2 Ning communities, Comicbook Artists Guild and Smallzone. Both communities are for comic book creators and the features of Ning certainly lend themselves to benefit the creator. Ning allows a group leader to establish a Ning community, either public or private, to target a certain segment of the population, and the members who join and/or are invited set up individual profiles, post photos, maintain a blog, post videos, add music et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Can you tell I really love Ning? Out of all the social networking sites I subscribe to, I spend the most time on Ning. For CAG, the Ning has brought together members worldwide to communicate and network without the hassle of weeding through unsolicited messages from outside the community. In both Ning communities to which I belong, we have a chat room where members converge on a weekly basis to talk and mingle in a live setting. Ning also allows members to create public and private groups within the respective communities.
So there you have it – my 3 favorite social networking sites. I encourage you all to check them out. Next month, I am going to spotlight the do’s & don’ts associated with these social networking sites and others. As a point of discussion for the next month, what social networking sites do you frequent and what makes that site work for you?
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17 days ago
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Written By: Will Davies
This is quite a relaxed gig and normally I get away without doing any research beyond working my way through the comic in question. Although the most “work intensive” aspect of that is finding the button for the next page without accidentally skipping to the end. Aah good times, but now that’s all at an end ever since John Allison of Scary Go Round made me learn things. I had to go look up this “purple prose” of his and then spent the rest of the week trying to work out if I should be mortally offended. Probably not, but then again I really could do with a visit from the Drama Llama. The internet loves a feud and I love readership figures so everyone wins.The aforementioned John Allison has been putting out comics for nigh on ten years now, so the guy knows what he’s doing and it shows in Scary Go Round. The best description of it is that it’s “about stuff” which is technically accurate what with the focus shifting so regularly. Plot and characters all seem mercurial, much like the T-1000 although the abilities of Scary Go Round surpass mimicry, knives and stabbing weapons.
The current art style is simple yet distinctive retaining an organic quality that allows for expressive characters and a good sense of motion. References to British life and culture also pop in the art from time to time, often in subtle ways that warrant a return to the material to confirm that you are not in fact losing your mind. The influence of those smiley vacuum cleaners is far more widespread than I had dared to imagine.
Despite the strength of the art the comic is quite heavy on the dialogue from which Allison sources most of his humour, generating mirth with a quirky exchanges and some just plain strange lines. Sort of like a Joss Whedon/Warren Ellis hybrid of some kind, and such a thing is not outside the realm of possibility…
Interview activate:
Will: First off, tell us about Scary Go Round. What’s it all about?
John Allison: Aren’t you meant to write two paragraphs of purple prose that answer this question before I come into the room? Scary Go Round is a series of stories about a group of characters. It’s a bit like the news in that way, except that the news is factual but Scary Go Round is made up. People have adventures, which sometimes end in an ambiguous way, leading to further stories at a later point. The characters talk to each other, there’s some dialogue, I put the words in balloons so they don’t get all jumbled up with the pictures. I try to keep things light and fun, but occasionally there’s a swear word or what the British Board of Film Certification might term “mild peril”. I’ve not answered your question very well, have I?
Will: There’s a lot of Scary Go Round to go around with six years of updates in the archives and currently five updates a week. Do you ever worry that keeping up this veritable deluge of material is at some point going to prove detrimental to the quality of the material?
John Allison: I don’t know if five comics a week is a deluge. It’s only 20.8 pages a month. That’s 1.2 less than you’d get in an issue of a Marvel comic book (”Power Man and Iron Fist”, something like that). Of course, I write and draw everything and run the site, unlike Marvel Comics who have a staff of hotshots pushing buttons, naming names and taking numbers. But I remember Power Man and Iron Fist having some quite elaborate backgrounds, whereas I never draw a seething urban streetscape when a wall and a lamppost will do.
Will: You go through characters fairly frequently, bumping them off, sending them to Wales or some such other terrible fate. Do you find it easy to decide who gets the chop and when, or is there some sort of system in place that dictates the lifespan of a character?
John Allison: Every character has a set number of appearances before I get rid of them, it’s the same for every character. And I add 1 to that number every time there is a message board post about that character, and 5 every time I get an email about them, and 10 every time I get a fan art picture of them. My mum keeps count, she’s retired now so she has lots of time.
John Allison: So I have a big chart on the wall with a picture of the character and their current score, and I eke out their appearances until the number runs down to one. I often have to get rid of characters I really like because they ran out of appearances. It’s awkward working to a system like this but you have to have structure, even in art.
Will: A while back you made the switch from drawing the comic digitally to doing it by hand. Both styles are distinctive in their own right but what qualities of each appealed to you and why did hand drawn art win in the end?
John Allison: I am willing to bet that most of my readers don’t know whether I draw on the computer or with ink and paper. Even on the computer, I still drew the comics with my hand after all. I’ve actually drawn all my comics in 2008 on the computer.
Will: So what webcomics aren’t people reading that you think they should?
John Allison: If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a noise? I don’t read many webcomics these days and none of them are really off the radar.
Will: Tom Siddel of Gunnerkrigg Court decree that you must choose one person you know by name to be put to death. What did they ever do to you?
John Allison:
This is a hard one. I guess I’d kill Tom Siddel of Gunnerkrigg Court, who brought it on himself. How do you like that, Tom? You didn’t expect that, did you? You thought you were so clever, and now someone is coming round to your house to kill you.Will: And what’s the worst possible question I could ask the next person in line?
John Allison:
What rhymes with “wasp”?Good golly miss Molly, Scary Go Round can be found at www.scarygoround.com
Discussion Prod
Five Items or Less
Bunny of www.bunny-comic.com turns four years old this Friday.
Aaron Diaz of www.dresdencodak.com un-broke his hands and now the comic returns to its regular schedule.
Next week on FPE: Oh god. There’s a big hole in the calendar where next week should be.
Do not look directly into the column. If you experience any itchiness of the eyeballs and sternum please report to fourthpanelestate@googlemail.com Everyone else can catch something from www.twitter.com/WTDavies if they feel left out.
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20 days ago
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Wriiten By: Preston Park Cooper
Found in my local library system:
–Cool Careers Without College for People Who Love Manga, Comics, And Animation (Cool Careers Without College series) (Library Binding)
Just from the title, I was provoked to think about the whole issue. “Is the point of this,” I wondered, “to get kids excited about this stuff before they even graduate from high school, so they can kind of get a head start?” A quick look through the start suggested to me that the answer to that question was “No,” which bothered me, because a “no” response made me feel too much like they were suggesting “Hey, 18-year-olds! Not planning on going to college? Have a look at what Comics, Manga, and Animation have to offer!”
Don’t we want to encourage the youth to try to go to college? What happened to the American conspiracy to convince young people that they practically don’t have a choice but to give college a try if they possibly can? Are we just not doing that conspiracy anymore? Or is the possibility that college may not be for everyone just an unfortunate fact that I’m not facing?
Either way, as someone who’s BEEN in high school, as someone who’s TAUGHT high school, as someone who’s BEEN to college, as someone who’s TAUGHT college (and am about to do so again), I’d like to say a few words about the intersection of education and comics.
If possible, take art classes, draw constantly, hone your skills, and do art. If you’re good enough, you can be highly in demand—it’s a powerful skill set, and one you can find extremely valuable.
And that’s just if you want to be an ARTIST. If you want to be an artist who writes his or her own material, it’s also valuable because you won’t have to find nor pay an artist. Which means that you should definitely learn to ink yourself, and preferably letter yourself, and if at all possible color yourself.
But what if you AREN’T taking the art route in whatever combination?
Then boy, could you use some education. Listen up, all you pre-high-school graduates.
–English: Yes. You know English now, probably, so this is really a course for written communication. You’ll need it to communicate your ideas, to get them across smoothly and with style. Grammar, editing, proofreading… you will need these, too, not just pure creativity, not only so that you can write comics with them, but so you can write professional-sounding letters to people. And professional-sounding Digital Webbing ads. Geez. Of course, in high school, you have no choice about all of this, but perhaps I can convince you to try harder—and to voluntarily choose to take extra English in college.
—-And of course there’s more than just writing explanations of things and letters to people—English also means literature, what makes stories tick, it’s very good for you. Plus, you can learn something of what’s been done before in literature—no comics writer should have a comics-only mental intake. If it wasn’t for high school we never would have had issue #44 of NAMOR: “The Rime of the Ancient Sub-Mariner.” I kid you not. http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/namor#i44 (The one on the right.)
—-Deadlines: English class makes you write extended projects to deadlines! Now THERE’s a type of practice that you’ll also need: self-discipline/time management. Learn now to avoid making Mrs. Cain call your mom because you’re not turning your work in on time, and you should theoretically be able to avoid your editor calling you about it as well. Mrs. Cain does not have anything to do with you getting paid, so you want to master this particular skill set before things go too far.
–Okay, what else? How about ART? You’ll be a lot more careful writing panel descriptions for your artist once you’ve had to try drawing some things yourself… You might even learn an amazing secret about comics: that there’s only so much you can make an artist stuff into a panel, and only so much you can make an artist stuff onto one page. Just this week an artist came to me and said “Congratulations! Unlike every other writer whose work I’ve read this year, you and your wife know there’s a limit to how much you can stick on a page, and you know just where that limit is!”
–Computer classes. You may want to work hard on these. Not only can it lead to helping you with art-related things (or at least coloring or lettering), it could also lead to a very handy way to pay the bills. Bills like paying artists to draw or color things. Computer skills are a much more reliable way to have the scratch to do so, in fact, than lots and lots of English classes. Don’t tell anyone I told you that secret, though.
–Math: Nah, you don’t need math. Except for KEEPING THE BOOKS. That’s right, algebra will not particularly help you in this field, but balancing a checkbook or ledger will. Ask any retailer—or Crossgen, for that matter.
–And then, as long as I’m talking to young people, how about keyboarding classes or whatever they call it nowadays? If you can’t type yet—and I mean FAST—and I don’t just mean with your thumbs—you’d better start learning now, pally. Me, I’m plenty fast… but I wasn’t in high school. And my handwriting… was not good. It really would have helped me… but it only comes with lots of practice.
–Incidentally, in English? Art? Journalism? Start asking about comics-related extra credit projects. Might as well start getting all the experience you can now. But if your teacher says no? Accept it, don’t keep pushing on that same teacher if they stand firm on it—start pushing on a different teacher.
–And hey, how about History? Ask to do a report on comics during WWII, if you love Captain America that much. Where would we be if little Frankie Miller hadn’t loved history class so much? We wouldn’t get to run around yelling THIS IS SPARTA every five minutes, I’ll tell you that.
–Home Ec. You’re going to need to learn to be self-sufficient, folks. And hey guys, you know who’s in Home Ec? Girls. Think about it. Just… just think about it.
–Okay, now for you college freshmen: don’t be an English major—just take them as electives. Force yourself to keep writing. Business? Check. Art if possible, and computers. But how about film classes? Learning about storyboards wouldn’t kill you.
—-Oh, and if I haven’t gotten this through to you already: STAY IN SCHOOL. Don’t drop out. James Brown wrote at least one song about it, so if you don’t listen to me, listen to him.
—-Incidentally: got a larger-than average brain? Learn Japanese. Seriously. Think about it. If you have a brain of even average size, you will surely see advantages.
–Okay, now what? What next? Get an internship at a media company, publishing company, advertising? Marketing? You’re looking to find yourself a day job that will either translate into getting into comics on some branch, or will really, really pay the bills so that you have the money to throw at artists and colorists and lulu.com or Comixpress (do people still use them?) or Kinko’s or whatever. Your objective with your job is to have enough money and health insurance that you’re not living paycheck to paycheck, but you also want one that’s uncomplicated enough that you can leave it there at the end of the day and not be totally exhausted.
—-If college just isn’t for you, go to a trade school. Graphic design/website design… You could be a techie temp. This job will not be your life, but I’ve seen too many good people crash because they didn’t have the foundation of a good day job and health insurance (Thank America sarcastically for the no-health-insurance, kids. “THANKS, AMERICA”).
—-What if it’s too late and you’re done with school, let’s say, and you don’t wanna go back? Answer: then get yourself a job that doesn’t pay well (or at all) with a comicbook website (MangaLife is seeking writers). A lot of people say comics journalism isn’t it anymore, they say it’s too much like fans just hanging out, but it can work networkwise. And respectwise, it can be better than just having a blog or being a forumhack (which used to be called a letterhack)—although nothing says you can’t combine them. Review copies to stay in the loop, conventions… It can help. Oh, and it’s all more practice meeting deadlines, too, as well as serving as further studies into what makes a good comic tick.
Planning ahead is MUCH better than a LACK of planning.
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25 days ago
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Written By: Will Davies
Before we begin this week a public service announcement:
Fuck you National Express Rail.
So it’s been one of those weeks. Fortunately it’s been made all the more bearable by Gunnerkrigg Court which has had me laughing quietly to my self in public places for days after I blitzed the archives. This made the local, awkwardly tiny comic shop even more awkward. I think I might have cost them business. That’s the measure of a good comic, if it kills local businesses with the power of mirth the only way it could possibly be any better is if it had a famous patron, maybe someone like Neil Gaiman, but the chances of that ever happening are slim to none.
Rest assured, dear reader, that whatever advantage Gunnerkrigg holds over other titles has been earned. Truly. Occasionally it has been referred to as the Harry Potter of webcomics and technically so is everything else set in a school but Gunnerkrigg stands up on its own. It’s most redeeming feature is its subtlety as although Siddel has crafted an entire mythology here he doesn’t force feed it to the reader instead its delivery is seamlessly woven into the other, far more important elements of storytelling. Speaking of which, the plot structure is also incredibly rewarding, working off one of these “tease and reveal” frameworks that are doing so well these days. It’s certainly performing well here and plot speculation is rife on the Gunnerkrigg forums proving the maxim of which the Big Two survive: the most important thing is that people talk.
The art is also worthy of note and not just for its quality. The natural progression of Siddel’s artwork over the years serves to create a sense of the passage of time which is a particularly beneficial side-effect given that the plot so far covers about a years worth of continuity with many more promised for the future. The visuals were good before, they’re awesome now and the only way is up.
You need to read Gunnerkrigg, it’s really that simple. It’s a shining example of what webcomics can be and what they should be and if you have any love for the medium you need to know what that looks like. It made a British man cry with laughter in a library of all places. Normally all British people do in libraries is glare at each other for existing too loudly.
But don’t take my word for it. Here’s someone even more biased:
Will: Who are you and what is this Gunnerkrigg Court lark that you get up to?
Tom Siddel: I am an Internet nobody. Gunnerkrigg Court is the awkward title of a comic that I currently make and upload to the Internet for people to see. It is mainly about a girl and her best friend who go to school where a bunch of weird things happen. For example, one chapter involved them doing homework (with a minotaur). Another chapter involved them getting their hair cut (by robots). Yet another chapter saw them discover a hidden underground bullring, home to a morbid death-play acted by ancient robots created by a mad Spaniard in tribute to a long dead swordswoman. I have a chapter planned where they go camping. Should be pretty neat.
Will: Have your own experiences with education shaped Gunnerkrig at all? Is this your idealised vision of a school?
Tom Siddel: The school side of the Court is very much based on my Secondary school, right down to the names of the houses and various other aspects. I wouldn’t say it was an ideal representation of the school, however, as I wanted it to seem run down and kind of intimidating.
Will: The plot frequently alludes to events taking place both before and after the current point in the timeline. Just how far is this thing going to run?
Tom Siddel: I want to keep it going for as long as I find it interesting, really. I have a lot of plot planned out or just in mind that I want to convey, but at my current pace of three pages a week that is going to take a while. If I’m able to keep up with my current routine then I don’t see why I should be able to work on it, but maybe one day I lose my day job, or a limb, who knows. Then my house of cards will come tumbling down.
Will: The first volume of Gunnerkrig is appearing in print soon. Has it been an easy transition getting the comic from the digital format onto paper?
Tom Siddel: It was easy for me. All my pages are made in traditional page format form the start and, aside from some corrections I wanted to go back and make, I didn’t have to do much to get the comic ready for printing. After that, though, it’s taken longer than I would have liked to actually get the book printed.
Will: And now onto that unavoidable question. Neil Gaiman professed a taste for Gunnerkrig on his blog a couple of years ago, do you feel that it can be attributed to some of your success and are you tired of people asking about it now?
Tom Siddel: I’d be the first person to admit that I caught a lucky break when Neil mentioned my comic. I was even luckier when he agreed to write something for the book too. I just hope he isn’t annoyed by it since it’s just a thing he mentioned off hand one day in his blog. People don’t really ask me about it all the time, since I don’t often talk about my comic to anybody.
Will: There’s a lot of threads in your forums speculating about things as fans will do and once or twice you’ve made references to such in news posts and the comic itself. Does it get on your tits?
Tom Siddel: I don’t mind when people speculate about what might happen in the comic. That’s pretty much what the forum is for. If people didn’t find the plot interesting enough to talk about then I’d be doing something wrong. I do have to repeat myself on various points, and sometimes some people read way too much into something and miss the point completely, but I suppose that is to be expected.
Will: Penultimate question. I’m far too lazy to do my own research, what web comics aren’t people reading that you think they should?
Tom Siddel: More people should read Starslip Crisis (www.starslip.com ). I mean, it’s already pretty popular, but more people should still read it. For a lesser known comic, though, I really like Heliothaumic (www.thaumic.net ).
Will: Chris Hastings of Dr McNinja wants to know how have your worst moments with the opposite sex helped shape your artistic vision?
Tom Siddel: My time in general with the opposite sex has cemented the fact that I am a low person who is best left alone, rattling around the house not causing trouble for anyone else. This gives me more time to work on the comic, so I suppose it has helped my artistic vision.
Will: And what’s the worst possible question I could ask the next person in line?
Tom Siddel: You must choose one person you know by name to be put to death. What did they ever do to you?
Gunnerkrigg Court can be found at www.gunnerkrigg.com but only when the moon is full.
Discussion Prod
Robert Kirkman’s recently spoke out about the state of the print comic industry calling for the major players to place more emphasis on creator owned works in an effort to prevent the industry from stagnating. Is this an opportunity for the many web based creators and titles or will web media remain the hidden indie layer?Five Items or Less
The Adventures of Dr McNinja is now in colour after four years of not being in colour.
Breaking news: Summer is a horrible time when nothing happens. I’m counting the days until spring 2009 when things finally get back into full swing.
Next week on FPE: I might actually know who it is this time but I’ve been burned before. Also I just don’t feel like telling you. Bring me a sandwich and then we’ll talk.
27 days ago
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It’s been no secret that Steven G. Saunders and Josh Wagner have been working on a comic book project entitled SALVUS—their fledgling production blog says so, as well as naming the art team, Leonardo Freites and Veronica Gandini. A buddy-adventure actually written by two buddies, each writing his respective character as they go, SALVUS is to be a quasi-historical story drawing on each writer’s strong grounding in historical facts and trivia as well as the love each writer has for wild action stories.
The new part is that Salvus has not only gained an editor, but that the originators are in fact joining an entire creative studio: Wicker Man Studios, source of critically-acclaimed digital comic GUN STREET GIRL, Tokyopop’s current project THE HIDDEN, and last year’s graphic novel HALF DEAD which came out first from Marvel Comics and Dabel Brothers Productions, and was made available again more recently this year thanks to Desperado Publishing.
Josh Wagner is the writer and originator of Ape Entertainment’s current prestige miniseries FICTION CLEMENS, the third part of which recently went on sale. He is also the co-originator of the gamer-based digital strip comic ORCUSVILLE.
Steven G. Saunders, along with having done various reviews and interviews, served as the final host for the infamous comics feature ALL THE RAGE, starting in late 2006 and seeing the feature through to its conclusion last year. With Wagner, he is also the co-originator of ORCUSVILLE.
Wicker Man Studios’ manager and co-owner Dr. Park Cooper (editor-in-chief, Septagon Studios and MangaLife) edited Wagner’s FICTION CLEMENS for Ape, and agreed to edit SALVUS, but as Cooper, Saunders, and Wagner discussed business, the industry, and their various plans, the idea began to form that they could be more effective under a single banner, and they couldn’t help but notice that such a banner already existed in the form of Wicker Man Studios itself.
“When the guys brought the idea up to me,” said Wicker Man Studios co-owner Barb Lien-Cooper, “all I had to say was, ‘let’s see how [Wicker Man Studios webmaster and GUN STREET GIRL artist] Ryan [Howe] feels about it,’ because I know these guys, I feel that what they do will be professional-level work… so what more is there to say? It’s always nice when I read about other studios with press releases saying ‘we’re expanding!’ Well, Wicker Man has become, of late, more than ever, what we’ve wanted all along, which is a real studio with multiple properties to pitch, and once one gets to that point, there’s often strength in numbers, so when Ryan approved, we started really getting underway with plans and everything. It’s nice how it’s kind of dovetailed with the re-launch of www.wickermanstudios.com ,” concluded Lien-Cooper.
“Park did a hell of a job editing ‘Fiction Clemens,’ and I’m pleased as a pickled penguin to be working with him again,” said Wagner.
“I can think of nothing cooler than joining forces with Wicker Man Studios and Barb, Park, and Ryan,” said Saunders. “Except maybe bacon. Nothing trumps bacon. Sorry, guys.”
Leonardo Freites worked on Image’s project NEW WORLD ORDER.
Veronica Gandini colored issue 2 of FICTION CLEMENS and is currently coloring Warhammer 40,000: Fire and Honour for Boom Studios.
Josh Wagner’s prose novel, a whimsical adventure which also guest-stars his character Fiction Clemens, is available on Amazon.
Steven G. Saunders recently launched his comics-and-RPG-related column, TOTAL PARTY KILL.
Wicker Man Studios’ GUN STREET GIRL is now online at their website and is being syndicated (with additional material planned) at www.graphicsmash.com as GUN STREET GIRL PRESENTS.
Aug 09, 2008
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Written By: Will Davies
Do you ever get that feeling? The one where it’s one in the morning and you’re desperately trying to write a column before your editor’s time zone crosses into Thursday? That sort of tingle in your right heel and the strange sense that all of your teeth would much rather be somewhere else? They call it the “deadline itch” and it’s the number three cause of death amongst columnist types. Fortunately items one and two on the chart don’t enter into things here, the Septagon editorial staff are very nice people and not at all chain smoking serial divorcees who keep phoning us all up and asking for their goddamn columns. As far as I know.Anyway, the webcomic causing me a variety of distresses this week is none other than The Adventures of Doctor McNinja. It is mostly the creation of Chris Hastings who draws and writes the comic while inking is performed by a one Kent Archer. It’s more than likely that you’ll have strayed across Dr McNinja at least once, after all it is one of the longer running titles out there with eight thirty page issues available in the archive. It also holds a seat on the Secret Webcomics Illuminati (read Dayfree) along with other popular titles such as Questionable Content and Little Gamers.
The plot of the comic runs very much like a lot of print titles with individual stories lasting about thirty pages at a time with slower paced character threads occasionally running in and out. Things are generally quite surreal what with the Mexican raptor bandits and the ear ghosts, but Hastings occasionally displays somewhat more sophisticated writing skills managing to craft a number of his core cast into genuinely interesting characters, as opposed to Ridiculous Ninja Themed Characters One and Two as they might have been if left to their own devices. The dialogue is also of a high quality and stay well clear of the less subtle approach that permeates a number of similar, less successful titles.
Hastings art is also top-notch. He deploys simple, effective and entertaining style that has come into its own in recent issues and surmounted some earlier rough moments. About as much humour is derived from the artwork as it is from the dialogue or plot and more often than not all three are put to work in tandem producing very distinctive and memorable moments. The qualifier for “distinctive and memorable is getting three grown men to stand in a corridor shouting “KNIIIIFE EEEEEYYYE” at each other at four in the morning without any chemical assistance.
Oh god, what have I done:
Will: First off, the obligatory “basics” question. What is DrMcNinja about?
Chris Hastings: The Adventures of Dr. McNinja is a comic about the adventures of a doctor who is also a ninja. He comes from a family of ninjas, the McNinjas, and they are very disappointed that he decided to become a doctor instead of a full time ninja. He has a 12 year old sidekick who has an enormous mustache and rides a raptor, and his receptionist is a gorilla named Judy.
Will: The comic has a very distinctive sense of humour, one that has a very strong “internet” flavour about it a medium which is not widely recognised for its grace or sophistication. Do you ever feel that writing the comic becomes a struggle to stay on the right side of the separating line between the surreal and the merely random?
Chris Hastings: Nope! One of the core principles behind Dr. McNinja is it’s bizarre sense of logic. The comic is always going to be weird, but it will never be random. It’s driven by logic.
Will: To me McNinja seems like a hybrid of the more serious long-form webcomic and the mania that ensue in four panel affairs. Do we detect the rumblings of a serious writer under the madcap antics of a comedian?
Chris Hastings: Hahaha, that’s a good question! I would say there is a funny person who loves a good story and and appreciates good storytelling. Also, there is someone who can’t tell a decent joke without context.
Will: So San Diego Comics Con is coming up, or if everything has gone tits up it’ll already have passed. How do you feel that webcomics stand up against the big boys? Glorious independents or pretenders scuttling about the periphery?
Chris Hastings: The webcomics tables at Comic Con attract some pretty big crowds the whole time! I’d say the scuttling was pretty glorious.
Will: Stock Question #442: Who are your greatest influences? Apart from Batman.
Chris Hastings: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 80’s Action movies, and just superhero comics in general.
Will: What webcomics aren’t people reading that you think they should?
Chris Hastings: I think more people should read the Slighty Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs. http://inspectorham.com/ It has fantastic artwork, and dark humor that isn’t dark in the annoying Hot Topic kind of way, but in the good, beheaded hamster prostitute way.
Will: Evan Dahm of Rice Boy wants to know how much money would you have to be paid to allow the characters of your comic to be mascots in a commercial for adult diapers?
Chris Hastings: $500,000. The ball is in your court, Depends.
Will: And the worst possible question for the next poor unfortunate?
Chris Hastings:”How have your worst moments with the opposite sex helped shape your artistic vision?”
The Adventures of Doctor McNinja can be found at www.drmcninja.com I would go if I were you. They are aware of the various locations at which you dwell.
Discussion Prod
Does anyone actually read this far down the page? Discuss.Five Items or Less
All quiet on the western front. Also the eastern and southern fronts, and I don’t think anyone’s been north in a while either.
Next week on FPE: Things move in a dynamic new direction! Away from proper scheduling as fast as possible!
Email! fourthpanelestate@googlemail.com Twitter! www.twitter.com/WTDavies Bears! Oh my!
Jun 13, 2008
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Barb Lien-Cooper and Park Cooper of Wicker Man Studios have a manga pilot up in manga publisher TOKYOPOP’s new Pilot Program: THE HIDDEN.
A story of magic, myth, and becoming an adult, the first chapter of The Hidden can be found at the link below:
http://www.tokyopop.com/The_Hidden/tp_manga/1309380.html
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About Wicker Man Studios:Wicker Man Studios was started in 2003 by Barb Lien-Cooper and Park Cooper with their flagship comic Gun Street Girl (http://www.panel2panel.com/gsg-archives.html ). In 2007 their creator-owned graphic novel Half Dead, now available through Desperado Publishing, came out as a joint publication of Dabel Brothers Productions and Marvel Comics.
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Toronto, June 2008: With Septagon Studios newly announced project “Masks”, Septagon Studios has created a special sneak peek three page preview of Masks available in the forums on their website. This also allows readers, retailers, and fans to meet the creator behind Masks, “Aaron Rintoul”. We encourage our fans and readers to join the forum and ask questions, post comments, or just come and check out and see what the buzz is all about.
The exclusive thread hosts Aaron Rintoul’s thoughts on his project, Masks Synopsis, and a 3 page preview. A more detailed creator page will be available soon. So check back soon by visiting www.septagonsrudios.com
Or visit the link below to view the newly-created “Masks” thread in our forums:
http://forums.septagonstudios.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=546
Jun 10, 2008
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Toronto, June 2008: Septagon Studios Inc. announced today that Masks will be the company’s second project. Masks will be making its full-color debut this summer. Written and illustrated by Aaron Rintoul (Dollhouse, The Never) Masks is a departure from Scorn, Septagon’s first project, with Masks’ emphasis on highly-rendered photography and design.
Aaron Rintoul describes Masks as “a dark psychological thriller, a story in which certain details are left open to reader interpretation.”
Masks is a photographic poem as well as an exploration into the nature of identity. The story takes place inside the psyche of a girl named Sarah, who sees pieces of others’ past lives as well as memories of her own as she follows a phantom killer and his victims through a distorted reality.
“Masks will be a great addition to Septagon’s line-up. It has great visuals with a subdued story that complements the book’s art style. Aaron, as both writer and artist, has done a great job with this piece, and we’re proud to be publishing it,” said Nick Defina, President of Septagon Studios.
Masks #1 will available be this summer from Septagon Studios; more details are to follow.
For more information on Aaron Rintoul and Masks, check out Aaron Rintoul’s MySpace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/aaronrintoulFor more information on Septagon Studios Inc or Masks, check out the Septagon Studios website, at:
http://http://www.septagonstudios.comSign up for the Septagon Studios Newsletter today for exclusive content:
http://news.septagonstudios.com/wp-login.php?action=register###
About Septagon Studios
http://www.septagonstudios.comSeptagon Studios Inc. is a publishing company founded in early 2003 by company President and C.E.O Nicola Defina with his two cousins, Philip Defina (Vice President and Art Director) and Domenic Defina (Consultant/Art Direction). Septagon Studios has carefully positioned itself to occupy a historic place in the industry, and combining comic book publishing with creator services is just the start.
Septagon Studios Inc.
•Imagination. Creativity. Unleashed.
•For readers. For creators. For everyone.
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