#IReadsYou Review: ECTYRON VS. DES MOINES

ECTYRON VS. DES MOINES

CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics

STORY/ART: Carter Allen

DIALOGUE: John Ira Thomas

LETTERS: John Ira Thomas

COVER: Tyler Sowles

BACK COVER: Will Grant

MISC ART: Jeremy Smith

ISBN: 2370001579941; paperback (July 2023)

68pp, Color, $10.00 U.S.

Comic book writer-artist and graphic novelist, Carter Allen, has been publishing a series of comic books and graphic novels featuring a “kaiju” character known as “Ectyron! The Radioactive Chicken!”  Candle Light Press and Allen's Warning Comics have previously published several Ectyron comic books:  Ectyron Against Lagaxtu (2017), Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss (2018), and Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula (2019), as well as the Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1 (2022).

Ectyron is back on the attack in the recently released original graphic novel, Ectyron vs. Des Moines.  It is written, drawn, colored, and lettered by Allen, with dialogue written by John Ira Thomas.

All three Ectyron comics employ particular elements of various Japanese science fiction sub-genres.  “Kaiju” is a term used to describe a genre of Japanese films that feature giant monsters, and the term is also used to describe the giant monsters themselves.  [Godzilla is an example of a kaiju.]  In this case, Ectyron is a giant-sized chicken.  This series also includes elements of “tokusatsu,” also known as “mecha” or giant robot superheroes.  [“Power Rangers” are an example of “tokusatsu.”]

Ectyron vs. Des Moines opens in Des Moines, Iowa.  The state's most populous city and its state capital is about to experience a most unnatural natural phenomenon.  The other-dimensional conqueror, Angerine, arrives, and his weapon of choice is a box that can multiple into other boxes called “Monks.”  The Monks are connected like a titanic Medusa, and even Ectyron struggles against them.  Can the new musician-superhero, Madam Madamn, help stem the tide of Des Moines' destruction?  Or is it over before it started?

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been receiving review copies of Carter Allen's comic books and graphic novels for almost two decades.  We are also collaborating on an upcoming graphic novel, but I am happy to see that he is still creating new Ectyron comics.

Allen uses watercolors to produce his art and storytelling in Ectyron vs. Des Moines, and that gives the story a tone that is decidedly different from previous entries in the Ectyron series – at least to me.  The story seems more consequential.  The previous stories were playful monster comic books that recalled Japanese kaiju fiction, Marvel Comics' monster comics for the 1950s and 60s, and Marvel's early superhero comics like Fantastic Four.

Ectyron vs. Des Moines is very much in the pulpy, sci-fi, Japanese roots of its predecessors, but I find it more thoughtful about what comes after the thunder and lightning of monster fights.  The battles are more difficult for the heroes, and saving-the-day comes with high costs and damage that cannot be reversed.  The villains are excellent, and the kooky Monks are inventive, imaginative, and quite lovely.  John Ira Thomas, a frequent collaborator of Allen's, offers pitch perfect dialogue, as he always does.

Yes, I want more of the Monks and more Ectyron.  Still, I cannot help but ponder how Ectyron vs. Des Moines ponders the nature of evil, the burdens of heroism, and the devastation of death and destruction.  It is as if Allen rebooted Ectyron with a new nature.

But the fun is not gone, and I think readers will welcome the new character find, Madam Madamn, as I do.  I think all Carter Allen's fans will want to grab a hold of Ectyron vs. Des Moines.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of kaiju and of Carter Allen's kaiju comic books will want Ectyron vs. Des Moines.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Readers can purchase Ectyron vs. Des Moines using the Square checkout service here.

http://www.warningcomics.com/

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The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: ECTYRON OMNIBUS, Vol. 1

ECTYRON OMNIBUS VOL. 1
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics

STORY: Carter Allen; Austin Allen Hamblin; Leroy Douresseaux
SCRIPT: John Ira Thomas; Austin Allen Hamblin; Leroy Douresseaux
ART: Carter Allen
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
BACK COVER: Carter Allen
MISC ART: Will Grant; Christopher Martinez
ISBN: 978-0-9895371-8-6; paperback (June 21, 2022)
136pp, Color, $24.95 U.S.

Comic book writer-artist and graphic novelist, Carter Allen, has been publishing a series of comic books and graphic novels featuring a “kaiju” character known as “Ectyron! The Radioactive Chicken!”  Candle Light Press and Allen's Warning Comics published three Ectyron comic books:  Ectyron Against Lagaxtu (2017), Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss (2018), and Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula (2019).

Now, CLP and Warning Comics have collected together for the first time the first three Ectyron comic books in the graphic novel and trade paperback collection, Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1.  This book also includes the numerous full color as illustrations that Allen has committed for this series.

Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1 also includes bonus material.  There is a new Ectyron short story, entitled “General Clucker vs. Ectyron” written by Austin Allen Hamblin and drawn by Carter Allen.  Then, Carter and I (yes, me, Leroy Douresseaux) introduce Carter's newest kaiju, “Karapace” and our wacky superhero team, “The Big Spirits.”  This five-page preview is entitled, “Karapace: Prelude to Big Spirits” and is drawn by Carter and written by me.

All three Ectyron comics employ particular elements of various Japanese science fiction sub-genres.  “Kaiju” is a term used to describe a genre of Japanese films that feature giant monsters, and the term is also used to describe the giant monsters themselves.  [Godzilla is an example of a kaiju.]  In this case, Ectyron is a giant-sized chicken.  There is also an example of “tokusatsu” the “mecha” or giant robot superheroes.  [“Power Rangers” are an example of “tokusatsu.”]

Here is a recap of the first three Ectyron books:

Ectyron Against Lagaxtu (2017):  Here, comes the super-cyborg warrior hero, AtoM.I.K.E.  He is always on the lookout for the kind of giant monster that hides beneath the Earth before finally surfacing to wreak havoc.  Lagaxtu is one of those monsters, a “kaiju,” a beast like Japan's Godzilla.  AtoM.I.K.E. (a “tokusatsu” like character) can kick some monster butt, but he will need help from another behemoth beast, one that can sense evil.  Here, comes Ectyron!

Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss (2018):  From the Great Basin Desert, Jake and the kaiju fighters of “Sustenatione Stabilitas Base” take on the giant-goose kaiju, “Nemehiss.”  Victory is not assured, however, unless they can get help from... Ectyron!

Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula (2019): The kaiju fighters of Sustenatione Stabilitas Base join the kaiju fighting mecha, “AtoM.I.K.E.”  They take on a mecha version of Ectyron, vicious alien invaders from the Red Star Nebula, and “Men in Black” agents.  But where is the real Ectyron?

Bonus stories:

General Clucker vs. Ectyron (2022):  Karl Clucker is the heir to the legacy of the “General Clucker's Chicken” fried chicken restaurant franchise.  Unfortunately for Clucker, however, people seem to be eating less chicken out of respect for Ectyron.  Embittered, Clucker decides to make himself just the kind of man or kaiju that can take on Ectyron … with unexpected results.

Karapace: Prelude to Big Spirits (2022):  Aboard a fishing boat, a sleeping psychic receives a warning about the natural world's ultimate kaiju of vengeance and balance.  But can the young woman gather enough help to stop Karapace?!

THE LOWDOWN:  Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula is, thus far, my favorite Ectyron publication.  It easily surpasses the first two releases, Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss (the second) and Ectyron Against Lagaxtu (the first), which were quite good themselves.

A cartoonist and graphic designer, Carter Allen, fills his comic books with Godzilla-sized creations, which includes monsters, beasts, machines, and contraptions.  However, there also improbable heroes of all shapes, colors, genders, and sizes.  In black and white and in full color, Ectyron comics are pure comic book fun rendered in texture pencil illustrations, pencil and ink; software, and marker.  Allen recreates the wild, the weird, and the wonderful of traditional American superhero, science fiction, horror, monster, and action-adventure comic books – with the infusion of Japanese sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero, of course.

In “General Clucker vs. Ectyron,” Allen's illustrative and coloring style and techniques take a turn, which is a way that he keeps his comic books fresh.  He has also found a kindred spirit in writer Austin Allen Hamblin, as this short captures the spirit of the original Ectyron comics.  Allen's dynamic art, with it energetic array of angles, and Hamblin's mix of B-movie and monster comics elements come together to create a colorful tale of pugnacious characters that deserves an encore.

As for Carter Allen and Leroy's collabo, “Karapace: Prelude to Big Spirits,” it is a sweet sample of our comic book masala, made of ingredients from old comics and cartoons.  There is more to come.

Meanwhile, Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1 is the best way to experience Carter Allen's way-out-there inventions of imagination.  His Ectyron comic books, like many of his works, are a sequence of unexpected events.  Allen is great solo, but Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1 provides a look at his quirky group of collaborators.  Some of them joined him on the original Ectyron comic books and showed their originality.  And that is what Ectyron is about – originality in the spirit of originals.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of kaiju and of Carter Allen will want Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1.

A

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


Buy Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ectyron-Omnibus-Carter-Allen/dp/0989537188/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=FPC4RCGP5FQL&keywords=ectyron+omnibus&qid=1657192587&sprefix=%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ectyron-omnibus-carter-allen/1141688819;jsessionid=4050D43796BC5832D603E92F478ED155.prodny_store02-atgap09?ean=9780989537186

Powells: https://www.powells.com/book/ectyron-omnibus-9780989537186


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The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: ECTYRON: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula

ECTYRON: THE INVASION FROM THE RED STAR NEBULA
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics – @candlelightpres @attila71

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Carter Allen
SCRIPT: John Ira Thomas
ART: Carter Allen – @attila71
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen and Christopher Martinez
BACK COVER: Will Grant
ISBN: 2370009462269; paperback
28pp, Color, $5.00 U.S. (2019)

Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula is a 2019 comic book published by Candle Light Press (CLP).  It is written by CLP stalwarts Carter Allen (story) and John Ira Thomas (script/letters) and drawn by Allen.  This comic book focuses on a group of monster fighters:  Ectyron, a giant-sized chicken; Jake and Iowa of “Sustenatione Stabilitas Base,” and AtoM.I.K.E.

Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula is the third book in the “Ectyron” series.  All three books employ certain elements of particular Japanese science fiction sub-genres.  There is “kaiju,” a term used to describe a genre of Japanese films that feature giant monsters, and the term is also used to describe the giant monsters themselves.  [Godzilla is an example of a kaiju.]  AtoM.I.K.E. is “tokusatsu” which includes the “mecha” or giant robot superheroes.  [The American franchise, “Power Rangers,” is based on tokusatsu.].

Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula opens on Main Street in an unnamed American small town.  The country is in an uproar over America's “kaiju problem,” and American's favorite faux news and reactionary-corporate propaganda network is the most uproarious.  When his power warns him of an impending kaiju attack, AtoM.I.K.E. does more than talk, as he takes to the skies.

Meanwhile, in the Great Basin Desert at the “Sustenatione Stabilitas Base,” a convoy of black SUVs arrives carrying a squad of black-suited men that look like MiB agents.  When the agents try to infiltrate the base, Jake and Iowa try some penetrating of their own with laser pistols and mecha.  With our heroes hands full on two fronts, the question is where is Ectyron?  Guest stars include Maddy Coil, Mectyron, and Ogon' Podsolnukh.

Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula is, thus far, my favorite Ectyron title.  It easily surpasses the previous releases, Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss (the second) and Ectyron Against Lagaxtu (the first).

Once again, cartoonist, designer, and comic book creator, Carter Allen, fills one of his comic books with Godzilla-sized creations, which includes monsters, beasts, machines, contraptions, and heroes.  It is all pure comic book fun.  This time, however, he draws the story entirely in pencil; with the exception of a few chapter heads slash faux-covers, this comic book is pencil-art glory.  A skilled illustrator, Carter uses his pencils to create shades, textures, and gradations that are finer than a welfare check on Christmas Day.  The underbelly of Mectyron's armor and the peacock-like wonders of Ecytron's feathers are simply beautiful examples of inking and “feathering.”

Writer John Ira Thomas delivers some of his most sparkling dialogue, communicated to us via his classic lettering fonts.  This is truly a funny comic book, but Thomas' script also offers a deft mix of action and adventure that will keep readers glued to the story.

Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula certainly strikes me as something that would make excellent source material for either live-action or animated television and film and also for a novel.  Best of all, this comic book seems to be the perfect realization of Ectyron, so I hope we get more like it.  I heartily recommend Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula to those who read Godzilla and Power Rangers comic books and are in need of some real kaiju and tokusatsu comic book power.  Oh, and I like Will Grant's back cover illustration.

10 out of 10

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
www.warningcomics.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: MAN IS VOX: Paingels (Expanded Edition)

MAN IS VOX: PAINGELS (Expanded Edition)
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: John Ira Thomas – @johnirathomas
ARTIST: Carter Allen – @attila71
PENCILS: Carter Allen
INKS: Carter Allen; Jeremy Smith (“Dessert” story)
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
ISBN: 978-0-9895376-9-3; paperback – 7.5 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches dimensions (September 18, 2017)
292pp, B&W and Color $39.95 U.S.

Man is Vox: Paingels is a 2004 original graphic novel published by Candle Light Press (CLP) and created by writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen.  Last year, CLP released an updated edition of the graphic novel, Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition).

This is a kind of overview.  Man is Vox: Paingels follows a man who is essentially a killer on the search for a psycho who kills some women.  He abuses in terrible ways those women that he does not kill.  The Fearsome Shade, Mr. Way, the Shotgun Bride, the Husband, Samdy Lockney, The Beacon, Insides, and Dilmus:  they are all on or in the orbit “The Beacon.”

Abortions; many Beacons; clothes make the man, and Sid S, the serial killer of children.  Mr. Way and the Fearsome Shade have to put an end to the Beacon, but who are they really?  Who are Mr. Way and the Fearsome Shade to confront the Beacon for his crimes, especially against Ms. Lockney?

2015 was Candle Light Press' 20th anniversary.  [In fact, there is a book celebrating that anniversary, CLP20: Twenty Years of Candle Light Press (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/clp20.htm), a book to which I have contributed a few notes.]  Since then, CLP have been releasing new editions of a few of their early graphic novels, including Man is Vox: Barracudae, the Man is Vox OGN that precedes Paingels.

John Ira Thomas and Carter Allen tell Paingels via a Baskin-Robbins like palette of graphic styles and illustrative mediums (so to speak).  Traditional color comic book art; traditional black and white art; a child's crayon drawings; charcoal; vector art; ink; finger puppet theater; 8-bit video game graphics; cut outs; torn pages; woodblock engraving-like art; and faux family photo album, among many.

When I first read Man is Vox: Paingels, I could not think of many points of references for my subsequent review of it.  Fifteen years later, however, I think I have one.  With surrealism on high and touches of Meshes of the Afternoon, Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition) is a trippy reading experience.  Much of the narrative deals with what goes on in the human mind – the interior life and the mental experience.  So Paingels makes me think of Noah Hawley's television series, “Legion” (FX).  Paingels simply does not display the self-indulgence and narcissism, nor does it possess the lack of self-control and lack of self-awareness that can be brought on by having the kind of large budget that a major Hollywood studio can gift a “genius” showrunner.

Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition) is an adventure in original graphic novel reading.  It is not really meant to be read in one sitting, which I certainly did not do.  Some chapters, I read over a period of several weeks.  Other chapters, I read in rapid succession.  I have to be honest; Paingels is not my favorite Candle Light Press book by far.  However, the characters are simply lovely, so much so that I want to engage Paingels just to read about them.

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
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7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: ECTYRON: Rise of Nemehiss

ECTYRON: RISE OF NEMEHISS
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics – @candlelightpres @attila71

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Carter Allen
SCRIPT: John Ira Thomas
ART: Carter Allen – @attila71
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
BACK COVER: Will Grant
28pp, Color, $5.00 U.S. (2018)

Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss is a 2018 comic book published by Candle Light Press (CLP).  It is written by CLP stalwarts Carter Allen (plot) and John Ira Thomas (script/letters) and drawn by Allen.  This comic book focuses on Ectyron, a giant-sized chicken that battles monsters known as “kaiju.”  This term is used to describe a genre of Japanese films that feature giant monsters, and the term is also used to describe the giant monsters themselves.  [Godzilla is an example of a kaiju.]

Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss opens in South Chippewa Basin, Lake Michigan.  The USCGS Narcissus, a shallow water submarine, has been chasing a sonar shadow that suddenly changes from shadow to monster.  Meanwhile at “Sustenatione Stabilitas Base” in the Great Basin Desert, kaiju fighter Jake is working on the latest kaiju-fighting vehicle.  “Tonnerre Blue,” a “suborbital hopper” that can transport and fight in the battle against the kaiju.

Jake and his colleague, Iowa, will need this new kaiju-fighting tech when the giant-goose kaiju, known as Nemehiss, terrorizes a small Minnesota town.  The kaiju fighters will also need all the help they can get... from Ectyron!

Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss, like the previous Ectyron Against Lagaxtu, is the kind of monster comic that writer, artist, cartoonist, designer, and graphic novelist, Carter Allen does so well.  His Gozilla-sized creations, which includes monsters, beasts, machines, contraptions, and heroes, are pure comic book fun.

The Ectyron series offers big monster fun told with big illustrations and graphics.  John Ira Thomas' dry humor adds a nice touch, and his dialogue, as polished as the kind you would find in a screenplay for a big Hollywood event movie, helps the readers take the action seriously.  Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss is both monster comic book and sci-tech action adventure.

The truth is that readers get a little more than they expect from Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss.  In fact, they get enough to want more.  Plus, the back cover features another delightful Will Grant full-color illustration.  [Since the publication of Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss, CLP has published a third Ectyron comic book.]

8.5 out of 10

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
www.warningcomics.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douesseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: ECTYRON AGAINST LAGAXTU

ECTYRON AGAINST LAGAXTU - OGN
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics – @candlelightpres @attila71

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Carter Allen
SCRIPT: John Ira Thomas
ART: Carter Allen – @attila71
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
ASSISTANCE/MISC. ART: Will Grant
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2017)

Ectyron Against Lagaxtu is a new comic book published by Candle Light Press (CLP).  It is written by CLP stalwarts Carter Allen and John Ira Thomas and drawn by Allen.  CLP regular Will Grant assists Allen and Thomas and also provides a pin-up illustration.

Ectyron Against Lagaxtu introduces the super-cyborg warrior hero, AtoM.I.K.E.  He is always on the lookout for the kind of giant monster that hides beneath the Earth before finally surfacing to wreak havoc.  Lagaxtu is one of those monsters, a “kaiju,” a beast like Japan's Godzilla.  AtoM.I.K.E. (a “tokusatsu” like character) can kick some monster butt, but he will need help from another behemoth beast, one who can sense evil.  Here, comes Ectyron!

Ectyron Against Lagaxtu is the kind of monster comic that writer, artist, cartoonist, designer, and graphic novelist, Carter Allen does so well.  His Gozilla-sized creations, which includes monsters, beasts, machines, contraptions, and heroes, are pure comic book fun.

Where do monsters dwell?  When Marvel Comics stopping publishing comic books like Where Monsters Dwell, the spirit of B.A.M.s (big-ass monsters), had to go somewhere, and occasionally that spirit shows up in American comic books, such as Allen's.  The screwy artistry of the Jack Kirby-Dick Ayers art team that drew monster comics is well in evidence in Ectyron Against Lagaxtu.

I do think the software Allen used to produce the art in Ectyron Against Lagaxtu steals some of the energy that is usually in evidence in his hand-drawn monster goodies.  Luckily, John Ira Thomas's dialogue and exposition (which reads as if it were written for a TV reporter witnessing this monster mash) gives the wackiness a jolt.

There are six monster pin-up illustrations in the back of this comic book.  I think they can act as incentives to encourage comic book readers to buy Ectyron Against Lagaxtu when they visit the CLP table at comic book conventions around the country.  The promise of more CLP monster mash comics might also spur a purchase.

A
8 out of 10

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
www.warningcomics.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: MAJOR DANJER AND HIS PLATOON OF DOOM

MAJOR DANJER AND HIS PLATOON OF DOOM
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: John Ira Thomas, Jared Donze, Michael Ayers, Carter Allen
PENCILS: Carter Allen – @attila71 with Michael Ayers
INKS: Carter Allen with Jeremy Smith
MISC. ART: Romeo Tanghal; Phil Hester
Hardcover
92pp, B&W, $15.00 U.S. (2016)

Candle Light Press' Fragmenta series is a line of paperback and hardcover books, picture books, and pamphlets.  Each entry in the line collects essays, scripts, art, and/or comics produced by the writers and artists of Candle Light Press (CLP).  Some of this material concerns early or uncompleted projects, while other material represents preliminary words and pictures for completed projects.

A hardcover book with black and white interiors, Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom is the ninth entry in the Fragmenta series.  Like Fragmenta 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates, Major Danjer collects an uncompleted project, entitled (of course), Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.  A fanciful war comic in the vein of such classic war comics as Sgt. Rock, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, Blackhawk, and G.I. Combat, to name a few, Major Danger ran as serial in various 1990s CLP publications, including in the anthology, ED.

Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom was created by CLP mainstays, writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen, with contributions from former CLP creators like Jared Donze and Micheal Ayers.  This collection contains six Major Danjer stories, with the sixth being unfinished.  This book includes an introduction by John Ira Thomas and essays by Thomas and Carter Allen.  There also about 20 pages of drawings, illustrations, and miscellania, much of it by the Allen.

Nazis, military strike teams, lost worlds, dinosaurs, and a giant “whark!”  Plus, meet those peculiar superheroes, “Glory Guard.”  It's all in Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.

I am a long time fan and admirer of the books and comics put out by CLP.  If pushed, I might say that CLP's award-winning horror graphic novel, Lost in the Wash, is my favorite CLP publication.  I have also long lusted and sought to plagiarize the brilliant Zoo Force/Not Zoo Force.  I get a kick out of Carter Allen's Nikki Harris Cybermation Witch comic book series.  A Tale of Shades and Angels by Thomas and artist Jeremy Smith should be as well known as Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's Powers.

But I have to keep it real.  I love Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.  Part Doc Savage pulp fury and part Sgt. Fury savagery, Major Danjer is not a parody of war comics, nor does it mock them.  Carter and his co-writers and Carter Allen merely takes the weirdness that was the true spirit of those old-timey war comics and makes them comedy the way Mel Brooks made comedy out of Universal Pictures 1930 monster movies in Young Frankenstein.

At $15, Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom is a steal for fans of war comics.  There is a Blackhawk homage in one of the stories that certainly justifies part of the cost.  I wish CLP had finished Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.  It seems like something that was mistakenly abandoned, but buying this book isn't a mistake.

A

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
www.warningcomics.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: MAN IS VOX: Barracudae (Expanded Edition)

MAN IS VOX: BARRACUDAE (Expanded Edition)
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

WRITER: John Ira Thomas
ARTIST: Carter Allen
INKS: Jeremy Smith (“Dessert” story)
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
ISBN: 978-0-9966176-1-1; paperback (2015)
144pp, B&W and Color $14.95 U.S.

Published by Candle Light Press (CLP), Man is Vox: Barracudae is a 2003 original graphic novel (OGN) created by writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen.  The story follows a man who is essentially a killer on the search for a psycho who kills some women and abuses in terrible ways those that he does not kill.  Because of the resources and processes available to them at the time, Thomas and Allen were not able to see Barracudae published the way they intended it.

2015 is Candle Light Press' 20th anniversary.  In fact, there is a book celebrating that anniversary, CLP20: Twenty Years of Candle Light Press (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/clp20.htm), a book to which I have contributed a few notes.  For CLP, this anniversary provides an opportunity to re-release, re-present, and repackage some of its publications.

Man is Vox: Barracudae (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/barra.htm) gets a makeover with the release of Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).  It is the same graphic novel, but with color restored to the sections that were meant to be presented in color.  Additional material has been added to the main narrative, and there is a new color story produced by Thomas and Allen for this new edition of one of CLP's classic comics.  Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition) is also published in a larger format, 7.25” x 9.5” (where as the original 2003 edition was small at 6” x 9”)

Man is Vox: Barracudae follows the trippy adventures of Tyson Gurst a.k.a. “The Fearsome Shade” a.k.a. “The Husband.”  Early in the story, a dying mobster tries to make a trade for his life (because Gurst is going to kill him).  The doomed criminal alerts Gurst to a bigger crime.  Traveling a state highway of gas stations and cheap motels, the Fearsome Shade will discover a conspiracy that ends with some of the most powerful good guys around.

Man is Vox: Barracudae is crazy.  John Ira Thomas is experimental and sometimes avant-garde, to the detriment of the narrative in a few places.  That said:  this comic book is unabashedly humorous, and, in its final act, it playfully skewers superhero comics, particularly the post-modern twisting of traditional superhero comics that started in the 1980s and continues to this day.  I like its ideas; truth and justice do come at a cost.  What do we really want from our saviors?  Do they really know what we want?

With Man is Vox: Barracudae, Carter Allen shows off his storytelling skills.  Mixing both media and drawing styles, Allen makes Thomas' script work as graphical storytelling without grounding it into boring practicality.  Allen remains an original voice in American comic books.

What I said about the original is true of Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).  It is both trippy and inspired.  It puts the original in OGN – original graphic novel.  Readers looking for high-quality independently published graphic novels will find one in the spiffy new Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).

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Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: Advice to the Young Writers of Parkview Elementary

FRAGMENTA 6: ADVICE TO THE YOUNG WRITERS OF PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

WRITER: John Ira Thomas
ARTISTS: Will Grant, John Ira Thomas
24pp, B&W, $3.00 U.S.

Hey, kids! (A book about writing) Comics! (by a comic book writer)!

Advice to the Young Writers of Parkview Elementary is the sixth entry in Candle Light Press' Fragmenta series.  Written by John Ira Thomas with pictures and illustrations by Thomas and artist Will Grant, Advice to the Young Writers of Parkview Elementary is a 5.5 x 7 pamphlet that collects Thomas' advice to the 3rd-5th graders of Parkview Elementary in Lamar, Colorado.

Thomas did his first writing, as a child, at Parkview Elementary.  The comic book writer and publisher got a chance to speak to the school's kids and teachers.  Thomas says that one of the thank-you notes he received after his visit asked, “Will you make a comic about your visit to Parkview?”  The answer is yes, and the result is an illustrated book, Advice to the Young Writers of Parkview Elementary.

This sixth Fragmenta publication encourages writers young and old to write the biggest thing they’ve ever tried, be it a paragraph, a page, or a book.  Word balloons and captions added to the illustrations and drawings give this pamphlet a comic book touch.

I think Advice to the Young Writers of Parkview Elementary is a combination children's picture book and comic book.  Many young readers who aspire to be writers will embrace this book's encouragements.  Of course, anything with Will Grant's pencil drawings, with their Wally Wood-like quality, is worth having.  Comic book readers, especially young readers, will want Advice to the Young Writers of Parkview Elementary.

To get more information about and/or to purchase Advice to the Young Writers of Parkview Elementary, visit the following links:

www.candlelightpress.com
http://www.candlelightpress.com/ordering.htm
candlelightpress.tumblr.com

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux (Support Leroy on Patreon.)


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

John Ira Thomas of Candle Light Press Grumbles

John Ira Thomas of Candle Light Press contributed to the Indiegogo campaign for my comic book, Grumble.  Visit CLP's website to be introduced to some of the best graphic novels and books of the last two decades.

And you can give to Grumble, too:

Graphic Novel Review: LOST IN THE WASH

LOST IN THE WASH OGN
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

WRITER: John Ira Thomas
ARTIST: Will Grant
ISBN: 978-0-9766053-9-3; paperback (February 2013)
214pp, B&W and Color, $19.95 U.S.

About six years ago, writer John Ira Thomas (Zoo Force) and artist Will Grant (The Scrounge Was Here!) first presented Lost in the Wash, a graphic novel in progress. The duo had been publishing Lost in the Wash in chapters and segments in various single-issue editions since 2007. Some of the Lost in the Wash publications were also released as convention exclusives. Now, the gothic horror tale is complete.

Candle Light Press recently released Lost in the Wash as a complete, paperback original graphic novel. In the end, the story, spread out over 189 pages, comes together as an epic of fever dreams and surreal visions. Lost in the Wash is one of the best comic books of the year 2013, and it is also a most uncommon comic book. Readers are unlikely to have seen anything similar to it.

Lost in the Wash is set in the town of Francisco, Colorado, a name the residents changed to “Isco,” in order to remove the suggestion of “France” from the town’s name. As its lead character, Lost in the Wash offers Darin Miles, a down and out loser type who retuned to Isco, the site of hardship and tragedy for his family, looking for a new start. Darin works at his Uncle Sal Miles’ “Laundromat,” which Darin calls “Laundroma” because the light on the letter “t” has gone out. Sal Miles lives in an ominous castle just up the road from the Laundromat. The castle is like a Winchester House construction project onto which Sal keeps building.

Not only does Darin have to deal with his uncle (an unpleasant man, gleefully proud of his offensiveness), but he also has to put up with jerky customers. Then, one day, something wet, wicked, and monstrous pops out of a washer and devours a contrary customer. Darin wonders if this monster in the washers is a good thing, especially if it will rid him of rude customers.

Meanwhile, there are two people, watching from the sidelines. Terisa Salazar, owner of the Asp Motel (formerly Aspen Motel), has a past with Darin. What are her feelings for him, now? Walter “Walt” Arganbright owns the Phoenix and frightens tourists with his scary stories. What does he want and what does he know? It all heads for a showdown at the event called Gothic Colorado.

From the first time I read Lost in the Wash, I found that it reminded me of the horror comics published by Warren Publishing and, especially, by EC Comics. I could see John Ira Thomas and Will Grant as a 21st century iteration of a Harvey Kurtzman-Graham Ingels team-up. If EC Comics had published graphic novels, I think that they were more likely to look like Lost in the Wash than pretty much any horror or dark fantasy titles from Vertigo or IDW.

Thomas transports us into the mind of Darin Miles, an unreliable narrator (of sorts) and then, also makes the point of view of either of three other characters: Sal Miles, Terisa Salazar and Walt Arganbright just as important. However, Thomas doesn’t cheat the reader by confusingly focusing equally on four characters. Just the opposite, he challenges and engages the readers with necessary alternate perspectives of the situation and action and of all characters.

Will Grant, who is an unknown comic book creator, proves that he deserves to be known. In Lost in the Wash, Grant’s art is a testament to the fact that a comic book artist must understand design and page layout just as much as he needs to know how to draw figures and objects. Grant’s M.C. Escher-like graphics and “Ghastly” Ingels-like compositions are a series of mosaics that will challenge your mind into vertigo. However, it is worth the effort to find what’s what in this beautiful comic book art.

Obviously, I like this book… a lot. I’m somewhat mixed about the ending, because I think this graphic novel should only be the end of a chapter, not of the entire story. Lost in the Wash is the beginning of a beautiful fictional world.

I am surprised that neither Thomas nor Grant is producing comic books for DC Comics or Marvel or even the mid-majors like Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, and IDW Publishing. Perhaps, neither Thomas nor Grant is interested, or neither has been approached. Still, Lost in the Wash is the calling card; Thomas and Grant are ready, Mr. DeMille, for their close-ups.

A

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Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: MEGACONTEMPLATIONS: a fragmenta fable

MEGACONTEMPLATIONS: A FRAGMENTA FABLE
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS

WRITER/ARTIST: John Ira Thomas
32pp, (8.4” x 10.9”) Color, $9.00

Writer, editor, and publisher John Ira Thomas has published several graphic novels through Candle Light Press, the small publishing house he owns with a few friends. For the last few years, he has published, Fragmenta, a series of magazines/books (mooks) offering readers a look at his creative process. The fourth Fragmenta, Megacontemplations: a fragmenta fable, is a bit different.

Over three decades ago, young Mr. Thomas was in Sunday school, when he was asked to making a drawing that reflected what he and his classmates had learned that day. What Li’l John Ira drew would be considered blasphemous or rude if drawn by an adult, but from the point of view of a child, the drawing is both cute and startling. [Clink on the link below to get a large-sized view of the original drawing – Page 1].

Years later, he drew a second image, somewhat related to the first, for his frequent collaborator and friend, the superb comic book artist and illustrator, Jeremy Smith. [Clink on the second link below to see a large-sized view of that second drawing.] The new page took the inspiration of the childhood drawing (apparently the Holy Bible – 2 Kings 17:26) and moves the idea in another direction.

At the 2012 MegaCon, Thomas decided to see what else could happen in this story he started over 30 years earlier. So, this is my interpretation. The god of a particular king goes into a lion’s body, but later the lion is redeemed while the god falls (or falls injured). The light emanating from the lion sets in motion the selfish acts of the Grey Kings and thus, begins another journey – to redemption and the healing of a god or to self-induced destruction.

Megacontemplations leaves the readers to their own mental devices. It is like a picture book for adults, but drawn in a faux-crude, childlike style, and it reminds me of a handmade book or comic. It is a fable that reads like micro-sized high fantasy wearing the short pants of children’s literature: Tolkien arm wrestles Lewis on Aesop’s turf.

You might say that Megacontemplations is one of those evil books that “puts ideas in your head.” Reading it sparked my imagination and sent it on flights of fancy. You can’t ask more of that from a book, and if you can, it’s because you don’t like to read.

A-

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Leroy Douresseaux on FRAGMENTA 3: On the Record

FRAGMENTA 3: ON THE RECORD
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS

WRITER: John Ira Thomas
ARTISTS: Carter Allen, Jeremy Smith
56pp, Color, $7.00

I am a big fan of the comics, graphic novels, and various publications put out by Candle Light Press. Go read Zoo Force/Not Zoo Force.

In recent years, Candle Light Press and its leading man of letters, John Ira Thomas, have published small mooks (magazine/book) collecting odds and ends concerning CLP’s comics, graphic novels, aborted projects, etc. Those include Fragmenta: The Art of the Writer and Fragmenta 2: Cross Nurses & Agile Clothes.

Fragmenta 2, from Thomas and artist Will Beard, focused on stories that never made it all the way to finished form as a comic book or graphic novel. Thomas also shared his aborted attempts to create horror comics that capture the feel of cheap movies, especially horror/exploitation movies. It’s a must have.

Now, comes Fragmenta 3: On the Record. It’s a bit different. Fragmenta 3 is part script book, part history, and part transcripts based on recordings (record LPs). The material inside is based on real creators, real events, and fictional characters from actual comic books and graphic novels. The content of Fragmenta 3, however, is not necessarily based on actual published works.

Readers who are familiar with CLP’s comics and graphic novels will love Fragmenta 3. The opening two pages are a history of and manifesto about comic book creators dealing with Hollywood. It’s fun to read, and makes a lot of good points about staying true to the characters and what that means for creators, fans, and media rights holders. For me, reading the scripts was like experiencing old time radio programs, but since I am a fan of old time radio, perhaps, I’m just projecting my favorite things onto Fragmenta 3.

Like most anything Candle Light Press publishes, Fragmenta 3: On the Record is smart, funny, engaging, and simply a good read.

A-

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I Reads You Review: LOST IN THE WASH “THE FIRST HALF”

Creators: John Ira Thomas (writer) and Will Grant (artist)
Publishing Information: Candle Light Press, B&W, paperback, 72pp












Ordering information: http://www.candlelightpress.com/

Lost in the Wash: “The First Half” contains the first two chapters of Lost in the Wash, “Presoak” and “Agitate.” LitW is a graphic novel from writer John Ira Thomas (Zoo Force) and artist Will Grant (The Scrounge Was Here!). I first read and reviewed this book for the Comic Book Bin: (http://www.comicbookbin.com/lostinthewash001.html) back in September 2007. I just read it again in preparation for reading the latest installment, Lost in the Wash: 2010 Lint Trap Edition. Reading it again allowed me to catch some things I missed the first time around, and now, I must admit to liking it even more.

Lost in the Wash is set in the town of Isco (formerly Francisco until “patriotic” locals removed the “France” from the name). The story focuses on Darin, a down and out 20 or 30-something who works at his uncle’s Laundromat. Darin comes across as a loser, but his uncle IS an asshole. The Laundromat’s customers tend to be white trash jerk-offs who give Darin a hard time. Then, one day, something wet, wicked, and monstrous pops out of a washer and devours a tiresome customer. Darin decides that a monster in the washers is a good thing, especially if it will rid him of his main problem – rude customers.

This water, elemental thing isn’t the only thing haunting Darin. Terisa Salazar, a local motel proprietress, operates a haunted tour called, Gothic Colorado, for the tourists/suckers that pass through Isco. Terisa is also a figure from Darin’s past, and meeting her again leads to Darin wanting to know the truth about his parents and about a childhood accident, although he may not like how ugly this truth gets.

Lost in the Wash: “The First Half,” for me at least, recalls the spirit of the horror comics published by EC Comics in the 1950s and by Warren Publishing from the 1960s to the 70s. It’s as if EC artist Graham “Ghastly” Ingels’ tortured spirit inhabits the imagination and drawing hand of Will Grant. Grant can draw horror comic books with the best of ‘em – even those pros drawing for Vertigo, IDW and whatever publishers still doing scary books.

John Ira Thomas’ clever script always keeps the reader guessing, and his dialogue, with its layers and subtexts, adds richness to this raw tale. Thomas, through his narrative, tends to promise more to come with each page, and Lost in the Wash: “The First Half” is promising some good stuff to come.

A-