Old Head

Halloween is just around the corner, and I thought this graphic novel suited the season beautifully. Old Head was written and drawn by Kyle Starks and colored by Chris Schweizer, two of my favorite comics creators. The story here follows the exploits of Nash "The Knive" Gliven, Jr., a retired professional basketball player known more for his intimidating physical presence than his ability to shoot. 

"The Knife's" origin story

When the book opens, he is taking his teenage daughter Willie to his childhood home, to wrap up loose ends after the death of his mother. Part of closing the book on things is signing over the property to a neighbor who really wants it. The really bad news in this situation is that his mom was a monster hunter and that neighbor is none other than her long-time nemesis Dracula. Once Nash signs over the house, Drac and his motley band of vampire goons can come and go as they please, placing everyone in danger. How matters resolve involves a whole lot of action/suspense, humorous quips, and tons of fighting. This book is a joy to read, but it also packs a decent emotional wallop with lots of observations and remembrances of family and how families work in their unique ways. It's a fun, exciting, and heartfelt book, a tough combo to pull off.

Part of why everything works so well is that Starks and Schwiezer have collaborated multiple times before, on series like Rock Candy Mountain, Mars Attacks!, and the current Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, and they really know how to play to each others' strengths. They are masters of clear storytelling, impactful pacing, and setting emotional tones with lines and color. I have also enjoyed Starks' other works, including Kill Them All, Sexcastle, The Legend of Ricky Thunder, and Assassin Nation. Among my favorite works of Schweizer are his series The Crogan Adventures and The Creeps as well as his contributions to the History Comics and Makers Comics graphic novels.

All of the reviews I have read about it have been positive. Lisa Gullickson called it "an honest examination of regret, grief, fatherhood, and legacy." Micki Waldrop advised, "Get ready to laugh out loud as some of the over the top action." Samantha Puc summed up, "If you enjoy jokey fight books, weird monsters (like, really weird monsters), and women kicking ass, consider grabbing a digital or physical copy of Old Head."

Old Head was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more about it here. The original printing of the book was funded as a Kickstarter project. Because of violence and some profanity, I suggest it for more mature readers.

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula is a delightful and fun graphic novel for all ages. It stars a great number of interesting characters, the main three being the dutiful, overworked Princess Decomposia, the hypochondriac and finicky King Wulfrun who won't leave his bed, and Count Spatula, the vampire chef with a huge sweet tooth and a penchant for making desserts. The king is leery of this new chef, not only because of his generous use of spices but also because of how familiar he is becoming with his daughter. Decomposia is just happy to have someone to relate to and watch out for her.

Even though the setting is the underworld and the artwork is appropriately atmospheric in black and white, this book is still effervescent. As you can see from the excerpt above, the artwork is charmingly attractive, with simple linework that conveys action and emotions in very clear, concise manner. I also liked that the characters were not mere stereotypes but more complex and well developed personalities. But my favorite part of the book has to be its playfully oddball supporting cast, from an anthropomorphic garlic clove to a snooty werewolf leader to a blustery zombie general.

Writer/artist Andi Watson is best known for his series Skeleton Key as well as his more recent picture book series Glister and Gum Girl. He also wrote a number of Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic books for Dark Horse. Watson speaks about his work on Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula in these two interviews.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Dan Kois called it "delightful" because Watson's "character design is elegantly simple, so these cartoony inhuman figures are able to feel and display a thrillingly human range of emotions." Norah Piehl called it "a winning story of love, death and desserts." Publishers Weekly summed up, "it’s a comic that will charm younger readers and adults alike."

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula was published by First Second, who have a preview and much more available here.

Hero Sandwich Collection: The Works

Hero Sandwich Collection: The Works is a trade paperback collection of comics books from SLG (formerly Slave Labor Graphics), a publisher based in San Jose, California. Among their best known publications are Milk and Cheese, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, and My Monkey's Name is Jennifer. SLG has been around for decades now, and they have been a place for interesting and off-beat comics, a launching pad for a number of creators.

This book follows the adventures of a detective agency/motley crew of characters: Rachel Ashley is a smart and sly woman who seems to be the leader. Allison is her compatriot who has a thing for large guns. Silver Scorpion is an aging ex-CIA type with a mysterious past. Lee is an alien (I think, he's "not from around here") who has a round, almost featureless face, and Richard is a hero with stretching powers a la Plastic Man.

This volume contains two storylines, one where the detectives take a case from a coven of vampires who are seeking out a man who is trying to become a vampire by taking drugs, filing down his teeth, and savagely killing random people (that's the connection to this month's theme, BTW).

Ow.

The second is a caper that follows when Silver Scorpion meets up with one of his compatriots from the old days. To be honest, neither story was excellent, though I thought they were fun and entertaining. Mostly, they are great for looking at the time period, as 1980s fashions and style are pretty prominent throughout, for good or bad.

80s fashion!

These comics are also good for looking at the early days of some comics creators. Writer Dan Vado is also the publisher of SLG, and he is also known for a run on JLA for DC Comics, though I think the best book he did was The Griffin. He won an Inkpot Award for his long-standing contributions to comics. The first story arc about vampires was drawn by Chuck Austen, who has worked on various comics over time, including some semi-autobiographical porn books, Miracleman and X-Men, though his work became reviled by fans. He also created the animated series Tripping the Rift. The second story arc was drawn by Peter Krause (yes, his name is misspelled on the cover) and Aldin Baroza. Krause went on to draw many comics for DC, including Superman and Shazam! He also collaborated on the Irredeemable and Insufferable series. Baroza mostly works an an animation storyboard artist nowadays but he also does a webcomic called Rose Madder.

I could not find any reviews for this book online, and it is mostly exists for comics completists, or as Vado put it in his introduction, "the 500 of you who will eventually own this collection." Instead of reviews then, I will take this space to talk about SLG and its current plight. The publisher has been in business for three decades now, and the comics business is not what it used to be. Publisher Vado has established a gofundme project here and is looking for donations to get his company back to speed. They are an established publisher with a long track record of contributing to the comics industry, and I contributed to their drive, so won't you consider helping them out as well?

Hero Sandwich Collection: The Works was published by SLG Publishing. 

Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires

This short, macabre adventure follows Peculia, a young woman who has had a number of run-ins with the supernatural. She is roped into babysitting the new family who has moved into Groon Grove. She joins a band of other young women to look after the little girl, baby, and grandmother who live in the house, but something is afoot. They all steer clear of the hawthorn tree, the mirrors are all covered, and - why is the baby missing? And why are the local gypsy families weary of the house?

The artwork is depicted in black and white in a gothic style reminiscent of wood carving by Richard Sala. He is a veteran artist famous for his darkly funny and suspenseful tales and his striking, unique art style. His comics are many and include The Chuckling Whatzit and Cat Burglar Black. He frequently displays his artwork and speaks about his works on his blog. This interview with Tom Spurgeon touches on much of his work and career.

Like Sala's other works, this one is noted for its humor, horror, and quirkiness. Reviewer Ray Tate notes that the book is quite graphic at points and is not for younger readers. He also enjoyed the fresh take on what can be the tired genre of vampire stories. Dave Carter called the book "spooky" and "fun." The range of reviews at Goodreads varies but mostly skews positive.

A brief preview is available from Fantagraphics Books.

Life Sucks

Being a vampire would appear to be one of the most romantic or exciting things ever. Popular images that appear in works like Twilight, True Blood, The Vampire Lestat, and even traditional works like Dracula highlight the sexy, hypnotic, and savage side of those mythic creatures. Life Sucks tells a different kind of vampire story. It centers around Dave, a young man who was turned into a vampire in order to work the graveyard shift at a 24-hour convenient store. His master, Radu, is not about conquering the world but for getting someone to mind his store so he can play cards with other vamps.

Little things complicate Dave's life, such as having to adjust to living off blood in contrast to his human life where he was a vegetarian. On a day to day basis, he also has to deal with late night poseurs who play at being vampires, and the inconsiderate day shift guy coming to work late and causing him to have to hurry home to beat the sunrise. This last instance puts him into contact with Rosa, a girl who he has a crush on, and he convinces her to give him a quick ride home. As a cover, he mentions having to get home to watch his favorite telenovela, and the seeds for a friendship (and maybe more) are planted.

Life Sucks was written by Jessica Abel and Gabe Soria and illustrated by Warren Pleece. Abel has been active in publishing graphic works for almost two decades, and her most famous works are Artbabe and La Perdida. Soria is a fiction writer and music journalist who has done some work on Batman Adventures. Pleece has been a published artist for more than two decades now, with work appearing in 2000 AD, Hellblazer, and the graphic novel Incognegro.

This interview between Soria and Kurt Amacker sheds some light into the genesis of this tale. Abel adds her own details about the book in this interview with Brian Heater.

Reviews of this work are mostly positive. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote a lukewarm review about it here, pointing out how it borrows elements from the movie Clerks as well as noting Pleece's low-key art style. This review from Bookshelves of Doom called the book "lots and lots of fun." Elizabeth Bird called it a "fascinating, thoughtful read."

A sizable preview is available from the book's publisher, First Second. An additional 11 page preview is available from New York Magazine.