Monday, December 31, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #137

CLICK TO ENLARGE 


Here is another great comic strip by Bob Toben. Car humor is always appreciated at Champion City Comics.

Friday, December 28, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #136

CLICK TO ENLARGE

After a long absence, Bob Toben has returned with another delightful addition to Comics From The Edge.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

BLACK CANARY PIN UP BY A. KAVIRAJ

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Our resident artist and comic book guru, A. Kaviraj, has delivered yet another great piece of artwork. This pin-up of Black Canary is fun and all I can say is, "Baby got back".

Friday, December 21, 2012

SWITCHBLADE GUNSMITH AT KICKSTARTER

Johnny Jaye is a friend at Champion City Comics and his Switchblade Gunsmith is currently looking for backers at Kickstarter. Click here to view their page. For those of you not familiar with Kickstarter, it is a site where comic book creators pitch their stories to the public and earn donations for their projects.


Thursday, December 20, 2012

THE ABSURDITY OF SUPERHERO COSTUMES

Ok let's talk about some absurd superhero costumes. We are supposed to believe that Superman is unidentifiable because he wears glasses, and Green Lantern as well because he has on an eye mask. Supergirl wore a wig, so does this mean that if Superman had a band aid on his face he would be unrecognizable?

'Hello Lois.'

'Who are you???'

'I'm sorry-let me take off this band aid'.

'Oh! Superman! I didn't recognize you with that band aid!'

People in the comics world seem to be suffering from some kind of facial recognition brain disorder. The worst is Wonder Woman. She looks the exact same as Diana Prince but no one knows she's Wonder Woman? WTF?

A really absurd costume is Yellow Jacket's:

CLICK TO ENLARGE
 Why someone would block his peripheral vision with a getup like that and go fight crime is a mystery.

Another absurdity is why superhero chicks find it necessary to stick out their butt when they fight. The men don't do that.


CLICK TO ENLARGE


CLICK TO ENLARGE

What if the guys had to dress like this:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Here's another one-imagine trying to fight in a getup like Spawn's:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Do I have to explain why this would be self-defeating? Yeah, I'm gonna go fight crime and wear an elaborate opera getup. It would be difficult to just sit down in something like this much less fight. Criminy.

What about Arsenal:

CLICK TO ENLARGE


Dude has a metal arm, which should weigh a ton even if it's made out of the lightest strong metal titanium-wouldn't he get scoliosis from something like this pulling on one side of his spine???

And how does the THING even go to the bathroom? Does someone help him wipe? Cause....

CLICK TO ENLARGE

  

A. Kaviraj is an artist and writer at Champion City Comics. His works include Dr Death vs The Vampire, Doctor Death vs The Zombie, Rapid City #2, and The End of Paradise.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

PERSPECTIVE (ADULT LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE)

Writer: Darrin O'Toole

Pencils and Ink: A. Kaviraj

Lettering: Magnus

Check out the latest noir thriller!

Perspective

Monday, December 17, 2012

COVERS PROJECT: DETECTIVE COMICS #371


Our resident artist and comics guru, A. Kaviraj, likes to send me comic book covers for posting. Last week he sent me Detective Comics #371 from 1968 which features Batman fighting a group of thugs while Batgirl faces a major problem of her own. I think it is good to post this cover because Gail Simone, the writer of Batgirl, was recently notified via e-mail that she was no longer working on the title. Ouch!

A GREAT REVIEW OF THE AMAZING MISTER X





The Amazing Mister X is an anthology of stories inspired by the 1940s superhero. Darrin O'Toole and our very own A. Kaviraj and Magnus won second prize for a competition that resulted in this anthology. The Amazing Mister X is getting some good press and Down The Tubes has a great review. 

Here is an excerpt: The book then goes on to publish the strip by the Dundee Comics Prize winner, Steve Marchant, which Chris says "undercuts the tome of the usual superhero story with a playful satire on the mythology of the superhero". Personally I prefer the Darren O'Toole written and A Kaviraj illustrated runner-up strip (above) which sets the scene for a potential ongoing series that the actual winner did not, while the other runner-up, Gavin Boyle, presents an amusing Scottish themed tongue-in-cheek version of the character. A further 11 stories from the competition cover a multitude of styles and ideas, some rather more interesting than others, giving a total of 14 new strips with the character, echoing the original number of 1940s episodes.

Friday, December 14, 2012

JEFFREY BROWN AND TALES FROM THE VOID

Jeffrey Brown is a comic book artist and writer. His works include The Incredible Change-Bots and Darth Vader & Son. Jeffrey sent A. Kaviraj, the artist for Tales From The Void, a sketch this week that was inspired by Tales From The Void. This is fantastic!

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Thursday, December 13, 2012

ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE AMAZING MISTER X


The Amazing Mister X has been printed and you need to pick up a copy of this fantastic comic book. Back in October we posted a story about how Kav, Darrin O'Toole, and Magnus won second place with this comic, we'd love for you to grab a copy, so to order The Amazing Mister X .

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

A COMICBOOK MESSAGE FROM STAN LEE


Monday, December 10, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #135


COMIC BY BOB TOBEN


Here is a little Christmas humor from our very own Bob Toben. 

Friday, December 7, 2012

COVERS PROJECT: JIMMY OLSEN #79

Our resident artist and comic book guru, A. 'Kav' Kaviraj, sends me images of comic book covers for posting, and his most recent selection is the 1964 release Jimmy Olsen #79. Titled 'The Red-Headed Beatle of 1000 BC', we see Jimmy playing some sort of horn to a crowd of Dorthy Hamill clones. Awesome.


Thursday, December 6, 2012

MEGAMAN BY JOE HAEMMERLE

Click to enlarge


I'm showcasing the work of Champion City Comics artists, and today we have Megaman by Joe Hammerle.


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

A URITORCO PREVIEW BY VICTOR POZZI

Champion City Comics artist and writer, Victor Pozzi, has submitted another preview of his upcoming webcomic titled Uritorco. If you missed the first pages he submitted then click here to view. Enjoy.

CLICK TO ENLARGE 

Monday, December 3, 2012

WHY WE CREATE

I met a girl recently who saw one of my drawings and said, “Wow, you must have a lot of free time.” I took offense to this, not because it implies I’m just sitting around with nothing to do and think to myself "Maybe I’ll draw a picture". I took offense to the logic of it. All time is free time. This is your life, you only get one, and you decide what you do with it. After you’ve satisfied the human needs for food and shelter, and companionship and belonging and blah blah blah, the rest of your day is up to you. You can choose to follow national sports, be a bird watcher, have a huge family, or watch television. Some people choose art and, specifically, to create comic books. Why is that?

“One night I lay in bed, and I hear Momma and Papa talking. I hear Papa tell Mama, ‘Let that boy boogie woogie. Because it’s in him, and it’s got to come out.” – John Lee Hooker 

Artists draw because they can’t not draw. They draw on napkins, grocery lists, homework sheets, steamy shower doors, everywhere. People talk to me about politics or sports, or my wife says, ‘We need to talk about finances’, or my doctor says, ‘We need to operate because that cancerous forehead tumor is growing,’ but I just find myself thinking about my latest drawing, or studying their facial features (“how does the far eye wrap around in 3/4 view?”, “the corners of the mouth do line up with the inside of the eye”, “impressive brow ridge, I wonder if he’s got Neanderthal DNA …”). And those that are committed choose to study in a field that is as innate to human culture as farming; it involves an understanding of chiaroscuro, atmospheric perspective, the importance of contrapposto and more; and the fellow students and masters along the way include Polykleitos, da Vinci, NC Wyeth, Will Eisner, Al Williamson, David Mack and thousands of others.

Comics are an ancient art form. The use of sequential images to communicate a narrative goes back at least as far as cave drawings. The Egyptians and Greeks both used them to communicate their religion, history and culture. It predates writing by thousands of years and was a precursor to modern writing: ancient alphabets were an amalgamation of representations and abstract symbols, much like the Chinese alphabet is now. It’s also a precursor to modern television, being a combination of sequential images and text/dialogue/narration. For the last century it’s gained popularity as a children’s medium, but it’s also created cultural and politically iconic figures and won prestigious literary awards like the Hugo and Pulitzer.

The beauty is it being both accessible and limitless in nature. Comic books can be anything the creator decides to make. Apart from the brilliant artwork and masterful writing, comics are exceptional in that they are a medium where the final product is as close as possible to the creator’s original intent. There isn’t interference from editors, market researchers, PR-people, bloodsuckers and leeches. Storytellers can take chances in comics because there aren’t millions of dollars at stake. Are you tired of every sitcom being the same, tired of another Law and Order spinoff, another damn Michael Bay movie? Comics can uniquely combine the depth and insight of literature with the visual bad-ass-ness of Hollywood, and, sometimes, depending on the right collaborators, the sweeping beauty of a poem.

Let this then be a challenge to all my fellow creators, as well. This is a unique opportunity we all have; let us do something extraordinary with it. Never before has there been such a potential audience within reach of every day people. If you have a mind-bending story, put it out there. Want to draw a story backwards, with the characters slowly eroding from photo-realism to stick figures to metaphorically communicate whatever, do it. The only limitations are your imagination and skill, and both of those, like any muscle, are both expanded through practice.

Any time I see a Kickstarter project for a comic about someone whose parents were murdered so they don a costume to avenge injustices, I see a missed opportunity. Taking a tired idea and adding a twist isn’t enough; Mark Millar may be making millions off it, but if you’re just starting out, bring something new to the table. If someone is looking to read a story with a familiar backdrop, they’ll do it with the familiar character by the familiar creator’s and the familiar publisher. If you’re just starting out doing webcomics, self-publishing, or independent work, take the chances now.

That said, keep an eye out for my upcoming webcomic. It’s about a group of individuals born differently from everyone else, and they must learn to live in a world that fears and hates them. One faction will want to peacefully co-exist, the other will want to secede and force it’s will upon the others. I think it has potential.



Ryan Cairns is a contributing writer and comic book artist at Champion City Comics.


Friday, November 30, 2012

BATMAN BY JOSEPH HAEMMERLE

Joseph Haemmerle is the artist for The Champion City Fire and he also provided artwork for The Red Devil. He has submitted for our faithful followers a drawing of Batman from The New 52. I like this drawing of The Dark Knight because it appears that he has just landed somewhere and he's about to do battle with some bad guys in Gotham. Fantastic.



Thursday, November 29, 2012

YOU DON'T TUG ON SUPERMAN'S CAPE

These are the many costumes of Superman. Let's take a look at the boy in blue during good times and bad.

I have been a Superman fan for as long as I can remember, and if there’s one thing I know in the comic world, it’s Superman. Through the years people have tried to change Superman's appearance. There’s the first incarnation of Superman, shown holding a car in the incredibly valued, (This comic sold for 2.16 Million) Issue #1 of Action Comics.



 The costumes have ranged from the red and blue electrical version, to the black and silver version, to the Multiverse version, etc. Slight tweaks have happened here and there, but the most notable was the shift from the shield design to the new diamond design. Also, the location of the cape has changed as it has gone from the neck, to the shoulders and dipping down his back. Superman has had multiple variations of colors and designs from a multitude of amazing artists, and multiple interpretations in an attempt to remake a simple design that has endeared because of the “Less is more” principle. In this first review of a series, I’d like to take the time to go through some of my favorite incarnations, as well as some of the most ridiculous.




The Boy Scout.

This is the costume that everyone knows and recognizes. This suit has been around for as long as I can remember. In my opinion the best reason this suit has endured for so long is because it is simple. For years people have associated capes with superheros, and it is unlikely you will find a kid who has not slapped on a bath towel around his neck and lept off the back of couches emulating the man of steel. I still do it and I regret nothing.

There will always be downsides regardless of how successful a concept is, and this suit has it’s share, of course the biggest fault, though minor in my humble opinion has been the underwear over the leotards. I can't fault people for this annoyance, but I understand it.

It only makes sense to have his underwear over his leotards because of my theory on childhood innocence. They couldn’t just draw a naked superman with underwear and a cape, it just wouldn’t work, but that’s not to say that kids don’t remember doing it in their youth. I’m not sure Freud could properly explain the need for having underwear on over your pants.

Nothing says awesome like a person who wears a cape. Superman has had a cape for almost as long as he’s had a cowlick on his head, and while the cape has never been as obnoxious as Spawns cape, it has been a cornerstone in the entire outfit. The costume just cannot work without the cape. In the New 52, Superman's cape has become something much more than a mere blanket that kept baby Kal comfy on his long ride to Earth. It’s also been the first thing to get messed up whenever Superman gets in a real fight. This has been explained prior to the New 52, as an thin aura that surrounds Superman, acting like a forcefield. This is why you always see his leotards more intact than his cape. The tattered ends of his cape do no share the same aura.

The one thing I really liked about this Superman was his empathy. This Superman showed the greatest qualities of humanity.. His strong sense of right and wrong, unyielding conviction, and the strength to make a difference. One of the most profound scenarios I saw Superman in was when he was talking to a preacher in the Brian Azzarello, and Jim Lee arc “For Tomorrow.”

The scene is a preacher speaking with Superman, who is noticeably looking down at him from the air, a visual highlighting Superman’s god-like status. The preacher asks Superman why with his powers, and intelligence why he will not cure cancer, a terminal diagnosis which the preacher has been diagnosed. Superman’s answer was melancholic. He wouldn’t do it because then people would think he was God.

To me, this adds a depth that the New 52 Superman is incredibly far from achieving.

In conclusion, this iconic costume has always been the failsafe DC Comics has used everytime their attempts to reincarnate it have failed. If the new 52 costume doesn’t cut it, I won’t be surprised at all to see him back in the 'Old Blue' suit again.



The New 52

With the introduction of the New 52, which for the record is NOT a relaunch, we see an all new, up-to-date version of the iconic costume. The underwear has been removed, the belt has been replaced, and the costume has a more up-to-date feel. As a fan, I can say that I am very pleased with the suit.

It’s got a popped collar, better cuffs, nice boots, and it’s composed of a highly advanced Kryptonian nano armor. This armor can vanish when he needs it too, and appear when he needs it too. It’s pretty cool. The cape has been given a revamp, even though this title is not a relaunch, it’s like it’s a brand new cape. In the relaunch (not a relaunch) of Action Comics, in the New 52, we see that his cape is bulletproof, something he uses to his advantage as he still comes into his powers. I like that they given the same attributes to his costume that they have given to him. His cape would be nothing special under the influence of a red sun. Since he’s here on Earth, the fabric of his cape is somehow transformed under the rays of a yellow sun. This also give credit to his costume rarely seeing damage. So in those issues where we actually see damage done to Superman’s cape, it’s an obvious tell that whoever he’s up against is formidable.

When I read about the cape having similar mutations under the yellow sun, I wondered why they had never done that before. To me, it just made sense. Battle ready, and always scowling, this is a different Superman. His persona is meant to show a more alien aspect of him, something to really separate him from the “human” qualities the Boy Scout Superman showed. This new persona is less rational, he shows a temper. His attitude is more hardened, and black and white, as well a degree of arrogance. I believe this opens him up for multiple stories I hope to see exploited in the future.

When he’s not dressed up as Clark Kent, this Superman is a little more rough around the edges, tends to not take any crap, and I applaud the creative talents behind this revamping of one of my favorite hero’s.

An opportunity to really delve into the depths of this Superman has yet to really be revealed. It will be interesting to see where DC decides to go with Superman now that they have been able to virtually start over with him. I feel that with someone like Geoff Johns at the helm of the entire creative process of DC right now, we will not be disappointed.


Bret Kinsey is a contributing writer at Champion City Comics. 


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

SWITCHBLADE (ADULT LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE)

Writer: Johnny Jaye

Illustrator: Michael Kennedy

Letters: John Burton

Drake Cutter is the Switchblade Gunsmith, he is a vigilante of the wild west, a superhero before a time when people knew what it was like to witness a man defy the laws of modern fitness, acrobatics, the handling of advanced weaponry and technology and the laws of justice. He creates his own law and order. Drake lives in the small town of Switchblade.

SWITCH TO FULLSCREEN MODE LOCATED IN THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF THE PDF READER


Switchblade

KAV'S RULES FOR MOVIES

A. 'Kav' Kaviraj is our local artist, comic book guru, and movie script expert. If you have plans to write a movie script, then follow Kav's rules for movies below!

1. It's easy to start a car by just pulling apart some wires with your bare hands and rubbing them together.



2. In a shoot out in a hotel or neighborhood, no one ever calls the cops. These things can go on for like 10 minutes without any police response.

3. A grenade will only kill someone when the plot requires it-otherwise it just knocks them back.

4. Whenever someone is stalked by killers and comes home to see the door jimmied open, they will enter and shout 'Is anybody there?'

5. Whenever a cop finds a suspect, instead of walking up to him and sticking a gun in his ribs, he will stand 30 feet away and shout 'Halt! Police!' giving the guy the ability to simply run away.

6. A bad guy in a hotel room will always be with a hooker.

7. Vegas is still controlled by the mob in movies - in reality there has been no mob presence since the 70's.



8. No matter what a bad guy has done, the detective will be told they can't hold the guy and he's turned loose.

9.  In a Western, the first time the good guy enters a bar he will be engaged in a shoot out.



10.  The bad guy leader will shoot his underlings as they disappoint him-no one ever says 'F*** this' and just blasts him.

11. No bank robbery scene ever ends without a bunch of people getting shot.



12. A guy being stalked by a killer will still give his real name at motels.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

WONDER WOMAN BY RYAN CAIRNS

Ryan Cairns has submitted another original piece of artwork to Champion City Comics and it is Wonder Woman. Ryan has submitted a really cool original piece and a great Swamp Thing piece. He's available for commissions and can be contacted .

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Monday, November 26, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #134

Comic by Bob Toben

Friday, November 23, 2012

CHAMPION CITY COMICS PIN UP BY JOSEPH HAEMMERLE

CLICK TO ENLARGE



Check out this pin-up by Joseph Haemmerle. This is a cool black and white piece featuring a pistol-packin' lady.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Champion City Comics returns on Friday, November 23, 2012.

Comic Coverage

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

GARGOYLE

Story Idea: German Rojas

 Artist: Victor Pozzi

 Translation From Spanish: Christopher Smith

Overview: Thousands of years ago, demons and angels engaged in an epic battle. Fast forward one thousand years and a crime-fighting gargoyle encounters an angel.


CLICK ON FULLSCREEN BELOW FOR OPTIMAL VIEWING 

 

Gargoyle by Tony Wright

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

COVERS PROJECT: SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #88

A. 'Kav' Kaviraj likes to send me silly or cool comic book covers for me to post at Champion City Comics. Kav emailed me the cover of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #88 where we see Jimmy playing an oddly shaped guitar or bass while Superman dances like a twit. What's up with the guy on drums? Is that a drum set? Where did he get such a god awful percussion set? I have too many questions with this cover, but I am slightly interested to read this issue to see the infamous Krypton Crawl.


Monday, November 19, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #133

COMIC BY BOB TOBEN

Friday, November 16, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #132


Thursday, November 15, 2012

EVIL DEAD BY JOE HAEMMERLE

I'm always interested in showcasing the works of our artists. Joe Haemmerle completed a great work featuring Bruce Campbell's Evil Dead character, 'Ash' Williams.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #131

COMIC BY BOB TOBEN

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

THE BLACK COBRA

Erik Roman, the artist for The Red Devil, is working on a pulp inspired comic with Steve Bryant, the artist for Athena Voltaire. They will be posting some completed pages at Champion City Comics, and we are very excited to see what they have in store for our fans. Check out the comic book cover below that was designed by Steve.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Monday, November 12, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #130


URITORCO BY VICTOR POZZI

Victor Pozzi, the artist and co-creator of projects such as Westwood, Naira, Naira 2, and The Captive, is currently working on a project titled Uritorco with writer Christopher Smith. This is the Spanish edition of the comic, but it serves as a sneak peek to what we can expect at Champion City Comics.


Friday, November 9, 2012

IRON MAN BY JOE HAEMMERLE

Joe Haemmerle developed a very cool color painting of Iron Man and I decided to share it with the Champion City Comics community.

CLICK TO ENLARGE


Did I mention that the painting also glows in the dark? 

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Thursday, November 8, 2012

A RYAN CAIRNS ORIGINAL

Ryan Cairns has submitted a work in progress to Champion City Comics. Last week, he submitted a very cool original piece of artwork featuring Swamp Thing. Check out the very cool piece of black and white artwork below.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #129

This is a special 'collector's edition' by Bob Toben.

COMIC BY BOB TOBEN

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

A KAV CRIME NOIR SNEAK PEAK

Resident artist and comic book guru, A. 'Kav' Kaviraj recently sent me an image from an upcoming collaboration with writer Darrin O'Toole. Remember, it was Kaviraj and O'Toole that were awarded the runner-up prize at the Dundee College sequential art contest. Judging from this image, it appears we can expect a really cool noir project from these two.

CLICK TO ENLARGE



Monday, November 5, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #128

COMIC BY BOB TOBEN

Friday, November 2, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #127

COMIC BY BOB TOBEN

Thursday, November 1, 2012

SWAMP THING BY RYAN CAIRNS

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Artist Ryan Cairns has submitted another great black and white original to Champion City Comics. This week, he has submitted Swamp Thing. Ryan is available for commissions and if you are interested in purchasing his artwork then click to contact him.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

COMICS FROM THE EDGE #126

COMIC BY BOB TOBEN

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

MISTER X STORY WINS RUNNER-UP AWARD AT DUNDEE COLLEGE

Artist A. Kaviraj and writer Darrin O'Tolole have won runner up in the Dundee College sequential art contest with their Mister X story, judged by Frank Quitely.

FRANK QUITELY & GRANT MORRISON WITH TALES FROM THE VOID, ANOTHER COMIC BOOK PROJECT BY KAVIRAJ & O'TOOLE

What is the contest? In 1944 The Dandy introduced the first home-grown British superhero – The Amazing Mr X, who appeared in 14 installments between 1944 and 1945. These stories were drawn by DC Thomson staff artist Jack Glass. When The Amazing Mr X made a brief reappearance in The Dandy annual in 1962 he was drawn by Dudley D. Watkins. Since then he has been all but forgotten... but now you have the opportunity to bring the character back to life, re-interpreting the character for the 21st century!

The University of Dundee, in partnership with DC Thomson, is pleased to announce the Second Annual Dundee Comics Prize - a competition to re-create The Amazing Mr X. Entries should consist of a two - three page origin story and a cover image featuring your interpretation of this classic British superhero.

The first prize is £500, plus publication of the story in The Sunday Post and in the Dundee University publication Anthology, which showcases new work by up-and-coming comics creators. There will also be two runner-up prizes of £250 each.

WRITER DARRIN O'TOOLE

Kaviraj and O'Toole won the contest, which specified a three page story, but after they won runner up were asked if they could come up with two extra pages to more complete the story which they quickly did. The Mister X story has been posted below for your reading enjoyment.

CLICK ON FULLSCREEN TO READ THE COMIC BOOK BELOW

The Amazing Mister x

Related Link