Champion City Comics

Happy Leap Year! Today, we have a new panel for The Red Devil and two new pages for The Hell Fighters.  

As always, you can read our comics in their entirety by clicking on the titles below.

THE RED DEVIL

Writer: TonyDoug Wright

Pencils, Ink, Color, and Lettering: Erik Roman & Joe Haemmerle

Synopsis: Dublin O'Darby (The Red Devil) is an international crime-fighter who works for Sebastian Coronado, the director of an organization dedicated to combating cartels of evil. Joining The Red Devil is teenage sidekick Charlotte Murphy (Kid Diablo). In the exciting first issue, Red Devil and Kid Diablo track down a dangerous ninja, Silent Noise, who has stolen a mysterious ring which once belonged to a diabolical group of demon worshipers known as the Order of Methalius.

Check out our latest panel where Red Devil and Kid Diablo decide to check out the stolen ring more closely.

Read Comics from the Edge #3

Read Comics from the Edge #2

Read Comics from the Edge #1 

Kav & Tony Break it Down is nothing more than two long-time comic book readers making fun of the Golden and Silver Age Superman comics. We understand that these books were written for a juvenile audience but we could not resist reviewing these classics. Please note that no comic books were hurt during the review.

Tuesday means it's time for Kav and Tony to break down your favorite Superman comic books. This week, we continue our review of Action Comics #321 'Superman - The Weakest Man in the World'. This was published in 1965 and the writer was Edmond Hamilton, pencils were done by Curt Swan, and the inker was George Klein.

Did you miss part one of this feature? Click here to read.


KAV: Chick says, 'We can be happy here in the LEAD MOUNTAINS'. Sounds like paradise. Brilliant.

TONY: Superman has a plan, an endless supply of lead, and a subordinate female sidekick who is stronger than Superman on this planet.This is the formula we need for an unrealistic Silver Age DC plot. Awesome.   


KAV: So Superman somehow created a robot complete with microchip brain, etc, by CRUDELY SMELTING METALS. I suggest this is impossible. And they made a superman suit out of GRASS FIBERS AND DYES.

TONY: Alien James Litpon and his buddies are able to determine that Superman created a robot using lead, grass, and dyes. Did you hear that, MIT? Did you hear that, Standford? Stop your silly robotics classes and get some lead, grass, and dyes. Find a smelter and you can magically create a robot with super strength. YAY!


KAV: They're sentenced to the dark side where they are immediately accosted by miscreants. Stupidman goes to attack them even though everyone on this world is super powered. This guy doesn't learn.

TONY: I'll see you on the dark side of the moon, Supes. 

KAV: There is an atomic fire so hot you can feel the heat. This is an incredible amount of radiation. They make shields but if any part of their body creeps around the shield for a moment, it will die and fall off. This seems incredibly hazardous to me. Also, they ground they're kneeling on would be radioactive by secondary decay.

TONY: La-La doesn't know the difference between a fire and an atomic explosion? Wow. Hiding behind those shields from the atomic fire are the equivalent of surviving a nuclear attack by hiding under your desk at school.


KAV: Hiding behind shields, they create an elaborate smelting system to BUILD A ROBOT! And I can never even put together a model car right. Sheesh. OK I saw Stupidman's hand come around the shield on panel 4, just like I knew it would. that hand is now dead and will soon fall off. Getting his superpowers back will do nothing to change that, guys. Other parts may be dead also. Superman also made a plastic bubble. Where did he get the petroleum and and organic chem lab, though, to do this? Hmmm....

TONY: As a writer, I am furious with this page. The liberties taken by the writer gives me a headache. I know this comic was written during the Silver Age but come on, dude! 


KAV: Ok if all they needed was a catapult why didn't they build a catapult instead of an entire robot??? It wasn't like
the task was easy in the first place. And why does La-La land need a 'ride', Superman? She has superpowers too. PS the acceleration needed to hurl an object to ANOTHER STAR SYSTEM would mash any matter into its component quarks....even Superman WITH his super-powers couldn't withstand something like this. This is way more energy than exists in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. Come on, guys-work with me here.

TONY: Ladies and gentlemen, here is a fine example of how to wrap up a poorly written story in six panels.  


KAV: Lois immediately interrogates Superman about La-La like Lois is his WIFE! La-La land doesn't like Superman anymore cause he's weak. And somehow, in the short span he was gone, she found a new boyfriend. Man-that's some speed-dating. Told ya she had control issues.

TONY: Oh boy, I love how they wrap up the La-La issue. Let's make her a heartless weakling lover, so Superman doesn't look like a player. He did kiss her, but it was the woman's fault for some reason.

Kav has another Superman comic lined up for next week. Need more Kav & Tony?

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #283 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #311 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) 

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #312 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4)


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

'My Generation' is a classic in the world of rock music. My favorite performance of 'My Generation' comes from the 1967 set The Who did on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. If you know nothing about The Who and 'My Generation; then what you should know is that the band would end the song with some instrument destruction. The fans loved it and The Who decided to add some smoke and flashes to the routine for a more awe-inspiring moment. For this performance, Keith Moon, the band's legendary drummer, added explosives to his drum kit and the result landed the band in rock and roll infamy. This is fantastic stuff, folks. Enjoy.

WHAT A SUCKFEST!

Should have known-it was done by the guys who brought us the ridiculous 'Hustle and Flow' about the hooker who becomes a pop star.

I can't even talk much about this movie-it damaged me so bad-but I will say they try SO DAMN HARD to be noir-but it all falls so flat. Some lady and her son, Wilson, are evading the people who killed her husband, Wilson's father. It seems like half the lady's lines are her yelling, 'WILSON!". Lame

Sigh-at the end they go and go to the bad guy's mansion and just shoot him. Why she didn't just do this instead of running for TWENTY YEARS is a mystery. Also there's this ridiculous scene where the bad guys come to kill WILSON and his girlfriend, who are hiding in the basement. Chick keeps screaming, "WILSON! WHY ARE THEY HERE? WHY ARE THEY SHOOTING AT US?!!!" Remember they are HIDING. Screaming and hiding don't go together numbnuts screenwriters. God it's stupid. DO NOT watch this movie! It will damage you, man.

Oh yeah, WILSON-who had never shot a gun before goes out target shooting for about 5 minutes and after that he can completely outshoot thugs who have been shooting all their lives. DUMB! DUMB! DUMB! Also the actor who plays WILSON is really annoying-you actually root for him and his mom to get shot so she'll stop yelling "WILSON!"

Negative one-hundred-billion-gazillion stars


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

Welcome to the Champion City Comics Trailer Park. Every Saturday we will review a trailer of interest and give our take on the good and the bad.

A trip through the aisles of my local hip library system, the one in which one branch in particular is helmed by comic-loving folk like me, landed me a freshly minted copy of Avatar’s Captain Swing & The Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island and the latest (and perhaps the last) trade of DC-Vertigo’s Scalped.

This here serves as your official review, or rather why you should purchase each of these two books with your hard-earned pay/ allowance/court settlement pay-out.

Right off the bat let me admit my fandom of Captain writer Warren Ellis: of all the 80s Brit icon comics writers, he’s my top dog. I may joke that I look like Morrison, and I’m game for some Gaiman, but Warren, all 7 foot-9 inches of him, is my guy: I picture him in some dank pub, double-fisting shots of Beefeater as he pours his cantankerous spirit all over the pages of Captain, a soft-cover collection of the mini-series of the same name. Not quite steam-punk, we’re in late 19th Century London where in real life the city was plagued by a mysterious figure known in the papers as “Spring-Heeled Jack,” who reportedly really could leap moderate sized buildings and walls in a single bound. Ellis expounds on the Jack mythos and explains the goings-on through the eyes of a local constable and a narrative from the captain himself. The story: the cop swears justice when he discovers Jack may be responsible for a series of unsolved murders; instead, the good chap finds himself thrust in the middle of a human-wide revolution that stands to change the way the powers-that-be conduct their nasty business of oppression. There’s an Illustrated Classics-type feel thanks to artist Raulo Caceres and it works in the context of the story. Worth the time and money, I say.

Marvel big gun, Jason Aaron, sets to wrap on his crime opera set on the modern Native American “Prairie Rose” reservation. It’s gritty, it’s dark—it’s more of the same from Aaron, who I figure wants to end his run so he can concentrate on the House of M’s heavy workload. I can’t give too much away since, if you’ve been following, you know there’s plenty at stake with Dash’s conflict with the Feds with who he’s in cahoots and Red Crow’s problems with encroaching crime lords but suffice to say if this type of tale suits your taste you’ll walk away with a mouthful. Buy this, too.


Brian Cee is a contributing writer at Champion City Comics

Article by TonyDoug Wright

It was sometime during the month of January when Pop Candy posted a link to Matthew Bogart's webcomic, The Chairs' Hiatus. This rock and roll webcomic caught my attention immediately because I love rock music and comics. The story follows the life of Mary Sozer, a has-been rock star who is trying to get her life together following the painful break-up of her band, The Chairs. Mary's recovery period comes to a halt when her former band mate, Nel, comes to visit.

I wrote a review of The Chairs' Hiatus and decided to see if Matthew Bogart wanted to do an interview for Champion City Comics. He agreed and I am very thankful. Please enjoy the interview.

Matt, please introduce yourself to all the good kids at Champion City Comics.

I’m a cartoonist living in Portland Oregon. Last year I published a digital / print graphic novel called The Chairs’ Hiatus (it’s a free read on my website).

I’ve been away from comics for a long time and I’m super excited to be making work, and honored by the response that it’s gotten.

Click to enlarge - THE CHAIRS' HIATUS

What artists and writers have inspired you?

Anis Mojgani, Joe Besch, and Aaron Krolikowski are my biggest inspirations as of late. All three are friends who do different kinds of work (poetry, painting, and comics respectively). They have been making good work so consistently, with such dedication, I can’t help but be inspired.

As far as what I’ve been reading, Jason, Jordan Crane, and Chris Ware have been looming large in my mind recently. Merlin Mann's writing and podcasts also help keep me working. In particular, a talk Merlin gave with John Gruber at South by Southwest a few years ago. The talk was about how to make a successful blog but I think it’s fantastic advice for anyone who wants to work on any creative project.

My first exposure to your work as THE CHAIRS’ HIATUS. What was the inspiration for that comic?

Strangely enough, the idea for The Chairs’ Hiatus came from the fear that I would never get around to making it.

After graduating from art school I’d seen my artistic output steadily drop until I wasn’t creating much of anything at all. Before I started work on The Chairs’ Hiatus I had been effectively away from comics for over seven years. I never decided to give up but effectively I had, and that frightened me. I think this happens to a lot of people.

I felt trapped. I knew that if I never went back to comics I would regret it deeply, but I didn’t know how to find a way back in. I had convinced myself I couldn’t make anything of any consequence until the circumstances were right, (the right idea, the right tools, the technical proficiency, the right schedule etc) but the right circumstances never seemed to come.

The truth was that I didn’t really need to wait at all. I had convinced myself that I had to wait because I was frightened by the amount of work involved, the sacrifices I would have to make, and the idea that what I ended up making wouldn’t be as good as what I had envisioned.

As the years started to pile up I decided I would rather have a finished book that might not live up to my expectations, but that I had learned from, than wait forever for a set of dream circumstances that would allow me to create my ideal comic on the first try.

To get the ball rolling, I made myself write every day about whatever moved me. Then I’d try and take whatever came out and bang it into a dramatic story with a beginning, middle and end. Of course, the idea that I identified with the most was of a character who had given up on their art and their subsequent journey back to a creative life!

After adding and subtracting elements to make it flow better dramatically, Mary's story ended up being drastically different from my own. The Chairs’ Hiatus isn’t really autobiographical but the original inspiration did come from years of trying to get myself to sit down and make what the book became (which is something I am very proud of).

Satellite Beach and Song Comics are also rock and roll inspirations. Do you consider yourself a lost soul of rock and roll?

He he. No. I can see why folks might think that but no. I don’t think of myself that way.

I do occasionally play music, and years ago, I was in a band that released a couple of albums but music is much more of an occasional hobby for me than something that might lay claim on my soul. I’m sure some little musical details in my comics are drawn from life but I think the main reason music shows up in The Chairs’ Hiatus and Satellite Beach has more to do with needs of the story than rock and roll itself.

Satellite Beach was drawn as a submission to the 2002 SPX anthology the theme of which was “travel” . The reason it features musicians is because I thought a rock band on tour was a novel take on the theme.

The Chairs’ Hiatus is about musicians for a different reason. I knew I wanted to center a story around characters that care about making art, but when you do that you can run the risk of alienating parts of your audience if they don’t care for the art that your characters make.

With The Chairs’ Hiatus I decided to make Mary a musician instead of, say, a writer, painter, or cartoonist because it allowed me to show her being creative without ever having to worry about if what she was creating is going to be to the reader's taste. Because comics are soundless, you can just assume that when the characters are playing instruments, they are probably playing music you would enjoy.

It’s also, from a visual sense, it's more dynamic to draw someone playing a guitar on stage than writing or drawing at a desk, and from a storytelling standpoint it’s more dramatic when people make art in front of a live audience.

Click to enlarge - SATELLITE BEACH

Do you have any projects in development at this time?

Why yes I do and I am so, SO excited about it! I’m working on my next graphic novel which is tentatively titled Oh. It’s The End of the World. It feels drastically different from The Chairs’ Hiatus to me. It centers around a larger, younger cast of characters, and how they react to the news that the world is coming to an end within the next few months.

I’m trying to concentrate on making it exciting, quirky, and funny while occasionally surprising you by being serious and dramatic. It allows me to explore some pretty exciting ideas such as: how morally would you behave if there were no consequences? Is it important to you to feel like a good person? Then you also get to juxtapose that with the question of what would you do if you had a sense of humor and total chaos was not off the table?

It’s going to be in full color, which is fun and an exciting challenge. Although I’ve been posting periodic sneak peeks of it on my twitter stream, I’ve decided that I’m not going to publish each page as I finish it as I did with The Chairs’ Hiatus. I’m going to release it in large chapter size chunks.

To check out Matthew's work, please visit his main site. 

Happy Wednesday! Today, we have a new panel for The Red Devil. 

As always, you can read The Red Devil in its entirety by clicking on the title below.

THE RED DEVIL

Writer: TonyDoug Wright

Pencils, Ink, Color, and Lettering: Erik Roman & Joe Haemmerle

Synopsis: Dublin O'Darby (The Red Devil) is an international crime-fighter who works for Sebastian Coronado, the director of an organization dedicated to combating cartels of evil. Joining The Red Devil is teenage sidekick Charlotte Murphy (Kid Diablo). In the exciting first issue, Red Devil and Kid Diablo track down a dangerous ninja, Silent Noise, who has stolen a mysterious ring which once belonged to a diabolical group of demon worshipers known as the Order of Methalius.

Check out our latest panel where Red Devil checks in with the boss, Sebastian Coronado.

Kav & Tony Break it Down is nothing more than two long-time comic book readers making fun of the Golden and Silver Age Superman comics. We understand that these books were written for a juvenile audience but we could not resist reviewing these classics. Please note that no comic books were hurt during the review.

Tuesday means it's time for Kav and Tony to break down your favorite Superman comic books. This week, we continue a review of Action Comics #321 'Superman - The Weakest Man in the World'. This was published in 1965 and the writer was Edmond Hamilton, pencils were done by Curt Swan, and the inker was George Klein




KAV: In this premise splash we see Superman thinking how humiliating it is to be tossed by kids. Why he gets humiliated by the actions of others is odd-I only get humiliated when I do something dumb. He needs to read some Epictetus, man.

TONY: I'm sure the kids in this panel will one day reminisce about the good ol' days when someone could just toss an alien stranger around for fun.   


KAV: An onlooker shouts that a weird space ship is lifting the Washington Monument. Another onlooker further clarifies that it is 'stealing the monument'. Must be a schoolteacher. Inside we see a dude with a massive tumor is leading the theft.

TONY: Uh-oh, Kav mentioned a tumor. You know what that means? Click here to find out. It's also nice to know that the Washington Monument can be lifted off the ground and put back into place with no structural damage.  


KAV: Thankfully Superman explains to the reader about having no powers under a red sun. DC used to explain every little move like this as if no one had ever read a Superman comic before. And they made no attempt at all to gracefully place such expositional dialogue. So the dudes easily trick Stupidman to a red sun world. They could now easily kill him, but I guess they got distracted by something.

TONY: I'm distracted by the alien thief leader who has Hershey's chocolate sauce on his head.


KAV: Superman discovers everyone on this world has superpowers but him. Then he goes to sock some innocent dude who just walked up. Stupid, and childish. And this is earth's hero???

TONY: Hey Superman, if kids are tossing you around like a toy ball then what makes you think that you can punch an adult in the face and knock him out?  


KAV: The dude decides that anyone so weak must be a spy. How he jumped to this conclusion is a mystery. They decide to attack a world filled with weaklings. Apparently they never thought before today of leaving their world-as, in the DC Universe, pretty much every star has an advanced civilization. If I was Superman I would have pointed this out and said, "Hey-why conquer my world when there are PLENTY of closer, richer worlds." I mean, you know.

TONY: Superman is getting harassed by an alien James Lipton? I can't wait to seethe Remembervision Machine.


KAV: Of course one guy has to explain to everyone how the Remembervision works-even though everyone already knows. I know people like this. Then La-la land falls for Superman because he's so weak. She must have control issues.

TONY: I was disappointed by James Lipton's Remembervision. Do you remember rock and roll radio? 


KAV: We have a ridiculous scene here where chick tunnels through rock, with Superman hanging onto her ankles. Need I point out that when you drill through rock, the rock doesn't DISAPPEAR but is pushed BEHIND you, where Stupidman would get chewed into hamburger. Even were this not true, unless she was constantly accelerating, Stupidman would be dragged Texas-style behind her and still get chewed into hamburger. Double burger, man.

TONY: Supes is gettin' some prison love. Nice! 


OK kids, Kav and Tony will finish this comic next week. Thanks for reading.

Need more Kav and Tony?

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #283 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)


Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #311 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) 

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #312 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4)


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

We are looking for writers to submit webcomic reviews on a weekly basis. Individuals that are interested should email with a writing sample attached to the email. If you do not have a sample then write up a mock review for us to examine. We'll review your work and get back with you in 24 to 48 hours.

What you need to know:

1. We do not pay writers for their work because we do not have the funds available.

2. All submissions must be sent as a DOC attachment.

3. We have 300 to 1,000 visitors to our site daily.

I can answer any additional questions and thanks for your interest.

Sincerely,

TonyDoug Wright
Owner and Editor at Champion City Comics

Bob Toben has sent Champion City Comics some single-panel comics for us to use and we are pleased to announce that we'll have Bob's comics posted three times a week.

Art & Lettering by Bob Toben

Welcome to the Champion City Comics Trailer Park. Every Saturday we will review a trailer of interest and give our take on the good and the bad.

This week, we are reviewing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter trailer.



Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Release date June 22, 2012)

Overview from IMDB: President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers. 

Director: Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted)


Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead (The Thing), Dominic Cooper (Captain America), and Benjamin Walker (The War Boys).

The Good: I'll give novelist Seth Grahame-Smith an "A" for coming up with this concept. Hollywood jumped all over this novel when it was published in 2010 and within two years of the publication, we have ourselves a movie that's produced by Tim Burton. People love vampires and the Civil War. I consider these fans as the 'Trekkies' of the horror and history communities.

The Bad: Did you not watch the trailer? We have ANOTHER 3D movie that looks to be nothing more than a mindless plot filled with explosions and Matrix-like sequences that will appeal to teenagers who need nothing intellectually stimulating. Do I need to even get into the whole concept of Abe Lincoln as a vampire hunter?

Verdict: This movie will be Wild Wild West bad.

Happy Wednesday! Today, we have two new panels for The Red Devil and stay tuned to Champion City Comics tomorrow and Friday for two new webcomics to debut! You won't be disappointed.

As always, you can read The Red Devil in its entirety by clicking on the title below.

THE RED DEVIL

Writer: TonyDoug Wright

Pencils, Ink, Color, and Lettering: Erik Roman & Joe Haemmerle

Synopsis: Dublin O'Darby (The Red Devil) is an international crime-fighter who works for Sebastian Coronado, the director of an organization dedicated to combating cartels of evil. Joining The Red Devil is teenage sidekick Charlotte Murphy (Kid Diablo). In the exciting first issue, Red Devil and Kid Diablo track down a dangerous ninja, Silent Noise, who has stolen a mysterious ring which once belonged to a diabolical group of demon worshipers known as the Order of Methalius.

Check out our latest panels as Silent Noise and Red Devil part ways...for now.

Kav & Tony Break it Down is nothing more than two long-time comic book readers making fun of the Golden and Silver Age Superman comics. We understand that these books were written for a juvenile audience but we could not resist reviewing these classics. Please note that no comic books were hurt during the review.

Tuesday means it's time for Kav and Tony to break down your favorite Superman comic books. This week, we continue a review of Superman #194 'The Death of Lois Lane'. This was published in 1967 and the writer was Otto Binder, pencils were done by Curt Swan, and the inker was George Klein. Did you miss part one and part two of this review? Click here to read part one. Click here to read part two.



KAV: Check out Luthor's closet numbering system. Is this Luthor or Bizzaro Luthor??? His plan kicks into high gear with the most complicated twisted scenario ever scripted- but Luthor is the Orson Welles of acting and pulls it off easily.

TONY: I love how Luthor's rocket was able to easily land and take off from the apartment building without doing any damage. Also, I love how casually Luthor tells stupid-kid to jump into closet 2-A and the kid does it without arguing or questioning why closet 2-A. It would have been awesome if R. Kelly were in the other closet. Clark and Lois must have done one hell of a job telling their kid about how evil Luthor was and how he tried so many times to trick them with poorly devised schemes.  


KAV: Here we have the typical dying scene where the dude dying doesn't need an MRI scan or X Rays or blood tests to determine his condition-no they're always medical Svengalis...Clark doesn't even doubt his snap diagnosis and doesn't call an ambulance....

TONY: Where is the Oscar for Luthor? That's quite the dinner theater performance. Hell, where is the Moron of the Year award for Clark? How could Clark believe that Luthor was dying? You know you have a dying man in the lair when he's covered in soot and lying on the floor and talking clearly. Nice. What's with the stupid model set? Luthor's supposed to be a genius who flies around in a rocket and all he has to show Lois' unfaithfulness is a crummy doll set. Sixth graders make better dioramas.   



KAV: NOW LUTHOR'S HYPNOSIS MACHINE GIVES TELEPATHIC COMMANDS! He could have used it to take over the President but no, he's been saving it for just the right set of incidents to occur to have the utmost revenge on Stupidman! This is some lazy writing folks!

TONY: Clark decides to destroy Luthor's little unfaithful Lois art project with a cane. Totally lame, bro. 


KAV: Ok Luthor is pretty stupid here-he just saw a boy who can shove the moon into the Earth kill his own father
and is laughing and boasting that it was all his plan! Luckily for him short bus Stupidboy is even stupider than him, and instead of vaporizing baldy with his eyeballs, walks right into the old pocketful of Kryptonite routine! Number one lesson for any super-son of mine would be, ok son-WHENEVER you see Luthor, X ray his pockets. WHEN not IF you see kryptonite, stay back, and use your heat vision to prod him towards the police station.

TONY: Bad guys always have the giant never-ending pit in their lair.


KAV: Now we see that a Superman robot, who is too un-self motivated enough to stop a bald madman from reprogramming him is a moral whiz and Socrates-like sacrificial reasoning being. WTF?

TONY: Oh my god this is some horrible writing. Super-kid uses his breath to cushion Clark's fall? The robot has a conscious and can commit suicide? Unbelievable.    


KAV: OK Tony calm your blood pressure-this is the last page. Told ya it was a doozy. PS I just realized-no member of the JUSTICE LEAGUE ever approached Clark and asked him what happened to his powers, etc? What a bunch of assholes, man.

TONY: I don't know who is the bigger asshole: The Justice League or the creative team behind this comic.


Kav and I will take some aspirin and return next week!


Need more Kav and Tony?

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #283 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)


Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #311 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) 

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #312 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4)


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

I love webcomics and indie rock. When I discovered The Chairs' Hiatus by Matthew Bogart, I was very pleased to see something that combined my two loves. It was like the moment when the universe came together at the right moment and put the peanut butter and chocolate together. 

The Chairs' Hiatus follows a young lady named Mary Sozer who was one-half of a successful indie rock duo. Instead of living the successful indie rocker hipster lifestyle in Brooklyn, Mary is making a living selling t-shirts out of her apartment and slowly coming to terms with her status as a "has been". Her life changes when her former band mate, Nel, shows up with their 'Pete Best' original drummer, Jen, for a reunion of sorts. The reader soon discovers what drove The Chairs apart and how a reunion between Mary and Nel is very complicated.

The Chairs' Hiatus by Matthew Bogart is a great webcomic for fans looking for a "slice of life" story with a little bit of rock and roll added to the mix. You do not have to be an indie rocker to appreciate this webcomic because it is a story about friendship and forgiveness. Mary and Nel were close at one time and events related to their band drove them apart.

Bogart does a really good job of creating an interesting and engaging story. Mary is a very likeable character and we see glimpses into her past as a struggling musician and as an established indie rocker. Nel is also likeable but the reader gets the impression that she is a very complicated person who has had her problems as well, but shares her feelings with a select few. Mary and Nel not only struggle with their friendship but they struggle with relationships outside the band. They both carry the scars and are trying to complete the healing process.

Bogart's artwork is excellent with the panels beautifully done in white, black, and light blue. I really like his style of artwork as it has an alternative look that's perfect for this rock and roll tale. Great stuff.  


You can read The Chairs' Hiatus at Matthew Bogart's website. Click here to read.


TonyDoug Wright is the owner and editor of Champion City Comics.

Sunday is a day of rest at Champion City Comics but every Sunday we feature a song selection for our dedicated readers. Today's selection is 'I Walked With A Zombie' by Roky Erickson. Why? The Walking Dead returns tonight on AMC so this will get you in the mood.

Welcome to the Champion City Comics Trailer Park. Every Saturday we will review a trailer of interest and give our take on the good and the bad.

This week, we are reviewing The Amazing Spider-Man trailer.



The Amazing Spider-Man (Release date - July 3, 2012)

Overview from IMBD: Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

Director: Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer)

Starring: Emma Stone (Easy A), Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Martin Sheen (Spawn - That's right! I will never forget that god awful movie),  Rhys Ifans (Anonymous), Dennis Leary (The guy who stole Bill Hicks' routine), and Sally Field (Smokey and The Bandit).

The Good: Joel Schumacher and Michael Bay are not affiliated with this project. The cast looks pretty good and we have a fairly decent choice in director with Marc Webb.

The Bad: This is one of those reboots where they try to make a superhero movie that's darker and grittier. Sam Raimi did a pretty good job with his Spider-Man movies, so this in my opinion is an unnecessary film. Yes, those Raimi movies were not Oscar contenders, but they were not embarrassing like Spawn. If Hollywood needs to reboot a Marvel superhero movie then give us a "do over" with Daredevil. Good Lord that sucked. This movie will be released a few weeks before The Dark Knight Rises so The Amazing Spider-Man may be a little fanboy appetizer before the main course. 

The Verdict: Hollywood is looking for a big score with this movie and they've given it a July 3, 2012 release date which means they have confidence to put this movie in the prized Fourth of July week slot.

Interview by TonyDoug Wright

Dan Dominguez, Jim Loveall, and Joe Gressis are the creators of the zany webcomic, Celebrities! Their webcomic pokes fun at those wonderful thespians who live and play in La-La Land (aka Hollywood). They update their site weekly and I highly recommend this webcomic for fans of pop culture and offbeat humor.

Dan and Jim were kind enough to answer some questions via email. Apparently, Joe was too cool for school or locked up abroad.    

Tell the good kids at Champion City Comics a little about yourselves.

Dan: My name is Dan. Hey everyone. I was sad in middle school then funny in high school then sad in college and now I'm happy. I write a bunch of stuff. I've got a web series coming out in April on YouTube, one of their new original programming channels, where I make jokes about Gossip Girl. It's way anime, a hybrid show like Roger Rabbit live action and cartoon. Way stoked about it. I live in Los Angeles. We have a lot of air pollution. It will shave many years off my life. A lot of good restaurants out here though. I cough all the time now. I really like this little Italian place by my house. I'm going to die one day.

Jim: I'm Jim. I do the crudely drawn famous people only because Joe and Dan have blackmailed me into it. They tell me once we make 100 bucks I can go free and they will mail me the negatives.

(Joe is currently being held for ransom and is not available for this interview.)


How did the three of you come together for CELEBRITIES!?

Dan: Joe and I do projects in Hollywood, so we're powerful and we look down on others. Joe knows Jim from way back. Jim is kind. He's not like us.

Jim: I've known Joe for longer than I care to mention and he contacted me to work on this project with Dan about a year and half ago. I've always loved to do cartooning so I jumped at the chance to work with Dan and Joe on this project.


Of the three of you, who does the writing, art, color, and lettering for the webcomic?

Dan: Jim, who is very funny and talented, and if you're a woman and you're not having sex with him right now, you're making a mistake.

Jim: Um, not sure how to follow that up...Joe and Dan send me scripts and I do all the illustration and design work, with their feedback of course.


How far in advance do you have your webcomics completed?

Dan: Like the week before.

Jim: In fact I will still be drawing the comic as we are uploading it this week. I hope I don't get ink on the internet.


Bruce Willis, Nick Cage, and Matt Damon are some of your favorite celebrity targets. I've noticed that Tom Cruise is not a target. Is he too easy or are you afraid of being kidnapped by The Church of Scientology?

Dan: Tom Cruise has vaginal muscles in his mouth.

Jim: We love you, Tom! (but it's true.)


Have any celebrities commented on your work?

Dan: Dustin Hoffman has pinned my hand to the table by stabbing through it with a knife. It is something that I hope happens one day.

Jim: I think Jack Nicholson talked to me through the TV once.


Want more Celebrities!? Click here for the archive.


TonyDoug Wright is the owner and editor of Champion City Comics.

Greetings! This week, we have updates for Dr Death vs The Zombie, Red Devil, and The Burning Blade. Once again, you'll notice that when you click the title of the webcomics below that some titles have an option for reading them at Drunk Duck. 

We're glad you enjoy our titles and be sure to stop by our site daily for news, reviews, webcomic reviews, and much more.



DOCTOR DEATH VS THE ZOMBIE

Writer: TonyDoug Wright

Artist and Letterer: A. Kaviraj

Dr. Death character based on the story Dr Death vs The Vampire by Aaron Schutz

Champion City Comics is pleased to present the exciting conclusion to Dr Death vs The Vampire. Dr. Death has taken refuge in Las Vegas following a brutal encounter with a vampire clan. However, his refuge is short-lived due to the presence of a zombie that is terrorizing the city.

This week, Dr. Death, Shade, and Phreaker decide what to do following their victory. 



The first part of this saga wraps up this week so check it out!