Holy MOLY! Mr. Fantastic has let himself go!!!

Super shout out to @anthonybachman for the inspiration!

My first ever interview with my great buddy @ninpf!!

	I had the chance to interview my good friend Patrick Mileham who is a comic fan that is doing some real awesome stuff over at readcomicbooks.net and laying down some of the best tweets on Twitter! Sat, Jul 28, 2012 at 12:51 PM
	KYLE: I'm very excited to do this interview, is this your first time being interviewed?

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PATRICK: I think so. -Thinks- Yeah, it probably is. Other than when I interrogate myself to get to the root of a problem.

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KYLE: Lol I love reading your reviews on Readcomicbooks.net and hearing your opinions on comics. You obviously love comic books on a very serious level. Why is that?

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PATRICK: Serious? I guess I'm just a more somber guy these days. I go in these phases of carefree or serious personalities. Personalities? Did I just say that? I'm starting to sound Jorge Ayau. lol

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KYLE: LOL! Another awesome individual! Back to the question though For example your recommendation of Rachel Rising has gone a long way with me, personally. What's it take for a book to merit you sticking your head out there for it?

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PATRICK: Oh jeez man...Strangers In Paradise was the book Terry Moore hooked me with. As a teenager, I read a lot of superhero books and then I picked up the first trade of the miniseries. BAMM! I'm hit with real people! It was so weird seeing a series about people who weren't in tights and capes. I related to David so much. Back to Rachel though, it really is just about following creators. I even have all the trades for Echo on my shelf begging me to read them. I find it odd I like Rachel Rising though because I'm just not much of a Walking Dead person.

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KYLE: You've currently joined up with the incredibly smart and talented Read Comic Books team and the following has grown at lightning speed. Why do you think that is?

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PATRICK: lol I honestly have no real clue. I think it was just RCB getting people talking on Twitter and spreading that excitement around like peanut butter. The Twitter talk led to forums, a Facebook page, and now a site filling up with reviews daily. I'm not the most excited about comics some days, but talking to people like you or Cody Mudge or even RCB himself get me jazzed again. It really is about feeding excitement. I'm not sure where this whole thing can go next, but I'm happy to be jumping aboard.

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KYLE: No doubt technology has made it easier for the fans to connect and spread the word. Should we consider it a duty for the proactive comic fan to get on these forums and talk about these things via social networks like Twitter? In your opinion...

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PATRICK: To me, this is a two-edged blade. When I joined Twitter, it was to follow some musicians and artists I enjoyed. That was probably two years ago, and it wasn't until 2012 when I found other fans to talk to about these things. It was like when the squirrel finally cracked that nut open. Just absolute coolness. I get to hear from other people about new series they are into *cough*Guerrillas*cough*DBCooper *cough* loll and we each get to share that positive, ENERGIZING vibe I mentioned earlier. But of course there is the other side, isn't there? The part where we start complaining. Sometimes it's constructive criticism, but the internet really brings out the asshole in people. Reading news stories is okay until you scroll down to the comments... ugh. I'm no better myself, either. I started a thread on a forum about analyzing my thoughts on each issue of a comic, but after about a week, I stopped because I didn't like the book and didn't want to be another one of THOSE people ruining others' fun and enjoyment.

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KYLE: All very great points! You ready to change gears and answer some crazy questions?

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PATRICK: Ready, Aim, Fire.......

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KYLE: George W walks in your house and says “Hey Pat, I really need a comic book to read on the ranch. Whaddya got?" What book do you give him?

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PATRICK: The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman, or Pride Of Baghdad by Brian K Vaughan. LMAO I'm such a troll.

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KYLE: Haha quickly moving to the next question Would you rather collect the comics or just buy the trade?

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PATRICK: I'm at a point now where I'm no longer interested in buying floppies every week and keeping up with the hype machine. I just can't afford to "keep up with the (Rick) Joneses." It'd rather get a trade. They look better on a bookshelf.

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KYLE: Your favorite kind of pizza is?

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PATRICK: Pepperoni and Jalapeno. Although my wife got me liking jalapeno, pineapple, and bacon. Hot, sweet, and salty. Mmmmm

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KYLE: Some may think it’s totally irrelevant, I do not... Coke or Pepsi?

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PATRICK: Cherry. Cherry BOTH. Stuck, with a gun to my head, it would be Pepsi, even though I work just down the street from a Coca-Cola distributor.

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KYLE: Anything else we should know before this interview ends?

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PATRICK: I'd like everyone to know that I'm still a n00b as far as reviewing goes, and that any comments or criticism on my articles are invited. I'm grateful we have such a great community over at readcomicbooks.net and wish we can grow to include more and more new readers. Also....I want them to know there is a 20ft pink hippo behind them right now waiting for some Chinese food. Made you look. :)

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There you have it folks!!! Get over there and read!

Favorite quote

"The purpose of Rastafari is to change your inner being to the core, thus we say slave no more since God came knocking at our door." -Bobo Rastafari

My Ridiculous Dream

Starring: @ReadComicbooks @Jaybwebb @JosephGreene01 and a suprised guest to be named later..

So there we were.. frantically diving in and out of every LCS in the city looking for the elusive DB Cooper #13 that was to be the least printed comic in history..

Our search led us to a Vocational Tech college that had a book store for educating the buisness students..

After begging and pleading from RCB the pretty cashier agreed to sell us the last 5 comics and for only $3! These comics were worth a fortune, but that's not why we were after them.. we were after the comic to complete our collection.

So we had our comics and were walking back to my house and we came across a cigar shop that was going out of buisness..

ReadComicbooks and I knew the deals to be had so we entered the store and bought everyone a Yardgar stick and then forced Joseph to smoke it with us. The 6'5 Jayb smoked his cigar in record time and turns out Joe liked cigars after all..

So we finally arrived at my home to find it completely empty.. " where's my family?"

Joe pointed outside my large window to the mob of zombies coming our way!

We ran upstairs to my gun cabinet and I started to hand out guns and ammo..

We went back downstairs to find the zombies in the house.. and we started blasting them.. one by one until we were completely out of ammo.. all hope was lost and the end was near until...

@elrevel kicked the door open rockin one of Rob Liefeld's massive gun's with two holes in the same barrel. He started spraying bullets through walls and was very proficient at killing every zombie in the house! "Thought you boys could use some help.."

Needless to say, we were all stunned and extremely grateful.. he walked us back out into the living room while he was explaining the details of the apocalypse..

@BrianChurilla could be seen outside setting the zombies on fire with his flamethrower.. just setting a sea of those bitches on fire.. and whats this? He must have stopped at the same cigar store because he was smoking the same cigar that we bought...

Then....

I woke up.

Completely ridiculous, yet awesome!

Interview With A Side of Stereotypes

Kids do seem a bit entitled these days don't they? And always seem to have a chip on the shoulder..

SIGBEARD

This dude has my signature on his face over fifty times.. I thought that was kinda cool.

BLAM!!!

Guess I'm in a weird mood tonight.

All Things Must Change

and all things should... I've been taking a break from reviews and blogging because I haven't had the time to put out anything "fancy" enough, in my eyes. So instead of over stressing, this blog is going to continue but differently.

From now on I'm just going to blog when I can even if it's only a couple sentences here or there... I really appreciate my readers and don't want to lose anyone.

So expect more photo's and rants... Just for now, until after I have finished moving and my office is set up.. Then some pretty awesome things will be heading your way.

Thanks again and with a tremendous amount of love I say,

See you next time and bright days lay ahead!

Kyle

Guerillas Volume Two give away

Hey everybody,

If you've been following me for awhile you know how I feel about Guerillas. It is my favorite comic book ever.

I probably couldn't explain to you how much I loved volume 1 ... maybe it's the war.. maybe it's the Guerillas... But the book really means a lot to me and has helped me overcome some of my own struggles after I was discharged..

So I started a fan account for Goliath...

I started it because I searched to see if someone had already started a fan account for him and to my bewilderment.. there wasn't...

So I thought... Maybe its a good thing one hasn't been made yet.. maybe there isn't a fan alive that can do a better job than I could? ... and so I decided to do it.

 I love Guerillas and could talk about them or how awesome Brahm Revel is all day long...
ands so could my brothers and sisters in The Guerilla Army!

Now, Goliath doesn't have the thousands of followers he deserves so I came up with a plan to hopefully offer enough incentive to not only follow @TheRealGoliath_ but to check out Guerillas 1 before the second volume drops in July!

I decided to make a game of it... Starting right now the competition is open. The person with the most points will not only win Guerillas Volume 2 , but a couple other prizes that I'll come up with along the way.  Here is how you score points...

Follow @TheRealGoliath_ no points will be awarded if you're not following Goliath!

Tweet Goliath a #HootHoot for 1 point!

Anytime you include #Guerillas #HootHoot in any tweet, to anybody, you get 1 point

If you give Goliath a #FF tweet you'll get 3 points! Must be a single #FF for only Goliath

Refer a follower for 5 points! Tell him/her to tweet Goliath and mention you..don't forget to
#HootHoot

Tweeting fan art to #Goliath will also give you 7 points!

Follow @elrevel ( Brahm Revel ) the creator , and get 10 points!

Last but not least... if you do a blog post about your love for Guerillas you get 15 points!!!

The final whistle will be blown on 7/4/12

I'll post the top dogs and their points every month so you know what you have to do to win..

I am trying to come up with two runner up prizes..

Thank you for helping me support my favorite Creator and Comic! Together we can do huge things.. #HootHoot

NOW JOIN THE GUERILLA ARMY!!

A Pleasant Review of Dragonstorm #1

Seriously! Check out this cover.

How can I resist a cover like this? The Dragon is off the chain! Not to mention Dragonstorm, which imo, is a really cool name for a hero. Then there's the girl.. Always a girl it seems but this one seems to be different.

The book starts off with some uncomfortable family moments triggered by the visit of a grandfather ( The Villain) who says he's taking his son's daughters. This man ( the son) has chose not to live the evil hero life. The visit in a split second turns violent and lives are changed forever.

Death and action collide almost instantly while the dialogue plucks at some internal fears that I believe all people have within their hearts. Nicely done. The turning point is when the kidnapped daughter is handed over to the hero Dragonstorm.

As I was reading  I noticed that while this comic is named Dragonstorm, it seems to  revolve not only around Dragonstorm, but his relationship with this young heroine. A heroine who is from the same sinister bloodline as the major villain in this issue. 

Lyllian is her name and I can tell by the way she looks that the street element of unstoppable comics is still very much alive in this comic. She's pretty, tough, sharp, and still very much a teenager. A teenager who's parents were just savagely murdered.. It's real and I love real. Real emotion is key. 

All those elements don't go away as the story progresses either.. In fact, I think it adds another dimension to not only Lyllian, but Dragonstorm himself as dynamics change. How is Dragonstorm going to react to basically being forced to raise his arch enemy's granddaughter and why the hell does this enemy want his granddaughter being raised by his enemy?!!

I can only imagine the twisting and turning this comic will take as the story progresses. I really have high hopes! Reason being: I still have so many questions I want answered, which is exactly what a first issue comic should do. Leave you wanting to know the answers and secrets before they can be revealed.

By the way... Dragonstorm is a pretty bad ass character on his own. His moral compass seems to be on point as he did have the option to leave the girl to die and yet he took her anyway, knowing damn well she would be his responsibility. And the guy displayed some awesome martial arts and an aura of supreme badass-ness. Dragonstorm would be great on his own and I think as the comic gets into more and more issues, Lyllian also become very dynamic on her own... So I hope...

Like I said before.. there is obviously something very special about her.

As far as the villain goes..He must know something we don't... I mean gene's that make purebred heroes must be able to pass from generation to generation and maybe Lyllian will have her own special ability that sets her apart. Why would he want her with Dragonstorm and not his own son?

To me it's crazy because I think they could make a great duo down the line... especially after she's been trained. But then again..something tells me this girl is not Dick Grayson. Will she even give Dragonstorm a chance? ... I don't know. Will Dragonstorm even train her? I don't know... I just know that she's his responsibility now. She's still a very young teenage girl.

These questions are the point of  number #1 comics! Especially a good ones... They started a story and  I WANT TO KNOW MORE. And the only way I find out is by getting #2. Which I will.

So keep an eye out for Unstoppable Comics in your LCS. The books I've read from them have all been really good and unique. Especially this one.

And you all know... I love unique.

So until next time... SMILE!

P.S. Unstoppable will be at this year's Boston Comic Con. I know I'm stopping by and saying Hi.

\

"Look, an illegal Alien!!"

I never understood how one human being can look at another and call him/her illegal. Doesn't matter if that person works, is 90, or is even 1 day old. I hear people being called illegal. I can't believe they mean it..Because if they really believed it to be true, then this scenario would be ok too I guess.. Let's say the Aliens invaded, conquered, and then set up shop. Then in 50 years they tell us to get the hell out because we don't belong. Is that fair? Would WE be illegal? I don't think so.

Don't Forget To Smile!!

Sometimes you push the WRONG buttons

Frank, the dumbest husband in the world.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for checking it out!

A Pleasant Review! Howard Lovecraft-and the-Undersea Kingdom

Howard Lovecraft

-and the-

Undersea Kingdom

Written by-Bruce Brown and Dwight L. Macpherson

Art by- Thomas Boatwright

Letters by- E.T. Dollman

Cover Art by- Erik Fokkens

So if you managed to catch my mistake on Twitter tonight you'll notice that I mentioned the wrong book before I corrected myself. I mentioned a book titled Howard Lovecraft-and the-Frozen kingdom. I accidentally said that I was reviewing that book instead of this one, Howard Lovecraft -and the-Undersea Kingdom. There's a reason for that mistake. You see... when Bruce asked me to review a couple of his books I was not only intrigued and happy, but eager to read some new items in the comic book world. I first read Clay County (you can find the pleasant review here.) and I was so blown away by the book that I quickly dove into the Undersea Kingdom immediately after. As I was reading I became so excited about the work in my hands that I decided to stop and do some more research on Bruce Brown. Then I discovered that there was another book, Howard Lovecraft-and the-Frozen Kingdom, which I also enjoyed. So naturally, I had both books on my mind.

This cover absolutely brings home the point of these books, in my opinion. A truly beautiful cover with deep colors, unique monsters, set in a unique world. There's mystery and there's horror behind Howard in the depths behind him. Not to mention that large tentacled creature standing guard over the child. All of which btw..is under water! This cover is as unique and thought provoking as the book itself. The ocean has always been a place that leaves me in awe and this cover captures the things that make the ocean such a powerful place. The deep vastness of the cold dark ocean grips my mind with sensations of fear and dread. I think it's a human thing...Anyway, you put a child in there with some creepy monsters and you now have my complete and undivided attention!

So I start reading this book and I have the feelings of a child. For a second I remembered what it is was like when I was a child and yet behind all that nostalgia that these pictures brought me, I still had much trepidation for the young Howard.

Then the story really begins! And it's awesome!

I wouldn't call the predicament that Howard is in a total nightmare, I would describe the situation as being grim with the anxiousness of a nightmare. Yet I almost feel like young Howard has some control. If you add those things together you'll find it makes this story completely unpredictable. It's so imaginative and it's all perceived through the eyes of a child. So you must understand by this point that the possibilities are truly endless and the dangers are infinitely limitless. That realization had me excited and it was at this point precisely, that I stopped reading and started looking up Bruce and found the "Frozen Kingdom". Which I bought right away.

But this isn't about that book it's about this one!

Right, so back on track! So I continue reading and soon I'm not only captivated by the story but I'm head over heels in love with the art. This is the type of art that I really enjoy in books. Especially in books like this one, one that's meant for both kids and adults alike...Unique and precise.

The art is not only a bit dark, but at times it speaks more than the words on the page. This is a quality that most comics lack these days. A glance at the panel and you'll notice the environment, the darkness, and most importantly the feelings of the characters. It brings it all together like an expertly crafted pizza. The style and the attention to detail make me feel like I made a wise decision with my money.

It's really a beautiful book and when I let my daughter read it she also commented on the art 5 pages in. Her  words were " This is so cool!!" She was excited because she too could see the adventure in the art. The panels flowed nicely and like I said earlier the colors were deep and complex.

The story itself was great, obviously, I loved it. It was pure and in my opinion perfect for kids. The whole approach was that of a child. ( Wow Kyle..that was deep ) That's the only way I can describe the writing. The reader knows as much as Howard knows and Howard is a child. So we see things the way he sees it, the way a kid would see it. Including Howard's fears and his hopes. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me flipping the pages and I remember wondering at one point how this was all going to play out in the end. All signs of a great story.

When I was done I decided that it was appropriate for my daughter and I bought her a copy on comixology. When she was done she also commented on how cool the story was and started to try and explain it to her younger brother and sister. She's 8 going on 9 this October.

So how about a final thought for the conclusion of this Pleasant Review?

Hey, check out the Jerry Springer of comics over here...

This was another home run by Bruce Brown and his team and I'm glad to not only say I read them, but that I own them. A perfect book for Adults who are into a non-gory adventure and children who are looking for an imaginative thrill ride. I see a very successful future ahead of Bruce and his team and wish them nothing but the best. I will surely keep my eyes peeled and purchase anything he comes out with. I think the world needs more stories like this. Especially ones that not only capture us adults, but our kids too. Our kids tend to live a stressful life at such a young age and it's unnecessary. These books help relieve that stress for them too. And even we can become kids again with the help of a book like this.

So until next time...SMILE!!!

(I HAVE NEVER AND WILL NEVER BE PAYED FOR A REVIEW. BECAUSE I'M COOL LIKE THAT.)

Tsk... Tsk... On The Hypocrisy Horse

I have an Oxford dictionary that defines Hypocrisy for me.

Here it is

"Hypocrisy-NOUN Falsely pretending to be virtuous; insincerity"

Now I'm no better than anyone else, and we can all be guilty of being a hypocrite at times. This cartoon I sketched captures a piece of that hypocrisy in the laws we've passed and continue to ignore. Now I'm not going to get all righteous on you, lol. I promise! So here is my cartoon sketch poking fun at the hypocritical laws and the people who enforce them.

I'm going to include a description and even quotes because of the shitty image quality. I promise after my move I'm going to outfit my office with a new scanner and a program to color and do it up nice for you. Hope you enjoy, even without all the necessary equipment needed to bring you the highest quality product.

I did this with some pencils and a ball point pen. hahaha #AMATEUR

Below we have a young person rocking a livestrong shirt. He's obviously been busted for possessing marijuana.

Coppa: Smoking marijuana....tsk! Do you realize how unhealthy that stuff is?!?!

Man realizing that this cop is A) Fat and out of shape B) His life is ruined for having marijuana on... He starts to think to himself : I should have just ran....

Then the Coppa's talkie speaks: Sarg! You coming out for beers later?

My Friends,

We live in a world where the danger posed from smoking marijuana is dangerous only because of the penalty that it carries. This is absurd. Here we have a young man who is not only healthy but capable of being a great human being even though he smokes. The Cop is also a good person. But I want his appearance to raise two questions...

1) Can over eating be more dangerous than smoking marijuana? The answer is Yes. No one has died ever from marijuana use. How many people die each day due to obesity and illness related to obesity? Again, I'm not knocking down anyone who's over weight. I'm just saying... if you can trust people to be responsible with cheeseburgers you can trust people to be responsible with marijuana.

2) I'm hoping you noticed the hypocrisy of the Coppa when the walkie talkie speaks.. Just because a person chooses marijuana over alcohol doesn't make them stupid or reckless or even a criminal! It can be used recreationaly just like alcohol. Except there's a huge difference. A man doesn't smoke a joint and go home and beat the tar out of his wife and kids and he certainly wont die from over smoking..It's a million times safer than alchohol and if marijuana was readily available some of our friends and family that we've lost to alcohol might still be alive.

That is all I wanted to say.

One love and Good Vibrations my Friends!!

The Heroes ( The Creators and The LCS )

We all have them, a personal hero, maybe a favorite athlete, a teacher who inspired you, maybe it's your mom-maybe it's your dad. Maybe, those aren't the heroes I'm talking about. O_o .... COMIC BOOK HEROES!

No, not the superheroes-- the Creators and the LCS!

That's who gets this blog post...The Creators and The Comic Shop Owners!

I've had the pleasure of reading some really great stuff the past couple weeks. -Smiles- Comics, I love em and I know you do too! We cannot live without them. They have been there for some of us since we were children. Through every cruel girlfriend or boyfriend, through all the criticisms, the highs,and the lows. Come to think of it, pretty much through just about everything our comics have been there when we needed them.

Sometimes we put them away for years or sometimes months...only to find them there waiting for us when we return. Glossy cover...detailed pages.... all ready to catch us and swoop us away to wherever the hell we want to go. A comic is a very magical and sacred object to us. Yeah, to some they might just be jumbled of words and pictures, but we know comics are so much more!

 I don't thank DC and or Marvel for these things...I don't thank them for providing me with hours of comic enjoyment...I thank the creators and the shop owners. The shop owners who till the soil and lay down strong roots in neighborhoods... Cultivating the fans which in this case are the water that feeds the tree. A tree that will eventually produce a hefty bounty of sweet comic produce <---That's the Creators. The LCS and Creators of comics deserve the royal treatment from us fans. They are the real heroes of our world. They are the superstars! In my eyes, when I get a RT from my favorite creator it might have well been from Tom Brady. Except Brahm Revel's RT is worth a shit load more tome than a RT from Tom Brady. I love football, but I love comics way more. This is how it should be. We should embrace our heroes and spread their good name so we can see more of what they can do.

But we need to be real with ourselves..we cant have it all for nothing. We cant promote our favorites and support Creator Owned books and expect to pay nearly nothing for them. Unfortunately money rules the world and it can dictate or control the people involved. We are all just trying to survive. And it's the LCS and The Creators that risk the most and unfortunately... the payoff isn't always there for them.

How much risk is there involved when a man or woman decides to stand up and say,"You know what...I'm going to pursue my dream because this is all I want to do." ? Answer= A ton! I bet such a decision comes with a ton of scrutiny for the would be creator or the would be shop owner. Example A: " Selling wha??? Comics??? For a living?" or Example B:" Your spending your time making a wha??? A comic book? I thought you grew out of that?" all very sad and mean responses that I bet happen all too often when the Creator or LCS decide to pursue their dream. The skepticism is not only real but it merits a tiny bit of truth. The odds are so heavily stacked against these heroic people... These people who are more than fans... The people who are the roots and fruit of the comic industry. I bet each person that dared to make their dream a reality can admit to receiving some pretty harsh criticisms... even from the closest relatives. It's time us fans acknowledge the risks and take more risks ourselves by buying more creator owned comics and by investing in the growth of this section of the comic industry.

Perspective! No one creates comics or opens up a comic shop to be super rich. Sure, some people may have that particular motive, and sure to some it can be the sole reason to embark on such an endeavor , but I can guarantee those few have already closed there doors or decided to give up. The Creators and or shop owners that do it out of love will always tell you it was never really about the money. . Just another reason why they are heroes! I can only hope that my children will have something that can inspire the same sort of courage and passion that these men and women possess.

I'm sure the ups and down are epic for the creator and Shop Owner...And yet they persevere...Just like our favorite super heroes on the pages of our beloved comics!


The Creators and Licensed Comic Shops are like our parents in this comic universe. We reap the benefits of all their sacrifice and hard work. Very rarely will these creators be recognized for the amount of talent that they pour into panel after panel...and better yet, never will the brick and mortar shop get the credit that it deserves as the rock of the industry. Oh how I dream of a world where shops begin to pop up left and right, all across the United States

It's time the fans get together and brainstorm ways to help the comic industry grow. Maybe somehow we can alleviate some of the burden and or risks associated with opening a comic shop or creating a comic.

Brainstorming and feedback are the tools to success!

So to close this I want to be the first one to share an idea. Proof that it doesn't matter how ridiculous or improbable the idea may be, all that matters is that we have our eyes open for new ways to help nourish the comic tree. Not just because times are tough...but because of principle! We love comics and the people who sacrifice so mush to bring them to us and create them for us should be taken care of by us. I'd like to see the money go directly to these heroes,opposed to just giving my money to the "Boss" who bathes in money.

So here is my idea and pitch

 Imagine if the payoff was there at the end of selling your own creator owned book while promoting the LCS.. Imagine an extra incentive to make a book that would not only provide a cash prize but a year long promotion of your name and work.

The creators need to have their names put out there so that recognition may come to it. They are fighting Goliath in that respect. So it led me to thinking some more..( don't worry I'll stop thinking soon before I hurt myself..) How do we bring in new and old blood alike into an LCS while promoting Creators?

I'm not naive enough to think that this question hasn't been asked or that my tiny brain could come up with the answer, I just know it's a huge question that needs answering. It needs ideas... So without further delay here is my idea for that very question.

Again these are just open thoughts

Yearly Comic Cup

• Every Comic fan pays a one time fee for the right to vote in this tournament.
• Any single creator or team of creators can compose a series
• Creators enter for free but give the LCS a deal on the books
• I think it'd be fair to charge a bit more for these books
• The fan then goes to the LCS buys the book and takes home a rating card that is dropped back off at their local LCS before a deadline
• This goes on for some time
• There is a preliminary tally to set up a tournament tree
• Then the last couple books in each series all released on the same day to face off, single elimination style
• Eventually it's the last two books..the winner gets a trophy, even more name recognition and a monetary prize

I completely understand that this may be unreasonable and a severely flawed idea..I don't care. It's just an idea. I think if something like this could be accomplished the industry would grow and flourish. The competitive nature of humans, the privilege to vote, and the excitement of a yearly tournament drawing down would be exciting. The creators don't have to make the books for the sole purpose of winning the tourney..it's just an extra incentive. Maybe it will keep the pencil in the hand of the creator who's thinking of replacing that pencil with a hammer.

Again just a thought..I love comics and want the world to love them too. So until next time my friends...SMILE!

A Pleasant Review! Clay County

 A Pleasant Review

Clay County By

Bruce Brown, Chip Christell, and Adam Mrozowski

Clay County! I liked so many things about this book that I almost have no clue where to start. I knew writing a Pleasant Review for this was going to be difficult but I didn't realize exactly how difficult it would be. It has really made me re-evaluate how I'm going to do reviews in the future. My main concern was that I wasn't going to be able to give this book the justice it deserved. A book that I highly recommend to anyone who's of age to read it.

 You all know I stay away from negative comments about this or that, but this book was so well done that I feel I must come out and admit that there was not one thing I did not like. Something that has happened only a few times! So in the future, unless I mention that there wasn't a single thing that I didn't like, it's safe to assume that there was something that I did not like. Not something strong enough to make me not like or recommend the book though, because as you know, if I don't like a book I wont review it. End of story. Life is just too damn short to be writing about things you don't like...or read about things other people don't like!

 So here we go!!

So there I was, looking over the cover and the first thing I say to myself is "I like how this guy did this".  Obviously the first thing I noticed was the huge ass UFO hovering above the trees. Then I noticed the stars ....then the truck and the highway sign reading "Clay County Next Exit"...then it's the beer cans on the road. lol At that point I really didn't know what type of story to expect behind this well crafted cover. But I was pumped at having the opportunity to find out.

I'm reading the first couple pages and the characters really came to life. The characters, their traits, and the dialogue sucked me in and would not let me go until I reached the back cover. I want to say everything about this book was remarkable and just leave it at that, but I'm trying to be exact for the sole purpose that this is supposed to be a review.

 The dialogue would have to be the tip of the spear for me. The conversations were not only entertaining but hysterically funny. If you can even imagine a takeover of planet earth by aliens, who are now occupying us for a resource, and imposing a form of tyranny over the people during this process, you will easily understand the gravity of the situation presented. An extremely heavy situation that you'll find made extremely light by these incredibly funny characters. These guys are not only funny in each character's own way, but fun to laugh at. They seem very real at times and will probably remind you of someone you know or maybe even yourself. These guys had me laughing out loud more than once and left a smile on my face in between. So as with any great story, it was the characters that took me away from here and brought me to Clay County. For which I am very grateful. A+++

This story I would describe as a sci-fi comedy. To take it another step further, I would say it is the funniest sci-fi comedy I've read to date! Which is crazy because, I'm going to be honest, I wasn't really expecting that after a glance at the cover. To be fair though, I could never have expected to know how funny this book was going to be. As I started reading, I started laughing. Really! I also kept having the same thought reoccur in the back of my mind every once in awhile.. This would make an awesome movie..To me that's really the highest praise I can give a book. A praise that states more than what was written. Meaning, I loved Clay County so much that the book, while being perfect ( Yes, I said perfect!), wasn't enough for me. I hope to experience the same story in another way and more than once! This book is fun, funny, entertaining, creative, witty, and a must read. I think anyone who reads Clay County will agree with me entirely

You know I always stay away from describing too much about the plot of a book because I think I could never do it justice that way. That's regardless of a book I liked or didn't like. I just don't believe in it and I will keep the oath I made to myself before I started doing reviews. I'm not going to summarize a story..No way! But for the first time I have this itch in my mind that wants to tell you all these hilarious moments and quotes.. to tell you about this or that...but if you enjoyed something as much as I did this book, you would be resigned to say what I'm about to say to you now..You are just going to have to see for yourself. 

But I will try and convince you that this is worthwhile in other ways..

If I gave stars as ratings this would surely get a 5 and even though I've read the book digitally, I feel like that's not enough for me. I want to and will own this book! I will read it probably 3 or 4 more times and the collector in me will probably buy two copies, just so I have an unread copy in 'new' condition and hopefully that copy will be signed one day. I have another little tidbit that may help explain just how much I enjoyed this book.. when I do get my hands on a printed version of Clay County, it's going on my top shelf next to my 9 other favorite graphic novels. Seriously!No joking! No exaggeration!

I would recommend Clay County to anyone who asks. I will probably even buy a couple this upcoming Christmas to give away as gifts... Why am I telling you this? Well, I'm hoping it shows not only how much I loved this book, but how confident I am that anyone who reads it will thoroughly enjoy it and be grateful for to having read it. It takes you away my friends...to Clay County!

These are high praises and rightfully so! This book deserves every single one of them.

 I'm also going to post my notes that I used to help me write this because I'm struggling to give Clay County the praise it deserves. Like I said in the beginning, this has been hard to write because I haven't done a review on a book I enjoyed this much. It takes a lot of effort to not keep repeating the same praises over and over, again and again. This is a book that needs to be read to completely understand the level of awesomeness that it contains.

After you've read this book please drop me a line and share your thoughts. I'm excited to see your reactions to this extremely funny book named Clay County! So HERE is the link to Clay County on Amazon..it's only ten bucks!

I'm never paid for writing these reviews, I do it strictly out of love for comics. Also, I have not and will never sign up for any kickback from amazon or any other site. Just so you know that I'm not sending you to a link for my own gain. Never will I be that guy!

So until next time my friends, Smile!

Here are the notes I promised

• Art was as fun as the story itself, the two meshed like peanut butter and jelly
• Characters had life to them!
• Reactions and dialogue force literal Laugh Out Louds
• Hilarious... I wonder if their will be a movie or animated series in the future?..I hope so
• Great gift for other comic lovers
• Very cinematic! The panels were spot on
• Story was flawless throughout- no loose ends
• Must own and must read
• Find more stories by these guys
• Really cool cover
• Flawless...if I gave ratings it'd be 5 freakin stars
• This book easily finds a place in my top ten graphic novels all time