Week of 10/15/2023
Comical miscommunication, book availability updates, and reviews are on this week's menu!
The Shapes
SIN
This strip is included in The Shapes #3, but I felt like sharing it here just for the sake of context for the next strip.
Milquetoast Dan
News
Fan Submissions Time
As a reminder, I am now accepting fan letters and art for The Shapes #4: El Puro. They can be related to the storyline or just the comic in general. The submision window is open until the end of next month, so if you got any, reply at samuel.edme@outlook.com! Ad spots will be open soon, so be on a lookout for that.
Shop Updates
More good news for you New Yorkers, The Shapes #3 and other issues are at The Word is Change, Unnameable Books, Troubled Sleep, and Bureau of General Services— Queer Division (bookstore in the Kaplan Diamond Building). So if you want to support your local bookshop, go on right ahead to these places!
Sammy the Critic
Shatterstone Chapter 1 Review
Shatterstone is a new ongoing comic written by Shawn R Klopfer and illustrated by Amanda J Ellis, author of Taylor’s Egg which I gave a glowing review of). As with Taylor’s Egg, this first installment does not disappoint being a laudable testament to Ellis’s artistic skills and versatility in crafting fantastical scenery.
The setting is organically introduced within the opening three pages, primarily allowing the lushly colored scenic visuals to speak for themselves with the first page only using text to introduce the titular orc hero Emerald Shatterstone concisely.
Afterward, we are met with a jarring scene of carnage by an attacking orc tribe, leaving a baby Emerald orphaned until the human Hogarth adopts her in a touching sequence. Flash-forward to several years later and the now-adolescent Emerald has grown to be an adventurous, strong-willed, and creative individual with a thirst for exploring her environment. Meanwhile, Hogarth is a nurturing and supportive caretaker who serves as an inspirational figure instilling Emerald’s sense of wonder. Their relationship is portrayed elegantly using a modicum of character-relevant dialogue and a montage of them performing various activities together.
In contrast, Emerald’s mother figure Ukakala seethes austerity, expecting her to toughen up quickly due to the resilience supposedly associated with orcs. She only appears throughout the comic’s last seven pages where she begins rigorously training Emerald which gives us an idea of her general demeanor while leaving room and hints for how their dynamic might play out in subsequent chapters. There’s an equal chance the two will develop a mentor-student relationship, butt heads, or a mix of both.
Overall, I can confidently state Shatterstone Chapter 1 is very promising beginning whose smooth exposition is only elevated its impressive art. The comic is currently being serialized on Amanda J Ellis’s Patreon page, so if you can spare a few dollars a month, check it out.
Thank you Amanda J Ellis & Shawn R Klopfer for the free review copy.