Week of 12/9/2024

On today's update, there Blood, Guts, Action, and Satire on The Shapes. I announce a metric bucketload of events/shops my work will be/is at, and do a double-feature review on Sammy the Critic!

The Shapes

Blood, Guts, Action!

CMC (Critical Math Curriculum)

News

Event Announcements

December marks the year’s knell and vindicative wrath. But it’s also my most eventful month this year around as I have a crazy laundry list of events I’ll be tabling or have my work appear at!

Biggest Little Zine Fair

Sorry, you won’t be catching me in Los Angeles, but The Shapes issues will be on sale at the Biggest Little Zine Fair today. Keep an eye out for them!

Comic Arts LA

Also on the same weekend for two days is Comics Art LA where my comics will be sold at the Cartoonist Coop table. Even if you’re busy at Biggest Little Zine Fair today, you’ll still have tomorrow to check out this one!

Daydream Shop Art Market

At last, something I’ll be present at! As many of you St. Pete locals know, every second Saturday is Art Walk, when every gallery and artsy place in town opens up. Normally, I’m drifting around from one area to another, but this time, I’m vending at the Daydream Shop & Maker Space (gotta make that $$$ with the holiday season around) in Historic Kenwood from 5-9 PM. Some surprise new merch will drop, so catch me if you can!

Dharma Kava Lounge Holiday Market

This Tuesday night from 7-11 (no pun intended), I’ll be vending at the Dharma Kava Lounge in Largo once more for their holiday art market. Last month was pretty slow in clientele, so how about y’all come and make up for that? Like always, they’ll be a food vendor selling some good ol’ Southern food and scrumptious cheesecakes.

SHAMC Open Mic

It’s been some time since I was last at one of these, but this Wednesday night from 7-9 PM, I’m back at it again, reading comics live at the Safety Harbor Arts & Music Center.

Tampa Local Market

Next Saturday afternoon, I’m vending all afternoon at Grinch’s Christmas Market hosted by Tampa Local Market in Magnanimous Brewing Co from 1-5 PM.

Hey! Market

That right! Ya boi is doing a double feature back-to-back. One block away from Magnanimous Brewing at Cafe Hey, I’m vending at the Hey! Market’s last show of the year from 6-10 PM. Last month’s show was hot, so I think good tidings lie ahead this season too.

Bananas Market

I’m going bananas for Bananas market the following night December 22 from 7-10 PM, tabling at Banana Records! Whether pushing myself to the limit will pay off or drive me bonkers down to the madhouse, I’ll just have to find out.

Freaky Mag #11

A rejected New Yorker cartoon I made got published in the 11th issue of Andrew Goldfarb’s humor magazine and MAD's successor Freaky Mag. You can get it when you subscribe to the publication’s Patreon.

Store Updates

While I was away in Arizona and New Mexico, I stopped by a few shops to drop issues of The Shapes.

Ash Ave Comics

I’ve restocked on all issues in the downtown Tempe-based comic book shop. Drew is the only one out there for now working his keister off to keep everything at the store in check, so if you’re in the area, it won’t hurt to give him a helping hand by supporting.

Wooden Tooth Records

In the hip, bustling Tuscon neighborhood of Pie Allen is one of the coolest record shops featuring not only albums, but a pretty rad miscellaneous selection of books, zines, and small press stuff. If punk vibes fit your fancy, this is one worth checking out!

Space Monkey Comics

Nine miles east of Pie Allen is Space Monkey Comics, which is your standard local comics shop containing your Marvel & DC fare with some indie material, but they care about fostering a growing comics community. They were even hosting a small comics show on the day I was there although it had already wrapped up by the time I arrived.

Big Planet Comics

Last but certainly not least is Big Planet Comics in Santa Fe. While the New Mexican town may be synonymous with posh fine arts galleries and equally posh retirees, there are plenty of down-to-earth and unique small businesses out there and this is one of them being the only comic book shop in Santa Fe. Kevin tries his best to promote and highlight indie creators, so don’t skip on this one if you’re in that area.

Sammy the Critic

A-T Walker #1 Review

I erroneously implied I didn’t have the first issue of Micah Liesenfeld’s memoir series A-T Walker, hence why I first reviewed #2, it turns out my sloppy and forgetful keister didn’t finish sorting out my CXC haul. Thus, for fairness’ sake, I’m also discussing this one.

While some of my takeaways regarding the zine’s exposition and buildup in the previous review have recontextualized, the pathos elements invoke the same emotional intensity. The opening page is set in the present day, where Micah is watching a show with his 5-year-old daughter Eva, asking her if any part of it made her nervous. Eva answers, “yes”, pointing to the log bridge escape scene because she knows she wouldn’t make it due to her A-T (ataxia telangiectasia) before flashing back to when she was a newborn. This page immediately grabs the reader’s interest using a universally relatable experience. Most of us don’t have A-T or even know someone personally living with it (or at least I don’t), but we’ve had that moment where we wonder whether we would survive a scene of peril in a movie or show.

When Eva is born after a C-section, everything feels normal, minus a few seemingly minor infections and common illnesses that emerge when she is sent to daycare. Micah and his wife Aicha follow the standard procedures for Eva’s sicknesses and follow the doctor’s antibiotics prescriptions. However, like many small things, they become symptomatic of something much more critical.

Overall, A-T Walker #1 is a gripping, eye-opening first installment I would recommend alongside #2 both for classroom discussion and general informative reading. You can buy it on Micah Liesenfeld’s Patreon page.

Three-Headed Pig-Man

This is more of a preview booklet than a full comic, but I was given this to talk about, so I figured I might as well cover it here. The title is pretty self-explanatory, featuring a hyper-muscular three-headed pig cyborg that emerges from the infinite cosmos, extolling the power of thoughts…

Oh, wait, you were expecting me to say more? That’s everything that happens in this 8-page sample. The creator, Chris Anderson, himself states in the afterword the story was conceived to be open-ended in mind with a notable Rob Liefeld influence in the titular protagonist’s design. However, Jack Kirby’s iconic artisanship is more predominant in the cosmic backgrounds for the better in a seamless mishmash. While not much occurs plot-wise, this shows promise of developing into an entertaining, off-the-wall type of plot.

You can keep up with the story on Anderson’s Patreon page.

Thank you, Micah Liesenfeld and Chris Anderson for your ARCs in exchange for an honest review.