Week of 8/18/2025
On today's newsletter, Bob interviews more unsuspecting subjects on The Shapes, I announce a few major creative milestones, and review the first chapter of Society of Teens!
The Shapes
Bob’s 1st Day of Work 13-14
News
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
Attention Tampa Bay/St. Pete-area locals! Last week, I wrote a slideshow piece for the alt-weekly newspaper Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about the best markets to table at for creatives just starting out. Check it out here!
Shadowbanned Magazine #2
I don’t mention it often, but on top of being a cartoonist and critic, I’m also a poet, and two of the poems I’ve written, “Catch a Breath for Death” (which I previously published in comic form) and “I, Your Dictator”, are featured in the leftist magazine Shadowbanned’s 2nd issue. You can purchase it at their online shop.
Sammy the Critic
Society of Teens Review
Moxanne is a teenager whose childhood has been chiefly marked by moving around frequently while being homeschooled due to the nature of her dads’ professions. However, after an early retirement, she finally has the chance to build a stable life in high school.
This 20-page comic book contains the first chapter of Pluviiox’s ongoing webtoon series, which she recently rebooted. Plot-wise, exposition is the keyword here, mainly focusing on presenting Moxanne’s home life and upbringing. Although according to the series synopsis, this is a teen mystery drama, this element won’t come into relevance until at least a few chapters in. From a marketing perspective, I would put a brief in media res scene in the beginning, just so readers can see part of what’s described and hook them in quicker. Otherwise, I think the comic did a good job introducing Moxannne and her family. From the get-go, we know she’s an ambitious girl raised by supportive parents who wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. Beyond the social isolation aspect of her nomadic lifestyle, there is no major conflict, but the final quote in the chapter does leave a foreboding hint of things to come.
Overall, I think Society of Teens is off to a steady start. I’m interested in seeing how it unfolds in subsequent installments. You can buy the book on Pluviiox’s website and follow the series on Webtoon.