Calexit Finally Hits the Shelves

Bursting with extra pages and political essays, Black Mask has finally delivered the first issue of "Calexit", their speculative fiction comic about the secession of California from the United States.

Make that "attempted secession."

When I first heard about it, I thought it was a nice time-capsule that harnessed the anger and frustration of the nation after the election of 2016.

I was excited to check it out, and included it as a Hot Jazz book for May, when it was due out.

Black Mask has, eh, shall we say aggressive deadline claims? It has a difficult time meeting some of those timetables, especially as the Big Two companies snatch up their talent.

Well, here's to hoping the next issue comes out within the next two months. Why two months?

Why not? It seems reasonable and likely, seeing as how it sounds like we'll be waiting until December for the last issue of 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, only eighteen months after the first issue was released.

Is it "Comix" or a "Sequential Art Project"?

I found some more underground, small print run graphic art comic that could be construed as comix, but that could be a stretch, seeing as how the subject matter isn't exactly comix-themed:

It's a collection of The Cave Man Speaks comics from Guarino and Westerfield, who I believe published originally online.

It also collects a longer form silent piece starring the main caveman from the cover in a bit of a darker role.

All in all, its pretty good, and I like supporting the fringes of the fringe. I am inspired to check out their other, far longer collaborations: "Amboy, Pop. 5" and "Moses", both of which are stationed at a local indie record store.

Free Graphic History Lesson

Recently returning from an adventure to old stomping grounds in New York City, I'm able to sit down and type up about a random free comic I grabbed from the park center at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn:

Daly Clement is credited with the writing duties, with the job being the adaptation of Thomas During's memoir of surviving a British prison ship during the Revolutionary War.

This is an aspect of history I didn't know: the British would imprison their POWs in ships in Brooklyn's harbor where they were mercilessly treated.

James Bentley is the illustrator and while he has talent, is likely his first work that's gone to an outside publisher. The first and last page are digitally colored, while the interior is black and white, and the backgrounds are rather plain, but the story---and the storytelling---is moving.

I love these types of surprises: free comics independently printed and funded by Chase Bank and the Rush Philanthropic Foundation that illuminate a thing I previously knew nothing about.