Candy or Medicine

News and Notes, January Edition

2012-02-03T13:56:00.000-05:00

William Cardini has some cool stuff going on, as usual
Tyler Stafford covers The Brave and the Bold 177
Rob Clough reviews Rob Jackson
Thirteen Minutes reviews Noah Van Sciver
Steven Myers reviews Candy or Medicine Vol. 16
JB Sapienza wins The Eric Shonborn Year End of the Year Award

Volume Sixteen Out Now

2012-01-26T17:20:00.000-05:00

Candy or Medicine Volume Sixteen is on sale now! There's a lot of awesomeness in this issue, starting off with an awesome cover by Emi Gennis as well as 14 equally as awesome pages by Nate McDonough, Harry Nordlinger, Jim Gullet, Andy Nukes and Robert Dayton. We laugh in the face of the rising price of commodities and still offer this amazing issue for the cost of just one measly dollar!

Call for Submissions

2012-01-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

From Mr. Bobby Mono:

TOO MANY GOD DAMN DRACULAS

For 2012 I'd like to do a new vampire themed anthology entitled "Too Many Damn Draculas". So I will be looking for a bunch of awesome humor-oriented comics about Dracula or Vampires, and if it's not too much to ask....the punchline should be a take off of the phrase "Too Many God Damn Draculas." I'm looking for some cover art and illustrations, and if you're not an ace in the writing
department, I have several ideas for scripts that I'd like to see but don't have the wherewithal to accomplish.

So here are the project guidelines:

The art should fit on a A5 size sheet of paper (aka 5.5" x 8.5" or 148 x 210 mm)
Grayscale or B&W
300 or 600 dpi in jpeg or psd format
Deadline-----No hard deadline yet but we'll say early May.

And you can send your beautiful Draculastrations to or forward your beautiful Draculaquestions to: bobbymono@gmail.com

Thanks,

Bobby Mono

News and Notes, December Edition

2011-12-30T15:47:00.000-05:00

Sorry for a lack of updates. I've had a lot going on recently. I'm hoping to have a best of 2011 list and some previews of Volume Sixteen up soon. Anyway, here's what happened in December:

Noah Van Sciver covers That Salty Air and shows some pages of The Hypo
Josh Bayer and Pat Aulisio cover Defenders 80
William Cardini has a new comic out, which is reviewed by Optical Sloth
Rob Clough reviews Jason Viola & Sam Spina
Patt Kelley covers Silver Surfer 8
Finally, Kyle Nolan shows off his Candy or Medicine shirt!

Candy or Medicine Volume Sixteen Lineup

2011-12-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

With Christmas and some unused vacation days, I'm going to have five extra days off in the next three weeks. My goal is to get Candy or Medicine Volume Sixteen ready for publication in January. To whet your appetite, here is the contributor line up and a first look at the cover, by the wonderful Emi Gennis.

Cover- Emi Gennis
Nate McDonough (four pages)
Harry Nordlinger (three pages)
Jim Gullet (five pages)
Andy Nukes (one page)
Robert Dayton (one page)

News and Notes, November Edition

2011-11-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the lack of updates lately. It's been slow in the Candy or Medicine world. But look for a new issue by the end of the year! Anyhoo, here's what occurred in November:

Emi Gennis was featured in Red Flag Magazine.
Noah Van Sciver presents a recap of MIX and some pages from his forthcoming graphic novel The Hypo.
William Cardini aka Mark Hensel has some cool stuff going on.
Rob Clough reviews Sam Spina's Spinadoodles: The Second Year.

Shonen Jump

2011-11-11T11:37:00.000-05:00

Mad props to Ray N for the shout out in Shonen Jump this month! And congrats for being featured in this issue. That's huge! It has a circulation of nearly 200,000!

News and Notes, October Edition

2011-11-03T14:20:00.000-04:00

Apologies again for being late on this, and for not having a Mini-Comic a Month Challenge up for the second time in a row. I got sick twice in October, went out of town, had some personal stuff going on and was busy making t-shirts. So blogging hasn't really been on the top of my mind, y'know? Anyhoo, here's what's been going on.

Rob Clough reviews Kyle Nolan's Brain Dead Phylum.
There's been a lot going on in the world of Noah Van Sciver lately (such as appearing in MAD Magazine), so I'll just straight up link to his blog.
Sam Spina has released his Xeric-winning comic Fight and his non Xeric-winning comic Spinadoodles Year Two. Both are most excellent, and the Year Two book has a comic with me in it! Also, Denver's Westword newspaper interviewed Sam.
Here's an interview with Nick Marino.

Getcher Candy or Medicine T-shirts Right Here

2011-10-19T10:53:00.002-04:00

T-shirts are on sale now for $8 plus $2 $3 shipping in the U.S. UPDATE: It turns out shipping is more than I thought. Sorry about that! (Note: if you are international, shipping will be more. Also, 2XL and 3XL cost $10 plus shipping because the shirts are more expensive). If you don't have paypal, e-mail me at info (at) candyormedicine (dot) com to order via snail mail.

If you need a size not listed below (what's up, kids sizes?), then just e-mail me. I've listed pretty much every color of shirt I can get my hands on, and you can choose from white or black ink. I have other colors of ink (blue, red, yellow), so if you want ~~to be a pain in the ass~~ another color, let me know (yellow on blue might look cool). Please give me a week or so to ship these as I'm doing them in batches and sometimes I have other things come up (stuff with the kids, illness, work, etc). Please note that women's sizes are only available in the following colors: white, black, red and pink.

Finally, the artist behind these awesome shirts is Mr. William Cardini, who will be receiving a portion of every sale. So make sure you show him some love too and buy his comix.

Shirts on Sale Soon

2011-10-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

Here's a sneak peak at a white on black shirt. I'm going to print some other color combos tonight. I should have these up for sale in a day or two. You get to choose your ink and shirt colors! (Better act quick before I determine that to be too much of a pain in the ass!). They will be $10 shipped. I might have some cheaper ones ($8 shipped) if you don't mind a thrift store shirt.

(Super Late) News and Notes, September Edition

2011-10-07T10:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the delay, but real life has got in the way (hey, that rhymes!).

High Low reviews Kyle Nolan's Brain Dead Phylum #1 and #2.
Noah Van Sciver was at SPX.
Sam Spina has released the Xeric-winning FIGHT and Spinadoodles Year Two.
Candy or Medicine t-shirts will be ready soon. Maybe as early as Monday. There are various color combinations and sizes available. I will most likely print a couple to have on hand, then take pre-orders for various combinations. Let me know if you want one and what you want it to look like. They will be $10 shipped.

Yours will look better than this, I promise.

Coming Soon

2011-10-03T15:30:00.000-04:00

I'm late on both the Mini-Comic a Month Challenge and the September News and Notes (in case anyone cares), but I plan to have those up soon. Life has been a little crazy lately. Sorry for the delay.

Covered

2011-09-30T11:38:00.001-04:00

So I'm featured on the Covered blog today. No big deal. Actually, I'm one of four artists to be featured. I saw an issue of Marvel Collectors' Item Classics and thought it would be a cool idea to have four other artists collaborate on the cover. Luckily, they were all just as into as I was. They are also waaaaaaay more talented than I am. I was way out of my league, so I was really happy to be a part of it.

Click to embiggen

Candy or Medicine is Four Years Old

2011-09-28T11:50:00.000-04:00

I don't have a specific date (it would be around the day of the Syracuse Heroes Expo 2007), but Candy or Medicine began sometime in September. Here's to all of the great artists and writers who have made it what it is and too all of the fans, friends and stores who have supported it. There is no end in sight...

Bobby Mono's Got a New Comic

2011-09-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

You might remember Bobby Mono from such excellent comics as Candy or Medicine Volumes 12 & 15 and "The Wizard." Now, Bobby's got a new comic out titled "Everything I Know About Animals." It's 14 pages, 8" x 5.5" and only a buck!

You can purchase it here.

The Kindlin' Quarterly Issue Four Out Now

2011-09-20T16:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I received my contributor copies of The Kindlin' Quarterly issue four. What an awesome book! I have a one-page comic in it about a traumatic experience from my childhood.

Sweet ass dust jacket

Cover

Sneaky peek of my comic

Here is the official info:

"This zine is 5.5 x 8.5", 44 pages (12 color + 32 black & white).
For mature audiences only. You must be at least 18 to buy.

ISSUE FOUR ARTISTS---------------------------------------------------
Jett Bailes (WV)
Josh Blair (KY)
Edward Bolman (CA)
Brian Hagen (OH)
PB Kain (OH)
Michael Madsen (OH)
Hamerbobi Hammurabi (who knows?)
Daniel McCloskey (PA)
Nate McDonough (PA)
Mr. Mutant (OH)
K. Rose (WV)
LIzzee Solomon (PA)
Will Turner (TX)
Howard Wolf (OH)
M Young (OH)"

You can order it here.

Cincinnati Comic Expo Recap

2011-09-19T12:13:00.000-04:00

Lovingly hand-made items on the left. Mass-produced crap on the right.

I had a great time at the Cincinnati Comic Expo on Saturday. I made a pretty good chunk of change selling toys, back issues and graphic novels. And, as expected, I made a few sales of the comics I publish. I've found that the mainstream comics crowd doesn't cross over well into the mini/indie comics crowd. But I did meet some cool people and a couple people actually knew about my comics already (always a plus!). It was also nice running into some friends/acquaintances of mine such as Tom Bolton (who illustrated the cover of this week's CityBeat), Dan W. Taylor (Candy or Medicine contributor!), Mike Maydak and Bruce Chrislip (80's underground comix artist). I didn't get a chance to meet Jim Steranko because I was too busy running my table, but oh well.

I was in a nice, high-traffic spot, and my table neighbors, Mutant Cactus, were cool dudes. They make buttons and the like (I picked up some Batgirl and Wonder Woman hair clips for my daughters).

Overall, a really good show. Not a big fan of the Duke Energy Convention Center, though. I know they might stick with it again next year, but I'm hoping they find something a bit more intimate with better (free!) parking and easier load-in/load-out.

The Cincinnati Comic Exo is Tomorrow

2011-09-16T14:28:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the second Cincinnati Comic Expo. I had a great time last year and was very successful (at least with selling action figures!) and I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow's show. Jim Steranko is going to be there! I have my Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comics ready to be signed. I can't believe it's mid-September already. So if you're in the area, stop by.

Hive Five Out Now

2011-09-09T14:22:00.000-04:00

Hive is an anthology published by Grimalkin Press, and Hive Five is now available. You can pick it up for $10 here. I have a one-page comic in it titled, "The Ultimate Evil."

In addition to some great comics by folks such as Noah Van Sciver, Ed Choy Moormon and Box Brown, the book is a work of art. It's 192 pages, perfect-bound with a some nice parents sheets and belly bands. You can see process shots of how everything was made here.

Sneaky Peek

News and Notes, August Edition

2011-09-02T11:46:00.000-04:00

Sorry this is a bit late. I've been really busy and also sick lately, but better late than never, right?

Katie Omberg visited the DC Zinefest.
Rob Jackson has a bunch of new comics up on his blog.
Kyle Nolan presents a visual guide of how he makes mini-comics. He also has some nice pictures of stores that stock his comics.
Rob Clough reviews Kyle Baddeley's Silent-V Part 4.
Sam Spina is featured in this month's Previews for his Xeric Award.
Noah Van Sciver covers The Little Monsters 26.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for August 2011

2011-08-31T17:18:00.000-04:00

I'm a bit late on this one because I've been pretty busy lately plus I was very sick yesterday. So here is my take as well as Kelly's take on a few comics for this month.

N.Y.D.I.: A History in Publishing
by Jesse Reklaw
$2
Twenty pages, color covers, black and white interiors.
Available here.

This is a fun (and kind of depressing) look at Jesse Reklaw's experiences with publishing his work. He starts off self-publishing, then eventually finds a publisher, only to learn it's not all that he dreamt it would be.

Manhole no. 3
by Mardou
$5 shipped
40 pages, color cover, b&w interior
Available here.

Not really what I expected it to be, but nonetheless not too bad. Maybe if I had read the first two I would have enjoyed it mroe? This comic was nominated for the 2009 Maisie Kukoc Award for Comics Inspiration. Also, each copy comes with a hand-drawn postcard.

The Burning

by Sam Spina http://spinadoodles.blogspot.com

and John Garza http://garzaarte.com

Available here

Sam and John each made a short comic about an incident from their childhood. They've been friends since first grade and both became artists. The comics appear together (you can flip the comic after finishing one to see the other) so you can see how they each portray the event. Fun little book and it's only ONE DOLLAR!

Bowling Ace

by Megan Brennan

This is a nice tale of cross-generational female bowling power! The mini is lovely but you can also read it on Megan's website. I'd think my young nieces will enjoy it, too.

Volumes 14 and 15 Now on Sale!

2011-08-26T15:34:00.000-04:00

So the big secret is that I'm releasing Candy or Medicine Volumes 14 & 15 simultaneously. The reason? 1. I've never done it before. 2. This is the first time that I've had all of the material for two issues at one time (thanks to all the contributors for being very punctual!).

Clothed

So for $2 (plus shipping, of course), you will receive both issues, held together by a handy dandy, uhh... jacket? I'm not really sure what to call it. Note: if you are a subscriber (hi, all three of you!), this obviously counts as two issues.

Nude

Anyway, here's the lineup:

Volume 14

John Dimes (cover)
Daniel Folgar
Patt Kelley
Lauren Barnett
Emi Gennis
Danny Ferbert
JB Sapienza

Volume 15

Dexter Cockburn (cover)
Angel de Leon
Sergio Lucero
Jonny Smeby
Pierre Retrayt
Joe Badon
Bobby Mono
Alex Campbell
Migle Anusauskaite

Another Preview?

2011-08-19T13:19:00.000-04:00

Just picked up these proofs from Staples. Look closely; there's a surprise underneath.

Big announcement coming next week.

A Late Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for July by Guest Contributor Kelly

2011-08-11T11:25:00.000-04:00

Here's Kelly's quick take on a few mini-comics for the month of July. You can follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Well, I seemed to have missed my July entry, but just so you know I'm not slacking, here are some minis I read and enjoyed:

Stuff / Striptacular Comics Revue / Party Pieces

by the British cartoonist Francesca Cassavetti

available here (with sample pages)

You can read more about her on Sarah McIntyre's blog.

Just So You Know #1 - Joey Alison Sayers

Available here.

Highly recommended! About coming out as trans.

Werewolf IV +
Were-pups: Werewolf Comics for Kids
Both of these are CCS anthologies available here.

I particularly like Annie Smith's contribution to Were-pups--check it out!

The Kindlin' Quarterly Call for Submissions

2011-08-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

The Kindlin' Quarterly is a wonderful anthology based out of Yellow Springs, Ohio. I met the KQ folks at SPACE this year and I really like what they're doing. Just like Candy or Medicine, they are always looking for contributions. (You might even see one of my comics in an upcoming issue!) Here are the guidelines:

WHAT THIS THING IS:
The Kindlin' Quarterly is a seasonally-printed homegrown collection of humorous comics, prose, artwork, parody, satire, and anything else that draws a chuckle. The Kindlin' Quarterly encourages you to submit work for consideration for print in an upcoming issue.

WHAT IS HAS TO OFFER YOU:
❂ Above all, massive amounts of glory!
❂ One free copy of the issue in which your work is printed.
❂ The opportunity to buy, at printing cost (not retail), as many copies as you like of the issue in which your work is printed.
❂ The security of retaining all rights to your original work (OF COURSE).

WHAT TO SUBMIT:
❂ Completely original stories, artwork, jokes, musings, etc. up to 4 pages in length (length exceptions may be made for exceptional work).
Image format: up to 5.5 x 8.5", at least 300 dpi, JPEG, TIFF, or PDF.
(Digital images are preferred, but if you do not have access to a scanner, you may send originals.)
Prose format: Word document, PDF, or pasted into an email.
❂ Your real name, your pseudonym (if applicable), and your email address.

WHERE TO SUBMIT:
❂ thekindlinquarterly@yahoo.com
❂ FB message to page administrator Mariana Weflen
❂ 101 Corry Street Upper / Yellow Springs Ohio 45387

WHEN TO SUBMIT:
You may submit work at any time, however, work received after the deadlines listed in the schedule below will be considered for the next season's issue:

ISSUE | SUBMISSION DEADLINE | RELEASE DATE
Spring | February 1st | March 1st
Summer | May 1st | June 1st
Fall | August 1st | September 1st
Winter | November 1st | December 1st
*All dates are subject to change. Check the facebook page for updates!

News and Notes, July Edition

2011-07-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

Not a whole lot going on this month.

Here are two reviews of Noah Van Sciver's The Death of Elijah Lovejoy. Also, his much-anticipated debut graphic novel, They Hypo, will be published by Fantagraphics.

Kyle Nolan released Brain Dead Phylum #2. I read it last night and it's pretty cool.
Dan Folgar has posted some new comics.
Alex Chiu is always up to some cool stuff.

Like I said, not much going on this month. However, Candy or Medicine Volume Fourteen will be out next month, so stay tuned for that. And in September, I'll be setting up at the Cincinnati Comic Expo.

New Comic: How to Successfully Make an Incognito Dubbed VHS Porn Tape

2011-07-22T10:58:00.002-04:00

You like how you can see my foot in this picture?

Or "Incognito" for short. In case you haven't heard enough from me lately, I made a new comic last night, in my basement no less! It was the first comic I've printed on my new (old) Brother laser printer. I'm hoping to do most of my printing at home now. I didn't have a paper trimmer, so I had to use scissors, but I hope to purchase one today.

Anyway, this is some low-brow stuff here. Don't expect anything too raunchy, though, as it's barely PG-13. It's a random idea by me, sort of a love letter to being 15 years old, illustrated by my Brit pal Russ Walton, who you might remember from his Evil Ed and Nasty Ted in a couple issues of Candy or Medicine.

How to Successfully make an Incognito Dubbed VHS Porn Tape (longest mini-comic title ever, perhaps?) is eight, black-and-white, quarter-sized pages printed on nice paper (not that cheap stuff). And best of all, it is only 75 95 cents shipped (in the U.S.). You heard me, only 75 95 cents shipped! It doesn't get much cheaper than that. Or if you order it along with an issue of Candy or Medicine, it's only 25 cents extra. (I had to update the price because I didn't realize PayPal fees were so high. At 75 cents shipped, it ended up costing me a couple of cents to sell one, and that doesn't make any sense!)

Candy or Medicine Volume Fourteen Preview

2011-07-19T14:06:00.000-04:00

Candy or Medicine Volume Fourteen will be out sometime next month. To tide you over, here are the contributors as well as the cover:

John Dimes (cover)
Daniel Folgar (one page)
Danny Ferbert (one page)
Emi Gennis (four pages)
Patt Kelley (five pages)
Lauren Barnett (two pages)
JB Sapienza (one page)

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for July 2011: Rav 2 & 3

2011-07-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

Rav 2 & 3
by Mickey Zacchilli
Eighty half-sized pages, two-color offset outside cover, one-color offset inside cover, offset interior (brown ink on yellow paper), limited run of 500ish
$6 plus shipping
Available here.

It's not often that when I first open up an envelope containing a comic, that I want to read it right away, but that was the case with Rav 2 &3. However, with coming home to three kids, I am not afforded that opportunity. Although, I did read it as soon as they were tucked away in bed.

I'm not sure where I came across Mickey Z's site, but I'm really glad I did. I usually shy away from comics that are more than $3 or $4 because I'm a total cheapskate, but this one I knew I had to have. I could just sense it.

This is a thick ass book (I had to take a pee break in the middle of it), and it's jammed packed with awesomeness. The story revolves around a couple named Juice and Sally who go to a graveyard to make out. They stumble across some occultists who try to capture them, but Sally gets away. Eventually, Juice frees himself and tried to locate Sally, who ends up at IHOP, where some snake-face dude hits on her.

That synopsis in no way does this story justice. It's totally bizarre (in a good way), and the artwork has a scratchy, trippin' balls kind of vibe to it. There's also some extras at the end likes doodles, a word jumble and mazes. Definitely one of the best comix I've read all year.

Candy or Medicine: The Compleat First Year Out Now!

2011-07-05T12:21:00.007-04:00

After a grueling couple of weeks (including distractions such as Angry Birds, reality TV, comic books, Carl Sagan books, t-ball and the Fourth of July), Candy or Medicine: The Compleat First Year is finally available.

In this 56-page tome, you will find Candy or Medicine Volumes 1-3, the 2008 Free Comic Book Day Special and a couple of extras. All this for $3 plus $1 $1.50 shipping (in the U.S.). After mailing one of these, I found that, depending on which type of envelope I use, it costs $1.30-$1.70 to ship. So I decided to split the difference on postage. Sorry about the increase! The contributor list is too long to post here, but you can find all of the contributors here.

News and Notes, June Edition

2011-07-01T12:03:00.000-04:00

I could almost fill this whole thing with Noah Van Sciver updates. First, Noah Van Sciver has a Tumblr (make sure to check out the issue of Alpha Flight he drew). He will also appear in the Best American Comics 2011 and in MAD Magazine. He also released a possible cover to his much-anticipated graphic novel, The Hypo. And Sean T. Collins reviews Blammo! #7
Sam Spina has a new comic out. He's also now a Xeric award winner!
Rob Clough reviews Rob Jackson's The Gods Must Be Bastards. He also reviews Candy or Medicine Vol. 13. The Poopsheet Foundation reviews Vol. 13 as well.
Isaac Bidwell and Cayetano Valenzuela will have pieces in a show in San Francisco.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for June 2011 by Guest Contributor Kelly

2011-06-30T11:50:00.000-04:00

Here's Kelly's quick take on a few mini-comics for the month of June. You can follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Purchased:

Spaz! #1-4 and

The Collyer Brothers

by Emi Gennis

Available here

I have never read any of Emi Gennis' work but these got good reviews, and how could I pass up a mini-comic about the Collyer brothers??

Read:

The Trentford Hotel by Orion Wertz

Incredible art and a tale that gets under your skin, big time. Check out the sample pages here:

http://www.giantsquidpress.com/trentford%20hotel/trentford%20hotel%20pg%20002.html

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for June 2011: The Adventures of Apple and Banana and Let's Be Happy No. 2

2011-06-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

The Adventures of Apple and Banana
by Sassy Spinster
Sixteen half-sized pages
Price: $1 plus shipping

Let's Be Happy Issue #2
by Sassy Spinster
Sixteen half-sized pages
Price: $1 plus shipping

Available here

So we've reached the half way point of the 2011 Mini-Comic a Month Challenge. I'm glad I've kept up with it and I'm looking forward to the second half of the year. So far, I've read some great comics. Anyway, this time we have two by Sassy Spinster: The Adventures of Apple and Banana and Let's Be Happy Issue #2.

The Adventures of Apple and Banana is about, you guessed it, the adventures of an apple and a banana. It's a compilation stories about run ins with rocks, worms, gorillas and fun houses plus the circle of life for an apple. A quick, fun read. If you're a fan of Minty Lewis, you will like this comic.

Let's Be Happy is a compilation of eight of Sassy's previously published comics. Topics range from swimming, anthropomorphic food, urban myths and creative impotence. Another quick, fun comic. I'm looking forward to reading more of these.

The Compleat First Year Update

2011-06-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the first hard copy of Candy or Medicine: The Compleat First Year. It's 56 pages! I've had the idea to publish this for a couple of years now, but finally got around to it. I'm glad I did because it turned out really great. I still have to make a few adjustments (you can see the red pen marks in the picture), but it should be ready to ship next week.

Candy or Medicine: The Compleat First Year preview

2011-06-08T11:22:00.000-04:00

During the past two weeks, when I haven't been playing Angry Birds, I've been working on Candy or Medicine: The Compleat First Year. It collects Candy or Medicine Vols. 1-3 as well as the 2008 Free Comic Book Day Special. It also contains a couple of extras (including a brand new cover and back cover designed by yours truly).

It is 56 pages, quarter-sized, black and white all for just $3 (plus shipping). I'm hoping to have a first draft of the proof completed tonight, which I will send to the printer tomorrow. I'm sure there will be a lot of things I have to fix (margins lining up being the main one), so it will probably still take me another week or two until I have the final product in my hands. Which is perfect timing considering I'm planning on having Candy or Medicine Vol. 14 out the second week of July.

So, without further ado, here is the cover (click to make it bigger-- which looks much better):

I made it on the Covered blog

2011-06-03T10:00:00.010-04:00

After two failed attempts, I finally had a cover posted on the Covered blog. Woohoo! I'm working on another top-secret submission, the likes of which has never graced the Covered blog before. Let's hope it makes it!

Joplin, Missouri Tornado Relief

2011-06-02T10:00:00.006-04:00

This was sent to me via Tony Shenton. I plan to mail some comics tomorrow and encourage anyone reading this to do the same:

Imagine you owned a comic shop in Joplin, MO. And a devastating tornado destroys most of the city. Your shop remains standing, unharmed but not untouched.

Jason Hurley's shop, Hurley's Heroes is facing this disaster as I write this.

What would you do? Here's what Jason did: he opened his shop as a shelter. That's right. His customer base is decimated, but he didn't think of that. He and his brother, co-owners, are serving the community.

I've only sold Jason a few items, and I don't know him well at all, but he has asked (on the CBIA forum) for donations of comics material that's safe for all ages, which he will deliver to shelters and also those whom he is sheltering.

All of you are present or past client-publishers of mine, and I hope you will find a way to help and be a Hurley's Hero for a day.

I recall a radio broadcast. Supermarkets? Gone. Home Depot? Gone. Chain bookstore? Gone.

But Hurley's stands.

Hurley's Heroes

attn:Jason Hurley

1515 W 10th, Suite C

Joplin MO 64801

News and Notes, May Edition

2011-06-01T16:17:00.000-04:00

My apologies for this being a day late; I traveled a lot in May (8 days in Florida, 4 in Houston and 1 in Cleveland). Anyway, here's what went on in May:

The Washington City Paper interviews Katie Omberg.
Derek Croston has a new comic up.
Rob Clough lists his top 25 mini-comics of 2010.
Tyler Stafford covers X-Men 1.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for May 2011: bananaslug

2011-05-29T22:19:00.000-04:00

bananaslug
by Leslie Perrine
48 pages, quarter sized, black and white, with hand-stenciled and bound covers in grey
Price: $2.50 shipped
Available here

bananaslug is about a lonely bananaslug who, despite being self-sufficient, longs for a mate. Leaving his snail friend behind, the bananaslug eventually finds someone who he thinks is a perfect match. Will the snail be the voice of reason or try to maliciously destroy the relationship out of jealousy?

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for May 2011 by Guest Contributor Kelly

2011-05-24T21:20:00.001-04:00

Here's Kelly's take on two mini-comics for the month of May. You can follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Purchased:

Oh gosh, I went to MoCCA Fest *and* MeCAF since writing my last post and bought so many new mini-comics it's ridiculous. There's no way I could choose which to highlight here, so I'll just share a photo from MoCCA.

Read:

"Alone Forever" by Liz Prince and "So This is What It’s Come To... A Comic Zine about The Trials andTribulations of Ok Cupid" - Liz Prince, Ramsey Beyer, Leslie Perrine, Kettner

Both available here.

Great comics about the awkwardness of dating, not dating, feeling like you may never date again. Liz Prince's comics are hilarious and honest. This isn't all self-deprecating, vulnerable, angstiness, either--you get to meet the prickly, tough stuff side of her too. Lots of Alone Forever comics can be found on her livejournal.

I was not that familiar with the other authors contributing to So This is What It's Come To, but the whole comic was solid. Ramsey Beyer has amazing lettering skills!

Free Comic Book Day Musings

2011-05-06T16:43:00.000-04:00

You might have noticed (or perhaps you haven't) that this is the first time in four years that I have not produced a comic for Free Comic Book Day. There are a few reasons behind that, but the main one is that I spent a lot of time, money and effort into the whole ordeal with very little in return. I don't want this to sound all business-like and throw around terms like "return on investment," but in those four years, and literally thousands of comics, I received maybe one order and had maybe 3 or 4 people say that picked up one of the free issues.

Some of the stores I gave copies to had many leftover copies and I suspect that some stores simply threw out the leftover copies. I'd much rather put the money spent on the FCBD issue into making a new full-length issue, since those actually have a decent reception (in terms of sales).

In the meantime, there are still four free comics for you to download if you visit www.candyormedicine.com.

The Braid of Day and Night by Cayetano Valenzuela

2011-05-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

When I visited Syracuse over Easter weekend, I stopped by Craft Chemistry to see Cayetano Valenzuela's exhibit "The Braid of Day and Night" at Craft Chemistry. Here is the artist's statement:

"Much of the work I am making now is deeply based in the process of memory. It is also a documentation of the subcultures of which I am a part. The figures in my paintings range from skaters and punk rockers to anarchists and fellow artists. I use color and texture to depict memories caught midstream. I try to explore experiences that have poetic resonance and let the imagery of one memory blur into another."

The even lasts from April 15 to May 29. More information here.

News and Notes, April Edition

2011-04-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

Here are some SPACE recaps.
Indie Spinner Rack interviews Noah Van Sciver.So does The Daily Cross Hatch (part two) and The Ink Panthers Show.
Optical Sloth reviews Kyle Nolan's Brain Dead Phylum #1.
Patt Kelley shows a preview of some stuff he's working on, including a contribution to the next issue of Candy or Medicine.
Tori Holder posts some comics.
Sam Spina gave a talk in Denver.

This post brought to you by the United States Postal Service

2011-04-26T13:20:00.000-04:00

Desmond Reed: 1, USPS: 0

My Name is JONAH Free Comic Book Day

2011-04-23T16:47:00.004-04:00

May 7th 2011 Free Comic Book Day!!! Check out www.mynameisjonahfilm.com to download a free 30 page comic book featuring work by CorM alums, Patt Kelley, Shannon Smith, Tori Holder & JB Sapienza! Plus many many more stories by other amazing artist-type-people.

While you're here take a looksie at our badass cover illustrated by Daniel Th1rte3n with colors by Jake Bills.

Happy Free Comic Book Day!

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for April 2011 by Guest Contributor Kelly

2011-04-20T16:03:00.000-04:00

Here's Kelly's take on three mini-comics for the month of April. You can follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Purchased:

When I Was a Mall Model

and Middle School

by Monica Gallagher

Available here

These comics are both autobiographical stories, one about working as a teen model, and the other about dealing with cliques and cattiness in middle school. I was introduced to Monica Gallagher's work through Boobage, her minicomic about having small boobs. These are all quick, fun reads.

Read:

Sugar Baby

by Nomi Kane

Available here

This collection of vignettes about being a kid with type one diabetes is the centerpiece of Nomi's master's thesis for the Center for Cartoon Studies. In Sugar Baby she covers being diagnosed, dealing with the icky parts of learning the routines of caring for herself, and facing the cluelessness of friends. These scenes are presented alongside loving tributes to her supportive family, and snapshots of just enjoying life as a kid. I love Nomi's art, and the care she takes with the physical manifestations of her comics--in this case a die cut cover and ribbon binding--is always a treat.

Record Store Day 2011

2011-04-15T16:55:00.000-04:00

If any of you are in Cincinnati, stop by Shake It Records tomorrow for Record Store Day. There will be 50 free copies of Candy or Medicine available. Don't worry, long time fans, it's just the Free Comic Book Day 2009 issue. I chose that because not many people in Cincinnati have seen it because I was living in Syracuse, NY when it was originally published. I wanted to offer something on that day because it's a cool idea, Shake It will be packed, plus they sell my comics there, so hopefully if someone likes the free one, they'll pick up one (or more) of the regular issues.

A portion of the comics section at Shake It, where you can barely make out some issues of Candy or Medicine

Shake It's storefront

Candy or Medicine Subscriptions Now Available

2011-04-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

Based upon the suggestion of a friend, I have made one-year subscriptions available to Candy or Medicine, for those who would find it easier to order a year's worth of issues than order a single issue four times a year. Because I stick to a quarterly publishing schedule, I think this will work out fine. Click the Paypal button below (or to the right) to order a year's worth of Candy or Medicine, starting with the current issue.

If I could make one of those annoying subscription cards pop out of your screen and onto your floor, I would. Scientists, where you at?

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for April 2011: Aloha and The Island

2011-04-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

Aloha and The Island
by Desmond Reed
16 pages each, 2.5" x 4", black and white
Price: $2.50 shipped for both.
Available here.

There are a couple of really fun, short mini-comics. Aloha tells the story of an annoying worm and how his friends decide to "politely" stop having lunch with him. The Island centers around a man and a dog who are stranded on a deserted island.

I really liked both of these comics, with Aloha being my favorite. They are exactly what I'm looking for in a mini-comic: fun to read and they tell a complete story. Aloha's humor is delivered with perfect timing. The Island's punchline is a bit abrupt, but still funny nonetheless. A couple of really solid, humorous, affordable comics. I've already ordered another pair of Desmond's comics.

Cincinnati Jam Poster For Sale

2011-04-05T12:36:00.001-04:00

I just listed a poster for sale, featuring a jam by Greater Cincinnati based artists that was created at SPACE. The artists are Josh Blair, Nathan Kissel, Ron LaCour, Joe Kuth, Tim Fuller, Eric Adams, Brian Hagen and Rodney Fyke.

The poster is double sided and printed on cardstock 11 x 17 paper. Only $1 (plus shipping, of course).

Featuring Mr. Redlegs! Shadowhare! Marge Schott!

Click here to order on Etsy.

My brief visit to Gem City Con

2011-04-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

After having such a good time at SPACE last month, I decided that I'm going to try and make it to as many comic shows as possible this year. Honestly, what that really boils down to is additional 2 or 3 shows, but, hey, that's better than nothing.

I had a rare Sunday afternoon to myself yesterday. My girlfriend had to work and the kids went to a birthday party with their grandparents. So rather than sitting home and goofing off/cleaning the house, I drove to Dayton for Gem City Con. (And I at least did something productive yesterday morning -- laying grass seed/fertilizer and watering the lawn.)

For some reason, this is the only picture I took at the show.

First up, I met Steve Englehart. Steve wrote quite a few Green Lantern comics and one (just one) issue of Daredevil. Since GL and DD are two of my favorite superheroes, I wanted to speak with Steve. I felt kind of bad when, after signing my comics, he asked if I'd like to buy his book, but I didn't really have the money (or much interest in his book). I know how it feels to have people not buy your book, but I also own a few comics written by Steve, so I didn't feel too bad.

I also met Bob McLeod, who illustrated one of the first comics I ever owned, Action Comics #659. He actually had an original page from that issue, but I didn't have $75. I've almost purchased original pages from that issue twice, but have passed both time. Maybe one day. Bob seemed really busy with sketches and all, so I didn't get to talk with him much.

I did, however, run into a few folks I know. Dan W. Taylor, Mike Maydak, Kel Crum, Max Ink, Eric Adams and Bob Corby were all in attendance. I handed out quite a few comics to these folks and to some other people I met for the first time. I also brought along some posters I recently had printed, which will be on sale tomorrow.

Unfortunately I missed out on speaking with Dave Aikins, who illustrated some Dora the Explorer and Backyardigans books that my kids like, and Joe Jusko, who illustrated some awesome Marvel trading cards I had as a kid and who also follows my other blog, Rejeted by Covered (I think that's really cool, BTW). I wish I had spoken with him, but I was pressed for time.

On the shopping side, I picked up a Conan treasury comic (leaving me with just 27 treasury comics left for a full collection of Marvel and DC treasuries), a Daredevil comic I needed (leaving me only 3 issues away from a full set that I've been collecting for the past 15 years) and a carded GI JOE Shockwave figure, which I purchased off a guy who knows Shannon Smith. The guy had a bunch of other figures I wanted to buy, but unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately) I only brought $45.

Overall, I had fun in the hour or so I was there. I would have like to have had more time to look at comics and talk to artists, but I had to leave (it was about an hour and a half drive, after all). I doubt if I'll ever exhibit at Gem City Con, but I'll try to attend every year.

Candy or Medicine Volume Thirteen Out Now!

2011-04-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

Candy or Medicine Volume Thirteen is out now. For just one doll hair, you receive sixteen pages of comix goodness from Ray N, Willard Herman, Chris Tupa (a Candy or Medicine newcomer!), Brad W. Foster, Katie Omberg, William Cardini, Cameron Callahan and Carl Alessi. Click the button below to order.

The Cloud Catcher page 2 of 3 by Chris Tupa

News and Notes, March Edition

2011-03-31T12:10:00.000-04:00

March was a busy month. Here's what went down:

You can preorder HIVE FIVE, featuring Noah Van Sciver, Ed Choy Moorman and yours truly.
The Onion's AV Club interviews Noah Van Sciver. You can also order Blammo #7, which is really great, by the way. Here's a review.

Daniel Olson was featured in a Bleeding Cool article about C2E2.
Josh Blair/Candy or Medicine featuring in a Liberal Ohian article about SPACE.
Katie Omberg offers her SPACE recap.
Kyle Nolan has a new comic out and it's pretty rad.

Candy or Medicine Vol. 11 is reviewed in another SPACE recap.
Tori Holder now has her debut comic for sale.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for March 2011: Eye Bot Issues 1 & 2

2011-03-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

Eye Bot Issue 1 & 2
by S. Mann
16 pages each, 5.5" x 8.5", black and white
Price: $2.50 + $.50 shipping, each
Available here.

Eye Bot centers around a woman who lost one of her eyes in a tragic car accident. Unhappy with her prosthetic eye, the woman opts for an investigational study in which doctors implanted an Eye Bot. Things start to get weird when the woman's Eye Bot decides to do what it pleases. In issue two, the woman meets a man with two Eye Bots. The two begin dating, which spells trouble for the rival Eye Bots.

The artwork in Eye Bots is unique in a good way. There are lots of gray tones, and the page/panel layouts make each page interested to look at. Plus, the Eye Bots are pretty cool. The story in each issue is interesting, albeit a bit short. However, that makes me look forward to reading the next issue.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge guest post by Willard Herman

2011-03-24T11:20:00.000-04:00

Willard Herman didn't have time to review the mini-comics he purchased, but he did want to note the ones he purchased recently. These came via mail order from Quimby's. He notes that shipping was $5.

Demongun #1 by Bernie McGovern = $2.00. 10p, b&w, 4.25" x 5.5"

Dig Yourself Out by Tony Rabit = $1.00. 12p, b&w, 4.25" x 5.5"

Pork Chop Robinson #3 by Steve Schaberg = $1.00. 24 pages, two-color spray painted covers

Volume 2 of the danny jeremy carol adventures by Lizz Hickey = $1.00. 22 pages, black & white

SPACE 2011 Recap

2011-03-23T16:25:00.000-04:00

I've had a couple days to sit back and reflect on SPACE and thought I would share my thoughts with the Internets. I drove up Friday night instead of Saturday morning (which is when I went up last year) and that was a very smart move. The kids had time to go swimming, we went out for pizza and it gave me plenty of time to set up Saturday morning rather than rushing around (I hate rushing).

Views from my table:

The show seemed slower than last year. You could come with all kinds of reasons (two actually): C2E2 was the same weekend and OSU was on spring break. I think those two definitely had an impact on attendance, but whether it meant 10 fewer attendees or 100 fewer, I don't know. My sales were certainly down from last year, by maybe 30% (which sounds like a lot of money, but really equates to about $10), but what I really noticed was much less traffic than last year. There were a lot fewer people NOT buying my comics this year.

I don't go to SPACE expecting to sell enough comics to pay my mortgage, so with that said, I had a really great time. There were six Candy or Medicine contributors (not including myself). I met a lot of new people, re-connected with others I've met before and did a lot of trading (two bags this year!). SPACE also inspired my artistic side: I participated in a couple of jams and even started a few myself. One will be showing up real soon as a poster and the other two will ends up as mini-comics in the coming months. More on that later.

SPACE Loot

The weekend turned out to live up to my expectations and so I was really glad to be a part of this fun show. I'm already looking forward to SPACE 2012.

Derek Croston

Katie Omberg

Dan W. Taylor

Matt Feazell

Bruce Chrislip and Steve Willis

Steven Myers

Nick Marino

John Porcellino

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for March 2011 by Guest Contributor Kelly

2011-03-21T15:20:00.000-04:00

Kelly once again provides us with her contribution to the Mini-Comic a Month Challenge. You can follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Purchased:

Come Back, and Knives

by James Hindle

Available here

I was captivated by James Hindle's Little Wolves, which you can read online here. It mixes despair and humiliation in a compelling storyline with a three-dimensional main character. Come Back and Knives can be read on Hindle's site also. Though a bit shorter they are just as fleshed-out, satisfying and uncomfortable.

Read:

Feels Nice: Short Stories

by Eliza Frye

Available here

Feels Nice collects five short stories (previously available as minicomics) by Eliza Frye. Most of the stories are not fully formed, making me wonder if a longer story might come out of them eventually, or sequels, but the big draw here is the art. It's lush and gorgeous and makes you want to haul off and buy one of the many prints she makes available from the pages of the book. I ended up with The Forlorn Butcher.

Heading to SPACE this weekend

2011-03-16T13:41:00.000-04:00

My four-year-old son is very interested in space. Last night, his mother read him a book about space. Afterward, he asked if I've been to space. I answered, "No." He asked if his mother has been to space, and I again answered, "No." When he asked, "Why not?" I explained to him that we are not astronauts. Even though neither of us work for NASA, and have very little chance of going to space, we are fortunate enough to attend SPACE this weekend.

Today, I am printing nearly 200 comics in anticipation of this weekend's event. I'm looking forward to meeting new faces and re-connecting with some old ones. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and will try to update the blog/Facebook/Twitter thingies when I'm there, seeing as how I now have a (used) laptop.

Volume Thirteen Preview

2011-03-08T08:30:00.002-05:00

This one is coming out a little early on account of me wanting to have it ready for SPACE on March 19. Another solid lineup:

Willard Herman

Mark Hensel

Cameron Callahan

Chris Tupa

Katie Omberg

Brad Foster

Carl Alessi

Cover by Ray N

News and Notes, February Edition

2011-02-28T08:30:00.001-05:00

Lots going on for such a short month:

Matt Feazell won a SPACE Prize 1st place in the mini-comic category
Emi Gennis did an hourly comic
Shannon Smith lists his favorite mini-comics of 2010
Sam Spina and Noah Van Sciver duke it out Tupac and Biggie style
Daniel Olson publishes Super Maxi-Pad Girl #4
Rob Clough reviews Candy or Medicine Volume 12 for The Comics Journal
Now available: Zine World #30, featuring an illustration by Carl Alessi and reviews by Josh Blair
A new Mulder & Bolder story by Jonny Smeby!
Tori Holder publishes her first mini-comic!
Isaac Bidwell will have his art in a San Fransisco show featuring Jim Mahfood. He also designed the poster.
SPACE is coming soon! As is Candy or Medicine Volume Thirteen!

Getting ready for SPACE

2011-02-23T11:50:00.000-05:00

SPACE is only a few weeks away, and I'm getting really excited. Yesterday, I picked up a proof of Volume Thirteen, which is looking really good, along with a poster illustrated by Kyle Nolan that will surely attract attention to my table.

I'm looking forward to the great guests they have lined up along with running into Candy or Medicine contributors Matt Feazell, Derek Croston, Nick Marino, Steve Myers, Katie Omberg and Dan W. Taylor. Hopefully I can get some of the other guests to contribute to future issue; there's a great lineup this year. I'm going up Friday night instead of Saturday morning so I can be more prepared this time. Last year our hotel room wasn't ready until the afternoon, so that kind of screwed things up.

Zine World #30 Out Now

2011-02-17T11:50:00.001-05:00

Zine World #30 is out now. You can order it here. I got mine in the mail yesterday and read through all of the 200+ zine/mini-comic/book reviews. There are a few that I will definitely order/trade for. Zine World is a good resource to discover new zines/mini-comics. I review for Zine World and it's fun to see the eclectic mix of zines that show up in my mailbox every couple of months.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for February 2011: Air Guitar No. 5

2011-02-16T14:49:00.000-05:00

Air Guitar No. 5
by Mike Gorman
28 pages, 5.5" x 8.5", black and white
Price: $2 + $1 shipping
Available here

Air Guitar No. 5 came out in 2004, but it's new to me. It contains a couple of autobiographical comics, one about a pervert on the bus and the other about a wacko handing out strange pamphlets on the streets of New York, a comic featuring Gorman's signature character, Super Douche, a comic about a drawing game called "Doodle" and some illustrated police blotters.

I ordered this issue along with No. 4, and this one is by far better than the earlier issue. The addition of illustrations to the police blotters makes them more tolerable, although I still didn't find them as humorous as the artist apparently did.

The profiles of the two crazies were both enjoyable, although the three pages of journal entry excerpts was a bit much. I ended up skipping to the end. I liked the Super Douche story in this comic better than the multiple comics in No. 4 and the overall layout of the issue was much nicer. Gorman is a talented artist, and I wish he had published more comics since 2004.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for February 2011 by Guest Contributor Kelly

2011-02-09T11:51:00.001-05:00

Kelly sends in her second Mini-Comic a Month contribution. You can follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Purchased:

Make

Edited by Robyn Chapman

Available here

In my library, if you look under Bodily Functions you'll find an amusing variety of stuff, like the beautiful kids book, The Fartiste, lots of "what's happening to my body?" books for those hitting puberty, and comics about menstruation by Jen Vaughn, Cathy Leamy, Julie Doucet and Lisa Hanawalt. But nothing about bowel voiding--until now. I ordered this after reading the review in The Comics Journal, and sure enough, it is lovingly designed, and the contributions are quite solid (!) for an anthology.

Read:

AOA #1

by Melinda Boyce

Available here or here

Melinda Boyce has been making diary comics for years but I've only recently gotten wind of them. They're beautifully colored, and even at her most prolific she never seems to have resorted to any 'throwaway' offerings. Each one is a gem. For autobio comics I find them refreshingly upbeat. Boyce is very much in love with her b-friend (with whom she posts projects to their tumblr ), and while that might provoke some gagging from the more jaded among us, it's kind of a beautiful thing.

News and Notes, January Edition

2011-01-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick update of things that happened to Candy or Medicine folks this past month:

Matt Feazell gave a lecture to a Comic Artist Forum

Noah Van Sciver's Blammo #7 is available for pre-order

John Porcellino returns to SPACE

Steve Willis will be there too

You should really check out Kyle Nolan's blog to see the regular awesomeness that he posts

Dan McEwen did a guest strip

See you next month (which is technically tomorrow)!

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for January 2011 Part 2 by Guest Contributor Kelly

2011-01-24T10:00:00.004-05:00

Today, we have a guest Mini-Comic a Month contribution from Kelly. You can follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Purchased:

Nurse Nurse #1-7

by Katie Skelly

Available here

I love Katie Skelly's art and have been wanting some Nurse Nurse comics for a long time. After being rocked out by her Red Riding Hood story (http://calico-comics.livejournal.com/42432.html), it felt just wrong not having any of her work, so I put the word out around the holidays that Nurse Nurse would be the perfect gift for me. And no one who claims to love me fulfilled this wish! Then I found out she had a sale going, special price for all seven, and treated myself. Can't wait to read these.

Read:

Burn Book: Hick

Burn Book: Hipster

Burn Book: Slut

Burn Book: Geek

by Athena Currier

Available here

These were created as the author's senior thesis at Hampshire College, and each issue dissects a different label. It's a lot of bang for your buck: they're 24-26 pages each, dense with comics, essays, interviews, and snippets. I love the mix of humor and introspection, and her candor makes for great reading. She posts autobio comics on her blog with amazing frequency--highly recommended.

Horrible Logo

2011-01-20T11:58:00.000-05:00

I paid a guy to design me a logo, and it totally sucks. I hate it! Worst money I've ever spent. You'd be an idiot if you went to www.horriblelogos.com and gave him any of your well-earned money.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge for January 2011: Stupid Tales of Wolverine

2011-01-19T10:00:00.006-05:00

Stupid Tales of Wolverine
by Julia Gfr örer and Brodie Kelly
28 pages, 5.5" x 8.5"
Hand-stitched binding, silkscreened cover
Price: $3 + $1.80 shipping
Available here

The title of this comic if a fitting one; it certainly does contain some stupid tales. Luckily, the tales that are stupid good outweigh the tales that are stupid bad. On the stupid good side are one liners such as "I am Professor Charles 'Chuck X' Xavier. I always sit down because my X-Men give me constant boners. That is also why I must wear this blanket. My boners must never be a disruption to the cause of peaceful mutant liberation." We also are privy to gems such as Hank McCoy's scrotal funk, Jean Grey's bunghole, Jubilee's farts, vegan Spider-Man and Logan eating his own testicles (which is interesting, considering they would grow back).

On the stupid bad side are hobo comics strewn here and there, plus a throwaway e-mail sign up sheet from the PDX Zine Symposium (which I couldn't determine as a joke or not). A few of the pages also get cut off, making some of the text unreadable. However, the silkscreened cover is nice and there is, I believe, a hand-written joke which I assume is unique to each copy. I enjoy personal touches like those.

Definitely one of the more interesting superhero spoofs I've seen and just as worthy of your three bucks as those Strange Tales comics Marvel has been publishing lately.

Volume Twelve Out Now

2011-01-17T11:29:00.002-05:00

Candy or Medicine Volume Twelve is on sale now. Volume Twelve features Trouble at Carl's Jr. by Kyle Nolan, Thesil & Murk by Sam Spina, Box Lunch by Steven Myers, Babies in Distress by Bobby Mono, a Captain Planet parody by Ray N, Cartographer of the Impasse by Willard Herman, Things I Hear at Lunch by Tori Holder and a wild cover by William Cardini.

Sixteen, black and white, quarter-sized pages, lovingly stapled and folded by hand. Printed on premium, bright 32 lb. paper, not the cheap stuff. You can see and feel the difference.

Only $1 (plus 50 cents shipping in the U.S.). Order directly from the source by clicking the Paypal button below, or buy in a handful of stores across the country (and one in Australia!) starting soon.

Volume Twelve Preview Pages

2011-01-14T10:14:00.000-05:00

"Box Lunch" by Steven Myers

"thesil & murk" by Sam Spina

I have the final, final proof of Volume Twelve in hand and it looks great. I'm having them printed today and they'll be available next week. In the meantime, here are some preview pages.

My Name is JONAH.. NEW theatrical trailer is HERE

2011-01-07T10:37:00.001-05:00

My Name Is Jonah: Trailer 1 from Jonah Washnis on Vimeo.

Top Ten Mini Comics of 2010

2010-12-30T13:31:00.000-05:00

I've seen a lot of Best Comics of 2010 lists recently, but not many best mini-comics lists. So I thought I'd remedy that. Here are ten of the best mini-comics I've read this year. I've read some other really good ones, but these are the ten that really stood out to me. In no particular order:

Unemployment 2 by Antonio Rilievo

Thelonius Mancat by Peter Lazarski

Sharker the Forgotten by Sam Spina

Tranz by William Cardini (I think this might have come out in 2009. Either way, it's good.)

Salad Days by Minty Lewis

Spaz! #3 by Emi Gennis

The Wizard by Bobby Mono

Noah Novella by Noah Van Sciver

Vicious Robot Tuesday by Jeff Elden

[No image of this. Sorry]

Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s (Ok, ok, I realize this isn't actually a mini-comic, rather than a gigantic collection of mini-comics, but it's definitely a book worth owning.)

Non mini-comic worth mentioning: Orc Stain by James Stokoe. The only mainstream comic worth buying this year.

News and Notes, December Edition

2010-12-29T11:43:00.001-05:00

Here's what went on this month:

Candy or Medicine Volume Twelve will be out in a few shorts weeks
Noah Van Sciver has a new comic out (and it's good stuff).
Patt Kelley covers Wolverine.
Tyler Stafford covers Superman.
Poopsheet reviews Kyle Baddeley's Silent V: Part One.
Dan Taylor published a new mini-comic.
Noah Van Sciver interviewed Geoff Johns.
Optical Sloth reviews the Dan Taylor-edited Symphony in Ink #4.
Midnight Fiction lists its Favorites of 2010.
Three Candy or Medicine contributors are SPACE Prize Finalists.
The Comics Journal and Optical Sloth review the Rob Jackson-edited Gin Palace #2.
Noah Van Sciver's Blammo makes NPR's Most Memorable Comics of 2010.

Coming tomorrow: My top 10 mini-comics of 2010.

Mini-Comic a Month Challenge

2010-12-28T17:13:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how much traction this will gain, but this is something I've been thinking about off and on for a while and is something that I plan to promote in 2011. I call it the Mini-Comic a Month challenge. It ties in, loosely, to the Revenge of Print. Although where Revenge of Print is about creating something, the Mini-Comic a Month Challenge is about consuming something.

The premise is simple: Purchase a new mini-comic every month of the year (etsy is a good place to start -- although stores and shows are always good if you have any near you). It could cost as little as $18 the entire year assuming you stick to $1 comics with 50 cents for shipping. A dollar fifty is at least 1/2 the price of a mainstream comic.

Here's why this is a noble effort:

You could discover some new artists and writers
It's (potentially) inexpensive
It encourages others to make art
It enables others to make more art (more purchases lead to more money creators have for future publications)
It will make someone's day (trust me -- I love seeing that I have a new order)

To go along with this, I will post what I purchased each month, along with a review. And anyone who cares to take this challenge can submit their purchases and reviews (if desired) and I will publish them.

So try something new today.

P.S. Do you like the crappy logo I created?

My Name Is JONAH... NEW theatrical trailer

2010-12-27T14:39:00.008-05:00

The new trailer will launch at 7pm EST tonight.

be the first to check it out at: http://www.mynameisjonahfilm.com/

Want a refresher in all Things JONAH before 7pm? check out the site!

Make sure to click on the FAN ART page where you can see contributions by fellow CorMers: Josh Blair, Noah Van Scriver, Ray N., Me [JB Sapienza], Patt Kelley & Matt Feazell! As well as other awesome comic guys Jim Mahfood [aka FOOD ONE], Karl Stevens, Franco... plus many more. So if you're reading this you should take your own shot at capturing the man, the myth, the legend... JONAH.

In the meantime check out our new trailer at 7pm. Support Independent art!

and of course check us out on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Name-Is-Jonah/384621082400

RIP Journalista

2010-12-22T14:13:00.000-05:00

Today was the final installment of Journalista. I share Shannon Smith's sentiments that this is a detriment to the mini-comic/self publishing world. Dirk was a cool guy and would often link to things I sent him. There aren't too many of the big blogs who post mini-comic news, events, etc. I'm not sure if I ever got any sales based upon links to this blog (maybe one), but it sounds like others did.

Journalista used to even have a small press section before the redesign. The Comics Reporter, Robot 6 and others don't really do the same thing that Journalista did. They have more in-depth commentary, which doesn't really lend itself well to the quick announcement style of link-blogging. Oh well, I guess I'll have to find another comic news site to waste time on.

Candy or Medicine Volume Twelve Preview

2010-12-17T11:24:00.002-05:00

Candy or Medicine Volume Twelve will be out in January. It will feature the likes of:

William Cardini (cover)
Tori Holder
Ray N
Steve Myers
Willard Herman
Kyle Nolan
Sam Spina
Brandon Lehmann

Still sixteen black and white pages. Still just $1.

Rejected by Covered

2010-12-15T09:59:00.000-05:00

So I started a new blog, with the help of CorM pal JB Sapienza, called Rejected by Covered. As the name suggests, it's for anyone who has submitted a cover to the Covered blog, but had it rejected. I'm glad to give new life to some quality artwork. So if you've ever been rejected by Covered, we'd be glad to post your cover.

Thoughts on Etsy

2010-12-09T12:36:00.000-05:00

If you publish comics, and you do not sell them on Etsy, I would highly encourage you to do so. Etsy has been a strange cat for me. Sometime I forget that I even have comics for sale on there until I get an order. I've never been big into the Etsy community. I tried once and didn't get much out of it. But I have done pretty well, in comparison to my other sales efforts.

I set up my Etsy shop on July 14, 2008. My first sale came July 18, 2008. Since then, I've had 147 sales, which averages out to about 5 sales a month. There have been just 4 months that I haven't sold anything, and I've only had a few items (about 5) ever expire.

In comparison to my web sales, this is great. I'd prefer people buy directly from me because Etsy charges a 20 cent listing fee, but I've received fewer than 10 unique sales from my web site and fewer than 20 sales total. So I figure more sales with higher fees are better than no sales with lower fees.

Every now and then a few weeks will pass before I get an Etsy sale, then I'll be surprised with an order. Just the other day, a guy in France purchased all 15 comics I have for sale. Last week, someone purchased six of the same issue, presumably as gifts.

Some people I know, such as Jim Coon, do really really well on Etsy. He's sold 1,017 items since September 2005. That's a lot of comics! I've asked him before how he gets so many sales and he told me that he participates in the Etsy community a lot. I think the fact that his comics are all a dollar and they are all "cute" and "funny" have a lot to do with it as well. The people who shop on Etsy tend to be the more "arsty" type, so stuff like self-published comics are more appealing to them than, say, average comic book fans.

Overall, Etsy is a positive asset in my comic making experience. I never envisioned it to by one of my primary sales channels. It is my second highest sales channel, behind selling directly to stores via Tony Shenton and my own efforts.

Etsy is also a great place to discover new comics. I try to purchase a new mini-comic on there at least once a month. It's nice because there are plenty of items from which to choose (currently 1,083 under the "comics" tab), and if you're broke, you can easily search for $1 comics, which I often do.

This last bit ties into a challenge, if you will, that I intend to develop and promote for 2011. I will have more information about this in the coming weeks. It loosely ties into the Revenge of Print challenge, but focuses more on promoting mini-comics. Details soon...

News and Notes, November Edition

2010-11-30T13:09:00.000-05:00

Not a lot going on this month. Candy or Medicine Volume Twelve will begin production soon. It is set for an early January release. Volume Thirteen is almost booked too, and that will be out in March in time for SPACE 2011.

Anyway, here's this month's news:

Optical Sloth reviews Kyle Baddeley's Silent V #2.
Poopsheet Foundation reviews Dan Taylor's Time War Comix #8.
Poopsheet Foundation also reviews the Dan Taylor edited Symphony in Ink #4.
Noah Van Sciver interviews Noah Van Sciver.
Rob Jackson has a new comic up. Derek Croston does too.

See ya next month. Hopefully there will be more happening.

Thoughts on Tabling

2010-11-17T16:29:00.000-05:00

About a week and a half ago, I set up at a small show at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. It was the first time they've held something like this, and the turnout was pretty small and it only ran from 2 to 4 p.m. My table was next to Carol Tyler's, and it was nice to see her new book. And Joe Kuth was there, and I always enjoy seeing his comics. It was free to set up, and I sold $8 worth of comics. Parking was $5 so I came out with $3.

Carol Tyler, me, my son

I've thought about this before setting up at shows: I don't make a lot of money, but I have a good time, so is it worth it? At SPACE, I probably spent nearly $300 between the hotel, food and gas to stay up there for two days. I made maybe $20. I had a really good time, met a lot of people, sold a few comics, traded a lot of comics and bought a few comics, so in my mind, it was $300 for a weekend getaway. I don't expect to sell a ton of comics, and it would be nice to sell more, but just because sales are low doesn't mean it wasn't worth it.

The day before the CAC event, my pals Sam Spina and Noah Van Sciver did a signing at Time Warp Comics in Boulder, CO. The didn't have much success either. Check out Sam's take here and Noah's take here. I've turned down some in-store signings/events for this same reason. I just don't have the time to sit somewhere all day and get very little (and potentially nothing) out of it. I'm not trying to be elitist or anything, but I have a family, a house and other things to take care of. To me, setting up at 3 or 4 shows a year is a lot. I wish I could do more, but my situation isn't condusive to that. I'd really like to set up at the Up! Fair this weekend in Lexington, but I don't have the time and it's bad timing with Thanksgiving next week, when I'm going out of town (hopefully I can be there next year).

For another take on shows/sales/etc, check out part one and part two of Bill Roundy's Long-Winded Analysis of Convention Sales.

CAC Small Press & Artist Book Fair Tomorrow

2010-11-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

I'm setting up tomorrow at the Contemporary Arts Center's "44: Small Press & Artist Book Fair" from 2 to 4 p.m. Other artists include Eisner nominee Carol Tyler and Joe Kuth, plus there will be many other printers and publishers there. There's more information here.

News and Notes, October Edition

2010-10-29T17:10:00.000-04:00

Jim Gullet has a new comic out, titled Air Ghost Illustrated #1.

Sam Spina has a new comic out, titled Snood and the Destroyer's Hole.

Colin Tedford has a new comic out, titled Square Dance #4 and the Trees & Hills Group have a new anthology, titled Time. Plus, Colin has a free PDF download of his new Halloween comic, Beware the Vampire.

The Poopsheet Foundation is back up, and on it is reviews of Candy or Medicine Volume Nine and Volume Ten.

On Saturday, November 6 from 2 to 4 p.m., I will join the like of Carol Tyler and Joe Kuth at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center's inaugural Small Press & Artist Book Fair. I'll have more details about this next week.

That is all.

Candy or Medicine in Denver

2010-10-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

I was in Denver two weekends ago for work, and in the little bit of free time I had, I was able to roam around. I met CorM friend Sam Spina and Noah Van Sciver (Sam even made a comic about it). I saw the art studio of Ed McDonald (Under the Underground, Trogs) which looked exactly what I imagined a crazy art studio to look like.

Art Studio

I also had a chance to stop by Kilgore Books and Comics, where I picked up a big stack of awesome mini-comics. They also purchased various issues of Candy or Medicine, along with Postal b/w I Yam What I Yam, Apartment 307 and lunarcy, so if you're ever in Denver, stop by.

News and Notes, September Edition

2010-09-30T14:16:00.000-04:00

In an effort to update the blog regularly, I thought I'd have a monthly post with random news and notes from the month that pertain to Candy or Medicine, its contributors or mini-comics in general. It will be a good place to mention reviews, upcoming publications from contributors and the like. Anyway...

Silent V #2 by Kyle Baddeley (who you know from Candy or Medicine Vol. 11) is reviewed by The Comics Journal.
The Poopsheet Foundation website is back up. This was a nice website focusing on mini-comics that I used to read regularly, so its nice to see it back online after a short hiatus. It's a social media/forum type sit on which you can still purchase mini-comics.
Thanks to Midnight Fiction for the shout out about Candy or Medicine Vol. 11, Postal b/w I Yam What I Yam and Apartment 307...One Year Later.
Dan McEwen (from Candy or Medicine Vol. 9) has just released Drawings Blanks #2. At $2, it's a steal.
Thanks to Sam Spina for announcing the new issue of Candy or Medicine on his blog (picture and all!). I always enjoy seeing photos of Candy or Medicine in other locations.

That is all.

Zine World #29 Out Now

2010-09-24T10:51:00.000-04:00

Wow, five posts in five days. Hopefully there will be more weeks like this where I'll have enough content to post every day. I try to keep it at once a week, but sometimes there's just not a lot going on, you know?

Anyway, Zine World #29 is out now. This is the first issue in which I wrote reviews. It's a pretty good time. I get to read some zines I otherwise never would have seen and hopefully I can give an accurate assessment for people who might be interested in purchasing those zines.

I received my review pack for the next issue last week, and I'll be spending the next week reading and reviewing those. There's also a review of a couple of my comics in the new issue, so that's another reason to pick it up.

Here's the official information:

Zine World #29 is now available! This issue is 36 pages, full-size, and features:

* about 200 reviews of zines, comics, chapbooks, books, DVDs, and other self-published materials.
* commentary by Craven Rock about the word “zinester” (with comments shared from WeMakeZines) and by Jerianne about zines & identity.
* a column with tips on attending a zine fest by Nicole Introvert.
* a comic called “How to Make a Zine” by David Crockett.
* resource listings on zine libraries, review zines, mailing, and more.
* cover art by Androo Robinson.

Zine World costs $4 US, $5 to Canada, or $7 overseas. Subscriptions are also available. Order by sending cash, stamps, or money order (payable to Jerianne) to PO Box 330156, Murfreesboro TN 37133. Or visit Ordering Zine World to order via PayPal.

Apartment 307...One Year Later Out Now

2010-09-23T10:33:00.002-04:00

Three new mini-comics in one week? That's right.

Apartment 307... One Year Later is a sequel to last year's smash hit Apartment 307.

Written by Josh Blair and Pete Borrebach. Illustrated by Noah Van Sciver and Nick Marino.

Apartment 307...One Year Later tells the tale of the battle between comics artists Noah Van Sciver and Josh Blair. Wealth, deception, corruption and a surprise ending.

Eight pages, quarter-sized, black and white, printed on premium paper. Only $1 shipped.

Symphony in Ink

2010-09-22T11:07:00.000-04:00

The latest issue of Symphony in Ink (no. 4 to be exact) is out now and in it, I have a two-page comic titled "Hybrid." I read the comic yesterday and it's good stuff. I really enjoyed Kelsey Donald's work.

The official information is:

Symphony in INK is an anthology featuring some of the best new talent along with some of the top fan favorites in small press. This issue features a great mix of entertaining stories and art inside by such great creators as Andy Nukes, Kelsey Donald, Jeff Plotkin, Josh Blair, Steve Steiner, and Jarod Rosello all wrapped up by a color cover painting by Dan W. Taylor.

28 pages
color cover b/w interior
5.5 x 8.5 inches

Available now at:
http://weirdmuse.ecrater.com/p/9167779/symphony-in-ink-no-4

"Postal b/w I Yam What I Yam" Now Available

2010-09-21T12:48:00.000-04:00

Written by Josh Blair. Illustrated by Ray N.

Two comics for the price of one! Postal tells the story of Josh Blair’s obsession with receiving mail and how it has affected his life. I Yam What I Yam features a chance meeting with a famous sailor man. Plus a bonus comic and kaiju battle splash page.

Color covers, black and white interiors, half-sized, printed on premium paper. $3 plus $1 shipping (in the U.S.).

Cincinnati Comic Expo recap

2010-09-20T12:56:00.001-04:00

I was amazed at what a good time I had at the Cincinnati Comic Expo on Saturday, as an artist, exhibitor and fan. The turnout was great and I sold a lot of stuff. I was about on target for what I expected to sell of my own books, but I made 4X as much selling comics, toys and action figures. I was the only one selling vintage toys (except for one guy with a couple Super Powers vehicles) at the show, so that helped. Every other vendor I spoke with said they had a great show too. I had a primo location, which afforded me a lot of real estate. This was helpful because there were kids playing with the toys I had for sale most of the day. Lots of parents purchased Simpsons figures for their kids.

A few people were already familiar with Candy or Medicine and a few others picked it up for the first time at the show, plus a couple people were interested in contributing so that's always good. I also ran into a lot of people I know, including my pal Rich Shivener, who interviewed me for a CityBeat article about the comic expo, a couple professors I had at NKU and some old friends and co-workers.

I regret not being able to speak with many artists, but it was kind of a tradeoff for being so busy. I did manage to get an autograph from Murphy Anderson (who signed one of my Superman treasury comics that he inked), and I also met Dave Aikins, who did a great illustration of Pablo from Backyardigans for my son (and I also purchased a Dora production art piece from him for my twin daughters).

I didn't have too much time to look around because I was very busy, but I did manage to pick up a few things. I was able to add to my Super Powers collection with a great deal on a MIB Lex-Soar 7 and at MISB Darkseid Destroyer:

I'm always on the lookout for classic Kirby comics, especially Fantastic Four and Thor. FF #39 and #51 are two key issues, and I picked them up for $10 a piece. I also found some OMAC comics for $1 and $2.

For me, the best deal I found, was this copy of Jingle Jangle Comics #27 for $1.50. Jingle Jangle Comics is one of my favorite series because of the artwork of George Carlson. Anytime you can find a Golden Age comic, let alone one featuring artwork by George Carlson, for fewer than $2, you know you got a deal.

They already have the next show planned for September 17, 2011 at the Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati. Hopefully there will be an even bigger crowd and a larger number of exhibitor and artists. The room for next year is nice, but the only problem with the Duke Center is parking, so hopefully that doesn't have too much of an effect on attendance. One thing's for sure: I'll be one of the first to send in my registration forms. I went home with a lot less than I brought, which is always nice when setting up at a comic convention.

Volume Eleven out Now

2010-09-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

You heard it here first. Robots, ghosts, furries, Planeteers, a gnome, a priest and more in another spout of mini-comic mayhem from the likes of John Dimes, Jim Gullett, Kyle Baddeley, Derek Croston, Ray N, Britt Wilson and Willard Herman. Cover by Sam Spina. Sixteen quarter-sized pages, black and white, printed on premium paper. All for a buck (plus 50 cents shipping in the U.S.).

Final Contributor List for Volume Eleven

2010-09-08T14:01:00.000-04:00

I'm having a proof of Candy or Medicine Volume Eleven printed now. The issue will be ready for next week's Cincinnati Comic Expo. Here is the final contributor list plus a cover preview:

Sam Spina (cover)
John Dimes (3 pages)
Britt Wilson (1 page)
Ray N. (3 pages)
Derek Croston (1 page)
Kyle Baddeley (3 pages)
Jim Gullet (1 page)
Willard Herman (back cover)

Still 16 pages, still just one dollar.

Noah Van Sciver Video, Plus Ignatz Nomination

2010-08-24T16:27:00.000-04:00

Via Mike Lynch, here's a video of Noah Van Sciver (creator of Blammo, MOME, Candy or Medicine and Apartment 307 contributor), who is also up for an Ignatz Award. If you're going to SPX, make sure to vote for him. Noah is also going on a West Coast Tour with John Porcellino, so make sure to hear them speak if you live out that way.

Josh Blair covers Little Nemo in Slumberland 3-D 1

2010-08-20T10:50:00.000-04:00

Original cover by Winsor McCay; color by Jay Oliver; Blackthorne Publishing, Inc. 1987. Josh Blair's website is here.

(Note: This cover was rejected by the Covered blog)

Vol. Eleven Peeking its Head Around the Corner

2010-08-09T13:30:00.001-04:00

It seems like Volume Ten hit shelves not that long ago, but that's the way it goes with a quarterly publication that always hits its deadline. The submissions to Candy or Medicine Volume Eleven keep coming in, and there's some great stuff to look forward to. There will be a cover by Sam Spina (which even I still haven't seen), a three-page story by John Dimes, a four-pager by Kyle Baddeley, a one page comic by Derek Croston, another one page comic by Jim Gullett and a pin up by Britt Wilson. Plus four more pages to come.

Courtesy Sam Spina

Volume Eleven will be released around Labor Day, in anticipation for the Cincinnati Comic Expo on September 18, where it will make its official release. I'll post a preview of the cover and sample pages in the coming weeks.

Guest Strip on The Daily Cross Hatch

2010-07-23T10:13:00.000-04:00

Today, super friend of Candy or Medicine Ray N and I have a guest strip on The Daily Cross Hatch. Click here to check it out.

The Big Book of Small Press

2010-07-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

Midnight Fiction announced that Jim Main's "The Big Book of Small Press" is now exclusively available as a free PDF download.TBBOSP is a 212-page anthology featuring a huge list of small press creators. I have an all-new, one-page, giant-sized "lunarcy" strip in the book.

Originally, Jim planned to print this, but the cost of it would have been really high, and I think that at a $12-$15 price point, not many people would have been interested in purchasing it. As a free PDF, it will have a much wider distribution.

This is why Sam Spina is Awesome

2010-07-09T10:55:00.000-04:00

Sam Spina is a cool guy. He is a comic artist currently living in Denver, home of Noah Van Sciver and John Porcellino, who updates his blog daily. Sam also publishes mini-comics that I highly recommend, such as Sharker the Forgotten, Hoodle Origins and Fresh to Death (all of which are available on his blog).

Image courtesy of Poopsheet Foundation

I ordered some of Sam's comics in February and they were great. In addition to the comics, I also ordered a small watercolor painting that he offers for just $4. I told him to work around the theme of "space," because it was for my 3-year-old son who is really into space (he knows how many moons each planet has). This is what he came up with:

Click to enlarge

My son and I both love it, and it's now gracing his bedroom wall in a purple frame. Recently, I commissioned Sam to create a painting for each of my 18-month-old twin daughters. I gave him somewhat vague guidelines (they like balloons, one of them really likes hats, the other likes to climb on things). I also told him to make the paintings different, but also interconnected, since that's something parents of twins (and I'm sure twins themselves) deal with: the idea that they are individuals, but also share a unique bond. This is what I received yesterday, and it couldn't be more awesome:

Click to enlarge

Sam even worked me (or my name at least) into his 24-hour comic this year. He will also be contributing the cover to Candy or Medicine Volume Eleven, which will be out in September in anticipation of the Cincinnati Comic Expo, and will be contributing a five-page comic to Candy or Medicine Volume Twelve, which will be out in January 2011.

I can't recommend Sam's work enough and encourage everyone to purchase all of his comics (and a painting!), follow his blog, follow him on Twitter and all of that other good stuff.

Volume Ten Out Now

2010-07-06T16:21:00.000-04:00

Candy or Medicine Volume Ten is out now. Sixteen pages, black and white, quarter-sized, printed on premium paper. For just $1 (plus 50 cents shipping).

Featuring “Homesick” by newcomer Tori Holder, “O Cicla Da Vida,” a beautifully illustrated tale of youth gone by from Brazilian artist Alberto Pessoa, “City Kids,” an autobiographical comic describing a six-year-old city kid’s discovery of horse poop by Katie Omberg, another “lunarcy” strip about our lonely lunar neighbor by Josh Blair, “The Seeker” by underground artist Carl Alessi and a wraparound “Apothecary” cover by Donal DeLay.

Volume Ten Preview

2010-06-28T15:56:00.000-04:00

I finished Volume Ten yesterday and will have a proof printed hopefully tonight. I'm expecting to have finished copies in hand this weekend. The final contributor list is:

Wraparound cover by Donal DeLay
Homesick by Tori Holder (one page)
O Cicla Da Vida by Alberto Pessoa (seven pages)
City Kids by Katie Omberg (three pages)
lunarcy by Josh Blair (one page)
The Seeker by Carl Alessi (one page)

Still sixteen, half-sized, black and white pages printed on 32-lb paper. Still only a buck (plus shipping, of course).

This issue is notable for two reasons: 1. it has the smallest number of contributors (not including Volume One, which was all my own work) and 2. it has the longest contribution yet in Alberto's seven-page "O Cicla Da Vida." These two points obviously correlate; I could only fit a fewer amount of contributors because of the long comic. Normally I try to limit contributions to five pages, but I made an exception because Alberto's comic is really great. I've also had to push it back twice because of the large volume of submissions I've received in the past year or so. I try to fit in as many people as I can, so I had to continue to delay publication of Alberto's comic. I'm glad I finally have the opportunity to publish it.

Eventually, I'd like to expand each issue to 20 pages (or even 24) in order to publish more and/or longer comics, but right now I don't have the funds to do that. I'm hoping that in a year or two, this will be a reality.