My city in ruins...

 Signs of the bitter things ahead...

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Yellow Springs, Ohio.  As an old hippie-activist, this town has been an important part of the fabric of my life for many years.  At one time Yellow Springs, and the small college in its midst, Antioch, were one of the major political centers of the anti-war movement of the sixties and early seventies.  I dare say this small Ohio town was no less significant to hippies back in the day than Haight Ashbury in California.  Yellow Springs was a town of great substance, filled with intellectual and creative minds.  It was a place where people joined together in intellectual conversation that led to getting things done.  It was a place of great power, and great activity.  Sadly, that is no longer the reality of Yellow Springs.

Yellow Springs has become a ghost town, where tourists and wannabe hippies come in search of memories that no longer dwell in the quaint storefronts that line the main thoroughfare of this once fine community.  Gone is the communal feeling of Yellow Springs.  It has been replaced by a adversarial and confrontational spirit of "townies" versus the rest of us.  The town has been ruthlessly taken over by economic conservatives who see no value in the hippies coming to visit their establishments than the green dollars in our drugged up hands.  More often than not, shops are operated by fake hipsters who are more prone to quoting Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly than Ram Dass or Abbie Hoffman.  There are Hollywood movie sets more real and containing more substance than Yellow Springs.  The place now breaks my heart far more often than it lifts my spirits.  It is bereft of heart and soul...

 Where the cruel kids hang...

Super-Fly was perhaps the worst experience of my day in Yellow Springs.  The place was staffed with sullen faced kids who seemed more interested in ignoring potential customers than getting up off their butts and welcoming them to their shop and asking if they might help them find something specific to their interests.  After my experience there, I wouldn't spend a dime in their shop if they were having a Going Out Of Business sale.  I would, however, highly recommend Dark Star Books.  They greet customers with kind words, easy smiles and they'll walk you through their shop and help you find whatever you might be looking for. Yeah, I spent money at Dark Star.  They earned it.

Open hearts and open minds welcome here.

Nestled in a building filled with Aveda hair salons and local artists combines, (where it seemed as if even business cards cost fifty dollars and up) I discovered the wonderful little shop by the name of the House of Ravenwood.  Hippies are welcomed here not as tourists to be fleeced, but as kindred spirits to be embraced and welcomed to their community. This is the Yellow Springs I remember. You can walk into this establishment, and if you have have half a mind to speak your mind, they'll let you speak it.  This is where church was in Yellow Springs yesterday.  And for twenty bucks, I walked out of there with a BAG of beads, bangles, essential hippie gear, and a heart uplifted and a spirit renewed by the fellowship I encountered there. It would have been a bargain at double the price.

 Lorele and Ms. Philana.  Very good spirits.

These two wonderful souls will see more of this old hippie in days to come.  As long as the House of Ravenwood is occupied by these wonderful women, I'll return again and again.  Truly, if you plan on visiting Yellow Springs, your visit will not be complete until you stop in and visit this quaint little shop.  I'd sit down for coffee and conversation with these women any day of the week.

Deanna, Kari and Carrie, the random encounter...

 After my wonderful experience in the House of Ravenwood, I walked outside seeking food and beverage to refuel my corporeal needs as thoroughly as my spiritual batteries had just been recharged.  I'd no sooner stepped out upon the sidewalk to begin my search for mass quantities of consumables, when three giggling ladies came walking up the sidewalk towards me.

It turned out that Kari was celebrating her birthday with two of her best friends, Deanna and Carrie.  As soon as they saw me, Kari turned to Carrie and said, "This guy is your soul-mate!" Well, conversation ensued and after some laughs and an exchange of photos, they began contemplating psychic readings for fifty dollars a pop.

"Oh no ladies," I said. "In my jingly green bag I have several devices that I will share with you, for no charge whatsoever, as my gift to you on your birthday."  Long story short, we rolled across the street and into a bar called, The Gulch.  The ladies ordered their beverages of choice and I ordered an ice water, (I don't drink alcohol) and I proceeded to share with them the magic I possess as an old hippie-shaman.  It proved to be an enlightening experience I'm sure they'll talk about for many birthday gatherings to come.  And it didn't cost them a single penny.  Needless to say, hearts were opened, and both tears and laughs were shared in copious quantities.  It was a grand time.

The lesson of this day in Yellow Springs?  The experience I came looking for, only happened when I opened up my heart and gave it freely to the folks around me.  The hippie they were looking to meet, turned out to be me.  In a town filled only with ghosts of the past, they encountered a spirit who greeted them with a simple message, "Hello, and welcome to the planet.  Have a wonderful and safe trip.  Treat those you encounter with a loving heart, and more often than not, they'll reciprocate and a grand time will be had by all."  There was magic in Yellow Springs yesterday, those who were a part of it will tell you in no uncertain terms, "It felt good, and I'm glad I was a part of it."

NIX Comics, March Madness

KABLAM!!

So I'm sitting around watching some college hoops, and playing around on facebook, when up pops a post from my buddy at NIX Comics, Ken Eppstein.  He was looking for someone to proofread a new book, and I immediately replied that I'd do it.  He shoots me a PDF of NIX Western Comics #3 right away, and shortly thereafter, I'm reading what turned out to be one of the best stories I've read in awhile, The Coward Earl Vance. 

Written by Ken Eppstein, and brilliantly illustrated by Michael Neno, The Coward Earl Vance is a perfect example of what's best about Indy comics, when they're at their best.  Ken doesn't produce books that simply emulate or imitate the same old tired drivel being pumped out, week after endless week, by the "Big Two".  Whenever I read a NIX Comic, I don't feel like he's trying to prove he's worthy of landing the "big job" with either of the "Big Two" companies.  Ken does his own thing.  His books are never thinly veiled covers of the latest flavor-of-the-day super hero team.  I really like that a lot.

The Coward Earl Vance may be set in the Wild West, but the story is socially relevant to a major issue of our day, without feeling forced, phony or preachy.   I was floored at how good a read this turned out to be.  And no, I'm not going to give away anything about this story.  I'm just going to say this, "This story deserves an award for Best Short Story of the Year."  (So far)

If you're planning to attend either PIX, in Pittsburgh, Pa, next week, or, EXTRA SPACE, in Columbus, Ohio on April the eleventh, this is THE book you want to buy.  I'm telling you, The Coward Earl Bruce is so good, I had two cigarettes afterwards...

Please buy this book!  Trust me, you won't be disappointed...

The Day the Music cried...

Sugar-free they may have been, but the Players were laying down funk as smooth as twelve-year-old scotch.  Local legends, international successes, they filled the stage at Gillys and played music for the reason its supposed to be played, for the joy of playing music. Roller Coaster of love...

Then they were whisked off stage faster than the folks who came to see them could get in the doors.

Then came twenty minutes of awkward silence, followed shortly thereafter by the most bumbling, stumbling troupe of pretentious coffee-house wannabes assembled upon one stage I've ever witnessed in my entire life.  And it was a train wreck.  Miscue followed miscue, highlighted by a genuine, Nancy Kerrigan moment, when a woman I would have expected better of, given her obvious age, stopped mid-song and whined, "I think my monitor is too loud, can I start over?"

Even if they'd been playing around a bonfire in my backyard, we'd have booed them off the stage.

My wingman looked at me and said, "Taco Bell sounds a lot better than this, let's get out of here." And we did...

I love Louie, I love his shows, and have more often than not enjoyed some surprisingly good music at them.  I'll just think of Friday night's portion of Dayton Does Dayton a sour note in what up until then has always been a fairly solid composition. 

On a positive note, High 5 Riot will be playing Gillys on April 25th and I'm sure they'll be bringing some energy.  See you then?

H!gh 5 Riot CD release party, 10/11/14

High 5 R!ot in the house!

Tonight Jane and I had the great pleasure to attend the CD release party for H!gh 5 Riot.  Everything about the night was perfect.  I loved the venue.  It was my first time visiting The Old Yellow Cab building and it felt like I was in Hamburg, Germany during the early days of the Beatles.  Yes, the venue is small, but it produces an atmosphere of intimacy that is unique in all the Oregon District.  You don't go to watch a show there, you go to participate in the show.  It was the perfect setting for Ashley Stacy.  She loves the people who turn out for the band's shows.  She doesn't just perform for the crowd, she jumps off the stage and gets up and close and personal with them.

Look, I've spent a lot of time in the Oregon District.  Many a weekend I've walked from bar to bar and listened to a lot of live music. I can't begin to count the number of times I've heard the same handful of songs performed from one club to the next.  I'm not faulting any of the bands, they're bar bands and they cater to the patrons who want to hear popular radio songs while consuming mass quantities of alcohol.  More often than not the bands are simply background noise.  High 5 R!ot isn't a bar band.  They're about making good music and partying with the many friends who come to see them perform.

High 5 R!ot and Ashley Stacy have learned an important secret often overlooked by other bands; Music isn't just about being on stage and being admired by people.  Good performers have a way of making a crowd feel like they're right up there on the stage with them and an important part of the show too.  Ashley Stacy is the master of the art of making a crowd feel like they're part of the show. And she doesn't do it with pithy verbal repartee between songs.  No, she does it by getting genuinely involved with the crowd.  She gets down off the stage and gets down with the crowd.  Point a camera at her and she's going to give you the picture that belongs to you and no one else.  It's magical and the crowd loves her for it.

And boy does she have a band: Andy Uzzel on bass, Austin labig on lead guitar, Sean McGrath on drums and Aaron Noble on keyboards.  They blend together perfectly.  Each member brings something to the table without which the overall sound wouldn't work.  They're tight.  There's an undeniable chemistry between the members of the band and they're producing something special. I can't wait to see what musical directions this band takes as they develop their own unique sound and style.  They aren't just performing, they're creating.

Anytime Ashley contacts me and says, "Hey, we're doing a show at _______, can you make it?"  I'm gonna be there.  And so should you.  There's something very special about this group of kids.  They make magic.  They make incredible music together.  And most importantly, they make you feel like they're there to see you.  They're not just creating a fan base, they're creating a family, and a circle of close friends who share the same love of music they share among themselves.

Mark my words folks, this band is gonna make some noise.  And a whole lot of friends too.  Give your ears a treat, pick up a copy of their new CD, Crowd Control, and you'll hear what I'm talking about.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

High 5 R!ot Meet and Greet, September 20th, 2014

Ashley Stacy of High 5 R!ot.

This past Saturday night, I had the delightful pleasure of attending a meet and greet for a new band, High 5 R!ot, at one of the Oregon District's popular local watering holes, The Trolley Stop.  I always go into each of these events with certain expectations: promoters, slick press kits, a lil' swag, food, beverage, and of course, the band. Seeing that all the fore-mentioned ingredients were present from the get-go, and my expectations met so quickly, the evening could have been called a success the moment I walked in the door to the party house.

However, expectations aren't why I attend these events.  I'm looking for something.  Good music...

You see, good music isn't just a part of my life, its a key ingredient of my life.  I don't even put on the first pot of coffee of the day before selecting the first tune of the day.  Music fuels the engine of my soul.  Its the most important meal of the day.  I went to the gig at the party house looking for something that had already caught my eye, the voice of Ashley Stacy.  She makes good music.

The first time I ever heard Ashley perform was during an acoustic set at Rewind 5 (Gilly's, May 2014) with now band mates, Andy Uzzel and Sean McGrath.  Ashley flat out stole the show that night and produced the truly "big moment" of the evening's entertainment. I made a point of searching her out after the set and in no uncertain terms I told her exactly how impressed I was with her vocal abilities. I'm telling you, the girl can flat out sing.

So, Saturday night I went to see the new band at the Trolley Stop.  Louie Wood was in attendance and the more I hang out with him, the more I like him and his uncanny ear for good music.  If I see Louie at an event, I know something good is going to happen.  I met mothers and fathers, siblings and friends of the band.  I was welcomed as warmly as Ive ever been at a function like this one. I met some good folks I can't wait to hang out with at a show in the near future.  I like the crowd that hangs around Ashley Stacy and High 5 R!ot. Yeah, these are folks I want to party with.

Eventually the band performed a three song set.  The first song felt a bit nervous and rushed.  (I expected that.) It was like watching a runaway train, racing faster and faster down the tracks until it crashed into a deafening silence.  It was okay, it just wasn't the moment I was looking for.  The second song saw the band calm down a bit and they produced a solid song.  Still, I was looking for that special something, the big moment.

Then came the third song of the set and the band finally relaxed and just let the music come.  Again, you could have heard a pin drop.  Cameras ceased flashing, voices grew quiet and every single eye was on Ashley Stacy as she dominated the room with her voice and stage presence.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  I'm telling you, the girl can flat out sing her butt off.

High 5 R!ot will be performing Saturday, October 11th, at their CD release party, in the "Old" Yellow Cab building located at 700 E. 4th Street in Dayton, Ohio.  Doors open at 7, tickets are currently available for the great price of $5.00 and will also be available at the door the night of the show for $7.00.  I've got it marked on my calendar and so should you.

I think we're going to see some big things from this band.  I think we're going to see some big things from Ashley Stacy.  I can't wait for the show to begin.  I'm going to be there and I hope you'll be joining me for what I believe will be a magical evening of great music.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Rewind 5, May 23, 2014. A celebration of local music and good times.

 

A celebration of local music.

From the moment I walked into Gilly's I knew this was going to be something different.  I don't know what Louie does to get Fuerst Florists to donate the flowers, but folks, I've walked into funerals that didn't smell as good as Gilly's did Friday night.  The air was as perfumed as the fields filled with Spring flowers surrounding our fair city.  It was magical.  And while I'm on the subject of venue, I want to say what a great place for music Gilly's really is.  They have a great stage, large enough to handle any number of musicians comfortably and I love the theater style seating.  Gilly's isn't just another bar hosting bands.  Its a showcase for musicians.  Musicians aren't just a part of the scene, they are the focus of the scene.  I confess that it had been a while since my last visit, but after Friday night's show, I'll be frequenting them on a much more regular basis.

 

Acoustic jam to get the evening rolling.

The acoustic jam to get the evening rolling really set the stage for what was to follow.  Each of the performers participated in a kind of Round Robin format where they each had to perform an eighties cover song as well as an original song from their normal playlist.  My favorite moments from this part of the show had to be the guitar styling of Joe Gillis and the brilliant vocals of Ashley Stacy.  Ashley is one of those performers that simply command the attention of a crowd.  She reminded me of Janis Joplin.  I don't mean to say she sounded like Janis, she simply had so many of the vocal qualities that made Janis Joplin so popular during her all too brief career.  Ashley can flat out sing and she has a charisma on stage that makes her a musical force to be reckoned with.  She's working with a new band called High5 Riot and I can't wait to see what they'll be bringing to the Dayton music scene come October.

 Ashley Stacy and yours truly.

One of these days I'm gonna post this picture and say, "Yeah, I told you this girl was gonna be somebody some day."  She absolutely made me a fan with this song.  Taking a classic and making it your own, that takes real talent, and folks, she's just flat out loaded with it.

 Belly dancing?  At a rock show?

Yup, that's what I thought too, but then Belly Dance by Bronnwen put on a beautiful performance that truly caught me unawares.  It dawned upon me after a few moments into their performance that I'd never actually seen a belly dancer perform.   It wasn't like anything I expected and brought me a whole new respect for something I'd read about often enough yet never experienced first hand.  Their performance was beautiful and graceful.  They expanded my horizons and I can't say enough good things about these dancers, they were really amazing.

 Cat Swift, Catherine Ralston, myself and Reyna Spears.

These three girls worked their butts off the entire evening and were a joy to behold every time they took the stage in whatever configuration of musicians they performed with.  Cat Swift is the quintessential drummer.  She bounces around with so much energy she makes Tigger look lethargic.  When you talk to her it's fist-bumps, "Hell yeahs," and rock and roll.  She's the kind of girl you love to party with until you both throw back a shot and then she head butts you and knocks you flat on yer ass.  Catherine Ralston just made me smile the whole night.  She's the wiggly-jiggly girl you think is onstage just for her looks until she starts singing and then you realize she has some serious chops.  Reyna Spears is smoking hot.  She also plays some serious key boards and can sing too.  Check her out here. 

 Louie Wood, the man is on to something good.

I first met Louie a few years ago on facebook and we quickly became good friends.  He's got a great sense of humor and genuinely cares about so many things and people.  He loves the music scene, he loves musicians and he understands how to make the ordinary extraordinary.  As I stated earlier in the piece, from the moment you stepped into Gilly's and were embraced by the perfume of flowers in the air, you knew something magical was going to happen.  The place didn't smell like a bar, it smelled like a Spring meadow. The eighties numbers required of the bands really produced some great musical moments and forced bands out of their normal comfort zones. The show format had bands playing acoustic sets and then interacting with each other on the stage throughout the evening producing a very unique musical experience you just don't find in Dayton, Ohio often enough these days.  It was a jam.  I loved every single moment of it and I haven't even touched on some of the amazing moments this show produced, like The Tracers doing Rush covers like they'd been playing the songs their entire lives or Crazy Damn Good rocking out George Harrison's Got My Mind Set On you.  Folks, this is a show I won't miss in the years to come.  Louie Wood has something special going on with these shows and they aren't to be missed.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Zombie Marge, putting fun back into comics...

Delightfully irreverent and funny...

Halfway through Tim Fuller's Zombie Marge it suddenly dawned upon me why I've fallen so in love with Indy comic books.  For too long now I've been unhappy with mainstream comics.  I wasn't happy with them because they're just not fun to read anymore.  I'm so tired of intergalactic wars of "epic" proportions being fought by superheros who somehow need to be socially relevant, politically correct and continually tormented by their inner demons.  I'm sick to death of the half White, half Black, half Latino characters struggling with their homosexuality while they battle to save humanity in galaxies far far away while their lovers lie dying on planet Earth of Aids.  Mainstream comics are just too damned preachy, boring and pretentious these days.  No wonder folks aren't buying comic books anymore, it's cheaper to turn on our televisions and watch daytime dramas for free. 

Zombie Marge is none of the above things.  Zombie Marge is refreshingly witty, funny and irreverent.  It takes me back to the days of Hellboy Junior and Ren and Stimpy.  Zombie Marge, and so many of the other books being produced by Tim Fuller, are just plain good-old-fashioned fun.  This is what's being forgotten in the comic book industry today.  Not every comic book has to be an epic tale of Herculean warriors battling the forces of evil to save the universe from the super villain of the month.  There's a market for books like Zombie Marge.  There's a market for a good laugh and Tim Fuller fills it admirably.  Look, for those of us working ten to twelve hours a day, often times six days a week, the last thing we need when we sit down to read a comic book for relaxation is one more source telling us how we should be thinking about the "major" issues of the day.  All we're looking for is a good laugh, a bit of respite from our busy work week, and that's where a book like Zombie Marge comes into play.  Zombie Marge is a break from the realities of daily life, not another reminder of how rough and horrible life is these days.

Hoohah Comics is Tim Fuller's home on the Internet and it's loaded with a treasure trove of books guaranteed to make you smile when you could really use one the most.  You'll find Tim's Little Olden books, Sham Comics, The Blue Beagle, Twelve-Way with Cheese and so much more.  You'll find books you can enjoy with your kids as well as books to amuse your more sophisticated stoner friends.  Yeah, I said it, your stoner friends. We, uh, I mean they, like a good laugh too.  Whether you like ongoing web comics, digital comics or hard copy books, Tim Fuller has you covered.  And best of all?  You'll truly find something for the entire family to enjoy reading.  That's something I just don't find in the big two comic houses these days.  Surf on over and check Tim out, you'll be glad you did.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Nix Comics; comics for cool kids.

Comics for cool kids, like us...

Time for the first review of some of the great books I discovered at the Independent Creators Expo 2014.  I've been pouring over comic books since the evening the con ended and I'm happy to report that the amount of quality materials I received there has warmed my heart during one of the worst winters Ohio has experienced in a very long time.  Let's get to it, shall we?

Nix Comics is a unique blend of some of my all time favorite comic books, Mr. Natural, Not Quite Dead, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Tales From The Crypt.  Writer/Editor, Ken Eppstein, has skillfully managed to combine an obvious love for rock and roll music, classic morality-tale horror and an appreciation for sarcastic humor into a quarterly comic book guaranteed to satisfy the appetite of the Indy comic book reader looking for something truly different in the Indy scene.  You won't find superhero makeovers and rewrites of stories already written to death in Marvel and D.C. comics in Nix Comics.  What you will find are a collection of short vignettes intelligently written and skillfully illustrated by artists including, Ryan Brinkerhoff, Joel Jackson, Darren Merinuk and Michael Neno.

 Between the front and back covers of a Nix comic book you'll find mature tales of horror based around characters like the musician who wouldn't sell his soul to the devil or the Narcissistic guitarist.  You'll also find socially relevant and thought provoking pieces like Man Loves, God Kills?. You'll also find irascible characters like Bus Stop Ned and funny parodies of classic comic book ads.  And that's what I find so enjoyable about Nix Comics, every turn of the page brings something new.  And Ken understands the difference between mature content and titillating illustrations.  Ken understands that good stories don't need to be wrapped in spandex, bolstered by breasts, babes or sexual innuendo.   Good stories are just as engaging as hard bodies in skimpy costumes.  I found this approach to story telling refreshing.

Nix Comics aren't just about rock and roll either.  You'll find some great Western stories and an excellent  book for parents and children featuring a cleverly designed character named Boy Howdie.  Everything I sampled was smart, engaging and entertaining.  Comic books like these are the reason I read Indy comics almost exclusively these days.  Rather than trying to breath new life into exhausted character stereotypes and story lines, Ken is producing fun and imaginative comic books based upon solid story telling and visually delightful illustrations.  If you're looking for some quality Indy comics, I'd strongly encourage you to go online and give Nix Comics some well deserved support.  Ken Eppstein and friends are truly deserving of your time and hard earned money.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Independent Creators Expo Febuary 1st, 2014

Guaranteed to warm you up inside.

Okay, we all know it's cold outside and the weather is frightful, but if you're looking for something to break the grip of cabin fever, and provide a little chicken soup for the soul, then you need to get yourself to Wright State University this weekend for the Independent Creators Expo featuring some of the best talent in the Indy scene today.  Saturday, February 1st 2014 there's going to be a jam you don't want to miss;  we're talking music, films, comic books and lot's of surprises for those of you stalwart enough to brave the elements and get your butts to this venue for some some fun.

I can't wait for some of my local friends to meet and greet some of my favorite Indy folks.  You're gonna love the gang from Tether.  Folks they bring a show and a half and they're just the greatest group of characters you could ever hope to spend some time with.  Are you looking for a read that will chill your blood and curl your toes?  Check out my buddy Chris Charlton from Assailant Comics and his amazing series Black of Heart.  And I just can't wait for my Dayton friends to meet Jonathon Hodges of Bad Place Productions.  This guy has assembled some of the most amazing talent you've seen in a long time and they're producing some absolutely must read comic books you've ever seen.  Looking for a good old fashioned laugh out loud book?  Check out my friends from Old World Comics.  Seriously, these guys put the fun back in comic books and I just love their stuff.  I guarantee, you'll love them too.

Oh, are ya looking for some new jams?  Check out my buddies from Red Hot Rebellion.  Dude, they flat out rock and they're gonna keep the jam room a hopping.  And best of all, when you walk up to their table looking to buy a few goodies, they don't charge what the market can bear, they let you pay what your pocketbook can afford!  I'm not kidding!  Are you familiar with the Night Beast?  How about Nathan Profitt?  Yeah, it's gonna rock...

How about a little love for the homegrown goodness of Jason Young of Buyer Beware Comics and Baron Von Porkchop.  And last but certainly not least, let's give a big round of well deserved applause to our gracious host Brandon Johnson of Studio Akukmakaze for putting together such an amazing event.  I'm telling you, for the amazingly low price of three dollars, you can't find a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Dayton, Ohio than the Independent Creators Expo, February 1st, 2014, from 10 am to 5pm.  I'll be there, my best bud Robert Floyd is going to be there, heck, who all knows who'll be there!  If you have any idea what a good time is, you'll be there too.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Melt the Sky-Red Hot Rebellion

 Melt yer' face off rock and roll music!

A little over an hour ago, Jim Tramontana of Red Hot Rebellion put a copy of their new CD in my hands and I've been playing it over and over again ever since.  Seriously boys and girls, I've seen Buddhist monks on fire that weren't this hot.  This new album doesn't just assault the senses, it beats them bloody with a baseball bat and then boot-stomps whatever is left over until they're begging for mercy.  Holy Frack these mother f**kers are good.

Every time I turn the album cover over to read the band credits I expect to read stuff like; Andris Devine-Drums/Vox and "Bulldozer", Doug Spencer-Guitar/Vox and "Chainsaw" and Jim Tramontana-Bass/Keys/Vox and "Jack Hammer".  These boys are just plain tearing it up! 

Track one, Melting the Sky, gets this new offering from Red Hot Rebellion off to a whirlwind start that will  leave your eardrums bleeding for a week.  With Andris Devine thundering on drums, Doug Spencer laying down lightening on guitar and Jim Tramontana raining major riffs on bass, this isn't a band as much as it is an elemental force of nature shoving a hurricane of sound up yer' arse.   And with each of the tracks that follows, the storm just keeps on a comin' faster and more powerful than the one preceding it.  Fact is, this album outta come with an application form for FEMA cause you ain't gonna be right for weeks after listening to it the first time.

And they're doing a show at Blind Bob's August, 31, 2013!  Hell yeah I'm going!!  You'd be a fool not to go see these guys for five dollars before they hit it big and you wind up paying forty bucks per pop just to watch em' from the nose bleed seats of your local arena. Seriously, five dollars, Hell, you can't even buy a cup of coffee for that price anymore.

Come on out and support he best party band in the whole frackin universe!

Oh yeah, you all know where I'm gonna be Saturday, August 31, 2013 and I'm going to be dragging everyone I know along with me or they're all going on the friends Probationary List fer sure.  Hey, I gotta have standards, and these days they all seem to be by Red Hot Rebellion. 

So come on out and join me for what I guarantee will be one of the best nights of party music you've heard in a very long time.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Black of Heart - Assailant Comics

Noir fiction at its best.

Okay, I admit it, this is a rather fast turnaround for another review of an Assailant Comics book but Gawd-a-Mighty these boys are cranking out some great reading.  Black of Heart, chapter one; Last Cab in Brooklyn was a stunner from page one to the cliffhanger on the final panel of the story.  Writer Chris Charlton has created a piece of Noir fiction the likes of which I haven't seen since Ed Brubaker's Criminal series.  Masterfully illustrated by David Hollenbach and smartly lettered by Brant W. Fowler this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's something going on over at this company well worth keeping an eye on.

Black of Heart is a dark and visceral tale about a serial killer stalking the streets of Brooklyn and the detective trying to hunt him down and put an end to his reign of terror.  Writer Chris Charlton continues to display a real talent for using classic elements of any particular genre without falling into the quagmire of using overworked and tired cliches.  The man just knows how to tell a good story.  I liked Binary Gray, but I loved Black of Heart.  Chris just seems to be gaining confidence with each and every story he's writing and I'm quickly becoming a real fan of his work.

The illustrations of David Hollenbach border on absolute brilliance producing some truly goose-bump and hair-raising panels without going into the extremes of excessive blood and gore.  Don't get me wrong, David ain't afraid of walking on the wild side and he does some things with point of view perspective that will draw you into a world not meant for the squeamish or faint of heart. He nails it folks, he just flat out nails it.  And lest I forget it, Bryant W. Fowler does a great job with the lettering.  I know it seems like a minor point to some but quality lettering can sometimes make or break a book and in this instance Mr. Fowler puts the perfect cherry on top of the Noir sundae.

I don't care what everyone else might be reading over the next few months, but as for me and my house, we're gonna be glued to Black of Heart.  I have a feeling this is going to be one of the sleepers of the summer and I don't plan on missing a single episode of what promises to be a great story.

Serial Squad - Bad Place Productions

"Nazis and Martian Tripod Walkers? Oh my!"

Although their heyday had long come and gone by the time I began reading pulps in the mid sixties, characters like Doc Savage, The Green Hornet, The Shadow and The Phantom still managed to reach out from the nineteen-thirties and forties to capture the attention of a young boy and keep me spellbound with the tales of their adventures.  Sure I loved characters like Superman and Spider Man, but in my mind, the pulp heroes and their two-fisted tales of fighting Nazis, mobsters and thugs, from the dark streets of Chicago, to the deepest-darkest-wilds of the Amazon jungle, never took a backseat to anyone, no matter how super-powered they might be.

Serial Squad pays homage to those bygone days of the great pulp characters with a storyline taken right out of the pages of yesteryear.  Of course there are Nazis.  And there's a group of actors who suddenly find themselves faced with the choice of fighting for the good old American way and freedom, or turning tail and running away from danger like cowardly dogs.  Oh yeah, there's a dame too.  Tough as nails, trained in judo and able to hold her own against any tough guy.  And she's got a trained tiger too.  And if that isn't enough to whet your appetite, there's a science fiction twist that is literally out of this world.

Not only has creator Paul E. Shultz written a quality story, he's also illustrated the book with some of the finest black and white panels I've seen in years.  His use of negative spacing is simply breathtaking.  Seriously, the book is a must have for any artist seeking to learn how to do a black and white book the right way.  Truly this is a comic book I'll treasure for years to come, before someday passing it on to my son.  He's gonna love it as much I do too.

As if all this goodness isn't enough already, hold on to your hats boys and girls, because there's even more!  On the inside of the back cover is a secret message for all members of the Jr. Serial Squad, that can only be decoded using the Official Glow-In-The-Dark Secret Decoder Ring!  Yeah, you heard me right, and its only available by joining the the Jr. Serial Squad!  Now, I'm not about to sink ships with loose lips, but I will tell you this, the message has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Ovaltine.

Now I suggest you get your freedom-loving-patriotic butts over to Bad Place Productions right this very minute and do your patriotic part to defend America from the dark forces of evil lurking around every corner.  Lady Liberty needs you boys and girls!  Don't let her down!

Oh, and don't forget to buy bonds...

Tether - Tether Comics

 "Humor on stun, Mr. Sulu."

Hands down, without a doubt, the best book I brought home from the local Kentucky artists who displayed their wares at the Derby City Comic Book Convention last weekend, has to be a wonderful little book called Tether.  Folks, these people were all about fun from the moment they marched into the convention hall and began setting up their display table.  Their entire group was costumed as characters in the book and they were hamming it up for anyone and everyone who wanted a picture with them. (see picture below)

Well of course anyone having that much fun caught my attention right away and I couldn't help but walk over to their booth to investigate just what the heck all the commotion was about.  Boy am I glad I did because the book they put in my hands turned out to be about the most fun I've had with a comic book in some time. 

Now the first thing I do when I set out to review a comic book is to go out to the supporting website to see what the creators are all about and what they have to say about their book.  Good thing I did too or I'd have missed the three rocking music tracks designed to be listened to as you read each section of the book.  I strongly suggest you surf out to their website before you read the book, download the three tracks, and then follow the instructions on when you should play each one as you read the book.  I also suggest you put on some quality headphones too because the combined effect of the tunes and comic book are a multimedia entertainment package you're going to enjoy the daylights out of experiencing.

The only thing missing was a red suit guy.

Seriously guys, this isn't just a clever comic book, its a darn clever artistic presentation.  Now, I'm not gonna say anything about the story, the artwork, (both of which I loved) or offer up a single spoiler to whet your curiosity enough to buy this book; I'm just gonna tell you straight up, go online and spend your five dollars on something guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a song in your ears.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Space Dwarf - Space Dwarf Studios

Back to the Dwarfing Board...

As an older individual I've learned there are times I just don't understand why some particular item in popular cultural is considered hip, cool, funny or even socially relevant.  For instance, I don't understand why either of the Justins are considered to be so hot; either Bieber or Timberlake.  I certainly don't understand the popularity of Fox News as a news source.  Sadly, among those things I just don't understand, Space Dwarf has just moved up to number five on the list.

Now as anyone who reads my reviews knows, I got nothing but love for the small indie companies.  I've even got love for the micro-indie companies.  Hell, let a kid hand me a couple of pieces of paper stapled together with pencil drawings on them and I'm gonna give his/her book a good review if it is at all in my power to do so.  Sometimes however, all the love in the world just isn't enough to make something good when it isn't, and unfortunately that's the case with Space Dwarf.

This book could have been funny, maybe even should have been funny, but in the end it was so poorly written, terribly punctuated and dreadfully edited that it just fell flatter than a souffle baking in an oven during a Metallica drum solo.  Sorry Marcus, but this one needs to go back to the Dwarfing Board.  Better luck next time...

The Powers That Be: The Origin of Buxom Blonde - Old World Comics

Double D-cups of fun!

Among the best moments I enjoyed at the Derby City Comic Book Convention in Louisville, Kentucky was sitting down with Todd Goodman and Cory Butler from Old World Comics and talking about the need to put the fun back in comic books.  Eventually I was handed a book to review, The Powers That Be; The Origin of Buxom Blonde.  They asked only one thing from me in return for the book, an honest review.  Well, they asked for it, so here it goes.

Once upon a time there were small press books with names like Captain Guts, Mr. Natural and The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.  The illustrations in these books weren't like anything in the Marvel and DC comic books of the day and neither were the stories they contained.  If you were looking for tales of good triumphing over evil or teams of super powered mutants rescuing the planet from alien invaders you weren't going to find them them in these books.  What you were going to find was lots of humor and generous helpings of belly laughs.

We called them funny books.  Because that's what they were, funny books.  The Powers That Be; The Origin of Buxom Blonde is a funny book.  Written by Todd Goodman and illustrated by Cory Butler the book comes together perfectly and is a joy to read.  Todd has written a clever story peppered with zany characters like President Duke Wayne, Dr. Erectenstein and of course, our sweet heroine Toni Daily. 

The whimsical illustrations of Cory Butler combine perfectly with Todd's story to produce a book that is as much fun to view as it is to read.  I've become a fan of Cory's work and would like to see more of it in the future.  Together Todd and Cory have created a very funny book and one that I'll be more than glad to add to my humble collection of what I consider to be Dirk's Comic Book Corner worthy. 

The Powers That Be; The Origin of Buxom Blonde is a perfect example of why I find myself reading more and more indie press books on a weekly basis than I do the Marvel and DC "Skittles" books where the only creative direction seems to be creating a rainbow of Arrows, Lanterns and Hulks.  There's nothing but drama in the big houses and I've grown bored with the same old rainbow soap operas.  I want my comic books to be fun again, and thanks to the good folks at Old World Comics I've found a good place to start making that a reality instead of a frustrated fantasy.  Thanks guys!  And yes, I'd very much like to read the first couple of books in the series.

Derby City Comic Book Convention - 2013

A celebration of comic books and those of us who love them.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a comic book convention as much as I did the Derby City Comic Book Convention.  Upstairs, downstairs, inside and outside on the sprawling steps leading up and into the Kentucky International Convention Center it was a celebration of the industry and those of us who love it as passionately as we do.  It was small press friendly, it was cosplay friendly, it was fan friendly and as a result the overall atmosphere of the con was one of warmth, intimacy and comraderie.

My favorite moments of the con?  Sitting down with Chris Charlton of Assailant Comics and talking about Binary Gray and their new book Black of Heart.  (Which I loved. Best Noir fiction story I've read since Brubaker's Criminal.)  Meeting Jon Hodges of Bad Place Productions and talking about everything comics and then having him hand me a copy of Woodboy to read was something special.  Quite frankly, if the con hadn't ended the two of us would still be sitting outside the convention center drinking cups of coffee and talking about everything comics.  The man has a passion for the damn things that's just infectious.

That's what made this con so special for me.  I may have walked up to tables looking for items to purchase, but the next thing I knew I was sitting down with yet one more individual who loves comic books as much as I do and talking like we were old friends from childhood.  And of course some of these folks like Todd Goodman and Cory Butler from Old World Comics became instant buds I can't wait to spend some time getting to know better.

And I know this was Chuck Moore's first year at the helm, but if what I saw is any indication at all the Derby City Comic Book Convention is in loving and capable hands.  The man was a whirlwind of promotion and it was a rare moment I didn't see him smiling, shaking a hand and talking about what great things are in store for this annual event.  And the best news he kept delivering again and again?  Next year this love fest is going be a two day event!  Man, I'm so excited I'd time travel to next year if I knew anyone with a time machine.

You can find photos here.  I hope they inspire you to put this con on your list of must attend events for next year.  You won't be disappointed.

Woodboy - Bad Place Productions

Hauntingly Good Book

Over the weekend I had the great pleasure of attending the Derby City Comic Book Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.  I also had the even greater pleasure of meeting Johnathon Hodges of Bad Place Productions.  Over the course of the afternoon we spent hours in friendly conversation sharing what was clearly a mutually shared love for comic books.  Eventually John wound up handing me a comic book with the invitation to read it.  The book he handed me was the one you see pictured above, Woodboy.

Upon returning to the table I was manning with Brandon Johnson of Studio Akumakazi I sat down and began reading what would soon prove to be one of the very best comic books I've read in a long time.  There are actually two stand alone stories in the book and even though they share no common elements they somehow fit together like Yin and Yang producing a complete vision.  

The first story is that of the main character's (Woodboy) search to find his mother and thus discover his roots and origin in the world in which he dwells. I was immediately struck by the marvelous black and white illustrations of creator and artist Dave Watt.  His work is both unique and evocative.  I couldn't help but think of Clive Barker's Weaveworld.  This is how the magical creatures of the ancient times, before the coming of man, would've drawn their stories upon the cave walls hidden deep within the mountains of Fugue.

The story read and felt like an ancient myth, passed down from generation to generation since the predawn of time. It felt as if I'd discovered a sacred scroll long forgotten.  Upon unrolling it I discovered a piece of myself I'd never realized was missing until the strange symbols drawn upon it revealed its absence to me. I loved it and felt myself a better person for having read it.  I was very impressed with the execution of this story and the emotional response it evoked in my heart.

The second story in the book, Apocalypso, is a tale about the ending of times.  Although completely unrelated to the story of Woodboy in either epoch or characters it felt as if it fit with the story I'd just finished reading and somehow fulfilled a vision neither story could have completed without the other.  Apocalpalyso is at the same time both horrible and beautiful.  There is something profoundly deep and honest about it that is difficult to label.  It damn near brought tears to my eyes at the same time I wanted to recoil in revulsion and flee in horror from it.  Apocalpalyspo was powerful and unexpected.  It left me stunned and in awe of the mind that had produced such a story.

This book and the time spent in conversation with Johnathon Hodges about it afterwards made me remember why I've loved the art form of the comic book for all these years.  It was a celebration when I ran back to Johnathon's table proclaiming, "Holy shit, that was incredible!"  

The man just smiled and said, "Wait til you see what's coming next."

I can hardly wait.  This man's got something good happening over at Bad Place Productions and I'll be keeping a close eye on this group of folks.  I suggest you do too.

Binary Gray-Assailant Comics

Solid and well executed.

One of the great things about being a comic book geek is having a small treasure trove of forgotten books sitting around in plastic tubs from past events and conventions.  Every now and then when the "Big Two" seem to be deluging the market with comic books I find less than entertaining, I'll run downstairs, grab a stack of small press material and while away a few hours panning for gold.  That's just what I was doing the other night when I chanced upon Binary Gray.

This is one of those comic books that just get's it right from page one.  The immediate flashback to childhood quickly provided some nice back story elements to the main character and got the story up to speed in a hurry.  The pacing was fluid without being forced or hurried.  I was engaged from the moment I started turning pages.

The main character is a young man named Alex Gray.  He's not a scientist or an athlete capable of super-human feats.  He's just an ordinary guy working a dead-end job as an IT guy.  One day while performing a routine fix in the server room he's zapped by an electrical discharge from one of the computers and wakes up in the hospital.  The next thing he knows he's hearing a voice in his head and the hospital monitors and television sets seem to be reaching out and attempting to interface with him.

Sure the story sounds familiar.  I've read it a thousand times involving characters like Peter Parker and Bruce Banner.  The plot is archetypical of the modern comic book origin story.  That's what made it feel familiar and believable to me without being cliche.  I bought into the character right away.  The same went for his new abilities.  He wasn't given super powers, he was simply given new abilities that didn't stretch the suspension of disbelief system beyond a breaking point.

This was an origin story that didn't suffer from the same mistakes I've seen so many small press comic books suffer from again and again in trying to create a new book.  Creator/Writer Chris Charlton didn't try to reinvent or revolutionize comic books, he simply told a good story based around a believable character using familiar and time tested plot lines. I liked the book.  It satisfied me as a reader and made me want to read more of Alex Gray's story and hopefully learn more about him and the world he inhabits in future issues of Binary Gray.  You can find this book along with other fine products at Assailant Comics.  Check em' out.  I'm glad I did.

Red Hot Rebellion

"Hell...  Frackin'...  Yeah!"

First off, this review would've been a whole lot easier to write if I hadn't been leapin' around my office wailing on air-guitar and head-banging every file cabinet that got in my way.  Seriously, by track three I was outta my seat and jammin' big time.  Wow, what a great surprise.

Red Hot Rebellion is a party band, plain and simple.  If there's any kind of message to take away from their self titled album it's this, "It's better to die behind a guitar than a gun.".  Holy crap these guys are good!  If you like your vocals raw and your guitar loud and blazing fast, you're gonna love this band.  Ya wanna hear these guys the right way?  First, find a pair of the biggest damn Marshall amps you can find, second, take em' out to the garage and hook your CD player up to em'. Next, open your garage door, set up a lawn chair in the driveway, turn on the music and get ready to blow your neighborhood away.  Dude, you crank these bad boys up and the party is gonna come running to your house.

My favorite tracks were: Wait And See, For the Benefit of Evil, Hellfire, Wild One, Devil's Rope, Cooking With Gas and Open Wide and Say Awesome.  Cripes, did I just list almost every track on the whole damn CD?  That just ain't like me at all!  I haven't heard a party band this good since the days of J Geils and Deep Purple...

You know what?  Frack my boss and frack the office!  I'm outta here!  I'm gonna go home and put these bad boys on a real stereo system.  Then I'm gonna sit down on a lawn chair in my living room and party my butt off.

Do yourself a favor, boys and girls, go out and buy this CD right frackin now!  And while you're at it, visit their website, find out where they're performing next and get yer' asses out to see em'.  You won't be disappointed.

Oh, I almost forgot!  There's a comic book I would've reviewed if I hadn't shredded it after rolling it up and using it for an air-guitar.  Maybe I can get em' to send me a new one...

Baltimore - Bantam Books

A first rate read steeped in atmosphere.

If not for a three issue mini-series soon to be released by, Dark Horse comics, Baltimore, The Plague Ships, I would never have heard of this novel. If not for my fondness for the creative team of, Mike Mignola, (writer) and, Ben Steinbeck, (illustrator) I'd have simply dismissed, Baltimore, The Plague Ships, as yet one more vampire story in a market already over-saturated with tales of the blood-sucking night-stalkers. Only because of my fondness for, Mike Mignola and Ben Steinbeck, did I decide to add the mini-series, based upon a novel I'd never heard of, to my pull file.

Not wishing to read a comic book based upon a novel I'd never read in the first place, I looked it up on, Amazon.com, found a copy of it for a fair price and ordered it forthwith. I started reading the novel the day it arrived in the mail and didn't put it down until I'd finished it. Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, is as good a read as I've enjoyed in a very long time. This novel took me back to the days of my youth when the tales of, Edgar Allen Poe, and H. P. Lovecraft, introduced me to the horror genre. Like all good classic horror tales, Baltimore, begins on a moonless night in a field covered in fog. Men are at war, a human endeavor already fraught with unimaginable horrors, but on this particular night one soldier is about to come face to face with a horror that will change his life forever.

Wounded, slipping in and out of consciousness as he lies in a tangled heap of dead and dying soldiers, Baltimore, looks on in mounting terror as a strange flock of flying creatures descend upon the bodies strewn across the recent battlefield and begin feeding upon them. After drawing the attention of one of the winged monstrosities, Baltimore, finds himself fighting for his life against an ancient and fearsomely strong vampire. During the ensuing struggle, Baltimore, manages to inflict a terrible, but non-lethal wound to the face of his adversary. The enraged vampire leaves a wound of his own upon the thigh of, Baltimore, that will eventually cost him his leg.

Thus begins a tale I can only best describe as, Captain Ahab, versus the, Great White Wraith, that took his leg. Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire is a tale of revenge and retribution and the toll such pursuits take upon those who seek such bitter satisfactions. It is a good read that echos many of the great tomes that have preceded it in the genre of horror. The novel pays homage without copying or cloning other works. Once again, it is a good read and if you're planning on picking up the upcoming, Dark Horse mini-series, Baltimore, The Plague Ships, I would encourage you to find this book and read it in advance of, Mike Mignola and Ben Steinbeck's return to the world of, Henry Baltimore. If the comic book is even half as good as the novel, this will be a tale you won't want to miss.